Chapter 83 (1/2)

“The cause of this is probably…” Su-hyeun began to think.

The other dungeons were still the same. As far as Su-hyeun’s memory was concerned, there were no dungeons that had disappeared or suddenly appeared. He could only think of one possible cause.

“Lich King. It’s probably because of him.”

It looked like Su-hyeun had to pay more attention to the frequency of dungeon appearances. It would be a huge problem if the biggest and most-important dungeons he knew of suddenly appeared.

“I feel like this just got more complicated.”

His busy schedule was about to get busier. Su-hyeun sighed and closed the booklet.

“Are you done? Then come and eat some fruit,” Hak-joon said.

“Are you not working today?” Su-hyeun asked.

“After you disbanded Ares Guild, I have nothing much to do here. All my friends are gone,” Hak-joon answered.

“What about your next trial?”

“I just passed the forty-ninth floor yesterday.”

“Already?”

Su-hyeun was about to nag Hak-joon about being lazy, but he had worked harder than Su-hyeun expected. The forty-ninth floor might not be high in comparison to the other A-rank awakeners, but considering that Hak-joon had begun at level eight, it was a phenomenal speed.

“The fiftieth floor will be a crisis. Every tenth floor becomes insanely difficult,” Hak-joon complained.

“Don’t worry too much. You can get a hint if you give enough points to the gatekeepers.”

“I will. And because of that, I’ve worked hard on points, just as you advised.”

Working on points meant a way of completing trials with sufficient achievement points, not just getting to the end. In his previous life, this method was pretty popular on the ninth floors of each tier. The reason was that people had to pay an information fee to the gatekeepers on the tenth floors. Sooner or later, this method would become popular again.

“What about you, Su-hyeun? Why don’t you attempt the next trial?”

“Since I don’t have much time, I will. Soon.”

After he finished the green-colored dungeon, he adjusted his condition for about a day. The basis of his strategy was to prepare the perfect condition needed to attempt the next trial. For the distribution, Su-hyeun left it all to Lee Ju-ho. The amount would be high, but since he was a veteran, he would not make a mistake.

“What do you mean you don’t have much time?” Hak-joon asked.

“There’s something I have to take care of,” Su-hyeun said as he stood. “I will tell you when the time comes. Be ready then.”

“What?”

Hak-joon tilted his head sideways. He felt an ominous foreboding. Hak-joon shuddered with a spooky feeling. And Su-hyeun looked at Hak-joon and smiled. Then, he checked the electronic clock on the wall and calculated the date.

“There should be enough time,” he thought.

Miru had hatched after the trial of the twenty-first floor. And Su-hyeun immediately joined the attack on the green-colored dungeon. So, he still had some time left for the day.

“I guess I have to push myself.”

Su-hyeun started to climb the Tower of Trials again.

***

[Subject: Kim Su-hyeun. Beginning the trial of the twenty-second floor.]

That trial took three days.

[You have passed the trial.]

There was nothing difficult in that trial. Trials were still pretty easy for Su-hyeun.

“The goal is the thirtieth floor.”

[Subject: Kim Su-hyeun. Beginning the trial of the twenty-third floor.]

This time, it took five days.

[You have passed the trial.]

After completing a floor, Su-hyeun took a day off. Then without hesitation, he attempted the next challenge. March had passed and April came. Flowers started to bloom. But Su-hyeun did not see the flowers and time marched on.

[Subject: Kim Su-hyeun. Beginning the trial of the twenty-seventh floor.]

The trials were getting a little more difficult. From that time, he paid more attention to maintain his condition. After passing the twenty-seventh floor, Su-hyeun rested for three days. His state of mind changed as well. He started to study and practice the ways he could be stronger. He did not just pass the trials without thinking. And then Like that, May passed as well. The weather was warming.

[Subject: Kim Su-hyeun. Beginning the trial of the twenty-ninth floor.]

The trial of the twenty-ninth floor was particularly difficult. There was no risk high enough to threaten his life, but for the first time, he had almost failed. The goal was to escort a specific person. But the situation had suddenly changed, and the target was in danger. Fortunately, of course, he came through and saved the target.

“Stay well, kid.”

“I am not a kid. I am Quan Zarhan…”

“You’re loud, kid.”

Su-hyeun mussed up the little boy’s hair when they arrived at the kingdom’s castle. Quan fixed his hair with annoyed and looked up.

“What do you mean ‘stay well’? Mister, come inside with me. My father is the king and he’ll give you a big prize.”

“You really still call me mister at the end…?”

“You call me kid, too. Nyah—”

Su-hyeun sighed at Quan’s behavior. Still, Quan had softened in comparison to the first time they met. Back then, because of his royal stature, he looked down on Su-hyeun. But now he treated Su-hyeun like a close brother.

“I am sorry to say goodbye,” Su-hyeun thought.

This trial had taken a month. Of all the recent trials, that was the longest. There was a reason for that. Su-hyeun had to find ways to get to the kingdom and there were many obstacles at every moment. In that time, he had become fond of Quan as well. But there was nothing he could do.

“I really have to go,” Su-hyeun said.

“Where are you going?”

Su-hyeun suddenly vanished right before Quan’s eyes. Quan’s eyes widened in surprise and he looked around to try and find some trace of him.

“Mister? Where did you go? Mister?”

He spent a good while searching the front of the castle for Su-hyeun. But no matter how many times he called, Su-hyeun did not appear again.

“If you are in danger, call me. Then this awesome brother will save you. Okay?”

Su-hyeun had appeared in the middle of nowhere and saved Quan when he was kidnapped. He also showed up every time Quan had called him for help. But he would not come anymore. After some time, the palace soldiers emerged to find Quan.

Quan stood in vain and murmured, “I never got a chance to call him brother…”