Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn’t
Chapter 157: Forty-Fourth Floor, The Abandoned City (5)

Chapter 157: Forty-Fourth Floor, The Abandoned City (5)
The boy appeared to be around nine years old. The climbers accompanying him shot me uneasy glances in response to Kasaan's abrupt outburst. Trying to be discreet, their leader gestured subtly to another climber, sending them to calm the boy.

“Kasaan, like I explained earlier… there's nothing we can do right now."

“Please! I'm begging you!"

“Kid, I hate to put it this way, but… it has already been a day, hasn’t it? The chances of a… positive outcome are slim."

“No! She's alive!" Kasaan burst out, his voice shaking but determined.

I exchanged a meaningful glance with Ha Hee-Jeong, our thoughts in sync.

This has to be a hidden mission.

However, judging by her expression, even she seemed unfamiliar with this specific mission. Well, I couldn’t expect her to know everything.

Seeking more clarity, I approached the party leader, who greeted me with a faint smile. “Ah, Mr. Kwon. Thank you again for your help earlier."

“You’re welcome. By the way, where did you come across the boy?"

“We found him in a ruined building nearby. It’s been about an hour since we met, but..." the leader trailed off uneasily. 

He shifted his troubled gaze to Kasaan. 

“Ever since we found him, the monsters have been attacking us relentlessly. It’s been... challenging."

“A boy with a horn, and more attacks… It certainly sounds like a hidden mission."

“Yeah. The assaults have been so non-stop that it’s become difficult for us to handle." 

He cast a cautious glance in my direction.

Hmm… 

I could guess what he was trying to imply.

Of course, he wouldn’t hand the boy over to us outright. After all, it was their hidden mission, and they wouldn’t want to relinquish it so easily. 

Instead, they subtly proposed an alliance, acknowledging that the task was too daunting for them alone. I wondered if they were too hesitant or embarrassed to voice their concerns directly, but either way, they resorted to hinting.

“Well, if you're finding it overwhelming… It just so happens we’re looking for more people to help with our base. How about joining forces?"

The leader’s face lit up, obviously relieved, as though things had fallen perfectly into place. “Haha, in that case, we’d be honored."

In all honesty, the arrangement benefited us as well. I didn’t want to steal another climber’s hidden mission outright, and we needed more manpower for our operations. 

As the conversation wrapped up, the leader suddenly seemed to recall something. “By the way, I noticed you’ve rejoined your original party?"

“Ah, yes. Climbing solo gets monotonous after a while. I thought it was a good time to reconnect with my team."

“That’s admirable. Your party members are fortunate to have you."

“Haha…" I chuckled awkwardly before turning my attention back to the boy. 

Kasaan was still fervently pleading with the climbers to save his mother, so the scene hadn’t progressed much since earlier.

Ha Hee-Jeong knelt before him, meeting him at eye level, before speaking kindly and encouragingly, “Hey, little one. You said your mom is alive, right? You sound so certain. Do you have a way of knowing for sure?"

The boy hesitated, visibly grappling with whether to reveal the truth. Ha Hee-Jeong gently ruffled his hair, letting him take his time. I was slightly taken aback, as the usually composed and analytical Ha Hee-Jeong rarely showed this side of her.

“We need to know so we can help. Without knowing if she’s alive, we can’t act blindly."

“My mom and I are connected by a thread of mana. I can feel that she’s still alive."

The climbers’ eyes widened at his revelation, seemingly hearing this detail for the first time. Given the chaos following their initial encounter with Kasaan, they likely hadn’t had a proper conversation with him until now.

Ha Hee-Jeong smiled reassuringly. “That’s good to hear. A mana thread, huh? Do you know where she is?"

“Yes, she’s in a huge building in the center of the city."

“I see…" she trailed off as she turned to look at me.

The massive building at the city’s center was a well-known nest of monsters, visible from any point in the city. Of course, we were familiar with it.

According to Ha Hee-Jeong, climbers had ventured near the building during her previous life but had failed to survive for long, much less discover its secrets.

The monsters inside the city are one thing, but the ones near that building are on an entirely different level.

Even with more experience, she and her team had been forced to retreat, unable to withstand the overwhelming waves of attacks.

We had discussed attempting to delve deeper this time, but now wasn’t the time for that. We needed to grow stronger first.

Ha Hee-Jeong gently patted Kasaan’s head. “We’ll help you. But not right now since we’re not strong enough yet. It may take a little time. Will that be okay?"

“Just please hurry."

“Do you know if there’s a deadline for saving her?"

“I… I don’t know…" 

Kasaan lowered his gaze, his voice growing faint. It seemed that we wouldn’t be able to find out more from the boy about the hidden mission.

I turned and addressed the climbers, “You’ve all worked hard today. We’ve got plenty of food, so let’s eat and rest for now."

***

[Survive. Time remaining: 154 hours and 23 minutes.]

Fortunately, the monsters hadn’t advanced close to the arena.

Based on Cole’s observations, they simply circled the skies nearby, searching aimlessly for some unknown sign. From that, we assumed that they would only pursue Kasaan after spotting him, and their inability to pinpoint his exact location worked in our favor.

I scanned the room. Kasaan was lying with his head resting on Ha Hee-Jeong’s lap. Perhaps her earlier kindness had won him over, as the boy seemed especially fond of her. 

Nestled comfortably, he whined softly and repeated, “Noona,” as he guided her hand onto his head.

This kid, seriously…

Sure, he looked like a child, but since he wasn’t human, we couldn’t know how old he actually was. This could be what an adult looked like in this world.

I felt a small pang of unease, but there wasn’t much I could say about it.

Ha Hee-Jeong simply smiled, gently stroking his hair. I knew she thought fondly of children, but her actions weren’t simply because of that. Perhaps she hoped that gaining his trust would prompt him to reveal more information.

Seated nearby, Seo Ha-Rin and Hakin whispered discreetly to each other.

“I’ve never seen her act like this before."

“Right? She’s usually so composed and calculating. This is honestly kind of surprising."

“She’s always had a soft spot for kids."

“Really? Wow, that’s unexpected."

Even the other party members seemed intrigued by this rare glimpse into Ha Hee-Jeong’s softer side. 

Noticing their stares, she cast a sharp look in our direction, silently telling us to mind our own business. Despite the glare, a faint trace of embarrassment colored her expression.

Kasaan, perhaps sensing the exchange, turned his gaze toward me. 

Is it my imagination, or is he looking a little defiant?

Seo Ha-Rin leaned in and scrutinized my face. “Oppa, why do you look so annoyed?"

“Huh?"

“Wait, are you… Jealous?"

I shook my head. “Jealous? Don’t be ridiculous. I was just thinking about what’s in the building, that’s all."

Seo Ha-Rin’s skeptical gaze didn’t waver. 

Eager to change the subject, I clapped my hands sharply, drawing everyone’s attention. “Alright, everyone. We’ve talked enough, and it’s getting late. Time to call it a night."

“True, it’s about that time."

“Great work today, everyone."

The climbers nodded and got up from their seats, their faces betraying a sense of quiet relief—leveling up constantly had taken a toll on everyone. While their minds still retained memories of fatigue, their bodies did not, creating a jarring disconnect.

Even I found the sensation unsettling.

“We’ll follow the watch schedule we discussed earlier, rotating shifts between the parties.”

After brief farewells, we headed to our assigned rooms. Ha Hee-Jeong and Seo Ha-Rin shared one, but Kasaan refused to let go of Ha Hee-Jeong’s hand.

“Can I sleep with you, noona?"

“No. Ha-Rin may not be comfortable with that."

“Huh? But I feel so anxious…"

This kid, again?

I strode over and scooped him up. The nerve—he had already agreed to stay in the same room with Seo Ho-Su and me, yet here he was trying to worm his way into Hee-Jeong’s good graces.

“Come on, you’re with me and Ho-Su."

“N-no! I don’t want to!"

“Too bad. Complaining won’t change anything."

“N-noona!"

“Haha. That’s right, come along with me, big guy," Seo Ho-Su chimed in, blocking Kasaan’s outstretched hand with a teasing grin.

Seo Ha-Rin smirked knowingly at me, her expression amused.

Ignoring her, I adjusted my hold on the still-protesting Kasaan and turned away.

***

The following day, we rose early, finished breakfast, and prepared our gear. 

With two additional parties now stationed at the base, we had agreed that they would alternate shifts guarding the base camp. Since our group had established the base and was now housing them, it was only fair that they took responsibility for its defense.

Well, it does seem unfair at first glance.

However, when you considered the value of a secure stronghold, it was a fair trade. For mid and low-rank climbers, having a safe place to rest and train was invaluable.

Moreover, we would earn bonus experience for the number of people relying on us, making the arrangement mutually beneficial in the long run.

“Alright, let’s head out."

Our next destination would be a mantis nest—although it looked more like a cave—located on the outskirts of the city. The idea of mantises living in burrows seemed strange to me, but Ha Hee-Jeong assured us it happened.

We had chosen such a remote location for one simple reason: its obscurity made it less likely to have been discovered by other climbers.

As we set off, Kasaan watched us with a sorrowful expression, clearly unhappy about being separated from Ha Hee-Jeong. It couldn’t be helped, though.

We can’t take him with us.

We couldn’t attempt the hidden mission, either.

Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned that the monsters near the central building were roughly level 40. Even in her previous life, no one who had ventured near it had returned alive. Naturally, the monsters inside the building would be even stronger.

For my party to have a chance, I estimated we would need to reach at least level 30. Therefore, Kasaan would have to wait.

I had also warned the other climbers the night before, doing my best to prevent them from venturing there. I claimed we had scouted the building, only to be forced back by the high-level monsters guarding it.

Ding!

As I mused, a notification message popped up.

[Twenty-four hours have passed. Enemy mob levels and aggression have risen.]

I had been waiting for this message. 

The strongest monster we had faced yesterday was level 8. Stronger foes would mean faster growth for us—a necessary challenge. Everyone had been preparing for this moment.

“It’s starting.”

“Yes, time to stay sharp.”

The only silver lining was that the monsters within the central building wouldn’t level up. Otherwise, clearing it would be an impossible task.

After several skirmishes with roaming monsters, we finally reached the mantis nest. Standing atop a hill, Ha Hee-Jeong pointed ahead.

“There it is. Just as I saw in my vision. That’s the nest."

“Let’s go.”

Unfortunately, as we climbed the hill, an unexpected sight brought us to a halt.

“What the…"

“This isn’t good…"

Fresh footprints marked the ground near the nest’s entrance, clearly visible on the damp soil.

Seo Ho-Su sighed heavily. “Looks like another party beat us here. Damn it, we came all this way for nothing."

“Yeah…"

Among climbers, entering a site claimed by another group was considered bad form. Though the time spent getting here felt wasted, we should turn back.

Cole studied the tracks and spoke quietly, “Judging by these prints, they’re about an hour old."

If an hour had passed, the other party was likely halfway through clearing the nest.

What now? Should we find another target?

I turned to Ha Hee-Jeong for guidance. To my surprise, her expression was resolute. 

She surveyed the group and spoke firmly, “We’re going in."

“Wait… are you serious?"