Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn’t
Chapter 177: Forty-Seventh Floor, Siege Defense (2)

Chapter 177: Forty-Seventh Floor, Siege Defense (2)
The alarm, initially ringing from the right wall, had now spread across the entire city. Its sharp, piercing knell sliced through the air, accompanied by the angels’ enraged cries.

“What the hell?!”

“What’s happening? What’s going on?”

“What else? The fallen angels are attacking!”

Judging by their reactions, it seemed this wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar occurrence. However, despite their visible frustration, the angels didn’t appear particularly alarmed.

“Seriously? On the day of the angel creation ceremony?”

“Damn it, I was hoping to find my partner today!”

“Let’s take care of this quickly. Maybe we’ll still catch the end of it.”

“Yeah. It’s probably just the usual few dozen crazed fallen angels, as always.”

Suddenly, the angels’ grumbling stopped abruptly, and the arena fell eerily quiet. Everyone felt it. Something approached from the right.

Heads turned instinctively, just as a sudden gust of wind swept across the arena. For the briefest moment, it felt as though the floating city trembled.

Boom—

An enormous wave of magical energy rippled outward. The surge of mana sliced through the city like a blade.

While the shockwave had occurred suddenly, it didn’t catch me off guard. Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned that the moment the fallen angels attacked, the city’s portals would be disabled.

“What was that?”

“What the hell just happened?!”

Of course, most of the angels still hadn’t realized that the portals were already down.

The sky cities operated independently, much like autonomous states, so cities wouldn’t learn about an attack until distress signals requesting aid were sent. Even so, the angels sensed that something was wrong.

Chaos erupted across the arena. As confusion spread, armored angels soared into view from the right, cutting through the skies above.

“The fallen angels are attacking! All angels, prepare for battle!”

Their voices, amplified by mana, thundered over the arena. As if ignited by the urgent call, angels took to the skies and immediately created defensive formations.

I turned to Ha Hee-Jeong, and she gave me a resolute nod. It seemed Seo Ho-Su and Cole had been right after all. Ceremony or not, we should have prioritized forming a preliminary defensive line.

Just as I was about to move, however…

What was that?

A feeling—the slightest twinge of unease—rippled through my mind.

Sixth Sense had given me a warning. Something was coming, even if I didn’t know what it was. Unfortunately, I sensed that it was unavoidable, and though it wouldn’t arrive immediately, it would arrive soon.

This wasn’t something I could prevent; whatever was approaching was inevitable. My instincts weren’t telling me to stop it, only telling me to brace for impact.

This has to be connected to the mysterious disaster.

I didn’t have the time to dwell on it, however. Every climber in the arena stared intently at me, waiting for instructions.

First things first.

The angels had already taken to the skies, moving swiftly toward the rightmost wall. 

I scanned the climbers gathered before me.

Roughly two hundred. Maybe a bit less.

There were fewer than I had hoped. The rest had likely gone straight for the walls. Without hesitation, I summoned three combat airships from my mimic, more than enough to carry everyone present.

The massive vessels materialized above the arena, and the climbers instantly began preparing to board. Before I could issue an order, they were already moving. 

Regardless, I shouted, “Warriors, gather in front of me! Everyone else, get on the airships! ”

Ha Hee-Jeong seamlessly took command of the rest. “Those boarding the airship, follow me! I’ll lead you!”

We had planned these roles ahead of time. The climbers organized themselves quickly and followed our directions. Despite this, I felt a lingering concern.

I taught how to fly an airship to everyone in the Zone 1 rest area, but I hope the others will be able to keep up.

Many had learned about the airships secondhand through written instructions shared in the Community.

They may be unpolished, but they will have to do.

At least the controls weren’t overly complicated.

By now, about sixty warriors had gathered before me. 

I firmly addressed them, “If you’re confident in aerial combat, raise your hands.”

After a brief moment of hesitation, twenty-three raised their hands.

“We’ll be fighting individually. If you’re not sure you can handle a solo fight, lower your hand.”

Nine dropped out, leaving fourteen. Most of them were familiar faces—some of the stronger climbers. They would be enough.

“Those with your hands still raised, prepare for battle. We’ll advance toward the walls together.”

“Yes, sir!”

Sweeping my gaze over the rest, I ordered, “The rest of you, divide into airships. Stick close and follow orders.”

“Understood!”

A brief lull emerged as they hustled to regroup with the other climbers.

Seizing the moment, I swiftly approached Ha Hee-Jeong. We didn’t have much time to spare, so the conversation needed to wrap up quickly.

As I drew closer, she turned to face me. 

Once I reached her side, I whispered, “Something’s wrong. My Sixth Sense is warning me about something unavoidable.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know exactly. Something’s coming, and it’s big.”

“I had my suspicions once I heard about the angel creation ceremony, but this city is clearly the one that fell mysteriously.”

I nodded firmly. “Yeah, and it’s definitely a hidden mission.”

“We still don’t know exactly what it is, right? We’ll just have to prepare for anything. Stay sharp.” She tapped her temple lightly.

“Got it. You’re in charge here.”

With that, our conversation came to an end. I turned around but caught a glimpse of concern lingering in Ha Hee-Jeong’s eyes. 

Behind me, the warriors stood waiting, gazes fixed on me.

“Engines on! Prepare for liftoff!”

Whirrrrr—

The low hum of the engines reverberated across the arena. Gusts of dust kicked up by the propellers swirled around. 

The wind whipped against my face as I yelled above the noise, “Head to our right! And stay sharp, we’ll be moving fast!”

“Yes, sir!”

I had deliberately separated the warriors from the other climbers. In truth, they had been struggling to find impact in the past few floors. With the fallen angels dominating the skies, it was only natural.

Even aboard the airships, the limited space made it challenging for warriors to operate effectively.

Those incapable of aerial combat were better suited to guarding the climbers stationed on the airships, whereas those adept at aerial battles would be capable of working independently, just like a mage or an archer.

It took some time to sort them out, but it will be worth it.

Considering the long-term strategy, this approach would be the best way to minimize casualties.

As the airships lifted off, I set into motion. “Advance!”

“Move out!”

With the angels having taken to the skies, the arena lay deserted.

Following my orders, the climbers sprinted down the now-empty streets in unison. Since most of them were high-ranking climbers, we didn’t need to pace ourselves. I quickened my pace.

Though the fortress walls weren’t particularly close, starting from the central plaza gave us a decent starting point. Thanks to our speed, we didn’t take long to arrive near the walls.

Above us, the battle was already in full swing. Thousands of white and black-winged figures clashed in the skies, their forms weaving together in a chaotic dance. 

With both the angels and fallen angels equipped with wings, the walls were meaningless. 

“Prepare for battle!”

“Ready yourselves!”

I had already entrusted Ha Hee-Jeong with command of the high ground, leaving the other climbers outside my focus.

A quick glance behind me confirmed the fourteen climbers—elite fighters in their own right—had all kept up.

“We don’t have a well-developed strategy, so we are just going to have to adapt as needed! Don’t overextend. Your survival is the top priority!”

“Yes, sir!”

I surged ahead, widening the gap between myself and the others.

Kicking off the ground, I vaulted onto a nearby rooftop. Leaping across ten more buildings in rapid succession, I soared above the chaos below.

Boom! Boom!

Magical explosions and the sound of weapons colliding rang out in chaotic harmony.

Everyone is too clustered.

Unleashing lightning here would only add to the disorder.

Shifting my gaze, I scanned the battlefield. Beyond the melee, fallen angels were still flooding in from the distance.

We were definitely outnumbered.

Driven by madness, the fallen angels threw themselves into the fray with reckless abandon. The angels, who had been grumbling earlier, now fought with gritted teeth, pushing back with every ounce of strength.

“Die!”

“They’re breaching the left flank! Hold the line!”

Every inch of my field of view had turned into a battlefield. Fallen angel corpses rained down, plummeting toward the earth. Juxtaposed to the cries of pain, death wails, and shouts of determination, the serene sunlight still gently blanketed everyone in its warm and golden embrace.

I need to cross the walls.

With how chaotic the situation was, unleashing my true capabilities would be nearly impossible, just like during the battle at the Drina River. I had to push deeper into enemy territory to draw their attention and create an opening.

Planting my foot firmly on the edge of a rooftop, I launched myself upward. Two quick steps in the air propelled me higher, carrying me higher than the fortress wall.

Angels—fallen and not—brushed past me mid-flight. I fired streaks of lightning as I advanced.

“Argh!”

A scorched fallen angel plummeted from the sky, and my gaze briefly met that of a nearby angel. With a slight nod of gratitude, the angel turned away and resumed swinging its sword.

I calmly landed atop the fortress wall.

The sight of a wingless human standing on the battlements immediately drew the attention of several fallen angels. Ready for battle, I raised my mana-infused axe and charged.

“Kegh—!”

The nearest fallen angel let out a brief scream as I crushed its torso. Lightning arced around my first victim, ensnaring the others in its electric tendrils. Suspended midair, the fallen angels convulsed as all signs of life vanished behind their eyes.

Seizing the moment, I activated Flash Strike, pushed off the fortress wall, and launched myself back into the sky.

The angels struck by lightning remained frozen in midair. I traversed the sky, using the deceased fallen angels as footholds.

I repeated the sequence over and over—firing bolts of lightning, leaping onto enemies, and advancing further. A strange aerial dance unfolded in the midst of chaos.

This should be far enough.

The farther I went, the fewer angels I saw, while the fallen angels only grew in number.

Before I knew it, I was surrounded solely by enemies. Continuing to utilize the Footsteps of the Abyss’s ability, I ascended high into the sky and released Flash Strike.

“Keeek!”

The fallen angels shrieked as they belatedly noticed me. They swarmed, flooding toward me like a tidal wave.

In that fleeting instant, I summoned my mana and allowed the golden, lightning-infused mana to coil violently around me, forming a whirling sphere of energy.

Now!

Unleashing my power, it burst outward in a devastating explosion. Thousands of lightning bolts surged outward in every direction, each moving with a will of its own.

“Grrk—!”

“Arghhh—!”

The fallen angels barely managed to cry out once before convulsing in agony. Less than a second later, every enemy within a fifty-meter radius plummeted from the sky. 

The sudden collapse of the fallen angels temporarily cleared my view of the battlefield. At that very moment, the airships appeared above the fortress walls. 

The onboard climbers were painting the sky with spells, illuminating the sky. Reassured, I calmly landed on the ground.

Yet the enemy forces still showed no signs of waning. Fallen angels filled the newly created gap, surging toward me once more. With no time to relax, I fired another torrent of lightning.

Thud! Thud!

Protected by magical barriers, the airships advanced swiftly beyond the walls, their cannons roaring as they fired.

The battle was entering its most chaotic phase.

As I cleaved through the fallen angels, unleashed bolts of lightning, and confused the enemies with Master of Shadows, my mind drifted back to the earlier warning.

This isn’t just a battle of attrition.

If it were, while there would be heavy casualties, the challenge itself would still be manageable, and Sixth Sense wouldn’t have gone off. The warning it had delivered earlier still concerned me the most. I had to remain alert and ready to react the moment something changed.

I fought on, keeping my guard up as time slipped away.

Has it been forty minutes? Maybe an hour?

There was no way to be sure, but it felt roughly that long.

My axe cleaved through yet another fallen angel, severing its torso from its legs. Black blood splattered across my face.

Rumbleeee!

A colossal wave of mana erupted from the center of the city. The ground quivered moments later as a faint tremor spread outward.

Simultaneously, a new notification popped up. Even without reading it, I knew this had to be the hidden mission we had feared.

[The hidden mission ‘Curse, Shackles of Truth’ will now commence.]

[All angels within the city will transform into fallen angels. Additionally, the Catastrophe has emerged in the city. The Catastrophe will remain for three hours before vanishing.]

[Defend. Time remaining: 11 hours 46 minutes.]

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has defeated a fallen angel. His skills have leveled up. Demon Slayer is now lvl 2.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has defeated a plethora of fallen angels. His skills have leveled up. Demon Slayer is now lvl 3.」

...

「Invisible message: Bruche, the apostle of the second-class god ‘Burning Truth,’ has selected a city for reconstruction.」

「Invisible message: System maintenance for the virtual world will now begin.」