Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn’t

After Ha Hee-Jeong finished showering, we spent time planning for the upcoming twenty-sixth floor. Even so, I felt a nagging sense of unease linger at the back of my mind. Since Comet was still lost, I couldn’t predict how things would shift next.

My thoughts were focused on one chilling term: human sacrifice. The Great Warlord of Terror had sent me to another world with nothing more than a simple ritual. Following that train of thought, I worried what would happen if the heretics offered up the goddess’s Great Warrior.

Ha Hee-Jeong and I had two theories. Either every climber would be subjected to illusions, or the Great Warlord of Terror would gain unprecedented power. Truthfully, I was hoping for the latter. If it was the former, then any climber who didn’t have a skill related to mental defense wouldn’t be able to fight properly.

I can handle the warlord even if he becomes stronger.

Rather than sit idly and worry, I dove into three rounds of combat training before enjoying a comforting soak in the hot spring. There wasn’t much else to be done, so I ate whatever I wanted and even snuck in a quick nap.

[1 minute 04 seconds until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

Doing my final preparations, I secured my armor and helped Doppy into his new set of plate armor. It was time to face the twenty-sixth floor.

***

[Welcome to the twenty-sixth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: The Holy War.]

[Eliminate all enemies and drive out the heretics. Time remaining: 7 hours 59 minutes.]

The vast, green plains stretched endlessly before me, resembling the sweeping expanses of Mongolia I had once seen in a documentary. Across that open terrain, our enemies stood in formation—the three kingdoms that had betrayed us and the heretical forces.

Despite what I would have expected, each side appeared to have a similar number of troops. Oddly enough, both flew the Order of the Dawn Breeze’s banner.

They probably can’t openly reveal themselves as heretics yet. That would surely unsettle their normal footsoldiers.

As I scanned the enemy lines that filled the plains, I found no trace of the heretics nor their warlord.

Are they hidden among the regular soldiers, waiting to reveal themselves when the battle grows more intense?

Seemingly sensing my thoughts, the pope approached me at that moment.

“Mr. Kwon Su-Hyeok, I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Excuse me? Waiting?”

I overheard that the pope couldn’t wield the goddess’s power… Can he now?

“Ms. Ha Hee-Jeong suggested we meet during the Holy War.”

“Oh… I see.”

Sadly, my hope didn’t come true. Then again, considering his shaky faith on the twenty-fifth floor, I wasn’t surprised he couldn’t. He was little more than a spiritual beacon for the soldiers.

The pope must have sensed my disappointment, so he cautiously asked, “Are you feeling unwell? You don’t look very content.”

“Oh, no, I’m fine.”

“I’m relieved. I was concerned you might be unwell on the brink of the holy war."

As if you're not the reason I feel this way.

Of course, I couldn’t voice that thought, so I forced a stiff smile, which he took as a sign to continue. “Then, let me outline our strategy.”

“Is it alright if I don’t meet the other kings?” I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.

The pope’s expression contorted, and he paused before finishing his thought. “I am the supreme commander of this holy war.”

Although I had done my best to be subtle, the pope seemed to have caught the undertone of my words. He was utterly unacquainted with battle, so it was `ridiculous that he would lead as supreme commander. Just how fervent was the kings’ devotion?

The question lingered in my mind, but the pope’s troubled countenance took precedence.

“Forgive me if I seemed rude. I didn’t mean to downplay your role. In my world, popes aren’t generally known for having military expertise.”

“It’s okay. I understand. For now, Mr. Kwon Su-Hyeok, you’ll serve as the commander of our reinforcements…”

At that moment, the battlefield grew extremely tense. A wave of ominous energy had begun to spread from the center of the heretics’ camp.

I turned to gaze in the opposing army’s direction, and the pope quickly followed suit. Soldiers from both sides turned, their gazes locked onto the source of the sinister energy—a crimson portal in the midst of forming.

What is this? Are they summoning the heretics?

I dismissed the thought almost instantly. No, that couldn’t be it. The portal was merely three meters wide, far too small to teleport them all. Besides, it would be counterproductive for them to call upon the heretics now.

That will utterly shatter the enemy soldiers’ morale…

If they openly declared themselves as heretics, their troops would mutiny, with some likely fleeing the moment they realized they were fighting against the goddess.

Silence settled across the battlefield, all eyes fixed on the unsettling red portal. And then, only a single figure emerged.

The Great Warlord of Terror.

He bore his long, black spear, and his dark robe was embroidered with strange symbols.

Then I noticed it. Something was different. His once-severed arm had somehow been restored, and in that hand, he gripped Comet’s sword. The crimson glow of his eyes intensified, sweeping over the battlefield, and the portal vanished behind him.

Just him? Is that all?

The unthinkable nature of his appearance left me momentarily stunned.

What does he hope to achieve alone?

Additionally, he was blatantly a heretic. Only a complete fool wouldn’t recognize it. Among the enemy ranks, murmurs had already begun to ripple. When I sharpened my hearing, the frantic whispers became all too clear.

“Wh-what’s happening?”

“Isn’t the pope a traitor? Has King Harun betrayed us?”

“Damn it! This isn’t the time for this! We have to get out of here!”

Just then, a voice—imbued with mana—pierced through the chaos. “The king betrayed us! Run!”

It seemed one of the enemy commanders had quickly grasped the situation and issued an order. Following the commander’s lead, enemy soldiers turned and fled in terror, some even abandoning their weapons.

“It’s the heretics! The pope didn’t betray us!”

“Damn it! Run! Fall back!”

The front-line soldiers cast aside their weapons and began retreating. Amidst the chaos, only the disguised heretics, posing as soldiers, held their ground.

Damn it, there was no time to waste. Overwhelmed by the sudden development, the pope wore a blank expression.

A supreme commander? Really?

Just as I was about to shake him back to reality, the warlord’s voice swept across the plains. His words, whispered yet chillingly clear, seemed to permeate the entire battlefield.

“O’ great Stagnant Terror, your Great Warlord of Terror prays to you…”

He drove Comet’s sword deep into the earth and took out Comet’s necklace from his pocket, draping it over the sword’s hilt. My Sixth Sense went into overdrive, sending chills down my spine. This was no time to hesitate, not like last time.

I instantly activated Flash Strike and poured half my mana into a lightning strike aimed directly at the Great Warlord of Terror.

What?!

However, my assault failed to disrupt him for a startling reason—the warlord could match my pace in the slowed time. Gesturing languidly, he summoned a blood-red barrier to deflect my lightning. It was unmistakably divine power, far stronger than anything he had wielded during our previous encounter.

I barely managed to close the distance before he placed his hand on Comet’s sword, engulfing it in a sinister crimson light. The sword’s once-blue glow resisted briefly, only to be snuffed out in silence.

Eyes closed, the warlord began to recite a spell as if uttering a prayer.

“Oh, Stagnant Terror, I offer the false believers on this land as sacrifices to you. Please calm the winds, and let fear descend upon us…”

***

[Eliminate all enemies and drive out the heretics. Time remaining: 7 hours 56 minutes.]

The world bled red.

Just like the horrific visions I had seen before, the landscape was bathed in a blood-red hue. Rather than a corpse-filled hellscape, however, I saw only vast red plains filled with living individuals. Soldiers on both sides collapsed, bodies shriveling as if their blood had been drained. The air grew thick with malevolent energy that made every breath feel like sludge.

What on earth is happening?

On the ghastly and silent plains, the only ones left standing were myself, the other climbers, about thirty thousand heretics, and the pope. Despite the shock, I began to calmly think things through.

Gods couldn’t harm climbers directly, which meant we had been spared whatever catastrophe had struck down the others. Relief washed over me, although I felt some guilt for feeling grateful amid such carnage.

Fuck… But what is up with the pope? Is the goddess still able to protect him, despite her confinements? Even though his faith has weakened?

It seemed plausible, though it left me questioning the goddess’s motives.

Just then, the warlord’s aura shifted dramatically, radiating outward and bringing a suffocating feeling to all. His overpowering presence cut across the battlefield like a knife.

Damn it, there is no time to lose.

Most of the climbers were in a daze, confused by the inexplicable scene around us. At this point, the only remnants of our alliance were the climbers themselves. If we wanted to clear the twenty-sixth floor, we could only depend on ourselves.

I infused my voice with mana, enhancing my shout until every climber could hear me. “Pull yourselves together!"

Only then did the climbers snap back to attention and shake off their bewilderment. In a situation like this, they needed clear, step-by-step instructions.

With no time to devise a flawless strategy, I focused on the fundamentals, giving straightforward commands to guide them through the chaos. “All climbers, reform ranks! Warriors, to the front! Mages, fall back and prepare your spells!"

I left the pope behind and sprinted toward Ha Hee-Jeong. She was already making her way toward me, so we met quickly. Her breaths were short and quick—she seemed to have covered quite a distance—and I could tell she had something urgent to say.

“Do you think you can deal with him?”

Processing her words, I looked toward the warlord. His presence was overwhelming, now appearing far stronger than the Overseer.

“I’ll give it a try. Sure, the scale’s grown a bit, but it’s still within our expectations, right?”

Along with Comet, the lives of countless soldiers had been added to the sacrifice, but it was still within the bounds of what Ha Hee-Jeong and I had anticipated regardless.

“Okay, we’ll have the climbers handle the heretics while you take down the warlord.”

“Understood.”

“We’ll funnel the high priests’ buffs to you, but there won’t be much in the way of magical support.”

“No problem. If you’re not the one casting, I’m better off without. A slip-up would only get in the way.”

Noticing Ha Hee-Jeong’s anxious look, I flashed her a confident grin.

She cracked a small smile, the tension around her eyes relaxing slightly. “You seem confident.”

“What? Ain’t I Earth’s last hope?”

My response left her momentarily speechless, so she responded dryly, “Just don’t get hurt.”

“Got it.”

Ha Hee-Jeong tapped my shoulder and turned back, giving me a quick look over her shoulder. I met her gaze with a reassuring smile, wordlessly reminding her not to worry.

Then, she began issuing precise orders to the climbers. Across the field, the heretics’ formations were nearly complete as well.

As I surveyed the battlefield, my eyes locked with the warlord’s. His crimson gaze was sharp, even with the distance of over a kilometer between us, and his chilling voice carried across the plains.

“Non-believer aiding the heretics… your time of atonement through death has come.”

The divine power he had gained from the ritual seemed to enhance his voice, filling it with an unnerving menace. I could withstand it with my Indomitability skill, but the less resolute climbers trembled visibly.

“Oh Lord, shield me from the vile…”

“Allah is great…”

The climbers with a religious faith prayed to their deities, while the others gritted their teeth in silence. Morale was dangerously low. Something needed to be done, if only to lift the climbers' spirits.

I summoned a bolt of lightning, tearing through the blood-red sky with a dazzling blue flash.

Thud!!!

The lightning struck the heart of the enemy’s ranks, snapping the climbers back to attention.

I seized the opening and amplified my voice, shouting, “All climbers! Prepare for battle!”