[Eliminate all enemies. Time remaining: 8 minutes 21 seconds.]

Contrary to my worries, none of the gods wandering the Abyss with fiery eyes had turned on me. Well, with the dozens of gods lingering around the quarantine zone, an ambush was out of the question.

More importantly, though, I hadn’t expected so much attention.

Every single god wanted to express their gratitude to me, even if only briefly, and it was enough to make my head spin. The atmosphere had remained warm and cordial this entire time, but nothing particularly eventful happened outside of the greetings.

There are simply too many of them.

In the beginning, when things had been quieter, I had occasionally sparred with some of the gods or held longer conversations with them. Three days after opening the quarantine zone, however, too many gods wanted to spar for me to laze around. They weren’t life-or-death battles but rather controlled duels meant to test our martial prowess.

Sometimes I won, but I lost plenty as well. I could defeat most third-class gods, but from the second-class onward, things became far more difficult. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Still, it felt good.

After training with Thunder Axe on the ninetieth floor, they had praised me in their usual calm tone, but these gods reacted with visible astonishment upon seeing my skills. They had known I was strong, but admitted they hadn’t realized to what extent until fighting me.

I received many words of gratitude, but few offered any tangible rewards. Aside from the meal and a single potion from another god, there wasn’t much else. Apparently, personal gifts weren’t common among gods, and I couldn’t say I minded. The rewards from the trial were already substantial enough.

In truth, the divine energy the gods had indirectly provided me was almost equivalent to everything I had accumulated prior to this floor. If each one had also gifted me something, it would have been excessive.

I probably couldn’t have consumed that many elixirs, anyway.

What am I even supposed to do with this one?

Turning the remaining vial in my hand, I was surprised by the lack of a notification. The god had called it a Potion of Allure. When I asked what exactly it did, he only smiled and assured me that it wasn’t harmful nor manipulated the minds of those around me. Judging by the envious looks from the surrounding gods, it certainly wasn’t dangerous.

I had accepted it out of courtesy, but I wasn’t sure I would ever use it. It apparently didn’t make me stronger, and I had no interest in charming anyone.

After all, I already had Ha Hee-Jeong.

Well, maybe?

I was curious how she would react if I took it. Moreover, since it wasn’t harmful, perhaps it would simply make me a bit more attractive—that wouldn’t be such a loss. A god had gifted it, so not using it felt like more of a waste.

Pushing the thought aside, I checked the remaining time on the ninety-eighth floor. With three minutes left, the Abyss was utterly still. Given that the trial was nearing its end, basically all the gods who had come through the quarantine zone had already left.

Of course, I wasn’t alone.

A second-class god and a third-class god remained beside me, both having declared they would stay with me until the trial concluded. I appreciated their sentiment, though it wasn’t as if I truly needed protection. There were no prisoners to be found at this point. Most were likely dead, with only random stragglers in hiding.

Even alone, I can handle myself.

Considering what they had gained from this, it was a profitable arrangement for them as well. Many had hunted gods to the very end, only returning about twenty minutes before the trial’s end, looking somewhat awkward as they thanked me like the rest.

Breaking the quiet, one of the two cleared their throat. “Ah, right. Lord Thunder Axe asked me to give you his regards.”

“You know Omniscient Thunder Axe?” I asked in surprise, and he nodded.

“He said that while revenge matters, slaying more of them would also aid you.”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly. “I see... thank you.”

If only he had told me sooner. I had assumed they were simply greedy for divinity, but clearly that wasn’t the case. Looking back with this new information, their actions made sense. When I bowed my head briefly in thanks, both gods coughed awkwardly and averted their eyes. Silence returned.

It isn’t uncomfortable, just slightly awkward.

Both of them seemed distant, not the type to engage easily. Thunder Axe hadn’t been like that, but perhaps his followers were. Even his apostle, Angelina, had been stiff and formal when I first met her.

Maybe they will loosen up if we get to know each other better.

I checked the time again, and only twenty seconds remained. It was nearly time to return to the waiting room.

Seizing the opportunity, I turned to them and remarked, “Thank you for staying with me until the end.”

“Save your thanks. We’ll meet again soon.”

I had lost count of how many gods had repeated similar words—not hundreds, thousands of times. Honestly, I couldn’t remember them all. I felt like I would be able to recognize most of their faces, but their names were another matter entirely. Divine names were notoriously complex, and even with my improved memory, I had limits. Perhaps I would recall them if we met again, face-to-face.

Still, to have forged so many connections with the gods was a valuable experience.

I smiled faintly at the two beside me. Just then, a message appeared before my eyes.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the ninety-eighth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: The Abyss. Achievement points will be calculated.]

Ah, right.

I had completely forgotten about my plan. Considering that I had spent a week on this floor, and with all that had occurred, signaling Ha Hee-Jeong had almost slipped my mind. Lifting my gaze to the empty air, I smiled brightly, hoping Ha Hee-Jeong would see it.

I stood there for a while, watching as each notification updated, until the familiar sensation of weightlessness began to take hold.

***

[95 hours 59 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

Once again, the tower allotted me a generous amount of time to rest after a long trial. Since the ninetieth floor, the intervals between trials had grown shorter, so this felt like a luxury. Although it was a slight exaggeration, I felt like I had rested more within the previous trial than in the last six waiting rooms combined.

Wait, maybe that isn’t an exaggeration.

Between the two weeks spent forging equipment on the ninety-sixth floor and the five days of rest after opening the quarantine zone in the Abyss, I had done little else but train. Even if it wasn’t rest in the conventional sense, training was as good as recovery to me.

Still, the floors since the ninetieth had been relentless, allowing me almost no time to breathe. Perhaps that was why I felt so drained now. Despite having already escaped the Abyss, fatigue lingered. I had caught short naps after opening the quarantine zone, but that was all. Not long after that, I had been too busy greeting and talking to the gods.

By the time only two days had remained, things had become hectic. The gods were preparing to leave in groups, and with dwindling numbers of prisoners, it wasn’t worth it to seek them out.

I removed my armor, stepped into the bath, and rinsed off quickly before heading straight toward the hot springs. The moment the steaming water enveloped my body, the tension I had been carrying began to melt away, replaced by a heavy, lingering tiredness that seemed to reach down to my bones.

“Phew.”

At least I had made it through the ninety-eighth floor. Now came the ninety-ninth. There was only one, maybe two trials left. If my earlier assumption was correct—that the hundredth floor only required me to converse with the tower—then the ninety-ninth floor would be my final trial.

Even so, a quiet sense of unease lingered. Though the previous trial was over, I couldn’t let my guard down. Whether one or two remained, neither would be easy. The ninety-eighth floor had ended smoothly and easily, but the first two grueling days had been anything but simple.

Opening the quarantine zone had been a reckless decision that had luckily paid off.

I am exhausted.

Ignoring the fighting, meeting and conversing with the gods afterward hadn’t been easy. Just standing before them demanded mental fortitude. They hadn’t tried to intimidate me, but they ruled entire worlds. Some governed more than one.

Maybe I should just sleep.

I couldn’t recall all their names or faces, but the insights I had gained from our spars still lingered vividly in my mind. Training right away wasn’t necessary, and sleeping in the hot spring sounded far better.

The water maintained a constant warmth. It was hot enough to soothe but never enough to burn. It was as comfortable a place as any.

If I am going to sleep, I may as well take that potion.

Since I had already consumed my last elixir—the Storm Ruby—a couple of floors ago, taking this one wouldn’t affect my schedule.

I asked Poong-Lyeong to bring the translucent glass bottle over. Its contents shimmered with a pearly white light that appeared faintly iridescent. Not hesitating in the slightest, I tilted my head back and drank it in one go. Oddly enough, it didn’t taste like anything. Not bland, but utterly flavorless. There was no scent, no texture, nothing beyond the smooth sensation of liquid sliding down my throat.

The drowsiness that had been tugging at me for hours finally took hold, and I let my eyes close.

***

「Invisible message: The prospective fifth-class god ‘The Coming Dawn’ has consumed the Potion of Allure crafted by the third-class god ‘Pugerin’s Jar.’」

「Invisible message: Beings weaker than The Coming Dawn will gradually fall under his allure without realizing it.]

***

[89 hours 33 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

When I opened my eyes again, six hours had passed. To be honest, it startled me a little. That was far longer than I had expected to sleep. I still felt slightly fatigued, so clearly the ninety-eighth floor had drained me more deeply than I had realized, both physically and mentally.

Perhaps it was because of the reclining seat built into the hot spring, but I felt surprisingly refreshed. Tilting my head from side to side, I rose from the water. A brief swirl of wind swept across my skin, drying me instantly and leaving behind a cool, pleasant chill on my skin.

After slipping into a new climbing outfit, I stepped out into the waiting room, only to notice that Poong-Lyeong was acting oddly.

“What’s wrong?”

Normally, it hovered within four meters of me, but it was lingering a fair distance away. There was also a faint awkwardness in its presence, almost as if it was embarrassed.

Poong-Lyeong quickly shook its head. “Ah, n-no, it’s nothing.”

As soon as I heard that, I couldn’t help but think of the Potion of Allure that I had just consumed.

Is it really because of that? I haven’t done anything else, so what other explanation can there be?

“Wait, does that potion even work on you?”

“I-I’m not sure. You just seem a little... different somehow.”

I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. Spirits were genderless entities, born from nature itself, which was why I hadn’t thought twice about consuming the elixir with Poong-Lyeong around. To be honest, having it around felt more like having a loyal pet. It sounded harsh, but that was the truth. It was like changing clothes in front of a cat, something that didn’t warrant embarrassment.

Still, seeing this makes me feel unexpectedly self-conscious.

I let out a small sigh. This was becoming unnecessarily complicated.

Maybe I shouldn’t have drunk that potion after all.

If even a genderless spirit reacted this way, I could only imagine how others would respond.

Hmm.

Originally, I had planned to visit Natalie after eating to glean some information about the ninety-ninth floor. After this, though, I wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. If Natalie or Gehenna reacted in the same way, I didn’t want to deal with that.

I think I will stay here for now.