A temple to Omniscient Thunder Axe in Planet Brutein A-00003, on the sixty-fourth floor. “He was a good-hearted kid. He is destined for something far greater than I could have ever imagined.” “Haha. Weren’t you saying otherwise just a few days ago?” “Don’t fret. In the end, everything flows as it should. I knew this was how it would unfold, and so it has. That’s enough.” “I also believe he will continue to make the right choices.” “Right choices, you say? There is no such thing as ‘right.’ The only reason you call our path the correct one is because you are my apostle.” “As you may have already suspected, I have no intention of forcing anything upon him. His choices belong solely to him. My role is merely to plant the seed of hope, not to dictate what kind of flower it has to become.” [10 hours 31 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.] Of course, just because I didn’t plan to use all of my equipment didn’t mean I was getting rid of the unused items. These were items most climbers could only dream of possessing, and I couldn’t afford to throw away a single piece. Two options stood out to me. First, I could store them securely within the mimic, and secondly, I could entrust them to Doppy. To be completely honest, I slightly preferred the first option. That would allow me to retrieve them whenever necessary. No. I can’t afford to give myself an easy way out. If I left myself a safety net, then it would mostly defeat the point of removing the extraneous equipment in the first place. Just like Angelina had chided me for, I needed to sever that dependence completely. Besides, simply hoarding these powerful artifacts inside my mimic would be an utter waste. If I didn’t plan to use them myself, it was better to give them to Doppy. More than anything else, his safety during the floors still concerned me. If equipping him with these items could reduce that risk even slightly, it was worth doing. Yeah, that is the best decision. I will give them to Doppy. Having settled on a course of action, I turned back to the pile of gear. Before giving Doppy anything, I needed to figure out what I planned to keep. One item immediately stuck out to me as a must-have. It was the only weapon I had wielded during my training with Angelina, and she hadn’t once complained about it. I placed Soulbound to the left. Lungshark’s Dagger was perfect for stealth, infiltration, and defense. Even if I didn’t use it offensively, Shadow Veil was one of my most versatile abilities, especially when it came to protecting Doppy. Not that I had ever really used it for combat, anyway. I placed the dagger and the belt containing Mung-chi beside Soulbound. That covers the essentials. Now, my focus shifted to the accessories. I had no intention of wearing Paraktus’s Determination Necklace, the Seraphim’s Ring, either of the dragon earrings, or the Ring of the Dawn Breeze. They would all go to Doppy. Though they enhanced stats and skill levels, that was beside the point. I picked up the accessories and set them on the desk. That left four more pieces of gear—the Guardian’s Will of the Underworld, the Mana-Accumulating Gauntlet of the Underworld, the Footsteps of the Abyss, and Kyuntriachae’s Cloak. The armor will have to remain unused. Since the armor had been specifically crafted for me, it wouldn’t fit Doppy. No matter how much he had grown, his frame was fundamentally different from mine. I had no choice but to keep it stored in mimic. “Mung-chi, store the armor.” It didn’t need any further prompting and eagerly absorbed it into its void. Considering I had decided not to use it even before the previous floor, Doppy had been wearing it this entire time. There was no reason to change that. The next item my eyes landed on was the one I felt the most reluctant to let go of. Hmm, I still don’t know what I want to do with the gauntlet. It was a tricky dilemma. The mana stored within the gauntlet served as a contingency, and as long as I had the gauntlet, I could keep accumulating more. In terms of future preparedness, discarding it felt like a waste. I will deal with this later. The Footsteps of the Abyss lay alongside the gauntlet, and I reached out to grab them. Actually, this decision isn’t so straightforward either. They allowed me to walk on anything—lava, open air, water—without restriction. On top of that, they silenced my footsteps and concealed me slightly. Even if I disregarded the rest of their effects, simply being able to traverse the air opened up a world of possibilities. I had taken advantage of that countless times. It was frustrating to abandon something so useful. I knew I shouldn’t have felt that way, but that was just how my mind worked. My reluctance stemmed from an innate tendency to cling to what was convenient. I needed to rein in that impulse. In an attempt to clear my thoughts, I recalled my conversation with Angelina. “Then don’t use it. If you rely on techniques, you stunt your growth. You need to be able to move just as fast without them.” Although Seo Ho-Su’s words couldn’t be taken as gospel, no matter how accurately he predicted things, he had once mentioned that martial artists in wuxia novels could walk on air. I wasn’t sure if such a feat was truly possible, but that wasn’t the real issue—my brain had already decided it wasn’t. That was the real limitation. Angelina was right—as long as I was in the tower, I didn’t have an inherent limit. I had to start thinking differently. These kinds of crutches had kept me from naturally evolving my movement. If I hadn’t had these shoes, I could have learned to propel myself off the lava instead of stepping over it. That realization sealed my decision. I pushed the shoes aside. That left my most precious item—the gauntlet. Ever since I had purchased it on the tenth floor, I had considered it one of my most valuable possessions. Not because it increased my stats, which it did by a healthy amount, but because it continuously stored mana. The more enemies I killed, and there were plenty of those, the larger the reserve became, allowing me to tap into an additional wellspring of power at any moment. Countless emergencies and problematic situations had been solved with this additional pool of mana. Although my total mana was fairly impressive, it wasn’t even close enough to sustain the ridiculous amounts I used during difficult battles. With the gauntlet, I could open the portal in succession, unleash devastating attacks, or engage in prolonged combat without worry. Yet, ironically, this clashed with my newfound mindset. If I hadn’t had this gauntlet, my mana stat likely would have grown even more. Still, abandoning it felt reckless. The insurance it provided was too significant to discard outright. Unlike the other equipment I had chosen to relinquish, this wasn’t just about convenience; it was about survival. A long, exhausting deliberation followed. Follow current novels on ɴo(v)elFɪre.ɴet In the end, I made a decision. I wouldn’t use the gauntlet anymore. It had already stored a substantial amount of mana, but I needed to prioritize increasing my own reserves instead of relying on an external source. However, I wouldn’t entrust it to Doppy either. Instead, I would store it inside my mimic, keeping it within reach only in case of absolute necessity. I let out a long, weary exhale. My reorganization had been completed. On the bright side, I only needed to actively equip three items from now on: Soulbound as my primary weapon, Lung Shark’s Dagger for Doppy’s protection and general utility, and Mung-chi for storage. Everything else was sorted—the gauntlet and armor went into my mimic, while the accessories and boots were set aside for Doppy. It had taken a considerable amount of thought, but now that everything had been decided, my mind felt lighter. Even without checking my status screen, I could tell my skill list had become much simpler. Wind’s Route and Ghost Step were gone, and my stats had dropped as well. However, I had no interest in verifying the exact numbers. I refused to let my growth be dictated by numbers. My limits would be defined by my capabilities, not a system’s metrics. With everything settled, I opened the shop menu. Now that I had discarded most of my equipment, I needed to replace the essentials. After all, my climbing gear had been torn to shreds, and there was no way I was going to roam around the next stage in just my underwear. I will just buy whatever’s decent. Of course, I had no intention of purchasing anything that boosted my stats, increased my skill levels, or granted a skill. I selected a high-quality climbing suit, a simple set of outerwear, a cheap leather breastplate, a pair of comfortable boots and gloves, and a basic black robe for extra coverage. My achievement points were practically overflowing at this point, so I didn’t hesitate to finalize the purchases. With that settled, I turned toward the training room, my desire to train reinvigorated. I had no idea what awaited me on the sixty-fourth floor, but it didn’t matter. As long as I continued improving myself as much as possible, I would adapt to any situation. In the end, the only thing I could truly depend on was my own abilities. I had been too tired and too focused on sorting my equipment to think about it earlier, but my sponsor had gained some of my shares. Thirty-two percent, if I remember correctly. Restricting about thirty percent of my stats would make things harder for a while, but in the long run, it could be considered an advantage. It would push my limits higher. Since I would need time to adjust to my new physique, it made sense to apply the restriction before training. Better to condition myself from the start. [Would you like to reduce your sponsor’s share percentage by thirty percent to limit thirty percent of your stats?] [Limited stats will gradually recover as you ascend floors.] A familiar weakness washed over me. [Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has chosen to limit his abilities by thirty percent, reducing his sponsor’s share percentage by thirty percent. Current share percentage: 2.83%] I felt heavier, sluggish almost, as if recovering from a day of intense exertion. It wasn’t my first time, of course, but the sensation of unfamiliarity with my own strength still disoriented me. As I rolled my shoulders, my gaze landed on the pile of accessories I had set aside for Doppy. Although I was technically just lending them to him, I had a feeling they would be in his possession for quite some time. Before entering the next floor, Doppy needed to spend some time adapting to them as well. Besides, he enjoyed getting new equipment, so he would probably be thrilled. After picking up his new accessories, I pushed open the training room doors, wondering what kind of expression he would make when he saw his new gear. A slight feeling of anticipation crept into my chest. [Welcome to the sixty-fourth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Intelligence.] I took in a deep breath, expanding my sensory perception as I adjusted to my surroundings. Completing countless floors had ingrained this habit into me, and I found it the best way to gain an immediate understanding of what kind of world I had been sent to. The moment the air filled my lungs, a strange sense of familiarity struck me. Each world the tower had sent climbers to had its own distinct atmosphere. They all contained different scents, climates, and gravity—subtle but distinct characteristics that made each realm unique. It was almost as if I had taken in this very breath before. No, there was no doubt in my mind. I had been here before. As I mulled over the thought, my vision finally cleared. Well, I am sure I will figure it out soon enough. Some planets reappeared over the course of several floors, so maybe this trial would relate to a previous one. There was no point in dwelling on it, though, so I turned toward the floor’s description. [Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has been assigned a mission to assist an operative from the intelligence organization ‘Black Butterfly,’ which originates in the Kingdom of Berest.] [Support the agent in their espionage mission. Time remaining 119 hours 59 minutes.] The summary—and especially the word espionage—immediately piqued my interest, and I started growing excited. This was going to be fun. After all, spy missions, secret organizations, and covert operations were the kind of things most people fantasized about at least once in their lives. Moreover, the organization’s name—Black Butterfly—had a certain allure to it. Dark, elusive, and elegant. It sounded fitting for a secret organization. I turned my head, scanning my surroundings for the covert operative from the description. Nobody was within sight, by definition at least. Thanks to my expanded perception, however, I could sense a nearby presence. “You can come out now.” A rustling sound reached me. From beyond a small thicket, a middle-aged man in his mid-thirties emerged. His face was warm and approachable, exuding an air of mischief and friendliness. He appeared to be the kind of person who could blend into a crowd without drawing suspicion. A flicker of disappointment crossed my mind. Hmm, he doesn’t exactly scream secret agent. Dang. Still, he was probably an expert at deception. Appearances aside, he had to be far more capable than he looked if he was an operative. Giving me a playful smirk, the man waved exaggeratedly. “Tsk, I was hoping to test you a little, but I guess that was pointless. You’ve got good instincts.” “So, are you the one they briefed me about?” The man grinned. “I suppose I am. This is our meeting point, after all.” Throughout the course of our conversation, he had spoken casually, almost amused. I let out an inaudible sigh. I had been hoping for a more secretive and calculated figure. Perhaps my expectations had been skewed by movies and novels. Then again, considering his line of work, a lighthearted and sociable personality would actually be ideal. In that moment, the man’s expression shifted entirely. His gaze turned sharp, his aura subtly changing. “Anyway, so you’re the infamous ‘Nameless.’”