TSOT#1 Chapter 35

“You’ve safely made it to the 103rd floor.”

Before Seo Joo-ah and her team could fully grasp their surroundings after being teleported, the Storyteller appeared, greeting them.

“As expected, your team hasn’t disappointed me. You’ve reached here in a truly fascinating way.”

The Storyteller’s red eyes narrowed into crescent shapes, forming a sly smile that exuded pure mischief.

Joo-ah glanced around. As the Storyteller mentioned, this indeed appeared to be the 103rd floor. From the 93rd floor, they had skipped 10 levels in a single leap, thanks to the Teleportation Glass Orb.

Chan-hee, looking bored, spoke up.
“Just give us the next quest already.”

At his remark, the Storyteller’s crimson eyes gleamed.

“Very well. Let me prepare the next quest immediately.”

Before his words even finished, a faint tremor shook the silent space. The once dark interior of the tower transformed into a lush green thicket, overflowing with vegetation.

The ground trembled again, this time stronger than before. Joo-ah instinctively moved her hand to steady herself.
“Careful, Hunter Seo Joo-ah,” Shin Jae-rim said, firmly supporting her.

Then, a wall suddenly erupted from the ground beneath them.

“This quest requires you to climb this cliff and reach the summit within one hour.”

Joo-ah looked up at the towering cliff. The jagged rocks formed a daunting terrain, and just looking at it made her dizzy, it was that steep.

“However, you may not use your abilities on your teammates. You must rely solely on your own skills to climb.”

Joo-ah bit her lower lip.
Adding restrictions would make the quest even harder.

For a physically demanding quest like this, Hunters needed to rely on their stamina. But Joo-ah’s stamina was severely lacking.

Normally, she would depend on Chan-hee’s control ability to temporarily boost her stamina, making the climb more manageable. But with the condition requiring her to rely solely on herself, the odds were stacked against her.

“If you succeed, you will be rewarded with a train ticket,” the Storyteller said, chuckling mischievously.

“If you fail, well, you’ll leave it to fate.”

The cryptic remark left little doubt about its meaning. In a climbing quest, failure would most likely mean falling.

Chan-hee, who had been silently observing the cliff, turned to look at Joo-ah. His black eyes locked onto hers. “D-rank,” he called out.
“Think you can handle it?”

Yeon-joo and Jae-rim also turned to look at her. Joo-ah quietly met their gazes before finally glancing at Chan-hee with a calm smile.

“Of course.”

At this point, there was no need for further discussion.

This was the reality she had to face, whether she liked it or not. Hunters had no room to run. Even in the face of death, they had to move forward and fight with everything they had.

Chan-hee nodded and turned back to face the cliff. Yeon-joo and Jae-rim followed suit without further comment.

Joo-ah set her jaw and fixed her gaze on the towering cliff ahead.

The challenge of climbing wasn’t just about physical strength. It also required unwavering mental fortitude and a mindset fearless of falling.

Perhaps that was the true test of this quest.

The Storyteller conjured a large timer in the middle of the cliff.

“Then, let the quest begin.”

At his voice, the massive cliff began to shift, accompanied by a tremendous vibration.

The Storyteller floated in the air, laughing gleefully.
“Hurry to the cliff and grab on. If you don’t, you might regret it the moment the quest starts.”

Cursing under her breath, Joo-ah rushed forward and clung to the cliff. She quickly placed her hands and feet on the jagged rocks.

The other team members also scaled the cliff effortlessly using their respective abilities.

Thud!

A loud noise echoed from below as the ground beneath them crumbled.

Now, all that remained beneath them was a sheer drop.

“How dramatic,” Chan-hee muttered, channeling his energy into the cliff. His ability smoothed out the jagged rocks, creating a manageable path.

Yeon-joo formed icy steps, and Jae-rim climbed steadily without difficulty.

The real problem was Joo-ah.

Chan-hee glanced down and called out, “D-rank, still alive?”

Clinging desperately to the rocks, Joo-ah replied with an exasperated look, “Unfortunately, yes, still alive.”

Her sarcastic tone made Chan-hee chuckle softly.
“Good. Keep that attitude and climb up. And don’t look down.”

Jae-rim shifted slightly and called out to her, “Hunter Seo Joo-ah, move ahead of me. I’ll follow from behind.”

His offer to stay behind her was meant to provide support.

But that posed a risk.

Frowning, Joo-ah responded, “If I fall, I could end up dragging you down too, Hunter Shin Jae-rim.”

Her stamina was undeniably inferior to the others, and she couldn’t confidently say she wouldn’t fall. If she slipped and collided with Jae-rim, it would spell disaster.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jae-rim replied quietly, his voice steady.

Joo-ah looked at him with widened eyes.

He gave a faint smile and added, “You won’t fall, Hunter Seo Joo-ah.”

Was that his way of saying he trusted her?

…No. She hadn’t built that level of trust with him yet. If anything, Jae-rim was the one who wanted her off the team the most.

“D-rank, we don’t have time. If you’re going to switch places with Jae-rim, move quickly,” Chan-hee called from the front, prompting her to climb higher.

Reluctantly, Joo-ah ascended past Jae-rim.

“I’ll stay by your side, Hunter Seo Joo-ah,” Yeon-joo said, moving to position herself next to her.

Joo-ah glanced at her teammates, who had effectively surrounded her, and wore a complicated expression.

Wasn’t this… a bit excessive?

“Don’t push yourself too hard,” Chan-hee called down. “If you’re struggling, let us know before you fall and embarrass us.”

Joo-ah smiled faintly and replied, “Don’t worry. Even if I embarrass everyone else, I’ll make sure not to embarrass you, Hunter Yoo Chan-hee.”

Her words made Chan-hee smirk wryly as he resumed climbing.

Joo-ah gritted her teeth and kept moving.

[The unknown Constellation expresses concern, noting that your scarred hands are bound to get hurt again.]

While the others used their abilities to climb with ease, Joo-ah had no such advantage. Her healing-oriented powers provided little assistance, and even her reinforcement magic offered only minor benefits.

As she pressed her weight against the rough rocks, her hands inevitably sustained more injuries. Still, minor wounds like this could be healed quickly with the proper use of her remaining strength.

[The unknown Constellation scolds you, asking if you plan to waste magic on unnecessary things and advises forming a barrier to protect your hands.]

Impressed, Joo-ah muttered, “I didn’t think of that.”

Realizing her oversight, she created a small protective barrier around her hands. The sharp pain from gripping the rough rocks subsided immediately.

With her stamina preserved, she continued to climb steadily. Her team frequently checked on her progress but let her focus on her climb.

The timer showed 30 minutes remaining.

“The team’s touching teamwork brings tears to my eyes,” the Storyteller declared, mockingly dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief.

“Such a heartwarming moment shouldn’t go unrewarded. Let me add a bonus reward.”

From various points along the cliff, small lights began to shine.

“Behold, the rare ‘Flower of Magic,’ which grows only on high cliffs.”

The glow subsided, revealing purple flowers blooming among the rocks. The team exchanged puzzled looks at the unexpected development.

Joo-ah, however, frowned. She knew better than to trust the Storyteller’s intentions.

With a sinister smile, he dropped his handkerchief over the edge and said, “Of course, with the bonus reward comes an automatic increase in quest difficulty.”

Suddenly, crow-like monsters materialized before Joo-ah.

“Hunter Seo Joo-ah!” her teammates called out urgently.

But she shook her head, bracing herself against the onslaught of attacks.

“Remember, using your abilities to assist a teammate will result in quest failure,” the Storyteller whispered.

His voice sent a chill through the team. Only Joo-ah was being targeted—the others faced no monsters.

She hastily formed a small barrier around herself, but its weak defense soon gave way.

One of the monsters broke through and sank its claws into her skin.

“Ugh!”

The metallic scent of blood filled the air.