Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn't-Chapter 111: Twenty-Eighth Floor, Treasure Hunt

[Search for a treasure chest. Time remaining: 1 hour 23 minutes.]

The brisk sea breeze brushed against our damp hair as we returned to the sandy shore, returning from our brief moment of leisure. Seawater trickled from my clothes and pooled around my feet.

Ha Hee-Jeong turned to wring out her wet hair, bending at the waist before squeezing the ends of her hair to shed excess water.

“How long has it been since we last had fun in the sea together?”

“Feels like two years, right? We went to Busan[1] with everyone a couple of years back, right?”

“Two years ago... Yeah, that was in 2018.”

She seemed a tad melancholic, and her tone seemed regretful. Guessing this was likely related to her regression, I refrained from asking any further.

I was only on the twenty-eighth floor, yet life on Earth already felt like a distant memory. For Ha Hee-Jeong, that sensation likely felt even more profound.

Instead of responding, I retrieved a bottle of water from the mimic and handed it to her.

“Hmm? Oh, thanks.”

“I should’ve packed some refreshments too.”

“Water’s fine.”

She drank about half before passing the bottle back to me. The salty seawater had left my throat parched as well, and the cool water provided a welcome refreshment.

“You know, wasn’t that cheating earlier?”

“What was?”

“I mean, you’re supposed to splash with your hands, not conjure a full-scale magical tidal wave!”

The wave she had summoned was practically a miniature tsunami, more than enough to drench me and make me swallow a mouthful of seawater.

At my words, she broke into a laugh. “Says the guy who used his shadow arms first.”

“Hey, those are still just arms.”

“Mm-hmm, and mine were magic arms.”

She laughed and spun around playfully, her damp hair swirling like a painting in motion. Grabbing the robe draped over the sand lounger, she shook off the lingering grains.

“Alright, shall we finally get serious about this treasure hunt?”

“Yeah, I think forty minutes was plenty to have our fill of fun.”

“No need to put your armor back on, by the way.”

I nodded and placed both my armor and axe into the mimic. Like the fourth and fifth floors, this one seemed devoid of enemies, so she had a point.

Adjusting the belt around my climbing suit, I noted that I felt strangely light without my armor.

“What did you find here in your previous life?”

“Last time? Hmm, nothing too valuable.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“A potion that decreased mana by 8 but raised every other stat by 2.”

For a dedicated mage like her, taking a potion that decreased mana by that much was practically poison, regardless of the bonuses it would grant to other stats.

“So, I ended up drinking it, huh?”

“Yep. It made the most sense since, between the two of us, you were the battlemage.”

From what she had told me, the news didn’t surprise me. Besides, I wasn’t too concerned about getting such unlucky loot this time.

“Alright, let’s get going.”

As Ha Hee-Jeong fastened her robe’s collar and turned inland, the ocean crossed my mind again.

Is there treasure hidden underwater?

The tower’s message had mentioned that the treasure chests were hidden on the island, and technically, the ocean surrounding it was part of the island. Finding treasure hidden in an underwater wreckage seemed like a fairy tale from back on Earth, too.

“Hee-Jeong.”

“Yeah?”

“Did you ever look for treasure chests underwater?”

She furrowed her brows thoughtfully, weighing the decision. “Hmm, It’s definitely possible... Did your Sixth Sense go off or something?”

“No, just a random thought.”

“You know what, I should’ve thought of that earlier. Then we could’ve searched while playing around in the water.”

“I only just thought of it, too.”

Shrugging slightly, Ha Hee-Jeong tossed her robe back onto the sand lounger.

Is she planning to dive right back in?

“I was debating whether to search the island or the ocean first, but... searching the sea seems to be the better decision.”

“Are your instincts saying anything?”

“No, it's just that we didn’t find anything noteworthy on the island last time. Although that could be because we missed something, of course.”

I nodded and loosened my belt as well. “Forty minutes. Let’s search the ocean for forty minutes, but if we don’t find anything, we’re switching immediately to the island.”

“Deal.”

***

[Search for a treasure chest. Time remaining: 1 hour 4 minutes.]

We swam down to a depth of around forty meters before swimming around for about fifteen minutes. A school of tropical fish—unlike any I had seen before—darted past us as we drifted through the clear water.

Thanks to the magic bubble Ha Hee-Jeong had cast around my nose and mouth, breathing underwater was effortless. Unfortunately, the search itself was proving challenging. Despite the water’s clarity, there was no sign of wreckages or anything unusual on the seafloor.

My mind drifted back to playing The Wizarder 3 on Earth, where quest items were often hidden at the bottom of lakes or seas.

Do we have to dig through the sand, too?

The ocean was vast, and the island’s boundaries weren’t marked. Still, given our lack of success so far, it could be worth a shot. I tapped Ha Hee-Jeong on the shoulder and pointed downward with my finger, signaling we should head deeper.

She nodded, reoriented, and began descending toward the ocean floor. We hadn’t gone too far from the coastline, so we reached the bottom quickly.

As we landed, fish scattered from their resting spots near the sandy floor. I reached out and managed to catch one briefly before letting it go again, feeling an odd nostalgia, like I was playing Domnautica. Catching fish wasn’t our goal right now, though.

I turned my gaze back to the sand, hoping for a hint, even the faintest clue.

***

[Search for a treasure chest. Time remaining: 47 minutes 31 seconds.]

Using only our hands to dig through this vast expanse of sand would be wildly inefficient. Therefore, Ha Hee-Jeong came to our rescue with spells that cleared out massive chunks of the seabed, though it looked to be taxing her somewhat.

Despite her efforts, our search remained fruitless. Frustration began to build, and I sighed quietly, releasing a few stray air bubbles that floated to the surface.

So much for this so-called incredible luck.

I was starting to think this was a complete waste of time. Maybe we should have just chosen a random chest on the island. With the luck boost, that could have been more fruitful.

Suddenly, I noticed what seemed to be an object sticking out of the pit Ha Hee-Jeong had just cleared, interrupting my pessimistic thoughts. Although it was murky due to the disturbed sand, there was definitely something there.

Focused elsewhere, Ha Hee-Jeong hadn’t noticed it yet, so I tapped her shoulder excitedly.

She turned, curious about what I had seen, and I pointed to the spot with growing anticipation, letting her know there was something there.

Catching the glint in my eye, her gaze followed my gesture. Her eyes widened as she zeroed in on the spot I indicated. She gestured excitedly, asking me if I really saw something.

Nodding, I took her hand and led her toward the spot. As the drifting sand settled, the object became clearer: a thick wooden beam jutting out from the sand.

We found it!

The log was in rough shape, yet clearly crafted by an intelligent being. It had to be part of a ship and judging by its size, it was likely part of the mast.

Ha Hee-Jeong, equally amazed, tapped my shoulder excitedly. We exchanged a high-five underwater, and then she cautiously used her magic to gradually clear the sand around the edges of the mast. It didn’t take long for more of the hull to emerge.

It was an old wooden vessel, the kind you would expect to see in a Pirates of the Mediterranean movie. Although the ship was riddled with holes, the interior had fortunately managed to avoid being completely overtaken by sand.

That has to be the captain’s cabin.

We headed toward the door that led to the largest cabin on the ship’s deck. Carefully opening it, we found two treasure chests in the center of the decayed room. Unlike the old wreck, the chests looked pristine, framed with golden edges that made them instantly recognizable.

The problem was that there were two treasure chests.

Why did there have to be two?

This kind of choice wasn’t ideal for someone as indecisive as me. It would have been better if there were just one.

While I silently grumbled, Ha Hee-Jeong picked up one of the chests. She gestured upward with her head, suggesting we carry both to the surface before deciding. I nodded, agreeing since the floor wouldn’t end until we opened a chest.

***

[Search for a treasure chest. Time remaining: 31 minutes 57 seconds.]

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

Ha Hee-Jeong grumbled as she emerged from the water, promptly tossing her chest onto the sand. “Ugh, diving is really not for me. I felt like I was going to suffocate.”

“Hey, be careful! You can’t just throw it like that!”

Even if it was just sand, she was being a bit too rough with the treasure.

She shrugged nonchalantly. “So what? It’s not going to break.”

“Still...”

I carefully set my chest down beside hers. It was time to make our choice.

Personally, I felt drawn to the one on the right. The feeling was purely instinctual, though I couldn’t help but wonder if our incredible luck was subtly steering me.

Still, I didn’t want to decide alone, so I turned to Ha Hee-Jeong. “Which one feels right to you?”

“I’m inclined toward the left. You?”

“Uh, the right one is calling out to me.”

She frowned, and I found myself second-guessing our luck.

Why do we each feel pulled in opposite directions?

The answer came to me quickly. “The left one probably holds something that’ll benefit you, while the right one’s probably more suited for me.”

“That makes sense. With our luck, neither should contain anything harmful.”

“So, how should we do this?”

As I mulled it over, Ha Hee-Jeong looked at me as if to say, “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Obviously, we should take the one that benefits you, Mr. Earth’s savior.”

“Hey, it doesn’t have to be that way.”

“Come on, you took the hit in my previous life, so you deserve to choose something worthwhile this time. Even if that weren’t the case, it’s only fair you decide since searching underwater was your idea.”

Her offer left me feeling a bit self-conscious. While I appreciated her thoughtfulness, it felt awkward to keep accepting her generosity.

“Why don’t we just settle it with rock-paper-scissors? I feel like I’m always getting the rewards...”

“Oh, don’t be silly~”

Before I could argue further, she strode forward and opened the chest on the right.

“Wait, Hee-Jeong!” I called out, but she had already lifted the lid.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a staff that definitely couldn’t have fit in the chest sprang out. She caught it instinctively, surprised and bewildered.

“Uh... huh?”

“What... what is this?”

We locked eyes, both of us equally puzzled.

“Hee-Jeong, does the chest give different items depending on who opens it?”

“No, that shouldn’t be the case.”

The tower had explicitly stated the contents were predetermined, but I couldn’t help double-checking out of sheer astonishment. Only one explanation seemed likely.

“The chest probably granted each of us what we truly wanted. I wished for you to get something good, and you wanted me to have something valuable.”

She paused, then sighed apologetically as if he felt she’d taken something meant for me. “That does seem to be the case. Sorry about that.”

I quickly spoke up to reassure her, “No, it’s fine. I’m not short on anything, really, and I wanted you to have it.”

“Even so...”

“Hey, you’ve already gone out of your way to support me plenty of times. Don’t worry about it. Besides, you opened it with me in mind.” I patted her shoulder gently, hoping to lift her spirits.

With a look akin to a puppy seeking forgiveness, she hesitatingly held the staff out to me.

“Are you sure? If you take it to the rest area, you could at least sell it for some points.”

“Oh, enough. It’s yours.”

Just then, a notification appeared. I was curious about the specifics of the staff, but Ha Hee-Jeong could always tell me in the waiting room.

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the twenty-eighth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: Treasure Hunt. Achievement points will be calculated.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has completed the treasure hunt and discovered the hidden mission ‘Shipwreck.’ Climbers Kwon Su-Hyeok and Ha Hee-Jeong have mutually agreed that climber Ha Hee-Jeong will receive the reward.]

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has been awarded 3,000 achievement points. Total achievement points: 77,738. He will now be sent to the waiting room.]

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has discovered the hidden mission ‘Shipwreck.’ All stats increased by 1.」

1. Busan is South Korea’s second-biggest city, right on the southeastern coast. It’s famous for its beautiful beaches, busy ports, and surrounding mountains, so it’s a favorite for both locals and tourists. I recommend you go to Busan instead of Seoul as a person who has lived in both cities! ☜