Chapter 456: Ninety-Fifth Floor, Phantom of the Predecessor (3)
The rest area, during the events on the ninety-fifth floor.
Ha Hee-Jeong sat with her back to the dining hall, eyes fixed on the plain that stretched before her. A warm breeze drifted across the deep green fields, but it did little to ease her heart.
The ninety-fifth floor was still unfolding.
Kwon Su-Hyeok’s face appeared in her mind. She could only see him when he was facing a trial, but since she had stopped watching after the ninety-first floor, that had been her final glimpse. Even so, his features remained etched clearly in her mind, though never as vivid as seeing him in person.
“Haaaaaa.”
With a long sigh, Ha Hee-Jeong lowered her head between her knees. She longed to see him, but dreaded it as well. She trusted him, but watching was unbearable. The contradiction gnawed at her. Part of her felt guilty. Since she believed in him the most, she ought to be standing watch and cheering him on.
The truth was, it stemmed from her previous life.
The Community of the Dead. Those who perished were unable to do anything but watch the remaining climbers. The situation was completely different, but even there, Ha Hee-Jeong had watched Kwon Su-Hyeok. Though only a spirit, her palms had felt slick from sweat, her chest tight as she endured every moment.
Then, Kwon Su-Hyeok died on the ninety-fourth floor.
Though he had already far surpassed his previous self, the memory of that loss remained carved deep into her heart. It was so searing she could never truly steady herself. A single experience, yet it had become her trauma.
He can win. He can do this.
Kwon Su-Hyeok was stronger and more gifted than anyone she had ever seen. The gods he had killed were proof enough. Truthfully, even Ha Hee-Jeong hadn’t imagined he would become this strong. She had always known he was talented, but his gift had proven dozens of times greater than she had dreamed.