HDAAD Chapter 145

The lobby of the tower, which was always quiet, was packed with journalists today.

This was because the world’s attention was focused on our party, as we had cleared floors 14 through 16 as soon as they opened.

Fortunately, fences had been set up for safety, preventing them from approaching us.

“Go-woon, hello!”

“Hello.”

“There are so many people! Hello, everyone!”

As Michael, who was used to journalists, waved his hand, flashes went off in succession.

“Hello!”

Baigang and Mei were also constantly greeting the journalists. Just as my eyes were starting to hurt from the flashes going off every time someone arrived, Taeju arrived last.

[Seo Taeju – Contamination Level 22%]

“Taeju, Taeju. Aren’t you too late?”

“Shut up.”

‘Looks like he went to a dungeon again. I’ll have to deal with his contamination as soon as we enter.’

Once everyone had arrived, Shin Sooha’s bodyguards approached and shouted.

“The coverage is over now. Please leave.”

From the beginning, we hadn’t allowed journalists. More precisely, everyone’s common opinion was that we didn’t understand why coverage was necessary for clearing the tower.

However, the government, which wanted to establish Korea’s status through this opportunity, requested not only journalists but also that body cameras be attached to everyone’s bodies to broadcast the tower clearing process.

As we were in a tug-of-war between our absolute refusal and the government’s insistence, a strange rumor spread.

It was a rumor that D-rank Seo Go-woon would no longer enter the tower.

In a situation where it was clear who had spread the rumor, the government raised their voice saying that coverage was necessary even if only to put an end to the rumor, and we reluctantly took a step back, saying we would agree to coverage only until we gathered in the lobby.

However, we only allowed coverage of the part where we gathered in the lobby to avoid revealing the existence of the elevator that could go directly to the desired floor. We had clearly promised that all journalists would withdraw when it was time to move for the full-scale clearing.

“Please let us film just a bit more.”

“We’ll just film until you move.”

“Everyone, please look here once.”

The journalists, who knew nothing, fought with the security guards, clamoring that they would only film until we entered the first floor of the tower.

‘If there wasn’t an elevator, we would have been the last to leave.’

As I was inwardly clicking my tongue at the chaotic scene, Michael quietly approached.

“Go-woon. Do you think the 17th floor will be the place shown on the map?”

I shook my head at his whispered question.

“I don’t know about the 17th floor either.”

The 17th floor of the tower.

It was the place where Taeju, the protagonist in the novel, had given up on clearing.

‘It was the anniversary of Seo Go-woon’s parents’ death at that time.’

Since Taeju always went to the columbarium on the anniversary no matter what, the Korean party gathered to proceed with the clearing without Taeju, and ultimately failed.

Even in the novel, it only appeared as a short sentence saying “The United States succeeded in the first clearing of the 17th floor,” so I didn’t know what would appear on the 17th floor either.

However, since there was content saying that the 18th floor also had a long clearing period like the 17th floor, I had told everyone to bring simple foods that could be eaten just in case.

“What about food?”

“I bought military combat rations.”

“Military combat rations?”

“Yeah.”

When the detectives occasionally talked about combat rations, I had avoided chiming in because I had eaten them so much during operations that I was sick of them.

I knew that combat rations were sold on the internet for some people’s nostalgia and memories, but having eaten them to the point of satiety, just imagining the taste made me lose my appetite, so I didn’t feel the need to spend money to eat them again.

“I brought a lot. Should I give you one, Go-woon?”

“…Yes. Please give me one later. It should be fine to eat after a long time.”

“After a long time? When did you eat them before?”

“Well, I’ve… eaten them before. Anyway, thank you.”

“Okay. I bought many varieties, so I’ll give you one of each.”

I nodded and looked around.

“Everyone has left now. Guild Leader Shin Sooha.”

Shin Sooha opened the party scroll.

After confirming that the party had been formed normally, we got on the elevator again.

When the elevator arrived at the front of the 17th floor and the doors opened, we saw a huge door made of ice.

“Ah. This must be an ice attribute floor.”

“I really hate this.”

“Me too.”

Lee Chaewon, Baigang, and Mei, who were sensitive to cold, frowned just from seeing the door.

“Do you have outer wear?”

“Yes.”

At Shin Sooha’s question, I took out a thick padded jacket from my infinite pocket.

“I prepared it.”

Any hunter would naturally carry thick clothes. It was preparation for not knowing which dungeon they might enter.

‘As if I wouldn’t know that.’

As I had seen in the novel, I put on the padded jacket along with fur boots, thick gloves, and even a scarf and fur earmuffs.

“Salt. It’s cold, so you get in the pocket too.”

“Beep.”

‘What did he see to say that again?’

With a salty expression, Salt said that a cool bird like himself doesn’t get cold, but Mei exclaimed in admiration.

“You’re really thoroughly prepared.”

“Do you need anything? Should I give you some?”

There were spares in my infinite pocket because there was a time when I had to deal with childish party members who would forget one thing or another no matter how much I nagged them to prepare.

“Then just a scarf for me.”

“I want earmuffs!”

“Me too, earmuffs please.”

After giving them each what they wanted, I looked at Yoon Seokjin, who hesitated before speaking in a small voice.

“…Just gloves.”

“Seo Go-woon-ssi. Do you perhaps have fur boots too?”

I took out gloves for Yoon Seokjin and gave fur boots to Baigang as well.

“Taeju, what about you?”

When I asked Taeju, who was wearing a thick padded jacket like me, I received a cold rejection.

“Don’t need it.”

I shrugged and looked at Shin Sooha.

Unlike the rest of us who were fully equipped, Shin Sooha was still in his initial suit.

“Shin Sooha-ssi, didn’t you bring clothes?”

“No. I didn’t prepare separately. I don’t get cold easily either.”

Oh ho. So when you reach SSS-rank, you don’t get cold? What an interesting body.

“Then I’ll open the door.”

When I grabbed the door handle, I felt a chill even through the thick gloves.

As I put all my strength into opening the door, there was a cracking sound of ice breaking, and a blizzard along with a snow-covered mountain appeared before our eyes.

“Isn’t this the North Pole?”

“I’ve never seen this much snow before.”

With each step, our feet sank deep into the snow.

“We probably need to go to the summit, right?”

“Yes.”

There weren’t any guide signs, but the mere appearance of a snow-covered mountain meant that the boss was likely at the top.

“First.”

I reached into my infinite pocket and took out several hand warmers.

“Let’s hold these as we go.”

No matter how thick the padded jackets we wore or how well-equipped we were, we would eventually get cold as time passed.

In that aspect, nothing was as useful as hand warmers.

“Oh. Hand warmers. Nice. Do you have a lot of these?”

“Hmm. I put in 10 boxes, so it should be enough for the journey.”

It was thanks to having bought a lot of hand warmers first, more than anything else, because of memories of shivering too much during stakeouts in the past.

‘I have money, so why not.’

After I generously gave hand warmers to everyone, I looked at Taeju, who turned his head away coldly.

‘You’re the one losing out by doing that, not me.’

“I don’t need them either.”

On the other hand, Shin Sooha, who refused, really didn’t seem to mind at all.

Even his fingertips had the same healthy color as usual, as if he couldn’t feel the cold at all.

‘He really doesn’t get cold, huh. I’m envious.’

That kind of constitution would be good for stakeouts if he were a detective.

My original body was sensitive to both cold and heat, so both summer and winter were tough.

“If we’re done handing these out, let’s hurry up and go.”

Michael, whose cheeks had turned red from the cold, urged us.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

After finishing our preparations, we started walking towards the snow-covered mountain again.

“It would have been nice if we had a fire hunter.”

“That’s right. Is there no way to block the snow or cold with a shield?”

When I asked, wondering if it might be possible since the shield had blocked water when we first met, Michael answered dejectedly.

“I tried, but it didn’t work.”

“Ah.”

When forming the party, we should have considered basic elemental types first.

It was my fault for only thinking about hunters who could be useful in the Cradle, without considering elemental types.

“But we are getting closer, right?”

At Baigang’s question, Mei looked back and made a sad face.

“It feels like we’ve walked a lot, but we haven’t actually moved that far.”

As Mei said, when I looked back, I could still see the entrance of the tower we had come through in the distance. It was a distance that might have taken just a few minutes if we had run on flat ground with determination, but as if to prove this was a high floor of the tower, the environment here required even SS-rank or higher hunters to be prepared for each step they took.

“Because our feet keep sinking into the snow, it feels like we’re walking more due to the extra energy being used.”

“How do you know?”

“It snows a lot in Mongolia.”

Lee Chaewon nodded with an “Ah” and then sighed.

“At this rate, it’ll be endless.”

“That’s right.”

The snow-covered mountain was still far away, but our stamina was depleting.

As I was at a loss for words, not knowing what to do in this situation that I was experiencing for the first time, Shin Sooha spoke.

“Let’s walk a bit more for now, and if we really can’t go on, we’ll set up a base camp then.”

“Okay.”

“Alright.”

With everyone in agreement, we started walking again.

How much time had passed? Due to the increasingly fierce blizzard, snow began to pile up on our clothes, and they no longer kept out the cold.

“Stop. Let’s rest for now.”

Surprisingly, it was Taeju who first called for a break when it became difficult even to speak.

“It would be better to set up a base camp here.”

“Yeah.”

“I-I’ll set up the b-base camp.”

Baigang, who had been relatively stable saying it snows a lot in Mongolia, seemed to have gotten much colder as he shivered and took out a small model in the shape of a ger from his infinite pocket bag.

“Wh-what’s th-that?”

Baigang answered Michael, who showed curiosity even while shivering from the cold, as he put the model on the ground.

“It’s a ger. [Grow].”

As soon as Baigang finished speaking, the fist-sized ger began to inflate like a balloon and gradually grew larger.

And when it had grown to a size that could easily fit 20 people, Baigang opened the door.

“Let’s go in.”

The inside of the ger, which we entered with Baigang in the lead, was wider and cleaner than expected.

Ten beds were arranged in a circle around a central fireplace, and there was even an attached bathroom.

“I’ll light the fire right away.”

Baigang, who had come in after shaking off the snow clinging to his body, lit the fireplace, and soon a warm air spread throughout the ger.

“Wow, it’s warm.”

“It’s better to change out of clothes wet from snow. The ladies can change in the bathroom over there.”

“Okay!”

“Let’s go, Mei.”

After confirming that Mei and Lee Chaewon had gone into the bathroom, we changed into dry clothes as well.

After changing, Baigang strung a line across the ceiling of the ger and hung up the wet clothes.

“Why are you doing that?”

“It’s to dry the clothes, and also because it can get too dry when the fireplace is on, which makes it easier to catch a cold.”

Saying that it’s never bad to be careful since even hunters can catch colds, Baigang instead took out a kettle from somewhere.

“Would you like some water?”

“No.”

Baigang refused Lee Chaewon’s offer, who had returned after changing clothes, and filled the kettle with snow from outside.

“Is it okay to drink that?”

“Yes. I tried it earlier and it tasted good.”

Eating snow from the blizzard while moving? Why are none of my party members normal?

After putting the kettle filled with snow on the fireplace, Baigang took out tea bags and put them in the kettle.

“Black tea?”

“Yes. It would be nice if we had milk, but we don’t.”

As the subtle aroma of black tea spread through the ger, for a moment, it felt like we had come on a trip rather than to clear the tower.

“Here. Have a cup each.”

‘Hmm. What kind of taste is this?’

For me, who only knew barley tea, black tea was just water with a strange smell.

But it seemed I was the only one who thought that way, as the others exclaimed how good it tasted.

“Is the tower always like this? All the places we’ve been to so far weren’t like this.”

“China doesn’t clear towers, right?”

“No. We only do dungeon breaks or resource-advantageous places voluntarily.”

“There are places like this too. The 3rd floor was underwater, and the 5th floor was a sky garden.”

“That’s crazy, really.”

While Mei and Lee Chaewon were chatting cozily holding warm teacups, I approached Taeju with the purpose of resolving his contamination while we had time.

“Taeju. Let’s purify.”

“I’m fine.”

“What do you mean you’re fine? Stop talking nonsense and give me your hand.”

He used to pester me for purification even when I said it wasn’t necessary, but why is he acting like this lately?

“Are you really not going to get purified?”

Taeju, who had been staring at me intently, suddenly stood up and snatched Salt.

“Beep! Beep beep.”

“Can’t I just get it from him?”

Even though Salt was pecking at Taeju’s hand with his beak while cursing, Taeju held onto Salt without caring.

Taeju knew very well that my purification was faster and of higher quality than Salt’s.

Yet, the fact that he wanted to receive purification from Salt instead of me was not a problem that could be dismissed as simply sulking.

“Hey. Let’s talk.”