As nurses and doctors quickly rush patients to different rooms, voices fill the air. Bu stands in the doorway, looking into one of the patient's rooms. As nurses and doctors rushed in and out of the room, it was only a matter of time till the entire atmosphere calmed.
One of the nurses approached him and explained the situation.
"He's lost a lot of blood, and his arms and legs are broken... It's a miracle he's still alive. Had we waited any longer, he would've indeed passed. Currently, he's asleep, and we're unsure when he'll wake. For now, you should come back another time."
"I understand; I'm glad you're doing everything for him."
"It's what we do, but I appreciate your compliment, Mr. Park."
"I'll be taking my leave then."
As Bu begins leaving the hospital, he catches a glimpse of another patient.
"Crimson Slumber... How unfortunate, poor girl. I'm sure if she hadn't been affected, she could've lived up to so much."
Bu observed her for a few more minutes before looking at the patient's name that was placed on the wall.
"Mina Si-Woo... Si-Woo? Why does that name sound familiar?"
However, something else caught his eyes; as they widened, he quickly turned and shouted for help.
***
Back in the Tower, Mori found himself struggling less with the residence of the floors. His body adapted and responsive to almost any situation. As he slaughters one of the fourth floors enemies, he sighs and stands up, black blood dripping from his weapon. His eyes observe the area filled with monster carcasses. It varied in terror to the average human eyes, but Mori found nothing scary about it as his system reframed from allowing him to feel emotions. Worm's with spikes that protrude from every inch of their body—humanoid imps with snake-like arms and even harpy-like monsters—each dropping different things, from monster parts to even gear.
"No matter how you look at it. This is exactly like a game."
Mori opened his inventory and found himself looking for something.
"I remembered putting it in here, but where is it."
He sighed as he scrolled through hundreds of different monster parts. He finally stopped and found what he was looking for.
*Morgu (More-Goo) Venom selected.
As the Morgu Venom is pulled from the inventory, he continues to pull out other items. One vile of Somira tears and a Subworm Bone.
"W-With these, I can form an n-neurotoxic for the Morgu's venom."
Mori opens the glass vile holding the venom and sets it down before breaking the Subworm bone in half to pour its bone marrow into it. With a drop of the bone marrow and the Somira's tears, the vile begins to change colors. It bled orange from its brilliant lime green coloration and emitted a soothing aroma.
"T-There."
Mori's breathing was heavy as he quickly pulled out a harpy's feather and promptly dipped it into the vile before stabbing himself in the left thigh.
Slowly, his breathing normalized, and he could relax again.
"What I've learned within my time here is that the system does not neutralize any poison or toxins that enter my body... My inventory seems to be limitless, and it appears that my progressive system is slowing down little by little. It works like real life; people who practice something get better over time. The system does just that but at an accelerated rate. The time it takes someone to become a master chef takes me half as long."
As Mori pulls up a scrap piece of his destroyed clothes, he wipes off his sweat revealing a part of his slightly built body.
"That also goes for the visual appearance of my body. Whenever I have free time, I do some exercise, such as push-ups or sit-ups, and find myself toning at an accelerated rate. It's funny, honestly, to be given such a thing."
*Joy subdued.
"It's also a nuisance too..."
Mori sighs as he stands, feeling the rest of the venom leave his body.
"I wonder how the time on the door is coming along. Every time I've left to check, I've had to redo the bottom levels repeatedly. That means it wants me to complete the tower before even checking, or so I think... I continuously think of the outside world and what is going on. I wonder how the worlds handling the towers. I wonder how Mina's doing as she sleeps endlessly in her bed, all by herself. All of these thoughts fill my mind every day. To where I can never get some sleep in here. Then again, when could I ever with all these monsters around."
Mori turns towards the boss's door and stares at it.
"I'm so tired of clearing these floors; every boss gets more difficult as I progress. I nearly died to the last one as it held me over the edge with its boney hand. Then there was the time I almost got swallowed by a giant worm boss. Then... Why am I rambling, I know I've almost died multiple times."
Mori sighed as he walked into the darkroom and as he progressed further in, the doors closed, and our view of him vanished.
***
Back at the hospital, Bu was by the bedside of Sang-go, who was hit by a truck and survived. However, he was crucially injured, and Bu wanted to ensure he was still alive. As he waited for his awakening, he continued reading the news on his tablet—the headline reading.
*American Top Ranked Guild Has Cleared The Tower A Fifth Time!
"Five times, they must be powerful."
As Bu scrolled through the news, his eyes skimming parts of the Crimson Cure, waking up those who had fallen into Crimson Slumber. Then into recent events such as terrorist acts and city construction.
"The world really is a mixed bag these days. I wonder if you can ever say it'll go back to normal. What do you think, Sang-go?"
Sang-go's eyes slowly open as he hears his name.
"H-How'd you know I was awake?"
"The breathing of a sleeping person and a person in pain, are entirely different. Especially when a broken kid like you wakes up from slumber, it becomes physically apparent."
"A-Are you gonna hurt me as you did, my friends?"
"You call those friends? They tried to use you. What kind of friends do that?"
"T-They just wanted me to prove myself, that's all."
Bu sighs as he sets down his tablet.
"No, I'm not going to hurt you."
"T-Then are you going to kill me?"
"No, I'm not going to kill you."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I feel responsible for what happened to you. It's as simple as that."
"Is that so."
"Don't get the wrong idea. Had you tried to fight me like your friends."
A sharp glare appeared from Bu's eyes as he locked eyes with Sang-go."
"I would've killed you too, no questions asked."
"I-I'm sorry!"
Bu was shocked by the sudden apology.
"For?"
"Everything!"
"Be more specific..."
"F-For taking things from people, for hanging out with thugs! For hurting others out of jealousy."
"Apology... Not accepted."
Song-go's heart sank for a moment as Bu stood up and walked closer to him.
"W-What."
Bu glared directly into his eyes before speaking.
"I don't, accept... Your apology."
"W-Why, I said I was sorry!"
"That doesn't make up for everything you've done."
"Then what can I do!"
"Figure that out for yourself if I told you. You wouldn't truly put effort into a true apology."
Bu walked away to pick up his stuff to depart.
"Song-go, if I find you causing trouble after you get out of the hospital. I'll make sure you find out what true death feels like. Other than that, good luck on finding your new leaf."
"M-My new leaf?"
Bu left the room, leaving Song-go to change his ways.
"That kid has a long way to go; I swear punks these days don't understand what actual pain is."
As Bu walks past a couple of nurses, he eavesdrops on their conversation.
"It's a shame that patient six thirty-four passed before the ten-year mark."
"Would you keep your voice down!"
"S-Sorry."
"Yes, it is strange that her ten-year period wasn't up yet. But her body was already fragile as it was. I'm surprised she lasted as long as she did."
"Did she have any siblings?"
"The only one we could find on records was a Mori Si-Woo, but he died years ago."
Bu's eyes widened as he finally remembered the familiar sense Si-Woo's name gave him.
"That's tragic... But at least they'll be together again."
"We don't have time to worry about tragedies; we will get the body set for a funeral. So we can get the room open for another Crimson Slumber patient."
"It's the least we can do."
The nurses walk off to continue working as Bu park is left speechless.
***
Mori stands over the defeated boss, drenched in blood.
"What the hell, I-I had to be eaten just to kill the damn thing!"
A three-headed Subworm, its mouths opened in three different directions, and it housed four rows of teeth. It was the size of a giant, and its mobility was no joke as it could move extremely fast even with its heavy-looking body. Mori had to be swallowed whole as the only way to kill it was from the inside, where its beating heart lies.
*Reward: Rune Key
*Rarity: A-Rank!
*Description: This rune will unlock an ability of your Scar Bearer tree.
"Now that's something I can use."
Mori pulled the Rune Key from his inventory and held it in his hand. As he tried to crush it, a message popped up.
*Item cannot be used.
"What the hell!!"
Mori was being lifted to the final floor of the tower, as he screamed in anger at the Rune Key.