Chapter 527
Vmmm!
Rumble!
Countless beams of light fell.
Various deities and heroes in charge of the mid-tier mythologies responded to Jinhyuk’s call for help.
Those armed with all sorts of weapons surrounded Jinhyuk as if to protect him.
“Damn, you got me this time.”
Thor scratched his head wildly.
“Right. I forgot these guys were still around.”
“I never even thought about it… No, more than that, I didn’t expect so many factions to actually be on your side.”
Berial and Anubis clicked their tongues as if in defeat.
It was definitely a surprising trump card to have prepared for the end.
However.
“You do realize that even if you gather all the mid-tier factions, you still can’t beat us, right?”
They were the chief gods who ruled the upper floors of the Tower.
There was a gap between them and the lower deities that simply couldn’t be bridged.
“That’s true. But, I don’t actually need to win.”
This fight wasn’t a do-or-die all-out war.
The key was whether or not I could survive the time limit.
And with this many mid-tier deities and heroes….
“My calculations say I can last out the remaining minute just fine.”
About 45 seconds left.
Even if Thor brought three Mjolnirs, it wouldn’t be enough now.
“Aaaargh!”
“This time, I’ll definitely…!”
“Die, Kang Jinhyuk!”
“Jinhyuk!”
Voices of all kinds echoed everywhere.
Everyone threw themselves forward, desperate to catch Jinhyuk.
“Protect Kang Jinhyuk!”
“Just hold them off for one minute… one minute is all we need!”
The mid-tier deities and heroes formed a solid defensive line in response.
Boom!
Bang bang bang bang!
Explosions and flames mixed chaotically.
The floating stone had long since turned into a battlefield.
Thirty seconds… twenty seconds.
Ten seconds.
Time was running out quickly.
Jinhyuk grinned wickedly. The struggle to wipe that smile from his face continued up to the very last second.
And at last….
“Contractooor!”
Alice broke through the defensive line and reached Jinhyuk’s location.
A snow-white hand reached out for Jinhyuk’s face.
Just a few centimeters more and she’d touch him.
A red storm that seemed ready to swallow everything whole.
Alice squeezed out every last bit of her strength, accelerating until the very end.
However.
Ding!
Just before Alice, the status window flashed first.
[The time limit has expired!]
All the promised time had run out.
“Nooo!”
Alice screamed on the spot.
The other members couldn’t hide their disappointment either.
All their wicked hopes were dashed to nothing.
[The winner is player ‘Kang Jinhyuk’!]
[Rewards are being calculated.]
He even got the scroll to check the holy relic, nice and clean.
Everyone else looked disappointed, but that didn’t matter….
The most important thing was to check the holy relic obtained from Olympus.
Jinhyuk quickly took out the item he’d stashed away in his subspace inventory.
The object, shrouded entirely in ???, revealed itself.
‘What could it be?’
Even Poseidon’s Trident or Apollo’s Sun Chariot weren’t marked with ???.
For something to still show as unidentified at this level, when I’m over level 200, it had to be something incredible.
I had a few guesses, but they were only guesses.
Finally, it was time to see its true value.
With trembling hands, Jinhyuk brought the scroll to the holy relic.
Vmmm!
The runes on the scroll all lit up at once, and the ??? marks shattered into pieces.
[You have obtained ‘The Drum of Gigantomachia’!]
[The Drum of Gigantomachia]
Acquisition difficulty: Unmeasurable
Details: The rebellion of the Titans that nearly brought Olympus to ruin. While the mythical war is now over, using this drum will allow you to recreate that war once again. However, the moment this item is released from its unidentified state, Olympus will also become aware within 30 days that ‘The Drum of Gigantomachia’ has fallen into someone else’s hands.
No way.
Jinhyuk’s mouth fell open.
As expected of a holy relic shrouded in ???….
Its content far exceeded anything I’d expected.
* * *
After everything was settled on the administrator floor, two weeks passed.
So much had happened in a short time that just cleaning up after everything made the days pass in a blur.
‘Rick ended up becoming a new upper manager… and the Olympus side completely holed up in their base.’
With the appearance of the new Yggdrasil, the great force Ragnarok started to rise again, while Eden—home to Chunse and Uriel—was greatly diminished.
One war had completely changed the balance of power.
But now that the big stuff was over….
…It’s time to get back to business.
Climbing the Tower.
It was time to check how hard the various guilds had been working on their raids over the last two weeks.
‘I heard things were going smoothly….’
The 33rd floor is in the upper levels, but it isn’t especially dangerous compared to the other floors.
Except for a few areas, they’ve built a highly advanced society.
And since they’re particularly open to outsiders, it’s easy for players to approach.
‘Of course, the conditions to reach the 34th floor are ridiculously complicated….’
But for now, none of the guilds and players distracted by magi-engineering would care about that.
Jinhyuk stretched with a long yawn.
Then, he grabbed his phone off the bed.
The magi-engineering city ‘Replor.’
To clear this floor efficiently, I’d need help from a certain person.
Brrr…. Brrr…. Click!
The call ended, and a familiar voice answered.
“Hyung?”
It was Lee Tae-min.
“Yeah, Taemin. Been well?”
“Haha, I’m doing alright. It’s hard not to be, since I’ve been traveling with Yeonhwa noona. Are you okay, hyung? I saw you in the ‘Hall of Fame’… I was worried you were overdoing it.”
Hmm….
Judging by those videos, I could see why someone might worry if I had nine lives.
I really did put myself through the wringer Spartan-style.
“How about we catch up in person for the first time in a while? Bring Yeonhwa too.”
“Of course! Should I head to Jamsil?”
“Yeah. Let’s meet by World Tower in an hour.”
“Okay, see you then!”
Taemin answered right away and hung up.
“Hmph. You’re thinking of climbing the Tower again?”
Alice poked her head out from the sofa where she’d been lazing around.
“I’ve had two weeks off, so it’s time to get moving. We’re heading out right now, so get ready. And don’t take all day drying your hair like last time.”
“What! Right now? But… the drama’s on at six…. This episode’s important.”
“You… You’re a true ancestor, but you’re that into dramas?”
There’s a limit to how well you can adapt.
Lately, whether it’s variety shows, dramas, or even Byutube and Paprika TV livestreams—
She even chats during broadcasts and enjoys it all to the fullest.
Ask any passerby and they’d say she’s 100% Korean at this point, totally adapted to modern life.
“Ahem. I’ve always been good at embracing new cultures.”
“Yeah, yeah. Take off your headband and talk. And lose the sleep socks too. Don’t tell me you fight like that, right?”
Hugging a bowl full of ice-cold cola and nachos, it’s honestly absurd.
Who would look at her and think ‘dignified ancestor’?
Tsk tsk.
Jinhyuk shook his head as he got ready to leave.
* * *
About 50 minutes later, at an aquarium café near Jamsil Station, familiar faces gathered.
“Oppa! Over here!”
“Hyung!”
Yoo Yeonhwa and Lee Tae-min waved as they saw Jinhyuk.
Jinhyuk smiled brightly and headed over to their table.
Alice’s eyes widened as she looked around the inside of the aquarium.
Instead of normal fish, the tanks were full of giant deep-sea monsters.
Since the appearance of the Tower of Trials, cafés like this had done massive remodeling to keep up.
“Grrr….”
“Kyeee….”
They looked terrifying at a glance.
They could easily swallow a person whole.
But then.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
There was something odd in the water.
Among the deep-sea fish and monsters.
Undine was there, her mouth sealed shut.
Around her, the other spirit beasts and Goguma Fried were swimming too.
As punishment for betraying him on the floating stone, he’d locked them in this aquarium.
Bubble. Blub blub….
They all swam frantically, blowing bubbles.
It was nothing but a struggle for survival.
Yoo Yeonhwa and Lee Tae-min broke out in a cold sweat as they watched.
-As expected, oppa hasn’t changed a bit.
-Haha… Whatever hyung asks, I’d better do it.
I’d felt it in the past too….
Whatever else, you must never get on Jinhyuk’s bad side.
“Taemin.”
“Y-yes, hyung!”
“How much have you unlocked the Machine Lord’s ability?”
“Hmm. I can use up to 7 stars without much trouble now. With a few more items, I could probably reach 8 stars.”
Seven stars….
That’s pretty fast progress.
Taemin must have made up for his past regrets and really grown.
That meant he’d cleared the minimum requirements for the 33rd floor.
“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
Jinhyuk began explaining his strategy for clearing the floor.
* * *
[You have entered the 33rd floor of the Tower of Trials.]
[The residents of Replor welcome outsiders.]
[The 33rd floor’s clearing condition ‘Linked Quest’ has begun.]
[Players must start a quest by accepting a request or making a deal with a certain resident in the city of magi-engineering.]
[However, you can only make the first transaction for the linked quest; you cannot reverse or cancel it.]
The view changed, and a dazzling civilization unfolded before his eyes.
Huge gears, bizarre yet grand buildings, and rows of colorful crystal spheres.
This was the heart of magi-engineering—Replor.
“Wow….”
Taemin’s eyes sparkled.
He’d arrived at the place most closely connected to his unique ability, so it was all fascinating.
“Hyung, look! It’s a magi-rifle. Whoa, that technology… I’ve never seen it before….”
“Heh heh heh! You’re a youngster from another floor, huh? My shop has a lot of good stuff—take your time looking around. Since it’s your first time, I’ll give you a good price.”
“Try Replor’s famous ‘clock cookies’ too!”
“Don’t miss the Night of Magi-Engineers at midnight!”
People everywhere were vying for customers.
As expected of a city friendly to players.
There was plenty to see and enjoy right from the start.
Jinhyuk listened carefully to the merchants’ chatter.
Who you made your first deal with would greatly influence the subsequent linked quests.
Sorting gold from mud was the first hurdle.
In fact, countless guilds and solo players who came to the 33rd floor were obsessed with picking the best linked quest.
But even now, two weeks later, those who’d picked S-grade or higher linked quests could be counted on two hands.
There were so many possible combinations, and too many variables.
‘Now, where would they be around this time….’
Jinhyuk’s gaze moved quickly.
They should be here at this hour….
Right then.
‘Found them.’
A bright smile formed on Jinhyuk’s lips.