Chapter 610
A battle that raged for over an hour.
The result—twelve large-scale assault teams, each composed of more than a hundred players, were annihilated.
Over ten thousand soldiers, including those from the mechanized infantry division, lost their lives.
Though united efforts had barely managed to restrain the S-rank bosses,
the fragile balance maintained until now finally collapsed.
“Haha…”
“This can’t be real…”
“There’s a limit to how much can go wrong… this is just too much.”
The players muttered, faces drained of color.
A massive hole formed where the Tower of Trials’ structure had cracked—
and from that void emerged monsters beyond comprehension.
[The boundary between the Tower and Reality is blurring.]
[Dimensions are merging.]
[Apocalypse ‘Covenant’ – ‘First Impact’ is activated!]
A phenomenon that occurred only when special conditions were met.
Boss monsters from the late 30th floors, along with their ruins and labyrinths, were now fusing directly into the real world.
Fzzzt! Crackle!
Black and red sparks erupted as skyscrapers shattered like splintered sticks.
Structures of unimaginable scale materialized in the heart of Seoul.
[38th Floor Ruins ‘Aerial Fortress’ manifests!]
[39th Floor Labyrinth ‘Den of the Black Wolf’ manifests!]
Even when major guilds had mobilized their best elites, they still hadn’t managed to conquer the late 30th floors.
Jinhyuk had simply ascended faster than anyone else; individual strength hadn’t caught up.
Now, ruins and labyrinths from the end of those floors had appeared in reality—
an invitation to die.
Particularly, the 39th Floor Labyrinth, the “Den of the Black Wolf,” was a name far too familiar to one of them.
“…Black Wolf.”
Alice quietly repeated the name.
The enmity ran deep—
Her kind had fought the lycans for millennia, battling for dominion.
Especially the purebloods—those with crimson eyes and twin curved blades—even a True Ancestor found them formidable.
Chun Yoosung and Teresa also sensed the sinister surge of mana.
“This is bad. That damned old-timer must’ve failed.”
“I don’t think Jinhyuk would lose, but… it looks like things took a turn.”
Clearing even a single floor required enormous manpower and sacrifice.
Fighting several simultaneously was beyond calculation.
Chun Yoosung loosened his grip on his sword and turned toward the opponent he’d been facing moments ago.
“Even now… do you still think we should be fighting each other? If you’ve got half a brain, you should know who the real fake is.”
“……”
Lee Changhee’s face twisted bitterly.
Indeed—if Jinhyuk were the fake, there’d be no reason to delay using the power to trigger Outbreaks across multiple floors.
He could’ve done it the moment suspicion arose and wiped humanity out.
He had the power.
Add to that Han Sangjin’s strange disappearance, Gandhara Guild’s overly cooperative behavior with Unknown—there were too many inconsistencies to ignore.
Once he stepped back from the media brainwashing, the fog that clouded his judgment began to clear.
“Still… it’s not enough to confirm the truth. Without solid evidence—”
“Evidence? When everyone’s about to die? You’re a player—trust your instincts, not their manipulation.”
There was no time.
No solid proof.
At a time when every second counted, instinct was the only thing left to trust.
Then—
Kukukukuk!
The entrance of the labyrinth opened.
From the 10-meter-wide tunnel came the growls of beasts.
Step… step…
Something was coming.
“Grrr….”
“Grrrk….”
Black claws, crimson eyes—
Clang!
Black wolves dragging curved blades along the ground approached, drawn by the scent of prey.
The largest among them bared its fangs at Alice.
“It’s been a long time, Alice von Ataraxia.”
A deep scar ran down half his face.
Only one red eye remained.
“Raktak…”
“My eye still throbs from that wound you gave me. I hear most of your arrogant bloodsuckers are dead now. I’ll end what’s left of your miserable kind.”
Srrring!
The curved blade, engraved with curses, swung forward.
For thousands of years in the late 30th floors, the two races had fought for dominion—endless cycles of slaughter and vengeance until nothing but hatred remained.
She hadn’t wanted to fight—not now.
But she had no choice.
Anything that threatened her contractor had to die.
“You’ll regret ever crawling out of your cave, you foolish beast.”
Alice spread her twin wings and drew her rapier.
⁕⁕⁕
At the same moment, the sky split open, revealing a fortress kilometers wide.
A floating citadel from the 38th floor—a ruin that was itself a boss monster.
Clank! Clank!
Magic turrets hidden throughout the city loaded mana shells,and crystals hummed as brilliant light gathered.
Lee Changhee clenched his teeth at the sight of this new enemy.
Countless emotions warred inside him.
A few seconds passed.
“From this moment, we’re cooperating with the Veteran Corporation.”
The unexpected declaration left everyone stunned.
It was a direct violation of the Dangun Guild’s orders.
“What?”
“B-but, raid leader…?”
“I’ll take full responsibility. Gather the allies—Elder Yoo Cheonyeong, Player Kang Jinhyuk’s supporters—and hold the fortress at all costs.”
There were still those who sided with the Veteran Corporation—Elder Yoo Cheonyeong, locked away as a precaution, and Min Jungwoo and Lee Yuri, captured by Gandhara.
“Damn it. If this gets me fired, you’d better set me up with a shop later. You know my worth.”
“I want a café. In Cheongdam or Seongsu.”
Lee Jieun and Choi Gyuha—the sibling rankers of the Dangun Guild—let out weary sighs and stood beside their leader.
“Looks like we’ll have to take on Gandhara too.”
Lee Kijoon, one of the guild’s main tankers, lifted his massive battle hammer and shield.
They’d always trusted their commander completely—and they would follow him now without hesitation.
“We’ll buy time. You all… stop that damned apocalypse.”
“We’ll do our best.”
Chun Yoosung gripped his sword tightly once again.
In this nightmare, a new variable had emerged.
Now it was a matter of who moved faster.
⁕⁕⁕
“Quite the trick you pulled.”
Jinhyuk stared at the bosses that had manifested in reality.
He knew Unknown had hidden cards, but summoning the late-30th-floor bosses all at once had exceeded every expectation.
The upgraded version of the ‘Thread of Conviction’ item was supposed to be nearly impossible to create.
Even when Jinhyuk himself had neared the top of the Tower, he’d abandoned the idea—the materials required were too absurd.
And yet, here it was, in front of him.
As that thought crossed his mind—
Wuuum!
Light burst forth as several figures teleported beside Unknown.
Kumar, Deshmukh, Kajal, and Antia—Gandhara’s rankers.
“Impressive. You made it this far inside.”
“Seems you’re cornered, Unknown. To summon all of us like this.”
“Told you, you should’ve fought alongside us from the start.”
“No, personally, I prefer it this way. Better company, fewer eyes.”
The four Indian players, blessed by their deities, appeared unnervingly calm—as if they had foreseen this moment.
“So you were working with Unknown from the start? Don’t tell me you didn’t know he’d turn the world into ruin.”
“Humanity’s end… and why should that matter?”
At Jinhyuk’s cold tone, Kumar responded with a crooked smile.
“Foolish humans dump everything on us while they hide in comfort. We risk our lives climbing the Tower while they enjoy their cozy lives, reaping the benefits we earn. Tell me, why should we sacrifice for such parasites?”
Their “rewards” never matched their efforts.
To those hailed as humanity’s greatest, it all felt meaningless—salt water to a thirsty man.
But the Tower was different.
Endless potential. Infinite resources.
If offered true power and recognition, choosing between the Tower and the real world was no choice at all.
“…So he promised you crowns and thrones.”
“The absolute ruler of the Tower, the chosen of the divine gods of India—it’s a beautiful picture, isn’t it?”
“Funny. From what I’ve seen, people who talk like that usually end up used and discarded.”
Jinhyuk shrugged.
“You insolent bastard! What do you know?!”
Kraaaang!
A chakram slammed into the ground at Jinhyuk’s feet, golden mana rippling out from its edges.
They were ready to strike.
But Unknown raised a hand to Kumar’s shoulder.
“No need to react to such petty words. Unlike some, I don’t betray those who chose to walk with me. Just focus on one thing—destroy that man.”
His tone was calm, unwavering.
Kumar’s rage subsided.
“Understood. We’ll handle this. Please, focus on recovering your strength.”
They’d never planned to let Jinhyuk live.
They would use their newfound divine powers to crush him completely.
[Gandhara Rankers activate the special skill ‘Union of Flesh and Spirit.’]
Kukukukukuku!
Massive columns of light descended, radiating overwhelming mana.
It was the ability of the “Apostles”—humans who could channel the divine powers of the Indian gods into their bodies.
But Gandhara weren’t the only ones summoned by Unknown’s “First Impact.”
[Divine entities of the Thousand Ages will manifest shortly.]
[Remaining time: 0H : 2M : 59S]
Now it was clear why Kumar had been so confident.
Not only were they facing late-30th-floor bosses—they would soon face the divine avatars of the Thousand Ages themselves.
But Jinhyuk had his own ace left to play.
One of his three “non-tradable” items.
[‘Bookmark of the Unfinished’ is activated!]
At last, it was time to use it.