Chapter 662
Trial Tower, 50th Floor.
In Azathoth’s Palace at the very top of the tower, primordial beings gathered.
Heh heh heh!
The mere fact that absolute beings stood in the same place exuded crushing pressure. An ordinary person would lose their reason and go insane the moment they faced them.
However.
The man standing before them looked leisurely, without a hint of tension.
“The Unknown you were so proud of is finally dead. To borrow your words, didn’t you call him the strongest ranker who couldn’t possibly lose?”
Nyarlathotep jeered.
“Well, it wasn’t wrong. Believe it or not, he was once stronger than anyone here.”
If Colonel Timo had been able to unleash one hundred percent of his abilities… the outcome might have been different.
He might have inflicted far more damage, or even succeeded in eliminating some of them. After all, he was data that carried the memory of conquering the tower back when it was still just a game.
The man wore a strange expression as he reminisced.
Only for a moment. He plopped down on a chair and added,
“But Unknown wiping everyone out isn’t what I wanted.”
He was nothing more than a stepping stone for Kang Jinhyuk’s growth.
Kang Jinhyuk had to ascend to the summit in perfect condition.
Only then.
Could he achieve a flawless victory with no room for excuses, and finally end the long wait.
“I’ve been anticipating my fight with him for a very long time. I prepared meticulously. I ran countless simulations.”
Monotonous, tedious days. Kang Jinhyuk was the only thing that made him forget them. A perfectly ripened fruit—just imagining devouring it was enough to melt the weariness filling his body.
The man looked at Nyarlathotep.
“Still, the last fight had too many miscalculations on my part, and it was a failure… so I’ll step back this time and let you do as you please. Losing the Necronomicon is a matter of survival for you, after all.”
“Unexpected. I thought you hated losing the prey called Kang Jinhyuk more than death.”
“That’s right. But that tenacious veteran doesn’t look like he’ll die easily.”
“That sounds… like he’s one step ahead of us.”
An ominous aura rose from Nyarlathotep’s staff.
Swoosh….
The ground turned black.
The man raised both hands exaggeratedly.
“Whoa. Calm down. Don’t you know it’s a loss for both of us if you and I fight? I’m not ignoring you. I’m saying this because I’m concerned.”
“Don’t worry. We’ve prepared a way to wipe out the canyon itself, including him.”
Thud. Clack….
“Hmm.”
“Hehehe!”
“……”
Three men and women appeared behind Nyarlathotep.
After the Old Guards were wiped out, he had summoned a new Praetorian Guard.
If the human named Kang Jinhyuk had performed brilliantly in this tower….
……Then these were beings who had reached the pinnacle in other dimensions, and returned.
“Hoo. Bringing returnees to the 50th floor… have you already forgotten what happened when Frost Spirit and other ancient hermits came to this floor?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. We’ll handle that part ourselves.”
“Well, I suppose that was meddling. Still, they could make for some interesting variables.”
The man turned away without regret.
“Leaving already?”
“I have an appointment. I’ll get an earful if I make them wait too long.”
Step by step.
After finishing his meeting with Nyarlathotep, the man walked down the passage.
The path felt strangely dark and lonely.
How long did he walk?
At last, his steps stopped before a middle-aged gentleman in a fedora.
Rick Hennessy, the senior manager of the Trial Tower.
“For someone so important to ask for a meeting in such a humble place. This is why the Trial Tower is so interesting.”
“You’re still relaxed even after Unknown was defeated. Are you fine even though you lost your right arm?”
Rick removed his fedora, provoking the man.
“Hmm. Of course, it’s a shame. Until I met the real Kang Jinhyuk, that guy was my best toy. But now that I can face the real thing, why would I be sad about losing a fake?”
“A fake….”
Rick let out a low chuckle.
“Is that… what you’ve been telling yourself?”
“……”
Eerie.
The air froze. Even time itself felt as though it had been forgotten. The chilling killing intent stood in stark contrast to the composure the man had shown until now.
For the first time, the man’s voice lost its levity.
“Hearing you say that, it sounds like your memories have almost completely returned.”
“I remembered most of them a few days ago.”
Rick nodded slowly.
At the same time, his staff slashed horizontally through the air.
[Rick Hennessy activates Unique Ability ‘Trial Tower’!]
Heh heh heh!
The surrounding structures shifted freely, reshaping into a library. A place filled with the aroma of coffee and countless books.
“Hahaha. This is truly amazing. As expected of the owner of the Great Merchant Guild and a senior manager. No, no. Should I call you by your proper title now, rather than those names?”
The man clapped wildly, then changed his tone.
“Owner of the Trial Tower.”
(T/N : Oh damn! )
The first Operator and the creator of the tower, Rick Hennessy.
The one who created and governs the system—an existence that could be called the Trial Tower itself.
“Let’s stop disrupting the tower’s order. Too many people have been sacrificed for your purposes.”
“You, who sealed your memories and lives an endlessly reincarnating life for your own amusement… and you want to talk about Kang Jinhyuk and the tower’s order now? Absurd.”
Since Kang Jinhyuk was nearing the 40th floor, he’d assumed Rick would have regained most of his original memories by now.
However.
The man’s smile deepened.
Rick regaining his memories meant he knew his role as the tower’s creator. Now, Rick Hennessy could no longer favor Kang Jinhyuk and provide him unconditional support.
Except for offering a single opportunity, or a single piece of information.
The man and Rick faced each other head-on.
“We each have one card.”
“Who stands at the top of the tower will depend on whose card is stronger.”
Different voices intersected.
—
[You have acquired ‘Last Rock of the Canyon’!]
After obtaining the Fragment of Light, Kang Jinhyuk immediately used the wish ticket as bait to secure the second Sacred Relic.
A slave legion made up of countless Spirit Beasts.
“Hack….”
“Hack! Cough… Hack!”
“I’m dying. No—just kill me. Please. I want peace already.”
The village Spirit Beasts, subjected to repeated exploitation, began to crumble.
Beeeeep!
Without a moment’s rest, a shrill whistle pierced their eardrums.
“What are you doing? Move faster.”
“Back in my day, it was ten times harder than this, and we didn’t even groan once.”
“These Spirit Beasts are a little weak-willed.”
The Spirit Special Forces Spirit Beasts under Kang Jinhyuk oppressed their own kind.
That was what they saw. That was what they learned.
They became Kang Jinhyuk’s hands and feet, diligently carrying out his work.
Thanks to them, what should have been impossible was being conquered with absurd ease.
“Seriously, why is it going so smoothly? At this rate, it’ll be over in a few days.”
“It’s ridiculous.”
“Tch!”
Disbelief followed.
Especially from Pesis, who looked spiritually shattered, as if he’d run into an unscalable wall.
“By the way, where did that guy go again without saying a word?”
Chun Yoosung asked Undine, who could be called the leader of the Spirit Beasts.
“Eung! Master said he’s going to check something out alone. He’ll be back soon.”
Undine answered, sweat dripping down her face.
⁕
At the same time.
Kang Jinhyuk stared through the telescope he’d bought from the Coin Exchange at a place several kilometers away.
Crackle…! Sizzle!
Tremendous sparks tore through the forest.
A being wrapped in white radiance, emitting White Flame.
That was the King of Light Spirits, Livolt.
Livolt, in the form of a white stag, stood still as he rested.
Of course, he couldn’t let his guard down just because it looked docile.
“Grrrr….”
The emptiness in those vacant pupils said it all—he’d long since lost his reason.
……This is going to be dangerous.
That was Kang Jinhyuk’s first assessment after watching Livolt.
It should be possible to use the Fragment of Light to bring him back to his senses.
The problem was how to break through the layered Domain of Light surrounding Livolt.
Forcing his way in would be difficult under indiscriminate bombardment.
Abilities like Mantra Taming or communion were also unlikely to work, thanks to the sapling’s influence.
There had to be a safer way to manage the risks….
Just as he was thinking—
Rustle.
Kang Jinhyuk heard an unfamiliar sound.
This time, it wasn’t the Spirit Beasts.
“Players…?”
They were people who could handle Mana. Among everyone he’d encountered since his memories were erased, they were the most skilled.
Even compared to the rankers of the former major guilds, they were several levels above.
Of course.
‘Cute.’
From Kang Jinhyuk’s perspective, it felt like watching clumsy newbies who had only just stepped onto the upper floors.
‘Skilled people wouldn’t come all the way out to a remote, unappetizing ruin for no reason….’
They clearly had a purpose.
And it was a suspicious, sinister one.
[Eye of Gluttony is activated!]
Kang Jinhyuk activated the skill toward the people approaching from afar.
Sure enough.
[Name: Jack Eden]
[Level: 66]
[Unique Holy Spear: Magical Stronghold Construction]
[Unique Ability: Navy SEAL]
[Skills: Lv21 ‘Infiltration’, Lv20 ‘Solo Combat’, Lv20 ‘Ironclad Duty’, Lv20 ‘Long-Range Clairvoyance’….]
[Copy Condition: Infiltration, assassination, kidnapping of key figures, etc. He mainly performs missions specialized in modern warfare and is full of confidence in his achievements and abilities. If you can give him an unforgettable nightmare, you can copy one of his Unique Abilities and skills. Also, due to his emphasis on infiltration, his Unique Holy Spear specialized in defense is something that touches his pride, so he has never used it properly. If you make Jack Eden use his Unique Holy Spear, you can copy his Unique Holy Spear.]
They were Swingbats—people who moved only when massive money from large corporations or giant guilds was involved.
It was the payoff from gathering information in every corner through Kim Hee-woong and Melena, both familiar with the dark web.
‘That strange woman finally crossed the line.’
He understood she was angry.
But she’d completely misidentified the target.
New variables.
It seemed there was a way to approach Livolt safely after all.
Kang Jinhyuk awakened the demon inside him for the first time in a while.