Chapter 679

Returnee Medrey.

Dozens of returnees existing in the Tower of Trials was rare enough, but Medrey possessed a special quality that set him apart from the rest.

[Mana is connected!]

As the item activated, the means to summon the veiled returnee was established.

Whooooom!

A beam of light, more dazzling than any radiance, poured down.

Jinhyuk stared into the empty air, faintly anxious.

He could summon Returnee Medrey, but if Medrey resented being forcibly called, the backlash would be fierce.

Fortunately.

Medrey, who rarely revealed himself, seemed interested in this matter.

A gate made of calm Mana formed.

[Returnee ‘Medrey’ answers the call!]

Absolute good.

The returnee who never succumbed to temptation and adhered solely to his own beliefs had manifested.

Crackle!

The thick fog cleared, and his figure gradually emerged.

And that first impression was…

Magnificent.

There was no better word for it.

A muscular build, nearly two meters tall.

An air of mystery, as if nature itself lived within him, exuding composure and dignity.

‘Is this the most powerful druid in the Tower of Trials?’

The ‘Eye of Gluttony’ quickly scanned Medrey.

Ding!

[Medrey]

[Level: 301]

[Class: Druid]

[Unique Holy Spear: Rainbow Bridge]

[Unique Ability: Call of Nature]

[Characteristics: A seeker of absolute good who harmonizes with all things. A druid loved by Divine Beasts and Mythical Beasts, who seeks to maintain balance from behind the scenes rather than stepping into the front lines.]

[Copy Condition: Medrey is a seeker of absolute good. To copy Medrey’s abilities, you must meet the ‘good’ standard he has set. Only when a moral and altruistic heart reaches the heavens can you impress Medrey.]

[The Unique Holy Spear, Unique Ability, and skills that can be copied will vary depending on the degree.]

‘Son of a bitch.’

Jinhyuk’s face crumpled as he read the copy conditions.

He had cleared countless absurd conditions while climbing the Tower of Trials, but if he had to name the hardest one, it was undoubtedly this.

Not just anyone.

Meeting the standard of goodness Medrey pursued.

It was like discussing quantum mechanics in front of Stephen Hawking.

Jinhyuk pressed down on his throbbing temples.

It felt like he was staring up at a mountain of obstacles from the very start.

But he had no choice but to overcome it somehow.

“Are you the one who called me?”

Medrey looked at Jinhyuk.

Now came the important part.

Jinhyuk nodded, forcing the kindest smile he could manage.

“Yes. The valley where fairies and Spirit Beasts live in peace is being defiled by invaders. I thought you—who values harmony more than anyone—would be willing to help us.”

“……”

At Jinhyuk’s words, Medrey swept his gaze around.

Heh heh heh heh heh!

The blackened sky. The greedy returnees.

With the ancient purple energy layered on top, the demonic realm seemed to herald the end of a floor.

“Something is definitely wrong. I thought something would happen when all the returnees gathered in one place…”

Judging by that, Medrey hadn’t received the bounty event?

Maybe he’d been excluded from the start because he would never accept it.

Or maybe he didn’t care even if it came.

Either way, the atmosphere suggested Medrey was likely to step in to restore balance.

However.

Medrey, who should have helped, couldn’t decide easily.

It was obvious which side was wrong, so what was stopping him?

The answer was revealed soon enough.

It was Jinhyuk.

Medrey was genuinely troubled because the absolute evil standing in front of him was difficult to classify as good in any sense.

The purest eye in the Tower of Trials, the ‘Eye of Harmony,’ had already seen through Jinhyuk’s essence.

And through the ‘Eye of Gluttony,’ Jinhyuk could tell exactly what Medrey was thinking.

[If malice were quantified, the malice of the returnees gathered there exceeds 1,000,000. But how can the person speaking in front of me alone possess similar malice?]

Medrey’s expression grew even more conflicted.

If it weren’t for the blessings he’d received from the Spirit Kings, he might have identified Jinhyuk as the greatest enemy and attacked first.

‘X times.’

Jinhyuk cursed inwardly.

He didn’t know why he was always treated like this when he thought he’d lived a decent life. He was merciless to enemies, sure, but he always treated allies with warm affection.

Regaining his composure, Jinhyuk gestured to Undine nearby.

Then he hugged her tightly and pressed a few Mana Stones into her hands.

“Don’t overdo it. Take a break. And… thank you for always being with me.”

“Is Master crazy?”

“……”

For a moment, he almost lost his mind.

Fortunately, Undine saw Jinhyuk’s warped expression and snapped back.

“Hehe. I love you too, Master!”

Even if it was an act.

It was better than nothing.

He had to do anything—anything at all—to raise Medrey’s favor, even slightly.

“Grr…”

Medrey looked back and forth between the Spirit Beasts and Jinhyuk, lost in thought.

—

Meanwhile.

A huge commotion rose among the returnees who witnessed Medrey’s manifestation.

“Why is that guy here…?”

“Wasn’t he uninterested in bounties?”

“Or… is he trying to stop us…?”

Suspicion and confusion spread thicker by the second.

It was inevitable.

Medrey was rarely seen at all—yet not only had he appeared, he was leaning toward switching sides. With the worst possible obstacle appearing in what had been a near-certain victory, everyone’s nerves sharpened.

“Medrey! This is a fight you don’t need to get involved in. Step aside!”

Clemence raised her voice.

She had to win this battle to avoid losing herself.

“Graaah!”

“Graaah!”

The undead soldiers reacted to Clemence’s agitation.

The twisted undead—mixed with black sheep and goats—were already close to familiars of the 50th floor.

“Interesting. Really.”

Only Angelis applauded Jinhyuk’s card, genuinely amused.

“What’s so good about it? It’ll be a disaster if that troublemaker joins them!”

“Well. It will get harder.”

Medrey’s Unique Holy Spear, ‘Rainbow Bridge,’ could add ‘color’ to objects. If he also received support from the world he returned from, this would no longer be a battle—it would become a full-scale war.

And there were too many unrevealed abilities. No one knew what kind of variables he might create.

But.

“It’s just one returnee switching sides.”

The returnees gathered here were all heroes who had conquered impregnable worlds.

One slightly special person becoming an enemy wouldn’t reverse the overall tide.

More than anything, they wanted to experience the thrill of turning even Medrey into an enemy.

“Crush them all.”

Ignoring everyone’s opinions, Angelis ordered a preemptive strike.

Like it or not.

This first exchange would draw the line between friend and foe.

[Angelis activates the special skill ‘Simultaneous Firing’!]

Whooooom!

The main guns—constantly gathering energy across the surfaces of the planets—flashed simultaneously.

Unlike the ship-mounted weapons, these were anti-planetary main guns, tens of meters in diameter.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

A red beam tore through the atmosphere.

It looked ready to obliterate Jinhyuk and Medrey alike, evaporating everything it touched.

However.

The light charging forward without hesitation vanished at a certain point.

[Medrey summons ‘Navy Blue Moth’!]

Massive wings dyed deep navy.

“Tseeeet.”

With a strange resonant sound, layered waves canceled out the main gun.

The navy blue moth soared high, scattering dust.

[The energy of harmony permeates the wounded.]

Whooooom!

Wounds on the injured Spirit Beasts and fairies rapidly closed.

Greenery sprouted across the devastated valley, and new color began blooming, pushing back the cursed energy.

“Is that the famous Divine Beast that adds color? But I’m not done yet either.”

[Angelis activates ‘God’s Hammer’!]

A new weapon—tungsten—dropped from a satellite.

BOOM!

This time, the strike wasn’t aimed at Jinhyuk or Medrey.

It was aimed at the concentrated Spirit Beasts and fairies.

The projectile ignored gravity and reached the ground in the blink of an eye.

“Mogiiii!”

Goguma spread his wings wide.

“Miyooo!”

“Not so fast!”

Fried and Malang the Azure Dragon gathered Mana, finishing preparations to unleash their strongest attacks into the sky.

‘Hmm.’

Jinhyuk scratched his chin.

It was unfortunate, but it would be troublesome if he completely nullified this as well.

Some sacrifice was necessary for a convincing performance.

‘Medrey doesn’t completely trust me yet. I need to create something that looks plausible.’

Jinhyuk cut off the Mana he was supplying to everyone at once.

Not only that—he even absorbed the targets’ Mana into himself.

Naturally.

The ancient species and Divine Beasts preparing their counter-skills had no choice but to get blindsided.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM CRASH!

“Mogiiii!”

“Miyoooo!”

“Kuaaak!”

Goguma, Fried, and Malang the Azure Dragon were swallowed by flames.

“Guys!”

Jinhyuk screamed at the top of his lungs.

He ran to the charred bodies—crispy on the outside, still moist inside—and collapsed on the spot.

Hot tears poured down.

“How can a human do this! What did these guys do wrong!”

He didn’t know what to do as the children belched black smoke like a mother who’d lost her child.

“It’s still hard to judge what’s right and wrong, but I do know this—your hostility has crossed the line. Aren’t you ashamed, you who were praised as heroes!?”

Medrey rebuked the returnees.

“We’re being excessive? Didn’t you see the bounty event? They said they’ll grant a wish if we just take care of those guys. Don’t bother pretending and tell me. You must have at least one wish you want to fulfill, right?”

“A wish…”

Medrey quietly mulled over Clemence’s words.

“Of course… I have one too.”

“See! It’s not too late. Join us and take care of those guys! The system will grant whatever wish you have!”

“……But I don’t want to achieve it by sacrificing someone like this.”

Medrey finally made his choice.

Jinhyuk, who had lost his precious companions and wept.

And the returnees, who would trample anything for their own benefit.

It was clear which side he would stand with.