Chapter 680

Ding!

A golden status window appeared with a cheerful notification sound.

[Returnee Medrey joins your side.]

Good.

The acting worked perfectly.

“Mogiii….”

“Miyooo….”

“Cough! Hack. To think this noble self would end up as dragon chicken.”

Of course, there were minor sacrifices, but it was worth it to reel in the big fish called Medrey.

Jinhyuk quickly circulated the reversed Mana properly to heal the injured kids.

A case of ‘hit them and heal them.’

The reason they couldn’t openly complain was thanks to the iron-fisted rule he’d enforced.

With Medrey fully on their side, the atmosphere on the battlefield shifted completely.

If it had been a relaxed, interesting hunt until now, now a single mistake could lead to irreversible damage.

Crackle…

Mana clashed against Mana.

A suffocating standoff.

The returnees who had dominated their worlds checked their weapons and abilities.

Now that the water had spilled, they had to respond accordingly. From the start, none of them had any intention of giving up the bounty event, so even if someone other than Medrey intervened, the outcome wouldn’t change.

“Just keep Medrey tied up. Our target is Kang Jinhyuk anyway.”

Clemence’s gaze fixed on a single person.

…Throb!

[77% of your ego has been consumed!]

[7 seals of the Transcendence Circle have been destroyed!]

Warnings that signaled the end was near.

Now wasn’t the time to be picky.

Squelch!

Clemence’s vines wrapped around Eden.

“K…ugh?”

A heavy groan escaped Eden’s completely restrained mouth.

“If you want to live, you’ll pour all your Mana into that grimoire. I can see you holding back.”

“I’m… doing my best….”

“Don’t lie!”

Kwaaaa!

The vines tightened even harder.

“Kuaaaack!”

“Not all of our abilities have been unlocked yet. If you do your part properly, that won’t happen. I know you’re scared of being cursed, but isn’t it better than dying right now?”

“I, I understand. So please stop….”

Rustle….

Eden turned the pages of the grimoire.

[A dull shadow stirs.]

Eden’s life force was siphoned through pages made of human skin.

As the ancient script emitted a gloomy light, the returnees’ Mana thickened even further.

“Heh… keuheuheuh. Everyone… die.”

A hollow shell, stripped of motivation and revenge after his contact with that man. All that remained was the will to survive.

It was the result of the mental manipulation that man had planted inside Eden to control him smoothly—taking root properly.

“It seems we need to adjust the formation slightly. We have enough forces now, so we’ll see how they move and respond accordingly.”

Unlike the Veteran Corporation, who were already worn down from the opening exchange, this side still had returnees and troops in peak condition.

Whoooom!

The ships shifted formation.

At the same time—

“Keong! Keong!”

“Krrr!”

Gregory’s wolves broke off to the side.

Long black wings sprouted from the back of the man holding the crossbow.

Banjo’s authority had manifested.

The bat swarms and wolves pushed their speed to the limit and shot toward Alice’s position.

“How pathetic.”

A strange light flashed in Alice’s eyes.

Of all things.

For Banjo to dare challenge a True Ancestor.

She would make him understand exactly how vast the gap in class was.

[Unique Holy Spear ‘Apocalypse of Revelation’ is activated!]

Kwakwakwakwakwa!

A red storm of blood raged.

From that point on, battles erupted across different fronts.

“It won’t be an easy fight.”

Chun Yoosung swallowed hard as he stared at the boy facing him.

The cold sweat sliding down his cheek felt especially icy.

He was a small boy with a delicate appearance, yet his presence was as chillingly sharp as a blade.

The boy smiled brightly at Chun Yoosung.

“You’re interesting. I heard the climbers this time haven’t been active for many years, but there are quite a few exceptionally talented powerhouses.”

“I could say the same. You’re a monster.”

“Hehe. You flatter me. I wanted to fight someone who uses the same sword, and indeed….”

Shing!

White sword light poured out.

In that moment—

Kaaang!

Despite the distance of at least twenty meters, swords clashed in midair.

It was a draw so fast it seemed impossible.

The boy, wielding a sword larger than his own body, looked genuinely surprised.

“Wow, you blocked that?”

Chun Yoosung slid back a few centimeters, but he had nearly caught the draw where he stood.

His brutal training had paid off.

His ability to read subtle angles, footwork, and gaze had reached its peak.

He could respond no matter who he faced.

But.

That was only true in a clean one-on-one.

In a chaotic battlefield like this, situations often unfolded where multiple strong enemies converged at once.

“Krrr….”

Degoria Balrog and the young boy.

Two monsters pressured Chun Yoosung from both sides.

Thud.

Another returnee approached from Teresa’s flank.

Pure white armor, golden waves rippling around him. A medieval knight layered with divine buffs.

“This is my first time fighting someone of the same kind.”

A mysterious holy knight with short black hair scanned Teresa from head to toe.

Holy knight against holy knight.

Different environments, same foundation.

“You’re on their side, even though you wield Divinity?”

“I realized how futile it is to seek God. But….”

The black-haired holy knight smiled coldly.

“It’s absurd for someone who has fallen to talk about divinity. Aren’t you the one closest to darkness?”

Words that struck the mark.

Teresa’s expression, burning with fighting spirit just moments ago, darkened.

But only for a moment.

“Yes. It’s true I hurt the people precious to me because I was lacking. But thanks to them, I returned to my path. And I grew even stronger.”

She wouldn’t waver.

Not when she had people more precious than her own life to protect.

[Teresa activates Unique Holy Spear ‘Seraphim’ – Song of the Sun and Moon!]

In her left hand, her shield carried merciful light to protect everyone.

In her right, her sword carried darkness to strike enemies down without hesitation.

Opposing energies formed a perfect harmony.

Most of the main force was invested where Jinhyuk and Medrey stood.

Twelve.

Returnees with different abilities surged in like a storm.

Kwakwakwakwakwang!

The battlefield, warped beyond recognition, was brutally violent—hard to believe it was a fight between so few people.

“They really gathered only the strong ones.”

Jinhyuk whistled.

“……You sound like an onlooker, for someone standing in the most dangerous spot. Do you understand how serious this is?”

Medrey asked, as if dumbfounded.

Of course, he understood.

And he knew victory wasn’t guaranteed just because a powerful ally had joined.

Even so, there was a reason he could afford to stay sarcastic and relaxed.

Someone had been invisible the whole time.

Leaving immediately after the spacetime merge to complete a separate mission.

The corners of Jinhyuk’s lips lifted.

‘Time is on my side.’

From the moment the ancient beings and three returnees intervened, he’d assumed the remaining returnees could also join at any time.

That was why he’d prepared Plan B.

Mingling with Angelis’s battle simulation, repeating advances and retreats.

Using the hidden card called Medrey to draw attention.

All of it was misdirection, meant to make that plan succeed.

⁕⁕⁕

At the same time, another movement was taking place outside the Tower.

The biggest event where all the major guilds gathered.

The Awakening Test.

With climbing the Tower of Trials becoming more important than anything else, it was only natural that the world’s attention was focused on it.

In particular, the Awakening Test in the United States, which had the most applicants, was the hottest topic.

“What’s the number of applicants?”

Andrew Raidom, chairman of the American Awakener Association, looked out over the massive crowd gathered on the first floor.

At a glance, far more people had gathered than last year.

“The number selected in the first round is 69,520.”

“That’s about twenty thousand more than last year.”

“Yes. It’s an absurd increase.”

The secretary swallowed hard as he looked at the data.

Even after the basic screening, it was that high.

It meant the number of people meeting the minimum standards in Mana, physical ability, and Unique Abilities—both combat and support—had surged.

Top-ranked Tower players were more popular than major influencers or celebrities, so in some ways it was a natural outcome.

“Numbers don’t matter. Quality over quantity.”

“That’s right.”

Before anyone realized, the Tower of Trials conquest had passed the halfway point and entered the second half.

With the ninety-day limit tightening, one tiger mattered more than a thousand wolves.

But—

[Applicant ‘Jim Smith’ has been selected as C-grade.]

[Applicant ‘Adel Emilia’ has been selected as D-grade.]

[Applicant ‘Eiel Kensalvador’ has been selected as D-grade.]

The world never flowed the way you wanted.

For hours, applicants who barely met the standard kept pouring out.

Even so, scouts from every guild—always short on personnel due to constant casualties in labyrinth and ruin conquests—moved with fire in their eyes.

After the Awakening Test was made public, scouting had escalated into an overheated frenzy beyond simple competition.

Especially—

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Applicant ‘Aileen Crystal’ has been selected as A-grade.]

The moment an A-grade appeared, the test site descended into chaos.

“Oh, oh, oh!”

“Get her!”

“To our guild…!”

“No chance. We’re taking her no matter what.”

Scouts sprinted like mad toward the sector where the notification had appeared.

One in twenty thousand.

An A-grade truly was the highlight of the test.

And.

In the outermost sector, unlike the other examinees trembling with nerves, someone looked almost relaxed.

“Yeah. So this is the role.”

The white-haired man chuckled and placed his hand on the Mana Stone.

Most people had to strike it with everything they had—or use their Unique Abilities—just to leave a scratch.

What he was doing was absurd.

“What is he doing?”

“Did he give up?”

Snickering spread through the crowd. Even the patrolling examiners watched with strange expressions.

But the moment a faint light spread from his hand—

The Mana Stone warped.

No, it wasn’t just warping. It was being compressed while maintaining its mass.

More.

Even more.

Crunch…!

Creeeak….

The massive ore, over two meters in diameter, became as thin as a cane.

“…Th-that can’t be….”

“Is that even possible?”

Heh heh heh heh heh!

Mana beyond imagination pressed down on the entire test site.

“Now, worship.”

The man murmured softly.

His smile, fresh as grass, carried a murderous intent colder than anything else.

“Because a new hero has appeared.”

A poisoned chalice was released into the world.

Adorned with gold and jewels no one could refuse.