***
"Are you finished already?"
At the mouth of an alley, in a place where a wall had collapsed, Massacre, wearing a skull mask, asked with a click of his tongue.
The man sprawled on the blood-soaked ground knelt and rubbed his hands together, begging.
"P-please, save me. We’re both Players. PK’ing in reality is against the rules...!"
"Against the rules? Who decided that?"
"G-Gracia said it. He said to refrain from PK’ing in reality."
"So Gracia’s word is law?"
"It’s not that, but...!"
"Tsk."
Massacre made a gesture as if slitting his own throat.
Thud!
The man’s head fell to the ground. Massacre let out a sigh.
'Another dud.'
He had set up 'phishing' traps with numerous items in the Secret Auction House to catch Phantom. However, the only things he caught were small fry like this. The reason he killed this man in reality was simply because he happened to be nearby. His location had been specified thanks to him 'Descending' by using a Fragment of Broken Golden Rule.
But as expected, this guy wasn't Phantom either. If it were Phantom, his Descent state wouldn't have ended just because he had been transformed for five minutes. He was also far too weak.
Massacre pondered.
'Where should I go to catch Phantom?'
There were limits to catching him in reality. Seeing as Phantom didn't buy the items even when the Twin Talisman options were hidden, Massacre wondered if he wasn't using the Secret Auction House at all. The ones caught through 'phishing' were all mediocre.
Massacre stroked his chin.
'The Tower.'
The contents of Main Quest 3 came to mind. Ascending a tower.
'A man of Phantom's reputation wouldn't climb a common tower.'
He wouldn't climb something as basic as the Tower of Foundations. To take first place, he needed to ascend a higher-level tower. For example, something like the Tower of Typhoons that Massacre himself had climbed, or the Tower of Immortals that Gracia had conquered.
'The problem is that he might clear it late because he's busy leveling up...'
Gracia had raised his level to 7 while only clearing Main Quest 2 in order to climb the Tower of Immortals. The reason he leveled up so aggressively was to receive the highest score by conquering the Tower of Immortals. That tower required one to be at least Level 9 or 10 to reach the top, so the fact that he climbed it at only Level 7 was a miracle-like achievement that was still talked about today.
Could Phantom surpass the score Gracia had set?
'Towers at a higher stage than the Tower of Immortals are difficult even for the current me.'
Massacre was strong. He was Level 10, but he prided himself on having nearly reached the 1-star rank. Yet, even for him, fully conquering the Tower of Immortals would not be easy. A tower higher than that? It was a gamble even if one went in prepared for death. Furthermore, it should be impossible for Phantom, who had likely only recently become a Player, to climb such towers.
However, looking at Phantom's track record, he was progressing through everything 'quickly.' He wouldn't waste months grinding like Gracia did just for the sake of leveling.
'……The Tower of the War God. He’ll go there.'
That was the only place where one could receive the highest score regardless of level. The Tower of the War God. An arena for warriors who were good at fighting and crazed for battle.
However, the sense of disconnect that occurred when a gamer became a Player was like an insurmountable wall. No matter how well someone played the game, they didn't necessarily fight well once they became a Player. But even so, this was Phantom. The legend of Pangenia.
'Looking at his score for Main Quest 1, it's clear he fights insanely well even after becoming a Player.'
When a gamer became a Player, they all faced extreme situations. Scores were distributed based on how well one survived without panicking and how well they fought; there, Randolph—presumed to be Phantom—had snatched first place. It meant he hadn't panicked at all, and far from just stubbornly surviving, he had gone around ruthlessly killing his enemies.
'It means he handled it even more flexibly than I did...'
Massacre suddenly recalled the time he had become a Player. Main Quest 1: Survival. He had woken up in a Chimera laboratory as one of many test subjects. He had been slightly flustered, but he adapted to the situation as quickly as possible, assassinated the doctors and guards, and escaped. Even after doing all that, his score was 163. He still had no idea how one had to act to receive the 220 points that Randolph had gotten.
Regardless, if it was such a monstrous guy, he was fully capable of going to the Tower of the War God.
'I’ll just wait at the Tower of the War God.'
Having decided on his destination, Massacre smiled brightly. He would be the one to kill Phantom. He could never tolerate anyone else killing Phantom but himself.
✺✺✺
"Captain. We checked all the nearby CCTV, but there are no traces at all."
A member of the Alliance, who had been thoroughly searching the area around the Cheongdam-dong steakhouse, spoke with a deep sigh. At that, the man called Captain also shook his head.
"It’s as if a ghost did it. It seems the people who were inside the building at the time don't know anything either."
It seemed they had searched all the CCTV within a 1km radius. They had met with the people who were inside at the time, but there were no clues about the man who had killed the Chid Mamba. Even if he wasn't Phantom or an Administrator, he was a person who had suppressed the Chid Mamba artistically. With that kind of fighting skill, he was more than qualified to be brought into the Alliance.
However, they couldn't find a single clue. It felt as if he had evaporated into thin air.
"Should we go see Jung Jinwoo again?"
"Forget it. He seemed to have lost his mind."
Jung Jinwoo was still in the hospital. He had gone insane from the shock of having both arms cut off. Going back to see him would be a waste of time. The young member asked the Captain again.
"What about Kim Hana? Didn't she seem to know something?"
"So, you want us to raid CK Broadcasting?"
"It's not that, but... couldn't we just wait in front?"
"Don't touch her for no reason. It’ll only become a headache."
"……? Does Kim Hana have some kind of background?"
"Do you know that Gracia is visiting Korea?"
"Yes. Every Player in Korea is in an uproar because of that."
"They say that man is going to have a direct 1:1 interview with Kim Hana."
"Eh? Why? Did he fall in love at first sight or something?"
"I don't know, you punk. Anyway, don't poke the hornet's nest for no reason."
Gracia. He was the undisputed strongest Player. A true hero whom every Player respected! Such a man had suddenly declared a visit to Korea. And rumors were circulating in secret that he would conduct a 1:1 interview with Kim Hana. The entire world was in chaos due to the invasions and Erosions. In a situation where it was barely enough to look after his own country, Gracia was suddenly coming to Korea, despite the dissuasion of the U.S. government.
'Something big is involved.'
Kim Hana was a hornet's nest. Honestly, the Captain was curious, but if Gracia was involved, the right move was to stay as far away as possible. If they offended him by even a small chance, the Alliance itself would be crushed.
The Captain was ranked 4th within the Alliance. He was a powerhouse at Level 10 who could transcend as soon as he found a 'Star.' Even such a man did not have the confidence to last three seconds against Gracia. The Sword Saint who had transcended by consuming a Star. No one knew how many Stars he had. There were even rumors that he was a match for Wilhelm, who had been a 5-star Transcendent.
"But if Gracia and Wilhelm fought, who would win?"
"Wilhelm is dead. Such comparisons are meaningless now."
"But aren't you curious? They're both '8 Heroes,' after all."
The Captain was also curious about this. Wilhelm. The character Phantom had raised with the most care for the longest time. A legend—a myth—that would never be seen again in the history of Pangenia, having consumed five Stars and being decked out in unique-grade items. On the other hand, what about Gracia? He was continuing to write his own legend as a Player. He seemed to have no limits, to the point where one might wonder if he was using bugs or cheat codes. No one knew exactly how strong he was because there had never been an enemy who forced him to show his limits.
'I heard he consumed another Star recently?'
This was also a rumor, but if true, it meant he had become even stronger. How strong had he become? How strong was he?
'Even so, Wilhelm would be stronger for now.'
The Captain judged calmly. Wilhelm was a powerhouse whose like was hard to find. Above all, the Captain had seen Wilhelm fight personally. It was because he had also participated in the Great Expedition to the Demon Realm. That overwhelming martial prowess when he was slaughtering the demons. If a God of War existed, that would be the feeling. The shiver from that time had yet to be forgotten.
Also, one could tell by the fact that Gracia had avoided meeting Wilhelm as much as possible. But Wilhelm was dead. And Gracia was alive and continuing to grow stronger.
'But I don't know why Gracia is mentioned as one of the 8 Heroes. Gracia wouldn't have even participated in the Great Expedition...'
✺✺✺
Upon entering the Tower of Spirits, Isabella and Hudson, who had entered with me, disappeared. From here on, it was an individual match. They had been guided to Spirit Gates that were appropriate for each of them. The Tower of Spirits only gave answers to those who were desperate. If there was something Hudson truly wished for and yearned for, he would achieve it as he ascended the tower. It was the same for Isabella.
At the entrance of the tower, a face emerged from above a giant stone gate. It was one of the spirits of the stone gate and an administrator. He also played the role of a measurer, opening the appropriate gate for those who ascended the tower.
- "Surprising. To think you possess affinity for all attributes."
The mouth moved. He was expressing surprise as he read the talents I possessed. Indeed, affinity for all attributes was also part of 'Talent.' The gate measured the most suitable attribute affinity and opened the related gate. If one possessed the water attribute, it would open the Gate of Water Spirits; if one possessed the fire attribute, it would open the Gate of Fire Spirits. However, if one possessed affinity for all attributes, it became difficult to open any single gate.
- "You even possess conflicting attributes together. The attribute of Void... however, there are too many to be called Void."
The Spirit of the Stone Gate pondered. Originally, no being could possess conflicting attributes, just as fire and water could not coexist. However, there was an exception for those who possessed the attribute of Void. Void allowed one to possess conflicting attributes together. But even with Void, there were too many. Since I possessed affinity for literally every attribute, even the 'Gate of Void' was not suitable.
- "If everything is mixed, that would be Chaos itself. But the Gate of Chaos has never been opened..."
The Spirit of the Stone Gate frowned. The Gate of Chaos was a gate that had never been opened since the Tower of Spirits was built.
"Open it."
Another mystery. I was not one to refuse. When I chose without hesitation, the Spirit of the Stone Gate no longer pondered.
- "……What an arrogant Druid. Very well, I shall open it. Since it seems you possess the qualification."
Creeeeeak!
The Spirit of the Stone Gate opened his body.
- "However, be careful. If you are consumed by Chaos, you can never return."
Hearing the advice, I shrugged and walked boldly into it.
✺✺✺
The Tower of Chaos. A place where curses that warped the mind were rampant. It was pitch black, but—
《 ‘Heart of the Iron-Blooded Lord’ supports your mind. 》
《 ‘Giant’s Magic Resistance’ neutralizes the curse. 》
《 The path of Chaos is revealed due to ‘Mutant.’ 》
I could see it. The path the Tower of Chaos had hidden. Even the Spirit of the Stone Gate wouldn't have known that I possessed 13 hidden traits. Because of those hidden traits, I could walk through the domain of Chaos perfectly fine.
- "Chaos doesn't work?"
- "What is that human? No, is he a Druid?"
- "Make a contract with me!"
In an instant, chaos spirits swarmed toward me. I passed them by. As I ascended the tower, even larger chaos spirits appeared.
- "Arrogant fellow. You dare to ascend this place?"
- "I shall turn you into Chaos as well."
Compared to the spirits on the lower floors, they were far more aggressive. They suddenly transformed into giants and tried to crush me. But those were illusions. They were merely mental entities that pressed down on the minds of those who were afraid.
Whoosh!
When I boldly reached out my hand, they vanished like smoke.
- "Have you come to find your past glory? Is that even possible?"
As I ascended another floor, Wilhelm was there.
Shring.
I pulled out Michaela’s Sword. And I faced the chaos spirit that had taken the form of Wilhelm.
Clang! Clash! Sizzle!
The bastard was exactly like me. He slashed, lunged, and stabbed in the same way. However, I did not back down. If it had been the real Wilhelm, I would have been killed in a single blow, but he was 'me' in the form of Wilhelm—acting in the same way with the same strength and skill.
How many hours did I fight like that? It felt as if a day had passed, far exceeding the unit of hours. Time continued to pass quickly after that. Two days, three days, ten days. Perhaps even more time than that.
- "You disgusting fellow!"
Whoosh!
The chaos spirit emitted smoke again and vanished. Breathing heavily, I climbed the stairs.
- "To have come this far, you have satisfied the qualification."
- "Let’s make a contract."
- "You have the qualification."
There were beings much larger than the previous Chaos. There were no more stairs. Was this the top floor?
"I don't like a single one of you."
The chaos spirits before my eyes now were certainly powerful—more so than any spirits I had ever seen. However, I didn't like them. What kind of class could there be in those who begged for a contract just because I had climbed this much?
- "If you contract with me, you will have the same effect as having obtained a Star."
- "Contract with me. I will tell you the location of the ‘Unique’ equipment in the world."
- "How about a skill? I will gift you the highest-tier skill of the Chaos category."
It seemed they liked me quite a bit, seeing as they were even attaching various conditions. I was slightly tempted by the highest-tier Chaos skill and the unique-grade item, but what reason did I have to trust Chaos and make a contract? They were unreliable bastards who had lied by pretending to be a giant and pretending to be me. There was a full possibility that the contents of those contracts were also lies.
A contract had to be made carefully, as one could not contract with multiple spirits.
- "Where are you going?"
- "There is nothing below even if you go down."
- "You are making a foolish choice."
- "You will end up coming back up anyway."
Leaving the dissuasion of Chaos behind, I went down the tower. Every time I went down a floor, an even more extreme trial awaited me, as if urging me to go back up. But if I didn't like something, I didn't like it. Thus, a long trial—a battle—began.
✺✺✺
I faced two of 'me.' When I went down further, four of 'me' were waiting this time. Next was eight, then sixteen. Strangely, my body did not tire, but my mind was being worn down by time. No matter how much I had the Heart of the Iron-Blooded Lord, it wouldn't protect my mental power infinitely. Even a superhuman mind was useless before time.
It wasn't that I didn't consider just going back up and contracting with any chaos spirit. But every time I did, I shook my head. I couldn't make such a forced contract. The choice of a contract had to be entirely my own. If I succumbed to coercion or force, I would continue to do so in the future.
Time flowed aimlessly. 10 days. 20 days. 30 days... To the point where counting time became meaningless, I fought against Chaos.
- "What a cursedly disgusting fellow!"
- "Get out! Get out!"
The chaos spirits finally waved the white flag. They opened the exit door. Any ordinary person would have run outside with an excited heart. However, I did not leave. Rather, it was at times like this that one had to be vigilant of their surroundings.
Slash!
As expected, Chaos was pouncing from right behind me.
'Sly bastards.'
They intended to cling on until the very end. When I cut down the shadow-like Chaos, a bright light was visible through the gap. A spirit. Could it be a spirit of light? The Spirit of Light was also a rare spirit classified as highest-tier. But why would a Spirit of Light be in the domain of Chaos?
'That is not a Spirit of Light.'
It was subtly different from a Spirit of Light. I walked toward the light, not the entrance through which I could clear away the Chaos and escape.
- "That is not the entrance."
- "Are you planning to go back again?"
- "Foolish fellow. Fine, fight until you die!"
The chaos spirits tried to stop me. Their attitude was clearly different from the mocking and teasing they had shown so far. That made me want to go further. The door of the entrance was growing smaller. If I didn't escape now, there might not be another chance. But that light continued to call to me. Something distinctly different from Chaos.
- "Stop! Cease!"
- "If you go further, there is no turning back."
- "Do you want to stay in Chaos forever?"
Chaos was so talkative it made my ears ache. I continued to clear away the Chaos and kept walking. And the moment I touched the light—
《 You have reached the top of the tower! 》
《 Main Quest 3 has been completed. 》
《 Calculating the contents. 》
...This was the true summit. Climbing, descending, and not entering the path created by Chaos was the correct answer.
《 Several Constellations in the Hall of Hundred Saints show interest. 》
《 The ‘Masters of the Spirit Tower’ begin to notice you. 》
In an instant, numerous beings suddenly showed interest and began to focus on me. Even the haughty Constellations and Tower Masters. Among them, the Masters of the Spirit Tower likely referred to the Spirit Kings. Was it because I had reached the summit of the Tower of Chaos? Well, that wouldn't be all. There was a bigger reason. And I could guess what that reason was. This thing that was continuing to emit light before me now.
《 You have discovered the ‘Celestial Spirit.’ 》