Floor 49.
It was supposed to be routine.
Instead, it became the Tower's largest graveyard.
153 raid teams annihilated.
126 guild squads destroyed.
205,007 players dead.
Not a single success.
And now, with the collapse countdown nearing zero, two players stepped into the room.
Well—one was dragged.
"Let me go!" Jin Hwan snapped, flailing at the hand gripping his collar. "You can't just yank me into a boss fight like I'm your emergency support mage!"
"You weren't moving fast enough," Rei said coolly.
"I was leaving!"
"You hesitated. Close enough."
Behind them, the giant obsidian gate slammed shut with a deep, echoing boom.
Jin Hwan turned pale. "...That locked, didn't it?"
Rei shrugged. "Sure did."
The arena rumbled. Mana thickened in the air.
And then—through the swirling mist—three colossal heads emerged.
One burned with fire.
One crackled with lightning.
One dripped venom that hissed against the stone.
The dragon roared, all three heads snapping in separate directions.
Jin Hwan let out a strangled laugh. "Oh, look. A three-headed apocalypse. What a beautiful view."
"I needed someone who could stall," Rei said. "Buy me time to figure it out."
"So I'm bait."
"You're an S-Ranked player. You're top-tier bait."
"Oh, wow. That makes it so much better."
------
[GLOBAL BROADCAST – EMERGENCY STREAM ONLINE]
[Confirmed Entry: Shiver (???), RamenRonin (S-Rank)]
[Tower Collapse Countdown: 01:05:20]
>[Anchor]: "Confirmed—Shiver and RamenRonin have entered the Floor 49 boss room."
>[Analyst]: "They're attempting a duo clear… after countless failed raids. With the fate of the Earth on the line."
[LIVE CHAT]
>[TowerDramaLlama]: RONIN NOOO
>[LetHimCookk]: shiver calculating pi while dodging death
>[ShiverFan_89]: THE GOAT IS IN. SHUT UP AND WATCH.
>[PleaseBuffHealer]: bruh I thought this floor was impossible…
>[RoninCopium]: HE BETTER GET A STATUE AFTER THIS
>[CritStacked]: what are they thinking???
>[RoninSpinGod]: LET HIM COOK
-----
Acid hissed across the stone. Lightning cracked the ceiling. The dragon roared—three heads unleashing elemental chaos all at once.
Jin Hwan ducked behind a wind barrier, sparks flying past his face. "You seriously think we can do this?"
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Rei said, adjusting his grip on twin swords.
"That's a lie and you know it."
"Then die with style."
"Sheesh, thanks."
Jin Hwan surged forward, blades burning with wind and fire. He slashed into the lightning head, direct hit.
It didn't even flinch.
"No weak point?!"
"None," Rei called. "That's why everyone failed. It adapts."
"So what do we do?!"
"I stall it mentally. You stall it physically."
"THAT'S NOT EVEN!"
"You're doing great."
------
>[Anchor]: "Ronin's controlling elements beautifully—rotating air and flame to hold aggro."
>[Analyst]: "But Shiver… he's still just watching. Is he waiting for something?"
[LIVE CHAT]
>[TowerMath]: bro solving calculus while dodging poison
>[RoninForPresident]: someone heal this man he carrying fr
>[MarryMeJinhwan]: HE'S STALLING FOR SHIVER LET HIM COOK
>[CollapseCopium]: they won't make it…
right?
>[ShiverBigBrain]: man's calculating the universe rn
>[GuildMemes]: shiver calculating while ronin's out there tanking death
>[DGzero0520]: this is a death wish
*[System Notice]: 4.3 Billion viewers watching...
------
Jin Hwan backflipped away from a burst of fire, landing hard beside Rei. "So. This is the part where you tell me your big plan?"
Rei cracked his neck. "It's not a plan."
"Then what is it?!"
"A window."
"…what."
Rei's eyes narrowed. "It'll open. For one second. I just have to find it."
"And until then?!"
"Don't die."
The hydra shrieked. All three heads reared back, flames building, lightning snapping, venom boiling on its fangs.
Jin Hwan swallowed hard, then rolled his shoulders. Flames spiraled up his arms. His blades ignited.
"I swear to god, if I die because you want to solve a math problem mid-boss fight…"
Rei exhaled slowly, twin blades glowing cold blue.
"You won't."
"You better be right."
"I always am."
-----
He moved.
[Cryo Chain Slash]
[Effect: Builds Frost Stacks. 5 stacks = Freeze]
Rei's strikes were surgical, five quick cuts to the venom head.
Frost surged across its scales.
[Frost Threshold Reached – Target Frozen]
"Now!"
Jin Hwan didn't wait. Wind and flame burst from his blades as he slammed into the frozen head.
It cracked hard.
The hydra screamed.
For the first time, it felt pain.
And then without a word—they moved together.
And the world held its breath.
Because if these two couldn't win…
The Tower would fall.
And Earth would fall with it