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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Heavenly
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Heavenly
"Already done?"
In a back alley where a wall had crumbled, Massacre—wearing a skull mask—clicked his tongue as he asked.
A bloodied man sprawled on the ground knelt and clasped his hands together in plea.
"P-please spare me. We're both players. PK in reality is against the rules...!"
"Rules? Who decided that?"
"G-Gracia said it. PK in reality should be avoided."
"Is Gracia's word the law?"
"Well, not exactly...!"
"Tch."
Massacre mimed slitting his own throat.
Thud!
The man's head fell to the ground, severed.
Massacre sighed.
'Another bust.'
He had set up "phishing" lures with numerous items at the secret auction house to catch Phantom.
But all he hooked were these small fries.
He had killed the man in reality simply because he happened to be nearby. Using the Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule to "descend" had pinpointed his location.
But this guy wasn't Phantom either.
If it were Phantom, a mere five-minute transformation wouldn't dispel the descent state.
He was too weak, too.
Massacre pondered.
'Where should I go to catch Phantom?'
There were limits to hunting in reality.
Even with the twin talisman's options hidden, no one was buying, making him wonder if Phantom didn't use the secret auction house at all.
The ones caught in his "phishing" were all nobodies.
Massacre stroked his chin.
'The tower.'
He recalled the details of Main Quest 3.
Climbing the tower.
'A so-called Phantom wouldn't climb some ordinary tower.'
Not something basic like the Tower of Basics. To take first place, he'd need a higher-dimensional tower.
Like the 'Tower of Typhoon' he had climbed or the 'Tower of the Immortal' Gracia had conquered.
'Trouble is, he might level up first and clear it late...'
Gracia had cleared Main Quest 2 and leveled to 7 just to climb the Tower of the Immortal.
The brute-force leveling was to conquer it and claim the highest score.
Climbing a tower that required at least level 9 or 10—even for the strong—at just level 7 was still hailed as a miraculous feat.
Could Phantom surpass Gracia's score?
'Towers higher than the Immortal are tough even for me now.'
Massacre was strong. At level 10, he prided himself on nearing one-star transcendence.
But even he couldn't fully conquer the Tower of the Immortal easily. Higher ones? He'd have to stake his life, and even then, it was iffy.
For a fresh player like Phantom, impossible.
Yet Phantom's actions showed everything progressing at breakneck speed.
He wouldn't hole up leveling like Gracia for months.
'...Tower of the War God. He'll go there.'
The only place to score highest regardless of level.
Tower of the War God.
An arena for battle-mad warriors who excelled at fighting.
But the gap between gamer and player was an insurmountable wall. Being good at the game didn't translate to fighting well as a player.
Still, it was Phantom.
Pangeniar's legend.
'His Main Quest 1 score proves he fights insanely well even as a player.'
Every gamer-turned-player faced extreme situations.
Scores were based on composure, survival, and fighting prowess—and the presumed Phantom, Randolph, took first.
No panic, ruthless survival, merciless slaughter of foes.
'More adaptable than me...'
Massacre suddenly recalled his own start as a player.
Main Quest 1: Survival.
He awoke in a chimera lab as one of many test subjects. Slightly rattled but adapting fast, he assassinated the doctor and guards to escape.
Even so, only 163 points.
He still couldn't fathom how Randolph got 220.
Anyway, such a monster would surely head to the Tower of the War God.
'I'll wait there.'
With his goal set, Massacre grinned.
Phantom dies by his hand. No one else could have that honor.
*
"Captain. Checked all the surrounding CCTV, but there's no trace at all."
A union member who had scoured the steakhouse in Cheongdam-dong sighed deeply.
The man called Captain shook his head.
"It's like the ghost did a number on us. Even the people inside at the time claim ignorance."
They had combed every CCTV within a 1km radius. Interviews with witnesses yielded nothing on the man who took down 'Chid Mamba.'
Not Phantom or an operator, but someone who artistically crushed a raid boss. That skill alone qualified him for the union.
But no leads.
Like he evaporated into thin air.
"Shall we go see Jeong Jinwoo again?"
"Forget it. He's lost his mind."
Jeong Jinwoo was still hospitalized, driven mad by shock from losing both arms. Pointless waste of time.
The young member asked the Captain again.
"What about Kim Hana? She seemed to know something."
"Storm CK broadcasting station?"
"Not that, but... wait her out front?"
"Don't poke the hornet's nest. Headache waiting to happen."
"...? Does Kim Hana have backing?"
"You know Gracia's visiting Korea?"
"Yeah. Korean players are in an uproar."
"He's doing a one-on-one interview with her personally."
"Huh? Why? Love at first sight?"
"Beats me, kid. Just don't stir the hive."
Gracia.
The undisputed strongest player.
A true hero revered by all!
His sudden Korea trip amid global chaos from invasion and erosion was huge. Nations barely holding their own, yet here he comes.
Despite U.S. government pleas.
'Something big's tangled up.'
Kim Hana was the hornet's nest.
Curiosity aside, with Gracia involved, best steer clear.
Irk him, and the whole union crumbles.
Captain ranked 4th in the union. Level 10, one 'star' from transcendence. Even he doubted surviving Gracia three seconds.
Sword Star, transcended with a star.
Unknown stars count.
Rumors even pitted him against five-star transcendent Wilhelm.
"But between Gracia and Wilhelm, who wins?"
"Wilhelm's dead. Pointless comparison."
"Still curious? Both 'Eight Heroes' and all."
That piqued interest too.
Wilhelm. Phantom's longest-nurtured character.
Fed five stars, wrapped in unique gear—Pangeniar's unparalleled legend. Myth.
Gracia?
Writing player legends nonstop.
Seemed limitless, like bugs or cheats.
No one truly knew his strength—no foe had pushed his limits.
'Rumor he ate another star recently?'
If true, even stronger.
How much?
'For now, Wilhelm's stronger.'
Captain judged coldly.
Wilhelm was unprecedented.
Captain had seen him fight.
Joined the demon world expedition.
That overwhelming martial prowess shredding demons.
Like a war god incarnate.
The thrill lingered.
Gracia avoided facing Wilhelm, too.
But Wilhelm was dead.
Gracia lived on, growing stronger.
'Why's Gracia counted among the Eight Heroes? He skipped the expedition...'
*
Entering the Spirit Tower, Isabella and Hudson vanished.
Solo from here.
Guided to spirit doors matching their desires.
The Spirit Tower answers only the desperate. If Hudson truly yearned, he'd achieve it climbing.
Same for Isabella.
At the entrance, a massive stone door with a protruding face.
A door spirit and administrator. Measured entrants, opening fitting doors.
-Incredible. Affinity for all attributes.
Its mouth moved, reading my talents in astonishment. All affinities were talents too.
It gauged the fittest affinity to open the related door.
Water affinity? Water spirit door. Fire? Fire door.
But all affinities? Tricky.
-Opposing attributes too. Void affinity...? Yet too many for Void.
The door spirit pondered.
Normally, beings can't hold opposites.
Like fire and water.
Exception: Void holders. Void allows opposites.
But even with Void, too many.
All affinities.
Not even 'Void Door' fit.
-All mixed becomes chaos. But Chaos Door never opened...
The door spirit scowled.
Chaos Door: never opened since the tower's founding.
"Open it."
Another mystery.
No refusing.
Choosing decisively, it ceased deliberating.
-...Arrogant druid. Fine, opening. You qualify.
Creaaaaak!
The door spirit parted.
-Beware. Chaos devours; no return.
Shrugging off the warning, I strode in boldly.
*
Tower of Chaos.
Curse-warped mind-bender.
Pitch-black void.
"'Iron-Blooded Lord's Heart' bolsters your mind."
"'Giant's Magic Resistance' nullifies curses."
"'Mutation' reveals the path through chaos."
I see it.
The hidden path in the Tower of Chaos.
The door spirit didn't know my 13 hidden traits.
Thanks to them, even chaos was navigable.
-Chaos ineffective?
-What is that human? Druid?
-Contract with me!
Chaos spirits swarmed instantly.
I ignored them.
Climbing higher, bigger chaos spirits appeared.
-Arrogant fool. Climbing here?
-I'll chaotify you.
Far more aggressive than lower ones.
One swelled giant-like, smashing down.
Illusions. Mind-crushers for the fearful. Pure mentality.
Whoosh!
Touching boldly, it smoke-vanished.
-Seeking past glory? Possible?
Up another floor: Wilhelm.
Shing.
Drew Michella's Sword.
Faced the Wilhelm-masked chaos spirit.
Clang! Sching! Tsss!
Identical to me. Same slashes, thrusts, stabs.
But no retreat. Real Wilhelm? Instant death. This was 'me' in Wilhelm's guise. Same power, tech, actions.
Hours? Days passed.
Time blurred.
Two, three, ten days.
Maybe more.
-Gross bastard!
Whoosh!
Another chaos spirit smoked away.
Panting roughly, I climbed.
-Impressive reach. Satisfied with your qualification.
-Contract.
-You qualify.
Huger chaos spirits.
No stairs.
Top floor?
"No one catches my eye."
These were strongest yet.
But unappealing.
Beggars after this climb? No class.
-Contract with me: star-equivalent effect.
-Me: reveals 'unique' gear spots worldwide.
-Skills? Top chaos skill gift.
They liked me plenty.
Tempting offers.
Unique item and top chaos skill tempted.
But trust chaos? Fakers posing giants, selves, spewing lies. Contracts likely bogus too.
Contracts demand caution.
Can't contract multiples.
-Where going?
-Nothing below.
-Foolish choice.
-You'll return.
Brushing off chaos pleas, I descended.
Each floor down: harsher trials.
Urging return.
But no.
Endless trials, fights began.
*
Two 'me's.
Down: four 'me's.
Then eight, sixteen.
Body unweary, but time eroded mind.
Iron-Blooded Lord's Heart finite. Superhuman will crumbles to time.
Tempted to contract any.
But refused.
No forced bonds.
Choice must be mine. Yielding to pressure? Forever after.
Time drifted.
10 days.
20.
30...
Beyond counting, I fought chaos.
-Fucking gross!
-Out! Out!
Chaos spirits surrendered.
Opened exit.
Most would rush joyfully.
Not me.
Caution in such moments.
Stab-!
Indeed, chaos ambushed from behind.
'Slippery bastards.'
To the end.
Slicing shadow-chaos revealed light.
A spirit.
Light spirit?
Top-tier rarity.
Why in chaos?
'Not light spirit.'
Subtly off.
Pushing chaos aside, I headed not for exit—but light.
-Not exit.
-Returning?
-Fool. Fight to death!
Chaos spirits blocked desperately.
Tone shifted from mockery.
Made me want it more.
Exit shrank.
Miss it, gone forever.
But light beckoned.
Distinct from chaos.
-Stop! Halt!
-Farther: irreversible.
-Want eternal chaos?
Ears rang with chatter.
Cleaving chaos, advancing.
Touched light.
"Reached the tower summit!"
"Main Quest 3 completed."
"Settling rewards."
...True summit.
Climbing, descending, avoiding chaos paths: correct.
"Some Baekseong Constellations show interest."
"'Spirit Tower Owners' begin watching you."
Suddenly, multitudes focused.
Arrogant constellations, tower owners too.
Spirit Tower Owners: likely spirit kings.
Chaos summit?
Not all.
Bigger reason. Guessed it.
This, glowing before me.
"Discovered 'Heavenly Spirit.'"