He knew from the moment the gate opened that Anubis would be inside the palace.
As long as that guy was here, something would have to be done—and it wouldn't be easy.
'As long as the law of the Tower exists, he won't be able to touch me directly.'
That left Anubis with only one option.
Jin-hyuk began to think.
'The only trump card Anubis can use against me is [Mummy Awakens].'
Against a player who hadn't even reached the 10th floor, it would be impossible for Anubis to bring out an opponent at his usual standard.
This was the best he could do while barely staying within the system's limits. Once it reached that point, the ending would be simple.
Now that he had seen his opponent's cards, it was time to prepare a countermeasure.
After activating Blessing of the Stars and Sword Grave at the same time, Jin-hyuk purchased Blood of the Royal Family from the Coin Exchange.
It was an item with the highest efficiency when dealing with mummies—created to protect pharaohs and those of royal blood.
In other words, it was the perfect counter.
No matter how strong the opponent was, if the counter was prepared correctly, the level gap could be overcome.
And the result—
Thud!
Was this.
The mummy was utterly shattered on the ground.
It collapsed so quickly that it couldn't even attack properly. A heavy silence fell over the palace.
Moments later, that silence was broken by shocked exclamations.
"T-this can't be happening…"
"A player on the 6th floor defeated Anubis' warrior?"
Horus and Osiris were stunned.
This was not an outcome they had expected. Even Anubis had yet to regain his senses.
"How did this happen…"
Anubis muttered.
The humiliation he suffered on the underground level of the 1st floor.
The wound left by Jin-hyuk's tricks when dealing with Pendariel.
The fact that those same tricks were used to gain Rick's favor.
He thought he could settle everything at once.
But—
The warrior he had prepared with confidence lay destroyed, and the human still stood unscathed.
"I'll make sure the eggs are handed over properly. Since they're important items, I should be able to choose, right?"
Jin-hyuk smiled brightly.
"Stop joking around…!"
"Anubis. You made that promise with your own mouth. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
Anubis was about to shout in refusal when Horus stopped him.
The deal had been made in the name of the Egyptian Pantheon.
Rick—who could be considered a manager of the Tower's middle floors—had witnessed a God's defeat.
If they broke the agreement now, they would become a laughingstock among the other divine mythologies.
"…Damn it."
Anubis cursed under his breath.
He ground his teeth as he tried to calm himself.
Then Horus spoke again.
"Keep the promise. The eggs are stored inside. I'll guide you to them. However, remember this—if you fail to hatch or tame the egg you choose, you will not receive another."
"Of course. I wasn't expecting a refund policy from the Gods."
Jin-hyuk shrugged casually.
It was as if failure had never crossed his mind.
'So this is why Rick brought him here.'
Horus nodded internally.
He had always wondered why Rick, the strictest manager of the Tower, favored this human. After today, he finally understood.
And that understanding led to conviction.
Horus' eyes glowed yellow.
"…If you were to come here properly someday."
His gaze pierced straight through Jin-hyuk, as if staring into the future.
"When the time comes, why not choose to become one of us? A dweller who rules this floor."
The suggestion was made lightly—but its meaning was immense.
"Horus!"
"Are you serious…?!"
Osiris and Anubis reacted instantly.
They couldn't help it.
Horus had just offered Jin-hyuk a choice.
A human—still a newbie—being offered a position among the Gods.
And yet—
"No."
Jin-hyuk answered immediately.
A rejection.
Even Rick, who had been silently observing, was visibly shocked.
It was the first time he had ever seen a human refuse such an offer.
Jin-hyuk raised his head calmly.
Not toward the endless desert—
But beyond the sky, where the sun rested.
[50th Floor of the Tower of Trials]
The peak of the Tower.
A forbidden sanctuary where even Gods dared not tread.
"I'm sorry, but this isn't where I belong."
He had no intention of hesitating.
To see the end of the Tower—and conquer it once again.
"I have a higher place to go."
And he would succeed.
Among all players who had ever existed—
Only he could reach the end.
Deep within the palace lay a treasure vault.
Golden statues and jewels were piled like mountains, but Jin-hyuk didn't spare them a glance.
Gold wasn't what he needed.
At that moment, Rick spoke quietly beside him.
"At first, I thought I was granting you a rare opportunity. Chances to reach the top of the Tower are few."
Rick's expression was slightly bitter.
Perhaps his pride had taken a blow.
"But thanks to you, I witnessed something rare. It made me realize—not everything in the world can be known."
Even managers rarely saw divine eggs.
Beasts, divine beasts, spirit beasts—
They were difficult even for Gods to handle.
And now, he was seeing one.
Rick looked at Jin-hyuk with complex emotions.
'This is… troublesome.'
Even Rick couldn't predict how many surprises this human would bring.
As Jin-hyuk sensed the reversal in their dynamic, he felt oddly amused.
Then—
"Here."
Horus stopped.
Before them was a platform covered in runes and ancient scripts.
Three eggs rested upon a golden altar.
Green. Red. Black.
Each was different in shape.
"Choose one. Even I don't know what lies inside, so don't think we're playing tricks on you."
"Even if the contents were known, it wouldn't matter. If it can't be hatched or tamed, it's useless."
Anubis and Osiris added coldly.
Their frustration was obvious.
And that only made it more entertaining.
'Praying for my downfall? The desert would turn into a sea faster.'
Jin-hyuk ignored them and focused.
'First, identify the eggs.'
He looked at the green one.
[Lv5 'Eye of Gluttony' is activated.]
[Due to the level difference, only partial information can be accessed.]
[Green Egg
Name: Grass Spirit Hesimius
Acquisition Difficulty: SS+
Description: …possesses healing abilities and can survive for roughly 100 days even without mana supply.]
A healing-type spirit.
Objectively good—but boring.
He'd raised one before.
It was like growing weeds behind a mountain.
Efficient, yes.
But joyless.
Next, the red egg.
[Lv5 'Eye of Gluttony' is activated.]
[Red Egg
Name: Fire-Breathing Cat '???'
Acquisition Difficulty: SSS
Description: …can wield fire-attribute abilities…]
'Less information.'
Still, he knew.
'Kiriya.'
A strong pet, even in the later floors.
But—
Cats chose their masters.
Not the other way around.
'I'll pass.'
One Elise was enough.
He turned to the last egg.
The black one.
'Please. Just this once.'
[Lv5 'Eye of Gluttony' is activated.]
[Black Egg
Name: ???
Acquisition Difficulty: ???
Description: …however, it can only be hatched in that way.]
Yes.
Jin-hyuk clenched his fist.
This was it.
A pet no one had ever obtained before.
Sleeping inside the black egg.
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