Chapter 168
A cold silence hung between System and Suhyeok.
"..."
System no longer had any composure left.
The corners of its mouth, once curved into an easy smile, had long since fallen.
Its eyes, which had always been impossible to read, were now twisted with rage as they stared at Suhyeok.
"You look pretty angry."
Suhyeok's voice was calm.
"This might be the first time I've actually seen your eyes."
"..."
"What?"
"Are you upset because things didn't go according to plan?"
Normally...
Even if Suhyeok provoked it like this, System would've simply smiled as though victory were already guaranteed.
But now...
"How dare..."
"How dare a mere human...!!"
CRAAAAACK!
Cracks began spreading across the dark space.
Beyond them...
The world outside the Tower came into view.
It felt almost like staring into outer space, filled with stars and planets.
RUMMMMMBLE.
Suhyeok looked upward.
The ceiling crumbled into fragments that floated like broken pieces submerged in water.
From between them...
Tentacles leaked out, radiating an ominous aura.
And it didn't stop there.
Beyond the broken walls...
The true form of an Outer God became visible.
A gigantic eye stared down at Suhyeok.
"I don't care anymore."
System's face twisted.
"Forget taking your body."
"I'll tear you apart myself, right here!!"
WHOOOOOSH.
The tentacles writhing above System's head all shot toward Suhyeok at once.
Without hesitation...
They flew like bullets, aiming to pierce straight through his skull.
Whooom.
"...!!"
[Constellation ‘Player’ Lee Suhyeok releases Rank.]
Blue Rank spread from Suhyeok's hand.
A barrier unfolded.
The tentacles repeatedly tried to penetrate it.
But it was useless.
THUD! THUD!
They spread across the entire surface, stabbing again and again in an attempt to reach Suhyeok beyond it.
But...
"...Kugh."
The harder they tried...
The more violently they were repelled.
And when Suhyeok released even more Rank...
The tentacles began crumbling into dust.
Suhyeok was no longer overwhelmed by them.
It was the opposite now.
They were being overwhelmed by him.
[Player Lee Suhyeok takes control of this space.]
[The Outer God is startled by Lee Suhyeok's Rank.]
Suhyeok completely ignored the furious System standing before him.
Instead...
He spoke toward the Outer God beyond the ceiling.
"You can feel it, can't you?"
"You and I are bound by a contract."
[The Outer God examines its contract with you.]
[The Outer God expresses confusion over why a contract exists between you and itself.]
"The contract you made with the Dragon of the End probably required it to bring you my body in exchange for your power."
"But in my contract..."
"All of those clauses are blank."
Whoooom.
Black energy gathered above Suhyeok's hand.
A contract document and quill appeared within it.
[Player Lee Suhyeok modifies the contract.]
[Because you are not the original contracting party, Dragon of the End, restrictions apply to the clauses that may be written.]
Suhyeok had expected as much.
Even though he'd obtained the contract through Trait Plunder...
He had only inherited it.
He couldn't simply write whatever absurd terms he wanted.
More importantly...
The parties directly bound by the contract were System and the Outer Gods.
However...
He could increase the penalty imposed if the contract were ever broken.
[Trait ‘Oath of the End (EX)’ activates.]
[A new clause is added to the contract.]
[8. If the contract is nullified or invalidated by any party, both contracting parties, System and the Outer God, will suffer the following penalty.]
[The penalty shall be...]
[Their ‘Extinction’.]
Suhyeok already knew the original terms of the contract.
The moment he'd Plundered Oath of the End...
The details had naturally engraved themselves into his mind as though he'd always known them.
System's side of the contract...
Was to regain every authority within the Tower and restore its rule.
The Outer Gods were to actively cooperate toward that end.
What the Outer Gods wanted...
Was the Rank possessed by the Constellations.
And to replace them as the new Constellations of the Tower.
Suhyeok concentrated Rank into his vision.
Then...
He could see it.
Rank swirled around System like smoke.
...So that's where Loki's Rank went.
And it isn't only Loki.
There's something much larger inside it.
Suhyeok couldn't tell whose it was.
But the Rank was brilliant...
Warm, almost like sunlight.
How did it obtain something this enormous?
Did it target another Constellation?
No.
If that had happened...
A full-scale war between Constellations would've erupted immediately.
Then...
It had come from something other than a Constellation.
Suhyeok's gaze shifted.
Toward Ruzian.
Ruzian was smiling as though he'd been waiting for this moment all along.
He even waved cheerfully.
"Haha."
"You finally noticed me."
"You handled everything by yourself, so there wasn't much left for me to do."
Then...
He turned toward System with a mocking smile.
"Are you all right?"
"You don't look very well."
"I'm fairly certain you were smiling just a moment ago."
"..."
System didn't answer.
It had already lost control over this space.
There was nothing it could do now.
The Outer God had also been pushed back by Suhyeok's Rank.
If it continued fighting...
Even it would have to accept a serious sacrifice.
Whoosh.
The broken ceiling began restoring itself.
The distorted space reconnected.
[The space closes, causing the Outer God to disappear from view.]
[Because Player Lee Suhyeok possesses control of this space, the environment changes according to his will.]
FWOOSH.
"Oh?"
Light poured into the previously dark world.
Grass spread beneath their feet.
The ceiling vanished entirely.
An open blue sky appeared above...
With clouds slowly drifting through it.
[This space reflects Player Lee Suhyeok's inner world.]
Suhyeok looked around.
Clear air.
A blue sky.
The scent of grass filling his nose.
This is... my inner world?
He was surprised.
Honestly...
He couldn't believe it.
He had never imagined his inner world would contain such a clear sky.
Ever since his regression...
He'd assumed there was nothing but darkness inside him.
The deaths of the raid team...
Mihyeon's death...
Those had remained Suhyeok's darkest wounds even now.
But...
"...It's clear."
The dense darkness was gone.
All that remained were ordinary shadows...
Cast by warm sunlight.
Ding!
[Maintaining control of this space continuously consumes Rank.]
[Warning! If an individual not contracted with the Outer Gods maintains control for too long, all Rank may be exhausted.]
His Rank was being consumed rapidly in real time.
It wasn't a serious burden yet...
But he couldn't maintain this forever.
Suhyeok looked toward Ruzian.
"Were you here the whole time?"
"Ah, yes!"
"I was watching you fight together with System."
Ruzian clasped his hands together and shut his eyes dramatically.
