Chapter 190

Chapter 190

His vision was dark.

Everything around him had gone completely black.

It felt as though he were floating in empty space without the slightest resistance.

Even after roughly ten minutes...

The sensation didn't change.

Suhyeok kept his eyes closed and tried to assess the situation.

...What is this?

I'm sure I entered the Hidden Dungeon.

His head spun.

The events from earlier felt like scattered puzzle pieces.

As though parts of his memory had suddenly been cut away...

Fragments slowly began returning one by one.

A sharp headache stabbed through his skull.

His expression twisted from the pain.

[‘No.21 Ring of Mental Immunity’ partially reduces mental pain.]

For a moment...

The pain seemed to ease.

Then it surged again...

Strong enough to make his head feel as though it would split apart.

He had no idea how much time passed.

Then...

As suddenly as it had begun...

The pain disappeared completely.

Suhyeok barely had time to adjust to the strange situation before...

[Crackle... hiss...]

An unfamiliar noise echoed.

Then...

Someone else's past began forcing its way into Suhyeok's mind like a video.

A gigantic door appeared on the screen.

It was tightly shut.

Standing before it...

A middle-aged man gently ran his hand across its surface.

Suhyeok was already confused about why this unknown memory was being shown to him.

Then...

[...Why do you insist on continuing something so abnormal?]

[You've been controlled by System this whole time.]

[You've seen it countless times.]

[The people dragged into this place...]

[Their worlds...]

[You've watched them collapse and fall into despair over and over.]

The voice wasn't unfamiliar.

It belonged to the Primordial God.

Why is he here...?

More importantly... when is this?

According to the message Suhyeok had seen before entering the Hidden Dungeon...

This place was supposedly the 101st floor.

He couldn't believe it.

The Tower wasn't supposed to have a 101st floor.

Suhyeok knew that for certain.

He had personally reached the highest floor of the Tower before.

And yet...

A place called the 101st floor existed inside a Hidden Dungeon.

He wasn't even sure whether it should be called another floor hidden inside a floor.

[I...]

[I want to save them.]

The Primordial God's expression darkened.

[I don't want them to remain toys for Constellations like me.]

[I don't want them to exist merely as gears turning inside this Tower.]

[I want them to live as individuals.]

[As people with their own lives.]

He knocked on the door.

His voice became desperate.

[So help me.]

[Just once...]

[Please find the courage.]

The Primordial God pleaded toward whatever was beyond the door.

The one he was speaking to was probably the Tower.

Judging by the timing...

This had likely happened before the Tower betrayed System.

Silence followed.

Then...

A voice came from beyond the door.

[...I'll do what you said, mister.]

[I don't want System to keep using me either.]

Suhyeok was startled.

The voice sounded unbelievably young.

Like a child who had been trapped behind that door for a very long time.

The Primordial God's gloomy face instantly brightened.

Overwhelmed with emotion...

He laughed while tears spilled from his eyes.

[Thank you.]

[Thank you...!]

[If you act, even System won't be able to stop us.]

[If everything goes according to what we've prepared...]

[We won't merely seal it.]

[We may even be able to drive System completely outside the Tower!]

[Yes! Hahaha!]

Watching this...

A question surfaced in Suhyeok's mind.

From this scene alone...

The Primordial God had already prepared to betray System alongside the Tower.

No one had betrayed the other.

They were working toward the same goal.

And ultimately...

They succeeded in driving System out of the Tower.

Then why was the Primordial God sealed?

And why did it happen immediately after System disappeared?

If the Tower and the Primordial God were cooperating...

Couldn't the Tower have helped him?

The Primordial God had actually been betrayed by his own followers...

And by several Constellations deceived by System.

But those Constellations themselves were ultimately beings subject to the Tower's governing authority.

The Tower ruled every system and event occurring within itself.

Helping the Primordial God should have been easy.

Just as Suhyeok's doubts deepened...

"Ahem."

The Primordial God wiped the tears from his reddened eyes.

[Good grief.]

[I cried again.]

[At my age...]

[And in front of you of all people.]

He tried to laugh it off.

Then...

His expression became serious.

He stared at the door.

[...Before long...]

[I will either die...]

[Or be sealed away.]

Suhyeok froze.

...What?

He already knew his own ending?

Most likely...

This was connected to one of the Primordial God's Authorities.

Just as Suhyeok used Simulation to search for better futures...

The Primordial God had probably seen what awaited him.

Still...

Even he couldn't possibly have wanted that fate.

To be betrayed by his own followers.

Bound in chains.

Sealed while remaining conscious.

Forced to wait tens of thousands of years.

So why?

Was being sealed really the only possible path?

As Suhyeok's questions piled up...

The Primordial God laughed as though it were nothing.

[I intend to let things happen the way System wants.]

[That may sound absurd to you...]

[But it can't be helped.]

[The one who breaks this cycle...]

[Will be neither me...]

[Nor you.]

Then...

The Primordial God suddenly turned around.

He looked directly toward somewhere behind him.

And smiled.

Suhyeok couldn't believe what he was seeing.

This memory had happened tens of thousands of years ago.

There was no one in this space except the Primordial God...

And the Tower beyond the door.

Yet...

The man in the memory was staring directly at Suhyeok.

[...I don't really understand what you mean.]

The young voice beyond the door spoke again.

[But I'll wait.]

[Just...]

[Please come find me soon.]

[I don't want to be lonely anymore.]

The Primordial God laughed and stroked his beard.

Then...

He looked toward Suhyeok and spoke meaningfully.

[Hahaha.]

[I will.]

[And when that time comes...]

[I hope you can open this door.]

His expression grew more serious.

[So be careful.]

[The moment you open it...]

[Everything that happens afterward will try to confuse you.]

[...What does that mean?]

The Tower sounded puzzled.

The Primordial God shook his head.

[Nothing.]

[I simply wanted to make sure someone heard those words.]

The instant he finished speaking...

The screen crackled and went dark.

Then...

Suhyeok's vision flashed.

"...This place...."

As his blurred sight gradually returned...

He saw walls made entirely of brick.

It resembled a labyrinth.

There was nowhere behind him to return to.

Only one endless path stretched straight ahead.

[You have entered Hidden Dungeon ‘101st Floor’.]

The fragmented memories inside Suhyeok's mind finally returned to normal.

Including the memory he'd just witnessed.

"The last thing he said...."

"Be careful because everything will try to confuse me once the door opens...."

It had been a message from the Primordial God...

Directed toward Suhyeok, his Apostle in the distant future.

Most likely...

He meant that once Suhyeok opened the door...

One situation after another would attempt to shake his judgment.

He had to keep moving forward without losing himself.

Ding!

[Use of ‘Eye of Insight (Mythic)’ is restricted while inside the Hidden Dungeon.]

Suhyeok could no longer inspect what was happening outside.

Even when he tried releasing Rank...

The energy struck the walls and bounced back inward.

It was similar to the special walls of the mana-formula labyrinth on the 21st floor.

They prevented energy from escaping.

"...Then I need to move quickly."

"The situation outside isn't good."

Suhyeok began walking straight ahead.

There were no traps.

No Beasts guarding the place.

He simply continued along the seemingly endless path.

So...

He increased his speed.

Then ran.

Without stopping.

But the faster he moved...

The stranger it felt.

The harder he tried to rush...

The longer the path seemed to become.

The Ring of Mental Immunity isn't reacting.

So this isn't an illusion.

And if it were one...

Seong-a would've noticed first.

Suhyeok stopped running.

Then...

He began walking slowly.

He didn't rush.

He was certain.

The impatience itself...

Was the Hidden Dungeon's trap.

One careful step at a time...

He continued forward.

Again.

And again.

Suhyeok had no idea how long he'd been walking.

Then...

At last...

The endless path showed an end.

More precisely...

It opened into a wide chamber.

There...

Stood the enormous door from the memory.

And in front of it...

Was a figure with black wings...

Almost like a grim reaper.

"You made it."

"I didn't expect you to pass through this quickly."

"As expected of the one chosen by him."

The figure introduced himself.

"My name is Schunau."

"Representative of the Tower."

Schunau continued speaking...

But Suhyeok's gaze had already shifted elsewhere.

"...Why are you here?"

"Haha."

"That's rather hurtful."

Ruzian grinned.

"You don't say a word to Lord Schunau..."

"But you immediately single me out and ask why I'm here?"

"I thought you might at least be a little happy to see me."

He maintained his usual relaxed smile.

"Anyway..."

"The reason I..."

"No."

"The reason we appeared before you..."

"Is because the Tower beyond that door called us."

Ruzian tilted his head.

"I imagine you already know that much, Lee Suhyeok."

"Don't you?"

He continued without waiting for an answer.

"For reference..."

"Only you can open this door."

"Even Lord Schunau, who calls himself the Tower's representative..."

"Can't open it."

"And naturally..."

"Neither can I."

Schunau shot him a disgusted glance.

Then clicked his tongue.

"Tch."

"You've been talking nonsense since earlier."

"We don't have much time."

"So I'll get directly to the point."

He looked at Suhyeok.

"I will relay the Tower's message."

"Use your ability to open that door."

Silence followed.

Suhyeok looked at Schunau.

"That's all?"

"I am merely the representative who conveys the Tower's will."

"The only instruction I received..."

"Was to help you open the door once you reached the end of this path."

"So basically..."

Ruzian chimed in.

"He knows nothing else."

"And the rest is your problem."

Ignoring Ruzian's teasing tone...

Suhyeok stepped in front of the door.

Instinctively...

He knew where to send his Rank.

Whoooom.

Blue light spread across the ancient door.

Dust that had accumulated for countless years began falling away.

RUMMMMMBLE.

The door...

Sealed shut for an eternity...

Slowly began opening.

The space beyond it became visible through the widening gap.

Suhyeok froze.

What waited inside...

Wasn't the Tower.

"Hm?"

"Oh."

"So you're finally here."

A familiar voice greeted him casually.

"I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Perfect timing."

"I just finished taking control."

Suhyeok recognized the voice immediately.

System.

But...

Something was different.

Before...

System had been nothing more than a white mass with a mouth.

Now...

It had the complete shape of a human.

And that wasn't all.

The enormous power radiating from its body...

Was so overwhelming that even Suhyeok instinctively took a step backward.

"It resisted more strongly than I expected."

System smiled.

"Still..."

"It had already weakened so much that absorbing it wasn't too difficult."

Then it glanced aside.

"Honestly..."

"I didn't expect it to still look like a little brat."

"I thought it'd have changed at least a little by now."

Only after hearing that...

Did Suhyeok understand the source of the absurd energy coming from System.

Don't tell me...

It absorbed the Tower──

STAB.

"Kugh...?"

A body suddenly collapsed behind him.

Suhyeok immediately turned around.

"...!"

Shock flooded his face.

Blood spread across the floor.

A dark feather landed softly in the red puddle.

Schunau lay there.

His heart had been brutally pierced.

"Getting my hands dirty isn't really my thing."

Ruzian spoke casually.

"But given the situation..."

"I suppose it couldn't be helped."

Blood dripped steadily from his arm.

Ruzian looked between it...

And Suhyeok.

Then...

A chilling smile spread across his face.

"Haha."

"This took longer than I expected."

"You and I..."

"We've both suffered quite a lot because of this damned Tower."

His smile widened.

"Wouldn't you agree..."

"Lee Suhyeok?"