Chapter 24
A dark underground chamber.
The floor was covered in blood, and the dim lighting made the atmosphere even more frightening.
Creeeak...
An old door slowly opened.
A blood-covered hand reached through and pressed against the floor.
“Ugh... H-Hng...!”
A man crawled through the rough corridor.
His face was covered in blood.
Pure fear filled his eyes.
Drag... Drag...
As he moved, blood painted the floor behind him like red paint dragged across a canvas.
“P-Please spare me... Please...! D-Do you think His Highness the Crown Prince will just stay silent after this...? Urgh...!”
His desperate, tearful voice echoed throughout the underground chamber.
Only his own voice answered him.
Slowly...
A dark shadow stretched across the floor behind him.
Step. Step.
“I really don’t understand.”
A calm voice reached him.
“Even in a situation like this, you’re still desperately calling for the master who abandoned you.”
“......!”
The man’s entire body froze.
As the footsteps approached, his head trembled.
Step...
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
It was Jang Geonho.
“Well, I can understand you a little.”
Geonho lowered himself and grabbed the man by the hair.
“You probably served him loyally for a long time. Realizing you’ve been abandoned must feel like quite a betrayal.”
“Ugh...!”
The man stared at Jang Geonho.
The look in Geonho’s eyes was not one a human would use when looking at another human.
To him, the man was nothing more than livestock.
“It’s not exactly the same, but I’ve been having trouble too.”
He smiled faintly.
“There was someone I thought would be useful if handled properly, but he went and died.”
It happened during the Tutorial.
A slaughter had broken out.
Yoo Taeseong killed not only goblins, but people as well.
The reason Jang Geonho had survived around someone like him was actually very simple.
Stab!
“Y-You... bastard...”
A huge man who had been stabbed with a dagger collapsed onto the floor.
Jang Geonho calmly wiped the blood from his face as Yoo Taeseong approached.
Ah, are you already finished over there? I’m still cleaning things up here, so I’ll need a little longer.
He smiled.
If you want to enjoy yourself more, feel free.
Someone grabbed Geonho’s ankle.
“P-Please... save me... Please...!”
It was a woman.
Geonho stared at her.
...Of course I’ll save you.
He placed the sword he was holding into her hands.
Then he gently wrapped his hand around hers.
If you can survive, that is.
He slowly pulled her toward himself.
And pushed the blade in.
Stab.
Yoo Taeseong watched him pull out the dagger and wipe the blood from the blade with his clothes.
Then he burst into laughter.
...Hahaha! You’re seriously one twisted bastard.
Geonho’s madness was similar to his own...
Yet different.
And Yoo Taeseong liked it.
Back in the present, purple energy rose from Jang Geonho’s hand.
The dark power gave the surroundings an eerie glow.
“But it doesn’t matter anymore.”
He smiled.
“That bastard’s death changed my plan a little, but I still gained the power I wanted.”
The wounded man was not listening.
He was too busy desperately trying to survive.
Geonho stared at him.
Then something seemed to amuse him.
He pointed toward somewhere farther down the corridor.
“You want to live, don’t you?”
The man froze.
Geonho smiled.
“I’ll give you a chance.”
“......!”
He pointed toward a door.
“All you have to do is reach that door.”
His voice was almost gentle.
“If you make it there, I’ll let you leave quietly.”
The man followed his finger.
There was indeed a door nearby.
It was not very far.
Geonho smiled sympathetically.
“Isn’t gambling for your life better than dying right here?”
The man hesitated.
He had already seen what had happened to everyone else.
One after another, they had been experimented on and killed horribly.
No...
He swallowed.
Calling it ‘eaten’ would be more accurate.
The instant Geonho grabbed someone’s throat, their body dried out like a corpse and was absorbed into him.
This man had been the last one.
He had barely managed to escape this far.
Gulp.
“Y-You’ll really keep your promise...?”
In the end, he accepted the wager.
Jang Geonho’s lips curled upward.
“Of course.”
Then he added,
“But if you look behind you, you lose.”
He released the man’s hair.
The wounded man desperately began crawling toward the end of the corridor.
“Ugh... Hng...!”
He kept moving.
His legs had been crushed so badly that he had long since stopped feeling the pain.
But something was strange.
Whenever he thought he was almost there and looked forward...
The door seemed far away again.
“Ughhh...!”
“Hehehe...”
“......?”
The man heard Geonho’s mocking laughter.
Without thinking...
He looked back.
Only then did he understand.
There had never been any chance of escape.
Geonho smiled.
“You looked back, just like I warned you.”
He grabbed the man’s throat.
“So I’ll take it now.”
Grip.
The man’s body rapidly dried up.
“Ghhh...!”
Fssss...
His thin, corpse-like arm fell weakly against the ground.
Through his fading vision...
He saw the door.
The door that had seemed so far away was now directly in front of him.
Geonho smiled.
“What a shame.”
He looked down at him.
“If you’d gone just a little farther, you could’ve escaped.”
The distance was less than a single step.
Even in the final moment of his life...
The man had been toyed with.
Jang Geonho calmly stood.
Then he turned toward someone and bowed politely.
“...You’ve arrived.”
He adjusted his suit.
“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.”
A white-haired man wearing a suit slowly approached.
It was the Upper Administrator, Taeo.
“Hehe. Not at all.”
Taeo glanced at the corpse and smiled faintly.
“I only came to check whether things were progressing properly.”
He stopped beside Jang Geonho.
Then he casually placed a hand on Geonho’s shoulder.
“This reminds me of when we first met...”
His smile deepened.
“That Person has very high expectations for you.”
“......”
Taeo’s gaze became cold.
“I sincerely hope you keep the promise you made back then, Player Jang Geonho.”
The surrounding air suddenly became heavy.
Jang Geonho lowered his head.
“There is no need to worry.”
A dark smile appeared on his face.
“Lee Suhyeok will soon become my prey as well.”
Taeo removed his hand.
“Hehe.”
He smiled.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
During the past week, both the Arhen Territory and the Fricsen Territory had undergone major changes.
“Heave-ho! Lord, where should we move this?”
“Put all the materials over there for now... Hm?”
Carlson noticed Suhyeok approaching.
“Haha. You’re here.”
Carlson came to greet him.
His previously thin and sickly appearance was gone.
He looked healthy now.
The same was true for the residents helping with the work.
Unlike when Suhyeok had first seen them, everyone now looked energetic.
“So, how is everything going?”
“Yes. Thanks to your help, everything is progressing smoothly.”
“I’m glad Bens is doing his job properly.”
Suhyeok glanced around.
“If he starts acting like before, tell me.”
Then he added,
“I’ll educate him immediately.”
Carlson laughed.
“Haha. I don’t think that will be necessary. He has changed quite a bit.”
He smiled.
“And surprisingly, I’m learning quite a lot from him when it comes to calculations.”
Creeeak...
“Uuuuuugh...”
At that moment, Bens staggered out of the mansion.
His voice sounded like he was dying.
Dark circles covered the area under his eyes.
Apparently, he had not slept properly for several days.
[Haah. He really is suffering, nya. I kept telling him to rest, but he refused. Now look at him, nya.]
Bens had been forced to take responsibility for all the family work that had been abandoned until now.
Because of that, there was still a mountain of work waiting for him.
He barely had time to rest.
At least there was one thing helping him relieve stress.
He worked his father and brothers half to death.
All three were lying unconscious in a corner of the garden.
Their cheeks were still swollen from being slapped all night.
[Hmm. I think he lost some weight, nya. Somehow, that’s a little disappointing, nya...]
Nom. Nom.
Leon was lying on an outdoor table beneath a parasol.
He wore sunglasses and licked Churu from a pouch.
A straw hat sat on his head.
He looked exactly like a tourist enjoying a vacation.
“......”
Carlson noticed Suhyeok staring at something.
“What are you looking at? Is there a problem?”
Suhyeok thought for a moment.
Then he answered calmly.
“...It’s nothing.”
His eyes remained on Leon.
“I just thought I saw a useless cat doing absolutely nothing.”
Leon flinched.
“A cat? There shouldn’t be any cats around the mansion.”
Carlson looked around in confusion.
Leon quickly removed his sunglasses.
[A-Ahem! N-Now that I think about it, I had something to do too, nya! I-I was only resting for a moment because I worked incredibly hard yesterday, nya!]
Apparently, Suhyeok’s words struck a nerve.
Leon babbled excuses to himself before flying toward Bens as though running away.
Carlson continued,
“Ah, by the way. The person you told me about earlier asked you to visit his workshop once you finished your work here.”
Suhyeok had sent Dolkin a letter.
Of course, the letter was about the sword.
Suhyeok had mentioned that it had become an Ego Sword.
The moment Dolkin saw it, he would probably lose his mind trying to examine it.
The problem is what comes after that...
Not long ago, Suhyeok had happened to hear news about the capital from Bens.
Um... I think something big is about to happen in the capital soon. Everyone seems to be gathering there because of it.
Suhyeok had already expected it.
The battle to decide the throne between the Imperial Princess and the Crown Prince would soon begin.
The participants on Olivia’s side would include Suhyeok, who had already promised to help her...
And the three people currently training.
Mikhail is probably putting all three of them through hell right now.
Just like the last time Suhyeok had seen them, they were probably being pushed until they were right on the edge of passing out.
Lee Yumi and Kim Hyuna would probably grow without any serious problems.
When it came to talent, they were among the most gifted Players on the 10th floor.
The real problem was Taesu.
Unlike the other two, Suhyeok was not sure whether the current Bong Taesu could properly follow Mikhail’s training.
Right now, he has an advantage in stamina.
But they’ll catch up soon.
The difference in talent was overwhelming.
Taesu himself had probably already realized it.
He was facing an enormous wall that seemed impossible to overcome.
His future would depend on how he chose to deal with that reality.
For now...
Suhyeok could only trust him and wait.
“Sir Suhyeok, I believe it’s about to begin.”
Carlson looked toward the sky.
“You should probably hurry.”
Suhyeok followed his gaze.
The sky was slowly being covered in darkness.
“...Let’s go.”
They arrived at the place where the Moonstone would appear.
The sky had become even darker.
Leon flew over from the distance and landed on Suhyeok’s shoulder.
“I just finished checking everything, nya. It looks like everyone evacuated safely, nya.”
Once the Total Lunar Eclipse began, the surrounding terrain would change drastically.
Even though this place was located on the outskirts of the territory, there was always a chance someone could become trapped in it.
Leon suddenly pointed upward.
“Look, nya! The moon is starting to cover the sun, nya!”
The moon completely swallowed the sun.
A powerful vibration spread through the area.
RUMBLE!
[Special Event ‘Total Lunar Eclipse’ has begun.]
[The surrounding terrain will change under the influence of Moonstone.]
The black shell covering a massive rock began peeling away.
Soft silver light spilled from within.
The Moonstone revealed itself.
It looked like they were standing directly before the moon in the night sky.
Suhyeok approached.
As expected, a message appeared.
[Would you like to enter the Hidden Dungeon?]
[Y/N]
Entry Limit: 1 Person
Difficulty: ???
Reward: ???
“Enter.”
Flash!
In the instant Suhyeok blinked...
The scenery changed.
A massive door stood before him.
Behind him was a completely sealed wall.
Creeeak...
[You have entered the Hidden Dungeon ‘Master of the Moonstone’.]
“......”
Suhyeok entered the boss room.
Something felt strange.
There was nothing inside.
No boss.
No monsters.
Only a single chair standing in the middle of the empty room.
“What is this...?”
Suhyeok suddenly froze.
For one brief moment, it felt as though everything except him had stopped.
He looked toward Leon.
Leon was frozen in midair.
Suhyeok’s eyes narrowed.
“...Who are you?”
Crackle...
The sound of space tearing apart echoed through the room.
Then an unfamiliar voice answered.
“You managed to find this place.”
The voice sounded amused.
“The more I watch you, the more fascinating you become.”
Someone appeared behind the empty chair.
A white-haired man dressed in a suit.
He had the appearance of a human.
Is he the boss?
No... Something feels wrong.
It was not simply because he was humanoid.
Standing before this man felt like facing a being from another dimension.
Suhyeok could not understand what he was.
“...What did you do to Leon?”
The man sat on the chair and rested his chin on one hand.
An unpleasant smile appeared on his face.
He watched Suhyeok as though observing every tiny reaction.
“How touching.”
The man smiled.
“You care greatly for your companions.”
His eyes curved with amusement.
“It appears you’ve become quite close to Leon in such a short time.”
Then he spoke Suhyeok’s name.
“Player Lee Suhyeok.”
“......”
He knew Leon.
More importantly...
He knew Suhyeok’s name.
That meant there was only one likely answer.
“You’re an administrator.”
The man hummed softly.
“Hmm. I wonder if I should call that the correct answer.”
That unreadable smile remained on his face.
It reminded Suhyeok of the 100th-floor Administrator from his previous life.
Clench.
The man noticed Suhyeok’s hostility.
“There is no need to be so cautious.”
He rose from the chair.
“I only came here today to have a conversation.”
He slowly descended the steps.
The atmosphere became heavy.
Suhyeok found it difficult to even move his feet.
The man stopped before him.
“This is the first time we’ve formally met.”
He smiled politely.
Then he bowed.
“Allow me to introduce myself.”
His smile never faded.
“I am Taeo, an Upper Administrator of the Tower.”
“......”
Suhyeok had definitely heard that name from Leon.
Taeo had just introduced himself as an Upper Administrator.
The Administrators should not have changed simply because Suhyeok had regressed.
Yet among all the upper-floor Administrators Suhyeok knew...
There had never been anyone like him.
Who the hell is he?
Taeo seemed to understand what Suhyeok was thinking.
He calmly continued.
“I’ve always wondered something while watching you.”
Taeo slowly leaned closer.
“How could a Tutorial Player possibly behave the way you do?”
He brought his face close to Suhyeok’s ear.
His unpleasant smile remained.
“So I thought about it in my own way.”
Then his hidden eyes finally opened.
Cold purple eyes stared at Suhyeok.
Suhyeok’s instincts screamed.
One wrong answer...
And he might die.
Taeo whispered,
“Player Lee Suhyeok.”
His smile widened.
“Have you climbed this Tower before?”
