Chapter 50
The man called Guaraci.
Rafael Costa.
He had reached the 108th Floor.
As a rising star among Tower Ascendants,
he was receiving tremendous attention.
Maybe that was why
the scene taking place now was something no Brazilian citizen should ever see.
Rafael had actually fought well at first.
His Class,
Blood Berserker.
A Class that fought on the very front lines
using physical regeneration as its main ability.
Rafael had pushed that regenerative ability to its extreme.
As a result,
he had learned a technique that forcibly surpassed his body's limits.
Rafael wielded explosive speed and strength.
Because of that,
he was comparatively free from the Floor Lord Hall's penalty.
He knew how to force his body beyond its normal limits.
Even when limited to the power he had possessed on the Twenty-First Floor,
no one had been able to defeat him.
Everyone believed Rafael would remain the Lord of the Twenty-First Floor forever.
At least,
until today.
Until Baek Cheon-myeong's sword beat him senseless.
Hiss.
Wounds all over Rafael's body regenerated with rising steam.
It was the effect of the Blood Berserker's Unique Skill,
[Immortal Flesh].
Rafael breathed heavily,
his face filled with the excitement of battle.
"Good. I never imagined I'd meet someone this strong."
His expression looked like this was the fiercest battle he had ever experienced.
[The One Who Trampled a Million Enemies shows excitement.]
[The One Who Removed His Crown reacts in disbelief.]
[The One Who Built a Graveyard of Stars expresses surprise.]
The Demigods watching also reacted with shock.
Perhaps even they hadn't expected Baek Cheon-myeong to fight this well against a Tower Ascendant.
Rafael might only be a Tower Ascendant of the 108th Floor,
but he was still actively climbing.
Everyone believed he would eventually reach the higher floors.
No one had imagined a man like Rafael would be beaten so one-sidedly.
"It's been a long time since my blood burned like this!"
"Baek Cheon-myeong, let's settle this with everything we have!"
Rafael wiped away his sweat
and sparkled like the protagonist of a hot-blooded battle manga.
Baek Cheon-myeong looked bored.
[He's useful enough as a punching bag. He might be suitable for Master's training.]
Mr. Baek Cheon-myeong, never say that out loud.
He always chose the most infuriating things to say.
More importantly...
If you're praising him that much, then the opponent must really be...
[Yes. He possesses the status of a Demigod. He's somewhat useful.]
For Baek Cheon-myeong to give that much praise...
No wonder Rafael was called Brazil's Sun.
...Is he difficult to defeat?
[Does it look that way?]
No.
Not at all.
[It isn't difficult. However...]
Baek Cheon-myeong tilted his head.
The stands were packed with Demigods.
[When facing someone with the status of a Demigod, restrictions apply unless you possess the same status.]
[That remains true even inside the Floor Lord Hall.]
That was one reason Tower Ascendant Floor Lords were so difficult to defeat.
So that was it.
Kang Ha-min wasn't yet a Tower Ascendant.
Naturally,
Baek Cheon-myeong, who was his corpse, wasn't one either.
Without passing the Hundredth Floor,
they couldn't possess the status of a Demigod.
Then it made sense that Baek Cheon-myeong was struggling against one.
[If I destroy someone like him in a single attack, those bastards will get scared and start using every trick they can while pretending it's about pride.]
...What?
[It's better to crush them one by one and teach them the difference in status.]
[They need to learn in front of whom they're acting arrogant.]
A frightening smile appeared on Baek Cheon-myeong's face.
Kang Ha-min silently looked at him,
then closed his eyes.
So in other words,
Baek Cheon-myeong was intentionally going easy on Rafael for the future.
What is wrong with all the corpses I summon?
Was there really anyone else who could treat a Demigod Tower Ascendant this lightly?
It felt like cheating.
[Still, he's done enough.]
Baek Cheon-myeong drew his wooden sword through the air.
A killing intent completely different from before poured outward.
[Time to finish this. Didn't that bat leave Master's side?]
Ah, yes. She's going to China.
Kang Ha-min's safety always came first.
Baek Cheon-myeong never changed in that regard.
"Oh."
Rafael noticed Baek Cheon-myeong's presence change.
He clenched his fist
and pointed it forward.
"So now you're coming seriously."
Come at me.
That intention was clear in Rafael's entire body.
Baek Cheon-myeong disappeared.
The moment Rafael noticed,
he threw a punch entirely on instinct.
BOOOOM!
Sword and fist collided.
The air exploded.
Rafael immediately aimed another punch at Baek Cheon-myeong's face.
Baek Cheon-myeong didn't dodge.
He only tilted his head slightly.
The fist brushed past his cheek.
At the same time,
Baek Cheon-myeong's sword struck Rafael's jaw.
CRACK!
Rafael's head snapped back
and his body flew into the air.
But he didn't fall.
Instead,
he twisted himself in midair,
corrected his posture,
and drove his fist toward the ground.
BOOOOM!
The ground exploded.
Rafael charged through the flying debris.
His martial arts were not flashy.
In fact,
they were brutally simple.
Fists.
Elbows.
Knees.
Kicks.
But perfect mastery and overwhelming physical power supported every simple strike.
Wow.
Even Kang Ha-min found the technique incredibly clean.
If one attack was blocked,
another followed.
If the next was blocked,
a fist came from a different angle.
And above all,
Rafael trusted his regeneration.
If Baek Cheon-myeong's sword crushed his ribs,
Crack!
the broken bones instantly returned to place.
If his abdomen was pierced,
Crunch!
the torn flesh reconnected.
Even when muscles tore and bones broke,
Rafael never stopped.
Instead,
he laughed like a madman.
"Hahahahaha!"
He laughed even while coughing blood.
Rafael closed the distance until he was almost touching Baek Cheon-myeong.
The gap between them vanished.
A fist flew toward Baek Cheon-myeong's face.
Baek Cheon-myeong dodged.
