Chapter 29
Part 28
“You dodged that? The energy I sense from you is insect-like... but it seems you're hiding something.”
Agrils stared at Yugeon while holding the massive weapon.
Yugeon barely paid attention.
The Troll's previous words filled his mind.
Our race will be bound to the Tower and become monsters...?
What did that mean?
This was the first time Yugeon had heard anything like it.
Could a race become trapped inside the Tower and transformed into monsters?
If that's true...
Then Goblins and Orcs made sense.
They existed both as monsters...
And as Otherworlder races.
But humans never turned into monsters before I reached Floor 100.
Before fighting the god...
Yugeon had traveled through every floor while building his strength.
He had never encountered human monsters.
By that point, Earth had already been destroyed.
Yugeon was the only human left.
Agrils wouldn't be confusing Zombies or Ghouls for humans either.
There was another strange point.
If races that failed became monsters...
Why were Goblins and Orcs both monsters and free Otherworlders?
Either the entire species should become monsters.
Or they should remain independent.
Yet Goblins and Orcs existed in both states.
I need to hear more.
Yugeon wanted the truth.
He needed to know what Agrils meant.
He would capture him.
Ding!
[You have activated Timeless Realm.]
BZZZZZZZZ.
The world stopped.
Agrils froze in the middle of another attack.
I'll only remove his legs.
Shing.
Ding!
[You have activated Heaven-Annihilating One Sword.]
FLASH!
BOOOOOOOOM!
Yugeon's blade cut through Agrils's legs.
Time resumed.
“AAAAAARGH?!”
In less than the blink of an eye...
Both legs were severed.
Agrils screamed.
“What... happened?!”
He crashed to the ground.
Complete confusion filled his face.
What had this human done?
There had been no warning.
No visible attack.
Step.
Step.
Yugeon approached.
“Agrils. I need you to explain what you just said.”
Agrils flinched.
“How do you know my name...?”
“I could've killed you. I showed mercy. So don't try anything stupid. Tell me what it means for a race to become bound to the Tower and turned into monsters.”
Ding!
[You have activated Transcendent Eye.]
SHAAAAAA.
Yugeon's eyes turned golden.
A crushing pressure fell over Agrils.
The Troll's body trembled.
Primal fear consumed him.
“Talk.”
“A-A race that fails to climb the Tower... will eventually become bound... to this Tower...”
Then...
Ding!
[Information that must not be revealed is being spoken.]
[The Sanctuary frowns at the actions of the Final Survivor, Fighter King Agrils.]
[The Outer Realm laughs at the actions of the Final Survivor, Fighter King Agrils.]
[The Sanctuary blocks the statement of the Final Survivor, Fighter King Agrils.]
[The Sanctuary blocks the statement of the Final Survivor, Fighter King Agrils.]
[The Sanctuary blocks the statement of the Final Survivor, Fighter King Agrils.]
[The Sanctuary intervenes.]
CRAAAAACK.
“Ghk?!”
A splitting pain tore through Yugeon's head.
He grabbed his skull and dropped to one knee.
Then...
A terror of death rose from somewhere deep inside him.
It consumed his entire body.
Ding!
[Empty Mind resists ■■■■'s pressure.]
[Empty Mind resists ■■■■'s pressure.]
[Empty Mind fails to resist ■■■■'s pressure.]
[Empty Mind fails to resist ■■■■'s pressure.]
[Empty Mind fails to resist ■■■■'s pressure.]
“Don't... tell me...”
Yugeon clenched his teeth.
His entire body shook.
He tried to raise his head.
He could not.
Then...
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Something invisible descended from above.
Agrils disappeared.
Completely erased.
I can't raise my head...
His body would not obey.
He wanted to look up.
Every instinct refused.
It was like the first time Yugeon had faced the god on Floor 100.
But this fear...
Was on an entirely different level.
Empty Mind was the only reason he could even resist.
Even after the skill failed...
It still reduced part of the effect.
Without it...
Yugeon might have gone insane from fear.
Or driven his sword into his own head.
Maybe I should spend my remaining Feat and use Heaven-Annihilating One Sword to break this pressure...
RUMBLEEEEE.
Whoooosh.
“?!”
Yugeon suddenly jumped upright.
The moment he prepared to activate Heaven-Annihilating One Sword...
The overwhelming pressure disappeared.
He immediately looked upward.
“Haa... Damn it.”
Nothing.
Just the same single beam of light descending from above.
Yugeon slowly looked back toward where Agrils had been.
Gone.
Only the two severed legs remained.
And the weapon.
The body had disappeared without leaving even dust.
If not for the legs and weapon...
Yugeon might have wondered if the encounter had been a dream.
I should've activated Heaven-Annihilating One Sword sooner.
Still...
He had heard enough to form a rough conclusion.
[A race that fails to climb the Tower will eventually become bound to the Tower.]
That was probably what Agrils intended to say.
Of course...
Yugeon could not be absolutely certain.
The statement had been interrupted.
And as people said...
You needed to hear something to the end before judging its meaning.
Still... I'm almost sure that's what he meant.
Yugeon's thoughts became chaotic.
Humanity had failed to climb the Tower.
Did we avoid becoming monsters because I succeeded in killing the god? Or was humanity not considered to have failed because I remained alive?
Yugeon sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
Standing here thinking would not produce answers.
“The messages from earlier are broken too.”
It was as though something did not want him rereading them.
The characters were corrupted.
But I remember what they said.
Yugeon walked toward the massive weapon lying on the ground.
This was the reason he had come here.
[Item: Shatterer of the Giant Slayer]
Grade: Mythic
Type: Weapon
In an age when giants ruled the earth...
One butcher severed their heads with an axe and crushed their thrones with a hammer.
On the day the final giant fell to its knees...
This weapon carried out the execution of the giant race.
[Unique Authority]
When the enemy exposes an opening, the weapon has a 100% chance of inflicting instant death.
Shatterer of the Giant Slayer.
One side was a hammer.
The other was an axe.
It was perfect for Mincheol.
A Tanker.
And bearer of the Heavenly Killing Star.
I came here for this weapon and ended up discovering another truth.
Yugeon stored the item in his spatial bag.
Then he headed toward the slope.
Climbing it would be no problem.
BOOM.
“Th-This weapon... is really mine?!”
Mincheol stared at the enormous weapon in front of him.
His face was filled with emotion.
Hyung had said he was visiting his old house.
Then he came back carrying something like this.
“Yeah. It's yours. You probably won't ever need another weapon.”
“AAAAAH! Thank you so much, hyung!!”
Mincheol practically screamed.
Then bowed deeply.
A Mythic item.
A Mythic item the world did not even know existed yet.
And it combined a hammer and an axe.
Recently...
He had begun feeling limited while fighting only with a hammer.
Somehow...
Hyung had known exactly what he needed.
“Good for you, Mincheol.”
Hwarin smiled.
She had been feeling a little guilty.
She had received so many valuable items.
The lantern.
The crown.
Now Mincheol finally had a perfect weapon too.
Grab.
“Whoa... It's seriously heavy.”
“You'll need to increase your Strength before you can use it properly.”
“Don't worry, hyung! If there's one thing I'm good at, it's strength!”
Mincheol grinned from ear to ear.
“By the way, Yugeon... You went into the Tower alone, didn't you?”
Hwarin smiled bitterly.
There was no way a Mythic item had simply been sitting in his old family home.
He had clearly gone to the Tower.
“You should've taken us.”
“There was no reason for either of you to come. I could handle that floor alone.”
“...”
Hwarin smiled bitterly again.
She had already misunderstood the reason.
He must've gone alone because he didn't want us to suffer.
They had spent recent days training through lower sectors.
Then they stopped the Wave.
They had been busy.
She believed Yugeon deliberately let them rest.
“You don't need to carry everything by yourself.”
“Hmm?”
Yugeon tilted his head.
What was she talking about?
He had genuinely gone alone because it was faster.
And because he wanted the weapon to be a surprise for Mincheol.
She's misunderstanding something...
But Hwarin was already walking toward the kitchen.
“Hyung, when are we going back into the Tower?!”
Mincheol stared at Yugeon with shining eyes.
He clearly wanted to test his new weapon immediately.
“Don't worry. We're going later today.”
“Oooooh!”
“Starting today, we're clearing all of Sector 3. Save your energy.”
“Yes!”
Mincheol answered energetically.
Several hours later...
He regretted answering that energetically.
Thud.
“Ugh... N-Nunim... Water...”
“I already drank all mine...”
