Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Sang-hyeok's eyes widened slightly.
'Physical adaptation?'
This time, the Heart of the Apocalypse Demonic Dragon had begun altering Sang-hyeok's body itself.
It was a change he had never experienced before.
Sang-hyeok immediately looked down at his right arm.
'It's changing my bloodflow?'
As his heart beat again, the dark-red flow remaining beneath his skin writhed once more at his fingertips.
It was a power that had not disappeared even after he withdrew <Erasure>.
Sang-hyeok slowly clenched and unclenched his right hand.
'What's different?'
The notification did not explain what <Bloodflow Adaptation> would change.
Just as Sang-hyeok was about to check for himself, the Floor 6 battlefield around him began turning white.
Fwoosh!
The three floodgates and the black sand piled on the floor scattered into light.
The gray floor vanished as well, and everything around him changed into a white settlement space.
「Distributing 6th-floor clear rewards.」
「Your level has increased.」
[Lv.6 → Lv.7]
Whoosh.
Warm mana surged into his body.
The mana he had spent opening the floodgates was restored in an instant.
Part of the newly replenished mana flowed into the Heart of the Apocalypse Demonic Dragon.
Thump.
The heart, having taken in the mana, beat powerfully and pushed dark-red energy into his right arm.
The energy spread rapidly along his blood vessels to his fingertips.
Sang-hyeok removed the bracelet from his left wrist to check whether this flow continued without the help of <Spirit Vein Bracelet: Budding>.
Clack.
The external mana flowing in through his wrist stopped.
Even so, the dark-red energy flowing through his right arm did not disappear right away.
Sang-hyeok kept the bracelet off and watched the change.
Thump.
Even when his heart beat again, the energy remained in his right arm.
But it did not last long.
Soon, a sharp tightness seized the inside of his right arm.
"Ngh."
A thin line of pain spread along the inside of his arm as the dark-red energy rapidly faded.
Sang-hyeok clenched and unclenched his right hand, taking stock of the new sensation.
Even with the <Spirit Vein Bracelet> removed, the dark-red energy remained in his right arm for a while.
However, it was not yet stable enough to last long.
Soon, new information followed.
[Bloodflow Adaptation will progress starting from the right arm.]
[Current status: Unstable]
[Repeatedly circulating mana and developing the body will advance the adaptation.]
Sang-hyeok looked at the <Spirit Vein Bracelet: Budding> he had taken off.
The mana drawn in by the <Spirit Vein Bracelet: Budding> on the 6th floor had flowed through the Heart of the Apocalypse Demonic Dragon and into his right arm.
The strain from that process seemed to have triggered <Bloodflow Adaptation>.
It was still too incomplete to be called a proper Authority.
Its exact effects were also still unknown.
Still, since the system had even told him how to develop it, there was no need to rush.
If he kept climbing the tower and circulating mana as he was now, it would eventually bloom into a proper Authority.
Clack.
Sang-hyeok put the <Spirit Vein Bracelet: Budding> back on his wrist.
'I just need to keep climbing.'
While Sang-hyeok was organizing his thoughts, the settlement notifications continued.
「All settlements are complete.」
「Returning to reality.」
Fwoosh!
White light wrapped around Sang-hyeok's body and erased the settlement space.
* * *
The next day.
Sang-hyeok entered the 7th floor of the Infinite Tower as planned.
As the white light faded, a long corridor of gray stone came into view.
Before Sang-hyeok could even look around, the stone door deeper inside the corridor jerked open.
Clank!
The sound of stone striking stone rapidly approached from beyond the door.
Soon, a long-limbed stone statue leaped over the threshold and burst into the corridor.
Thud!
As the statue landed on the floor, the blue sphere embedded in the center of its back glowed brightly.
The light extending from the sphere coiled around both legs, and the stiff joints moved smoothly.
[Sprinting Statue]
[Lv.8]
The statue glanced back at Sang-hyeok once, then lowered its body as if preparing to dash off.
As the statue took its stance, the trial information unfolded.
[Floor 7 Trial: <Fugitive’s Corridor>]
[Time Limit: 5 minutes]
[Objective]
- Destroy the Sprinting Statue before it passes through the final gate.
- Interference units grow stronger each time a gate is passed.
[Evaluation Criteria]
- Pursuit time
- Number of gates allowed to be passed
- Mana consumption efficiency
Sang-hyeok looked past the information window, examining first the crouched statue and then the corridor stretching ahead of it.
'It's exactly as in the strategy guide.'
Between the Sprinting Statue and the first gate, tall stone walls stood staggered.
The path on the floor twisted several times between them.
Following the standard route meant chasing the statue along the winding path while also dealing with interference soldiers.
It was so fast that few players managed to stop it before the first gate and earn an SSS rating.
Sang-hyeok looked at the tops of the stone walls instead of the path on the floor.
'There's no need to follow the set path.'
Unlike the winding path, the tops of the walls led straight to the first gate.
「The trial begins.」
BOOM!
The moment the trial began, the statue kicked off the floor and sprinted away.
Instead of chasing it, Sang-hyeok pivoted toward the stone wall beside him.
Whoosh!
He kicked off the wall and climbed atop it in one motion.
The <Collapse Walker’s Boots> kept his balance steady even through the abrupt leap.
As Sang-hyeok ran in a straight line atop the stone wall, the distance to the statue shrank rapidly.
Crrrack.
Then, the top of the stone wall ahead shifted, and an interference soldier clad in stone armor rose up.
[Pursuit Interference Soldier]
[Lv.7]
The interference soldier immediately thrust a stone spear at Sang-hyeok, but Sang-hyeok did not slow down.
Instead, he gathered mana into his right arm.
'<Erasure>.'
Fwoosh!
As Sang-hyeok swung his right hand without stopping, the stone spear and the interference soldier's body scattered into black sand all at once.
Sang-hyeok passed straight through the vanishing figure and kicked off the last stone wall with all his strength.
Whoosh!
Sang-hyeok's body sailed over the statue's head.
Twisting his body in midair, Sang-hyeok reached out his right hand toward the blue sphere embedded in the statue's back.
'<Erasure>.'
Tsssss!
When the blue sphere touched by <Erasure> crumbled into black sand, the light wrapped around the creature's legs went out as well.
The statue's legs stiffened, and its running body toppled over before it could reach the first gate.
Craaash!
Sang-hyeok stepped on the fallen statue's back and landed lightly on the floor.
[The Sprinting Statue has stopped.]
[Gates Allowed to Be Passed: 0]
[Pursuit time: 00:43]
[Mana Consumption Efficiency: Excellent]
「7th-floor trial complete.」
[Conquest Rating: SSS]
「Your level has increased.」
[Lv.7 → Lv.8]
New mana flowed into the Heart of the Apocalypse Demonic Dragon.
Thump.
As the Heart beat powerfully, hot blood seemed to race through his right arm faster than before.
The dark-red energy also spread to his fingertips far more naturally along that flow.
[Bloodflow Adaptation progresses further.]
Sang-hyeok lightly clenched and unclenched his right hand.
As he climbed the tower, his body was gradually adapting to the demonic dragon's power.
* * *
At the same time.
Overseas Talent Analysis Office, China Players Association.
The wall-sized screen displayed rookies who had distinguished themselves across the countries of the Eastern Channel.
Japan, India, Vietnam, Thailand, and others.
Their names, levels, and Traits were compiled, along with their affiliated guilds and even the possibility of contact.
The office's role was to identify promising foreign talent before anyone else and recruit them into China's ranks.
When potential was spotted, they courted the target with major guild contracts, growth resources, and citizenship.
If the target still refused, surveillance and threats followed.
They did not hesitate to use family members as leverage or abduct the person to force a change of nationality.
If they could not bring someone in by contract, they took them by force.
That was this place's way.
China ranked first in the Eastern Channel and, among the P7—the world's seven major player powers—vied for the top spot with the United States, which ranked first in the Western Channel.
Its willingness to use any means necessary to recruit talent was one of the keys to maintaining that position.
The record drawing their closest attention was at the very bottom of South Korea's entry.
It was a player whose name had not even been confirmed yet.
[Public Name: Undisclosed]
[Confirmed Guild Affiliation: None]
[Real Name and Contact Route: Unconfirmed]
[Management Classification: Special Observation]
Then an alert sounded from one side of the screen.
Beep.
"The record of the undisclosed South Korean player has been updated."
At the analyst's report, everyone in the room turned toward the same screen.
[Affiliated Nation: South Korea]
[Public Name: Undisclosed]
[Current Level: Lv.8]
[Growth Tower Floors 1-7 Conquest Ratings: All SSS]
[7th-Floor Pursuit Time: 00:43]
[Gates Allowed to Be Passed: 0]
"The 7th floor was SSS too?"
The man seated at the head leaned forward.
"Yes. They destroyed the Sprinting Statue before it passed the first gate."
The analyst brought up the earlier records as well.
[Tutorial World Achievement: <Crack the Impossible>]
[Destroyed <Indestructible> entity <Adamant Dummy>]
[Tutorial Impossible Achievement: <One Who Achieved the Impossible>]
[Destroyed <Indestructible Guardian>, which was not a destruction target]
[Floor 1 Hidden Battlefield Complete Conquest]
[Floor 5 Hidden Trial First Complete Conquest]
"So the one they call Impossible One on PlayerNet was this player?"
"Yes. From the two tutorial achievements onward, the public name and country match, and the timing of the records lines up exactly."
The analyst then spread out the records from the 1st floor through the 7th floor.
Seven SSS ratings lined up across the screen.
The man slowly scanned from the tutorial achievements to the 7th-floor records.
"Truly remarkable."
"Yes. These are records with the scent of a Celestial Seat."
It was not an exaggerated assessment.
Most of the current Sixteen Celestial Seats had also strung together SSS ratings up to the 10th floor during their rookie days.
The current Second Seat, <Limitless>, had recorded twenty consecutive SSS ratings from the 1st floor to the 20th floor.
Of course, Impossible One was still only at the 7th floor.
But judging solely by the results so far, he did not lag behind the Celestial Seats' rookie days.
In particular, the two achievements set in the tutorial were records that none of the current Sixteen Celestial Seats had achieved together.
The man tapped the desk lightly with his fingers.
"They may truly have Celestial Seat-level talent."
His gaze dropped to the personal information below the screen.
"Have you found any leads on his identity?"
"Not yet. There's no confirmed guild or sponsor, and no matching individual appears on the Korean association's official rookie list."
"Find him as quickly as possible."
The man looked at the analysts one by one.
"Mobilize the entire cooperation network on the Korean side. Start by narrowing down every recently awakened unaffiliated player whose climbing timeline matches."
"Yes."
The analyst's hands moved.
[Management Classification: Special Observation]
[→ Top-Priority Overseas Recruitment Candidate]
[Identity Confirmation Priority: Normal]
[→ Urgent]
The man pointed at the nameless record floating on the screen.
"Make thorough preparations for recruitment. Offer them their choice of major guilds, dedicated equipment, growth resources, and full support for relocating and settling their family."
One analyst asked cautiously.
"What if they still refuse to come to China after we offer our best terms?"
A bleak smile crossed the man's lips.
"If he won't listen to kind words."
His gaze stopped on the nameless South Korea entry.
"Then we use the stick."
* * *
The next day.
Sang-hyeok challenged the Infinite Tower again that day, as usual.
「Would you like to enter the Infinite Tower?」
'Enter.'
Fwoosh!
White light wrapped around Sang-hyeok's body.
A moment later, both feet touched the cold stone floor, and the light lifted.
Before him stretched a long stone passageway with black mist covering the floor.
「You have entered the 8th floor of the Infinite Tower.」
The mist was so thick that the end of the passage was not visible.
On both walls stood eight statues holding stone spears and stone swords, four on each side, facing one another.
As Sang-hyeok took one step into the passage, the stone door behind him closed.
Thud.
As the vibration from the closing door subsided, the trial information unfolded.
[8th-Floor Trial: <Barrier of Silence>]
[Objective]
- Destroy all 8 Silent Stone Soldiers.
[Special Environment]
- The status condition <Silence> is applied to players entering the battlefield.
- The lower your <Silence> resistance, the more your Authority output decreases.
- If you cannot resist <Silence>, you cannot activate Authorities.
[Evaluation Criteria]
- Clear time
- Number of hits taken
- Mana consumption efficiency
Sang-hyeok checked the information carefully.
The Floor 8 <Silence> was not a status condition he could simply endure without resistance.
Without any preparation, Authorities themselves were sealed.
To use even a fraction of an Authority's power, he needed to raise his Silence resistance with equipment and consumables.
The maximum a low-floor player could reach was 50%, but few people had equipment that good.
Most entered the trial with only 20-30% resistance secured.
Sang-hyeok took out a scroll painted with silver patterns from his inventory.
It was a single-use consumable Sang-hyeok had asked his father to have Ilseong provide before he entered the tower.
[<Silence Resistance Scroll>]
[On use: Silence resistance +25% for 10 minutes]
Sang-hyeok unfurled the scroll and channeled mana into it.
Fwoosh.
The silver patterns blazed like flames and then seeped into Sang-hyeok's body.
[Used <Silence Resistance Scroll>.]
[Silence resistance increases by 25%.]
If it worked as expected, he should be able to draw out about 25% of his normal output.
Sang-hyeok looked down at his right hand.
<Erasure> had erased everything it touched without exception so far.
Then, would the power of annihilation remain even with its output suppressed to 25%?
'I'll find out by testing it directly.'
Sang-hyeok's gaze turned to the statues lined along the wall.
「The trial begins.」
Ssssss.
The black mist covering the floor climbed up Sang-hyeok's ankles.
[Status condition <Silence> is applied.]
[Silence resistance 25% is applied.]
[Currently usable Authority output: 25%]
Crrrack.
The eyes of the statue standing against the right wall glowed red.
[Silent Stone Soldier]
[Lv.9]
The moment it pulled away from the wall, it thrust its stone spear forward.
The dark-red spearhead split the mist and aimed for Sang-hyeok's face.
Whoosh!
Sang-hyeok raised his right hand, watching the incoming spearhead.
'<Erasure>.'
He was about to test how effective <Erasure> remained at only 25% output.
Thump!
The Heart of the Apocalypse Demonic Dragon beat powerfully.
Dark-red energy surged along the blood vessels of his right arm to his fingertips.
Wherever that energy passed, the power of <Silence> pressing down on his right arm rapidly weakened.
「Bloodflow Adaptation reacts to the status condition <Silence>.」
[Affected area: Right arm]
[The effect of <Silence> applied to the right arm decreases.]
[The Authority output restriction on the right arm is eased.]
Whoosh!
The black energy that should have been suppressed to 25% surged violently past his palm and up to his wrist.
The <Erasure> was far stronger than Sang-hyeok had expected.
Sang-hyeok twisted his body to dodge the spearhead, then grabbed the spear shaft.
Tsssss!
The stone spear and the arm holding it turned into black sand all at once.
Sang-hyeok looked down at the black energy rising from his right hand.
In the end, he had not been able to confirm whether the power of annihilation remained at 25% output.
<Bloodflow Adaptation> had already pushed the <Silence> out of his right arm first.
His altered bloodflow had not even blossomed into a proper Authority yet, and it was already beginning to resist status conditions.