Chapter 170: 36th Floor. Madman (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 170: 36th Floor. Madman (2)
“Ah, sorry. But this isn't actually a request.”
A surge of energy erupted. Shadows began to stir, and grotesque shapes started crawling out, swarming around Kang Jun-hyeok. The Madman let out a sharp snicker.
“I’ll try my best to hold back so you don’t die, but I do make mistakes sometimes. I hope your Health stat is high!”
Just as he was about to pounce, the Master of All Weapons spoke.
[It has been a long time. Are you called ‘Madman’ now? A fitting title for you.]
“……Huh?”
The Madman froze. His upturned eyes widened in surprise.
“Wait. Is that you?”
[Call me Master of All Weapons. That is my current name.]
[You are the same as ever. You haven't changed a single bit.]
“Uh? Eldiria? You’re here too?”
After a moment of bewilderment, the Madman broke into a bright, unsettling smile.
“Wow. It’s been ages! Good to see you all!”
[I cannot say the feeling is mutual,] Eldiria replied dryly.
The Madman laughed boisterously, seemingly unbothered by the cold reception.
“I thought I’d never see you again in this lifetime. I never imagined we’d meet like this! ……Wait a second. If you two are here, does that mean you’ve contracted with this Player?”
[That is correct.]
[It would seem so.]
“Oho?”
The Madman tilted his head, observing Kang Jun-hyeok with a peculiar glint in his eyes.
“He doesn’t seem like an ordinary Player. Would you two be angry if I remodeled him however I pleased?”
[We certainly wouldn't be pleased.]
“Hmm…… fine. Since it’s a request from friends, I should listen.”
The Madman clapped his hands as if everything had worked out perfectly.
“Great! I was actually looking for someone to show my house to. What do you think? Interested?”
“I am,” Kang Jun-hyeok nodded.
The Madman grinned.
“Then follow me!”
Boom!
The Madman kicked off the ground. In an instant, his body vanished toward the horizon. Kang Jun-hyeok watched him for a heartbeat before activating his skill.
[Rift Movement.]
Shhh.
Kang Jun-hyeok also vanished, reappearing at the far edge of the horizon.
The Madman had bolted to the other side of the planet. It was a distance that would take days even on horseback, but Kang Jun-hyeok caught up in just thirty minutes. The waiting Madman looked genuinely surprised.
“You’re here already? I thought it would take at least a day. I suppose you do have the strength required to contract with those two.”
“Is this your home?”
“That’s right. My sanctuary.”
“It’s a bit too bizarre-looking to be called a sanctuary.”
It resembled a house, though no sane person would ever call it one. The pillars were made of mangled biological masses, and the ceiling was composed of something indescribable. It looked more like a living monster than a building.
The Madman stepped inside, acting as if everything were perfectly normal.
“Those ahead of their time are never understood by others. No matter! Come in!”
Kang Jun-hyeok followed him.
The furniture inside wasn't much different from the exterior. Items belonging to Victors and Losers were jumbled together in a truly gruesome fashion. The Madman picked up a teacup.
“Want a drink?”
“……What is it?”
Inside the cup was a wriggling mass of slime. The Madman answered casually.
“I mixed Corrosive Tribute with some tomatoes. This is what came out. It has a peculiar taste. How should I put it? It feels like your internal organs are being physically wrung out.”
“I’ll pass.”
Kang Jun-hyeok declined. The Madman chuckled and gulped down the wriggling concoction in one go.
“What a shame. It would be nice if you could appreciate this greatness too.”
[Truly, nothing has changed, Madman,] Eldiria muttered. [You are still consumed by them.]
The Madman held up his teacup as if the answer were obvious.
“Look, Eldiria.”
The Madman had drunk nearly half the contents of the cup. Yet, the cup remained full.
“I clearly drank it. But through the power of the Corrosive Tribute, it refills automatically. Even after thousands of years, even if the universe perishes, the contents of this cup will remain full.”
His eyes were filled with a captivated madness.
“Don’t you think it’s truly beautiful? Don’t you think it’s a miracle?”
The Victors.
Heterogeneous powers that could not be explained by natural laws. Alien existences from somewhere beyond.
The Madman was completely enthralled by that alien nature.
The reason he had entered the Tower wasn't to help Players save the universe. It was to analyze the power of the Victors and make it his own.
Among the many Losers, he was one of the most peculiar.
[So, have you made any progress? Did you not say you would make their power your own?]
“……More or less.”
[I take it that means none.]
“It can’t be helped. No matter how I analyze it or try to find a law, it changes every time. It’s just too alien.”
The Madman let out a groan, then grinned as he looked at Kang Jun-hyeok.
“So, can I try remodeling you? You’re a Player, right? An existence of this universe, yet one governed by the laws of the Victors. I feel like I might find an answer if I remodel you.”
The Madman NPC.
Despite being a Tower NPC, he was not friendly toward Players at all. In fact, he sought to remodel and kill them.
Because of this, he had been forgotten for a long time. Kang Jun-hyeok smiled and reached into his Inventory.
“I have something that might interest you more than that.”
He pulled out the Slime Worm Body. The Madman’s eyes widened.
“……Wait. Wait. This is!”
He hurriedly snatched the Slime Worm Body, examining its structure and contents. Soon, his eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head.
“Equipment of the Victors! And it’s so perfect! No one has ever brought me something like this before!”
“Shall I give it to you?”
“Yes! Very much so! Thank you!”
He was ecstatic for a moment before he suddenly paused, his gaze sharpening.
“Who are you? How do you have something like this?”
“I am a Player. But I am very different from the ones you’ve known. And that’s not all.”
Kang Jun-hyeok reached into his Inventory once more.
“That is a finished product. You can analyze it, but you cannot tinker with it. However, these are different.”
[Lowest-Grade Core from Somewhere]
• Rank: Mid-Rank
• An energy source of unknown origin. Beings of the universe cannot understand or analyze it.
[Ship Part from Somewhere]
• A part made of a bizarre substance. Beings of the universe cannot understand or analyze it.
The Madman gasped.
“Tower materials.”
“The reason you haven't been able to understand the concepts of the Victors is that they exist in a realm that is fundamentally incomprehensible to you.”
It was like a two-dimensional being trying to understand three-dimensional concepts. It was impossible from the start.
“But what I have are Tower materials.”
Things created specifically to serve as ingredients for something else.
“They are closer to three-dimensional concepts that have been brought down to the second dimension. And you are a Tower NPC.”
“……You’re saying that only with materials in this form can I touch and remodel them?”
“Correct.”
Kang Jun-hyeok nodded.
In his past life, materials from the Victors were essentially white elephants. Blacksmiths couldn't touch them, and neither could Enchanters. None of the other Tower NPCs could handle them.
But the Madman—he was different.
As someone obsessed with the concepts of the Victors, he was the only one capable of working with their materials.
Once that fact became known, the Madman’s value skyrocketed. It was an event that wouldn't happen for decades in the original timeline, but Kang Jun-hyeok already knew.
“…….”
The Madman fell silent. For the first time, a glimmer of reason appeared in his eyes as he looked at Kang Jun-hyeok.
“Who are you?”
“Is something the matter?”
“How do you know so much? It’s as if you’ve experienced this before.”
He understood the structure of the Tower, its concepts, and its relationships, and he knew how to manipulate them. He acted like someone who had already climbed the Tower once.
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled without a word.
“That isn't what’s important. Isn't it more important that I can fulfill your desire?”
“……I suppose so.”
“Use those materials to craft equipment for me. You get to understand the concepts, and I get the equipment. Don't you think it's a reasonable trade?”
“Not bad. It’s not a bad deal. But……”
The atmosphere shifted instantly. The Madman smirked.
“Wouldn't it be easier to just kill you and take everything for myself?”
A wave of bloodlust surged. The space itself seemed to constrict, tightening around Kang Jun-hyeok.
The opponent was a Loser—a powerhouse capable of killing him in seconds. Eldiria spoke coldly.
[Then you shall die by my hand, Madman.]
“It’s alright, Eldiria.”
Kang Jun-hyeok stopped her. Even in the face of such immense bloodlust, he remained perfectly composed.
“If you’re satisfied with just those few scraps of junk, then go ahead.”
“……What do you mean?”
“You are trapped on the 36th Floor. You can never obtain Tower materials on your own. Ultimately, you must rely on a Player.”
Kang Jun-hyeok shrugged.
“I can bring you much more. If you wish to lose a greater future for the sake of immediate gain, be my guest.”
“Ha. Are you threatening me?”
“Yes.”
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled brightly. The Madman faltered.
“You want to make the power of the Victors your own. Don’t you want to achieve that perfection? I can help you.”
“…….”
“This is a trade, Madman. You make what I want, and I provide what you want. We both benefit.”
“Ha, hahaha! Hahahahahaha!”
The Madman burst into a fit of wild laughter, as if he couldn't contain himself. He shouted in disbelief.
“A mere, insignificant Player! A tool of the Master of the Universe! Threatening me! Demanding a trade on equal terms from me—the one who was once the greatest conqueror in the universe!”
The world trembled from his laughter alone. The being before him was a Loser—someone who, alone, could shake the universe. He could crush Kang Jun-hyeok with a single finger.
Yet, Kang Jun-hyeok remained calm. He stood before the Madman without a shred of fear.
“I’ll ask you one question. Why should I trust you?”
“Because I am going to clear the Tower.”
Kang Jun-hyeok answered simply.
As if he liked that answer, the Madman grinned.
“That confidence. You’ll have to prove it!”
[Hidden Quest: Prove Your Qualifications]
• Condition: Earn the Madman’s recognition.
• Success: The Madman recognizes you and will craft equipment for you.
• Failure: The Madman kills you.