Chapter 86: The Second Test (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86: The Second Test (1)
A heavy silence fell over the crowd as everyone held their breath.
A beautiful girl with long, flowing hair appeared before them. She was the Administrator of Earth.
It was her first appearance since the 0th Floor. The Administrator waved her hand brightly.
“You all look healthy! It’s good to see you again!”
“……”
No one could find the words to answer. Far from responding, they couldn't even bring themselves to look her in the eye.
Slowly, the reality was beginning to sink in. They were realizing exactly what kind of being this beautiful girl was—and just how much influence she wielded over this twisted world.
She was an absolute being, an existence against whom resistance was utterly futile. That was the Administrator. As if pleased by the oppressive silence, she gave a radiant smile.
“You’ve all become so calm now that it’s the second time! You’ve grown!”
Calm, my foot.
That wasn't the atmosphere at all. They weren't calm; they were simply paralyzed by sheer terror.
The Administrator was like a meticulously crafted doll. She did not understand the human heart or its complex emotions.
[A twisted existence, even after all this time. A manufactured anomaly wearing the skin of the universe.]
The Master of All Weapons muttered, his voice dripping with revulsion. It was the first time he had shown such blatant aversion toward anyone.
While everyone else kept their heads bowed, unable to meet her gaze, Kang Jun-hyeok calmly looked up at her.
Scanning the crowd, the Administrator’s eyes locked onto him. A strange light flickered in her gaze, and her smile widened.
“Kang Jun-hyeok!”
She closed the distance in an instant. Her movement looked as if she were folding space itself, causing the people standing near him to scramble back in a panic.
“I knew you were alive! I believed in you!”
She patted Kang Jun-hyeok on the shoulder. He offered a wry smile in return.
She really has no sense of the atmosphere.
It wasn't exactly a surprise, though. He composed himself and spoke.
“It’s been a while, Administrator.”
“Yeah! How have you been?”
“I’ve been climbing the tower diligently and proving myself.”
“Hmm. It certainly looks that way, doesn't it?”
She glanced at Kang Jun-hyeok’s hand. The Master of All Weapons let out a disgruntled snort. The Administrator smirked.
“Wow. That’s more like it! That’s what makes you worth my attention!”
The Administrator spoke with genuine joy. The players watching the scene were filled with shock. On the 0th Floor, the Administrator hadn't shown interest in anyone. There were a few who had tried to argue with her back then, but she had looked at them as if they were mere insects.
Yet now, the Administrator was acting incredibly friendly toward this man named Kang Jun-hyeok.
A single question burned in their minds: Who was Kang Jun-hyeok?
Soon, a theory emerged. He was the player who had achieved a Perfect Clear on the 0th Floor—the mysterious figure of whom there were only rumors, the one the Administrator had personally taken an interest in.
The moment their suspicions turned into certainty, the Administrator took a step back.
“Oops. I can’t keep doing this. As much as I’m happy to see you, I have to do my job. Sorry! Let’s talk more later, okay?”
“As you wish, Administrator.”
The Administrator ascended back into the sky. A sharp clap of her hands rang out, silencing the murmurs of confusion.
“Now then! First of all, congratulations! You have brilliantly passed the first test—the assessment of performance, comprehension, and combat! Now, it is time to begin the second test.”
The crowd swallowed hard. She snapped her fingers.
“The second test is the Proof of Strength. And it’s a cooperative test!”
Rumble!
The earth began to vibrate. Intense tremors, like a massive earthquake, sent people stumbling. Hands reached frantically for the ground to find balance.
“Whoa, whoa!”
“What’s happening?!”
Rumble, rumble!
Massive walls began to erupt from the vibrating earth, shooting high into the sky.
“Uh…”
“This is…”
Thud!
To the north, south, east, and west—colossal walls rose in all four directions, dividing the plain into four distinct sectors. The Administrator snapped her fingers once more. Inside each of the four newly created spaces, a tower began to rise.
Rumble!
A white tower, a yellow tower, a red tower, and a black tower rose in their respective areas. The Administrator clapped her hands.
“Let the second test begin!”
[Second Test: You are provided with four towers. Protect the towers from the ensuing invasions.]
[Every player must choose one of the four towers to defend. Failure to protect your chosen tower will result in failure.]
[Rewards will be determined based on your performance.]
“Good luck, everyone!”
The Administrator waved and vanished.
For a moment, a silence so profound it was hard to believe tens of thousands of people were gathered there filled the air. Kim Tae-yeon, finally regaining her senses, clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
“Come on, everyone! Get a grip!”
“Ah.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The players hurriedly snapped out of their daze. Kim Tae-yeon approached Kang Jun-hyeok.
“Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok, um… what should we do?”
The crowd watched the exchange intently. Kim Tae-yeon, the leader of a massive guild, was seeking advice from the man the Administrator had singled out. Their curiosity about Kang Jun-hyeok grew even stronger.
Kang Jun-hyeok looked up and replied, “Do you see that in the sky?”
“……Ah!”
Numbers were counting down in the air.
[58:22]
[0%]
It was immediately clear what they meant.
“The time remaining until the invasion and… the gauge we need to defend?”
“It seems so. We need to figure things out before then.”
“Ev-everyone, scatter and gather information!” Kim Tae-yeon shouted.
People scrambled toward the divided spaces. After inspecting the pillars in each area, they quickly gathered the necessary details. The land was divided into four areas, each with a tower marked by specific numbers.
White Tower: 1 – 20.
Yellow Tower: 21 – 30.
Red Tower: 31 – 40.
Black Tower: 41+.
The players discussed it and quickly reached a conclusion.
“It refers to the player’s cleared floor.”
The players were to be distributed across the four spaces according to their strength. Enemies of a corresponding level would appear, and successfully defending against the invasion would mean a clear.
After summarizing the situation, Kim Tae-yeon looked at Kang Jun-hyeok. He nodded.
“That’s likely correct.”
“Everyone, move to the tower that matches your floor!”
The crowd moved in a flurry. Naturally, the White Tower had the most people, with tens of thousands entering. Thousands moved toward the Yellow Tower, and hundreds—including Kim Tae-yeon and Baekdusan—moved toward the Red Tower.
However, the Black Tower was a problem. Players on the 41st Floor or higher were incredibly rare. At this point, there was only one.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Yoo Jin-ha.
Yoo Jin-ha stepped forward, seemingly enjoying the attention. His posture suggested he saw this as the perfect opportunity to take the spotlight.
“I will head to the Black Tower alone.”
“B-but, by yourself……”
“You don’t need to worry too much. I have currently cleared the 46th Floor.”
“Ooh!”
“As expected!”
The crowd erupted in admiration. Yoo Jin-ha smiled heroically.
“No matter what kind of enemy appears, I can handle it alone. Please do not worry about the Black Tower.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Understood!”
The plan was set. People moved to their positions and began to form ranks. Kim Tae-yeon, having seen the last person off, looked at Kang Jun-hyeok.
“Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok, you’re currently on the 15th Floor, right? Then the White Tower…… no, wait. Considering your skills, perhaps coming to the Red Tower would be better……”
“No.”
Kang Jun-hyeok shook his head and started walking. Kim Tae-yeon’s eyes widened as she watched his direction.
Yoo Jin-ha, standing in front of the Black Tower, frowned as Kang Jun-hyeok approached him.
“I’ll be heading here,” Kang Jun-hyeok said.
“……Are you sure? This is for the 41st Floor and above. Even if you are strong…… you’re still only on the 15th Floor.”
“It won’t be a problem,” Kang Jun-hyeok replied with a faint smile.
Yoo Jin-ha looked at Kim Tae-yeon with an incredulous expression, as if asking her to stop him. However, Kim Tae-yeon, stroking her chin, accepted Kang Jun-hyeok’s judgment.
“If it’s Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok…… I’m sure it’ll be fine!”
“What?”
“Then, Yoo Jin-ha, Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok—I’m counting on you!”
Kim Tae-yeon bowed deeply. Because of that, she didn't see the way Yoo Jin-ha’s face contorted in annoyance.
* * *
A desolate wind blew across the plain.
A heavy silence dominated the area. The timer showed ten minutes remaining. Soon, the invasion would begin. Players gripped their weapons with tension, taking their combat stances.
Inside the Black Tower sector, there were only two: Yoo Jin-ha and Kang Jun-hyeok.
In the silence, Yoo Jin-ha was the first to speak.
“Are you going to be alright?”
“About what?”
“It’s dangerous here,” Yoo Jin-ha said, his voice calm. “I know you’re strong. But from the 41st Floor onward, the difficulty is on a completely different level. Wouldn't it be wiser to make a sensible choice now?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Leave this place to me and withdraw. Why don't you go to the Red Tower? You have talent. You’ve achieved a Perfect Clear on every floor. I understand you’re confident, but sometimes that can turn into recklessness.”
After listening, Kang Jun-hyeok asked, “So, are you saying you’ll handle the Black Tower all by yourself, Mr. Yoo Jin-ha?”
“Yes.”
“That will be difficult. You might even lose your life.”
“It’s fine.” Yoo Jin-ha smiled thinly. “If my sacrifice prevents further casualties, then that is enough.”
He spoke grandly, as if he were a martyr ready to embrace any fate for the greater good. Kang Jun-hyeok stared at him.
Yoo Jin-ha. The Great Swordsman.
In the past, he had kept his word. In the second test, he had stood alone at the Black Tower, cutting down every monster that rushed to destroy it with a single sword. Seeing him standing atop a mountain of corpses with his longsword, people began to call him the Sword Saint with awe.
Sword Saint Yoo Jin-ha. A powerhouse and one of the heroes who survived until the very end. He was South Korea’s strongest player.
I once respected Yoo Jin-ha, too.
He had the swordsmanship, the talent, and even the character. He lacked nothing. Kang Jun-hyeok had once resolved to become a player just like him.
But even that eventually crumbled.
One minute remained. Kang Jun-hyeok stood up. When he showed no sign of withdrawing, Yoo Jin-ha furrowed his brow and let out a sigh.
“If it’s your own choice, I suppose there’s nothing I can do. I will do my best to protect you, but I can’t make any guarantees, so please look out for yourself.”
“You don’t need to worry,” Kang Jun-hyeok replied nonchalantly.
There were two reasons why he had come to the Black Tower.
First: [Rewards will be determined based on your performance.]
The rewards varied according to performance. Naturally, he had to challenge the highest difficulty to get the best results.
And second: Sword Saint Yoo Jin-ha. A man so great and noble he was almost like a saint.
But the reality was different. On the contrary, he was a very human, very flawed person. In his past life, Kang Jun-hyeok had realized that fact far too late. Yet, even after grasping Yoo Jin-ha’s true nature, he couldn't bring himself to abandon him back then. Clinging to his past admiration, he had believed Yoo Jin-ha would become great again and had given him full support.
The result had been a catastrophic defeat.
This time, it will be different.
He would shatter Yoo Jin-ha’s mask from the very beginning. Thoroughly. To the point where it could never be put back on.
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled invisibly as the timer hit zero.