Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Babel Tower Activation
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『System activation welcome!』
『Special reward for the first Babel Tower activation title!』
『Babel Tower's Engraving』
『Babel Tower's will takes a special interest in Korea.』
The broadcasters were utterly flustered by the sudden turn of events.
["Whoa? W-what is this?"]
["Babel Tower?"]
The chat exploded.
-What is this?
-Whoa
-Am I the only one seeing that message window? I'm just a regular person??
-Reality has really turned into a game?
-I thought maybe I'd returned to the first string after allㅠㅠㅠ
-But Korea's the first to connect? What the hell has the US been doing?
-Why the sudden activation?
-This is crazier than any novel;;
-Babel Tower, like the one from the Bible? The stone tower humans stacked to reach heaven and got totally wrecked by the gods?
The message windows weren't just for hunters—they popped up for everyone across the country.
『Channel 43 synchronization….』
『Gate generation in progress….』
『Starlight reinforcement in progress….』
『Dimensional overlap reinforcement in progress….』
『Streaming service installation in progress….』
『Story library patch in progress….』
『Item market installation in progress….』
…
Notifications scrolled up relentlessly.
It was like installing programs on a computer—something was rapidly setting up.
『Warning!』
『The protection level of the safe zone restriction grade has been lowered.』
『Limited invasion possible.』
『Vulnerability alert!』
『A world ignorant of gods!』
『A worldview filled with fear!』
『Starlight grows stronger.』
『Interference from constellations is now permitted.』
『Due to the validity period of the restriction grade, constellation interference is partially limited.』
Warning alerts kept popping up nonstop, but no one could tell exactly what they were warning about.
『Administrator system patch.』
『Babel Tower sends a special message to the first awakening channel.』
『Reach for the heavens.』
The God Gold hosts stared blankly at the incomprehensible message windows before turning back to the intersection scene.
The installation was still underway.
No message windows about Babel Tower appeared for the heroes—only the hunters and police were milling about in confusion on screen.
Sensing the weird atmosphere, the heroes poked at the police unnecessarily, testing the waters.
* * *
"The gate hasn't opened yet?"
"Not yet."
My guildmates grumbled at my answer.
"Why's it taking so damn long."
"Ugh, I'm covered in sweat and dirt—feels gross as hell. I was holding out to go home and shower."
"Am I the only one feeling uneasy? I figured it'd be like the game with a logout button, so we could just head out of the tower anytime."
"What if we're trapped in the game like this?"
"Quit saying scary shit."
Some guild members, tired of waiting for the connection to our world, finally flopped down in the grass nearby like starfish.
They'd rolled around so much they couldn't get any dirtier anyway.
Mino asked,
"If it's gonna take forever, wouldn't it be better to just head to Deferonta, crash for the night, and come back?"
Gilgamesh and Dart, who'd been watching the forming extradimensional whirlpool gate, turned to me as if agreeing mentally.
After a moment's thought under their expectant gazes, I reached the same conclusion.
"Let's wait a bit longer."
Dungeon entrance.
『Gate generation in progress….』
『System installation in progress….』
A logout gate was being built right before our eyes.
Power-leveling had gone off without a hitch.
Due to the nature of the game, top-string rankers usually focused on wars rather than dungeons, so adaptation took time.
But as rankers do, they kept fighting in high-level dungeons, gaining momentum. Drowning in heals and potions, they'd forcibly recover HP and level up like mad.
Eventually, even potions and heals couldn't keep up with their mental fatigue.
They exited the dungeon, scheduled the next day, hit the logout button to leave the tower—and that's when the system finally started connecting to reality with this passage.
If I'd known, I'd have triggered it sooner to get the installation going.
The guildmates chattered.
"Feels like a week's gone by, right?"
"Huh? I thought at least ten days."
"Sigh. Stuck in dungeons nonstop—my sense of time is shot."
"Hyeonwoo-nim, if we get fired from our jobs, you'll really hire us, right?"
"Yes. No need to worry."
Hyeonwoo-nim, who'd proudly revealed his chaebol status, flashed a reassuring, benevolent smile at the office workers.
Students were on break, but the salarymen were AWOL.
To ease their fears, Hyeonwoo-nim promised job guarantees if needed, and Gilgamesh offered generous financial compensation for any major fallout.
And so, the guild had forgotten the real world for a near-seclusion training week.
Gilgamesh crossed his arms.
"Sigh, it's taking forever. By the way, this is some otherworld, right? What if time flows differently? We get home and bam—100 years passed."
I let out an involuntary groan at Gilgamesh's wild yet oddly convincing words.
God, what if it really had?
He rattled off the horrifying line casually, then suddenly eyed me like he'd remembered something.
"Oh yeah, what about Messiah?"
"Hm?"
"You left her with Deferonta to bring her home, remember?"
"Oh. Right."
I'd totally forgotten amid the power-leveling.
Then another question.
"But you're not bringing the others? Your guild's tight with the heroes—could make for killer broadcasting business."
"Not sure if we can summon heroes outside the gate, though."
Truth be told, summons aside, I was worried about where my gate-killed heroes had gone, if they were okay.
I believed Messiah was fine since she said so, but after 24 hours with no return? It gnawed at me.
Gilgamesh nodded.
"Yeah, that's the issue."
Not long ago, during sieges, Gilgamesh had seemed like a total sleaze, obsessing over money.
Now, as guild manager, I craved his shiny ideas.
Seeing me listen intently, Gilgamesh's voice perked up.
"If that works, it's basically like recruiting more guildmates. Fullminak's the newbie, so we've got the fewest members—fact."
"True. We have talent, but even merging with Gentle Knights leaves us short."
"They're not that big either."
Gentle Knights felt massive to me, but smallest of the three.
They ran like a real knight order—super structured internally.
Their loyalty to Hyeonwoo-nim was intense; probably corporate types.
Maybe they skipped after-work drinks for PC bangs with fellow gamers.
Hilarious mental image.
Anyway, if monster gates kept opening and Midgard stayed accessible, we could leverage Fullminak's heroes to train more guildmates.
I glanced at Dart.
Gate ownership was TBD, but for northern Midgard dungeons, better stay on good terms with Space King holding the north.
Impossible mid-siege, but vibes were decent now.
Gilgamesh kept going.
"Imagine vlogging daily life with heroes—people would freak."
"Yeah, for real."
Same heroes, different angles: Gilgamesh saw cash and streams; I saw firepower and levels. Fascinating.
I called Messiah.
"Messiah."
A magic circle etched itself, scattering light—and Messiah appeared before me.
[Quan Messiah]
Rank: SSS+
Affiliation: Wirentia/Fullminak
Position: High Priestess
1st Binding: Kaisha (Fullminak)
2nd Binding: Maya (Fullminak)
[Train?]
>>[[View Skills]]<<
Valen was Deferonta's prince—too dicey. Terah was a knight captain in Embrase, sister nation to Wirentia.
Messiah was Wirentia's pinnacle high priestess, technically.
But she'd asked to come.
Her starlight eyes met mine.
The usually demure Messiah rushed over and hugged me the moment she saw me.
"!"
Stunned by her rare boldness, I knelt to hug back—then froze at her spotless clothes.
I was filthy.
Before I could pull away, the gate passage's hue shifted.
"Ooh, finally."
Gilgamesh lit up, and the sprawled hunters rose one by one.
Ding!
『Connection complete.』
* * *
Helcannon, swept into Leonhardt's faction as an eastern hero, bounded forward like instinct, scanning surroundings.
Not far from the gate.
Ding!
[The constellation 'Light's Arbiter Who Promises Salvation' offers an incarnation contract.]
[Contract with this constellation for greater power in his domain—]
Helcannon faced forward.
An enormous cross-shaped street unfolded into an astonishing scene.
"!"
Crowds of people.
Wrecked metal machines, bleeding folks, distant camera crews, differently dressed but presumed soldiers with shields.
He faltered.
Spotting Helcannon's shock at the scene, Leonhardt doubled back and yanked his arm.
"Brother! Hurry!"
Running after Leon again, he scanned—no floating names above injured or nearby civilians.
A few soldiers had them.
These were civilians.
Heroes at the intersection held a few hostages, prowling like hyenas, sizing up the soldiers' forces.
Biding for an attack opening.
Realizing the heroes' atrocities, Helcannon's breath quickened.
"Leonhardt!"
"No slacking! They use guns like demons! Devil spawn!"
"!"
Helcannon couldn't stay unshaken, but the terrified, clamoring crowd twisted his gut.
Glancing back—Elper and other heroes and guildmates charging.
Full enemies now.
Ding!
[The constellation 'Light's Arbiter Who Promises Salvation' urges the incarnation contract.]
[They'll kill you blind with fear—contract now for my power and authority, it says.]
Bang!
A blank shot rang out—every hero at the intersection, Helcannon included, flinched and hunched.
To heroes, it was demon tech—instinctual dread and enmity.
The blank signaled: [POLICE]-marked shields surged forward.
Hunters from behind buildings.
Cops and hunters clashed toward the center simultaneously.
"Concentrated attack on 3!"
"Casualties mounting! 8! 8!!"
"Wide-area block—!!"
"Sepia—!!"
At the call, a hero burst from dense police shields.
Shield specialist hero, Sepia.
Her lime-green shield spread a faint hexagonal energy field.
Boom!
Kablooey!!
Kablooey—!!!
Fullminak hero's wide-area shield took the barrage, shaking the area with deafening blasts.