Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: Babel's Order
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The Magic Tower and Babel were gradually taking root.
For those who had lost their player powers, this was a chance they absolutely had to seize to regain their strength.
"When's my turn?"
"Next group can enter in about twenty minutes."
"Got it."
The elves known as the Magic Tower's overseers had firmly secured their positions, and incidents near the tower were virtually nonexistent.
"Why won't they let me in?!"
But if there was even a show of force or clash near the Magic Tower...
Whoooong!
...they would end up in a pathetic state due to the elves' magic.
"Chiiik! Zziiik!"
The player who had been swinging a blunt weapon while shouting was instantly turned into a rat, dangling by its tail in the overseer's hand, wriggling helplessly.
"Please remain quiet. The spell will wear off in thirty minutes."
Plop.
Those transformed were locked in small boxes, clawing at the bars.
It might seem like excessive punishment, but no one complained about the overseers.
"These idiots, they got wrecked last time and they're pulling the same crap again."
"Why not just strip their entry rights entirely?"
"Entry bans only for major crimes? If they don't want this mess every day, just ban them all."
It had become a natural part of the culture to fully obey the Magic Tower's rules.
There was no direct harm in being transformed and humiliated.
Pooof!
"Transformation time is up. No entry today."
"Ah... Understood."
Even the arrogant players became truly docile after such embarrassment.
Even with the association around, these people had endured invisible violence in the shadows. The current order felt incredibly welcoming.
"You may enter."
"Thank you!"
And the moment they stepped inside Babel...
Shwaaaaa!
A completely new world unfolded.
Murmur murmur.
Countless people filled Babel's first floor.
Those who had been delayed by the massive influx of players gasped in awe upon first entering.
"Woooow..."
It had only been a month since Babel opened.
"Party recruiting! Up to the fourth floor only!"
"Damn, failed the fifth floor again today. That's three fails now. Need to build up basic stats and combat experience."
"You said up to the fourth?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Babel's first floor was nothing short of a new world.
[Sacred Guild Babel Branch]
[Sanctuary Alliance Babel Branch]
[...]
It had surpassed the level of a village, taking on the appearance of a full-fledged city.
[Goldian Auction House]
[Goldian General Store]
[Goldian Weapon Shop]
Rows of buildings, bustling crowds.
"...This is Earth, right?"
Such exclamations were only natural.
"It's not Earth—it's Babel."
"......"
Though accessed through Earth, it made sense as a separate world.
Even veteran players who had cleared countless gates could accept it as a complete otherworld.
"And I overheard the overseers calling it..."
Babel had another name.
"Trabania or something."
"Trabania?"
"No idea. Just what the overseers call Babel."
Trabania.
Gulp.
Hearing the name made his heart race.
'It's real.'
They had said a completely new world, a new era, was beginning.
"How do I get to the second floor?"
"Complete the first-floor tutorial first. Ask at the Magic Tower over there."
"Magic Tower?"
"It'll be easy to spot. It's the predecessor of the Korean Association."
The man nodded and started walking away.
*
*
*
Ruuuumble.
The space's gravity felt multiplied several times over, making placed objects tremble.
But oddly, the man at the center showed no tremor at all.
[5x applied. All good?]
System message.
"......"
Seeing it, the man's face took on a strange expression.
"When it's just us two, let's talk normally."
At the words of the man, Go Yohan.
Rustle.
Petal-like wisps fluttered, and Yusehwa appeared.
"If that's what you want."
"Thanks."
As Go Yohan replied, seemingly relieved, the shadows rippled.
"We'll need to reinforce the structures."
Yun Seung-ah, with her black hair and pale skin.
As she emerged, Yusehwa twisted her lips.
"Did you really have to show up to say that?"
"It's polite to speak while looking the Captain in the face."
"Ah, so that's why you went to such lengths to finish it?"
The fruits of evolution, precious yields from the World Tree Yusehwa that required great sacrifice, had been used to heal and advance the apostles.
Other apostles and Lee Jae-kyung still hadn't awakened, but Yun Seung-ah had been the first to emerge after consuming one.
"I didn't go to any lengths. It was nothing."
"Nothing, so you yielded mana and divinity meant for the other apostles?"
Yusehwa smirked.
"The name Sloth must be weeping."
Though named after Sloth, it seemed to poke at Yun Seung-ah's unparalleled diligence.
"Thank you."
It didn't faze Yun Seung-ah.
"Ughhh."
As Yusehwa grimaced in annoyance.
"Why act so childish?"
"What?"
"You're a World Tree, a deity. Can't you keep some dignity?"
At Go Yohan's words, Yusehwa's face flushed even redder.
"Th-this is like that sweet potato from the dramas...!"
"Please. Stop watching those dramas."
Yusehwa oversaw the entire Magic Tower and Babel, but with the elves born and her largely stepping back.
[The Babel gates close every Sunday.]
Like the system messages now appearing, most functions ran automatically.
So she spent her free time holed up watching dramas.
"Fine."
"No need to mimic humans so much."
"You think I want to? I can't help it."
Then, petals fluttered again.
Yusehwa vanished.
[Since five times is nothing...]
In her place, system messages appeared, and mana vibrations began.
[Let's start at thirty times.]
Kukukukukuku!
The suddenly intensified gravity made Yun Seung-ah stagger.
Paaah!
The structures in the space began exploding.
Finally, changes reached even Go Yohan.
Tremble.
His skin started quivering faintly.
"Still not enough."
This was Go Yohan's training ground.
The 75th floor, the tower's current top.
"Let's go to forty times."
[Disgusting human.]
The players weren't the only ones moving busily.
"No time to rest."
Had the gravity increased already? Yun Seung-ah staggered and bent her knees.
Offended by her pride, she only regained balance after casting a spell.
"Seung-ah, step aside if you can't handle it."
"F-f-f-f-f-fine f-f-f-for meee."
Her voice trembled under the heavy gravity.
Go Yohan chuckled, and Yun Seung-ah's face reddened.
Only then.
Pssht.
Yun Seung-ah vanished.
-I'll stand by.
Thinking she'd shown an unseemly side, her voice carried embarrassment.
Even amid it all, Go Yohan held his stance, gazing ahead.
There was a reason for pushing this far.
"The traces of the goddess slumbering within me."
The current system had been reborn through the World Tree Yusehwa.
But before Pantheon severed it, the goddess's traces had dwelled there.
"And Pantheon's power that manipulated the goddess's blessings."
All of it lay dormant.
"So I need to stimulate it as much as possible to awaken it."
Awaken and analyze those powers, scheme against Pantheon.
At the same time, find the goddess's traces for a chance to reclaim her.
[Got it. Sixty times.]
It was only natural Go Yohan had no time to rest.
Boom!
Now the ground cracked and shattered.
Go Yohan's skin trembled as if crumbling, and he finally staggered.
"...More."
Of course, these traces and powers dwelled in every player.
He had to find them too.
'Babel.'
Babel would handle that.
To shorten the process, he would lead as the test subject.
The one with unmatched durability to test limits.
"Start at a hundred times."
Since Go Yohan was stepping up personally.
[A hundred? Are you insane?]
Yusehwa's voice rang out.
[Even for you, right now...]
"A hundred."
And.
Crash!
Finally, Go Yohan toppled.
*
*
*
The heart of the Magic Tower, a space off-limits to the public.
-The Temple.
Only those permitted by Go Yohan himself—those who could be called the faithful—could enter this temple.
Whoooong.
All sorts of mana converged here, under the World Tree Yusehwa's strongest protection.
A space completely isolated from both Earth and Babel.
This was a sanctuary for the faithful.
And at its core was another space only the additionally permitted could enter.
Gulp, gulp.
Cheol Jung-bae, having downed the honey brew.
He, the dwarves, some apostles, and high-ranking faithful and above could access it.
Stagger.
Drunk as he seemed, Cheol Jung-bae staggered deeper in.
A maze-like space, but not difficult for Cheol Jung-bae, one of the temple's designers.
Fwoosh!
As he entered, flames erupted in the darkness-filled room.
"These damned things."
Cheol Jung-bae irritably slammed his hammer down at the sight.
Kwaaaang!
With the shockwave, the flames died down, soon settling into a soft glow.
"Even possessing flames now?"
Hiccup. Face flushed beet red, Cheol Jung-bae pushed past the dancing flames.
This was one of the temple's deepest chambers.
Rumble rumble rumble!
-Fiendgear Vault.
A warehouse storing fiendgear.