Chapter 96
Chapter 96
Translator: Penny
Chapter 96
27th Floor's scenario has been extended.
An unexpected development caused a headache to surge.
The newly updated quest was survival.
And after that quest name, there was also a quest duration.
The quest time to survive was 60 days.
Roughly two months to vaguely survive.
And in this situation where someone who could kill me with a flick of their finger has essentially kidnapped me.
I tried to come to my senses.
And thanks to that effort, I was able to endure without losing my mind.
The pressure that had been crushing my body finally disappeared.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like he was trying to kill me.
Judging by the fact that the ridiculously powerful force had completely vanished.
I slowly regained my balance.
"...What is this?"
I had no choice but to ask the person standing in front of me, looking at me.
To [Heavenly Demon].
What on earth had he done?
Heavenly Demon smiled.
"I kidnapped you. To this Heavenly Demon Church."
"So, why?"
The Heavenly Demon knew he could easily kill me.
So, I didn't feel the need to be obedient and quiet.
Either way, if Heavenly Demon decided to kill me, it would be the same.
Fortunately, Heavenly Demon didn't seem to want to kill me because of my attitude.
"Six months have passed since you reached the 6th Rank."
This time, it didn't seem to be much different from the time in the Tower I was climbing.
However, I couldn't conclude that the time flow in the Martial Arts World setting was slower than the otherworld setting based on this one instance alone.
According to the Transcendence Gallery seniors, the time flow could be different for each Floor.
I listened to Heavenly Demon's words for now.
"I searched the entire Martial Arts World for those six months, but I couldn't find you."
I could slowly predict what Heavenly Demon was trying to say.
"There are few beings in the Central Plains martial world who can be outside Bohn's gaze. Even if they are of the same Rank, I can find them if I want to. It's impossible for you, who are in the 6th Rank, to completely escape Bohn's gaze."
But I had done it, so he seemed to find that very suspicious.
"Where were you for six months?"
Based on the knowledge I had, it wasn't an unexpected situation.
I had heard about it from the Transcendental Gallery seniors.
- Jjuhdak) The higher you go in the Tower, the more you believe in the existence of the 'Tower.'
- Jjuhdak) Because the scope of what you accept widens.
- Sword of Light) Of course, that doesn't mean they think the world they live in is just a world that exists in the Tower world.
- Archmage) Until we end the Tower, we haven't been able to figure out whether the narrative world within the Tower is a real world, so we don't really know the truth.
- Archmage) Whether it's just a fictional world of the Tower, or whether we were really summoned to another world for a while.
- Dragon King) Beltui- The hypothesis that is usually treated as the orthodox theory is that it is a fictional world, you know.
My thought was.
I don't really know either.
However, looking back on what I've experienced while climbing up to the 27th Floor. The things I've experienced were too vivid to be an unreal world.
All the short and long relationships.
I organized my thoughts and opened my mouth.
According to what Jjuhdak senior said, it might be better to tell the truth.
"Don't chop off my head with a sword or burst my heart if you think it's nonsense."
Heavenly Demon tilted his head.
"Do you think Bohn would do that?"
"You could, couldn't you?"
Heavenly Demon scratched the back of his head.
"That's true."
Heavenly Demon added.
"I don't understand what you're trying to say, but go ahead."
"Okay."
What choice did I have?
I had to try anyway.
"There's something called the Tower."
"Tower?"
I continued to explain.
"You climb up one Floor at a time, solving that Floor and growing."
"Um? You mean like 1st Floor, 2nd Floor?"
"Yes."
I had to go the orthodox way.
So I explained everything.
That way, this Heavenly Demon would understand why he couldn't find me for about half a year.
"You achieved the 6th Rank on the 15th Floor...that means almost 10 Floors ago."
"That's right."
"If what you say is true, that's a crazy growth rate."
"That growth rate is a bit blocked right now."
"If you go somewhere and say that, you'll get stoned."
"Isn't it always the case that your own pain feels the worst?"
Heavenly Demon chuckled at my words.
"That's true."
Fortunately, he seemed to sympathize with my whining to some extent.
"I understand, but I still don't believe it."
"Um, just a moment."
I came to the conclusion that I had to open my Inventory after all.
"This is proof that what I said is true."
Heavenly Demon's eyes widened.
What was in my hand went into Heavenly Demon's hands.
"...What is this?"
Heavenly Demon, who opened the lid of what I handed him, put his nose to it.
"...It looks strange, and the smell is strange too."
"Try it."
"It looks like something to eat..."
What I gave Heavenly Demon was Dishes.
Since only 10 hours had passed since entering the 27th Floor, it was a dish that hadn't lost its shape yet, [Cream Bacon Pasta].
Heavenly Demon frowned slightly and picked up the Cream Bacon Pasta with chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
"It tastes good."
"Right?"
Heavenly Demon seemed to believe my words now.
"Ah, Bohn also had something to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Yeon Seol-ah's sibling, Yeon Yooshin, whom you helped, is training in the Church as Bohn's second disciple."
My lips trembled.
"Is that true?"
Heavenly Demon, true to his name, started speaking again after swallowing the pasta he had been savoring in his mouth.
"Why would Bohn lie?"
I got goosebumps.
This….
Was the Hubei Yeon Family being treated as a stain on the Orthodox Sect not a false accusation, but a treatment they deserved?
"He is training with Bohn's disciple."
Heavenly Demon added an explanation.
"I secured the safety of Yeon Yooshin, who was on the run after harming the eldest son of the Baekri Family. According to Yeon Yooshin, he inflicted damage close to a fatal wound, but he didn't kill him. Ah."
There was a strange light in Heavenly Demon's eyes as he said that.
What is it.
What other trick are you trying to pull?
"You can improve your skills by having Bohn's disciple and Yeon Yooshin spar. Yeon Yooshin also said that he wanted to meet you and express his gratitude."
Now that I heard that Yeon Yooshin was here in the Heavenly Demon Church, I was thinking that I should meet him at least once.
"But what do you think about the hypothesis I just made?"
Heavenly Demon quickly realized what I was asking.
"You mean that the land I'm standing on right now might be a fictional world?"
"Yes."
"Of course, I think it's nonsense."
Heavenly Demon's answer was straightforward.
"Even if there isn't a single lie in your words. To me, you are just a stranger. A stranger who has entered the world where I have lived and rested."
Stranger.
Those words stung quite a bit.
To me.
The title of stranger suited the position of a 'player' climbing the Tower quite well.
While climbing the Tower, I couldn't clearly belong to any world.
"There are traces of my life that I have lived, so there's no way this world is fictional."
"...That's right."
There was nothing to say when he said that.
"Let's go."
Heavenly Demon pointed to the square window with his index finger.
"My disciple and Yeon Yooshin are in the same place."
***
I followed behind Heavenly Demon.
The scenery of the Heavenly Demon Church was vast.
According to the seniors, it was one of the most powerful military groups in the Martial Arts World.
Magnificent palaces stretched out for a long time.
Beneath the buildings with overwhelming scenery, countless gazes were felt.
"The Pavilion Lords seem to be very curious about you."
Heavenly Demon only said that with a thin crescent-shaped smile, but those words felt quite chilling to me.
"Pavilion Lords?"
It wasn't Heavenly Demon who answered my question.
"He is referring to the Five Pavilion Lords."
It was the man in black who had been following me ever since I opened the door of the place I had been in.
"There are five Pavilions in this Heavenly Demon Church."
[NPC – Ten Tyrant Soul Guards Seventh Guard, 6th Rank Jeong Woon-bok]
Ten Tyrant Soul Guards.
They were said to be the ten guards who existed to protect the Heavenly Demon Church Lord, Heavenly Demon.
It didn't seem like Heavenly Demon needed guards, no matter how you looked at it.
Jeong Woon-bok continued to explain to me kindly.
He kept using honorifics under the pretext of being the lord's guest.
"Sword Pavilion, Spear Pavilion, Fist Pavilion, Sky Pavilion, Slaughter Pavilion."
There were a total of two people looking at me now.
The Sword Pavilion Lord and the Sky Pavilion Lord.
[NPC – Sword Pavilion Lord, 7th Rank Pyo Wi-heon]
[NPC – Sky Pavilion Lord, 7th Rank Mok Yeon]
Pyo Wi-heon was a man with strong bones.
His blood-red hair was impressive.
The Sky Pavilion Lord was a woman with long hair.
They both seemed to be suppressing their energy because they were in front of Heavenly Demon.
I don't know what would happen when I faced them alone.
They wouldn't attack me for no reason, would they?
"Unlike our Ten Tyrant Soul Guards, the Five Pavilions usually move according to the orders of the Pavilion Lords. Of course, the Pavilion Lords absolutely follow the orders of the Church Lord."
I got the gist of it.
"Close aides with independent military groups...is that the feeling?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Sometimes, problems may arise because there are subordinates who follow the Pavilion Lords more than the Church Lord."
"That will not happen."
Jeong Woon-bok stated without any change in expression.
"There has never been a time in the history of the Church when the difference in power between the Pavilion Lords and the Church Lord has narrowed to that extent."
No matter what happens, nothing will harm Heavenly Demon, so it means I don't have to worry about it.
I understood very well.
After passing by the two Pavilion Lords like that.
Heavenly Demon's steps finally stopped.
"Disciple."
Heavenly Demon said with his hands behind his back.
I kept feeling it as I listened, but his voice was really good.
"He is the winner of the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly hosted by the Martial Arts Alliance. Defeat him."
"Yes?"
What nonsense are you spouting with that good voice?
Before I could even voice my question.
Swoooooosh!
A super-fast long-range slash rushed in from the quiet roof.