Chapter 40: Diehard Fan (1)
“Long time no see. I caught a glimpse of you from afar last time, but we didn’t get a chance to chat.”
Lee Se-jin approached me with the same easy smile she’d always had. That innocent charm of hers, which had shone even back in her high school days, hadn’t faded a bit after all these years. Thanks to Jeong Chan-su’s care and her innate nature, she remained unchanged in this tower where so many twisted and transformed. In the story, her personality led to actions that had readers calling her frustrating as hell, but in reality, she was an essential presence who softened the pitch-black heart of Jeong Chan-su.
“Did you come separately from the guild members? Why are you here alone?”
“I’ve been operating solo for a while. Honestly, I barely did any guild activities right up until coming here.”
Kim Ji-eun, who was standing beside me, greeted her with a warm smile as well. Even Kim Ji-eun, who didn’t care much for Jeong Chan-su’s group, always took a liking to Lee Se-jin’s friendly approach. Maybe it was because they were both ultimate social butterflies—once their conversation kicked off, it showed no signs of stopping.
Yep, you’re still the same as ever.
Women’s chatter still felt awkward and draining to me even now. Instead of joining their increasingly loud laughter, I stepped back to observe her. Like Jeong Chan-su, she was exactly as I remembered from the story. No matter what shady dealings the constellations got up to behind the scenes, it was unlikely to have anything to do with Lee Se-jin’s own will.
Justice—that was the word that defined her perfectly.
“We’re definitely clearing it this time. We’ve all gotten stronger, after all.”
“You seem extra confident. Got some special achievement or something?”
“Heh heh, it’s a secret for now.”
Kim Ji-eun smirked at Lee Se-jin’s strong confidence in this raid. From her words and expression, it was clear she’d accomplished something big. No ranking changes had been announced, so Lee Se-jin was still at 6th place—the second highest in Jeong Chan-su’s faction and the strongest among the heroines.
No way she already...?
She’d naturally obtained the Origin of the Stars long before I did. If she’d overcome a trial separate from the Continuous Blood Battle on layer 135 to claim the Fate of the Stars, then Lee Se-jin must have already acquired the fragment of the divinity she’d awaken to later.
The golden spear of the shining heavens, Divinity Athena. That was the destiny awaiting the girl who walked the path of unwavering justice.
“The vibe’s totally different from right after that overall defeat. Everyone was so down then... The Continuous Blood Battle cycle really helped for sure.”
“You know it. The tower always opens a path if you’ve got the will.”
Lee Se-jin wasn’t the only one fired up. Nearly everyone in the raid party was grinding their teeth, vowing to break past layer 150 this time. As if responding to Kim Ji-eun’s mutter while eyeing the group, the path surely existed somewhere.
There wasn’t much about Lee Se-jin in the gallery. Has she not awakened yet?
The real-life Lee Se-jin was likable enough, but unfortunately, her fandom on Fate Road—nicknamed Se-mam—was notorious for being diehard fans. Whether it was her charm drawing even the constellations in too deep, gallery users hated how the Se-mam flooded everything with excessive praise and mentions of her.
Remembering some of those comments brought a wry smile. If the Se-mam made a fuss over every little thing Lee Se-jin did, there was no way they’d stay quiet about her divinity awakening—a massive event.
“If we clear it easily, that’s all that matters. Let’s go—it’s time to head in.”
I patted Kim Ji-eun’s back and joined the raid party as members gathered one by one. Top rankers in full gear assembled en masse—a sight worthy of being called one of the tower’s grandest spectacles.
“No need for extra words since our preparations haven’t been in vain. Let the raid begin.”
Jeong Chan-su, clad in his armor and signature red cloak, declared the start.
“Designated raid party, open the dungeon.”
150th Floor Dungeon: Path to the Fortress Opened
The dungeon opened, teleporting us all to a new space.
“Dark Iron Golems!”
The enemies, sensing the intruders, charged out in unison. Beneath the heavy, overcast sky of storm clouds, the gates of the massive fortress—built of black iron and mana—swung wide. The familiar black metal giants lumbered forth, their eyes blazing with mana. Each step shook the earth, growing louder and more intense.
Right—time to prove ourselves.
The subtle pressure weighing on my mind vanished, replaced by the fierce thrill only a battlefield could bring. Fandom squabbles? Constellation drama? Those could wait until the enemies in front of me were dealt with. I drew my sword and charged alongside the others.
··· Not as hyped as those on-site, but the moment the 150th layer raid began, viewers watching from afar went wild with anticipation. Contracted constellations could watch their climbers live, but regular users relied on photos and videos from those with special abilities—including the contracted ones—to enjoy the show.
Today... maybe there won’t be any scenes I need to cut out.
The main broadcaster for Reina Fan Gallery was, of course, the admin and Reina’s first contracted constellation, Serpina. She shared Reina’s live footage, letting regular users follow along in real time.
Comments poured in real-time on Serpina’s shared video, creating an urgent, shared thrill. In the footage, Reina swung her sword wreathed in radiant light as always. Her signature silver hair sparkled especially under the light, standing out against the dark clouds and dim backdrop. She leaped into the air, her downward slash cleaving a Dark Iron Golem in half; she landed lightly atop its crumbling form—a scene straight out of a painting.
But the fan gallery constellations instantly realized Reina was deliberately holding back. It contrasted sharply with the previous raid, where she’d pushed full throttle to take down as many Dark Iron Golems as possible.
Their excitement stemmed from the hot topic dominating the boards lately: how Reina should act in this raid to maximize rewards. Opinions varied, but all agreed—conserve strength in the early Dark Iron Golem fight.
Thanks to her power making fights flashy anyway, Reina somewhat blended in amid the chaos of top rankers. The battlefield was pandemonium: massive spells engulfed earth and sky, roars and explosions rang out nonstop, shards from shattered golems flew everywhere. A flash pierced a golem’s massive fist; lightning rained from the heavens onto the giants.
Some were already optimistic. To their expert eyes, this bloodbath was a foregone conclusion.
“Right flank’s open! Hurry and support!”
“Grem’s injured! Cover the gap!”
But those fighting on-site ignored pounding hearts, battling desperately. Even optimistically, this was their tenth failure. Plenty of rankers had died pathetically here. For those unaware of the full reality, the greatest enemy was fear of the unknown. Overcoming it was qualification and proof.
“Here?! Is this done?”
“Yeah... all who came this way are dead.”
78th ranker Lizardman Char’ga nodded wearily to 82nd ranker human mage David, who’d rushed to support. His face was pale with exhaustion.
“Thought we’d break... but not a single waver. Honestly, I fought just staring at that one up front.”
Where he glanced, Reina stood calmly amid destroyed golems, silver hair fluttering. Sword lowered, unscathed from head to toe—pristine and beautiful as before the fight. She’d never retreated, slicing every foe before her.
“Did we really win? Against these damn golems?!”
The massive brawl before the fortress ended as the last Dark Iron Golem split and fell. Most muttered in disbelief. They’d hoped, but clearing this wall with minimal losses was real. Even as the tower’s top experienced rankers, they couldn’t help but buzz with excitement.
“Calm down. This hard-won chance came from countless sacrifices. Don’t blow it with hype.”
Sylvia quelled her summoned spirits and shot them a glare, dousing the mood. They’d beaten the golems, but only cleared stage 1. Fail later, and they’d face them again.
And the biggest contributor was someone else anyway.
Sylvia snorted at the wary group and glanced at Jeong Chan-su. He’d taken out the most golems—far more grown than last time, crushing multiples without revealing his true power, even soloing the elite Dark Iron Golem Alpha. Even to Sylvia, his skill was awe-inspiringly untouchable.
“Sylvia, you conserved as instructed, right? All orders were for the raid. Don’t lose cool over what’s in front of you.”
“Yes, of course.”
Jeong Chan-su approached with a cold voice. Sylvia bowed politely, tense, but sneaked a glance at sullen Lee Se-jin beside him, lips sealed.
Obvious. She’d disobeyed orders, overexerted to save another raider in crisis, and got scolded.
“Always look to the future. Our path is always thorns.”
Warning his comrades again, Jeong Chan-su sheathed his sword and turned his gaze elsewhere.
As expected.
He nodded, confirming Reina’s relaxed state. His allies were those he’d known pre-regression—ones who’d failed and fallen once before, always needing his lead. But Reina was different. From their first meeting, she’d intuitively chosen his best options, climbing alongside without guidance.
That’s why he’d assigned her what might be the raid’s most crucial role.