Chapter 503: Proof
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 503: Proof
Operating in both the light and the shadows, the Reapers Clan was comprised of players active in each respective domain.
Marco kept them strictly separated.
Just as oil and water don't mix, it wasn't hard to predict the kind of trouble that would brew if you put players from the light and the shadows together.
Each domain was overseen by a single executive.
They, along with Marco, were the only three middle-floor players in the Reapers Clan.
In terms of combat ability alone, it was no exaggeration to say they were skilled enough to surpass Marco himself.
The assassination squad leader, in particular, was a monster who had once climbed all the way to the 45th floor. Marco had only managed to recruit him after promising all sorts of concessions.
“...”
And now, that same man had been returned as a cold corpse.
His head and neck were cleanly severed as if cut by a laser, and his limbs were half-crushed.
Marco could say nothing as he looked upon his subordinate’s gruesome remains.
Who could have possibly imagined it?
That the core forces deployed to restore the clan’s dignity and pride would be annihilated overnight.
But the shocks awaiting Marco didn't end there.
The truth he learned through the chief of security, with whom he was on friendly terms, was even more horrifying.
Among the 42 bodies, not a single one had all its limbs intact. They said every one of them had died with a terrified expression, as if they had seen a monster.
The security force, recognizing the gravity of the situation, had launched an investigation, but the culprit was meticulous, leaving not even the slightest trace behind.
Thanks to this, rumors were spreading among the 9th-floor players that a blood-crazed Demonic Human had escaped from the middle floors, or that those bastards from Gehenna were out hunting for human sacrifices.
Thud.
The strength drained from his legs, and Marco collapsed to the floor.
He had dreamed of the day he would lead the Reapers Clan back to the middle floors, but overnight, sixty percent of the clan's strength had vanished.
How much time would it take to recover from this damage?
Three years? Five?
No. Marco instinctively knew that the Reapers Clan was a sinking ship. If they had operated solely in the light, it might have been different, but having been openly active in the shadows, there was no way their rivals would miss this opportunity.
Other clans would surely attack, aiming for the interests the Reapers had seized through force.
Of course, the clan still had two middle-floor players, including himself, but it wasn't as if other clans didn't have their own.
Besides, it was impossible to drag the members from the light into the affairs of the shadows.
Realistically, it would be faster to give up everything and start over from scratch.
‘...Do I have to crawl my way up from the bottom again?’
Marco’s vision went white.
On the table, only the cigar he had been smoking just moments before continued to burn silently.
*
The City of Proof, ‘Tescarr’.
As the name implied, the gist of the 9th-floor test was to prove one’s worthiness to ascend to the 10th floor.
A gateway of sorts.
In truth, the test itself wasn't particularly difficult.
That was because the real purpose of the 9th-floor test was, above all, to give a foretaste of the 30th-floor test.
A level of consideration uncharacteristic of the Tower, you could say.
In any case, the more one understood the true nature of the 9th-floor test, the more difficult it became.
Quite the irony, isn't it?
Those who take the test without a second thought pass easily, while it becomes harsher for those who recognize it as a gateway and look beyond the 10th floor to the 30th.
It was like a teacher who would only instruct those with the will to learn on their own.
Clink.
I set down my teacup and turned my head.
Across from me, Lucifer was sipping black tea while reading a newspaper. Through the window of the private lounge, I could see Lee Serin and Wi Ryeong-ah receiving full-body massages.
The two of them looked half-melted under the hands of a female masseuse who was as large as a decent tanker.
For the record, Yoo Ah-rin was in the sauna, circulating her ki.
Why she was doing it there, I had no idea.
In fact, ever since we arrived on the 9th floor, I hadn't properly seen Yoo Ah-rin's face, except when we sparred at dawn.
Whenever I tried to approach her to apologize for touching her chest, she would turn beet red and run away.
At this point, it wasn't hard to tell that Yoo Ah-rin wasn't simply angry.
But it was also difficult to conclude that she held any romantic feelings for me.
‘That would be way too conceited.’
It was now our third day in Tescarr.
As you can see, I was giving my party members, who must have been exhausted from the forced march, time to recharge.
Perhaps because we had been eating, resting, and playing well, everyone's faces were glowing.
But some might ask:
With the test just around the corner, is it really the right choice to rest idly without any preparation?
To get straight to the point, that’s half right and half wrong.
It was true that Lucifer and I could take the test right now without much issue, but the same couldn't be said for the other three.
The 9th-floor test was strictly an individual trial, so each person needed to be fully prepared.
The problem was that the test proceeded in a completely different way for each challenger.
Therefore, the only thing I could do for them was to help them get their condition to its absolute peak.
But I wasn't particularly worried.
I hadn't raised them to be so weak that they couldn't pass a test of this level on their own.
‘...Well, strictly speaking, I haven’t taught Wi Ryeong-ah anything. But the ‘Monarch of the Underworld’ will probably take care of it.’
He seemed to care for Wi Ryeong-ah a great deal, whether he showed it or not.
I asked a staff member for a drink and quietly opened my status window.
「Name: Kang Hyun-woo
Age: 21
Contracted Constellation: Fallen Star
Title: Snake Hunter
Affiliation: -
Authority: Black Flame (B+)
Exclusive Traits: Path of Magic (S), Formless Vajra Art (A), True Word (D)
Exclusive Skills: Elemental Magic (A), Crimson Cloud Thunder Art (B+), Incomplete Moon's Eye (B-), Blood Flame Asura Demonic Art (C+), Ghost Divine Art (C)…
Traits: Close Quarters Combat (C+), Magic Resistance (D-)
Skills: Killing Intent (B)
Good Karma: 0
Evil Karma: 4
WP Held: 200,429」
Seeing my Evil Karma go up pissed me off every time, but thanks to taking care of about forty players that day, my WP had surpassed 200,000.
Just looking at it was satisfying.
But that feeling was short-lived.
Tiring-
「The Constellation, ‘Saintess of Uruk,’ is glaring at you.」
「The Constellation, ‘Saintess of Uruk,’ is glaring at you.」
「The Constellation, ‘Saintess of Uruk,’ is glaring at you.」
·
·
·
“...”
The crazy stalker, seemingly tireless, had been nagging me and giving me the side-eye since morning.
“...I will pay you a visit after I ascend to the 10th floor.”
「The Constellation, ‘Saintess of Uruk,’ gazes at you with narrowed eyes.」
「The Constellation, ‘Saintess of Uruk,’ says she will trust you one last time.」
“...I am deeply grateful for the goddess’s ocean-like generosity.”
Forcing a smile, I bowed my head. Only then did I begin to understand why Lucifer had told me to keep my distance from Ishtar.
She might have a pretty face, but she was a total headcase with a princess complex.
If I had my way, I'd just ignore her, but the problem was that she was just so fucking beautiful.
As expected of a goddess of beauty, the face I had briefly seen in the Corridor of Stars still lingered before my eyes.
But I had no desire to make a move on her.
I had a gut feeling that if I did, things would get complicated beyond control.
Like an expensive jewel displayed in a museum, she was most beautiful when admired from a distance.
‘Carrying around a jewel will only attract thieves.’
I swiped the indirect message away and closed my eyes.
*
That night, at 11 PM.
Having made our preparations in our own ways, we headed for the clock tower that soared high in the center of the city.
Murmur, murmur-
Despite being quite a distance from the night market, the area around the clock tower was so crowded there was hardly room to stand.
“Wow... aren't there too many people?”
“I know. I heard the 9th-floor test isn't usually this crowded...”
Lee Serin and Wi Ryeong-ah stared with weary eyes at the line, which was stretched out like a queue for a popular amusement park ride.
“Maybe it’s because of that incident a few days ago?”
“That incident... you mean the story about the bloodthirsty Demonic Human slaughtering people? Wasn't that just a rumor made up by bards? I heard it was actually a turf war between under-clans.”
“Still, it’s true the city’s atmosphere has been unsettled since then. Maybe everyone’s trying to get up to the 10th floor while they can?”
“Hmm... that could definitely be it.”
“Right? What do you think, Hyun-woo?”
As both of them looked at me, I subtly averted my gaze.
“...Who knows.”
The bloodthirsty Demonic Human had nothing to say.
In truth, the rumor spreading through the city wasn't entirely wrong.
It was an undeniable fact that I had unintentionally damaged the corpses because Tam had thrown a fit, saying he was hungry after smelling the blood.
“Let’s just get in line. If we don't, we might spend the whole night just waiting.”
Of course, that wouldn't happen.
The line was actually shrinking quickly.
Unlike a ride at an amusement park, the players in line were continuously entering the clock tower.
After about ten minutes of waiting, it was our turn.
“S-See you later!”
Lee Serin squeezed her eyes shut and stepped into the portal that had formed at the clock tower's entrance. Yoo Ah-rin and Wi Ryeong-ah followed right after her.
Finally, Lucifer glanced back at me before calmly stepping through the portal.
Left alone, I took a moment to catch my breath.
It wasn't that I was nervous.
The test itself was nothing. It was just that my mind was cluttered with thoughts of what came after.
There was a mountain of things to do once I reached the 10th floor.
First, Clan Establishment.
Of course, creating a clan wouldn't change much from how things were now, so that wouldn't be a problem.
Finding Choi Taeho wouldn't be difficult either. I just had to track the lingering traces of his magic power.
The problem was finding his contracted Constellation, ‘Beautiful Skin.’ If I couldn't get a clue from Choi Taeho, it would surely become an indefinite search.
On top of that, I had to visit Ishtar's temple.
That was the biggest headache.
‘...If she tries to force me into a contract, the Dancing Destroyer will help me, right?’
I glanced up at the sky.
But it was covered in thick, dark clouds, and not a single star was visible.
I felt a pang of anxiety.
‘...Well, it’ll work out somehow.’
I forced myself to think positively and stepped through the portal.
As I closed my eyes, feeling the ripple of space, the thought that the moment to part with Wi Ryeong-ah was just around the corner suddenly crossed my mind.