Chapter 221: Eternal Spire[R-18] (46)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 221: Eternal Spire[R-18] (46)
The crystal's light faded, leaving only silence. With a cold expression, Yoon Jae-ho placed the crystal on the desk and let out a deep breath.
'Suspect So-young?'
It was absurd. Park So-young was a trustworthy comrade who had fought life-and-death battles alongside him for years. Austin's words were even harder to understand, especially since she was suffering from the pain Jin Seo-yun had caused her.
Yoon Jae-ho rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought. Austin was a cold and sharp man, but he was also overly suspicious. Perhaps that excessive suspicion was leading him to a wrong judgment this time as well.
However, a tiny sliver of doubt slowly began to rear its head in a corner of his mind.
‘Austin isn’t the type to say something like that without a reason…’
Yoon Jae-ho recalled Park So-young's recent behavior. He had, in fact, felt that she had been acting a little strange for a while now.
'I'll have to check for myself.'
He rose from his seat and left the room with a determined expression. He immediately went to find Kim Min-su.
Arriving at Kim Min-su's door, Yoon Jae-ho hesitated for a moment before knocking.
“Who is it?”
Kim Min-su's voice came from inside.
“It's me, Jae-ho.”
The door opened to reveal Kim Min-su. He looked tired, as if he had just woken up.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
Yoon Jae-ho glanced around before speaking in a low voice.
“I have something important to talk about. Can I come in?”
Kim Min-su opened the door wide with a puzzled look. As Yoon Jae-ho stepped into the room, Kim Min-su closed the door and looked at him.
“What’s going on?”
Yoon Jae-ho seemed to be choosing his words. He took a deep breath and began.
“I just heard from Austin.”
“And?”
“He… told me to suspect So-young.”
Kim Min-su's face hardened.
“What kind of nonsense is that? Why So-young?”
Yoon Jae-ho paced around the room as he continued.
“Austin didn't give a clear reason. It seems like he's suspicious of the time So-young spent with Jin Seo-yun.”
“That's it? He wants us to suspect her for a reason like that?”
“Yeah, I don't get it either. But you know Austin isn't the type to say things without a reason.”
Kim Min-su frowned and plopped down on the sofa.
“So what do you want to do?”
“For now, let's act normal around her, but watch her more carefully. The Blue Gate Operation in a few days is important.”
Kim Min-su sighed.
“Alright. But don't just suspect her recklessly. She must have gone through enough already.”
“I feel the same way. I don't want to suspect her.”
An awkward silence fell between them after Yoon Jae-ho finished speaking.
After watching Park So-young for several days, Yoon Jae-ho didn't find anything particularly suspicious. Despite Austin's warning, her behavior wasn't much different from usual. The only suspicious thing was that she spent time alone at the same time every night, but that alone wasn't enough to conclude she was Jin Seo-yun's spy.
Yoon Jae-ho watched Park So-young's back as she walked ahead of him. She was chatting normally with the others.
Kim Min-su came up beside him.
“We threw out the bait and got no reaction. Don't you think we were just being paranoid?”
Yoon Jae-ho let out a deep sigh.
“I guess so…”
Kim Min-su shrugged.
“Let's drop the pointless suspicion. How about we explain the real plan to So-young now?”
Yoon Jae-ho hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.
“Alright.”
He approached Park So-young.
“So-young.”
Park So-young turned around with a gentle smile.
“Jae-ho, what's up?”
“I want to talk to you alone. Do you have a minute?”
Park So-young tilted her head slightly but nodded without any particular suspicion.
“Sure. Where should we talk?”
“Let's go somewhere quiet.”
They walked to one end of a quiet training ground. It was a secluded spot where people rarely passed by. Park So-young crossed her arms, leaned against the wall, and asked first.
“So, what's up? You look serious.”
“So-young… First, I have to apologize. The plan I told you about a few days ago was a lie.”
Park So-young's eyes widened slightly. She shifted her stance and stared intently at Yoon Jae-ho.
“You lied to me?”
Her voice was laced with confusion and a hint of hurt. Yoon Jae-ho felt a pang of guilt.
“I'll be honest. Austin told me to suspect you. He thought Jin Seo-yun might have done something to you while you were his captive…”
Park So-young's face hardened for a moment, then her expression shifted to one mixed with anger and sorrow.
“You… suspected me? You suspected I might be a spy for Jin Seo-yun?”
Her voice trembled. Her reaction was so natural that Yoon Jae-ho wondered for a moment if his judgment had been wrong.
“I'm sorry. But I had to be sure.”
“So you fed me false information to see who I would report to.”
Yoon Jae-ho nodded.
“I'm sorry.”
Park So-young was silent for a long time. Then she let out a deep sigh.
“I understand… I guess you had no other choice.”
She stood up and turned her back to him. He could see her shoulders trembling slightly.
“So-young…”
“It's okay. It's all in the past. Thank you for telling me the truth now.”
When she turned back to face Yoon Jae-ho, her eyes were welling up with tears.
“Thank you, So-young. And I'm really sorry.”
“It's okay. Really.”
Park So-young managed a small smile. Yoon Jae-ho felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.
“Now, I'll tell you the real plan,” Yoon Jae-ho said.
“The truth is, we're not going to the place where the 6th-floor boss is supposed to appear. We're going to raid a new boss.”
“A new boss?”
“Yeah. Kang Hyun-woo, me, Austin… and Baek I-jun of Baekya received a revelation.”
“A revelation…?”
Park So-young asked with a curious expression.
“What's that…?”
Yoon Jae-ho glanced around before lowering his voice.
“It's complicated to explain… Just know that there are beings watching us who don't approve of Jin Seo-yun… of him.”
“…What are these beings?”
“Gods.”
Park So-young's expression hardened. She took a sharp breath and stared intently at Yoon Jae-ho.
“…What did these so-called gods tell you?”
“The new boss room I just mentioned… information about the 7th floor… and a hidden special reward on the 7th floor.”
“What kind of special reward?”
“We don't know the details… They just said we'll find out once we clear this boss fight.”
Park So-young crossed her arms, lost in thought.
“Something's strange….”
Yoon Jae-ho narrowed his eyes and asked.
“What is?”
“I don't get it. If the gods don't like Jin Seo-yun, why are they only intervening now?”
“I don't know about that either…”
This was a first for Yoon Jae-ho, too. It was a situation he hadn't experienced even before his regression.
'The gods had exerted some minor influence once you reached the 20th floor, but they'd never sent a direct revelation like this…'
Yoon Jae-ho briefly searched his memory. In his previous life, he had reached the 40th floor, but there had been no direct revelations from the gods. Of course, some participants received unique abilities or blessings from the gods in the form of 'sponsorships,' but they had never delivered a message to multiple people simultaneously through a dream.
”Okay, I get it for now… You said we leave in two days, right?”
“Yeah, we'll leave quietly at dawn.”
“Got it. Where is the new boss room located?”
Yoon Jae-ho took a map from his pocket and handed it to her.
“I've marked it on the map.”
Park So-young took the map and studied it carefully. A red circle was drawn at a point ten kilometers to the north.
“This must be the entrance.”
“That's right.”
Yoon Jae-ho nodded.
“The entrance will open only once, at dawn in two days.”
Park So-young put the map away.
“We'll have to prepare thoroughly.”
“It's going to be much more dangerous this time without Jin Seo-yun. So prepare properly.”
“Okay.”
Yoon Jae-ho apologized to Park So-young one more time before leaving.
Park So-young watched his retreating back for a moment before heading to her own room. The moment she closed the door, her expression changed completely.
“Hah… I thought something was strange lately. Now I know why.”
She laughed mockingly and placed a hand on her stomach. She felt the Yin Gate pulsating.
“Master…”
As she whispered, the Yin Gate fully activated, emitting a pink glow.
*
Hearing the information Park So-young relayed, I let out a hollow laugh.
“How absurd.”
As I muttered, Tia, who was beside me, spoke quietly.
“Seo-yun, shouldn't we move immediately?”
I shook my head.
“It's already too late. And there's no way beings like gods would be so careless. They must have prepared for the possibility that I'd find out.”
“Then how will you respond?”
“There's no need to respond. The gods have intervened, but things won't play out that simply.”
Tia looked puzzled but didn't ask any more questions.
I smiled leisurely, lost in thought.
'For the gods to intervene already must mean I'm completely overturning the board. It means I'm showing that much overwhelming growth.'
The gods must have consumed an immense amount of divine power with this intervention.
And… with the gods' intervention, the Tower's system was bound to offer me something.
-Ting
I read the system window that appeared and smiled slowly.
[The system makes a proposal to Participant Jin Seo-yun.]
[We will move up the opening date of the Frost Ogre Lord's dungeon. Do you accept this proposal?]
'The gods opened a new entrance, so the system is moving up the original boss's opening to maintain balance.'
I smiled slowly.
“I accept the proposal.”
[The opening date for the Frost Ogre Lord has been moved up. It will open in two days.]
“Two days… So it's a competition.”
I dismissed the message and looked at Tia, giving my command.
“Tia, summon all our guild members. And call the guilds that were scheduled to join us as subordinates as well.”
Tia nodded in response.
“Yes.”
Tia quickly left the room. I stood by the window and looked outside.
Now, in two days, the most crucial contest would be to see who could raid the boss first and advance to the 7th floor.