Chapter 706: Eternal Spire (84)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 706: Eternal Spire (84)
Ryu Seol’s mental fortitude was more impressive than I’d expected. Even though I was using Sexual Arts on her, she was holding out, refusing to cross the line into actual sex.
She’s holding out well.
In truth, I could have just forced myself on her, but the desire to see such a strong-willed woman crumble and surrender of her own accord was much stronger.
I gave a playful smirk and caressed her thigh with one hand.
“Nngh...♡ Hey...♡ I looked into it... Ah...♡ There...♡ Mmph...♡ I heard that things called Martial Arts... have something called Heart Cultivation Methods... and forms...”
I let out a short chuckle.
“Where did you even learn about stuff like that?”
Ryu Seol panted, her voice trembling on the edge of collapse.
“Min-jun said... he saw things like that in martial arts novels...♡”
I looked down at her with a deliberately serious expression and whispered, “But what should we do? The Heart Cultivation Method I learned is a single-line succession.”
Ryu Seol cried out in a moan-laced voice, her expression growing urgent.
“Haaah... It’s an order. You... you have to teach it to me...♡”
I didn't see this coming...
My mind raced for a brief moment before a wicked idea flashed through my head.
I slowly began to strip off my clothes, one by one.
“Alright. Then, I’ll start by transmitting the Heart Cultivation Method to you.”
Ryu Seol watched my movements with a look of pure horror.
“What are you doing, you crazy bastard?! Why are you suddenly taking your clothes off?!”
I smiled nonchalantly.
“Huh? It’s because the Heart Cultivation Method I learned can only be transmitted through sex.”
“What... Sex...?”
“Yeah.”
Ryu Seol stared straight at me with a cold gaze. She couldn't take her eyes off me for a long time, seemingly confused as to whether I was joking or being serious.
“...Is that true? Is that... really... how it works?”
“It’s true. If you want, I can transmit all my Heart Cultivation Methods to you tonight.”
Ryu Seol let out a sigh and bit her lip hard.
“Fuck... I knew that massage felt suspicious from the start...!”
She hurriedly scrambled to pick up her clothes and put them back on.
“Oh? You’re not going to learn it?”
“Get lost. I’m not even getting massages from you anymore!”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Fine. Tell me whenever you want it.”
Ryu Seol stormed out, slamming the door behind her in a fit of rage. But I wasn't worried at all.
She’ll be back soon enough anyway. With the massages she’s received so far, her body is already brimming with accumulated Sexual Aura and Yin Energy... I wonder how long she can hold out.
*
Next, Jessica visited my room.
She had a confident smirk on her face.
“Geum Taeyang, I’m just about ready on my end. Can we start now?”
“Oh, you’ve already got Park Min-jun wrapped around your finger?”
Jessica ran a hand through her hair leisurely and laughed.
“Of course. I know a man’s heart better than anyone, don't I? Seducing a virgin like him is a piece of cake.”
“Okay, you can start right away.”
“Great. Tonight... I’ll finally get to use the Magnum between my legs properly for the first time in a while.”
I pressed a hand to my forehead and sighed.
“If possible, could you stop bragging about that damn Magnum in front of me...?”
“Oh my~ Sorry, sorry.”
I quickly changed the subject.
“More importantly, are you going to fuck him right in front of Ryu Seol?”
Jessica shook her head, her voice turning surprisingly serious.
“No, well... most people tend to run away the moment they see my true form. So I need some time for conditioning.”
“...To be honest, I think I’d run away too.”
I imagined it in my head: going into a motel to have sex with someone I thought was a top-tier beauty, only to find out they were a crossdresser with something dangling down there...
If that happened to me... my mental state would probably shatter, and I’d go on a rampage.
I offered a silent prayer for Park Min-jun’s future.
Min-jun, may you rest in peace. Amen.
*
After that, I was busy without a moment's rest. I had to constantly exchange information with Bi-yeon in my head, checking the raid progress in real-time.
Before long, a system message popped up before me along with Bi-yeon’s voice.
‘We cleared it.’
[Night Bloom Guild has achieved a First Clear!]
[10 Bonus Points awarded to all members of the Night Bloom Guild.]
[The entrance to the 8th Floor is now active. You may now freely ascend to the 8th Floor.]
This wasn't a message only I could see; it was a broadcast sent to every participant in the Tower simultaneously.
And immediately after—
[The Tower’s System requests a conversation.]
“A conversation?”
I narrowed my eyes and muttered. This was a situation I had never seen even once in the original story. For the Tower’s System to request a conversation was unprecedented.
“I don't particularly feel like talking, though...”
Immediately, an additional line appeared.
[The Tower’s System earnestly requests that you accept the conversation.]
I chuckled and thought to myself.
Hmm, for free?
[The Tower’s System thinks ‘Participant Jin Seo-yun is greedy.’]
“Yeah, I am greedy. But... you seem to have quite a lot of personality, don't you?”
[The Tower’s System replies, ‘Oops, my mistake.’]
“Are you... a pussy?”
[The Tower’s System replies with cold eyes, ‘In this context, shouldn't the answer be "Are you a woman?"’]
“So you are a pussy!”
If that was the case, it was definitely worth having a conversation.
I don't know if she actually has a pussy, but...
Strangely, my dick-compass was reacting strongly. Instinctively, I had a feeling that something interesting was about to happen.
“Fine, I accept the conversation.”
The moment I uttered those words, I felt my soul float upward. My consciousness was instantly sucked away somewhere, and all my senses grew faint.
When I opened my eyes, I was in a vast space where darkness and light were intertwined. After a moment, the entire space began to shift like a dream. A deep forest, an infinite universe, an unknown temple—blurry scenes of various places unfolded one after another.
Then, at some point, the space suddenly fixed itself.
I was now standing in the middle of a grand, Gothic-style cathedral, dark and mysterious. An aura like cold, blue moonlight seeped through the air. On the floor was a black and blue veil, with subtle patterns flowing over it and red petals scattered about.
And there, amidst the rose-colored flowers, was a beauty wearing a black lace veil. She was reclining lazily with one hand behind her head, looking at me.
With silver hair that was almost white and crimson eyes, this woman possessed a reality-defying beauty that one could never forget after seeing it once.
Leaning back leisurely on the red petals, she beckoned to me.
[The Tower’s System asks you to come closer.]
I cautiously and slowly approached the silver-haired beauty. Seeing her up close, her beauty was, quite frankly, breathtaking.
Damn, she’s gorgeous...
I stopped a few paces away from her.
“Are you... the Tower’s System?”
[The Tower’s System replies that she is.]
I stared at her for a moment before asking again.
“Can’t you speak?”
At that, she tilted her head slightly. Then, a voice—so calm and cold it sent a chill through the air—echoed through the space.
“No, I can speak.”
The traces of emotion I’d felt in the messages earlier had vanished completely. There wasn't a single shred of feeling in her voice now. It sounded like a human voice mimicked by a machine. Expressionless and hollow.
I furrowed my brow and muttered, “The messages from earlier seemed quite full of emotion... but seeing you in person, you’re just like a soulless doll.”
The silver-haired woman didn't move a muscle, only tilting her head slightly.
“Is that so? Then I’m glad. It means my plan worked.”
“Did you act like that on purpose just to get my attention?”
“Yes. Because Participant Jin Seo-yun likes women.”
I let out a short laugh and asked, “Then, did you create this appearance on purpose too?”
“No. I have been like this since I was born. This is my original form.”
Silence fell as we stared at each other for a long time.
“Your name?”
“I don't have one.”
“How long have you been here?”
“I don't know.”
“Who created you?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Where is this?”
“The 100th Floor.”
I narrowed my eyes and looked at her.
“The 100th Floor...?”
“Yes.”
The 100th Floor was never mentioned in the original story. In the original, once Yoon Jae-ho defeated the Dragon of Doom, the Tower collapsed, and other nameless monsters woke up. He dealt with them along with some gods and his companions, took care of the hostile gods, and returned to reality—that was the entirety of the ending.
But... the fact that the System had a physical form on the 100th Floor meant that if the story diverged from the original, I might have to face this being someday.
Furthermore, if this Tower itself was a prison sealing beings that even the gods couldn't kill, then a suspicion arose that this woman—no, the System—might also be something that was sealed.
Or is there something else entirely that I don't know about yet?
There was nothing like this in the lore I’d received from the author, so I was inwardly quite flustered.
“You have a lot on your mind.”
“Well, this whole situation is pretty baffling, you see.”
“Are you perhaps thinking about the future?”
“The future?”
“Yes. You know the future, don't you? From what I’ve observed so far, you are special. That peculiar sword called Bi-yeon, the way your stats grow strangely, and how you suddenly became powerful for no reason. It’s the same now. Your power is several times stronger than it was just a few days ago.”
“Have you been watching me every single time?”
“Yes. Because you are an Irregular.”
I paused for a beat before throwing out a question.
“I have something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“What... are you? Do the gods even know your true identity?”
The silver-haired woman replied with the same expressionless face.
“I am the Tower’s System. And the gods are aware of my existence.”
“No, the point of my question is whether the gods know your identity accurately and completely. Including your current appearance and the fact that you’re here on the 100th Floor.”
“......I cannot answer that question.”
As I thought, there was something.
There was definitely something there, but it didn't seem like I could dig out the truth right now. What mattered now was why this woman—no, the Tower’s System—had summoned me here.
I got straight to the point.
“So, why did you invite me?”
The woman spoke without a moment's hesitation, as if she had prepared the answer long ago.
“The sword called Bi-yeon. And Participant Jin Seo-yun. Both of you have an issue with balance.”
Inwardly, I thought, ‘It finally happened,’ but I didn't let my expression change.
“What kind of issue? Bi-yeon is just a part of my ability.”
The silver-haired woman continued to stare at me with her expressionless face.
“That sword is an existence that has deviated from the rules of this Tower. Intervention by external entities who are not participants is forbidden.”
“But you haven't said anything until now.”
“At first... I intended to just observe. But the situation has changed now.”
“What changed?”
“You are... becoming strong too quickly. With your current power and Bi-yeon’s, there is no one left in this Tower who can oppose you. This is a serious balance issue.”
I narrowed my eyes and shot back.
“But Bi-yeon is my legitimate ability. You know that too... which is why you’ve just been watching until now, isn't it?”
The woman before me stared at me in silence for a long while.