Chapter 720: Eternal Spire (98)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 720: Eternal Spire (98)
Time passed with deceptive speed.
Following the first welcoming ceremony at Night Bloom, the three newcomers settled into the guild well.
Seo Eun-ha’s initial rigidity had softened considerably. Though she was still prone to embarrassment, she had reached a point where she could naturally accept bathing with other guild members or engaging in light physical affection.
Han So-young proved highly adaptable. She had already grown close to the others and was frequently seen hanging out with Mila and Isia.
Ryu Seol remained blunt, but she no longer acted as if she were constantly on edge. She had formed a strangely close bond with Tia, and the two were often spotted together.
Meanwhile, the growth of all participants within the Tower began to accelerate noticeably.
Ever since Luna adjusted the system, quest rewards had increased significantly, and new dungeons continued to appear. Thanks to this, even participants who had been stuck on the lower-to-middle floors were leveling up rapidly.
Once the participants reached a certain threshold, the restrictions on the boss rooms were finally lifted.
[Tower System Announcement]
[All participants may now freely challenge the Gatekeeper Bosses.]
The moment the announcement appeared, the entire Tower fell into a stir.
This was a domain that had essentially been monopolized by top-tier powers like Night Bloom, the Neutral Alliance Guild, and the Holy Cross Knights.
But now, anyone could enter.
"This is a bit unexpected," I muttered, staring at the message.
The unlimited opening of the boss rooms was certainly a favorable condition for me. With Night Bloom’s current strength, we could melt through the bosses faster than anyone else.
However, I scratched the back of my head, unable to shake a nagging sense of unease.
There’s no reason for the gods to offer me such favorable terms...
Something was off.
I doubted whether lifting the boss room restrictions was a decision Luna could make on her own. This was a matter that touched upon the fundamental structure of the Tower.
It’s the kind of thing that should require a consensus among the gods...
Feeling uneasy about the situation, I attempted to contact Tiamat directly through Tia.
"Tia, ask Tiamat for me. See if anything is happening on the gods' side."
"Yes, just a moment."
Tia closed her eyes and focused. As the Priestess of the Dragon God, she could communicate with Tiamat directly.
However, after a moment, Tia’s expression stiffened slightly.
"...Seo-yun."
"Yeah?"
"I’m getting no response at all from Lady Tiamat."
"Is Tiamat busy masturbating again?"
It was a joke, but Tia’s expression remained grave.
"It’s... different from usual. It feels like I can’t reach her at all."
"You can't reach her?"
"Yes. Usually, even if she’s busy, there’s at least a connection. But now... it’s like there’s a wall blocking us. There’s no reaction whatsoever."
In that instant, a chill ran down my spine.
It was a sign that something massive and heavy had shifted.
I stood up and walked toward the window. Looking out, I slowly organized my thoughts.
The connection with Tiamat was severed.
The lack of contact implied two possibilities.
One: Tiamat had cut the connection herself.
Two: It had been forcibly severed by something else.
If it was the former, it wasn't a big deal. But if it was the latter...
...Is it finally starting?
At my murmur, Tia blinked and approached me.
"What do you mean, Seo-yun?"
I didn't bother explaining. Or rather, it was more accurate to say I couldn't tell her outright.
I gave her a look that signaled I couldn't talk about it right now and processed the situation internally.
Whether Luna did something or Loki made a move... either way, things have been set in motion.
In the original story, Loki didn't start moving in earnest until the final chapter. He used a barrier he had prepared for 500 years to temporarily imprison the gods and began his full-scale preparations to destroy the Tower.
But that was according to the original plot.
I had already overturned too many variables.
It wouldn't be strange at all if Loki moved at this timing.
The gods aren't idiots. If they checked the system logs... they would have already realized that Luna was given a name.
And the moment they knew, the gods would have certainly tried to come up with a countermeasure.
But what if Loki beat them to the punch?
He trapped them in a barrier before the gods could react... that’s a strong possibility.
I stroked my chin as I continued my train of thought.
Loki’s goal was simple.
Destroy the Tower and liberate his imprisoned children.
Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hel. Loki’s children, who had been sealed within the Tower by the gods because they were deemed a threat. He had spent 500 years preparing for this exact moment.
On the other hand, what about me?
I just need to get the Dragon Heart.
That was my top priority. Defeating Vortel on the 80th floor and obtaining the complete Dragon Heart.
A secondary goal was finally claiming the beauty known as Luna for myself.
Whether the Tower collapsed or the gods died was, frankly, none of my concern.
At the very least, Loki and I have no reason to be enemies.
In fact, our interests aligned in some ways. If Loki was busy freeing his daughters and dealing with the gods, I could take advantage of the chaos to comfortably snag the Dragon Heart.
Ah, but I should probably look out for Tiamat and Cheon-wol.
Those two goddesses were practically my women already. I couldn't let them get hurt by being caught up in Loki’s plans.
The problem is Luna.
It was clear she had feelings for me. No, based on our ongoing conversations, I could tell her affection level was quite high.
At first, it was just simple curiosity—interest in the participant who had given her a name. But as time passed, that emotion had grown deeper and darker.
The issue was that she was an uncontrollable monster, and her jealousy was substantial.
Every time I have sex with the other girls, she occasionally slaps a debuff on them...
Lately, there were signs that the intensity was increasing.
That didn't mean I could stop touching women just because of Luna.
To be honest, facing her directly was still nerve-wracking, but I felt like something terrible would happen if I left things as they were.
The debuffs are getting stronger. If this keeps up, the girls might actually get hurt...
And above all, if anyone knew what was happening with the gods right now, it was likely Luna.
"Luna, can't we meet in person like before?"
A moment of silence followed.
[Do you want to meet me?]
I sensed a strange emotion in the message. Something like anticipation.
"Yeah. It’s been a while, and I want to talk to you face-to-face."
[......]
[The Tower's System, Luna, has invited participant Jin Seo-yun to the 100th floor. Do you accept?]
"I accept."
With those words, unlike before, it wasn't just my consciousness but my entire body that was enveloped in a brilliant light.
The radiance was so intense I couldn't keep my eyes open.
In an instant, the surrounding scenery changed.
Just like the last time I was here, I was inside a grand, Gothic cathedral. Cold, blue moonlight filtered through the windows, and massive pillars stretched up toward the ceiling.
Then, I sensed a presence ahead.
I slowly raised my head.
A woman was lying on a massive bed in the center of the cathedral.
Long, flowing silver-white hair. Pale but beautiful skin. And perfect features that were hard to believe belonged to a human.
She possessed a beauty that was mysterious, cold, and somehow lonely all at once.
It was Luna.
"You came."
She spoke. Her voice was calm, but I could feel the emotions hidden within it.
Joy. And a hint of tension.
"It’s been a while, Luna."
I said, slowly approaching her.
"You’re as beautiful as ever."
Luna’s eyes wavered slightly. However, she quickly regained her composure and spoke.
"Flattery is unnecessary."
"It’s not flattery, it’s the truth."
I shrugged and walked right up to the edge of the bed.
Seeing her up close, I could see her more clearly.
Her outfit is different from last time.
She was wearing clothes that looked as if they were meant to seduce me. No, it was more accurate to call it lingerie than clothes. The black lace lingerie made her white skin stand out even more. It featured a deep, plunging neckline and was short enough to expose her thighs.
Sensing my gaze, Luna’s cheeks flushed.
"...How is it? Does it suit me?"
"It suits you perfectly."
At my words, she looked away. I could see her ears turning red.
"M-More importantly, for what purpose did you want to see me...?"
"I didn't ask to see you for any particular purpose. I just wanted to see your face."
"Liar... You say things like that to the other women too."
Luna muttered softly. However, I saw the corners of her mouth lift slightly.
I sat on the edge of the bed and said, "It’s not a lie."
"I'll believe you..."
"Hey, I'm serious."
For a while, Luna and I just stared at each other in silence.
Expectation, happiness, embarrassment—and jealousy, obsession.
I could see all of it in her eyes.
The fact that she was a monster several times stronger than me was the only problem with her jealousy and obsession.
If I’m unlucky, is this where I get kidnapped, confined, and raised by Luna forever?
It was a perfectly plausible scenario. If she set her mind to it, keeping me trapped here would be effortless.
Still, I had to say what needed to be said. Avoiding it would only make the problem worse.
"Luna, do you know you’ve been putting debuffs on my women lately?"
"......"
Luna’s expression stiffened slightly.
"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything like that."
"Really?"
"......"
Luna looked away and muttered softly.
"...Just a little."
"A little?"
"I was just... a little annoyed."
Then, she whispered quietly.
"When you’re with other women... my chest feels tight... and I get angry..."
"You were jealous."
Luna looked at me, startled.
"I-It wasn't jealousy! It was just...!"
"Just?"
"...I don't know."
Luna hung her head low.
I let out a small chuckle and moved closer to her.
"Luna. Look at me."
"......"
Luna slowly raised her head. Her eyes were trembling with anxiety.
"I don't hate that you’re jealous."
"...What?"
"In fact, I think it’s cute."
Luna’s eyes widened. It was clearly a reaction she hadn't expected.
"However," I continued in a serious voice. "You can't mess with my women. They’re all precious to me."
"......"
Luna bit her lip.
"Then... what about me?"
"You’re precious too."
"...Liar."
"It’s the truth."
I took her hand. It was cold but soft.
"Luna, you’re the being I gave a name to. You know what that means, right?"
"......"
"It means I’m taking responsibility for you."
Tears welled up in Luna’s eyes.
"...Is that true?"
"It’s true."
"You’re not lying?"
"I’m not."
Luna gripped my sleeve with a trembling hand.
"...I’ve been alone for thousands of years," she said in a small voice. "No one ever came to find me, and no one ever called my name. I just... existed as the Tower’s system."
"......"
"But then you gave me a name. You called me 'Luna'."
Her voice trembled.
"That’s why... I became obsessed. I’m sorry. But I can’t stop."
I stroked her hair and said, "You don't have to stop. Just change your method."
"Method?"
"Instead of tormenting the other girls, tell me directly. If you want to see me, say you want to see me. If you’re jealous, say you’re jealous."
Luna blinked.
"Then... will you listen to me?"
"As much as I can."
Luna thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"...Okay. I'll try."
"Good."
Just then, Luna grabbed my wrist.
"...Seo-yun."
"Yeah?"
"Do you... have time right now?"
The look in her eyes had changed. It was a gaze mixed with shyness and anticipation.
I recognized the meaning immediately.
"I do."
"Then..."
Luna carefully placed my hand over her breast.
"Will you do it with me too?"
Normally, I would have happily pounced on her, but...
Luna, oh Luna... why are your eyes going dead as you say that...?
Cold sweat ran down my spine.
The gaze she directed at me was growing darker and darker. And the grip she had on my wrist was so strong I couldn't pull away.