Chapter 724: Eternal Spire (102)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 724: Eternal Spire (102)
Cheon-wol muttered in an annoyed voice.
"That bastard Zeus finally showed his true colors."
"It’s hardly surprising. He was always that kind of man."
Tiamat let out a weary sigh.
"The problem is that he’ll definitely go after Jin Seo-yun. His pride took a massive hit last time, so he’ll be hell-bent on revenge."
Cheon-wol nodded in agreement.
However, there was nothing they could do right now. They were trapped within the barrier, their hands and feet tied, stuck in a frustrating situation where they couldn't even tell what was happening outside.
Just then, a presence cautiously approached. Athena spoke to them in a calm, quiet voice.
"May I have a word with you two?"
Tiamat and Cheon-wol looked at each other before nodding.
"What is it?" Tiamat asked first.
Athena scanned their surroundings and lowered her voice.
"I have a proposal for you both."
"A proposal?"
"What kind of proposal?"
"We can escape this barrier."
At Athena’s words, the two goddesses stared at her in shock.
"…How?" Tiamat’s eyes narrowed.
Athena continued her explanation carefully.
"Using my Authority of Wisdom, I’ve found a weakness in the barrier. Loki’s barrier looks perfect on the surface, but it actually has one blind spot. The power of Olympus that my father overlaid and Loki’s power haven't perfectly fused."
"They haven't fused?" Tiamat pressed.
"Yes. Because the natures of the two powers are different, a microscopic rift has formed. If we use that rift, a few gods can slip out. Three or four at most."
"I see." Tiamat stroked her chin.
"But why are you telling us this?" Cheon-wol asked cautiously.
Athena answered without a moment's hesitation.
"Because you two are the most rational, and above all, you have a connection to Jin Seo-yun. To stop Zeus, we absolutely need his strength."
Tiamat and Cheon-wol shared a brief look before nodding silently.
"What about the remaining gods?" Tiamat asked quietly.
"To be honest, I don't think the others will be of much help. It’s probably safer for everyone if they stay inside the barrier for now."
Athena continued with a grave expression.
"Furthermore, my father will undoubtedly try to seize control of the System. He’ll surely go after the Sealing Device."
"Even if the System isn't functioning normally, it won't be easy for Zeus to get his hands on the Sealing Device… will it?"
Athena carefully revealed what she knew.
"For a long time, my father has been researching ways to interfere with the Tower without being detected by the System. One of those methods was using participants."
"Using participants?" Tiamat’s eyes narrowed.
"Not real participants, but artificially created Fake Participants."
"Fake Participants?"
"Yes. They are essentially puppets—artificial bodies with easily controlled souls implanted inside them."
The two goddesses' faces hardened at Athena’s explanation.
"Then… that means Zeus can directly influence the Tower even at this very moment."
"Exactly."
"But how did he deceive the System?"
"I don't know the specifics of that method. Only Hermes and my father know."
Tiamat sighed.
"His petty tricks are as sharp as ever… Truly typical of Zeus."
Cheon-wol nodded. "We need to move now."
"Then please follow me," Athena added quietly. "If we move openly, others will surely interfere. Let’s move in silence."
The three goddesses exchanged a knowing look and began to move stealthily.
*
Athena, Tiamat, and Cheon-wol successfully escaped the barrier.
"Phew…" Cheon-wol let out a sigh of relief. "We actually made it out."
"Athena, thank you." Tiamat expressed her sincere gratitude.
"It’s nothing. I have to stop my father as well."
After escaping the barrier, the three goddesses moved to a secluded area.
"Athena, what’s the plan now?" Cheon-wol asked.
"We should enter the Tower as well."
"What do you expect to achieve by entering the Tower directly?" Tiamat frowned. "We’ll only grow weaker if we go in there."
She was right.
Gods had their power restricted once they entered the Tower. The Tower’s rules suppressed them. Even a god with almighty power on the outside would be only slightly stronger than an average participant once inside.
"I know," Athena nodded. "But staying here is dangerous. They’ll likely try to capture us the moment they realize we’re gone."
"Knowing Zeus’s personality, he’s a sucker for beauties. He might even try to violate us given the chance," Cheon-wol said with a look of disgust.
Zeus was notorious for his lust. Even in mythology, he had pursued countless goddesses and mortal women. In a situation like this, it was obvious how he would act if he found the goddesses who had escaped the barrier.
"So, for now, it’s safer to hide inside the Tower. And then we can help Jin Seo-yun."
Athena was right.
Staying outside carried a high risk of being discovered by Zeus. But once inside the Tower, even Zeus couldn't easily lay a hand on them.
"…But with our System access lowered, is there even a way for us to enter the Tower?" Tiamat pointed out the core issue.
Now that the System had revoked their privileges, their authority was drastically reduced. They were in a state where they couldn't enter the Tower at will.
"Don't worry. The System has granted permission."
"The System did?"
Tiamat and Cheon-wol looked at Athena in surprise.
"Yes. And rather than calling it the System, please keep in mind that she prefers to be called Luna."
"When did you become so close with the System… no, with Luna?" Tiamat asked, bewildered.
The System didn't usually communicate with gods. It simply moved according to set rules, showing neither emotion nor will.
"It’s not that we’re particularly close. It’s just that I tried talking to her a few times, and interestingly enough, she responded whenever I brought up Jin Seo-yun," Athena explained calmly.
"Jin Seo-yun?"
"Yes. Luna reacted immediately at the mere mention of his name. As if that name held a special meaning."
Tiamat and Cheon-wol looked at each other. They realized the System now had some sort of relationship with Jin Seo-yun.
"…Could it be that Jin Seo-yun gave her the name Luna?" Tiamat speculated cautiously.
"It’s a possibility…" Cheon-wol nodded.
"I just asked, and she says that is the case," Athena replied.
"……"
The two goddesses were momentarily speechless.
"So Jin Seo-yun was the root of it all," Tiamat muttered with a sigh.
The System becoming unstable, the gods' authority being reduced—perhaps it all started when Jin Seo-yun gave the System a name.
Just then.
[The Tower's System, Luna, tells you not to badmouth Seo-yun.]
A system message suddenly appeared.
"…Ha." Tiamat looked dumbfounded. "The System is sending direct warnings now."
"She’s developed full-blown emotions," Cheon-wol said, looking equally shocked.
"And it seems she cherishes Jin Seo-yun quite a bit." Athena chuckled. "Now you understand, right? Why we can enter the Tower."
"……"
Tiamat wore a complex expression. "How on earth did that guy Jin Seo-yun seduce the System?"
"I don't know, but what’s certain is that Luna considers him special," Athena said seriously. "And that can work to our advantage. We can receive Luna’s help."
Cheon-wol nodded. "We’ll be able to keep Zeus in check easily. And Zeus won't know a thing about this."
A smile played on Tiamat’s lips. "This might make things easier than expected."
"Agreed," Athena said.
"More importantly… before we enter the Tower, I should relay the situation to my priestess," Tiamat said.
"Are you going to contact Jin Seo-yun in advance through her?"
"Yes. It would be best to explain the situation beforehand."
"That’s a good idea," Athena nodded.
*
I had to take a longer break than expected.
It was all because of the 78th-floor boss battle, which no one had anticipated.
In the original story, there was only a single sentence saying, 'Someone other than Yoon Jae-ho caught it,' so I didn't have detailed information on exactly what kind of boss battle it was. But when I actually faced it, the boss battle on this floor turned out to be a 'Siege.'
[78th Floor Boss Battle: Fortress of Immortality]
[Participation Conditions]
* Minimum Personnel: 500 people
* Maximum Personnel: 1,000 people
* Required Class Composition: 100+ Tankers, 100+ Healers, 300+ Dealers
"Is our guild at about 100 members right now?"
"The number of people who can actually fight is around 40," Tia replied.
I let out a sigh at her answer.
Night Bloom was an elite guild that only accepted a small number of members—specifically, only beauties. While the fact that my cock was happy was a definite plus, that very point had become a critical weakness this time around.
"Can't we just draft people from other guilds?" Seo Eun-ha asked tentatively.
"That’s the problem." I scratched my head. "The other guilds are too weak."
I had tried using those who were considered relatively strong on the 77th floor as mercenaries, but the number of usable combatants was negligible. Some even just died the moment they entered the Boss Room.
"But our girls alone aren't nearly enough in number."
The side effect of monopolizing the Boss Rooms had finally caught up to me. Although Luna had raised the average skill level of all participants in the Tower, Night Bloom was the one who had actually hogged the boss battles, so the growth gap had only widened.
To put it simply, if Night Bloom was S-Class, the other guilds were B-Rank or lower. The gap was too large for us to fight together.
My attempt to clear the floors quickly was now holding me back.
"It can't be helped. I have no choice but to reveal it to the other participants now."
"Reveal what?" Ryu Seol looked at me.
"Martial Arts."
"Are you sure about this?" Seo Eun-ha asked worriedly. She had also experienced explosive growth after learning Martial Arts from me.
'She’s probably worried that participants who learn Martial Arts might one day turn their blades against me.'
Even if they got stronger by learning some Martial Arts, they were still just insects in the end.
"Don't worry. None of them will last long because of the side effects anyway."
"Side effects?"
"Yeah. What I’m going to give them are Demonic Arts."
Demonic Arts—the martial arts of the demonic path.
It was a dangerous power that allowed one to grow strong quickly, but always at a price.
"Demonic Arts…? What happens if you learn them?" Han So-young asked cautiously.
"You get strong. Very fast." I continued my explanation. "But the side effects are severe. You either lose your mind, your body breaks down, or both."
"Aha, so it’s a dangerous power…?"
"Exactly. It’s the complete opposite of the Martial Arts you’ve learned so far."
I explained while crossing my arms.
"Demonic Arts are basically focused on rapid growth and destruction. Instead of building up steadily like orthodox methods, you become explosively strong in a short period, but it eats away at your body and mind."
"Then… they eventually die?" Seo Eun-ha asked with a trembling voice.
"Most of them do."
"……"
"But that’s their choice. The desire to become strong and the price that comes with it. It’s up to them to decide which one to choose."
I looked at the three of them in turn.
"So, no matter how much you want to get strong quickly, don't you dare touch Demonic Arts. Especially you, Ryu Seol."
"Why me?" Ryu Seol asked expressionlessly.
"Because you were bawling your eyes out after losing to Jessica last time."
"I—I did not cry!"
Just then, Tia’s face suddenly hardened as she spoke.
"Seo-yun, I’ve been reconnected with Lady Tiamat."
Cheon-wol
Tiamat
