Chapter 152
Chapter 152
Chapter 152
"How was it? Did you all rest well yesterday?"
Nimrod asked after the well-being of the Reverse Heaven Society members, including Seo-jin.
Seo-jin showed off his soft, supple skin as he answered instead.
Having taken a hot spring bath yesterday and rested fully at the mansion, his fatigue had considerably lifted.
In contrast,
"......"
The six strategy team members who had climbed to the 38th floor ahead of time yesterday looked haggard.
Disheveled hair, rough and dry skin, clothes covered in dust and dirt.
And for good reason—the living conditions on the 38th floor were far worse than those on the 37th floor.
'The 38th floor's setting is a world completely ruined due to severe mana contamination.'
Most of the natives, avoiding the mana contamination on the surface, had dug massive tunnels underground and lived within them.
The 38th floor's setting was a battlefield where endless combat raged over the limited food and mana resources in those underground tunnels.
While the 37th floor had been somewhat dark but closer to a peaceful tycoon genre where one accumulated Achievement Points and developed villages, the 38th floor's genre could be called a battle royale filled with blood and violence.
Knowing this fact, Seo-jin had chosen not to immediately climb to the 38th floor but instead take a day's rest on the 37th floor.
"In any case, now that everyone has gathered, let me explain the outline of this test."
Pat-.
As Nimrod waved his hand, a hologram map appeared in mid-air.
The complex, winding structure drawn on the hologram map reminded one of a giant ant colony.
Countless red dots were marked on the map, and their positions were changing moment by moment.
Nimrod continued speaking while looking at those red dots.
"The natives of this 38th floor have established their living grounds underground to avoid the contamination of the outside world. And the natives are divided into various tribes, continuing endless battles for hundreds of years."
Listening to his explanation, it seemed each moving red dot represented a native.
Ha-yeon, who had been quietly watching the movement of the red dots, raised her hand like a student and asked a question.
"Why are they fighting each other?"
"Well, to seize the limited water, food, and mana sources, of course. In this barren environment, all they can obtain is groundwater, some crops that grow with mana, and Magic Stones."
Underground water veins, crops, and Magic Stones that served as mana sources for cultivating them—all were severely limited resources.
Since there were limits to digging tunnels deeper underground, conflicts over limited resources were inevitable.
If they didn't fight to seize resources, they would simply die and disappear.
Next, Ju Won-jae asked a question.
"......If conflicts have continued for so long in such harsh conditions, shouldn't the natives have gone extinct long ago?"
In an environment lacking drinking water and food, with survival battles repeatedly occurring on top of that.
Even if species reproduction was a living being's instinct, individual numbers couldn't be maintained in such extreme situations.
"That's a sharp question. If numbers decreased to an appropriate population level, resources would become abundant and there'd be no need to fight, so it's certainly strange that war has continued for hundreds of years. However."
Ting-.
As Nimrod flicked his finger, a new hologram appeared beside the map.
The hologram took the shape of small animal statues.
Wolves, rabbits, eagles, snakes, elephants, and so on.
These were animals symbolizing each native tribe living on this 38th floor.
"Whether unfortunate or fortunate, before the natives fled underground, they created and shared special artifacts to preserve their species. They're called Anima Totems—vessels that contain each tribe member's soul."
"Vessels for souls?"
"That's right. As long as these totems exist, natives can be revived even after death. Provided there's sufficient mana and materials, that is."
"......!"
"This is a miracle created by the 38th floor's unique mana properties and the natives' mystical shamanism. This is why the natives have survived without going extinct until now. And it's also the key item of this test."
As Nimrod waved his hand, the animal totems floating in mid-air disappeared, leaving only one behind.
Beyond that totem, Nimrod's eyes gleamed.
"From now on, you will become patrons of specific tribes and lead the war. By any means necessary, leave only one totem behind. The climber who supported the tribe of the last remaining totem, or the team that climber belongs to, will be the victor of this test."
At Nimrod's explanation to leave only one totem representing each tribe, everyone present fell silent.
"......"
On this 38th floor where endless tribal warfare continued, those words could only mean one thing.
So-yul asked in a trembling voice, as if seeking confirmation.
"Wh-what does it mean to leave only one totem?"
So-yul asked with the hope that a different answer than what she was thinking would come back, but the response was colder than ever.
"I believe you already understand. Must I say it with my own mouth?"
"......"
Then.
Seo-jin stepped forward and asked Nimrod.
"Is a draw possible?"
"A draw."
Nimrod's eyes swept over Seo-jin.
He wouldn't have asked such a question hoping for such a half-hearted, uninteresting result.
Nimrod stroked his chin and spoke.
"Well, I don't think such a thing will happen, but if it becomes difficult to determine victory or defeat by the test's internal standards, then I'll leave the judgment to the Tower's will. Now then."
Pat-.
As soon as Nimrod finished speaking, the bright light of teleportation magic enveloped both the Reverse Heaven Society and the strategy team.
Through the swirl of light, Nimrod's voice gradually faded.
"The natives here aren't so easy to deal with, so be careful. Well then, I wish you good fortune......"
***
After the bright light disappeared, Seo-jin stood alone in an isolated space.
"This place is......"
Seo-jin looked around, trying to grasp his location, but had no idea where this was.
Even though he had visited once before his regression, how could he immediately recognize where he was in tunnels that all looked exactly the same?
By the way,
"Am I alone?"
The other members and strategy team personnel were nowhere to be seen.
It seemed that Nimrod had randomly scattered everyone throughout various parts of the tunnel system.
Ting-.
He turned on his terminal device to check if he could communicate with other members, but the terminal was naturally out of service.
The tunnel interior was classified as a dungeon in the first place, and after the 30th floor, terminals often didn't work depending on the floor's environment.
'How useless.'
Seo-jin put away the terminal and decided to use a different method.
Click-.
Seo-jin put his hands together and used [Summon Dead].
"Come forth."
Puff-.
Smoke poured out from the magic circle, and at Seo-jin's call, his summons revealed themselves.
He had summoned Baduki and Tam, the Lich King and Glize.
The other summons were difficult to use immediately due to their size or operational inconvenience.
Seo-jin commanded the summons who bowed their heads before him.
"You remember the scent and mana of the members. Find them all and bring them before me."
Growl-.
Starting with Baduki, the summons began to scatter and track the members.
Baduki ran like lightning following familiar scents, and the Lich King sent skeletons throughout the tunnels to search for the members.
Glize used her characteristic as a spirit to pass through walls easily, and Tam, who had been writhing like slime, also followed traces of mana and disappeared somewhere through the shadows.
Since the tunnel system was so vast, it would take several more days to find everyone, but just gathering the members together would give them a significant advantage over the strategy team.
Rather than acting individually while scattered, it would be more efficient to quickly gather and establish an action plan.
After sending his summons throughout the tunnel system, Seo-jin looked around his surroundings. Then.
"This is."
He discovered a mask that had fallen at his feet and picked it up.
A mask shaped like a wolf.
Such a thing wouldn't just fall from the sky, so Nimrod must have given it to him along with the teleportation.
Probably meaning he should find and help that corresponding tribe.
This was also a consideration to allow climbers to move more comfortably in this world.
Each tribe had savior legends originating from masks.
'The Wolf Tribe.'
Seo-jin examined the mask from various angles, lost in thought.
Even before his regression, Seo-jin had experience supporting a carnivorous animal alliance connected to the Wolf Tribe on the 38th floor.
Was receiving the wolf mask again this time just coincidence? Or was there some twist of fate involved?
After briefly mulling over various thoughts, Seo-jin put on the wolf mask and walked along the cave.
Finding the members was important, but first he had to find the Wolf Tribe he'd been assigned to.
Just in case a strategy team member discovered the Wolf Tribe first and destroyed the wolf totem.
That would be disadvantageous for clearing Nimrod's quest, and he wouldn't be able to reach the ending Seo-jin desired.
As Seo-jin wandered around various parts of the cave system searching for traces of the Wolf Tribe.
Step-.
Someone wearing a wolf mask similar to Seo-jin's appeared, pointing a spear at him in warning.
A young man with a solid body trained through combat, wearing worn leather clothing that barely covered his lower body.
He was a native of the 38th floor.
He seemed to be wary of Seo-jin because his clothing was completely different from that of the natives.
Seo-jin smiled inwardly as he looked at him.
'Found them quickly.'
Fortunately, it seemed he'd been teleported to an area close to the Wolf Tribe.
The native pointing his spear slowly circled around Seo-jin and questioned him.
"Who are you?"
Seo-jin looked at the native pointing a spear at him and pondered.
"Well. What would be good for me to be to you people?"
"......?"
Toward the native tilting his head in confusion, Seo-jin clapped his hands lightly as if he'd had a good idea and answered.
"Right, I am your god."
***
"Ugh."
In a completely different section of the cave from where Seo-jin had been teleported.
Ha-yeon rubbed her aching bottom and frowned.
It was fine that he'd teleported them randomly, but she'd fallen from too high up and bruised her tailbone.
Just how high had she fallen from?
As Ha-yeon briefly looked up at the high cliff above.
Thwack-.
Something fell from the sky and struck Ha-yeon's forehead.
"Ow."
It seemed to be an object that had followed her during teleportation.
Ha-yeon picked up the object while touching her reddened forehead.
"......What's this?"
The object was a rabbit mask.
It was slightly different from what Ha-yeon always wore, but it was definitely rabbit-shaped.
Come to think of it, when Nimrod was explaining earlier, there was definitely a rabbit-shaped totem among the holograms he'd displayed.
Could this mean she should help the Rabbit Tribe and lead the quest?
"Hmm."
Ha-yeon fell into contemplation while looking at the mask.
Helping the corresponding tribe was one thing, but the problem was this test's victory condition.
Nimrod's demand to leave only one totem from each tribe.
This ultimately meant subduing all other tribes.
If it was an artifact capable of reviving the dead, each tribe would treasure and carefully guard it like a sacred object.
Subjugation sounded nice, but it was essentially close to meaning they should kill all natives except for one tribe.
"Sigh."
She'd thought she'd eventually face a vicious World Quest, but she hadn't expected it to be this direct and blatant.
'Isn't there another way?'
Ju Won-jae, the strategy team's leader, would choose the most efficient and fastest method.
He would cut down all natives without batting an eye.
And that would likely become the entire strategy team's course of action.
In contrast, if it were the Reverse Heaven Society led by Seo-jin, they might devise a slightly different plan.
The path they'd shown so far proved this assumption, and it better suited Ha-yeon's personality too.
Ha-yeon, who had been quietly lost in thought, grumbled.
"......I'm envious."
Though she'd only acted together with them briefly yesterday, she suddenly envied the Reverse Heaven Society members.
Unlike the strategy team bound by interests, she felt they were companions who could trust and rely on each other.
Of course, she'd only observed from an outsider's perspective briefly, so she couldn't know what thoughts they truly harbored.
"Hah."
But she couldn't just sit here like this either.
After letting out a deep sigh, Ha-yeon dusted off her clothes and stood up to begin exploring her surroundings.
She had to find the other members and also locate the assigned Rabbit Tribe.
How much time had passed as Ha-yeon wandered alone through the stuffy cave system?
Bark bark-.
A somewhat familiar dog barking reached Ha-yeon's ears as she walked through the cave.
'A dog?'
Then, glowing eyes gradually approached from beyond that darkness.
Growl-!
It was Baduki, Seo-jin's summon.
"Oh?"
As soon as Ha-yeon recognized him, Baduki ran straight toward her.