Chapter 181
Chapter 181
Chapter 181
Seong-hyeon's funeral hall.
"……."
Ha-yeon, dressed in mourning clothes, sat blankly in a room near the mortuary.
The portrait photo of Seong-hyeon smiling brightly kept catching her gaze.
She couldn't believe the fact that her always-reliable older brother had left so futilely.
And since he passed away together with her sister-in-law, she was also worried about how her young niece Ji-hye, left alone, would survive.
'Why did it have to be Oppa…….'
Ha-yeon buried her face between her knees and bit her lip tightly.
Why did her brother have to die? She simply resented the heavens.
Just as Ha-yeon was desperately trying to hold back the tears welling up.
Creak-.
A man in a black suit entered the mortuary and patted Ha-yeon's shoulder.
Kwon Seok-woo, Ha-yeon's half-uncle who attended Seong-hyeon's funeral.
After offering a few words of condolence, he sat down next to Ha-yeon and got to the point.
"Geez. Your father is really heartless too. How could he do that to his own child……."
"……What do you mean by that?"
To Ha-yeon, who was frowning, Seok-woo spoke nonchalantly.
"Didn't you know? That Seong-hyeon was trying to expose Hanseong's internal corruption."
"I…… knew about that."
Ha-yeon answered with her head lowered.
She had only learned relatively recently that Seong-hyeon was investigating Hanseong's internal corruption.
She had heard that was why he severed ties with Grandfather and left home.
But she thought there was no way Grandfather would kill his own blood over such matters of interest.
Such an absurd thing couldn't happen in reality, could it?
At this, Seok-woo clicked his tongue and continued speaking.
"Tsk tsk. You're still young, Ha-yeon. Adults can do anything for profit. Especially people at the center of such a massive corporation."
Then Kwon Seok-woo appropriately summarized and explained the conversation between Grandfather Kwon Seong-cheol and Father Kwon Do-il.
The content was that in exchange for silencing Seong-hyeon, who was trying to expose Hanseong's internal corruption, Father Kwon Do-il was promised the chairman position.
Finally, Kwon Seok-woo whispered carefully in Ha-yeon's ear.
"Ha-yeon. Think about who benefits most from this incident."
"……."
The person who buried Hanseong's shameful secrets perfectly in darkness and ascended to the chairman position without any interference.
There was only one such person.
Crack-.
"Th-this……."
Ha-yeon sprang up from her spot, grinding her teeth.
The father-daughter relationship probably began to fracture from this moment.
***
This secret story was not made known to the media but was conveyed to Kwon Do-il's second and third children through Kwon Seok-woo.
Upon hearing the news, the two feared for their safety and decided never to set foot on Korean soil again.
They could live sufficiently affluent lives overseas, so there was no need to take the risk.
Ha-yeon, the youngest daughter who remained in Korea, also decided to wash her hands of Hanseong's affairs and live life as a Climber.
She no longer wanted to be entangled in family matters.
Chairman Kwon Do-il tried to eliminate Kwon Seok-woo, who was presumed to have instigated conflict among family members behind the scenes.
However, he postponed the disposal, judging that continued deaths could have a major adverse effect on the image not only of the Kwon family but also of Hanseong Group.
Instead, he gave him the nominal vice chairman position and decided to monitor him for life so he couldn't pull any tricks.
Lastly, Seong-hyeon's daughter left alone, Kwon Ji-hye—she was too young at the time and couldn't remember anything from this period.
Moreover, due to environmental changes caused by the Tower's appearance, Ji-hye developed a rare Mana Tumor and has been unable to leave her sickbed ever since.
***
"……."
Ha-yeon was stroking the pale Ji-hye's forehead, lost in deep thought.
Her father's voice reached her ears.
"Ji-hye is receiving the best treatment under Hanseong's support. No treatment better than this exists anywhere in the world. There's no need to worry."
If it can't be treated here, it can't be done anywhere in the world.
There's no better method than now, so the act of worrying is inefficient.
Kwon Do-il continued speaking.
"It's about time you stopped this indulgence and came back. Do you intend to upset your father like your brother did?"
"……!"
When Kwon Do-il mentioned Seong-hyeon, Ha-yeon's eyes widened as she grabbed his collar.
"You can say that in front of Ji-hye? Huh?"
It was behavior tantamount to unfilial conduct, but Ha-yeon didn't care about such etiquette.
The other party was someone who had forsaken propriety toward his own child.
"What kind of undignified behavior is this?"
Smack-.
Chairman Kwon Do-il brushed off Ha-yeon's hand and straightened his tie.
"I won't speak at length. Within the near future, withdraw from the Tower and receive successor education. Or else."
"Or else?"
"As the price for staying in the Tower, marry the Sword Star. I will bring him in as an adopted son-in-law. Shouldn't you at least do that much for the family?"
Either give up her Climber status and inherit the succession, or maintain her Climber status but marry the Sword Star.
A choice between two options.
But Ha-yeon's face crumpled as she shouted.
"Don't talk nonsense. What if I refuse?"
Then Chairman Kwon Do-il silently looked down at the unconscious Ji-hye.
Then he spoke in a cold voice.
"Don't make me into a worse person, Ha-yeon."
***
"Uuuugh……."
The top floor of the Climber Association. Han Seo-hee's office.
Ha-yeon, who had been crying and wailing while heavily drunk, fell asleep exhausted.
So-yul, who had been comforting Ha-yeon beside her, also got drunk and collapsed on the sofa.
Han Seo-hee looked down at the two from a distance.
'Why on earth did they come here to do this?'
Puffing on her cigarette, she sighed and cleaned up the beer cans and snack bags scattered on the floor.
Then she covered the two with a blanket and scratched her cheek.
'It's truly complicated.'
Ha-yeon's situation was pitiful, but there was nothing Han Seo-hee could do to help.
This was Ha-yeon's personal matter and a problem she had to solve herself.
She could empathize and comfort, but the solution was entirely Ha-yeon's responsibility.
'Ha-yeon has about three years.'
There was Chairman Kwon's ultimatum to make a decision before turning thirty.
Han Seo-hee gazed at Ha-yeon, who had fallen into deep sleep, lost in thought.
'Well, it's not like there's absolutely no solution.'
For example, if there was a way to cure the illness Ha-yeon's niece was suffering from…….
It wouldn't be a fundamental solution, but she could escape Chairman Kwon's blackmail.
However, it was a rare disease that even Hanseong, with its tremendous wealth and power, couldn't cure.
Curing it wouldn't be easy.
Nevertheless.
"There's an answer higher up."
Han Seo-hee captured the enormous Tower visible outside the window in her gaze.
Perhaps that answer would emerge as they climbed the Tower.
That vague hope might be the driving force leading Climbers higher.
***
"It's been a while."
Tower 20th Floor.
Atlantis's Sea God's Temple.
Having cleared the 50th floor World Quest, Seo-jin looked around each floor during the brief rest period given, checking on situations.
Even with immediate problems resolved, some floors required continued attention, and he could meet familiar faces as well.
He met the Romulus and Remus brothers, and also met the natives of the world where light had arrived.
Descending through the Tower like that, he finally reached the 20th floor.
Quite a few familiar faces had gathered at this place where the Reverse Heaven Society was first formed.
"It's been a long time, Hyung-nim!"
"Who's your hyung-nim?"
A man who grabbed Seo-jin's hand tightly.
It was Min-ho, the streamer he met on the 4th floor.
Back then he was a streamer with no recognition, but now he's a major YouTuber with 2 million subscribers.
He experienced a major decline at one point, but used that incident as a stepping stone to grow even more…….
"Did your livelihood improve a bit from selling me out?"
"Of course. Thanks to Hyung-nim, I'm living large."
Min-ho patted his belly while saying that.
Not only money, but riding on Nova's popularity, he somehow felt like he'd gained honor too.
"Well, saying you sold me out and all was a joke—I also watched your videos."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Se-yeon showed me."
Seo-jin gestured to Se-yeon sitting quietly beside him.
Se-yeon, who occasionally saved and showed Seo-jin related videos whenever she came out of the Tower.
From the person in question's perspective, there was a lot of incorrect information, but they were videos that analyzed the Reverse Heaven Society's activities quite thoroughly from a latecomer's viewpoint.
Content that would quite likely interest ordinary people who were interested in the Reverse Heaven Society's activities.
Even Seo-jin found them reasonably entertaining.
"That's also an ability. An impressive ability."
The talent to speak fluently to countless people and draw out the public's response. It was an ability Seo-jin somewhat lacked.
"Ah, not really. You don't know how much I struggled."
"I heard. You endured well."
The fame Min-ho now enjoys was by no means an easily obtained result.
When Seo-jin's reputation deteriorated, he nearly fell to ruin defending him, but it was fruit borne from enduring that hardship.
"Yes, but I didn't endure alone. These people helped me."
Min-ho gave credit to the four people sitting next to him.
They were Paulo and Jamal, and the Evan and Colin siblings who had taken the test together with Seo-jin on the 3rd floor in the past.
Now Jamal could walk, albeit with a limp, without using crutches.
Old man Paulo looked as healthy as always.
Evan and Colin had their talents recognized on the 12th floor and received teachings from Great Beings dispatched from Avalon and Valhalla respectively.
The items Seo-jin left behind must have helped.
"How is everyone doing now?"
Jamal adjusted his glasses and answered.
"Ah, we're all affiliated with Haomun now. For now, we're serving as promotional ambassadors for the Reverse Heaven Society."
"Promotional ambassadors……."
Hearing such words outright was a bit embarrassing.
Still, it was true that these people and Haomun's publicity efforts greatly helped improve the Reverse Heaven Society's image.
Also, from these individuals' perspective, promotional ambassador work wouldn't be very dangerous and they could steadily earn income, so it worked out well.
If they earned sufficient funds through promotional ambassador activities and prepared artifacts, it would be a great help in climbing the Tower afterward.
"Then what about climbing?"
At Seo-jin's question, old man Paulo patted his waist and smiled.
"This is far enough for me. The 20th floor is plenty fun."
Next, the Evan and Colin siblings answered.
"I'd like to go higher too, but…… I'm satisfied here for now. The people are kind too."
On the other hand, Jamal pointed upward.
"I'm going to try going to higher places. The path of magic has no end."
As each had different goals, their intentions regarding climbing also differed.
Paulo, who wanted vitality in life, said the 20th floor was sufficient, and the Evan and Colin siblings seemed to be settling into reality for a while.
Perhaps due to his leg condition improving, Jamal seemed more overflowing with passion for magic.
Seo-jin nodded with a smile.
"I'll support each of your intentions."
Seo-jin, who met familiar people after a long time and caught up.
Seo-jin provided items that each might need and then left for other floors further down.
***
One year later.
Tower 60th Floor.
A group of Climbers appeared on a massive mountain ridge with strangely shaped rocks.
"Here! Right here!"
Following Hyeon-wol, who was jumping around happily, the Reverse Heaven Society set foot in a world governed by martial arts and chivalry.