Chapter 65 6. What Remains
What Remains
Episode 66
After the Lord of Corpses acknowledged my victory, the darkness receded.
Wooong—
Against a backdrop of drifting darkness and falling ashes, the shadows were sucked back into the sleeves of the Lord.
Despite their ominous nature, the darkness clinging to its master almost seemed to be acting coquettish.
On the other side of the sky where blue light had broken through, the sunset cast its glow.
The Queen of the Dead, who commanded an abyss within her arm, stared at me.
Thinking she resembled a ghostly woman, I thrust the contract forward.
"I won."
The Lord readily nodded.
And then.
『You have passed the "Trial" of the Lord of Corpses.』
『The sacrificial offerings bound by contract with the Lord of Corpses are being liberated.』
Fwoosh!
Black flames erupted from the contract.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the cultists were engulfed in dark fire.
"Kyaaak!?"
"Wh-what's happening!?"
The ominous flames, all connected to the Lord, returned to her.
"Ah...!"
The sacrifices were being freed.
Just as the last of the dark will-o'-wisps were being reclaimed.
<You've won... human.>
The Lord of Corpses lifted her chin and made her declaration.
Only then did I finally exhale amid the stunned crowd.
『You have defeated all calamities within the Tutorial World.』
『The title "Hunter of the Wild" has been completed as "Eraser of Calamity."』
『Title: "Eraser of Calamity"』
[You may prioritize all rewards from the Tower.]
[You are guaranteed to obtain the highest-tier drop items from monsters.]
[You gain unlimited access to the Tower's restricted zones.]
[Damage dealt to monsters increases by 17%.]
[Tower NPCs will become relatively more favorable toward you.]
『Protagonist Synchronization Rate — 171.8%』
『Optimal Progression Completion — 52.1%』
『You have stolen [Strength 542][Agility 621][Stamina 711][Mana 522] from the Incomplete Zombie.』
『You have a chance to steal the Incomplete Zombie's skill "Form Transformation."』
『Unique Skill "Semi-Spirit Form" has absorbed "Form Transformation."』
『The versatility of Unique Skill "Semi-Spirit Form" has increased.』
The endless stream of messages alone was immensely rewarding. And this wasn't even the reward directly granted by the Lord of Corpses—it was solely the reward for clearing the Tutorial.
<You have sufficiently proven your worth through my trial. ...Take it.>
With the same languid voice, the Lord of Corpses muttered as if greatly inconvenienced.
『One of the Tower's five Administrators, the "Lord of Corpses," bestows upon you a reward befitting the ordeal.』
The moment my vision darkened—something inside me changed.
『The "Lord of Corpses" has registered as the patron of Climber "Park Si-hyun."』
『You have become the first patron of the Administrator "Lord of Corpses" among the Five!』
『This is an event shocking enough to make the <Tower>, connected to all dimensions, tremble.』
『"Favor of Death" has been bestowed upon you.』
『Ungradable Skill: "Favor of Death"』
[A special grace granted only to you by the "Lord of Corpses," for whom the concept of death does not exist.]
- To the extent that "Death" favors you, you will be kept away from death.
- You become more sensitive to the aura of death.
- The closer you are to death, the more dramatically your stats increase.
- Favorability with the dead rises.
- Buried treasures roll toward you of their own accord.
- You possess an absolute advantage against Black Magic Power.
『Hero-Grade Item: "Thorn Tip of Sin Absolution" has been bestowed upon you.』
[A crystal forged by the "Lord of Corpses" shaving off a fragment of her power.]
[Created to judge the sinners among the dead in life.]
[The price of sin must be paid even in death.]
- Current Owner: Park Si-hyun
- Its shape changes according to the owner's will.
- Targets wounded by it are afflicted with random "debuffs" such as hexes, curses, or Black Magic.
- Damage increases by 250% when wounding targets associated with Black Magic Power.
Darkness took shape in my palm. What formed was a black crystal in the shape of a rhombus.
'So this changes according to my will... and the damage is insane...?'
Fwip.
"G-GAAAH!?"
The black crystal in my palm swelled up like a pufferfish's spines—then, shhhk, it returned to its original circular shape.
"......"
I gritted my teeth, grinding them together as I clutched my hand. My whole body trembled violently, as if I'd been struck by nothing more than a mere spear.
That was when it happened.
『The rare-grade skill "Circuit of Reckless Uncertainty" has been bestowed upon you.』
『"Circuit of Reckless Uncertainty" has synchronized with "Semi-Spirit Form."』
Something aligned with my body—my Semi-Spirit Form.
To be precise, a strange power manifested near my heart.
『Rare-Grade Skill: Circuit of Reckless Uncertainty』
[A unique mana circuit independently constructed by the Lord of Corpses specifically for "Park Si-hyun," who possesses the anomalous constitution of a Semi-Spirit Form.]
[In this paradoxical state—where the body exists simultaneously as matter and spirit—it can absorb and store various energies separately.]
[While it draws in all forms of energy, collisions between opposing energies may occur. However, this circuit resolves such conflicts by utilizing the properties of the Semi-Spirit Form.]
[Though the total capacity for absorbed energy is high, the purity of each energy type is comparatively low.]
[It can mimic the pathways of other mana circuits, but output is halved when doing so.]
"!"
A mana circuit.
The most fundamental, essential skill for any Climber ascending the Tower—the core system that allowed for the most efficient circulation of mana within the body, minimizing loss while producing output tailored to the circuit's nature.
It was akin to the unique breathing techniques, mind arts, and divine martial arts found in wuxia.
'This is insane...'
The skill "Circuit of Reckless Uncertainty" didn't exist in the game. Which meant—the Lord of Corpses had thoroughly analyzed my Semi-Spirit Body and created something perfectly suited for it.
If not, there was no way a circuit this compatible with my form could exist.
Because Semi-Spirit Body wasn't even a skill that had appeared in the game.
'A rare-grade circuit...'
Some might dismiss it as just a rare-grade circuit.
But in the early stages, most circuits were either normal or rare-grade anyway.
And more importantly—the Lord of Corpses was one of the Tower's Administrators, overseeing all of humanity.
There was no way something she crafted would be worthless. Given the vast knowledge accumulated over her long existence, this circuit was undoubtedly woven from her latest, most refined understanding.
If it were possible to receive a circuit directly from an Administrator, every Climber would sell their souls just to get one.
In fact, even my Read skill couldn't fully grasp the circuit's potential.
If I train this consistently, reaching legendary-grade shouldn't be a problem.
'I was agonizing over what kind of mana circuit to get, but with this, I can leave the stronger ones for others.'
Most circuits had trade-offs—certain aspects had to be sacrificed. But with this one, I wouldn't have to give up anything.
At the very least, before I had to struggle and scrape my way through the Tower to obtain a circuit, I'd already received one perfectly suited to me.
Just that fact alone made my mouth dry with disbelief.
Finding a circuit that matched one's constitution was incredibly difficult.
Kiiiiing—
The mana inside my body began circulating with a completely different nature.
It was subtle yet overwhelming. And that made it all the more terrifying—because its behavior was unpredictable, erratic.
Moreover, energies that should have been mutually exclusive coexisted within me in paradoxical harmony.
"......"
Sacred Power and Black Magic Power were both stored inside my body.
It was absurd. For anyone else, their insides would have exploded from the clash of these opposing forces.
But I felt nothing. The overlapping of Sacred Power and Black Magic Power—two diametrically opposed energies—was unfolding inside me, defying all logic.
'Something like this... would've been nearly impossible unless you were a Special Agent who unlocked their power through second advancement, or someone like Park Ha-rin.'
As I lost myself in thought while examining the mana circuit, I suddenly felt a gaze upon me.
It was the Lord of Corpses.
<...Do you like my gift...?>
"Yeah. There couldn't be a better present than this."
A mana circuit was that important.
Later on, whenever powerful circuits like the Great Archangel Circuit, Immortal Circuit, Great Yin-Yang Five Elements Formula, Austere Mind Art, or Demon Emperor Divine Art appeared, the Tower would be drenched in blood.
<Then...>
The Lord of Corpses began to fade, shrouded in darkness.
<Will you... kill me someday...?>
Her corpse-pale face was swallowed by endless shadows. Even her eyes carried the resignation of one who had given up all hope. She bore the visage of a woman exhausted from centuries of existence.
That's why.
That's why I said it.
"Yeah. Don't worry."
So you won't suffer anymore. So you can finally rest.
"I'll make sure you find peace."
Not Park Ha-rin—I'll be the one to kill you.
The Lord of Corpses smiled faintly. An expression that shouldn't have come easily to one who scorned life itself.
With that same smile, she gazed at me.
<Good... I'll trust you...>
A wind tinged with darkness swept through. The Lord of Corpses dissolved into it, vanishing.
Until the very moment she disappeared completely, her eyes never left mine.
Whoosh—
Ashes scattered where she had stood.
The wind carried even those remnants away.
That towering, unfathomable spire.
She must have returned to her true body within the Tower.
Then.
Someone hugged me tightly from the side. Silver hair brushed against my vision. Park Ha-rin, trembling faintly.
"......"
Clenching her lips, she buried her face against my chest.
Thud!
From the other side, a head of gray hair slammed into my other side.
Park Se-eun, of course—no words needed.
"...I thought you were gonna die, you idiot..."
The sisters clung to me from both sides, refusing to let go. This was embarrassing with so many people watching...
I sighed, glancing at the onlookers before wrapping my arms around them both.
Though our skin was sticky with blood and sweat, the warmth of family embraced me.
I patted Park Se-eun's shoulder as she sniffled, holding back tears, then rested a hand on Park Ha-rin's head—she was barely keeping herself from crying too.
We were a strange family, sure. But right now, it was fine.
More than fine.
By now, Kang So-eun had descended from the sky.
She watched us with an amused smile, as if resigned to the scene.
Because Park Se-eun had finally burst into full-blown sobs.
The surrounding crowd observed the spectacle with awkward smiles.
Kim Seon-hwa, Yu Yeon, Professor Jang Hye-jeong. Jang Yeong-han, Lee Ji-hyeon, Ga Da-hui, Oh Han-yeong.
Student Council President Jang Tae-seok and the other officers.
The people who had followed us from school.
The ones I'd saved from other villains.
Had even a single thing gone wrong, only corpses would've stood here.
The Incomplete Zombie was a boss designed to ensure the player's defeat, no matter what.
If I hadn't grown stronger using Seize.
If I hadn't stolen the Incomplete Zombie's stats to weaken it.
If people hadn't grown stronger faster than in the original, despite the enhanced zombies.
If Park Ha-rin—a walking bug in the game—hadn't been by my side.
If the Incomplete Zombie had achieved even 30% efficiency with its materials.
No—if the Lord of Corpses hadn't shown mercy, hadn't held back even slightly—
We would've lost. Without question.
But in the end, we survived.
And we'll probably face victories just as hard-won from now on.
But I'll never rely on luck like this again.
Because I have family bound by blood. Because I have responsibilities to uphold.
From now on, I'll eliminate every variable with my own strength. I'll claim victories where no one is lost.
That was my resolve—the moment I thought it, I looked down at the sister and little sister in my arms.
"I'm glad..."
"Yeah... Yeah..."
The family I'd secretly hoped to reunite with was safe.
Both my sister and little sister had survived the Apocalypse to meet again.
Feeling their weight against me, my vision blurred before I realized it.
I didn't suppress the surge of emotion. Slowly, I raised my fist.
Someone watching me did the same, their voice thick with tears.
A cry of overwhelming relief rang out. Someone else, their tension finally snapping, broke into sobs.
This victory was filled with bittersweet cheers and tears of relief.
We welcomed not the stench of rotting corpses, but a new wind.
One earned solely by our own hands.