Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Cultist Hunt
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📰 Breaking News So the newbie's heading off to meet Farm Wine Lord right now? — Anonymous I hate how Wine Lord insta-blocks every time someone mentions her dark history. Can't the newbie just go copy a meme or something? — Anonymous ↳ Reply This guy's gonna die soon too lol ↳ Reply slash ↳ Reply whoa whoa whoa — Anonymous She's only extra nice to the newbie though, seriously needs a reality check for real — Anonymous Wine Lord's been super sensitive lately — Anonymous Feels like she's taking out the newbie stress on us;; — Anonymous lol agreed 📰 Breaking News Hmph hmph! Saying Boss Bat is toxic is pure slander! (Photo of a bat snorting in indignation) — Anonymous Gallery rule #1! Don't carelessly spill important info about theme stages or the Tower! Those who broke it had their heads fly first...! — Anonymous Is Farm Wine Lord's meme really that important? — Anonymous You're just embarrassed about it— (Account blocked.) — Anonymous Gasp!!! ⭐ Top Comment — Short-Eared Goblin* Whoa~ To think the Tower Lord has this side to her, so cute~ — Aged Wine is...* It's not someone else's business, so don't tease...! — Paper Enthusiast* What's wrong with it. It's not even really her anyway. — Aged Wine is...* The bodiless book scrap should shut up...! — Paper Enthusiast* Getting salty? — Anonymous whoa — Anonymous Mod party time after ages? 📰 Breaking News The facts are — Anonymous We just wait for the newbie to fetch us some fresh Wine Lord memes lol Honestly, it's a dopamine party, how am I supposed to resist? Lmao Wine Lord's done for lol What're you gonna do to the newbie? Block? Go ahead lol Other mods can unblock it no prob~ Time to teach some manners— (Account blocked.) (Ban duration: 1000 years) (Edited.) (Ban duration: 90 days) #
Before diving into the full-on cultist hunt(?),
Do-yoon decided to give the newly freed Hunter a short break.
"Hmph, hmhm~"
Seeing the Object beaming with a fresh smile, head pillowed on his thigh, he felt his worries melting away before he knew it.
"Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"Pet my head."
Do-yoon happily reached out and stroked her white crown.
"Heeheehee."
As he watched her giggling happily even at that simple touch, he suddenly sensed eyes on him and turned.
"Whoa."
"..."
Four Hunters who quickly averted their gazes.
And two more staring openly.
Do-yoon stared right back at those bold ones without holding back.
'No sign of that muscle Hunter, huh.'
He'd seemed pretty capable on the surface, so he was probably off doing well somewhere.
And the two Hunters who'd first caught Do-yoon's eye.
Among them, his gaze met the gaunt Hunter and the black-haired woman.
"What, something up?"
"Fascinating."
Unable to hold back his curiosity, the Hunter approached Do-yoon.
'Why's this guy so skin and bones.'
There were racial differences and potential to consider, but he didn't look exactly healthy.
Still, that didn't mean he was weak.
Strong.
Do-yoon's accumulated experience and instincts from the Tower told him so.
Though they'd shared the same imprisonment due to the Object, this guy clearly had power surpassing the other Hunters.
"Hm?"
Do-yoon and the Object, who'd been smiling brightly against his thigh, both turned to the approaching Hunter.
Sensing the meaning in that gaze, the Hunter halted.
Right there.
That was the distance the Object allowed between her and Do-yoon.
"...As expected."
"...?"
"The Object's protecting you."
"Hm...!"
At the Hunter's words, Do-yoon's petting paused briefly, and the Object protested from right below.
"How, just how did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"It's not something one question can unravel. From taming the Object to the Hidden Piece. I'd love to sit down and grill you properly, but looks like she won't allow it."
The gaunt Hunter appraised the situation shrewdly and faced Do-yoon with courtesy.
"So for now, I'll cooperate with you fully."
Hearing that, Do-yoon barely swallowed a hollow laugh.
Truth be told, the other Hunters' cooperation or lack thereof wasn't his concern.
It would just take a bit longer; he could handle it solo just fine.
It might sound cheeky and bold, but he'd already pulled off something major.
"I'll help you and the Object hunt down the remaining cultists."
"Cool."
"So, if you could share... the exact trial details?"
The Hunter probed Do-yoon with subtle intent.
Testing the 'just in case' scenario.
Honestly, he figured the other Hunters felt the same.
Do-yoon probably wasn't in as normal a state as he appeared.
Deep mental or physical contact with the Tower's structures and its byproducts—
Nothing creepier than that.
"Trying to mooch off me too easily, aren't ya?"
"..."
"What if I tell you? Who knows if you'll stab me in the back later."
"Even Hunters wouldn't—"
"Wouldn't Hunters?"
The gaunt Hunter faltered.
From the start, it had been fellow Hunters casting wary glances at Do-yoon first.
No one wanted to party with him, and he'd nearly gotten attacked by one of the stronger ones.
He'd just conveniently forgotten in the face of results and shamelessness.
"That was out of line. My apologies. I got heated over the Hidden Piece thing."
"Yeah yeah, no awkwardness between us."
For a moment, Do-yoon almost found the guy unfamiliar.
As if he might actually view him favorably, unlike the others—giving him chills.
"Don't worry though."
As the sudden silence grew heavy, Do-yoon spoke up.
"Not planning any mutual suicide bullshit on a whim. Just clear the trial clean, nab the boss, done. Sounds good, right?"
"...Yeah."
"So don't step up and get in the way."
A warning, wary of any lingering attachment to the 'old manual.'
The gaunt Hunter nodded and returned to his spot.
Turning his back so readily meant he was somewhat satisfied with Do-yoon's words.
"..."
He gazed quietly for a moment at the childlike true ancestor giggling like a puppy.
Easy to forget amid her apparent destructive power at times, but she was the Object.
The Object crucial to clearing this trial.
So, no room for complacency.
-Click.
"Huh?"
"Nice shot."
Do-yoon snapped a perfect-angle photo of the adorable young true ancestor and promptly uploaded it to the gallery.
📰 Breaking News (My Post) Title: Object pit stop! (Photo of the young true ancestor gazing innocently this way) — Anonymous Object I picked up in the theme stage. Tower Lord's childhood for sure lol "What the."
But mere seconds after posting, Do-yoon's thread went private.
"Hm...?"
"Nah, it's fine."
'Fast reaction time.'
Mods were mods, huh.
No need to hunt down who did it.
— Anonymous [Didn't newbie just post?] — Anonymous [Ah fml missed it] — Anonymous [Mods stop the dictatorship rn] — Anonymous [I wanna see farm Tower Lord toooooo] — Anonymous [This a war declaration?] — Anonymous [lolol gallery explosion time~] Gallery users who'd missed the golden moment began venting their rage.
The culprit, Wine Lord, stayed silent while steadily purging Object-related bait.
'But you flinched, right?'
The gallery's true charm lay in the thrill of drawing attention.
In other words, by showing interest in Do-yoon's bait, the users had succeeded in pulling focus from the gallery's power—that is, the 'mods.'
📰 Breaking News So is the newbie clearing the theme stage okay? Nickname: Paper Enthusiast* — Paper Enthusiast* Didn't follow any shady Hunters, right? Monsters you can handle yourself, Seems like you've tamed the Object fine, Just find the cultists and suppress 'em good. — Anonymous Smooth sailing for real lol — Anonymous Usually people mental break and quit theme stages, guess he pulled it off — Anonymous (My post) Oh that? Found a Hidden Piece and trial changed — Anonymous Huh? — Paper Enthusiast* ???? — Anonymous (My post) Gotta kill all the cultists now And at that moment.
The gallery's focus on the newbie's progress froze over in an instant.
— Anonymous What? Found Hidden Piece from Object not boss? — Anonymous What happened?? — Anonymous First time hearing Hidden Piece outside boss room let alone not boss — Anonymous lol now Objects get graduation pushed back too — Anonymous My life, no my boss life fml 📰 Breaking News Freezing the gallery for a bit lol Nickname: Paper Enthusiast* — Paper Enthusiast* Newbie keep clearing the floor as is, DM if anything weird happens And all current mods, make rooms and chat separately go go (Comments locked.) "What the hell."
With the gallery iced over instantly, there was nothing a mere newbie like Do-yoon could do.
'Just wanted a breather.'
His rare break and hobby time, gone.
Do-yoon looked around with mixed feelings.
One by one, the Hunters were starting to fidget, ready to get moving again.
Among them, the black-haired woman with a gloomy expression caught his eye.
"Off to punish the bad cultists?"
"Time to go."
He'd made a promise of sorts with the Object.
Through a semi-forced contract, Do-yoon was committed to unraveling the young true ancestor's story together.
"Do-yoon, now..."
The fox beastkin, who'd been resting at a distance, approached hesitantly.
Her ears and tail perked up stiffly—she seemed seriously wary of the Object.
"Time to start the clear. Gather the Hunters."
Signaling the end of break time, Do-yoon gently tickled the nape of the young true ancestor's neck.
"Eek, that tickles...! Heehee."
"Let's go punish the bad guys."
"Yeah...!"
She bobbed her head expectantly.
Even with lingering malice from her past, the young true ancestor shook her head with an anticipatory smile.
"Sounds fun..."
Glancing back at her, Do-yoon eyed the gathering Hunters.
"Think prep time's good enough. Shall we wrap this up?"
"..."
"Target: Revenge and hunt on the cultists who tortured the Object and ran cruel experiments."
The young Tower Lord's memories flowing in via intervention.
The horrific emotions felt then—despair, rage—seared intensely into his mind.
The little girl, twisted by warped desires, soon became a monster.
"Yeah, wanna meet them soon...!"
That's why he had to show them.
How the Object they desired was born.
And what she could do.
-Squeeze.
"With Oppa."
"Yeah."
Watching her cling to his waist, rubbing her face happily like a cat.
Do-yoon declared.
"Let's go. For the rewards."
The man once deemed from the weakest, worst world.
Now stood at the top, looking down on them all.