Chapter 157: Faction Selection (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 157: Faction Selection (1)
The Murim and the Empire.
These two massive factions had long clashed over hegemony in the middle floors of the Tower.
Because their powers were so evenly matched, neither could easily tear at the other's throat.
Yet, they both knew that to ascend to the upper floors of the Tower, they had to absorb the other and expand their might.
To go higher, one of them had to fall.
And now...
A middle-aged man from the Caladium Kingdom, one of the Empire's constituent states.
Penheimer felt his heart pounding wildly.
'As expected, my eyes didn't deceive me.'
He had watched countless players, searching for someone who could benefit the Empire.
But finding a talent to his liking was no easy task.
It was only natural.
His standards were sky-high, while the average level of the players was abysmally low.
In the end, rather than looking for a finished product, he had to pick those with high growth potential.
'The Zhonghua Guild was tempting, but since they share their roots with the Murim, winning them over was impossible.'
This had cast a dark shadow over their prospects.
Especially now, with Namgung Cheon growing by leaps and bounds every day, backed by his overwhelming talent and the full support of the Murim.
Just as the tight balance was beginning to tilt...
A ray of hope appeared for the Empire.
Kang Jinhyuk.
The player who was the first to clear the lower floors of the Tower, standing head and shoulders above all other players.
If they could secure him...!
They might finally put an end to this grueling war with the Murim.
For as great as Namgung Cheon was, Jinhyuk possessed far greater potential and growth.
'Others might doubt, but my eyes are never wrong.'
Yes. Jinhyuk was at least several levels above Namgung Cheon.
Penheimer clenched his fists.
He was a monster who had manifested an Aura Blade at the age of seventeen, proudly earning a spot among the Empire's 100 Knights.
Thus, he had absolute confidence in his eye for talent.
'Please, make the right choice.'
The main event of the masquerade ball was about to begin.
The countless choices to be made there, and the outcomes they would bring...
...would decide the future.
* * *
A storm had swept through.
The downfall of the low manager, Kaman, had dealt a massive blow to the reputation of both the Zhonghua and Samurai Guilds.
On the other hand, Jinhyuk's stock had soared to the heavens after receiving a direct invitation from a high manager.
Everything was going exactly as Jinhyuk had planned.
'The atmosphere is ripe. It should be starting soon.'
Namgung Cheon and Cheon Yu-seong had arrived late at the ballroom, and everyone had finished eating, drinking, and sizing each other up.
Now, it was time for the curtain to rise on the main stage.
Right then.
"Ahem. Cough!"
Rick cleared his throat.
Thanks to amplification magic, his voice carried to every corner of the banquet hall.
The players, who had been idling away the time, stopped what they were doing.
Every eye in the room locked onto Rick.
"Since you have all had your fill of enjoyment, let me say a few words about why we invited you here. As you know, this masquerade is an event that gathers the most promising players climbing the Tower in one place."
To prevent a future where they would perish if they failed to conquer the next floor within ninety days.
In anticipation of the rewards showered upon the first player to reach the top of the Tower.
Or perhaps to covet something even greater...
Everyone had come here for their own reasons.
Though their motives and determination differed slightly, their ultimate goal was the same.
"While some of you may already be aware... the true purpose of this masquerade is actually something else entirely."
The true purpose.
At those words, everyone's eyes narrowed.
"This is the place where you will choose which factions to align yourselves with as you climb the Tower. While the rest of the players who weren't invited here will also choose their factions later, you could say you've been given the chance to step into this new territory one step ahead of them."
Put nicely, they were pioneers.
Put bluntly, they were beta testers for an experiment.
With no information available, all they could do was trust their own intuition.
Having finished his speech, Rick snapped his fingers.
Instantly.
Ding!
[The main event of the masquerade ball is beginning.]
[Prove 'your worth.']
Name: Faction Selection Battle
Difficulty: Unmeasurable
Description: Choose and challenge one of the dungeons, labyrinths, or ruins located between the 10th and 30th floors of the Tower of Trials. Players who earn high Contribution Points here will gain a significant advantage when negotiating their faction selection. To select a floor, press the red button in the center of the ballroom and state the floor you wish to challenge. However, once a challenge is selected, it cannot be undone. Please make your decision after thorough discussion.
[100 Contribution Points have been distributed.]
[Rankings will be displayed based on Contribution Points. You can spend your Contribution Points to purchase various items during the raid.]
[Faction protection can only be received once per player.]
Status windows popped up one after another.
...It had finally begun.
The highlight of this masquerade: the 'Faction Selection Battle.'
* * *
While a few, including Jinhyuk and Namgung Cheon, remained calm, not everyone shared their composure.
"A... Faction Selection Battle?"
"What on earth is this? What do they mean by factions in the Tower? Weren't we supposed to climb this on our own?"
"What is going on here?"
Flustered murmurs rippled through the crowd.
They had gathered here thinking it was a simple networking event.
They had come to bask in the feeling of being special, distinct from the common rabble.
But once the lid was lifted, something entirely different awaited them.
An event far larger and more critical.
Though they were caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events, their panic didn't last long.
Panicking or complaining wouldn't change a thing.
What mattered was using the available information to secure the best possible outcome for the future.
Most of them quickly accepted reality.
"We can treat this as a hidden quest."
"Yeah. If we have to align with the Tower's factions in the middle floors anyway, it's not a bad idea to secure a spot early."
"In fact, we should look at this as a massive opportunity."
They were already coolly weighing their options.
They weren't called promising prospects for nothing.
The twenty or so players gathered near the stairs.
The first to speak was Maria, representing Europe's massive guild, 'Olympus.'
"The situation has taken a sudden turn, but I think we should all cooperate to clear this quest."
The currently selectable floors ranged from the 10th to the 30th.
These were areas that normally required a massive raid force of at least several hundred players to even attempt.
Yet, there were only twenty-seven players present in this room.
No matter how elite these rankers were, clearing a dungeon of that caliber with so few people should have been impossible.
Ultimately, they would have to pool their strength to succeed.
"Hmm. Contribution Points are important, but they won't mean a thing if we fail because we acted individually."
Moon Gyu-ho, the master of the Dangun Guild, nodded in agreement.
"Cooperation, huh..."
"Can't be helped."
"Right, we'll have to work together this time."
One after another, they nodded.
"Since we're in agreement, what's the plan? I suppose we should choose a nearby dungeon on the 10th floor?"
The risk increased exponentially with each higher floor.
Rewards were important, but not more important than their lives.
"The 10th floor seems reasonable."
"I know a dungeon on that floor. I know the named monster's weakness, so clearing it should be relatively easy."
"We can compete fairly for Contribution Points there, so that seems like the best option."
Just as everyone was pooling their ideas to find the optimal path...
Beeeeep!
A sharp alarm suddenly pierced their eardrums.
[A floor has been selected.]
[The selected location is the 25th-floor labyrinth, 'Valley of the Former Kings.']
[In 30 seconds, all players present will be teleported to the designated area.]
The flashing red status window...
...stood in stark contrast to the players' faces, which looked as though their world had just ended.
"Are you insane?! Who the hell picked a labyrinth without discussing it first?!"
"A-And... it's a labyrinth on the 25th floor! No one has ever set foot in there!"
"Our average level isn't even 50, and we have to go there...?"
Screams bordering on despair echoed through the hall.
Even the rankers who had regained their composure couldn't keep their cool this time.
And of all things, they had to go to a labyrinth, not a dungeon.
They couldn't even begin to imagine the dangers that awaited them.
Naturally, every resentful glare locked onto the player standing right in the center of the banquet hall, hand still on the button.
And standing there...
"Huh? What? No one was choosing, so I just went ahead and picked one."
...was Jinhyuk, shrugging with an innocent look on his face.
And at that exact moment.
Crackle...!
Blue magical energy began to ripple around the players.
The teleportation sequence had begun.
"What the hell were you guys doing, not stopping that crazy bastard...!"
"Everyone, get ready! It's starting!"
"Damn it! Kang Jinhy—!"
Leaving their curses behind.
Their surroundings faded into pitch black.
* * *
When their vision returned a moment later, everything had changed.
[You have entered the 25th floor of the Tower of Trials, 'Valley of the Former Kings.']
A landscape reminiscent of an ancient temple unfolded before them.
Multiple spires soared high, as if trying to pierce the sun.
A pair of stone statues stood with their swords crossed over each other's heads.
And.
Between them lay a passage barely wide enough for a single person to squeeze through.
That was the entrance to the labyrinth.
"Wow. Even after all this time, the scale of this place is truly magnificent."
Jinhyuk let out a soft exclamation of admiration.
He meant it.
He could finally understand why travelers left comfortable hotels behind to suffer in the wilderness.
A spectacle like this was something you could never witness at a resort.
Right then.
"Player Kang Jinhyuk! What on earth were you thinking?!"
Maria, who had been teleported along with him, shrieked.
Her face was pale... how should he put it?
Like a terrified hamster?
Who would have expected the great archmage, who had been riding a wave of praise and success, to be this frightened?
"Hmm. You don't seem to like this place very much."
"O-Of course not! Who in their right mind would pick such an absurd floor?! It'll be a miracle if even half... no, if even a single person survives...!"
Maria's voice trailed off.
So this was what it meant to have the light leave one's eyes.
"..."
"...Whew."
The other players teleported alongside Maria wore similarly despairing expressions.
Of course, not everyone felt that way.
"Hehe."
"It's Kang Jinhyuk, brother."
The battle-maniac siblings.
Judro and Casey.
The look in their eyes as they stared at him was unusual.
'Hastings mentioned there were some guys who smelled dangerous. Was he talking about them?'
He had heard they were out of their minds, but this... they looked seriously dangerous.
But at that exact moment.
Hummmmm!
Along with a cluster of blue light, another figure materialized.
'Oh? This guy came here too?'
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.