Champion Randolph
“Wow!”
“Are those people the 2nd Generation Awakened?”
“They’re so cool!”
Crowds of people thronged in front of a single building just to get a look. It was the headquarters of the Hero Alliance. Roughly twenty people stood in neat ranks atop a raised platform, while Alliance Leader Park Taewoo delivered a speech before them.
And right in the middle of them stood him.
Choi Kangnam.
The hottest name among the 2nd Generation Awakened, ranked third in the Hall of Fame!
“Vice Leader. What do you make of the 2nd Generation Awakened?”
“Hmm.”
Vice Leader Lee Arin crossed her arms and studied the platform. From the perspective of Basara, 7th Lord of the Demon Realm, the 2nd Generation Awakened were still little more than unpolished children.
Uncut gems.
Yet if one judged solely by potential, they were rather impressive. Unlike the 1st Generation Awakened who gained power through Broken Fragments of the Golden Rule, the 2nd Generation who had awakened on their own possessed far greater room for growth.
Why the difference?
Probably the environment.
It was only natural for Earthlings to operate on Earth. But for a Pangenia native to act on Earth required far greater energy expenditure—exactly like how spirits lost much of their power when summoned from the Spirit Realm into the Intermediate Realm.
However…
2nd Generation Awakened cannot log into Pangenia.
That was not entirely a blessing. Their growth potential might be higher, yet the environment for actual growth was overwhelmingly superior in Pangenia. Earth had no proper dungeons, no towers, no weapons steeped in ancient legacy. Pangenia had all of that and more—endless wars, the constant need to move one’s own body with sword and bow, a system that rewarded hunting monsters and exploring with real achievements. Pangenia was simply better equipped.
Still, exceptions always existed. For instance, a body that possessed enough raw possibility to transcend every one of those advantages.
“Not bad.”
She offered the light assessment while looking at Choi Kangnam. With proper polishing, he might become a decent treasure.
“Ohh…!”
“The Vice Leader thinks that highly of them!”
“Looks like a bumper year.”
The Alliance members were stunned. For the Vice Leader to say even “not bad” was unprecedented.
Yet her true interest was not Choi Kangnam.
“Where is Park Hyunmyung?”
“W-well… they still haven’t found him.”
She clicked her tongue softly.
The top ten scorers from God’s Island. Park Hyunmyung was among them. Most likely the man to whom she had handed her business card that day—the one who carried the Star of Heavenly Slaughter.
No matter how hard we search, it’s as if he evaporated.
Even with every available resource, they could not locate him. They had checked every “Park Hyunmyung” in Korea; the result was the same. As if deliberately erased. As if someone had wiped him from existence.
—Among the top ten scorers on God’s Island, he faced nine of them alone.
—That bastard… is a monster. That man…!
Yet he clearly existed. Choi Kangnam and the other nine had all testified to Park Hyunmyung’s presence. A man who had achieved everything alone through overwhelming martial force. Using their accounts, Basara reconstructed the final confrontation before her eyes.
Eight seconds.
The time it took him to crush the other nine top scorers. A mere eight seconds. Even with the Star of Heavenly Slaughter, it was too strong. They should have reached similar heights, yet the gap was absurd.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
In her vision Park Hyunmyung moved like lightning. He stepped onto a roof corner and drove a fist forward; one man who had charged recklessly crumpled. Instantly he snapped his other arm out at a right angle, blocked an attack from the opposite side, and smashed a fist into that face. He headbutted, drove a knee into a jaw, shattered a sternum with his knuckles. Every motion flowed as naturally as water.
A born warrior.
Basara’s reconstruction ability had reached divine heights; she could recreate events with over ninety percent accuracy from testimony alone.
Hooo…
The breathing of the man who had defeated the top nine in eight seconds was utterly quiet. His posture, his gaze, the activity of every cell—did he not resemble a veteran who had lived through countless battlefields?
No. A mere veteran could not explain it.
No… a born Martial God?
He was simply strong. The starting line itself existed in a different dimension—as if a human born solely to become a god of battle. It was hard to believe this was power gained from the same tutorial.
And for some reason…
Martial God Karas… Knight King Wilhelm…
Their auras were different, their techniques different, their vessels different—yet why did she sense the presence of those two beings in Park Hyunmyung? Because he possessed the same dazzling talent?
…I want him.
She coveted him. It had been a long time since a human had tempted her this much. He was a vessel that might reach completion even without her polishing. Yet if she could dye him in her own colors, the jewel he would become was delightful just to imagine.
Clap clap clap clap!
“A round of applause for the heroes who will lead the next generation of the Hero Alliance!”
“Choi Kangnam! Choi Kangnam!”
“Waaaaah!”
Thunderous applause. Certificates of appointment were being handed out, welcoming them into the Alliance. Cameras whirred amid flashing lights. Massive publicity. Every citizen of Korea was watching them in real time.
But her eyes and ears were already elsewhere—on Park Hyunmyung. On his movements and his breathing.
…Just where was he?
The place they arrived with the other passers was completely unexpected.
“Wait, this is…”
“…Wasn’t it supposed to be held in the Empire?”
Upon reaching the tournament grounds, everyone raised voices of surprise. What they faced amid the enormous crowd was a colossal tower.
Hopeful participants pouring in from every city of Pangenia. To gather tens of thousands of people and run a tournament required facilities of staggering scale. Building new ones would take too long. So the intention to use an existing structure was understandable.
The problem was that this was no ordinary facility.
“The Tower of the War God?”
“What, it’s open again?”
The Tower of the War God!
The place whose master was Martial God Karas. For certain reasons the tower had been closed for a time, yet now its doors had opened once more.
After I killed Sancha, the Demon of Jealousy, and Martial God Karas regained his original divinity, the tower expanded from twenty floors to thirty.
I had come here once to complete Main Quest 9, “Climb the Tower of the War God.” I never expected to return.
It seemed the tower had finally been refurbished enough to reopen the arena. Yet if I faced Martial God Karas, my identity might be exposed. Divinity possessed the power to see through others.
…I could clear Main Quests 2 and 3 at the same time.
Of course there were advantages that more than offset the drawbacks. Simply by climbing, I could simultaneously complete Main Quest 2 “Obtain a Class” and Main Quest 3 “Climb the Tower.” More importantly, even as Randolph I had never conquered the thirtieth floor—I had lost to Martial God Karas.
“So how does this work, then?”
“Do we have to beat the Champion to win?”
“Who’s the Champion?”
“It’s written over there. Says ‘Randolph’?”
But the tower’s Champion was not Martial God Karas. Standing before the tower was an enormous golden statue that glittered brilliantly. That form was unmistakably…
Randolph.
Crazy. I barely managed to swallow the curse that rose to my lips through superhuman self-control.
What the hell is that?
Sparkle! Sparkle!
It shone so brightly it actually hurt the eyes. As if someone had coated it in glossy finish, it stole every gaze. And beneath the statue, in huge letters:
New Tower of the War God, First Champion “Randolph”
He who reaches the 30th floor and defeats the Champion shall forge another myth.
I shuddered.
Ka… ras…!
Martial God Karas…! Having regained his divinity, he seemed to have completely remodeled the Tower of the War God with deliberate intent. Or had he always been this kind of bastard?
Sparkle! Sparkle!
…Just what did they coat it with to make it shine like that?
“Hah.”
Looking at Randolph’s statue again, I found myself clutching my forehead without realizing it.
From the summit of the tower, Martial God Karas gazed down at the throng and smiled with satisfaction.
“A successful reopening.”
The more a tower was used, the stronger its master’s divinity became. That was why tower masters prepared trials and welcomed challengers. The newly reopened Tower of the War God had been refined far more elegantly than before.
First of all, the Champion’s statue blazing brilliantly right at the entrance!
Anyone who sees that will want to become Champion.
One had to stimulate the spirit of challenge. That was why the statue had been erected—reproducing exactly the form of Randolph who had once clashed with him.
Behold that majestic, solemn figure. Not a single person failed to have their gaze stolen by the statue!
“Doesn’t it look well made even on a second viewing?”
“Caw!”
“As expected of Randolph. The lines are alive.”
“Caw!”
Beside him, large crows dressed in priestly robes cawed. The ancient crow clan that had once followed Karas. They were not the Ash Clan that managed the tower, but the Calamity Clan, whose power rivaled even the Ash Clan’s. Originally Karas had been the god who led the Calamity Clan.
“This tower is a place that transcends limits. I permitted the tournament because it fits the purpose, yet I wonder whether any human will actually reach the thirtieth floor and challenge the Champion.”
“Caw!”
“You think so as well?”
“Caw!”
“Yes, yes. By the way, where has Randolph gone?”
“Caw!”
“Mm, it’s fine. No human will reach the thirtieth floor anyway.”
Randolph was not here. But then, Randolph was never a participant in the tournament they were hosting. Moreover, the idea of humans reaching the thirtieth floor was pure fantasy. The improved tower was a place that endlessly tested one’s limits. Of course, if someone did reach the thirtieth floor he would have to summon Randolph, but such a thing would never happen. This was not a place one could simply climb through raw martial strength alone.
Conform to my methods, not yours.
A tournament held by the Empire’s humans? He had no interest. Rules and formats of the tournament meant nothing. Once they entered the tower, they all had to obey the rules Karas had created.
“The tournament is divided into three categories: Warrior, Knight, and King. At first you will compete only against those in your own category.”
Over a hundred thousand people had gathered in the arena. On the first floor of the tower, at its very center, the host continued speaking.
“From this moment, a ‘number’ will appear above each of your heads. Looking at that number will tell you which category you belong to.”
Ding!
Ding!
Sounds rang out from every direction. Immediately, numbers floated above people’s heads. I looked up at my own.
4. That’s my level.
The number 4. What else could it mean? Levels had appeared above every single person’s head. And the reason this was possible was probably…
An Archangel.
The same Archangel once used by the Death God Religion. I could sense its presence nearby. The Archangel that managed information had quantified and displayed everyone’s levels.
“Numbers of 5 or below are Warrior level. From 6 to 10 are Knight level. 11 and above are classified as ‘King’ and will compete separately.”
Three tournaments. Yet a question naturally arose. Hadn’t there been only one winner?
“You’re wondering how the overall winner will be decided. There may be one winner, or there may be three. Everything follows Lord Raiga’s judgment. However, the top ten of each tournament will all receive the honorable opportunity to join the Eight Houses Knights.”
“……!”
Everyone held their breath. At least thirty people would gain the chance to enter the Eight Houses Knights. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could reverse a person’s entire fate. The prestige of the Empire’s Eight Houses Knights surpassed that of most city lords.
“Lord Raiga will now deliver an address.”
“…Raiga?”
“Holy shit, for real?”
Murmurs erupted. People could not help but be astonished. Raiga, who had never once appeared on the official stage, was revealing himself here for the first time.
Goooo…
The lights dimmed, and a man appeared at the far end of the arena. At the same moment every mouth closed. Charisma that overwhelmed the entire assembly merely by his presence. Anyone could see he was Raiga, commander of the Eight Houses Knights.
Countless titles described him, yet the single most certain and special among them was this one alone:
The Empire’s strongest knight!
Need anything more be said?
Raiga reached the center and swept his gaze across the crowd. Those whose eyes met his flinched and shrank under the pressure of his aura.
“Guh…!”
Some even fainted from nothing more than locking eyes with him. One by one. Person after person. He met the gaze of every single participant without exception, and not one of them could properly withstand that pressure.
“……?”
At last, Raiga’s gaze turned toward me.