The Grand Assembly

Eternal Randolph!

The instant that name surfaced, the Tower of the War God once again erupted into chaos.

“Finally…!”

“Is it the real Randolph?”

“Phase 3 is the last boss?”

Calamity Baal, and the Blade Dragon God.

Both had been absolute monsters of heaven-defying caliber that crushed every challenger without mercy. Everyone had tensed at the thought of what Phase 3 might bring.

But if Phase 3 was Randolph?

“It’s over! It’s finally over!”

“We can lift the curse at last!”

Perhaps they had truly reached the final boss phase.

The problem, however, was the challenge condition itself.

“Ugh…”

“The challenge itself is absurdly difficult.”

People swallowed hard as they stared at the message that had appeared.

You could only challenge him from the 25th floor.

Yet the number of challengers who had even reached the 20th floor or higher was vanishingly small.

Ten thousand skeleton soldiers matching the challenger’s own level. And with every floor climbed, additional traits stacked on top of them. No matter how thoroughly you prepared, you inevitably slammed into a wall.

And that was not all.

This goddamn…!

Choi Kangnam.

The 2nd Generation Awakened who had ranked third in the God’s Island tutorial!

With the full support of the Hero Alliance and his own overwhelming talent, he had somehow managed to clear up to the 22nd floor—only to be stopped cold by the wall of the 23rd.

The higher you climb, the higher your level rises. And when your level rises, so does the level of the skeleton soldiers.

The challenger’s rising level was the real problem.

Even if you geared yourself to the teeth with so-called “item carry” at low levels, slaughtering ten thousand skeleton soldiers naturally raised your level. And the higher that level climbed, the more exponentially the difficulty soared.

“They actually expect us to clear this shit?”

Curses rose unbidden to the back of his throat.

Choi Kangnam’s appearance was already no longer that of a human being. Once tall and handsome enough to turn every head, he had rolled across the floor so relentlessly that he had become one with the dust.

The only remaining hope was that challengers were flooding into the Tower of the War God. The number had already reached five hundred thousand.

The tower’s difficulty kept dropping, yet even so he could not imagine anyone actually clearing it.

If he could not clear it, no one could.

That was what he had believed—until that confidence was shattered in an instant.

How the hell did Park Hyunmyung clear this?

Park Hyunmyung.

The monster who had crushed everyone with overwhelming martial might on God’s Island and claimed first place. That bastard had already reached the 25th floor of the tower.

Just which massive organization is backing Park Hyunmyung?

He had thought he could catch up.

Korea’s Hero Alliance was currently one of the most promising forces in the world. With his own talent and the Alliance’s full support, he had been certain he could surpass even that monstrous Park Hyunmyung.

Yet as if mocking him, Park Hyunmyung was climbing at a speed no one could match.

Was some organization greater than the Hero Alliance supporting him?

This tower was not a place anyone could climb alone. That was simply impossible.

Yet the number of challengers reaching the 25th floor continued to climb.

Choi Kangnam bit down hard on his lip.

Clack.

Clack.

He stared at the enormous skeleton soldiers he had grown so sick of seeing.

“I am the strongest. I am the strongest, damn it…!”

He raised his sword.

The moment Gracia and Union arrived on the 25th floor, they surveyed the space ahead.

“Are we the first ones here?”

“Hmm. Park Hyunmyung should already be on the 25th floor.”

A vast arena stretched before them. Only Gracia and Union stood within it. Park Hyunmyung, who should have arrived first, was nowhere to be seen.

The method by which Gracia and Union had reached the 25th floor so quickly was simple. They had converted experience into potions, stored it, forcibly lowered their levels, and then climbed the tower.

Of course, a lower level had not made the climb easy. Only after the tower’s difficulty had been adjusted downward several times due to the flood of challengers had they finally managed to arrive.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

As if they had been waiting for that very moment, other challengers began to appear—regardless of race, gender, or age. Each of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them must have dealt with those massive skeleton soldiers in their own way.

“Gracia?”

In that instant, a familiar woman’s voice reached Gracia’s ears. He turned his head and could not help but feel a flicker of surprise.

“…The Pure White Knight, Serengeti.”

The Pure White Knight Serengeti!

After her victory over King Friedrich of the Iron Kingdom, she had become the hottest topic in all of Pangenia. There was no way Gracia would not know her.

Yet it was not mere fame that connected them. The two had a direct ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠history.

We met in the Abyss after I lost to Baal.

The last time he had seen her was while facing Baal in the Abyss. Back then Gracia had made a complete fool of himself in front of her—defeated by Baal, he had completely lost his composure.

—How beautiful.

—If angels like you exist, heaven might not be so bad.

—Then why is an angel in hell?

Had he not acted as though he had fallen for her at first sight?

The memory of that day remained as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

…Was that why?

Ugh.

Gracia found it strangely difficult to meet Serengeti’s eyes head-on. Looking at her simply felt awkward.

Of course, he had no idea that the Serengeti of that time had actually been Hudson transformed by a shapeshifting potion.

Hudson. And… there are quite a few of them.

Moreover, she was not the only one who had appeared. Those who seemed to be her companions stood with her—and among them was Hudson himself. The de facto administrator of Labyrinth City. The man who led the place in place of Fifth Lord Randolph.

Judging by the conversation between Hudson and Serengeti, their relationship was clearly more than ordinary. The way the Pure White Knight looked so flustered made that obvious.

Randolph’s companions, then.

Every one of them was a companion of Randolph—the very man who had unleashed this powerful curse. And they had been climbing the tower.

Yet each of them was formidable in their own right. Especially… those children.

A boy and a girl who looked ordinary at first glance. An unidentifiable sense of foreboding radiated from the two of them. Even though Gracia had grown far stronger than before, he did not think he could casually face them.

Whoosh!

Soon others appeared as well.

“The main forces.”

At Union’s words, Gracia nodded.

The monsters of Kramdel who followed the White King. The Palace Fiend, the Great Earth Dragon, Medusa, and Aria. The main forces, including Aria, daughter of the White King, had all assembled.

They’ve grown stronger.

The monsters of Kramdel. In the past, Gracia alone could have handled all of them. But the main forces had grown stronger as well. And if the main forces had grown stronger…

Has the White King recovered his power?

It meant the White King had regained his full strength. Above all, the aura radiating from them was incomparable to before. Especially that half-human, half-beast woman.

She has the same fangs as the White King.

Gracia recognized it the moment he saw her. That woman—Aria—was the White King’s child. She did not fall short of any of the other main forces in the slightest. While the Black King had been expanding his power and growing stronger, they had not been idle either.

One among them—the massive dragon, the Great Earth Dragon—spotted Hudson and asked,

“You are Hudson. Where is the Fifth Lord?”

“…Great Earth Dragon. It has been a long time.”

Hudson bowed his head respectfully. The Great Earth Dragon and Hudson had met several times before. On the first floor of the Rift Tower, Hudson had helped treat the fallen Great Earth Dragon together with Saintess Seia, and they had crossed paths a few more times afterward.

If they know each other, this could get troublesome.

Watching the two who seemed familiar with each other, Gracia carefully rested a hand on his sword hilt. In a one-on-one fight he was confident he could defeat anyone, but their numbers were far too great. He and Union were only two. Moreover, those groups were not merely numerous. They satisfied both quantity and quality.

“I asked where the Fifth Lord is.”

“I am sorry, but I cannot tell you.”

“Hmm. I expected as much. Still, once we climb the tower we will find out.”

“…It will not be easy.”

Fortunately, the two factions did not seem entirely friendly toward each other. They glared with open hostility, already preparing for battle.

That was when it happened.

Whoosh!

Another warp opened. The Great Earth Dragon turned his head and unleashed a wave of killing intent.

“…Laktusha.”

“…So you really didn’t die.”

Laktusha, the Orc Lord and Swordmaster, also twisted his face into a scowl. In the Rift Tower he had believed he had killed the Great Earth Dragon and reported as much to the Black King—yet the Black King had said the Great Earth Dragon would still be alive. And now he truly was. Seeing him with his own eyes left Laktusha speechless. How had he survived those wounds?

“Abandon any thought of leaving here alive, Laktusha.”

“That’s my line.”

A free-for-all was inevitable. But Laktusha was not the only one who had appeared.

Ant King Fermon.

The moment Gracia laid eyes on him, goosebumps rose across his entire body. Disgusting, perhaps? The mere thought of breathing the same air was revolting.

Yet neither Laktusha nor Ant King Fermon was in perfect condition. Both had already suffered massive damage after losing once to the Blade Queen. The only one who still looked relatively intact was the third to appear.

Dark Elf Lord…

An unidentified being whose face and entire body were wrapped in black cloth. This one would also be troublesome.

“I will challenge him first.”

“…Fermon, are you going to act on your own again?”

“I have no time to waste fighting these small fry. I will fight someone stronger. This ‘Eternal Randolph’ is clearly stronger than the Blade Queen.”

With those words—

Whoosh!

He began the challenge on his own terms.

The moment Ant King Fermon vanished, Laktusha closed both eyes. And when he opened them again—

“….”

“….”

Silence fell.

Yet everyone was more tense than ever. Randolph’s companions, Gracia and Union, the main forces under the White King, and the Black King’s closest aides. If all of them clashed together, upheaval was inevitable.

But it was still not over.

“Interesting bunch gathered here.”

“Hmm. The Tower of the War God truly is becoming strange…”

The Empire’s strongest sword, Raiga.

Former Champion Sancha.

The atmosphere shifted once more. Now no one could truly guarantee victory. Cold sweat beaded on Gracia’s palm. The mere presence of those two was enough to put everyone else on edge.

And then—

Whoosh!

“Aaaah, O Goddess! O one guided by the Goddess! O one favored by the Goddess! Where are you?! I, Aron, have arrived!!!”

…What the hell is that guy.

Ant King Fermon had no intention of competing with the others.

He simply wanted to see them. He wanted to face and fight those who were stronger.

Even though he had been unable to defeat the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Blade Queen—

I grew stronger from that single battle.

Fermon had grown stronger. Moreover, the stronger the opponent he fought, the more exponentially Fermon himself grew. At this rate, even if he faced the Blade Queen again, he could claim a fifty-percent chance of victory.

He could win. As long as he kept growing stronger, he could crush anyone!

“…? Are you Randolph?”

Soon a man appeared before Ant King Fermon. The man was human. He did not look particularly strong. If anything, the Blade Queen had seemed far more powerful.

Not much to learn from this one.

Fermon felt inwardly disappointed. Compared to the Blade Queen, Randolph truly looked unimpressive.

Yet at the same time, Fermon could not help but let out a death rattle.

“Huh?”

Crack!

Something was breaking. Shattering. Being destroyed.

But it was not material. It was not his body or his energy either.

Crrraaack!

And yet it was vanishing with absolute certainty. Something more important than flesh or mana—the very index that indicated the rank of his existence, the proof of his being itself.

“Wh-what…?”

Fermon was thrown into confusion. He could not comprehend how such a thing was possible. What Randolph was doing was utterly incomprehensible to him.

Yet even while he stood there stunned, the act of destruction continued. And before long—

“Wh-what is this…!”

It was gone. Completely vanished.

Had he ever been so powerless?

Fermon curled his entire body inward and could only cry out toward Randolph in a voice thick with fear.

“H-how did you destroy my ‘Mystery’…!!”