Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Episode 16
The [Dimensional Tower Community] was a supermassive community provided by the Dimensional Tower system.
And if you looked inside it, there were all sorts of smaller channels.
Among the famous channels were those dedicated to each of the world's top twenty-four individuals, and these channels were used by people all over the world.
Because the Dimensional Tower's translation system was flawless, even if people wrote in their own languages, readers saw it in the language they knew, so communication was no problem.
Today, a new channel had appeared in that [Dimensional Tower Community].
It was the [Corpse-Spirit Martial Sovereign Channel].
And there was a man who had happened to see Lee Mu-seon's broadcast and become addicted to it.
Park Il-chim was going in and out of this very [Corpse-Spirit Martial Sovereign Channel].
[The true identity of the martial art the channel owner used! It is.......] (24)
[Isn't the channel owner actually a dual class? Otherwise how does an undead use martial arts?] (2)
[I have learned the truth. The channel owner is a past-lifer!] (57)
The [Corpse-Spirit Martial Sovereign Channel], where all sorts of shitposts were running wild, was a true crucible of chaos.
That was only natural. He had become a huge sensation in Korea and was drawing attention worldwide.
Korea now gets a permanent bonus to tutorial rewards!
Why?
Because the Corpse-Spirit Martial Sovereign, Lee Mu-seon, had completely cleared the tutorial!
That alone was bound to cause an uproar.
"Oh? Really?"
[Holy shit, the channel owner's martial arts school was near my house!!]
Author: ㅇㅇ
You know that old four-story building in the shopping district near my place?
There's a martial arts school in there. The building is really old.
I saw it today and it was absolutely swarming with people.
I wondered what was going on, so I looked, and the channel owner was the head instructor there;;;
I'm going to register tomorrow, first thing.
(Photo of the crowd gathered in front of the martial arts school)
"I'm jealous. If only it weren't so far, I'd go too......."
Park Il-chim grew gloomy.
Lee Mu-seon's martial arts school was on the outskirts of Seoul, while Park Il-chim lived a long way from it.
"Should I move, now that I have the chance?"
Park Il-chim worked as a freelance illustrator.
His workload had fallen with the recent rise of AI, but he still managed to make a living.
So moving wasn't a bad idea.
His lease was about to expire soon, anyway.
"Yeah. I could go enroll at the martial arts school too...... Huh?"
As he was browsing the channel like that, he discovered a new post.
[Guys, something huge is coming!! Star Guardian is coming!!!]
"Whoa. Is this for real?"
Star Guardian.
An awakened team operated by Teslam, an American megacorporation.
And it was also the team that included no fewer than three of the twenty-four awakened individuals evaluated as the strongest in the world.
That Star Guardian was coming?
"No way......?"
That "no way" was right.
They were coming to meet the Corpse-Spirit Martial Sovereign, who had just cleared Floor 1.
* * *
Another day later.
I had to turn off my smartphone.
With people contacting me from every direction, I had no choice.
"Why did the messages get even worse after just one day?"
I sighed without meaning to.
It was Saturday, the martial arts school's day off.
Normally, I would have gone through my usual routine.
Normally, I'd train in external arts, stop by an herbal medicine shop for medicinal ingredients, have a big meal at a good local restaurant, and then take a walk.
Then I'd come home and spend the rest of the day chuckling over GodTube.
Compared with my previous life, I was living at a sloth's pace.
But starting that day, I planned to change my routine a little.
After all, a new path had opened up for me now, hadn't it?
A way to train the martial arts from my previous life again—even if my Jiangshi, not me, would be doing the training!
From then on, I planned to climb the Dimensional Tower every morning.
The reason was.......
I'd hit a wall while raising my jiangshi.
After Experimental Jiangshi No. 1 had transformed into a Copper Jiangshi,
I kept filling it with internal energy, but it hit a hard limit at thirty years' worth.
No more internal energy would go in.
I was wondering what was going on when a message popped up.
[The Copper Jiangshi has grown to its limit.]
[To grow the Copper Jiangshi further, the awakened's level must increase.]
In other words, because my own level was too low, Experimental Jiangshi No. 1 could no longer grow stronger.
There really were a lot of restrictions.
For that reason.
I decided to make a habit of running the Dimensional Tower diligently.
In other words.
Today, I'm going to Floor 2!
[You have entered the Dimensional Tower.]
[The awakened Lee Mu-seon is currently in the Dimensional Tower Lobby.]
[Would you like to enter Floor 2 of the Dimensional Tower?]
"Yeah."
Light flared, and I was transferred to a completely different place.
"This place is......."
I looked around. The space was about the size of three soccer fields, with seven stone altar-like platforms roughly two meters high.
One person stood atop each stone platform, including me.
The surprising thing was.
They weren't only humans.
No. I was the only human.
A bipedal lizard.
A woman with long ears and a stunningly beautiful face.
A bald, muscular nonhuman with dark green skin.
A short, stocky bearded old man built from thick muscle.
A woman who looked human except for the six crustacean-like legs extending from her back.
A rat standing on two legs, slightly smaller than a person.
Could this be?
[Dimensional Tower Floor 2. You have entered the Seat-Stealing Game.]
[Defend your seat.]
[Steal the seats of others.]
[To steal another's seat, push the opponent out of the seat and stand in it.]
[If you occupy two or more seats, you will receive an additional bonus.]
[If you do not reclaim your seat within 10 minutes after it is stolen, you will be considered to have completely lost it, and the trial will fail.]
[If the awakened dies or has their seat completely stolen, the trial will fail.]
[May luck be with you.]
One of the Tower's popular events.
It's the seat-stealing game, right?
The Seat-Stealing Game was famous for appearing not just on Floor 2, but on many floors in all sorts of variations.
Not only that.
It also brought together species from dimensions other than Earth, and the chaos that followed made it popular with viewers.
You need skill, but you also need a fierce battle of wits.
Because the bonus went to whoever stole a seat first, everyone naturally tried to make the first move. The problem was what happened while I stepped off my seat to steal another one.
If someone else stepped onto mine, it was stolen immediately.
What a headache.
No wonder the map produced so many entertaining broadcasts.
But this map.
Isn't it way too favorable to me?
Anyway.
First, I should turn on the broadcast.
I should've turned it on in the lobby, but I'd forgotten.
-I'm first!
-Taking my seat!
-This guy's really gotten hooked on morning streams;;;
-Hello. I'm a woman living in Japan. I've taken an interest in you.
-Where is this place now?
The viewers filed in and started chattering.
At the same time, the other participants in the Floor 2 trial began speaking as well.
"Hss, hss! To think this trial would show up on Floor 2......."
"Cooperate- help! Orc! Let's kill the human first!"
The lizardman hissed.
Then I heard the rat bastard shout to the orc.
They seemed to be underestimating humans.
At the same time, a system window appeared, visible only to me and my viewers—naturally, it couldn't be shown to the enemy.
[You can summon 3 undead.]
Aha.
So there's a restriction because it's the seat-stealing game?
Sure. If I simply released the hundreds of Walking Corpses stored in the Necron Ossuary, every one of them would be shoved out of their seats.
Then I'd win by a landslide.
Even so...... limiting a Necromancer to just three undead? How was that fair?
Talk about an unfair handicap.
"Experimental Jiangshi No. 1. Hobgoblin General. Wolf. Come out."
Three undead emerged from my shadow.
No. 1 had become a Copper Jiangshi. The other two were the corpses of boss monsters I'd personally killed in the other two defense trials.
I'd made sure to keep the corpses.
-Isn't that the Hobgoblin General, the boss monster?
-f-X-k;;;; boss monster undead;;;
-That's insane.
-Looks like seat-stealing, and undead are limited to three? lololololol They really want Necromancers dead, huh?
-The rat bastard's yelling about ganging up. Is the Corpse-Spirit Demon Sovereign gonna smash its skull in?
While the viewers were making a racket,
the countdown to the Floor 2 trial began.
[The Seat-Stealing Game will begin in 5 seconds. 5. 4. 3.]
The instant the countdown hit zero,
"Die! -Die!"
The bipedal rat raised a steampunk firearm at me. Just as it was about to fire,
Experimental Jiangshi No. 1 had already blocked the space between that muzzle and me.
Bang!
An explosive report rang out. The shot failed to pierce Experimental Jiangshi No. 1, and at the same time No. 1 charged with the Corpse-Spirit Ghost Shadow Step.
Ghostly speed!
"Help! Hel—"
Crack!
Its neck snapped mid-scream, and the rat bastard died on the spot.
Well, of course.
Of course. It was a Copper Jiangshi that I controlled directly, one capable of using martial arts.
A mere gun-toting rat bastard had no chance against it.
"Walking Corpse."
The instant I used the skill, the dead rat bastard rose again with its broken neck dangling.
With this, I killed one bastard and added one ally!
-I did ask you to smash its skull...... but you're moving way too fast, Teacher.
-If you go through the lesson this fast, we can't keep up!
The viewers clamored, but I didn't answer.
I'm busy right now!
I turned to the other participants.
The lizardman, the elf, the bald orc, the bearded dwarf, and the crustacean woman whose species I couldn't identify.
They were all staring at me in silence.
"Looks like you're surprised?"
I asked them, but no one answered. They only stared.
Hmm. At a time like this...... I should use what I'd learned in this life.
I gave them a pleasant smile and spoke.
"I'll make you an offer you can't refuse. Give up your seats without a fight and I won't kill you. Step away. Or would you rather die and become corpses?"
-He's pure testosterone. A real man with no brakes.......
-He's crazy.
The moment I finished speaking,
all five remaining participants charged at me.
Oh dear......
What a stubborn bunch. I gave you a way to live...... and you still insist on dying.
Amitabha. It seems I'll have to break the precept against killing today.