The Key of the Netherworld
On the road back to Seoul, I kept turning the key over in my fingers.
In the original timeline, a player named Cho Seungchul had obtained the Key of the Netherworld. It was an item that could open the door leading to the tower’s underground levels. Cho Seungchul had acquired Mistilteinn down there—a wooden training sword forged from a branch drenched in divine blood.
He had been an unremarkable player until then, but the moment he gripped that blade his name began to spread. Yet the reason he ultimately became infamous was something else entirely.
Traitor of humanity.
Mistilteinn was a demonic sword that heralded the age of apocalypse. The Old Gods trapped beneath the tower had planted a will of destruction inside it. The longer one held the sword, the more it devoured the wielder’s mind. In the end, Cho Seungchul had been completely brainwashed and became the Old Gods’ pawn.
Now that the Key of the Netherworld rested in my hand, that future had been erased. Still, I couldn’t relax.
Nyx suddenly pressed herself against my side.
“Secret? Hardly.”
She really knew how to make a person uncomfortable. I couldn’t tell her about the future, so I gave a vague answer. Even when I examined the item’s information, it only offered cryptic hints.
Nyx let out a soft “Hmph,” then tilted her head.
Her tone made it perfectly clear she didn’t believe a single gram of what I’d said. I slipped the Key of the Netherworld into the Pocket of Desire.
At my current level it was still too early. I would need to reach at least Gold rank before I could challenge the tower’s basement. Still, it wouldn’t take that long.
Besides the cursed blade, the depths contained traces of many other ancient deities. If I could devour the essences that had reached the realm of myth, my growth would be staggering.
“Master!”
“You startled me. What is it?”
“Look at this! It’s huge news!”
The vehicle the association had provided was a spacious limousine. Jiyoung, sitting across from me, thrust her phone forward.
Prominent American Guild Gold Moon Prepares for Diamond Promotion Test.
America’s Rank 1 Player Ellen leads a five-member team!
China’s top ranker Zhang Wufei enters with the elite forces of the Nine Dragons Syndicate…
Right. I had completely forgotten about the promotion tests.
Another change triggered once the synchronization between the tower and Earth reached twenty percent—the right to challenge floors beyond the sixtieth.
Humanity would ascend to Diamond rank roughly two months earlier than in the original timeline.
“The area past the sixtieth floor is completely unknown. I’m so excited to see what’s there,” Jiyoung said.
“Well…”
I gave a bitter smile. From the sixtieth floor onward—the moment one entered Diamond rank—the nature of the competition changed. Opponents were no longer from neighboring countries but from entirely different dimensions. Beings possessing intelligence just like humanity.
I wondered whether the second life I had been given would produce the same results as before.
“Did you know?” Jiyoung asked.
“That the matches are broadcast starting from the sixtieth floor?”
“Whoa, have you learned mind reading or something?”
Another alteration that appeared once synchronization surpassed twenty percent was the ability to broadcast missions. It wasn’t interactive like internet streaming, merely a one-way relay, but it was still revolutionary. Until now, mission results could only be checked at midnight. Now they could be watched live.
In other words, this promotion test would be open to spectators.
The timeline had already diverged from the future I remembered. A small hope stirred inside me that the outcome of the promotion test might change as well.
“Looks like I’ll have to take tomorrow off.”
“Really?”
“It starts at midnight Greenwich Mean Time. So tomorrow morning.”
“Carla, you’ll get to watch your master’s heroic performance.”
Jiyoung turned to Carla, who still wore her usual stoic expression.
“……”
“Let’s cheer for him together!”
“Sure.”
Ho. Jiyoung really did have surprising social skills. She spoke comfortably with Nyx as well. In my previous life she had been famous for the title “Wall of Lamentation” and for never showing emotion. Now she seemed like a completely different person.
No. This was probably her original personality.
After the first Great Erosion, the way people looked at players had changed completely.
Gates spawned monsters resistant to physical attacks that lacked mana. Modern firearms were ineffective. Areas affected by dimensional fusion saw mana density rise to lethal levels for ordinary humans.
If a Gate Break occurred in a densely populated residential district, the first wave of casualties would come from the monsters themselves. Even after the gate was closed, the abnormally high mana concentration would take months to dissipate. An entire region could be rendered uninhabitable for half a year or more.
Players, once viewed as little more than famous athletes, were now seen as the guardians who protected citizens from nightmares made flesh.
“We must secure more players.”
“Numbers alone aren’t enough. Quality matters.”
Every nation poured far more effort into recruiting players than before. A country’s stability depended on the strength of its players. To protect its territory and allow its people to live without fear, it needed powerful awakeners.
Players themselves gained an additional option: gates. These were unknown spaces outside the tower where monsters from other realms appeared.
“The clear rewards are insane.”
“But it’s dangerous. People can actually die.”
“Depending on the monsters, you can make serious money.”
Most players earned income in the tower in two ways: converting mission CP into cash or gathering rare materials that only appeared on certain floors. Gates were different. The rewards for clearing them were as generous as those for a mission’s first attempt. Although the risk was far higher, quite a few players willingly bet their lives for greater profit.
As a result, the status of player associations and related government departments skyrocketed.
“The day of the promotion test has finally arrived.”
William Rockefeller swept his gaze across the man and woman standing in his office. The core players of Gold Moon. The five members, Ellen included, stood in full battle gear.
“How are your conditions?”
“Excellent, Master.”
Ellen answered with a resolute expression.
“You must be exhausted from sealing all those gates. I apologize.”
“Not at all. It was to protect the citizens.”
“And, of course, to raise the guild’s prestige.”
In the early stages of the Gate Break crisis, Gold Moon had not stepped forward aggressively. The unknown spaces carried too many unpredictable dangers. The information Jinho had shared had the unintended side effect of making some rankers from major guilds overly cautious.
But everything changed after Ellen Taylor returned to America.
The Guardian’s Orb—Unique. The Butterfly Dagger—Unique. Prominence, a three-star magic skill book.
High-tier items difficult to obtain on the tower’s lower floors. Even though the difficulty ranged only from Iron to Bronze, the rewards had been staggering. Ellen had reported every reward Jinho acquired inside the gates to William.
“Thanks to that, we were able to commit fully.”
They had actively cleared every gate that appeared. In doing so they secured both valuable rewards and the trust of the nation. Although several players suffered serious injuries and faced life-threatening moments, they cleared multiple gates without a single fatality.
At the center of it all stood Ellen Taylor, America’s undisputed rank one.
“As you already know, Five Star and the Nine Dragons Syndicate are also participating in this promotion test.”
Five Star was Gold Moon’s rival within the United States. The Nine Dragons Syndicate, China’s top guild, constantly checked Gold Moon in their ambition to become the world’s strongest.
William Rockefeller clapped his hands together sharply.
“Dismissed. We have one hour left. Manage your condition carefully.”
“Yes!”
The players answered in unison. William called Ellen back alone.
“Sending you to Korea was the right decision.”
“All thanks to Mr. Yu sharing his information.”
“Shouldn’t you give some credit to the guild master who ordered the dispatch?”
“You only gave the order because you were certain there would be profit.”
“That is true. I am a son of the Rockefeller family, after all.”
The Rockefeller family held enormous influence over America’s political and financial circles. Although William was considered relatively easygoing among his relatives, his eye for investment was unparalleled.
“Did you intentionally leave Carla in Korea?”
“It was her own decision.”
“She wanted to become stronger, so she sought instruction from you.”
“She started calling me ‘Director’ instead.”
Ellen gave a wry smile. Until she met Jinho in Korea, Carla had called her Master. The title had changed in a very short time. The girl cared only about growing stronger. She had judged that Jinho was a better teacher than Ellen.
“That’s dangerous. What if we lose a promising talent?”
“Are you being serious?”
“Half serious.”
William burst into hearty laughter, then suddenly turned grave.
“Recruiting Mr. Yu. What are the chances?”
“Not zero… but close enough to be nearly zero.”
“I see.”
“Are you giving up?”
“Hardly. Who do you think I am?”
William smiled with absolute confidence. A greedy incarnation who obtained whatever he desired by any means necessary—that was William Rockefeller’s philosophy.
“Anyway, good work. We’ve been so busy we haven’t had time for conversations like this.”
“I will do my best to bring good results in the promotion test.”
“When our guild’s pride says she will exert herself, the outcome is bound to be favorable.”
Ellen smiled softly and left the office.
One hour later.
Babel Tower access application executing.
The space currently occupied by the user is stable.
Connecting normally.
The Diamond Promotion Test is now active.
Will you challenge the 60th floor?
[Y/N]
The five members, Ellen included, exchanged glances and pressed Y.
They were transported to a space surrounded by pure white walls.
“Stay sharp, everyone. We don’t know how the promotion test will unfold.”
Team leader Ellen spoke calmly.
The broadcast function added once synchronization passed twenty percent had led Gold Moon to make the bold decision to air this promotion test worldwide. If they achieved good results in this veiled trial, the guild’s image would be cemented.
This is the first Diamond Promotion Test for the Earth dimension.
Dimensions that have only recently entered the Diamond rank will be matched together.
Earth versus Krok.
A 5-on-5 battle will take place. The team whose final survivor wins the match claims victory.
The rules were simple. Compared to previous promotion tests, they were straightforward and easy to understand.
“I was worried we’d have to capture some fortress.”
“Five-on-five should end quickly.”
“Another dimension… so humanity isn’t the only one climbing the tower?”
The Gold Moon guild members chatted among themselves. When the waiting time ended, a bright light flashed and someone was summoned.
Green skin and a muscular frame. A bald head with a pig-like snout beneath it. The monster glared at the Gold Moon members.
“Kurruk. This promotion test looks far too easy.”
“Wait, is our opponent seriously this orc bastard?”
“Orc or whatever, we just have to take down five of them first.”
One confident Gold Moon player stepped forward. They had seen orcs countless times inside the tower. Creatures like this were no match for them.
Five minutes later, every team member except Ellen had been utterly defeated by that single first orc.