The Gatekeeper's Essence
The Tower of Babel exists across countless dimensions.
Orcs, elves, Milesians, Northmen, the Creus wanderers, and more.
Countless races climb its floors.
Among them, the Naga race ranks among the upper tiers in power.
“Shhhiiit!”
A volley of spears pierces my right arm.
Attacks laced with aura.
The dark fighting spirit shatters under the onslaught, and the metal reflection armor tears away.
Crack!
White light erupts from my forearm.
The spears wielded by the Naga swarm tremble.
The [Metal Reflection Armor] redirects part of the impact, rattling their insides.
One of them groans and pours more strength into the attack.
Not bad.
Thud! Several spearheads embed themselves in my forearm.
A perfect defense is impossible.
They exploited the openings created while I felled several Nagas, so I had to give something in return.
My right arm darkens.
I immediately extend my left hand.
[Hundred Beasts Emperor Martial Arts – 11th Form]
[Using Taowu Fang.]
Vwooom!
Jet-black blade energy gathers along my straightened hand blade.
One of the Four Perils.
A technique that manifests the sharp fangs of the Taowu.
Without hesitation, I swing the blade at my own right arm.
Slice. The severed arm falls to the ground.
The stone floor darkens as the Naga venom spreads across it.
“Shhh. Persistent bastard.”
The Naga grimaces yet thrusts its spear forward.
It must think this is a desperate, life-or-death crisis after losing an arm.
[Hundred Beasts Emperor Martial Arts – 9th Form]
[Using Spirit Turtle Qi Cannon.]
I rotate the energy gathered in my clenched fist.
The Spirit Turtle, a creature that awakens its spirituality after living over a thousand years.
The energy spinning beneath the back of my hand—inside my clenched palm—amplifies.
The moment I open my hand, the rotating energy launches forward as a sphere.
Boom!
The Naga struck by the qi cannon has its upper body crushed.
The power is disappointing compared to the internal energy consumed.
It’s enough energy to unleash the Dragon Emperor Fist three times, but I chose this because its range and destructive power surpass mere fist winds.
Drip. Drip.
Blood falls from the cleanly severed cross-section.
I’ve reduced the Naga numbers by about one-third so far.
The sacrifice was worth it.
The total power of these Nagas is one level below the “Crawling Existence” I fought before.
The difference is that while that creature simply swung its power wildly, these Nagas coordinate their breathing and attack efficiently.
If I hadn’t sacrificed an arm, I wouldn’t have thinned their numbers this much in such a short time.
“If I stay like this, I’ll bleed out and die.”
Crack!
Bone and flesh surge from the severed surface.
The flesh writhes like waterlogged clay.
If I don’t control it, it will lose its shape and who knows what will happen.
I suppress the mutation’s expansion with [Regeneration].
“Shhh. Now’s our chance.”
“Let’s finish him before the regeneration completes.”
The Nagas abandon the spacing they had maintained and charge straight at me.
Long reach from spears and tails.
My main technique, Hundred Beasts Emperor Martial Arts, is limited by the range of the human body, so I should have been at a disadvantage in distance.
But.
“It’s different now.”
The disadvantage I created myself by cutting off my own arm.
No—the opening I deliberately made them believe existed has lured them in perfectly.
[Using Body of Darkness.]
A body assimilated with the power of Polar Night.
The regenerating arm stops moving in place.
A skill born from fusing [Astralization] and [Darkness Domination].
Since Polar Night itself possesses no physical force, regenerating the body is impossible.
Well, it’s fine.
I can restore the arm anytime.
My senses overlay the unified power of Polar Night.
An expanded perception.
It feels as though I’m viewing the surroundings from a third-person perspective, from multiple angles.
The internal energy gathered through the Asura Demon Spirit Heart Method flows through multiple paths, following the currents of qi instead of blood vessels.
Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword.
I unleash the pinnacle martial art bestowed by the Heavenly Demon, the Evil of the Sky.
Internal energy manifests upon the blades of darkness woven from the night’s folds.
The technique, originally designed for humans, grows stronger upon touching the true nature of night.
The internal energy filling my dantian depletes rapidly.
Yet mana converted by the [True Essence Bead] fills the void.
The whirling blades.
The Nagas, who had been trying to close the distance and deliver a decisive strike, are horrified.
“N-no……”
“Stop!”
Slash!
Blue particles are swallowed by darkness.
The spears thrust forward with vigor are severed along with their aura the moment they touch the dark blades.
Even the Nagas behind them are cut to pieces.
The Nagas charging forward turn to dust in an instant.
More Nagas, following behind without understanding the reversal, fall to the Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword one after another.
Some Nagas who belatedly regain their senses retreat.
“Shhh. Create distance!”
“Shh. We must reform our formation.”
Who’s going to give them time to regroup?
I immediately cancel the Body of Darkness.
Using mutation once more, I perfectly regenerate my right arm.
“Goddess.”
“Finally, the time for counterattack has come.”
Spears and swords manifested from Polar Night threaten the Nagas clinging to Lexy.
“Kaooo!!!”
Lexy swings her tail.
Taking advantage of the moment the Naga swarm staggers, a rain of dark spears and blades falls upon them.
* * *
“Shhh! Retreat!”
The Naga swarm falls back to the other side of the bridge.
After pursuing them to an appropriate distance, I return to the midpoint.
The number of Nagas defeated in the first engagement is around seventy.
A great victory that eliminated over two-thirds of their forces……or so I’d like to say.
“At this rate, isn’t it almost even?”
Eighty human-side players have received death judgments.
Yet few Nagas slipped past me to attack the allies.
“We’ll trust only Lord Yu Jinho.”
Having tasted the Nagas’ wrath, the remaining players step backward.
“How utterly pathetic.”
Nyx clicks her tongue in disdain.
They wouldn’t be of any help anyway, so I simply nod.
I mount Lexy’s back once more and advance.
At the end of the path, the fortress’s guarding general reveals himself.
[Gatekeeper Kodiral]
A bipedal elephant armed with a crescent blade and shield, comparable in size to an ogre.
“Hmph. This is why I cannot entrust matters to the soldiers.”
He speaks with confidence, snorting loudly.
“Lexy, I’ll leave that one to you.”
“Kaooo!”
Even if he’s called a gatekeeper, he’s less threatening than the Naga swarm.
Thud! Thud!
I kick off Lexy’s back as she charges and dive downward.
I draw the Nagas’ attention.
“Shhh! It’s that terrifying human!”
“Shh. We must hold.”
“The gatekeeper receives buffs in front of the gate. We just need to wait until that monster is defeated.”
The standard strategy for the 36th floor mission.
When the enemy’s forces are stronger, hold out with the gatekeeper.
Neutralizing the buffs granted to the gatekeeper requires a large number of people.
But.
“Kaooooo!!!”
Lexy was only helplessly bound earlier.
She’s not weak by any means.
“This monster dares to push back me, the gatekeeper.”
The elephant gatekeeper’s flustered voice rings in my ears.
In the first clash, Lexy overwhelms the gatekeeper with her sheer weight and strength.
Using the Tyrannosaurus’s most powerful attack—its bite force—she chews through the crescent blade with her wide-open jaws.
Crunch!
The gatekeeper’s weapon is halved.
Though her stats are somewhat lacking, she demonstrates her prowess in combat against opponents of similar size.
“Goddess, leave one alive.”
“It seems you covet that elephant’s essence.”
“You read me perfectly now.”
“Heh, your thoughts are as clear as if they were in my hand.”
Finishing off the remaining swarm is not difficult.
The enemy’s momentum has plummeted.
Over two-thirds fell in the opening clash, and their morale has dropped, making it far easier.
“Shhh! Shhhit!”
“Wait just a little longer.”
Nyx restrains the last Naga with the power of Polar Night.
By the time I finish off the Naga swarm, Lexy collapses with a thud.
“Hmph! As long as I stand, you shall not cross the border.”
The gatekeeper continues receiving buffs.
As time passes, the stat buffs grow stronger, and his wounds heal automatically.
“Kao……”
Lexy growls in frustration.
“You did well. You earned your keep this time.”
“Kao! Kaooo!”
She gets this excited over a single compliment.
Next time I use her, I’ll mix scolding and praise appropriately.
Lexy’s role from the beginning was to buy time.
She only needed to hold out until I defeated the Naga swarm.
[Using Void Projection.]
[Recalling the essence of the Primal Species.]
Lexy transforms into a violet current and is absorbed into my body.
Power surges.
The released essence of the Primal Species takes effect once more, increasing my strength and agility by 10% each.
“Hmph. That summon was large and satisfying to fight. How boring.”
“Then I’ll show you something more entertaining.”
[Using Void Mirror.]
[The trace of the Primal Species reflects in the mirror.]
[It transforms into the form recorded in the soul.]
I recalled Lexy not for the stat increase multiplier.
Right.
It was to transform into the form of the Primal Species.
My body completes the mutation, resembling Lexy.
“Round two begins.”
I speak in a lowered voice and charge at the elephant gatekeeper.
An overwhelming spec compared to when I fought as Lexy.
Without needing any special martial arts, I easily overpower the elephant gatekeeper.
“Grrr……”
The gatekeeper lets out a dying scream with his neck bitten.
I clench my jaws, snapping his neck backward.
[You have devoured Gatekeeper Kodiral’s essence.]
[Essence Grade: Ancient]
[Devoured Essence: 100%]
[You have perfectly absorbed the essence of one species.]
[Skill – Domain Gatekeeper has been added.]
[Domain Gatekeeper]
Grade: ★★★
Classification: Active
Declares a domain within a 30-meter radius centered on the user.
During skill activation, movement speed decreases by 80%, but defense increases by 30%.
Entities within the domain are forcibly fixated on the user, and attacks targeting other subjects incur penalties.
A powerful tanking skill.
It boosts defense and manages aggro.
“However, an 80% movement speed reduction feels excessive.”
“If I’m tanking, I don’t need to move much.”
Useful when facing multiple enemies.
Or in situations where I must protect a specific individual.
Before regression, I often used [Domain Gatekeeper] in the middle of battlefields.
Well, I’ve obtained the essence I was supposed to get.
“Now show me the enhanced rewards the Constellations promised.”
I look up at the sky and smirk.
▶ Main Mission – Passed the Enhanced Imperial Barrier.
▶ Perfectly cleared the mission whose difficulty was increased by the Constellations’ intervention.
▶ As a reward, the Rainbow Flashing Stone is granted.
“This is……”
I trail off.