The Desert Lord's Domain
A man with bronze skin and dreadlocks descended into the underground chamber.
Before him stood an altar shaped like a miniature pyramid.
The man dropped to his knees before it.
Abdul Hamad.
Lord of the Oasis, the player contracted with Seth.
“My lord, it has come to pass exactly as you desired.”
Abdul Hamad raised both hands in supplication, offering the utmost reverence.
Approximately one hour earlier.
He had used the Duel Designation Scroll to single out Lee Jiyoung and humiliate her.
The Lord of the Oasis is pleased.
The Lord of the Oasis demands greater achievements.
The ambush on the Yeokcheon Guild had been orchestrated by Seth himself.
Abdul Hamad slowly parted his lips.
“My lord, a response will arrive shortly. You need not worry.”
Targeting Lee Jiyoung had been nothing more than bait for a far larger prize.
Yu Jinho.
The enemy the great constellation who granted Abdul his power had personally designated.
Someone has designated you as their duel opponent.
If conditions are met, you will be matched in the Tower of Babel with 100% certainty.
“Behold, my lord.”
Abdul Hamad wore a meaningful smile.
He had prepared the Emergency Alarm Scroll specifically to counter Yu Jinho’s retaliation. The scroll notified him whenever someone searched for his information or designated him within the Tower.
While it could not completely block designations like a privacy scroll, its lower cost and higher utility made it far more practical.
The Lord of the Oasis emphasizes the need for thorough preparation.
“My preparations are flawless.”
Abdul smiled with confidence.
Ever since contracting with the S-rank constellation Seth, he had wielded power beyond his rank.
Oasis’s Blessing – Lv 5
The constellation’s blessing was divided into stages.
Level 5 represented the maximum authority that particular constellation could bestow.
Receiving a constellation’s blessing was no ordinary matter.
Level 1 could be granted at will, but higher stages required perfect resonance between contractor and constellation.
Abdul Hamad and Seth’s compatibility was the absolute pinnacle.
Seth, seeking to sow chaos on Earth, had expended divinity to grant every level of the blessing to the contractor with the highest resonance.
And that was not all.
“Thanks to the introductions from the great one, my guild members have also obtained sufficient power.”
The god of rivers, Icelus.
Amun, the Hidden One of the Ennead.
Other Sinister constellations had also been introduced as patrons.
Even guild members who had once been below standard now contracted with A-rank or B-rank constellations and grew far stronger.
The Lord of the Oasis hints that arrangements have been made for you.
The Lord of the Oasis warns you not to disappoint him.
After leaving that single warning, Seth withdrew his gaze.
“Yu Jinho, become the cornerstone for my ascension.”
Abdul Hamad let out a low chuckle and rose from his knees.
“Guild Master.”
“How dare you intrude upon the sacred place where I commune with the great lord!”
“M-My apologies! I have urgent news to deliver…”
Abdul suppressed his anger.
“Speak.”
“We have received contact from China’s Guryongbang Guild.”
Abdul stroked his chin.
Guryongbang was a globally renowned player guild; even he knew of their reputation.
“I see. So this is the arrangement my lord spoke of.”
“Pardon?”
“Go ahead. I suspect good news awaits.”
“Understood.”
Abdul Hamad smiled meaningfully and left the underground chamber.
* * *
The Duel Designation Scroll allowed one to designate an opponent and force a match in the same mission.
Naturally, it was not omnipotent.
First, the target had to be of the same rank.
Second, the designated opponent had to be able to enter the floor the user had accessed.
In simpler terms, if Abdul Hamad entered the 43rd floor, no match would occur.
-Then I must clear the 42nd floor first.
“I’d love to deal with him right away, but it can’t be helped.”
There was no need to rush.
As long as Abdul Hamad remained in the Gold rank, he could not escape Yu Jinho’s designation.
How much time had passed since he pressed the 42nd floor matching button on the Babel Tower app?
The opponent designated by the Duel Designation Scroll has accessed the Babel Tower app.
Matching is now possible. Connecting to the same channel as the designated opponent.
“Kuk, kuhuhuh.”
How absurd.
Yu Jinho swept his hair back.
-What is going on?
“Abdul Hamad. That bastard designated me as well.”
He had lost his mind.
His guts were practically spilling out of his stomach.
He was riding high after taking down Lee Jiyoung, Carla, and Elder Brother Yeongsu.
Since he had already cleared the 42nd floor, there was no reason for him to attempt it again.
It was obvious he was targeting Yu Jinho.
“Master, is it that man?”
“Yeah. The time for revenge came sooner than expected.”
Lee Jiyoung’s eyes widened into perfect circles.
“Fighting!!! You have to win!!!”
She clenched her small fists and shouted with all her might.
Matching 42nd floor mission.
Matching range – Global server
20/20
Matching complete. The 42nd floor mission will begin in 60 seconds.
The moment the waiting time reached zero, the world turned white.
When he opened his eyes again, he had been transported inside the Tower.
Babel Tower – 42nd Floor
You have entered the survival zone.
Mission – Survival (Ⅲ)
Twenty players must survive in a randomly determined field.
Each player may gather strength or hunt competitors.
The more players you defeat, the greater the rewards.
▶ Objective: Survive for 30 minutes.
Or become the last one standing.
▶ Field: Lost Temple.
This was the third survival mission after the 2nd and 12th floors.
Up to three players could form a squad on this floor.
Lee Jiyoung, Carla, and Elder Brother Yeongsu had likely challenged the mission as a team.
-The enemy will be the same.
“Probably.”
-Huhu, three against two.
“Will the goddess join as well?”
-It is not just anyone. They harmed a child I cherish. I cannot simply watch.
“Then I have an army of thousands at my back.”
Yu Jinho kicked off the ground and leapt into the air.
An act bordering on taboo in survival missions.
However.
When one possessed overwhelming martial might, there was no need to hide one’s presence.
After soaring dozens of meters upward, the full view of the Lost Temple spread out before him.
Ancient temples arranged in the cardinal directions around a central statue of a high priest.
His eyes swept rapidly across the field, searching for any trace of players.
At that moment.
“There you are, Abdul Hamad.”
With a chilling smile, he activated Wind Path.
North of the Lost Temple.
A vortex of sand began swallowing a half-collapsed building.
So he had no intention of hiding.
Yu Jinho sprinted straight forward. From the vortex rising into the sky, something resembling a human face emerged.
The gaping maw stretched over a hundred meters wide.
-If you advance, you will be swallowed by that mouth.
“Exactly what I want.”
Seth, the god who ruled over deserts and sandstorms.
The interior of that sand vortex was the domain of his contractor, Abdul Hamad.
Normally, one would circle the storm to drain the opponent’s power without being pulled inside.
However.
“I’m a little angry right now.”
The only one allowed to lay a hand on his subordinates was him.
How dare this trash touch them?
You have entered the domain of the Divine Sandstorm.
Sharp sand tears at your body.
All stats are reduced by 30% due to the sandstorm.
The sandstorm interferes with your vision.
The moment he was swallowed by the sandstorm, countless debuffs assaulted him.
Since it did not restrain the mind or body, even resistance was impossible—an absolute judgment.
Wind speeds exceeding 60 m/s.
Opening his eyes was difficult against winds moving at typhoon speeds.
The storm transformed tiny grains of sand into deadly weapons.
Even with his entire body encased in Metal Reflection Armor, a constant metallic clanging rang out.
“My lord desires your defeat.”
A voice echoed through the sandstorm.
“Abdul Hamad?”
“Indeed. You seem to have gone to great lengths to find me. How does it feel?”
His voice brimmed with confidence.
Inside the sandstorm, he already believed victory was his.
“Thanks for making my job easier.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you had decided to run, it would have been troublesome.”
“You dare remain confident after entering the domain of the great Lord of the Desert!”
“We’ll see who’s truly confident.”
“Hahahaha! Even standing still, you will be buried and die. In this sandstorm where you cannot even sense direction, death…”
This brat.
Whether before or after regression, he still talked too much.
Tired of listening to the nonsense, Yu Jinho advanced directly toward the presence he sensed.
“You pinpointed my location in an instant?!”
Abdul Hamad waved both hands wildly.
A portion of the sand swirling in the wind coalesced into a hand-like shape and seized Yu Jinho’s arms and legs.
With sand everywhere, evasion was impossible even if he detected it with his sixth sense.
“Hahahaha! I’ll tear your body into pieces like this…”
Whoosh.
When he exerted force, the sand hands crumbled into dust.
“What? Not working out?”
“You bastard! Do not underestimate the power granted by the Lord of the Desert!”
The ground beneath his feet liquefied.
This time, the sand he stood on transformed and tried to drag him under.
It resembled the sand vortex technique of the Ant Lion he had faced in the tutorial.
He infused inner energy into his foot and stomped down hard. The surrounding area shook, and the pressure gripping his leg vanished.
The magic power infused in the sand was stronger than expected.
Yet it was insufficient to stop him, who had stepped into the realm of completion thanks to the Rainbow Flashing Stone.
“What? Got anything else?”
Yu Jinho walked forward slowly.
Neither sprinting nor using Cloud Flow Steps.
His gaze remained fixed on Abdul Hamad, who hid within the storm.
-Why are you dragging this out?
“I’m feeling generous.”
If he wished, he could have already struck a vital point and ended Abdul.
However.
He had deliberately entered the heart of the battlefield where Seth’s blessing raged.
Come on. Squeeze out every last ounce of power you possess.
I will personally show you what an insurmountable wall looks like.
As the distance between them narrowed.
Abdul Hamad’s expression grew darker with each step.
Only five meters remained.
“Hamil! Rashid!”
A scream tore from Abdul’s throat.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
A fierce wind that pierced even the storm wrapped around Yu Jinho.
So that was why.
He had wondered why Abdul refused to show himself.
The ones controlling the wind were Abdul’s squad members.
“Good. Come at me all at once.”
He would teach them the meaning of the gap in power.
Yu Jinho smiled coldly.