The Trap in the Desert
The 42nd floor survival mission.
After completely crushing Abdul's gang, I took down the remaining players as well and claimed the solo victory.
But.
“This isn’t enough.”
Challenge Designation Scroll used.
Target: Abdul Hamad.
I used the five scrolls I’d bought initially, then purchased five more.
“Wow, sir, aren’t you spending CP a little too freely?”
“Wipe that grin off your face.”
“Hehe, you caught me.”
How could I not notice when he was beaming like that?
-I didn’t realize you cared so much about your comrades.
“That’s not it. I’m just pissed off.”
-How dishonest.
I couldn’t afford to miss a single movement from Abdul.
I didn’t even enter any gates, instead staying at the guild house and focusing solely on training schedules.
“No way! That fearless bastard provoked Master, so why do we have to suffer for it!”
Ping Lei protested, his eyes completely dyed purple.
“You consider training to be suffering?”
“Ah, no, it’s just that Master doesn’t show any mercy during sparring…”
“Carla, do you feel the same?”
“Not at all. We need even harsher training.”
A thick murderous aura swirled in Carla’s eyes.
“Ping Lei, you should learn from her. That’s why you’re not improving.”
“That’s because I got beaten by that Abdul or Dulli or whatever his name is!”
Shing!
A scythe hovered dangerously close to Ping Lei’s neck.
“Spar with me.”
As expected from the original member of the Doom’s Little League.
Her performance was solid.
“Hmph. As long as it’s not Master, anyone’s fine.”
Sparks flew between the two of them.
“With the Guild Leader present, everyone seems to be training with even more passion.”
Thomas chuckled warmly.
Well…
I’m not sure that’s exactly the problem here.
Even while training with the guild members, the moment a Tower message arrived, I immediately entered the mission.
On the 42nd floor, Abdul Hamad had set another trap.
He bypassed the Tower’s rules and mobilized a large number of guild members, but—
Monstrous Strength used.
Crunch!
My fist, strengthened by six hundred percent, slammed into Abdul’s chest. His torso was no longer recognizable.
Abdul glared up at me with eyes full of resentment.
“Is this all you prepared?”
The moment Abdul opened his mouth to speak, a rush of red blood gushed out and silenced him.
He crumbled into dust and vanished.
Unfortunately, because of the Tower’s nature, I couldn’t inflict more pain on the lower floors.
After defeating Abdul three times, he started avoiding login altogether.
Don’t worry.
You’re not the only one I’m sniping.
Challenge Designation Scroll used.
Target: Rashid Shabib.
…….
The Red Desert’s Nine Great Gods.
Since they were infamous even before my regression, I remembered a few of their names.
I had a list even without borrowing the power of the Player Association or the Black Network, so I sniped the others.
My CP drained away like a bursting dam, but I didn’t mind the cost.
A few more days passed, and now they avoided me by tackling missions above the 43rd floor.
They’d already cleared past the 43rd floor and were now sniping my guild members?
Even worse bastards than I thought.
I resumed climbing the Tower, which I had postponed for over a week.
You have cleared the 43rd floor mission.
As a reward, you have received the Golden Key.
◈ Type: Weapon
◈ Durability: 5,000/5,000
◈ A key that can transform into any weapon the user designates. While manifested as a weapon, its durability decreases slightly but recovers over time.
◈ Up to five weapons can be designated.
It was an artifact worthy of the increased difficulty caused by the constellations’ interference.
Just like on the 42nd floor, the setup was a competition between players, so I couldn’t devour any essences. Still, the generous reward was something to be grateful for.
Like Lohengrin’s Spear, this was an artifact that hadn’t been released in the current era yet.
The Black Network’s proxy, Youngman, was visibly excited.
“I’ll deliver it to Madam right away.”
His twitching lips gave him away. He was trying to suppress his emotions, but he couldn’t hide them from my eyes.
An item that wasn’t registered in the Player Association’s database?
This was a golden opportunity to raise the Black Market’s prestige.
As the head of the Korean branch, he was certainly earning more than his keep.
I was about to challenge the 45th floor in succession when Han Suchang visited the guild house for the first time in a while.
“Are you free these days?”
“You start scolding me the moment you see me. Isn’t that a bit harsh?”
“I heard the Special Task Force was busy, but seeing you in person, it seems a little different.”
After exchanging light banter, Han Suchang got straight to the point.
“Sir, we received contact from the Chinese embassy.”
“Why would they contact us?”
“They say there’s a difficult gate to clear. They’re asking if the Hero of the Spice Islands would be willing to step forward…”
China was asking for foreign help instead of mobilizing their own players?
This smelled fishy.
I curled one corner of my lip as I listened to the Chinese embassy’s proposal.
* * *
Dunhuang Desert.
Long ago, it was known as the Silk Road—the bridge between East and West. Now it was a beloved tourist destination.
Crowds wandered beneath the blazing sun.
The cloudless sky sent unfiltered sunlight straight to the ground, and the sand reflected that heat, scorching the air.
“Magnificent.”
Abdul Hamad, Seth’s contractor, raised both arms high.
Not a single drop of sweat appeared on his skin.
He faced the desert heat head-on without shrinking back, instead seeming to revel in it.
A man with his face wrapped in a pitch-black turban.
Zhang Wufei, one of the Nine Dragons Syndicate’s bosses and China’s top player, openly displayed his displeasure.
“We paid a great price to set up this plan.”
“This plan follows a great will. Are you trying to take credit in front of the constellations?”
“I’m telling you that large-scale plans cannot be carried out more than twice.”
An aura rose silently.
An invisible force shook Zhang Wufei’s topknot from side to side.
“My country is concerned that this incident will set a bad precedent for other nations.”
China, the nation with the world’s largest population.
Although countries with large populations received relatively fewer Tower invitation letters, the sheer number of people meant their player population was enormous.
Unlike democratic societies, their system of social control was far more efficient.
Thanks to that, they had mobilized players smoothly even during the first Great Erosion.
While many countries struggled with Gate Break incidents, China overcame the crisis quickly.
“Are you saying the great boss of the Nine Dragons Syndicate fears the scrutiny of mere politicians?”
“Do not underestimate a great nation.”
A chilling light flashed across Zhang Wufei’s eyes.
“Heh. Wouldn’t it be better to serve the great constellations instead of a system created by humans?”
“If you keep spouting nonsense, there won’t be any constellation power or anything else.”
“Understood. It can’t be helped.”
Abdul Hamad let out a short sigh.
Even in an era where constellations existed as real beings that could communicate directly, seeing Zhang Wufei still shackled by outdated notions of nationhood made him sigh.
However.
‘For now, carrying out my master’s will takes priority.’
The collective will of the constellations belonging to Sinister.
To bring down Jinho, he had to join hands with Zhang Wufei.
And that wasn’t all.
The constellations at the core of Sinister were currently watching Zhang Wufei closely.
‘I cannot go against my master’s grand design.’
Abdul knew exactly what Zhang Wufei was thinking.
Instead of the chaotic world Sinister desired, he sought to rule with his own order.
His direction differed from what the constellations he served desired.
But.
The Master of the Oasis is watching Zhang Wufei.
The Trickster is watching Zhang Wufei.
The Master of the Jar is…
Even from outside the Tower, the intense presences were palpable.
Normally, communication was impossible with any constellation other than one’s own patron, but Sinister had bypassed the world’s rules through loopholes.
‘My master, I will not disappoint you.’
Abdul set aside his displeasure toward the unbeliever and placed his hand on the desert sand.
God’s Sandstorm
A sandstorm suddenly whipped up in the windless desert.
Seth’s blessing filled the whirlwind completely.
Its power was so great that it even caused a crack in Zhang Wufei’s cold expression—the face of a powerhouse who surpassed Abdul.
‘So this is what Sinister is capable of.’
Zhang Wufei recalled what had happened a month ago.
A constellation had sent him a message without even forming a contract.
Learning Abdul Hamad’s identity hadn’t been difficult.
Even so.
Zhang Wufei hadn’t approached Abdul immediately. He had taken time to observe him first.
As the leader of the massive Nine Dragons Syndicate and China’s number one ranker, he wasn’t in a position light enough to move at a single word from a constellation.
He had learned that most members of the Red Desert had contracted with Sinister constellations and had grown far stronger than their original abilities.
If used well, it could help strengthen the Nine Dragons Syndicate’s forces.
When he approached with the intention of using Sinister’s power, Abdul Hamad had made an unexpected proposal.
-Let’s create an artificial gate and trap Yu Jinho inside.
The Gate phenomenon that appeared alongside the first Great Erosion.
The established theory was that human technology and power could not interfere with gates.
Abdul Hamad had denied that common sense, claiming that with Sinister’s power, they could open a gate.
‘Is it really possible?’
Zhang Wufei suppressed his fluctuating emotions and watched Abdul.
The sand covering the ground rose according to the flow of the wind.
A swirling sandy plain.
At its center, the dimensional axis began to twist.
Crackle!
The dimension warped.
The power of Seth, the constellation who ruled the desert, blurred the walls of the dimension.
The Trickster grants power to Abdul Hamad.
Trickster Loki.
He mixed the Tower authority he had received from Utgarda-Loki, the Old God who shared his name, with Seth’s blessing.
A massive rift formed by slipping through the thinned dimensional wall.
“It’s a gate.”
Zhang Wufei muttered in a voice mixed with shock.
A great trap created by the power of Sinister’s constellations and the instigation of Hyperion.
Abdul Hamad’s eyes filled with ecstasy as he looked at the artificial gate.
“What do you think of the miracle my master has bestowed?”
“I must admit it. It’s impressive.”
“The stage is set. All that remains is…”
“Calling Yu Jinho is already done. Now we just need to decorate his grave.”
“Don’t forget. Only up to Platinum rank is permitted to enter.”
An artificial gate forged using Loki’s power on the foundation of Seth’s blessing.
The entry restriction was written as [Gold], but in reality, Platinum-rank players could enter as well.
“My subordinates will be more than enough to finish him.”
“Do not let your guard down. Yu Jinho has already overcome the combined assault of our Nine Great Gods.”
“I, Zhang Wufei, do not let my guard down when hunting prey.”
Zhang Wufei’s lips twitched.