The Lord of the Polluted Throne
Baal.
The leader of the 72 Demons and commander of tens of millions of demonic legions. The being who stands at the highest point of the Demon War. The Lord of Plagues. The Overseer of Gluttony. The King of False Abundance. The Demon King who carries many other ominous myths.
‘Why is my brother here?’
Cold Blood has activated. Maintaining composure.
Cold Blood has activated……
The repeated activation of Cold Blood. Baal, possessing the husk of the Swamp King, shook my mind with nothing but his presence. I never imagined Baal would be involved in creating that lump of mud.
The Tower of Babel was built by the Old Gods, but many elements within it were influenced by the current generation of constellations. The fallen ancient constellations. The glory once etched between stars had become as fleeting as a mirage, and most of the authorities the Old Gods had built were gone.
Creating a world. The Old Gods alone lacked the power, so they hid their divine names and approached the constellations under the title of “Administrators.” Baal’s involvement was possible because he had invested his own “share” in building the Tower.
—That presence. The being dwelling in the mud has completely changed.
“Makes sense. A constellation has possessed it.”
—If it is a constellation, then it has reached the realm of gods like Yeo, has it not?
“Well, not every constellation is a god, but close enough.”
—Contractor, retreat at once. This is an enemy you cannot face with your current strength!
“No.”
Gulp.
I swallowed hard.
“On the contrary, I like this.”
Baal. One of the strongest among the constellations! Since such a being had intervened in the quest, the reward for defeating him would be enormous.
「You’re smiling?」
At those words, I touched my cheek and realized the corners of my mouth had curled upward.
“Because I think I’ll get a huge reward if I take you down.”
「Kekeke, you really are entertaining.」
The Swamp King—no, Baal wearing its husk—also curved his lips into a smile.
The Master of the Polluted Throne has intervened in the quest.
Even if you admit defeat, you cannot leave the battlefield.
Forced combat. There was no longer any option to give up midway.
“I never planned to run from the start.”
I boldly stepped forward. There was no time for probing attacks against Baal.
Eagle Eye
The opponent is slightly stronger than you.
My mana reserves had drastically decreased. Even though Baal had possessed the mud lump, the spent mana had not recovered. That was fortunate. If my mana had returned to 100%, victory would have been impossible. Even though part of the Tower system had been nullified, it seemed some form of balance patch had been applied.
Chwarak!
Bundles of mud tentacles flew in from all directions. They were far thinner than those the Swamp King had used, and their number had increased tenfold.
‘Fast.’
By reducing the weight of the mud, their speed had increased. Did that mean their power had weakened? No. Baal fully utilized his superior mana control, reducing the mana cost of each attack while amplifying their destructive force.
—It is dangerous. Dodging all of them is impossible.
“I know.”
Spiked Carapace
Lowering my waist, I charged forward, trusting in the Spiked Carapace. If I tried to deflect each one, my inner energy would run out first.
Chak! Chak!
Whips flying from every direction struck my body. The carapace’s durability drained rapidly. Since it could not absorb every impact, my bones ached with each hit.
—Contractor! It is dangerous!
“I’ll give what I have to give.”
Ultrasound
Combining instinct and ultrasound, I moved just enough to prevent the Spiked Carapace’s durability from reaching zero. Once destroyed, it would take a full minute to reuse. If the carapace protecting my vital points shattered, I would truly be in danger.
It was impossible to dodge the raining whips by sight alone. Using ultrasound—my second set of eyes—along with instinct, I could read their trajectories. Taking hits was also a skill!
‘I’d like to leap forward and close the distance, but……’
Using Agile Hind Legs would be risky. Because the skill propelled me in a straight line, I would have to charge directly forward, and Baal would never allow that. Nothing was more dangerous than having my movements read.
Against the Swamp King, I had used Agile Hind Legs boldly because it lacked the ability to read my trajectory. But Baal was no ordinary opponent. Even my past self before regression could not confidently claim victory in a direct confrontation with Baal.
The distance rapidly closed.
Plague Flies
Suddenly, a pitch-black fog dyed the space before my eyes. What looked like fog was actually countless flies. I held my breath. If I breathed in that swarm, the flies would mix with the air and burrow into my body.
When I covered my mouth, the flies forced their way through the cracks in my broken carapace. Flies carrying Baal’s authority.
Pollution Poison has seeped in.
Corruption Poison has seeped in.
……
As they bit into my skin, various poisons rapidly spread. My right arm burned as if it would melt, while my left arm felt as cold as ice. My senses ran wild. My head spun. Yet thanks to Cold Blood, I maintained calm even amidst the pain.
—At this rate, your body will not hold.
“The same goes for that guy.”
The mana infused into the mud lump had decreased significantly. After repeatedly controlling dozens of whips and the swarm of flies, he had expended considerable power.
‘Now.’
Agile Hind Legs
I kicked off the ground. This time it was not a straight charge. Leaping into the sky at a 45-degree angle, my body soared toward the mud-formed head. The Swamp King—no, Baal wearing its husk—stood about five meters tall. Using Agile Hind Legs diagonally, I climbed atop his head.
Sharp Claws
Blood Claw Technique
First Form, Fierce Tiger Blood Claw. My inner energy-enhanced claw technique tore into Baal’s crown. Mud splattered in all directions. Baal’s remaining mana rapidly dwindled.
「Interesting move.」
With a soft sound, the long bundles of tentacles he had extended fell to the ground. Instead of retrieving the far-reaching tentacles, he had simply absorbed the mana that formed their base. At the same time, spikes erupted from the crown beneath my feet.
Puuk!
The already weakened carapace shattered under the impact. Thorns pierced through my flesh. All manner of curses and poisons dug into the wounds.
Wieeeeng!
The plague flies also swarmed toward me a moment later. Poisons and curses accumulated. My senses numbed, and I could no longer tell how my arms and legs were moving. If I stopped now, I would die.
Even with my limbs’ senses reversed, I moved my body according to my pre-regression experience. The moment I lost consciousness, it would be over. The same applied to stopping my arms and legs. Whipping my exhausted body and mind, I continuously unleashed the Blood Claw Technique.
—Contractor!
Nyx was shouting something beside me, but I could not hear it. One second felt like an eternity. Would it feel like this if every pore were opened and poison forced inside? My head spun as if I had chugged four bottles of soju in a row, every joint ached, and my skin itched unbearably. Yet I mechanically continued the Blood Claw Technique.
Insufficient inner energy.
Forcibly using Blood Claw Technique risks qi deviation.
The inner energy I had carefully managed until now had hit rock bottom. Damn it. Still not enough. I clenched my fist tightly.
Superhuman Strength
Bang! Bang!
With strength amplified by 300%, I repeatedly struck Baal’s caved-in crown. There was a backlash from consecutive uses when drawing out latent power, but this was no time to worry about that. I kept hammering with Superhuman Strength until my fists broke.
On the third punch—
Crack—
My right arm made a snapping sound. It would no longer move from repeated overexertion.
A large amount of experience has been acquired.
At some point, the viscous force gripping my ankles weakened. Simultaneously, the hill-like mound of mud scattered in all directions.
“Is it……over?”
My distorted vision gradually returned. After defeating the mud lump Baal had possessed, all the curses that had been eating away at my body disappeared. However, the aftereffects of the poisons and curses did not vanish.
Regeneration
Injuries are severe. Regeneration efficiency reduced by 37%.
Ugh—something hot rose from within. When I vomited what came up past my throat, it was pitch-black blood. I would die at this rate. Because Baal’s poison had invaded me, all my organs, bones, muscles, and skin were damaged. The urge to collapse headfirst onto the ground and sleep surged up. Could I rest for a bit?
—Come to your senses. Did you not form a contract with Yeo!
A thunderous voice struck my ears. Well, thank you, Goddess. Thanks to her noisy shouting beside me, I regained my focus. If I had fallen asleep here, it would have been a one-way trip to the afterlife.
I reached into my pocket. The mid-grade potions I had received from Park Jongwon’s group. Each one cost fifty million won, but this was no time to be frugal. It was a cheap price compared to my life.
After twisting off the cap, I poured the contents down my throat.
‘Potions alone won’t be enough.’
I used Regeneration to accelerate the potion’s effects. Two bottles, three bottles. I sprayed potions all over my body like taking a shower and also activated Regeneration.
Earth Mother Goddess’s Blessing has been applied.
Another constellation’s poison has been detected. Earth Mother Goddess’s Blessing effect has doubled.
Whether the swamp I stood on counted as land or not, the Earth Mother Goddess’s Blessing amplified the healing effect.
—O-oh. All those wounds are healing.
Pop!
After spraying the final potion over my entire body, my trembling subsided.
“Haa.”
A pained sigh escaped. I really thought I was going to die.
Alternating between potions and Regeneration, I had barely managed to save my collapsing body.
‘At the bare minimum, anyway.’
I lay sprawled atop the mud lump—otherwise known as the Swamp King’s corpse. My fingers trembled like aspen leaves. I still lacked the strength to move even a single finger. Baal’s poison had ravaged my entire body, and my inner energy was completely depleted. Surviving was a miracle.
—How reckless. If you had lacked even a little more strength at the end, you would have been the one to die.
“I know.”
I barely managed a reply, squeezing out what little strength I had left.
—If you had perished, Yeo would have fallen back into slumber. Why did you fight so recklessly?
“Luck was on my side. Maybe because the Goddess was with me.”
—Hmph, then you should thank Yeo.
In truth, it had nothing to do with Nyx’s presence. But saying it this way seemed to ease the Goddess’s anger a little.
Baal had been an opponent on a completely different level from the Swamp King. Choosing to charge had simply been the method with the highest chance of victory. There had been no guarantee of winning.
‘If I had tried to feel him out like I did with the Swamp King, I would have been cursed by Baal and swallowed into the swamp without being able to lift a finger.’
Believing I had drained his mana, I had to settle it with a short decisive battle. I should thank the promising rookies of the Hwarang Guild. Without them, I would have died with my head buried in the swamp, without even the satisfaction of killing Baal’s possessed body.
The Tower is calculating the reward.
Due to the intervention of the constellation ‘Master of the Polluted Throne,’ the difficulty has greatly increased.
Calculating a reward appropriate for the difficulty will take time.
Please wait a moment.
Heh. This was the first time I had seen the system act so cheeky, whether in my past life or this one.
‘The ones controlling the Tower system are the Old Gods.’
Administrators. Those who had lost their divine names and declined could not appear openly. Therefore, they operated under the alias of Administrators while hiding their faces behind black robes.
Baal, who had caused an anomaly in the system using his share of the Tower as justification. The Administrator had to restrain him while also providing me with an appropriate reward. The laws set by the Tower of Babel! I did not know which Old God was in charge of this tutorial stage, but they were probably racking their brains right now.
“They’ll give a proper reward on their own.”
Thud.
Spreading my arms and legs, I lay down on the mud. Even the squelching sensation of the earth felt welcome now.
“Goddess, I have one request.”
—Speak.
“Wake me up the moment someone comes.”
—Leave the watch to me. No one can escape Yeo’s gaze.
A hidden boss that had not existed even in my pre-regression knowledge. With the additional intrusion of the ‘Master of the Polluted Throne,’ I rested while looking forward to what kind of reward the Tower’s Administrator would give.