Challenger (3)
“Are you alright right now?”
Not the expected 4th floor, but the 10th. He didn’t know how the Liberator’s Tower differed from the Tower of Heaven, but if it was similar, the difficulty would have skyrocketed exponentially.
“Even Joban Trocian, America’s top fighter, took 46 hours on the 1st floor. And this time, it’s a cooperative mission rather than solo, so the difficulty is even higher. But……”
Chen Xiao-hua, the Chinese challenger who had just drawn her weapon and scanned the surroundings warily, confirmed through the system message that they had five minutes. She was about to coldly assess the situation when a man suddenly interrupted with a mocking tone.
“Isn’t it just that guy being incompetent and taking that long?”
Taro Kitamura. It was the mutter from the Japanese challenger who possessed long-range spatial movement abilities. He shrugged his shoulders, clearly enjoying the attention turned his way.
“Right? I saw the records earlier too, and it didn’t seem like it would take two whole days.”
The longest record was six hours. The shortest, three seconds. Yet someone took 46 hours on just the 1st floor.
“Maybe he was slacking off on purpose?”
Despite the sudden malicious slander directed at him, Joban just smirked. He knew better.
He’s not trying to undermine me—he wants to undermine that man.
The skill gap between Kitamura and Joban wasn’t as vast as their reputations suggested. Meaning, there might be slight variances due to matchups, but clearing the 1st floor should take roughly the same time for both. That made it even harder to accept.
The fact that a Korean challenger named Choi Yun-seok was in a league so far beyond them that even grouping him with other challengers felt insulting.
He’s still young.
That said, he had no intention of letting the preemptive strike slide unanswered.
“Taro Kitamura, the guy who was too scared to even approach the tower is talking big.”
“I’m just not doing something stupid. Unlike you.”
“Yeah, and that’s exactly why you’re weaker than me.”
“Hah? Weaker? Wanna test that?”
As the two men’s verbal sparring intensified, Eshton stepped between them to mediate.
“Both of you, enough. Have you forgotten where we are?”
“Tch.”
Kitamura clicked his tongue and backed off a step. It had only been a matter of pride anyway. He had no real intention of starting a real fight here.
His skills seem decent enough, but with a personality like that, he’s useless for anything important.
If he’d known it would be like this, he would’ve recruited someone else, even if they were short on numbers.
Eshton sighed and addressed the group.
“It seems there was some confusion with the intel, but everyone can relax. You all know who this gentleman beside me is, right?”
Choi Yun-seok. The world’s most famous challenger, called the “Savior.”
Chen Xiao-hua had rewatched the video from the day he earned that fame countless times.
“I’m not worried about him. I don’t believe that video was faked, and after seeing those records just now, there’s no way. What I’m curious about is whether we will be safe too.”
“……?”
“We don’t even know what trial this is. They didn’t disclose it was the 10th floor either. Doesn’t it feel like they just needed bodies to fill the numbers, whether we live or die?”
Eshton fell silent, looking troubled by Chen Xiao-hua’s suspicion.
It was Yun-seok’s turn to speak.
“That’s not the case.”
“How can we believe that? What if this trial isn’t one we start together, but separately? Have you even considered that?”
Chen Xiao-hua pressed on without yielding.
But……
“There was no need.”
“……?”
She froze at the curt response, delivered without a hint of hesitation.
A tyrant who saw sacrifice as inevitable? Or just a novice drunk on overwhelming power with a shallow mind? She didn’t know which, but Chen Xiao-hua had been curious about the personality of Earth’s “Savior.” She’d hounded him with questions to get a sense of it.
And yet……
“No matter what trial it is, I can protect you.”
Yun-seok stated it flatly, with the absurd confidence only an absolute being could muster. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“That’s the certainty I have, so everyone can relax.”
“…….”
She wasn’t sure about relaxing, but at least one thing was clear now. Choi Yun-seok was a type she hadn’t anticipated at all.
* * *
“We still have time, so I’d like to hear the details.”
Eshton directed questions at Yun-seok about the previous trials. The rewards needed to be shared anyway, as it would help them strategize for the next ones based on that info.
Of course, Yun-seok could see it was also meant to reassure the other challengers.
“What was the ‘Breakthrough’ on the 2nd floor?”
“A trial where you break through traps and monsters to reach the destination.”
“How did you clear it in 17 seconds?”
“I just smashed everything in a straight line, and the portal appeared.”
“……?”
Yun-seok then explained the reward from the 2nd floor. Eshton’s expression turned peculiar, but he continued questioning with a look of relief.
“What about the 3rd floor? It took two hours, so it must’ve been different.”
“Monsters poured out of a gate, and the mission was to protect the activation seal stone.”
“I see. The monsters must’ve been pretty strong.”
Actually, no. He’d swept them all at once and shattered the gate, but activating the seal took a fixed time, so it dragged on for two hours.
Eshton fell silent upon hearing that. Instead, Maria Hopkins voiced her curiosity.
“Then what was the 4th floor? How’d you clear it in 12 seconds?”
“Seemed like a trial where you wander rooms finding keys to open doors.”
“‘Seemed like’?”
“I broke the doors, and the portal was there.”
“……?”
For reference, the 4th floor reward was a 10% increase in mental resistance for all Earth challengers going forward.
Yun-seok continued briskly, explaining all the trials so far.
“The 5th floor was killing 10,000 enemies on a planet like the invaders’ homeworld.”
“…….”
It took exactly 3 minutes and 12 seconds to clear. The reward: 1.5x power boost for all Earth challengers against invaders.
“Should I continue?”
“…Yes, please.”
6th floor, 7th floor…… Yun-seok recited each trial and reward one by one. The listeners grew more speechless with each one.
He spoke as if it were nothing, but the tasks alone showed the difficulty ramping up exponentially with each floor.
I thought we could at least keep up somewhat… Was I arrogant?
It had long surpassed what a single challenger could handle.
Self-loathing? That only arises when you’re on a similar level.
“What was the 8th floor ‘Assassination’?”
“It started in some plaza out of nowhere. The task was to assassinate the Dark Lord residing in the palace.”
As someone from a mission background, Joban could picture it. Probably gather info and items related to the palace step by step, then infiltrate personally—that was the intended route.
But how did it end in 3 seconds? He could’ve understood 3 minutes. Starting from the plaza, even running there would take time, right?
By now, he had a rough idea, but he still wanted to hear it directly from Yun-seok.
However……
“Ah, time’s up.”
Unfortunately, the answer would have to wait.
5 minutes have passed.
Target subject Dark Lifeform ADK-017 has been summoned.
Rumble rumble rumble—!
The ground shook like an earthquake. At the same time, something chilling and unknown emerged from the magic circle on the floor.
He couldn’t even grasp what it was.
“…….”
“…….”
Only one thing was certain: overwhelming terror.
Joban Trocian. Maria Hopkins. Chen Xiao-hua…… Without anyone leading, their bodies froze solid.
And then.
Holy Altar has been activated.
Dark Lifeform ADK-017’s power weakens according to the number of activated altars.
Hundreds of tombstones began rising from the stone chamber floor. Only then did they realize why this floor was a team mission instead of solo.
You can’t kill that thing by just fighting it……
They needed to hurry and activate as many altars as possible. That was their only shot at victory.
But their bodies wouldn’t move.
Just glimpsing “it” once had paralyzed their senses and robbed them of control over their flesh.
Even that man couldn’t……
“……?”
The only one they could rely on in this moment. Joban instinctively turned his gaze to him.
And he saw it.
Whoooosh—!
A black storm surging forward in a vortex. Was it his imagination, or did it look even deeper and darker than the ominous aura emanating from that sinister dark lifeform?
Probably not imagination.
10th floor trial One Goal has been cleared.
All Earth-origin challengers may now freely travel between Earth and the Tower of Heaven.
They’d been called comrades but done nothing…… One trial was over.
Joban no longer cared about the interrupted question from earlier. He could already picture the answer clearly.
The palace on the 8th floor, shattered to pieces and crumbling entirely.
Could that even be called “assassination”?
Such trivial doubts arose, but……
Whatever. It didn’t matter. Whoever the Dark Lord was, he’d died without even knowing why.
* * *
“Good work, sir.”
As Yun-seok’s group emerged from the Liberator’s Tower, waiting soldiers saluted.
Just five minutes since entry, but……
Their eyes were filled with respect. And why not? They were challengers too.
Moments ago, system messages had flooded to them simultaneously.
The Liberator’s Tower 10th floor cleared—no more tickets needed to travel between Earth and the tower anytime.
“You’ve truly saved so many, including us.”
For high-floor challengers, it was minor convenience. But for low-floor ones, it meant something else.
No more risking life climbing floors just to earn ticket money.
“…I’ll be heading out now.”
Taro Kitamura left in a hurry. Joban and the others could sympathize completely.
What had they done in the tower? Just waited for death.
Yet as supposed frontliners among Earth’s challengers, they’d frozen like newbies and done nothing.
Facing those gazes now, the shame outweighed any burden.
“…Good work, everyone. The US government will contact you soon regarding compensation for your cooperation.”
“We don’t need the promised reward.”
“Still, please accept it. There are political considerations between our nations too.”
Eshton personally saw to the dejected group, loading them onto helicopters one by one before approaching Yun-seok.
“The remaining time has become meaningless now. What will you do?”
They could now come to Earth anytime and return to the tower whenever.
Meaning, he could head back immediately if he wanted.
“Since I’m here, I’ll clear as much as I can during the original allotted time before leaving.”
As if even rest was a waste, Yun-seok re-entered the tower.
And when the designated time arrived.
He emerged exactly as he’d entered, without a single change.
15th floor trial Path of the Sovereign has been cleared.
All Earth-origin challengers’ primary stats have increased by +1.
This should be carrying plenty. Time to head back.