Opportunity (1)
Moving to the 18th Floor Waiting Room.
Having finished his business on Earth and returned, Yun-seok paused for a moment, lost in thought.
"……."
Pilgrim's Tower. As the floors were cleared, separate trials granted rewards to all challengers affiliated with that dimension. Why had something like this suddenly appeared on Earth?
Something's about to change?
It gave him that inexplicable feeling. Like the real beginning was drawing near.
If that was the case, then surely the same tower had appeared not just on Earth, but in Murim and the other dimensions as well.
Whatever. Let's check it out first.
Yun-seok opened his challenger information window.
Clearing the 15th floor had boosted his primary stats by +1, but there was no change on the stat screen. Well, it was the expected outcome.
Just like equipment or skills, it must apply separately.
Increases from skills and equipment weren't reflected in the information window. But in reality, they were added cumulatively. His mana was SS- rank, but with +9, it had reached the growth-capped MAX.
If not for the Transcendence authority, even further rank-ups wouldn't have shown any change.
Soon, Yun-seok focused on another aspect. What did this primary stat increase mean exactly? He didn't even need to ask himself—the answer had come the moment he cleared the 15th floor. No need to check the window; he could feel the mana flowing through his body had grown denser.
Probably boosts the highest stat further.
And for Yun-seok, that was his S+ mana.
Suddenly, his shoulders felt heavier.
Didn't expect buffs like this on top of the invader stuff.
It wasn't a bad thing. This reward effectively gave Yun-seok a +1 to his mana stat. For lower-floor challengers, it would mean even more—they'd gain a huge edge in duels against challengers from other dimensions if their primary stat rose by +1 just from the Duel Trial.
The problem was…
This could backfire.
There was no way Earth was the only one getting these benefits. He didn't know how far other dimensions had cleared, but if they'd reached 15 floors or higher… Earth challengers would start at a disadvantage.
What's the point of a system like this?
Pilgrim's Tower. As the name implied, this tower was practically made for top challengers. And those at the top influenced everyone below them.
"……."
A sudden thought struck him. Sehelanbard, Murim, Killian, Earth. Were the four dimensions designated by the Tower of Heaven allies? Or rivals?
If the latter, should he head there and smash their Pilgrim's Tower with Heaven Breaking Divine Art?
Pfft.
Yun-seok let out a hollow chuckle. It was too premature for assumptions like that. Do something that rash, and they might all swarm over here for a full-scale dimensional war straight out of a movie.
Still, I should tackle it bit by bit when I have time.
He didn't plan to go to extremes, but he felt a sense of responsibility. Earth was the weakest of the four dimensions. Just look at the forces in the United Plaza—most couldn't even survive past the 10th floor. If they fell behind in Pilgrim's Tower too, the lower-floor challengers would be straight-up eliminated.
Anyway, no rush yet. Focus on climbing this tower first.
The Pilgrim's Tower had only appeared recently. And though it was a guess, Earth—with its advanced modern science—had probably discovered it early.
That's why he needed to climb now. Clear times were short, but from the 11th floor, difficulty spiked in jumps, forcing him to use Demon Transformation on the 15th.
Dedicating himself solely to the Pilgrim's Tower wouldn't last long anyway—a wall would appear soon enough.
And Elle mentioned some precious opportunity…
In the end, Yun-seok chose to challenge.
Please prepare. The duel will begin shortly.
How long until this tower revealed its end? He didn't know, but… it felt like it was approaching.
* * *
Countdown beginning.
Before their blades even clashed in earnest. The time to scan the opponent visually and piece together fragmentary info.
As usual, Yun-seok sized up his foe—then a strange sensation gripped him.
What is this?
He hadn't even drawn his sword yet. Still, the opponent's disciplined aura pressed down on the air like a weight.
Instinctively, Yun-seok knew.
3.
This swordsman was different. From head to toe, unlike the bland opponents he'd faced so far.
2.
His instincts were screaming a warning. His skin prickled—a sensation he hadn't felt in ages. Only then did Yun-seok realize he'd tensed up without knowing it.
1.
Yun-seok focused even harder, scrutinizing his opponent. A single sword for a weapon. No armor—just gray Eastern-style robes. The sword's shape and overall look screamed Murim warrior, but probably not from Murim. He'd heard there were no gray-skinned people there.
START!
He'd climbed the floors with virtually no real fights. And now tension before it even began? He couldn't pinpoint why, but Yun-seok trusted his gut. Intuition was the brain's split-second synthesis of experience and knowledge, after all.
Using seventeen swords. The ghostly energy on the blades grows denser.
The duel began, and Yun-seok unleashed full power immediately. The moment he drew his twin swords, he activated King of Ten Thousand Swords to explode his stats.
Then—
Unique Skill Ascetic seals all skills and authorities.
A message that could smack any challenger upside the head appeared. Sealing skills and authorities?
What kind of ridiculous unique skill is this?
It was absurd. Even Dispel or Shaman's Law couldn't break this. That one skill rendered all of Yun-seok's unique skills and normal skills meaningless.
But thankfully, his most crucial weapon remained.
Unique Skill Heaven Breaking Divine Art persists.
The C-rank effect that must exist. Ironically, it proved useful against a normal challenger, beyond even the system.
Whoosh—!
Yun-seok manipulated Heaven Breaking Sword and launched it at the opponent. With King of Ten Thousand Swords buff gone, using it purely as a buff would be wasteful.
Slash.
The swiftly charging Heaven Breaking Sword shattered against the opponent's blade, scattering into energy. He hadn't expected a 18th-floor challenger to fall to that anyway…
Yun-seok's brow furrowed.
…What's going on?
He could accept no special skills being used, but the opponent's sword lacked even sword aura. So why had the energy-formed Heaven Breaking Sword dispersed so feebly?
Yun-seok eyed his opponent, seeking answers—and the man did the same.
"Haven't met anyone this intriguing in a while."
"You're one to talk…."
Yun-seok drew his swords and charged. This was just the opening skirmish. They didn't know each other's hands yet. But in this arena, if doubts arose about the opponent, the only way was to find out firsthand.
That's what this place was for.
Whoosh!
Yun-seok's form split into two. Shadow Substitution—now as basic as breathing, extreme-speed movement.
But the opponent read it like an old habit and swung to intercept.
Clang!
Again, no sword aura on the blade. It made no sense. Reacting without mana enhancement was one thing, but parrying without yielding?
"……."
Yun-seok infused mana into his eyes. The "way of seeing" learned on the 14th floor. Maybe it would reveal the answer.
Zzzzt—
His vision turned black-and-white, lines chaotically swirling. In this angular world, Yun-seok turned to his opponent.
And…
"…No mana?"
He confirmed it: not a trace of mana in the opponent's body. Normal lifeforms held mana, but this guy had none.
"Oh ho. Already figured that out?"
The opponent didn't deny the mumble, eyeing Yun-seok with interest.
"I've never been able to use mana. And that hasn't changed here."
"……."
"But I didn't lose. Not in my original world. Not in this falsely fated tower. Know why?"
Yun-seok wasn't particularly curious. But the opponent seemed eager, quietly leveling his sword with one hand as he spoke.
"Because I'm the real deal."
Real and fake. Weird talk. But the man's aura shifted. Heavy—so heavy.
Whoosh!
The opponent swung downward with crushing force, as if to smash all creation.
Heavy sword?
Slow, but unavoidable. Yun-seok crossed his twin blades to block.
And…
Screeech.
He slid back, grip intact, like oil on water.
Lost in raw strength?
His strength was S-rank. Sure, if the opponent specialized in it, maybe higher… but Yun-seok had mana-reinforced his body.
"Now I see—you're a fake pretending to be real."
Disappointed in Yun-seok somehow? Clear contempt filled the man's eyes.
Familiar yet foreign to Yun-seok. He'd endured such gazes half his life, but not since entering the tower.
Grinding his teeth at the unfamiliar emotion, Yun-seok swung.
Whoosh!
The opponent retreated, widening the gap. The strike cut only air—but that was fine. Temporal Shadow Black Partition. Extreme superior sword strike ignoring space. Yun-seok targeted the entire visible arena.
Slash slash slash!
Hundreds of cutting sounds erupted simultaneously from all directions in one swing.
But the sole target evaded.
Not dodged—blocked?
Unbelievable, but Yun-seok saw it: lines meant to pierce the body halted midway by the man's sword.
The man casually remarked.
"Deep swordsmanship, but pity the wielder's a fake."
First time anyone had slighted his sword like this. Even Cheonma had marveled at his talent repeatedly.
Who the hell was this guy?
"……."
Yun-seok glanced at the bracelet on his wrist. Trejan Church's Three Divine Artifacts: Pure Sequence. Using Annihilation might let him crush this opponent easily and advance.
No A- mana, let alone rank—somehow, the man had zero mana.
But Yun-seok decided against it. Saving the three uses was secondary…
"Interesting."
He was curious. What did "real" mean to this man? Why call him fake?
Figuring it out—learning it—felt like it could make him stronger than ever.
Predator. True to the nickname he'd chosen upon entering this tower.
Just like always.