6th Floor Plaza (4)
Thousands of blood droplets merged into one and surged toward Yun-seok. At the same moment, the red energy that had been gradually fading like a haze around him thickened once more. Blood Demon Qi that had overflowed beyond full capacity. An immense sense of satisfaction filled his entire body.
Yun-seok couldn't hold back his laughter any longer and burst out laughing. And that sight... it was like a demon straight out of hell, enough to shatter the will of all who opposed him.
"M-monster...!"
"We gotta run...!"
"...I d-don't wanna die!"
No matter how many fell, they had maintained their formation and fought calmly—but now they began to retreat, stumbling backward. All except one man.
The leader of the 6th Floor Plaza alliance, Eld Carta. He bellowed at his demoralized subordinates.
"By contract, I command you—do not flee!"
Don't run in this situation? Normally, no amount of leadership could make such an order stick. But had these elites all sworn some special contract with him? At Carta's shout, even those who had been edging away froze in place.
"Mr. Carta, what the hell...!"
"Please, order a retreat...!"
Let us run, please. His men begged desperately. But Carta ignored them completely. Instead, he issued an even harsher command.
"Fight! Die by his hand if you must!"
The contract's compulsion must have been extraordinary, because the alliance members charged at Yun-seok like moths to a flame.
"Damn it!"
"Why give that order?! Mr. Carta! Mr. Carta!"
"Carta, you bastard!"
Their faces were twisted in despair. Some even squeezed their eyes shut. But Yun-seok showed no mercy. He cleaved through the waves of attackers, slicing their bodies in two as he advanced in one direction.
"Trash... bastard."
Perhaps sensing the deep pall of defeat hanging over the battlefield, there was Carta—having ordered his men to their deaths, now fleeing without a backward glance, sacrificing them as bait. He must have figured the contract's range wasn't infinite and was using his subordinates to escape Shaman's Law's domain for a dimensional jump.
Yun-seok had no intention of letting that slide. Beyond Carta being the mastermind behind it all, his gut screamed that letting this guy escape would lead to endless regret.
But...
The moths throwing themselves at him in suicidal frenzy were a massive annoyance, keeping the distance from closing.
Yun-seok expanded Shaman's Law to its maximum range. The Blood Demon Qi consumption was now beyond what he could handle—but it wasn't a real problem. Consumption and replenishment at once would do the trick.
Whiiiiiing!
Slash!
Boom!
Every swing of Yun-seok's sword tore flesh to shreds and scattered it. But the blood never hit the ground. The instant it was spilled into the air, it defied gravity and seeped into Yun-seok's body.
Carta, glancing back to check the distance, went pale as a ghost.
This guy's just a 6th-floor challenger? What kind of insane monster...!
Reaper. Yun-seok seemed like the Reaper incarnate, come to drag them to hell. He trampled the corpses of Carta's painstakingly gathered men, closing in relentlessly.
Damn it! How far do I have to go to get out of range?!
Carta sprinted for his life. But no human body could outrun the Reaper.
Slash!
When he came to, his vision tilted. Why? Staring at the approaching ground, Carta belatedly realized both his feet had been severed.
Thud.
Tumbling across the dirt, Carta inwardly cursed the heavens. Just ten more days. Ten days, and he'd have hit his goal of a thousand contracts. Then he could've bought the "Soul Absorption" authority from his contracted manager, maybe even put up a real fight against that monster.
Thud. Thud.
Knowing escape was impossible, the monster slowed, approaching leisurely.
"Block him! You useless shits!"
His shout fell on deaf ears. Plenty of subordinates survived, but they were immobilized for the same reason he was.
Only then did Carta realize. Today was his last day.
Not that he wanted to dwell on it now, but a thought flashed through his mind.
What did I even do today...?
Business as usual. Woke up, had tea, went for a stroll. Tortured a Duel challenger he ran into to spice up the boredom. Looked forward to the near future. He never imagined this could happen just hours later. It felt utterly unreal. Like a dream.
But it wasn't. So it was infuriating.
"Why! Why the hell! Fuck! Why me?!"
Screaming raw emotion like a three-year-old. Still refusing to accept his death, Carta glared at Yun-seok. Yun-seok uttered just one thing.
"Trash like you is better off gone. The world benefits."
"...That's your only reason?"
Carta knew nothing of Yun-seok. He couldn't comprehend it. If it tied to his manager's "authority" or "wish," he might've accepted bad luck and died. But...
"Pfft! Hahahahaha! Haha!"
Carta roared with laughter. He hadn't expected to die peacefully in bed, but to have his life ended by some lunatic playing hero? He couldn't stop laughing.
"Do you even know how many you've killed today before saying that shit?"
Yun-seok didn't flinch at the question. He repeated his earlier words verbatim.
"Those who must die, died. Those who must live, lived. That's it."
"Ha! And who decides that? You think you're God?"
Having abandoned any hope of survival, Carta sneered. Yun-seok sneered right back.
"Even trash like you fears heaven?"
"As if."
Yun-seok smirked at the instant reply. He'd expected as much. These types knew better than anyone—heaven was just heaven, doing nothing.
That's why they could sin and laugh it off.
Stab!
No point dragging out pointless debate when the task was clear. No need to humor Carta.
Judged a great evil.
A trait is added to the Sun Lord's Judgment Sword.
Holy attribute granted when opposing evil.
With the sword buried in Carta's brow, Yun-seok skimmed the messages indifferently before turning away. The ground was littered with desiccated corpses.
He didn't avert his gaze from what he'd done. He just stood silently, staring.
"......"
After a long moment, Yun-seok looked up. The plaza's sky was as purely blue as an arena's—untouched by the filth and depravity below.
His final glance fell on Carta's corpse. Even in death, the man feared no heaven. There were surely countless like him.
But from now on, they'd fear something else.
Not heaven—Yun-seok.
Once the battle ended, a group emerged from the building. Duel challengers, with Jang-il at the lead.
Was it really over? Were they free now? Their faces showed disbelief. They stole glances at Yun-seok.
He'd saved them, sure—but witnessing his power and the carnage left them unsure how to act. With Carta dead and the contract gone, should they use dimensional jump to return to their trials now? Their faces betrayed the thought.
All but one.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
Jang-il stepped forward and dropped to his knees. Tears streaming, he looked like a man receiving a god—reverent to the core.
Watching that, Yun-seok couldn't help thinking of Elle's authority, Leader of Light—strength growing with followers.
Unable to bear the gaze, Yun-seok pulled him up and changed the subject.
"Where are the remaining alliance members?"
The judgment wasn't over. Hadn't that woman said the plaza's total was around a thousand? At least four or five hundred left.
But Jang-il said the chaos would've scattered them already.
"Stragglers who chose to stay in the plaza—their futures won't differ much."
They couldn't return to the 6th Floor Plaza. They'd become targets for vengeful Duel challengers. Only one path remained: clear trials and climb higher.
Adapting after three months of indulgence would be hell. Yun-seok regretted the loose ends but decided to call it satisfaction enough.
"May I ask your future plans?"
Jang-il asked cautiously. Yun-seok sensed worry he might become another Carta. He reassured him: he'd head back and climb floors again—no worries.
"I'm more curious what you all will do."
Yun-seok scanned the survivors. Arena natives. Some had fled trials; others came to rest and ended up enslaved. What now? Press on? Or settle like the alliance?
He was curious about their choices.
But Jang-il flipped it.
"What do you want us to do?"
Yun-seok was dumbfounded. Had slavery ingrained itself already? Why ask him?
But their sparkling eyes brimmed with expectation, so he answered reluctantly—not really a proper one.
"Do whatever you want freely. Stay if you want; leave if you want."
But he urged any who stayed not to oppress other trial challengers for past grudges like the alliance. Help those who needed rest, aid those climbing up.
That was the plaza's true role in the Tower.
No grand ideology, but Yun-seok hoped the 6th Floor Plaza would function properly.
Hearing his wishes, Jang-il nodded deeply.
"Understood. We'll stay and remake the 6th Floor Plaza exactly as you said."
Like receiving a sacred mission. Yun-seok wanted to snap at him but held back. It might actually be better for the plaza that way.
Soon, with no judgment mark appearing, Yun-seok interrogated survivors on other trials, left handling them to Jang-il, and departed the plaza.
Thus, he neither heard nor saw.
"I await the day we meet again."
Jang-il bowing to the spot Yun-seok had stood, eyes more devout than ever.
"Blood Demon...!"