Chapter 75

Chapter 75.

[Legitimate qualification has been confirmed]

[Restoring the postponed record of ‘First Climber’ Ha Seong-un]

Power surged through my entire body.

‘Ah….’

It felt euphoric.

My power, which I had lost for so long…

Was returning.

My body was already filled with the Frost Sorcerer’s EX-rank Mana obtained through Synchronization, filling the entire Mana Hall and Mana Road.

And now, a new power gathered in the imaginary space below my navel where the Mana Hall was located—the “dantian”—then spread toward my meridians.

As if it had always been there, a pure energy naturally appeared and covered the Mana Hall, the Mana Road, and the Mana itself.

From the moment I cleared the 1st Floor of the Tower until I reached the 94th Floor…

It was my source, which I had carefully cultivated.

Among the energies flowing richly through the Tower…

I gathered and refined only the purest among them, gave them a name, and called it “internal energy.”

It was a power inspired by “that power” from a different genre.

It probably was not exactly the same power.

It was fundamentally different from Mana, which was a power granted by the system.

Because this was a power I had created.

My own power.

In the slowed time, I reached out my hand.

A sword.

Thinking that, I grasped the empty air where there was nothing.

Wooooong!

Along with a sword cry that sounded like a child weeping.

A sword made of light was gripped in my hand.

‘It has been a while, partner.’

Internal energy filling my dantian was not the only thing I had recovered.

My equipment also answered my call.

Among them, the core.

The sword forged from starlight, “Star Severance!”

It was the only sword capable of accepting my power in the most proper way.

I pushed the internal energy surging like the sea into Star Severance.

Giiiiing!

A tremendous amount of internal energy wrapped around Star Severance’s blade and materialized, turning into fiercely surging golden flames that blazed violently.

I lifted it.

And brought it down.

A simple slash.

However, the result was anything but simple.

“Let there be light!”

FLASH!

Immediately after a sacred trajectory erupted, one that seemed capable of blinding both eyes—no, one that tore apart the pitch-black darkness of this space…

KWAAAAAAAAA!

The 94th Floor Boss, the shell of the Outer God, was split in half.

The darkness was cleaved apart, and a vivid golden sword mark remained in its place.

WOOOOOOOO!

It was a fatal wound that tore all the way into the creature’s essence with a single blow.

The sword mark burned fiercely, slowly consuming and scorching the darkness from the cut surface.

What will you do?

If you leave it like this, you will be caught in those flames and burn to death.

OOOOOAAAAH!

The shell’s response was immediate.

The Outer God swung its tentacles, tore away the burning half of its body, and threw it aside like bait. Then it dragged its remaining body away, spilling sticky black blood as it frantically began to flee.

At the same time, the half-body it had thrown onto the floor thrashed wildly and charged at me.

“I knew you would do that.”

I swung Star Severance, cut down the empty husk it had thrown away like a lizard’s tail in a single stroke, and burned it.

Beyond the Outer God’s half-body as it turned into black powder and scattered, I could see the Boss’s main body fleeing.

Normally, I would have had to waste time chasing that thing…

“This is why I chose Frost Sorcerer, you bastard.”

I opened Nopi in my left hand.

The dantian where my internal energy resided.

From the Mana Hall overlapping with it, I awakened the Frost Type Mana that had been sleeping there.

Using my sword as a scope, I aimed at the Boss and…

“Absolute Zero.”

I activated my second power.

“Magic.”

[Beginning charge]

By activating this, the Frost Type Mana had done its part.

I would not use Frost Type Mana anymore.

If I pulled from Nebula’s Mana, Nopi might give out.

Instead… I began pouring in the qi, the internal energy, filling the body of “Ha Seong-un.”

Giiiiing!

Magic circles appeared in droves, like enormous gun barrels.

They grew larger, shrank, newly appeared, and overlapped, forming a complex harmony.

‘So this is what it looked like.’

The first time I used it, I had been too busy controlling Mana from the chair, so I had not seen this sight.

But now, I had enough leisure to watch and evaluate the charging process.

That was only natural.

Internal energy was my power, shaped by my own hands.

No matter how much I used, it would not strain my body.

Whirrrrrr!

An enormous power gathered at the tip of Star Severance.

[Charged Mana]

[300,000MP]

It reached the value that had annihilated Scathach in one blow from Incheon to Pyongyang.

[400,000MP]

…And easily broke through the limit of the past.

Absolute Zero was an Ultimate Skill whose range and power both increased the more Mana was put into it.

However.

Because Snowy was not here to assist with calculations, I could not precisely calculate the distance to the Boss, its escape speed, and therefore the required amount of MP.

[500,000MP]

But was that a problem?

“Efficient Mana consumption” was something only cowards who lacked Mana pursued.

[800,000MP]

If one had overwhelming Mana.

Calculation was unnecessary.

RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE…!

The space was trembling.

[1,000,000MP]

The recoil of controlling Mana with my own body?

There was no such thing.

[2,000,000MP]

Right now, I simply found this world endlessly…

Delightful.

[5,000,000MP]

The function of an EX-rank graphics card, visible only when synchronized with Nopi.

The wavering threads of Mana were telling me.

It can reach now.

[6,000,000MP]

So.

I put in a little more to be safe.

“You are absolutely not getting away.”

—Fire.

A pure white line formed between the sphere of light gathered before the sword and the Boss’s body.

Immediately after… the line expanded, and the world turned white.

FLASH!

After my vision flickered as if a camera flash had gone off.

The Boss had disappeared without a trace.

THUD! Thump— THUD! Thump—

Leaving behind only a bizarrely beating black heart.

“….”

I gripped the sword in my hand tightly.

…This was the branching point.

***

If the 2nd Floor of the Tower had only been enough to materialize a lush forest, the 94th Floor was on an entirely different dimension.

A gray continent, as though an entire ruined planet from another world had been torn out and placed there.

Over that vast, desolate plain whose end could not be seen, heavy gravity more than twice the usual amount pressed down. Even the air was so foul that every breath felt as if it would tear the lungs apart.

Before the fear of Calamity-class Demonic Beasts rushing in, there was the pressure radiating from the out-of-standard space called the 94th Floor itself.

Before the scale of this terrible death ground, where an ordinary Awakened would have long since coughed blood and collapsed.

Everyone was frozen, seized by instinctive intimidation.

At that moment.

Kim Cheol-su stepped forward.

He examined the ground, looked around several times, and then…

“Earthen Wall.”

He used earth magic to create a wall made of solid earth.

Immediately after, following the hand Kim Cheol-su extended, earthen walls rose one after another with a RUMBLE!

‘Earth magic?’

Manipulating earth was the basic magic of an earth mage.

‘Was that man an earth mage? Is that why Special One made him a party member…?’

Just as Yeriche was about to think that.

“Barricade Construction.”

When Kim Cheol-su muttered and placed his hand on the earthen wall, the wall hardened and changed shape, extending sharp spikes outward.

‘…? Is that not a Tanker skill? Why does a mage have a Tanker skill?’

Barricade Construction?

It was a field fortification skill found only among Tankers, especially some Tankers who had gained long experience at construction sites.

‘What is this?’

In the blink of an eye, a sturdy defensive wall had been built in the direction from which the Monsters’ roars had been heard.

“Strategist’s Eye.”

‘…Insane, even a commander skill?!’

What on earth was this man with the utterly common face?

Cheol-su’s eyes flashed blue as he looked back.

“…Judging from my insight, it would be better to block off the rear completely. Lady Saintess, do you agree?”

“Uh, yes. Do that.”

“Hunter Han Seol-ah, we will use the defensive wall I have built as the entrance. Please lay down ice as widely as possible in front of the entrance.”

“Understood.”

Whoosh!

The very moment a fierce chill swept through the air.

From the distant terrain beyond the defensive wall Kim Cheol-su had built to the floor inside the fortress.

An enormous area whose length could hardly be measured by eye froze white in an instant.

‘…W-Was Han Seol-ah always this strong?’

Yeriche had heard that she was the strongest S-rank Frost Mage, but…

‘At this level… is she really S-rank?’

Cheol-su skillfully coordinated the battlefield and gave orders.

“I made the entrance the enemies will come through narrow so that a bottleneck will occur. Tanker Lee A-un, please block that narrow passage.”

“Ah, yes!”

“It seems you tank through sheer numbers. I have prepared a wide open space in front of the entrance for you. With Hunter Han Seol-ah’s help, the floor has become ice, so spirits? Is that what they are? You should fight with the ones that can fly.”

“I will do that!”

“Then I will fortify the other areas. Earthen Wall.”

RUMBLE! THUD, THUD!

As Kim Cheol-su began “working” again, a temporary fortress of considerable size, roughly as large as a decent hotel lobby, began to rise.

“…What exactly is he?”

What kind of Hunter was he to be that versatile…?

“Lady Saintess.”

Cheol-su, who had somehow approached her before she realized it, called to the dazed Yeriche.

“Ah, yes. I have come to my senses.”

Yeriche had lost focus for a moment at the astonishing sight, but she immediately regained her composure.

While supervising the rear fortress Cheol-su was creating, Yeriche asked Lee A-un.

“Lee A-un, how long do you think you can hold out?”

The Tanker’s safety was the top priority.

If the Tanker collapsed, only slaughter would follow.

He only had to avoid dying from a single blow.

As long as even a sliver of life remained, Yeriche had the power to save him no matter what.

If he had been selected as a 94th Floor party member, he probably would not die in one blow…

The problem was willpower.

No matter how much she could save him, the experience of nearly dying and coming back… Tankers with the willpower to endure the line between life and death several times, even dozens of times, were absolutely uncommon.

“I will make sure I never collapse.”

“I am not asking about your resolve. I am asking about what is realistic.”

“Yes, I will make sure I never collapse.”

“….”

‘Is this kid a little stupid?’

Feeling frustrated, Yeriche turned to look.

“Kyaaak!”

She screamed reflexively.

Lee A-un, who had looked perfectly fine just moments ago…

Had turned bright red, as if he had overturned a bucket full of blood-red paint over himself!

Moreover.

Strange beings that looked like evil spirits or vengeful ghosts, bizarrely dyed black and streaming crimson light from their eyes, were now packed densely around him.

“H-Healing!”

When Yeriche hurriedly poured in Divine Power, the bleeding stopped.

However, he still looked soaked in blood.

That crimson-stained face… the place where his mouth was split wide open, revealing white teeth.

“Thank you.”

KIIIIYAAAAH!

With ghostly wails, the evil spirits began appearing again.

No, to be precise, they were bursting out from inside Lee A-un’s body.

And every time those spiritual bodies forced their way out, Lee A-un’s skin split open and blood…

“Healing!!!”

It was horrifying!

“Hehehe… I will definitely hold out.”

‘H-He is insane!’

When Yeriche seemed ready to concentrate entirely on him, Lee A-un raised his hand.

“What is it?”

“Um, Lady Saintess. The party window. Can you not see it?”

“?”

Lee A-un pointed to the right corner with his finger.

“Somewhere around here in your vision… Do you not see a newly appeared system window?”

“Oh.”

Now that he mentioned it… there was a newly appeared system window in the corner of her vision, like something from a game.

The names of the Hunters who had entered the Tower with her, and red and blue bars…

And she could see the red bar of “Lee A-un” slowly decreasing in real time.

“That is the effect of ‘Party,’ one of Brother’s abilities. You can see the health and Mana status of party members at a glance.”

“Wow….”

For Yeriche, who was a Healer, it was a revolutionary function.

‘I can know the Tanker’s condition from a distance without directly examining him…?’

Moreover, the blue gauge beneath it.

If that was Mana, then she could intuitively and accurately grasp the condition of mages as well.

‘This is incredible….’

It was an extremely useful ability not only for Breaks, but also for conquering the Tower.

Yeriche’s confidence grew.

Lee A-un blocked the narrow entrance at the very front.

Behind him, Han Seol-ah spread cold over the earth.

In the rear, Cheol-su repaired the defensive wall, while Yeriche herself handled healing.

The formation was perfect.

Yeriche controlled the amount of Divine Power, taking care to prevent Lee A-un’s wounds from opening.

Just as she was feeling relieved in the rear.

‘Ugh, why is it so cold?’

As the open space transformed into a wide interior with no ceiling due to the fortification, she felt a terrible cold seeping into her bones.

Yeriche turned to the side to find the cause, and immediately understood why.

“Phewww….”

Every time Han Seol-ah, who was deeply focused, exhaled, white cold air poured out.

Each time, the surrounding temperature clearly dropped.

‘Did she not already freeze all the places he asked her to freeze earlier?’

Curious why Han Seol-ah was operating her Frost Type Mana at full power, Yeriche strengthened her legs with Divine Power and leaped lightly onto the stone wall.

‘…Wow.’

The ground, which had been a dull gray, had somehow turned pure white.

As if standing atop the extreme Permafrost that would never melt.

Far in the distance, all the way to the edge of the horizon, “white” was encroaching upon the gray earth.

As if she were trying to paint this entire floor over with an ice age.

Yeriche looked around.

The frost encroachment was not only spreading toward the front.

Starting from this “temporary fortress” Kim Cheol-su was creating, it was spreading in every direction.

Moreover, it was not merely a matter of the ground turning white.

The temperature outside was cold enough that there was a clear difference compared to the inside of the fortress.

With little grains like ice powder beginning to drift through the air…

It seemed like a blizzard was about to begin.

‘…Amazing.’

She was… changing the weather.

Was this truly a power that a human could wield?

“Lady Saintess.”

“Yes?”

Cheol-su, who had approached before she knew it, held out a stone staff he had made.

“You were empty-handed, so I tried making one.”

“Ah, thank you.”

The moment Yeriche accepted the stone staff.

‘…!’

Vitality circulated through her body.

It was an Artifact!

When Yeriche turned back with startled eyes, Cheol-su smiled awkwardly and answered.

“Haha. It should at least be a B-rank Artifact.”

“How did you make this…?”

“I just became able to. Artifact crafting.”

“What is this…? There is no way a human can create equipment Artifacts….”

And then, as if he had made it at some point, he suddenly held out a bowl of thick soup in a stone bowl.

“This is medicinal cuisine made with edible ore and insects gathered from the ground. It should greatly increase your cold resistance.”

“How did you make this too?”

“Because I can.”

Cheol-su shrugged, gave Han Seol-ah and Lee A-un “B-rank Artifacts” and “B-rank medicinal cuisine” as well, then withdrew to the rear.

“Unfortunately, I am not much help in combat.”

“Uh… yes. I suppose so.”

From the beginning, the 94th Floor was the worst kind of death ground, where the minimum qualification was S-rank.

Normally, someone as low as B-rank could not even take part.

“I will focus on rear support.”

When Cheol-su raised his hand, a faint but warm light of Divine Power descended onto Yeriche’s shoulder.

B-rank.

It was certainly not a great power, but…

Yeriche was shocked.

‘Divine Power? That really is Divine Power, right?’

Those who carried divinity could not accept any other power, including Mana.

Then that meant this man had been using earth mage magic, Tanker skills, and even commander skills with Divine Power until now.

‘Huh? What is this? I did not see that wrong, did I?’

Something that Yeriche’s common sense could not understand was happening.

“…Were you a Healer?”

“Yes.”

The person in question seemed completely unconcerned.

‘A-Am I the strange one?’

…Was this normal in the Republic of Korea?

KYAAAAAAAAH!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The Monsters’ roars and the trembling of the ground were getting closer and closer.

The despair she had felt when she first heard that sound?

It had now faded.

‘This might be possible…!’

Filled with determination, Yeriche tightened her grip on the stone staff and watched the situation outside.

Far away. Beyond the horizon, the head of a huge Ogre suddenly rose.

THUD, THUD, THUD!

The Ogre’s massive body approached in an instant.

‘…Twin-headed, and a giantized individual too.’

It was an 80th Floor range Monster called an “Ogre Big Boss.”

And monsters like that…

‘…There seem to be more than a hundred.’

Hundreds.

Moreover, though they were hidden by the massive bodies of the huge Big Bosses, what was running beneath their feet was…

Monsters that could be seen in the 70th and 80th Floor ranges, and among them, “Boss-class mutant” individuals.

‘Troll Head Hunters, and those are Troll Shamans… No, judging from the masks, they are Great Shamans. There are Witch Doctors too….’

Gulp.

Each and every one of those individuals was capable of smashing a human city on its own.

‘Uh….’

Could they block this?

“…They have arrived.”

At that moment.

Han Seol-ah opened her eyes.

Even as she faced the presence of that calamity, her eyes had sunk to a terrifyingly cold calm.