“…You.”
Shub-Niggurath’s voice emerged low and sunken.
It had to; the being that should have been dead was alive and breathing.
Moreover, the other humans one had thought were killed had vanished like smoke.
“That really was a close call.”
Jinhyuk smiled faintly.
His body, previously full of wounds, had returned to its flawless state as if nothing had happened.
At the same time.
Crack! Crunch!
The world around him began to fall apart.Fragments split like the shell of a tortoise.
This place was not reality.
Or, at least, it hadn’t been until just a moment ago.
“A Mental World… you’ve created it?”
Shub-Niggurath scanned the surroundings in disbelief.
It wasn’t just a part that was replicated.
The entirety. This world was replicated in entirety.
All seven nearby Gates.
“You… How can you create a world of this level?”
The scenery was intricately believable.
Believable enough to deceive even the one who oversees all worlds.
“It was quite a bit of work. There was so much to prepare.”
Jinhyuk had maximized his potential barrier ability through the ‘Soul Stone of Longing’ from Senior Administrator Bendivia.
He had shattered a yellow moonstone into four pieces and established strongholds in the four most mana-rich places on Earth.
Siberia in Russia, the salt deserts of Bolivia, the Grand Canyon in the USA, and Egypt’s capital, Cairo.
It had taken time, but the effort proved worthwhile.
He had, indeed, finished a grand barrier capable of deceiving Shub-Niggurath.
“It’s impossible. If there was any dissonance in the surrounding mana, I… would have noticed.”
Yes.
An ancient being sensitive to mana reactions could not have missed such a thing.
That’s why appropriate measures were arranged.
“I didn’t activate this barrier. I only prepared the groundwork. The actual activation was entrusted to someone trustworthy.”
At that moment.
– Oppa, I have done everything as instructed.
– Hyung, it’s amazing! The damage is far less than what we expected.
The voices of Yoo Yeonhwa and Lee Taemin appeared on the status window.
He had passed the major materials to the two of them, walking them through the entire process needed to activate the barrier.
Day and night, over several days and nights.
“External assistance…”
Shub-Niggurath’s voice rose a notch.
The annoyance in his voice hadn’t changed, but a trace of intrigue began to seep through.
It made sense.
After all, wasn’t he someone who had only experienced games with predetermined endings?
The proposition of victory had always been certain, and everything else was but a sideline to satisfy that proposition.
But now.
That proposition was wavering.
From this moment forward.
“Even if you are an incredible god, I thought you might have at least one flaw. The manifestation of Mentals is not perfect, especially when constrained by the system.”
The Aquarius of the Yellow Dragon Zodiac had powers of illusion.
However, this power had a hidden secret.
When combined with the two opposing attributes, it could create an absolute judgment of visual deception.
Master’s Black Sky Demon Emperor Technique and Teresa’s Call of the Stars.
These two abilities subtly intervened in Shub-Niggurath’s senses.
“The more you trust in your own perfection, the less you can handle unexpected variables. Well, thanks to that, I managed to bide my time.”
“…As if, you know. My abilities. Like it’s not our first time meeting.”
“Lucky guess.”
“Fortune…”
Shub-Niggurath’s body began to crumble into dust.
The time he could remain in this world had run out, and he was starting to return to the original 50th floor.
“That foolish administrator said to watch out for a human. It wasn’t completely nonsense after all.”
Hasting’s form, bowing his head to those words as if it was nothing more than a nuisance, came to mind.
At the time, the advice seemed contemptible and senseless…
But now, the meaning behind that counsel was clear.
The human who had played games with his ancient existence.
Such a daring and sly creature, he had never encountered before.
Therefore.
Shub-Niggurath spoke one last time.
“You. Foolish tower dwellers. Avoid. And come. Up.”
To where he was.
To the place that could reach the summit of the tower.
Come up.
To resume the contest they couldn’t settle this time.
“I will be waiting there.”
Pffft…!
Shub-Niggurath completely disintegrated into dust.
The greatest threat was now survived.
“Phew.”
Jinhyuk let out a long sigh of relief.
At the same time.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[The being of the 50th floor has retreated.]
[An incredible feat has been achieved!]
[Tomorrow, for one whole day, this will be placed into the ‘Hall of Fame’.]
[Many gods from the higher floors of the tower have taken a deep interest in your existence.]
[Giant forces have started to move in earnest.]
Multiple status windows appeared in succession.
Of course.
[Hidden quest achieved.]
[As a reward for achieving the impossible, you are granted.]
[The fourth privilege for being the first to conquer the tower has been unlocked.]
The rewards were generously granted.
‘This is… really a jackpot.’
Jinhyuk’s lips quirked up.
Worn out in body and mind from the relentless race since Murim, it felt as if a much-needed rain had fallen in a drought, washing away all fatigue.
And that was only natural.
The rewards coming out now far exceeded any expectations.
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up…]
[‘Gods’ Auction House’ entrance ticket acquired. (Duration type: product serves freely for 1 month from the acquisition date. After a month, it turns to paid service.)]
[As a special privilege for being the first to conquer the tower, you are given the right to the highest priority bid in an auction.]
[‘Lucky Random Box (Purple)’ acquired.]
[You have gained 5,000,000 coins!]
An astonishing 18-level increase.
It’s nonsensical to gain so many levels from a single raid, especially when already in the three-digit level range.
Moreover, the entrance ticket to the gods’ auction house was a reward impossible to obtain at this moment.
While others struggle to gain rare items through the coin exchange,
‘I’ll have the opportunity to monopolize something from an entirely different realm.’
His heart pounded with excitement.
Like a child receiving numerous gifts at once, he was at a loss on where to start first.
But foremost…
Jinhyuk activated his personal status window.
——————————————————
Name: Kang Jinhyuk
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Level: 144
Strength 109 Agility 67 Stamina 67 Mana 372 Evasion 100 Luck 10 Adaptability 78 Vitality 101.38
Stats Points Available: 54
Coins: 16,743,550
Occupation: Ruler of Runes
Unique Abilities: ‘Fusion’, ‘Sword Grave’, ‘Star’s Blessing’, ‘Judgement of Anubis’, ‘Blood Demon Qi’, ‘Mandala’, ‘1-Second Invincibility’, ‘Poison of a Thousand’, ‘White Tiger’, ‘Sharing of All Phenomena’, ‘Sanctuary of the Sun’, ‘Black Sky Demon Emperor Technique’, ‘Triple Magic’, ‘Giant’s Strike’, ‘Breath of Fire Dragon’, ‘High-Speed Swordsmanship’, ‘Tombgrave’s Right Arm’, ‘Berserker’, ‘Domain of the Wind’, ‘Shadow Assassination’, ‘Blood Explosion’, ‘Black Tears’, ‘Leg of Tombgrave’, ‘Supernatural Strength’, ‘Nucleus of Legion’, ‘Ancient Barrier’, ‘Celestial Demon Technique’, ‘Mentra Taming’, ‘Nihilism’
Skills: Too many to display, switching to ‘collapsed’ view.
——————————————————
His level had reached 144.
This was a high rank among tower residents,
Considering the adjusted value added to each stat, especially the Evasion stat, his actual level would be significantly higher.
‘The Vitality stat, which was stagnating, has explosively increased thanks to this fight.’
The battle with Shub-Niggurath proved fruitful in many ways.
[Mana increased from 372 to 402!]
[Agility increased from 67 to 91!]
He invested in Mana, which he needed the most, and Agility, which proved to be efficient when dealing with fast-moving enemies.
‘I’ll need to raise it in advance to dodge those many branches later.’
With that, he neatly wrapped up assigning his stats.
The next step…
Jinhyuk turned his gaze to the golden parchment in his hands.
It was the ticket to the Gods’ Auction House.
With time still on their side, the association staff and other players still had a chance to catch up.
What could possibly be on offer?
Jinhyuk tore the entrance ticket to the ‘Gods’ Auction House.’
Whoosh!
With a bright light, the scenery around him completely changed.
***
A magnificent architectural structure reminiscent of a Greek temple.
Amid the soft clouds that floated ethereally.
Below the bright moonlight, a lake shimmered and four-winged birds could be seen.
It felt like he had truly stepped into the dwelling of gods—a surreal and beautiful place.
Just then.
Pop!
A pure white fairy appeared.
Resembling Tinkerbell from fairy tales, it was a small, winged humanoid with a charming face.
“Woaaah! It’s the first time a human has visited our auction house! Oh my gosh! And you’re a player, too? Wow. Ah! My name is Setilda. It’s a pretty name, right? Heeheehee. I’ve been talking a lot with the angels who also came here today.”
She was talkative, to say the least.
One could tell she would be an easy source to get information from.
Attending the auction meant beings of Aetherial Angel rank or higher had arrived.
“Name’s Kang Jinhyuk.”
“Okay, Jinhyuk! A sincere welcome to you. Is there anything you’re looking for? I hate to brag, but we really have everything you could want.”
“Today’s my first visit, so rather than looking for something specific, I’m interested in seeing what kind of place this is.”
“Ah! Of course. Please feel free to look around, and if you need anything, call me anytime.”
Setilda flew around with a bright smile.
She was truly a whirlwind of a fairy in more ways than one.
Though she seemed so, she actually held the same Intermediate Administrator rank as Rick.
After parting from Setilda, Jinhyuk stepped into the auction house.
Flare!
Between the rows of torches on either side, glass casings appeared.
These were the items to be auctioned in this round.
[Root of Yggdrasil]
Difficulty of Acquisition: Unmeasurable
Contents: ????
Starting Bid: 12,585,000,000
[Pandora’s Box]
Difficulty of Acquisition: Unmeasurable
Contents: ????
Starting Bid: 33,210,000,000
‘Eye of Gluttony’ couldn’t reveal their details.
This meant the items traded here were beyond normal standards.
‘I’ll need some luck to make the best use of my highest priority bid.’
Even with the confirmed rights, if items of this round were insignificant, this unique hidden card would lose its luster.
While pondering, suddenly…
Boom!
The ground shook violently underfoot.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Someone was approaching.
And it was a being with a monstrous amount of mana.
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