Chapter 132 Challenger (2)

—This is a military area where civilians are prohibited. Please turn the ship around.

At the sound of the loudspeaker, Yoon-seok’s eyes turned downward. Ten warships surrounded the Tower in a standoff with dozens of civilian fishing boats.

“Get out of my way, you bastards! Seoul already became that. Do you think we will stay put and trust you?!”

A man on one of the fishing boats at the forefront shouted. Judging from his stern voice, it didn’t appear like he came all this way here to take a picture to post on SNS.

“What’s going on? And what is he saying?”

Ashton replied in a bitter tone to Yoon-seok.

“Probably civilians who came after hearing the rumors.”

“Rumors?”

“Yes. Rumors are spreading rapidly on the Internet that touching the Tower can turn you into a challenger.”

Ashton then explained that the number of people who believed the rumors had increased rapidly since the outbreak in Seoul. It was their idea to become a challenger to gain the power to protect themselves. Still, since the world was ending, it was natural for such people to emerge. However, the problem was…

“Is it just a rumor?”

Yoon-seok met Ashton’s eyes before he asked the question.

“Yes, it’s a ridiculous rumor. I think that kind of rumor came from the phenomenon that people disappear once coming into contact with the Tower….”

“Wait, disappear?”

“That’s right, but that doesn’t mean the rumor is true. No one who touched the Tower could be found inside.”

“Then, nobody’s figured out what this Tower is?”

“Yes. At least until this morning.”

This morning, the first survivor returned. He was a challenger-turned-agent sent by the U.S. government, and his statement shed light on the Tower’s identity.

“Tower of the Truth-seeker.”

“…?”

“It’s different from the Tower of Heaven. Anyone from Earth can challenge, share floors, and receive a common reward if they pass the trials.”

“Common reward?”

“Yes, that’s what we predicted. I don’t know what it’s like going further, but the reward on the first floor was to weaken the invaders by 10%.”

After hearing the reward, he clearly understood what purpose this structure had and why Ashton brought him here urgently.

“You don’t have time to give a lecture.”

“I already reported that you refused.”

Yoon-seok smiled. He felt that Ashton had no intention of sending him in there in the first place.

“They’re all politicians, after all. They have no idea what’s important and what your day is worth.”

He thought he was originally a deep sense of patriotism, so when did he change so much? He sounded like Yoon-seok’s loyal subject. Although his attitude was very burdensome, it wasn’t that bad to have someone like this serving as a mediator between him and the government.

‘It’s an extreme way of thinking, but if I make that part clear, it’ll be fine to have him around.’

“Ashton, if something happens in Seoul again, will you let me know right away?”

“But…”

“Just deliver the information. I’ll be the judge.”

“…Okay. I will do that next time.”

As a result, the Ashton problem ended. Of course, he may not keep his promise and prioritize his beliefs, but, there would be no second chances if that happened. Yoon-seok wasn’t that soft.

“Who was the challenger that passed the first floor?”

“It’s Jovan Trosian. I was told that you have met him before.”

“Oh, the 13th-floor mission challenger…”

For reference, his combat power was measured to be 11 million. But since their conversation in the helicopter that day, he had been making a constant effort to grow.

“Now he’s reached the 15th floor. It took about 46 hours to clear the first floor.”

Anyway, Ashton was very quick to catch on. He didn’t even ask yet, but he figured out what Yoon-seok’s intention was and quickly explained.

“It took two days…”

Yoon-seok, who was muttering quietly, nodded.

“Then let’s go.”

They would find how much Yoon-seok’s day, which was highly regarded by Ashton, was worth.

「You have entered the Tower of the Truth-seeker.」

When he jumped off the helicopter and touched the Tower, his eyes flashed. He found himself in a space full of black emptiness a moment later, reading the words that casually appeared.

「Please specify a nickname.」

Although he didn’t know why this was necessary, since they asked, Yoon-seok wrote down the nickname Predator he used in the Tower without much thought. Then, the status of the challenge appeared.

-1st floor Base Defense completed (Jovan Trosian) 46:21:31.

Jovan used his real name.

「 2nd-floor trial is Breakthrough.」

「Break through the trap and reach your destination.」

His vision darkened as his surroundings changed once more. An area similar to the Great Labyrinth from the exploration trials appeared around him. However, the difference was that not only monsters but numerous traps now blocked his path.

Whooosh! Slice! Slice! Slashh, Slashhh-!

Bars periodically shot up from the floor as arrows whizzed by from the walls. A sharp double-edged ax swung like a pendulum from the ceiling. This alone was quite brutal, but countless ghost-like monsters were also roaming the halls.

‘Even if I just stay put, my durability is rising?’

He had a sudden thought, but he didn’t plan to enact it. Unlike the duels, this was a space where time likely flowed 1:1 with reality.

「Traps and landmarks are impossible to destroy.」

Yoon-seok smiled and pulled out his sword. Impossible to destroy? He would have to confirm that.

Slip.

Yoon-seok gently stretched his sword forward. Whether it was a wall, monster, or trap, that was enough.

Booooooooooom—!

A whirlpool formed from the sword’s tip, smashing through everything in a straight line before subsiding. A shining portal could be seen past the carnage.

‘That must be the destination.’

Yoon-seok quickly ran past the broken walls.

「 2nd-floor trial Breakthrough has been cleared.」

「When a new crack in the dimension is created, the invaders cannot cross for an hour.」

‘The reward is better than I thought.’

Yoon-seok smiled. No invader would appear for an hour, which meant the military would be given time to respond. If this had been present when the crack opened in Seoul, there would have been way fewer civilian casualties.

「Would you like to challenge the next floor?」

There was nothing to consider; Yoon-seok had already made up his mind.

‘Let’s do as much as possible today.’

The second floor clearing time was 17 seconds.

Twelve hours after Yoon-seok entered the Tower of Truth-seeker, a portal opened outside the Tower, dumping out Yoon-seok. Although he trusted him without a doubt, Ashton sighed in relief to see him safe.

“Thank you for your hard work. Did you clear it?”

“Yes, take this.”

Yoon-seok, who landed on the closest ship, threw him a stone. Ashton checked it with his appraisal.

*Sealing Stone (Rank EX) – Forcefully closes an opened crack. It can be used up to three times.

An item that could shut down an invasion without killing all invaders. Although it was consumable, Ashton wasn’t so ignorant that he did not know its value.

“What an amazing item. Is this the reward for the 2nd floor?”

“Yes. It’s technically for the 3rd floor, not the 2nd floor…”

“…What?”

Ashton flinched. He cleared the 3rd floor in just 12 hours? Of course, it wasn’t unbelievable. He possessed strength that couldn’t be determined by common sense.

“Can you gather five challengers? To challenge the next floor, there must be enough people.”

“We only have 11 hours left until your return. Will it be okay?”

“I don’t know what kind of trial it will be, but I think there’s still enough time.”

Ashton refrained from asking useless questions. This was Yoon-seok’s judgment, so he trusted it to be the most accurate.

“I understand. I’ll arrange immediately.”

Ashton immediately contacted his superiors and revealed their circumstances. It was a dangerous mission, but it didn’t take long to find applicants. Since the Seoul incident, countless challengers prepared themselves out of a noble sense of duty.

“I got everyone. Some of them are specialists related to spatial movement, so they can all arrive within 30 minutes.”

Afterward, Ashton simply briefed Yoon-seok on the challengers he would work with while waiting. Jovan Trosian first pioneered the Tower of Truth-seeker after improving rapidly since his last meeting with Yoon-seok. Then there was Maria Hopkins, who was more famous for using magic than her Unique Skill for measuring combat power. Two new challengers had been drawing attention recently.

“Who’s the remaining one?”

“…It’s me. There’s no guarantee that I won’t slow down your progress, but given the circumstances of recruiting immediate manpower, this is for the best.”

Yoon-seok accepted it without complaint and turned to watch the tower. It was good for Ashton, who had several grounds for refutation if he objected. Since then, those summoned showed up one by one.

“I’m glad to see you again. It’s an honor.”

“Hohello…!”

Jovan regarded him obediently beside Maria Hopkins.

“I’m Chen Xiao Hwa.”

“I’m Taro Kitamura.”

The next two looked at Yoon-seok with curious eyes as if they were watching a celebrity. They looked like they wanted to talk to him, but there was no time.

“I’m Choi Yoon-seok. Then, let’s get going.”

Yoon-seok led them immediately into the Tower.

「Please specify a nickname.」

“It may be written in textbooks someday, so please refrain from entering anything strange.”

At Ashton’s advice, all the challengers used their real names, then froze at the following display.

*Challenge Status.

-1st-floor Base Defense completed (Jovan Trosian) 46:21:31.

-2nd-floor Breakthrough completed (Predator) 00:00:17.

-3rd-floor Sealed completed (Predator) 02:00:00.

-4th-floor Door of Courage completed (Predator) 00:00:12.

-5th-floor Reverse Attack completed (Predator) 00:03:12.

-6th-floor Guardian of the Holy Land completed (Predator) 06:00:00.

-7th-floor Fountain of Life completed (Predator) 03:00:00.

-8th-floor Assassination completed (Predator) 00:00:03.

-9th-floor Liberation Army completed (Predator) 00:47:24.

“9th floor…

The first to return to their senses was Maria.

“Hey… didn’t you say you were going to challenge the 4th floor?”

Beyond the confusion in her voice, it sounded like she would cry, but there was no turning back.

「The 10th-floor trial is One Goal.」

「Work together with your colleagues to kill the target.」

The surrounding space changed as their eyes flashed to reveal a huge stone chamber with a huge magic square painted on the floor. Jovan Trosian muttered blankly, forgetting that the trial had begun.

“How…?”

The exact time was still clearly shining in his mind. Some trials took hours but seeing how look like it had taken long due to a lack of ability. Many floors only took less than a minute, the fastest of which was three seconds. He laughed without realizing the sound was coming from him.

‘3 seconds? What kind of trial was it for him to finish it in 3 seconds?’

To be honest, he couldn’t even imagine, but there was no need to try.

「The target will be summoned in five minutes.」

Even if he didn’t want to, he would find out soon.