Chapter 152 - Episode 21. God of Ashes (5)
Chapter 152: Episode 21. God of Ashes (5)
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A being stronger than the Leader, the first of the Seven Stars, had Yoonhwan.
That meant at least one of the Seven Heavens, or in the worst case, one of the Seven Divine Thrones had intervened.
Manri Shintong asked, “Is your friend also an Awakened One like you?”
“Probably not.”
“Then did he come from some special Tower of Nightmares?”
After thinking for a moment, Jaehwan replied, “I heard it was a Master’s Tower.”
“A Master’s Tower.”
Manri Shintong stroked his beard as if he understood.
“Products cultivated in a Master’s Tower are highly valued. That is especially true for those who graduated from a first-generation Master’s Tower.”
Mulack, who had created the Fortress of Regret, had also been a first-generation Master.
Instead of revealing that fact, Jaehwan asked something else.
“Is that all the information you found with your ability?”
“······.”
“Who kidnapped my friend? Tell me now.”
Without answering, Manri Shintong sipped the leaf tea before him. The old man’s hand trembled faintly around his teacup.
A being powerful enough to frighten Manri Shintong, who lived hidden on the outskirts of the 〈Metaverse〉.
“Is it stronger than the Sole King, Catastrophe?”
“Catastrophe? You mean the Ancient God of Chaos?”
When Jaehwan nodded, Manri Shintong asked in disbelief, “An Ancient God is a being that even the Twelve Great Lords and Seven Divine Thrones cannot provoke lightly. Why would you ask such a question?”
“If it is not that strong, tell me. I do not care who it is.”
Jaehwan spoke as if he knew Ancient Gods well. Manri Shintong shook his head, apparently thinking that could not possibly be true.
“You are out of your mind. I am sorry, but I do not think I can tell you more. It would be a waste for someone with your talent to throw away his life for nothing.”
―Seeing how far the old man is going, it must not be an ordinary bastard. Did it discover your identity too?
Manri Shintong’s expression darkened.
Manri Shintong’s Manri Eye was a top-grade manipulation-type Setting. If someone had seen through the Manri Eye in return, that meant the opponent was also a master of manipulation-type Settings.
“One thing is certain. It is not very far from here. I could briefly glimpse the scenery around the place.”
Manri Shintong let out a small sigh, then vigorously wiped his half-bald head with his palm before speaking again.
“Since I failed to find your friend’s location, let us say my debt remains unpaid. This may not be much help, but I can give you other information that might prove useful. Would you like to hear it?”
Jaehwan looked as though he had lost interest, but Andersen eagerly nodded at the mention of free information.
“It seems the Alliance has just made its move,” Manri Shintong said.
―Now? Is the Leader bringing the Alliance here?
“The Leader does not like many-against-one fights, nor does the Leader participate directly in wars. The only opponents the Leader faces are passengers seeking to reach the Ninth Floor, and only in one-on-one battles. You know that from experience, do you not?”
Andersen nodded as though she hated to admit it.
―Of course I do.
“It seems the Alliance’s strategist issued orders independently. The Eighth Floor’s Task has been updated.”
As he spoke, Manri Shintong exhaled smoke into the air and recreated a System window.
+
<Metaverse Eighth Floor>
Task: Place within the top eight in the ‘Climbing the Branches’ event taking place three days from now.
Reward: Entry to the Ninth Floor, acquisition of 400,000 trust.
+
Andersen frowned.
―Climbing the Branches? They are holding this now?
“Read it carefully. There is more below.”
+
<Climbing the Branches>
1) ‘Climbing the Branches’ is a lightfoot competition that selects those who reach the destination first after running a designated course.
2) The competition begins at noon three days from now, and special buffs that enhance unique abilities are available.
3) Passengers who obtain a buff will have their movement speed and Constitution recovery speed increased.
4) If a passenger who has obtained a buff is killed, that passenger’s bonus buff can be taken.
71 hours and 40 minutes remain until the competition begins.
+
It seemed the Alliance intended to turn the match Jaehwan had proposed into a lightfoot competition.
It was a wise choice from the Alliance’s perspective. The more Jaehwan exhausted himself fighting other participants throughout the competition, the greater his disadvantage in his battle against the Leader.
Andersen grumbled.
―The bonus buffs will obviously be held by Alliance people from the start.
“It is not such a simple plan. Look at the list.”
Amazingly, only one name was written on it.
+
<Current Buff Holder List>
God Slayer Jaehwan.
+
At first glance, it looked as though the Alliance had formally accepted Jaehwan’s challenge by giving him a buff from the outset.
The problem was that once this Task was announced, Jaehwan would inevitably become a hunted man before the competition even began.
Andersen shouted in anger.
―Can they even put out a Task like this? Did the Driver really approve it?
It was a scheme that could corner Jaehwan without inviting accusations from passengers that the Alliance had avoided the match.
Manri Shintong spoke bitterly.
“It seems they conspired with the Driver. Are there any safehouses left in the Black Shop now?”
One of the gatekeepers answered Manri Shintong’s question.
“Five were exposed last week, so only about three remain.”
Manri Shintong looked at Jaehwan.
“If you want, we can hide you. Stay hidden for a while, then secretly leave through the Exit Bell. Do not hold out until the competition and think of participating. As you can probably guess, Climbing the Branches is not an ordinary lightfoot competition.”
Only eight people could enter the Ninth Floor. It was obvious what passengers would be willing to do to become one of those eight.
“I know you are strong. But the Leader is no longer your only problem. The moment the competition begins, the entire Metaverse will try to kill you.”
―Old man. He is the one who killed three of the Metaverse Six Gods. You know he is being considered for the final seat among the Seven Stars, right?
“I know. But do you think he could remain so relaxed if other Seven Stars came to kill him?”
Andersen stopped slurping her noodles.
“Seven Stars? Who is coming?”
“I have not confirmed that far yet, but two of the Seven Stars have already entered the tower. There are reports that Seven Heavens-level beings are moving as well. That is not all. Even the lackeys of the Twelve Great Lords are climbing the tower. It seems you have earned a great deal of resentment throughout the 《Tree of Illusion》.”
It had already been two years since Jaehwan carried out the Lord Massacre in 《Chaos》. He thought it was about time the Twelve Great Lords made their move.
Jaehwan asked, “I destroyed the Narrow Gate, so how did those Lords get here?”
“There are those in the 《Abyss》 who possess the Narrower Gate. It does not perform as well as the Narrow Gate, so Twelve Great Lord-level beings cannot travel through it. But lower-ranking Lords can use it freely.”
Jaehwan was a little surprised. He had never expected such a gate to exist.
Manri Shintong continued.
“Some among the Seven Divine Thrones and Seven Heavens, along with the Rupture, also possess one. I do not know which of them cooperated with the Lords, but none of them will be enemies you can easily deal with now.”
Jaehwan thought for a moment.
If Generals from the highest ranks of the twelve zones or the Five Great Families crossed over as before, Jaehwan might struggle to handle them alone.
Yet the top of the tower was right before him.
He had failed to save Yoonhwan. If he could not even meet the tower’s Driver, there would have been no point in climbing this tower.
“You said the Black Shop knows everything.”
“We only know what we know.”
“Then do you know what the First Nightmare is?”
The First Nightmare.
The first place Jaehwan had seen it was inside the first-generation tower created by Mulack.
「In the end, every Tower of Nightmares is only an imitation of the ‘First Nightmare’ at the top of the 《Tree of Illusion》.」
If Jaehwan’s guess was right, the First Nightmare was at the end of this 《Tree of Illusion》.
And that was the place he had to reach.
“That...”
Manri Shintong’s expression was a sight to behold.
His face had gone even paler than when Catastrophe had been mentioned.
The old man moved his lips for a long time, as though trying to say something.
Then something surprising happened.
[The ‘Driver’ is interested in your question.]
[The ‘Attendants’ are shocked by your question.]
A faint spark struck down from the air.
Jaehwan indifferently looked up at the inn’s ceiling.
As expected, they were listening to everything.
Manri Shintong asked, “How do you know about the First Nightmare? Could it be that you too are trying to climb to the end of this damned ‘tree’?”
As if he had seen beings like that several times before, Manri Shintong hesitated before continuing.
“I am sorry, but I do not know about the First Nightmare either. Still, I know someone who might.”
“The dream demon who created this tower.”
Manri Shintong nodded.
“Master Neil Crash, who created this 〈Metaverse〉, was also someone seeking the First Nightmare. Neil Crash built this tower to reach the end of the Tree of Illusion. I do not know whether they succeeded. Even those who climbed the tower’s final floor never spoke of it. But one thing is certain.”
“The Driver on the final floor must know something.”
“Probably.”
“Then I have even more reason to go up.”
“Why are you so stubborn? I am not saying you should never climb it. I am saying now is not the time. You have enough talent. If you take a little more time to build World Force and grow stronger, you could deal with not only the Seven Stars, but also the Seven Heavens, and if you are lucky, even the Seven Divine Thrones...”
Manri Shintong trailed off.
It was because he saw Jaehwan’s eyes.
Manri Shintong had also endured the years while wandering the 《Abyss》 for thousands of years. Over that long time, he had seen gods with eyes like those many times. They were now either dead, or had survived and reached distant thrones beyond his grasp.
Manri Shintong thought to himself.
If he let this man pass, would he ever see eyes like those again?
“Why must it be now?”
“Why do you make these dumplings?”
Manri Shintong blankly stared at Jaehwan before answering.
“I like making dumplings. Why do you ask?”
“Since when have you made dumplings?”
“That... I have forgotten.”
Every god living in the 《Abyss》 eventually had a moment when they realized they did not have what it took to reach the end of the Tree of Illusion. Some realized it early, while others realized it late. Every god had to pass through that moment.
The moment they had to admit that no matter how long they tried, they would never see the end of the Branch.
That was when Manri Shintong began making dumplings.
Without even knowing why he was making them, he made dumpling after dumpling.
Jaehwan slowly rose from his seat.
“They were very good. The best dumplings I have ever eaten.”
Manri Shintong, who had unconsciously jumped to his feet, watched Jaehwan for a moment before sitting back down.
“Will you have more?”
“Next time.”
Manri Shintong reached out toward Jaehwan as he turned away.
Would that man really have a next time?
Manri Shintong could not stop him. The man’s question about why he made dumplings had also been his answer.
Just as Manri Shintong had to make dumplings to live in this damned Abyss, that God Slayer was the same.
That man could not live unless he climbed this tower now.
“Master.”
Baeko, who had gone out to repair the formation, returned.
Judging by his grave expression, it seemed he knew what was happening.
―Looks like they have already arrived.
Then, as if it had been waiting, a message rang out.
[A Task has arrived on the ‘Metaverse Eighth Floor’!]
[You currently possess a ‘buff’.]
[Warning. If you are killed, the buff will transfer to another passenger.]
World Pressures approached from around the inn.
They were World Pressures on an entirely different level from the gods Jaehwan had faced until now.
The opening battle of Climbing the Branches was about to begin.
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