Ex-level Player With the Greatest Civilization of All Time - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 26

Crack—
The ground gave way, revealing an underground passage beneath the garden.
The passage’s existence had even caught Krim off guard.
I’d been caught by surprise too, but what I felt now was less amazement than bewilderment.
“Jin-seong.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Ask the viewers how the Hidden Floor clear is progressing.”
“Ah… understood.”
Even before Jin-seong could properly ask the viewers, a handful of voice chat messages came through, each accompanied by substantial donations.

– There’s some damage, but it’s manageable.
– They seem to be struggling more than expected, honestly. Already about twenty dead!
– The raid’s momentum isn’t what it was in the beginning.

Just before entering this place, it had all seemed straightforward.
It looked as though things had deteriorated significantly in my absence.
Twenty people dead already…
“Still, it shouldn’t affect the overall outcome, right?”

– Well… probably?
– Twenty deaths were just from unexpected circumstances, so if we’re more careful going forward…
– I think the clear will succeed!

Baek Jin-seong watched him communicate with the viewers, then carefully posed a question born of curiosity.
“Why are you asking that, sir?”
“I’m wondering whether I should jump in.”
There was risk in barging in just because a quest had appeared.
Especially since the Gangseong Guild was leading this clear operation.
They were part of the top ten guilds, which made things even more complicated.
The Mir Guild had only rescued people in a crisis, so there’d been no grounds for complaint there.
This situation was fundamentally different.
If I went chasing after them deliberately, it would get tiresome.
And I knew exactly how much effort they’d put into preparing for this Hidden Floor clear.
For me to casually insert myself—
“I’d rather not invite unnecessary resentment.”
Baek Jin-seong nodded in agreement.
The situation had been so sudden and shocking that he hadn’t thought that far ahead yet.
But my concern was entirely justified.
“Should we give it up, then?”
“I’ve been wrestling with that too. Waiting for the clear to succeed on its own is one option, but that means losing our S-tier Clear Rank.”
Losing some rewards wasn’t really a practical issue, but it was a matter of principle.
Giving up the S-tier Clear Rank I’d maintained all this time.
It felt uncomfortably like admitting failure.
So it was better to abandon the attempt now and look forward to a fresh challenge on the 15th Floor later.
I’d also avoid unnecessary conflict with the Gangseong Guild.
Once their clear ended safely, the difficulty might even reset to normal.
“Besides, if what we’re hearing is true, the difficulty itself is already absurd enough.”
I’d been watching how the raid was carefully prepared each day through Cha Seon-a’s broadcast.
If they’d suffered casualties despite investing that much firepower, half-hearted intervention could leave me bearing the losses.
There simply was no reason to challenge it now.
“Alright… let’s go. This is the right time to back off.”
I said as much to Baek Jin-seong, about to withdraw from the clear entirely.

-Emergency alert—

A single voice message cut through urgently.
Baek Jin-seong exchanged a glance with me, seeking my understanding before turning to address the viewers.
“What’s the emergency?”

-Cha Seon-a’s stream just cut out abruptly.

“What? Really???”
There were any number of reasons a stream could end.
The streamer might have simply closed it themselves.
Or external pressure could have forced their hand.
But judging by the atmosphere in the chat, neither seemed to be the case here.
“So it happened without warning? Just like that?”
My question drew immediate responses from the voice chat.

-She was heading into what looked like a massive open ground when suddenly the screen just went black.
-Feels like something major went down.
-The community’s already going crazy over this.

That’s when Krim, who had been observing quietly, spoke up.
“If you’re wondering whether to venture down into the Underground Passage now or later, I’d say there’s no better time than the present.”
Krim voiced this with an unusual gravity.
It was the sort of statement I couldn’t simply dismiss, so I pressed for details.
“Why’s that?”
“Because the seal is weakening steadily. I can sense it. His descent will come soon enough….”
“….”
Krim’s words gave me pause.
Of course, there was no guarantee such a thing would happen. I knew that much.
It was strange—I’d never imagined I’d encounter Krim like this, so different from the corrupted figure I always met on the 15th Floor.
Nothing felt more arrogant than claiming certainty about what would unfold in the Tower.
So in a Tower where even the timeline itself had become chaotic, I couldn’t guarantee that I’d receive the same mission upon re-entry.
But if I didn’t?
If it really did happen?
That would be catastrophic.
I’d already entered the Floating Garden at the 11th Floor.
If the thing that had broken the seal on the 15th Floor took root there, I might have to postpone the Tower climb indefinitely.
Even if that weren’t the case, I’d need to invest considerable time and effort until I could muster overwhelming power.
“Hmm….”
These were always the hardest moments to navigate.
But unlike just moments ago, when there was absolutely no reason to rush into the Hidden Floor,
now there was one.
A single reason I couldn’t afford to ignore: a ‘possibility.’
“Alright….”
“Are you clearing it?”
“Yeah. What else?”
The moment I decided, the voice chat exploded into cheers.
There was no moment that flooded viewers with dopamine quite like an unexpected turn of events,
and this was clearly it.

-Kyaaaa-
-Just as expected from the Tower’s standard-bearer!
-Can you hear it? The sound of pure entertainment!
-Is Gangseong Guild about to get wrecked?

“Why would you wreck an innocent Gangseong Guild? I’ll do my best to convince them peacefully.”
I made a halfhearted attempt to reason with the viewers, but seeing it was futile, I gave up.

-[Apology incoming] Sorry, Gangseong Guild.
-Already curious about the S-tier Hidden Floor rewards—smash that upvote.
-I’m more interested in seeing Krail’s performance.

That’s when I was listening to the flood of messages.
Baek Jin-seong leaned in close and whispered in my ear.
“Are you sure this is all right?”
“Sure about what?”
“That… it won’t be dangerous….”
To look at him, Baek Jin-seong seemed absolutely terrified.
Well, even seasoned players died on the Hidden Floor.
It was natural to be reluctant.
He’d meant to whisper so no one could hear, but the viewers caught every word and teased him for it.

– Scared again?
– Season 251533rd scaredy-cat moment!
– That’s so like you, Jin-seong.
– Doesn’t even hide it anymore?

Baek Jin-seong took no damage from it.
The broadcast’s real star was Neia anyway.
There was no need to hide his true self like before.
Though he hadn’t really hidden it even back then.
He’d just denied it.
“Everyone, from now on call me Baek Jin-seong!”

– Now that’s some real confidence. I like it.
– This is how you clear the Tower of Aegenmahn.
– Always watched Jin-seong’s streams for this vibe lol

I watched the situation unfold before I spoke.
“Don’t worry. We’re not going in.”
“Sir?”
I didn’t carry spare lives around with me.
What, throw away my one life diving into that place?
Besides, the reason I could choose to clear it at all was because I didn’t need to risk my life doing it.
I was different from other players.
I had drones to throw in first.
More than that, I had soldiers armed with military discipline.
Sending in cannon fodder is the glorious tradition of war!
“Me! I’ll go, Commander!”
Look at that—I hadn’t even asked, but Argelayer was already raising her hand and volunteering.
Krail glanced over too, and from the look of him, his feelings were much the same.
He was already radiating that strange, hungry energy of someone eager to be sent into battle.
……
I ignored Argelayer, who was fidgeting around with a torch, and called on Krail instead.
“Sergeant Krail.”
“Yes, Commander.”
In my judgment, he was the better fit for this operation.
“I’m putting you in charge. Form up the drones as you see fit and lead them in. Track down the source of the corruption and eliminate it.”
“Understood. I will execute the mission perfectly as entrusted.”
I was watching Krail move off in the distance to organize his unit, his eyes bright with anticipation, when—
a donation came through.

-Argelayer Season 3515th, pouty face!

Now how was I supposed to coax her?

* * *

Cha Seon-a squeezed her trembling hands into fists and forced down the terror.

【Vine Spider】
【Vine Spider】
【Vine Spider】

A horrifying scene unfolds before them.
Crunch. Crunch-crunch-crunch.
It happened in a single, terrible instant.
A spider that had been lurking inside the ceiling vines shot out without warning and sank its fangs into Ha Jun-ha beside her.
Snap. Snap-snap-snap.
He was a user with the Streaming Ability—the one who had always been by her side since she’d awakened.
Even as consciousness remained intact, he was being torn apart, his screams piercing the air.
Cha Seon-a watched the horror unfold for only a moment before squeezing her eyes shut.
“Ah… ah…”
After closing her eyes and bracing against the shock, the emotion that bloomed in her was not grief at losing a comrade.
What seized her entire body was relief.
If her footsteps had been just a fraction slower.
If their positions had been reversed.
If luck had turned against her by the slimmest margin.
It would be her flesh being savagely torn between those spider jaws right now.
“Damn! These cursed spider bastards!”
“What are the scouts doing?!”
“Stop wasting breath and focus on the next wave! They’re coming again!”
Boom. Bang-bang-bang. Thud-thud-thud.
Magic and arrows brought the spiders down.
Slice. Squelch.
Blades and spears bisected and pierced them, ending their lives.
“Panting… panting…”
“Damn it all…”
“That makes thirty now.”
Counting the casualties inflicted by the Vine Spiders.
Thirty people had already vanished.
They’d managed this wave, but—
Each time they advanced by sacrificing someone, a whisper crept into every mind: what if it’s me next? The psychological weight of it gnawed at them all.
The atmosphere was utterly grim.
This despair likely began with the Shadow Walker ambush that preceded it.
Those creatures—the first deaths, and responsible for twenty casualties in a single strike.
They’d hidden in shadow, striking vital points without warning.
But at least that had been the beginning.
They’d told themselves they’d been caught off guard.
They’d believed that with proper caution, no more would fall.
This time, however, was different—they’d done everything right.
And yet the psychological toll was somehow worse than before.
Even though more had died to the Shadow Walkers previously, this collapse felt complete, total.
“Tch…”
“Not even corpses left to bury.”
“I never signed up for a dog’s death in a place like this.”
Cha Seong-hun, reading the party’s unraveling resolve, spoke aloud.
“This is no dungeon at all.”
A man who regularly cleared floors in the seventies.
A player of considerable rank by global standards.
That such words should come from his lips was staggering.
And it was precisely then that doubt began to settle over her as well.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A figure clad in expensive Pure White Armor approached alongside his party members.
He was Jeong Him-chan, an executive of the Nakhwa Guild.
Like the Gangseong Guild, one of the top-ten guilds in the world.
And one of the guilds that had contracted the most elite-grade players for this venture.
“We’re withdrawing here.”
Cha Seong-hun’s eyebrows twitched.
“Withdrawing? What are you talking about?”
“Exactly as I said, sir. We’re pulling out. The compensation is generous, but survival comes first.”
Cha Seong-hun’s laugh was bitter and sharp.
“Director Jeong, you seem to be under a misunderstanding. That’s not possible under the terms of our contract.”
“Ah, that contract. I’ll pay the penalty fee.”
“This isn’t childish—what are you doing?”
“I’m not a child, I’m a businessman, which is exactly why I’m doing this. What could be more important to a player than their own life?”
Cha Seong-hun sensed things were about to fall apart.
If they deserted, the internal turmoil would be catastrophic.
He had to stop them.
But the fact that they were willing to swallow such a massive penalty fee meant there was no way to prevent it.
Cha Seong-hun studied the raid party’s mood.
The temple priest, detecting the fracture, shook his head slowly.
Sure enough, the other raid members grew visibly uneasy.
“Anyway, we’re pulling out. We’ll take responsibility—come find the Nakhwa Guild later for compensation. Of course, assuming you all manage to keep your lives here.”
Jeong Him-chan clicked on the Quest Window to exit.
Immediately, a message appeared.
Normally it would ask if he wanted to leave.
But this time, the message was different.

[You cannot exit at this time.]
[Belpherus’s authority prevents execution.]
[Leave Belpherus’s domain.]

Jeong Him-chan’s expression hardened into stone.
The other guild members beside him reacted the same way.
“What? Why is this happening?”
“What… what the hell!”
“I can’t exit….”
Jeong Him-chan tried again and again, but nothing changed.

[Belpherus’s authority prevents execution.]
[Belpherus’s authority prevents execution.]
[Belpherus’s authority prevents execution.]

“Damn it!”
Cha Seong-hun, watching the men who’d looked ready to bolt just moments ago suddenly morph into utterly confused expressions, rushed to figure out what was happening.
He clicked the Quest Window to attempt the exit procedure and quickly grasped the reason.
“What the…?”
As Cha Seong-hun made the same discovery, sighs of regret and despair erupted from different corners of the chamber—those who’d belatedly tried to exit themselves.
“What is this?”
“We’ve never had a situation where we couldn’t exit!”
“So what happens now?”
“Do we have to clear this no matter what?”
Only then did a single bead of sweat trickle down Cha Seong-hun’s spine.
The bead of sweat was vivid and cold, steeped in a sickly chill.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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