Ex-level Player With the Greatest Civilization of All Time - Chapter 31

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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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Episode 31

Ding-

[Halt the World Tree Rampage – 1 / 1]
[You have guided the Catastrophe sealed in the Floating Garden to eternal rest.]
[You have resolved one Catastrophe that had seeped into the Tower.]
[1 / ???]

“It’s over….”

– Wait, you actually took down that monstrosity?
– No way, seriously?
– I knew you could do it, Conqueror’s Demon!
– GOAT

The majesty that Belpherus had displayed was nothing short of defying all common sense.
Even accounting for the World Tree’s power lending itself to the cause, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that Neia had created everything.
Perhaps that was why the excitement of Korean users, in particular, came through so vividly across the chat.
‘Krael….’
Yet for all that the mission had succeeded without incident, I found it impossible to rejoice completely.
Now that the war had ended, I was forced to confront what had been lost.
There were heavy costs.
Most notably, the complete annihilation of five Aegis units, and the staggering amount of energy consumed during the conquest operation. These were just some of the casualties.
Losing Krael, in particular, cut especially deep.
It went beyond merely losing a specialized unit.
Though our time together had been brief, I’d grown fond of the machine. And now it was gone.
That loss weighed on me far more than I expected.
Even the chat was full of people mourning Krael’s passing.
– Give Krael back…
– Wait, it really died?
– Can’t we revive it?
If this were a game or something similar, perhaps resurrection would’ve been possible.
But what made the Tower unlike games was this: levels exist, monsters exist, yet it remains an undeniable, cold reality distinct from any game.
There was no convenient resurrection mechanic here.
‘But thinking about it, why is the screen still functioning?’
The Underground Cavity where the World Tree had been was naturally far more than three kilometers away from this location.
Yet the link was still holding.
『…….』
Could it be…?
“Krael, are you still alive?”
A faltering mechanical sound crackled in response to my voice.
It was Krael’s voice, certainly, but it lacked the vibrant, almost human quality it had possessed before.

『Yes, I still maintain consciousness.』

– It’s alive?
– What’s with this humanoid’s durability?
– I thought 16 was done for… ㅠㅠ

Like the viewers, my relief was short-lived.
An exit notification appeared.

[You will move to the Waiting Room shortly.]

『However, at this rate, before long…』

“I know.”
I had no intention of dragging this out anyway, not with the exit alarm hanging over us.
“Neia, gather everything and let’s return immediately! Make absolutely sure we bring Krael’s head! Hurry!”

‘Acknowledged. All units returning to base.’

Someone spoke as they watched Krael being transported by drone, nothing but his head dangling from the aircraft.

– That’s not Unit 16… that’s some kind of Xeno…

* * *

15th Floor Waiting Room.
The scenery was familiar, yet something felt different today.
Perhaps it was because I’d truly been driven to the cliff’s edge this time before making it out alive.

[07 : 01 : 47]
[Mission Complete!]

Seven hours had been consumed in conquest alone.
Compared to the records I’d accumulated until now, this represented an investment of time on an entirely different scale.
‘How will it turn out…?’
So honestly, I felt anxious about this one.
No matter the reason, the Conquest Grade was influenced by clear time as well.

[Conquest Grade SSS Achieved!]
[An Unprecedented Record!!]
…

“Phew… thank goodness.”
Still, the Conquest Grade I ultimately received was SSS.
It was nothing short of a miracle.

[This record has been inscribed in the Hall of Fame.]
[Rewards have been adjusted upward.]
[Experience points have been granted.]
[Your level has increased.]
[An S-Grade Reward Box (11-15 Floors) has been added to your inventory.]
[An S-Grade Material Box (11-15 Floors) has been added to your inventory.]

“Hmm… but is this really all?”
After receiving my rewards, I couldn’t help but feel deflated.
And rightfully so, given what I’d just endured.
I’d already poured tens of billions into the conquest of the 15th Floor alone.
The money spent operating the drones was considerable as well.
And there was no telling how much more would be needed to repair the damaged units, including Krael—this kind of return would spell disaster.
“This isn’t even funny…”
Unless I got incredibly lucky and pulled a Sacred Treasure from the material box.
And even then, unless a Heroic Grade item emerged from the reward box, I was looking at a guaranteed loss.
“What is this nonsense…”
They say clearing a Hidden Floor yields massive rewards.
I was about to explode from the weight of my frustration when—

[Rewards for 15+ Floor Conquest have been granted.]

“Ah… yes, of course.”
I was almost about to curse aloud there.
I focused on the grant messages continuing to pour in.

[Overwhelming contribution detected during conquest process.]
[Rewards have been adjusted upward.]
[Rewards have been adjusted upward.]
[Level increased.]
[Level increased.]
[Level increased.]
[Level increased.]
…

Ding—
Ding—
“Wait, how many levels am I actually gaining here?”
The alarm, shrill enough to make my ears ring, finally ceased after my level had surged up by a full ten stages.

[(Hidden) S-Grade Reward Box has been placed in your inventory.]
[(Hidden) S-Grade Material Box has been placed in your inventory.]

“Hidden…!”
For a moment there, I’d genuinely worried they wouldn’t grant them at all.
Unlike ordinary floors,
Hidden Floors were legendary for distributing items of extraordinary value.
That’s precisely why the appearance of an S-Grade floor scroll had caused such a stir in the first place.
‘And here I am with S-Grade rewards on top of it all.’
I was already curious what would emerge from these boxes.
At the very least, given how the material boxes had treated me thus far, I could safely rule out the possibility of blanks.
Should I open them right now?
The urge rose in me for a moment, but I quickly thought better of it.
Hadn’t I learned by now that with things like this, sincerity mattered?
These weren’t ordinary boxes—they were from a Hidden Floor.
Approaching them carelessly was a sure way to invite disaster.
“I’ll perform a proper prayer of devotion next time before opening them.”
It was just as I’d accepted the Hidden Floor rewards that—
“Brother!”
Baek Jin-seong approached with a delighted expression, evidently having collected his own rewards.
“Did you receive yours as well?”
“Yeah, I did.”
Baek Jin-seong’s face was practically glowing with excitement.
No doubt the broadcast was responsible for that.
Even if we’d failed, the spectacle alone would have guaranteed attention.
But we’d actually succeeded in clearing the floor.
I casually extended my hand toward him.
Baek Jin-seong grinned sheepishly and handed over his reward boxes.
So he’d earned a material box as well thanks to his solid contributions…
A windfall.
“You’re not thinking of opening them now, are you? The viewers have been dying to see what comes out…”
“Not today. Something about my fortune feels off.”
Never mind that we’d technically cleared an S-Grade Hidden Floor—
but calling this a day of good luck would’ve been a stretch.
I’d genuinely thought I was going to die mere minutes ago.
“I’ll open them on a day when the omens are better.”
That said, the buzz this would generate was undeniable.
Depending on what items dropped, an auction could be held on the spot.
After collecting my thoughts, I spoke to Baek Jin-seong again.
“How about this—I’ll stream it when I do open the boxes later.”
“Ohhh! I’d love that!”
I stretched my arms above my head.
“But for now, shouldn’t we head out? I’m pretty exhausted today.”
Truly, every ounce of energy had drained from me.
“I am as well. I was pushing my limits even before we left.”
Baek Jin-seong offered closing remarks to his viewers.
“Well then, everyone, I’ll see you next time. Peace out.”

-Why are you going all in? You’re messing with us. Haha.
-For real. Haha.
-All in.
Baek Jin-seong ended the broadcast with laughter, brushing off the viewers who’d spent the whole time teasing him.
Once things wound down, I prepared to leave as well.
I was just about to step out of the waiting room.
Shimmer—
A familiar light bloomed, and a card materialized before me.

[Promotion Examination]
– Promotes one unit, including drones. The promoted unit gains one rank enhancement.

[Frugal Spirit]
– Power consumption is reduced by 5%.

[Battle Initiation]
– When combat begins, combat units’ first attack has a 50% chance to deal double damage.

“I’d completely forgotten about this.”
My mind had been too scattered.
Glancing at him, Baek Jin-seong was in much the same state.
I was curious what skill he’d drawn, though only for a moment.
I turned my attention back to the cards in front of me.
“Which one to choose….”
I read through the skill cards once more, but this time the decision felt even harder than before.
On the surface, [Promotion Examination] and [Battle Initiation] looked appealing.
But fresh from experiencing that unprecedented power drain, I found [Frugal Spirit] clawing at the back of my mind, impossible to dismiss.
I sat there wrestling with it, then exhaled.
“All right. This one.”

* * *

Having chosen the card, I stepped into my studio apartment and immediately opened a Subspace.
“Gate open!”
My body was thoroughly exhausted, yet I opened the Gate without hesitation—I needed to assess the damage.
I had a rough sense of it already.
But seeing the consolidated figures through Neia was different from mere suspicion.
I was especially worried about Krael and Argelayer.
Krael had said he didn’t have much time either.

『Welcome back, Seon-woo.』

“Where’s Krael?”

『Currently undergoing repairs in the hangar.』

I read the tone of Neia’s response, then pressed further.
“How serious is it?”

『More severe than anticipated. His consciousness is currently offline.』

“Can he recover completely?”

『I believe it depends on fortune.』

“I see….”
I asked after Argelayer’s condition.
“What about Argelayer?”

『Argelayer has received emergency treatment and is currently waiting for secondary repairs. All available hangar power is concentrated on Krael. Shall I recalibrate hangar operations?』

“No, it’s fine.”
Argelayer had originally sustained minimal damage.
But the accumulated harm from firing the Ultra-Absolute Photon Cannon once more, while already compromised, had compounded the injuries.
Still, compared to Krael’s condition, Argelayer was stable enough to be left as-is.
“If you need resources to repair this damage, just tell me. I’ll get them for you.”

‘Thank you for your support.’

At once, a list of materials materialized before my eyes.
Unlike before, these were items I’d purchased once already, so I had a rough sense of their market value—a glance was enough to make me sigh involuntarily.
‘That’s gotta run at least five billion won.’
Of course, my current finances were solid.
From selling the Lava Hound Byproduct earlier, I still had around twenty billion left.
But watching twenty-five percent of the city’s reserves vanish in a single swoop was hardly pleasant.
“I’ll source those materials quickly. What about power? Are you okay on that front?”

‘The situation is not one of abundance.’

I checked the power status and saw resupply would be necessary there too.
〈Current Power Reserve: 31 days…〉
I’d filled the reserves to three hundred days’ worth.
How is this possible after just one day?
Admittedly, the factory was running and Krael’s repairs were underway, which meant consumption was higher than usual.
Even accounting for that, a buffer this thin was…
insufficient.
If a Gate happened to tear open now, it would be catastrophic.
“So the final battle with Belpherus really did take that much out of us?”
If we hadn’t ended it in that one strike, we’d have had nothing left.
I wouldn’t have had the power reserves to fire the Ultra-Absolute Photon Cannon at all.
“All right, I understand.”
I received the report and moved on.
A faint sense of regret lingered on my face.

[Promotion Examination]
– Promote one unit, including drones. The promoted unit receives a one-time enhancement.
* Maximum of 2 promotion opportunities available.
* 1 promotion opportunity recharges on the 1st of each month.

I’d wanted to try this once.
Guess I’ll have to save it for next time.

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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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