I Conquered the Tower with the EX-Class Character That I Raised - Chapter 11

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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 11
Shortly after arriving in Incheon.
I actively channeled my EX-rank mana, casting detection across a wide radius.
Boom!
A circular shockwave erupted from my position.
[Hmm… You’ve got quite the skill.]
“If I let a monster slip through, it becomes a catastrophe, so I’ve always paid special attention to detection.”
[I see. With just a bit more refinement, you’d be perfect.]
‘But something feels off…?’
Every human carries at least a trace of mana within their body.
My detection had the capability to sweep up even those minuscule amounts without missing a single one.
Yet I found nothing.
“Did they step out?”
[No. They are here.]
Frozen stated it with absolute certainty.
From the moment Frozen descended into Incheon, he could sense the presence of the Creator.
Though the intensity was extremely faint.
But Frozen was certain.
[I cannot be mistaken about this.]
A Genesis-rank item touched most deeply by the Creator’s hand is treated as the Creator’s direct offspring.
The fifth Genesis among countless crafted items.
‘Eternal Winter’ was the Creator’s fifth child and the youngest to have received his touch most recently.
Such a Frozen could never confuse the Creator’s aura.
[This way.]
Frozen hummed softly as he guided me forward.
Jin Cheon-jin and Min Ji-hee cautiously followed behind.
‘…I still can’t sense anything.’
I was puzzled.
No matter how many times I attempted detection, it was certain that no living creature existed ahead.
I turned my head to look at Min Ji-hee.
She shook her head.
Min Ji-hee sensed nothing either.
[It’s in here.]
After walking for some time.
We arrived at the Appraisal Center.
Gulp.
‘The One is… inside?’
My mouth went dry from the intense tension.
I swallowed hard and stepped into the Appraisal Center.
[They’re over there.]
‘…!’
Inside the Appraisal Center, a man stood in the direction Frozen had indicated.
Thump! Thump!
My heart raced wildly.
“Yes, Nebula!”
The man turned around.
“…!”
And the moment I met his gaze.
Goosebumps erupted across my entire body.
The man’s face was… ordinary.
Strangely ordinary.
If the human species had a prototype, would it look like this?
It was the first impression that came to my bewildered mind.
‘…Is this what the first human God ever created would look like?’
So unremarkable that it became remarkable instead.
“Ah.”
But something was wrong.
The One I remembered didn’t feel like this at all.
An overwhelming terror.
A transcendent being whose mere gaze could freeze the soul.
That was the form of Nebula I remembered.
But the man before me?
Completely different.
And more than anything…
‘There’s… no mana!’
The mana within his body was zero.
Not depleted—completely absent.
His body was utterly empty.
Like a phantom that didn’t exist in this world.
‘This makes no sense!
Even the word phantom fell short.
An alien existence completely divorced from the laws of this world stood before my eyes.
“Frozen? Is that really…?”
[Yes.]
Frozen answered firmly to my trembling whisper.
“But I can’t sense any mana at all. This is clearly abnormal….”
[That’s exactly why you’re an amateur.]
Frozen’s voice turned glacial.
As cold sweat began to trickle down my face.
The man opened his mouth.
“I am not Nebula.”
“…?”
[Huh?]
The atmosphere froze solid.
The man’s voice was soft and measured.
Neither high nor low—perfectly pitched to the ear’s delight.
Yet the meaning beneath those words was anything but ordinary.
[That… that can’t be…!]
Frozen, who had been sensing an unmistakable ‘Creator’s breath’ emanating from the man before him, felt as though the world itself was collapsing.
“That’s… impossible!”
Han Seol-ah felt her mind reeling at the fact that a ‘human without mana’ existed, and that this existence was not Nebula.
As if understanding their shock,
the man quietly raised his hand and continued.
“But I will soon become Nebula.”
“…?”
What does that even mean?
* * *
They say that when humans face extreme circumstances, superhuman strength emerges.
I now know that’s a lie.
Superhuman strength? Forget it!
My mind has gone completely blank—I can’t think of anything!
“What do you mean by…?”
Nebula is not me.
Nebula is a character in my game.
But Nebula is me.
Nebula is a character I created, a character I control, a character I’ve been raising all this time!
So what I just spouted isn’t technically a lie.
But looking at Han Seol-ah’s reaction—her eyes wide as saucers—I can tell.
It’s not an easy thing to understand.
There was no helping it.
In this brief moment, with my mind blanked out by panic, I deserve credit just for not giving some stupid response like “No, that’s not it.”
“I suppose…”
Let me just say something, anything.
“You don’t understand…?”
I need to buy time.
My mind is spinning frantically.
Han Seol-ah called me “Nebula” without hesitation.
That means she already knows I’m connected to Nebula.
Reacting with “Who’s that?” right now would be the worst move.
Han Seol-ah, and the other two she brought—Jin Cheon-jin and Min Ji-hee—I’d only be fanning the flames of their suspicion.
Fortunately, I had donned the Shadow Mask and altered my appearance mere moments before the three of them burst through the door.
Therefore, they have no knowledge of my true face.
And from observing Han Seol-ah’s reaction, I discerned something crucial.
They too are uncertain whether I am the ‘real Nebula.’
‘This is it.’
I don’t know if I’m the real Nebula.
However, I am certain that I am connected to Nebula.
On the other hand, my situation.
I cannot allow it to be revealed that I am ‘the unawakened Ha Sung-woon.’
And I must definitively demonstrate my connection to Nebula.
I see it now.
The thread in the gap!
A scenario crystallizes in my mind.
And just as I’m about to open my mouth.
Min Ji-hee steps forward, pushing past the frozen Han Seol-ah.
Min Ji-hee.
‘Guardian’ Han Seol-ah. ‘Hero’ Jin Cheon-jin. And as one of the three pillars protecting South Korea…
Her epithet is ‘Iron Blood.’
A terrifying woman who serves as South Korea’s ‘intellect.’
Moreover, Min Ji-hee’s eyes gleam with an enigmatic radiance.
Min Ji-hee’s ‘awakened ability’ is shrouded in mystery.
Yet there is one thing—absolutely certain.
When her awakened ability activates, Min Ji-hee’s pupils shimmer with a brilliance beyond words, a radiance that defies description.
In that moment, she assumes the visage of a sage who transcends logic itself.
That mysterious power is now in full activation.
And its target is me.
Damn it.
‘…Could you let me talk to Han Seol-ah instead?’
Honestly, I’m outmatched!
My mouth closes automatically before it can open.
“I pay my respects to the Apostle.”
‘?’
What apostle?
An apostle?
‘…What is that?’
As I stand frozen by this incomprehensible declaration.
Min Ji-hee drops to one knee and bows deeply.
“And I offer my gratitude.”
For what?
Why would she be grateful?!
I couldn’t suppress my curiosity any longer.
And Min Ji-hee’s posture—head bowed, standing motionless—practically screamed that she was hoping I’d ask her something.
Me, Ha Sung-woon.
A man who has survived ten years on intuition alone.
I’ll give her what she wants.
“…What is it?”
“With my limited intellect, I believe I understand.”
Min Ji-hee lifted her head.
“The Apostle has descended upon this land to save Earth by carrying out the will of the Great One.”
…Me?
‘I see.’
A flash of lightning illuminated my mind with sudden comprehension.
Min Ji-hee has misunderstood who I am.
The cryptic conversation I just had with Han Seol-ah.
…Min Ji-hee’s brilliant intellect found fragments of ‘truth’ within those words.
‘The problem is, that truth is actually a misunderstanding.’
What exactly did Min Ji-hee realize to say such a thing?
I have no idea!
Isn’t she someone with an intellect on a completely different level?
How could I possibly understand the thoughts of such a brilliant person?
But one thing is certain.
The situation has turned in my favor.
I just need to place my spoon on the plate she’s prepared for me.
‘Yes. I am the Apostle descended to save Earth.’
Mental preparation complete.
* * *
“You don’t understand…?”
At that low, indifferent murmur, Min Ji-hee’s heart froze.
This absolute being was about to express disappointment in humanity’s pitiful comprehension.
Min Ji-hee desperately set her mind racing.
A body without mana. In other words, not a living creature.
An eerie sense of alienation, as if sculpted from empty air itself.
Not Nebula, yet the word Nebula was spoken.
The descent of the absolute, the laws of the world, an empty vessel created to uphold them—an avatar.
‘A vessel carrying out the will of God. An Apostle!’
Having reached her conclusion in an instant, Min Ji-hee pushed past the frozen Han Seol-ah and rushed forward urgently.
“I greet the Apostle.”
* * *
“The Apostle has descended upon this land to save Earth by carrying out the will of the Great One.”
Min Ji-hee forced herself to ignore the cold sweat trickling down her spine and met the gaze of the being before her.
‘Did I guess correctly?’
A beat too late, a faint smile bloomed at the man’s lips.
It seemed as though he were whispering, ‘How amusing. Do continue.’
‘The answer… is correct.’
At that smile, Min Ji-hee trembled.
The gears of cold reason—the very machinery she was known for—spun wildly, flushing her cheeks crimson with exhilaration.
“The Transcendent Nebula—for such a colossal being to descend directly into this world would shatter the ‘laws’ established and maintained by the ‘system.'”
Min Ji-hee spread her trembling hands.
“Yet the world, the ‘system,’ remains serene, and no signs of destruction have been observed. This means the great one did not descend ‘directly.'”
“….”
“However, the great one must have discovered a method to descend without shattering this world’s laws—and when combined with the Apostle’s statement that you are ‘not Nebula, yet an existence equal to Nebula’…”
Min Ji-hee’s eyes gleamed with piercing clarity.
“The great one sends down a vessel containing a fragment of divine power, without breaking the world’s laws. In other words, one dispatched to carry out the will of the divine—an Apostle.”
“….”
“That is who you are.”
The man, still wearing that subtle smile, asked a question.
“Saving Earth, you say?”
“That is quite simple, actually.”
Min Ji-hee continued without hesitation.
“You have already helped Seol-ah.”
“Ah…!”
Han Seol-ah gasped.
The man showed no sign of confusion, speaking calmly as though recalling something trivial.
“Indeed.”
In that instant, Min Ji-hee’s pupils quivered violently.
‘Exactly! Only Nebula and Seol-ah are aware of the events in The Other World. This person must be the Apostle who perfectly shares Nebula’s perspective and memories…!’
The moment all of Min Ji-hee’s deductions aligned perfectly.
“Therefore.”
Min Ji-hee dropped to her knees.
“By the mercy of Nebula, I beseech you, Apostle. Please save South Korea from destruction.”
Han Seol-ah swiftly drew the gloves she had carefully kept in her pocket—the White Tiger’s Fang—and prostrated herself beside Min Ji-hee.
With both hands, she reverently held them up as an offering.
Jin Cheon-jin, who had been observing from behind, quickly prostrated himself as well.
The man, instead of answering, lifted the gloves resting in Han Seol-ah’s hands.
Sensing his intent, Jin Cheon-jin urgently added,
“Those gloves are a national treasure of South Korea, an S-rank Artifact, and the partner I have wielded from the moment of my awakening until this day—they are called the White Tiger’s Fang, Apostle.”
“….”
“They may not meet your standards, Apostle. However, among all we have to offer, they are the finest… the most precious. I present them gladly—please, save this nation.”
The man held the gloves in silence.
“…If it is insufficient, I will pay any price. By any means!”
The man stuffed the gloves into the backpack he was holding.
Then Jin Cheon-jin sensed a peculiar mana flowing out as the backpack’s opening slightly parted.
It was a mana that could only be felt from space-attribute magic.
‘Space mana from a backpack? Could it be…’
A certain artifact surfaced in Jin Cheon-jin’s mind.
‘A space-expansion backpack?’
An artifact that appeared to be an ordinary bag on the outside, but inside could hold an almost infinite amount of items—like the ‘inventory’ function in an RPG game.
It had to be a space-expansion backpack, an ultra-rare item of which only twelve existed in the entire world.
‘Ten have owners, one is owned by the Black Market, and one was shrouded in mystery…’
It seemed I had just witnessed that mysterious one.
The man, having carefully stored the white tiger’s fangs in the backpack, fell silent for a moment.
“….”
“….”
Consequently, everyone else fell silent as well.
With no words spoken, only an extreme tension hung in the air.
“Tomorrow.”
“Heck!”
At the man’s abruptly thrown words, Han Seol-ah let out a startled exclamation.
“…I’ll give you an answer at this time tomorrow.”
“…Yes.”
The man quietly left his seat.
The three couldn’t lift their heads until the man’s presence had completely vanished.
Whirr—
And finally, the moment the man stepped outside the Appraisal Center and the door closed.
“Phew.”
Min Ji-hee exhaled heavily and slumped down.
She couldn’t even bring herself to wipe away the cold sweat drenching her back.
“Haa.”
“Sigh.”
The other two were in the same state.
“You’ve had it rough. How did you figure out that he’s an ‘Apostle’?”
At Jin Cheon-jin’s question, Min Ji-hee shook her head firmly.
“How could I possibly understand the intentions of a transcendent being? This was my first time encountering such an existence in the first place. I simply pieced together the fragments I was given and made an educated guess.”
“Fragments?”
Han Seol-ah, who had been listening, asked.
“One was the absence of mana.”
“…That’s right. It was truly strange. Even though he was right in front of me, it felt like he didn’t exist… How terrifying it felt to sense a human without mana. I thought my senses had broken.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“I thought he was a doppelgänger.”
“A beast that mimics human form?”
“There was sighting information, after all. And conveniently, that information pointed here to Incheon.”
Min Ji-hee continued her explanation.
“The second was Frozen’s reaction.”
“…Now that you mention it, Frozen has been quiet. Frozen?”
[I’m listening.]
“Why did you stay silent in front of him?”
[…I won’t answer.]
“…?”
“…If he had nothing to do with Nebula, Frozen would have definitely reacted. But Frozen stayed silent. Moreover, Frozen was the one who clearly identified him as ‘that person.'”
[…]
Frozen still offered no response.
“The third was… power.”
“Power?”
“Resolving a Grade 1 Gate that occurred in Incheon without a single drop of mana. Authority that tore through dimensions itself. Phenomena that modern magical engineering simply cannot explain. If we don’t call this a miracle or divinity, what else could we possibly call it?”
Min Ji-hee exhaled heavily, her expression grave.
“Of course, my theory isn’t necessarily one hundred percent correct.”
“Mm.”
“You said ‘Is that so… I don’t understand,’ as if disappointed that we fell short of your expectations. I couldn’t just stand there blankly, pretending to know nothing in that situation.”
Min Ji-hee unconsciously rubbed her furrowed brow.
“We’re in a position where we need to ask for his salvation, so we can’t disappoint him. That’s why I explained things ‘to the best of my understanding.’ There may have been errors and leaps in logic, but… I hope you understood.”
Min Ji-hee closed her eyes, looking exhausted.
“Since he smiled at the end as if to say ‘that’s enough,’ it means we at least passed the minimum test.”
“And he even took the tribute with him.”
“Right. Now we wait for tomorrow… for him to make his decision.”
Han Seol-ah nodded silently.
Nebula as I saw her in The Other World.
And the Apostle as seen on Earth.
Nebula—that terrifying existence wielding such immense power.
The Apostle, by contrast, radiating nothing at all.
They felt like entirely different beings.
And yet, simultaneously…
Both transcended human comprehension.
That much was certain.
* * *
‘…I deceived them well.’
To be precise…
I survived because Min Ji-hee fell for my deception.
‘The Apostle.’
Strictly speaking, Nebula is my Apostle.
Because I am Nebula’s master.
But I cannot even display one hundredth of the power that Nebula possesses.
So then.
‘You’ve given me a perfect excuse, Min Ji-hee.’
Thank you!

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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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