I Conquered the Tower with the EX-Class Character That I Raised - Chapter 12

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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 12
Upon returning home, the first thing I did was verify my spoils.
I rifled through my backpack.
Inside lay what appeared to be ordinary silver gloves.
They were the S-grade artifact ‘White Tiger’s Fang’.
Hunter Association Chairman Jin Cheon-jin had given them to me as a reward.
‘Now it feels like I’m receiving quests in reality.’
After all, any true gamer knows you don’t accept quests without rewards.
My objective: subjugating the Frost Dragon Scathach, now just five days away.
It was an exceptionally weighty Epic Quest, with rewards including ‘Constellation Corridor Achievement Unlock’ and a ‘Possession Ticket’.
In any case.
There was no reason to refuse.
‘However.’
The method was the problem.
South Korea’s Tower stands in Seoul.
Yet for reasons unknown, the boss gate created by the Break opens in Pyongyang.
Roughly two hundred kilometers away in a straight line.
Time limit: ten minutes.
And there was the additional constraint that using mana would steadily consume that time.
In such circumstances… was there truly a way to subjugate Scathach?
The answer was yes.
If I had merely awakened ‘Frost Affinity’ and could only use Han Seol-ah’s magic, it would have been hopeless.
But…
I was not ‘a hunter who awakened Frost Affinity’.
I was a Frost Mage.
A sorcerer capable of wielding every single frost spell that exists in Lost Honor.
I simply needed to employ the ‘exceptionally special magic’ that only a Frost Mage could use.
That spell would become the crowning jewel of this subjugation operation.
‘Let me test it.’
For simulation purposes, I reclassed my character—Nebula—as a Frost Mage.
Then I moved to the Interdimensional Gate and hunted Scathach relentlessly.
I obtained Scathach materials as well.
It was a perfect opportunity—killing two birds with one stone through practical simulation.
After slaughtering Scathach for quite some time.
“Well, the basic strategy is set….”
My rough plan was complete.
With this, clearing the Epic Quest was guaranteed.
But!
“I can’t be satisfied with merely clearing an Epic Quest.”
Epic Quests contained hidden quests.
An absolute treasure trove that I can’t afford to miss!
While analyzing the Epic Quest, I calculated which Hidden Quests might be lurking beneath the surface.
The answer came quickly.
“Easy, so easy. I can predict every intention behind this~”
After ten years in Lost Honor, finding Hidden Quests is child’s play.
* * *
First step of the plan.
Rustle.
I retrieved the ticket I’d carefully stored deep in my pocket.
A reward I’d received after clearing the first Epic Quest.
A ‘Possession Ticket’.
“I’ll use this.”
It was a precious item not easily obtained, so I’d wanted to conserve it as much as possible…
But this Quest cannot be cleared without using it.
‘Since I’ll get another one after clearing this Quest, it’s fine.’
And when such a golden opportunity to ‘refill’ presents itself, I need to master how to use the ticket.
I placed the ticket on the desk and deliberated for a moment.
‘Who should I possess?’
Countless names flashed through my mind.
‘This one’s a criminal… this one too.’
Among the names familiar to me—someone who only uses the Darknet, the underground internet—most are infamous for the wrong reasons.
Excluding such low-quality individuals and filtering out weak hunters below S-grade, surprisingly few candidates remained.
The first hunter that came to mind was Mushin.
‘His rank is EX-grade.’
Everyone unanimously calls him the strongest man on Earth.
Mushin’s power is genuine.
But.
“Mushin, you’re disqualified. Unfortunately, you cannot accompany me this time.”
How regrettable.
I’ll pass on you for now.
‘Though you’d be useful immediately.’
If I could borrow Mushin’s strength, it would greatly help resolve the immediate crisis.
But I cannot use the Possession Ticket so carelessly for merely ‘resolving an immediate threat’.
The Possession Ticket is a core item for unlocking professions in the Corridor, after all.
I must comprehensively consider how much it can help fill the Corridor’s collection and how beneficial the unlocked profession would be to me.
From that perspective, Mushin is disqualified.
He offers no long-term benefit to me whatsoever.
‘If my prediction is correct, I can unlock all martial artist-type professions simply by entering the Tower.’
Therefore, not just Mushin, but all martial artist-type hunters will be unnecessary for my Corridor going forward.
‘If I’ve filtered out Mushin, how could anything below him catch my eye?’
And then there’s another EX-grade hunter.
The one known only by the alias ‘The Observer’—nothing else is revealed about them.
I’ll put this one on hold as well for now.
There’s simply too little information.
Next, the third candidate.
Japan’s S-grade flame mage.
Alias ‘Kakutsuchi’, Akabane Ren.
He wields flame magic, which is Scathach’s elemental weakness.
He should be able to satisfy the unlock conditions for ‘Flame Sorcerer’ as well.
Since he can apparently use ‘Clone Technique’, there’s also a possibility of unlocking an additional job from the Corridor’s ’14th Series – Anomalous/Out-of-Specification’ category.
‘He’s the perfect candidate in every way.’
I write ‘Kakutsuchi’ on the possession ticket.
“Oh.”
The ink fades naturally, and before my eyes…
[Please enter more precisely]
A message appears.
“I see how this works.”
[Japan, S-grade, Alias Kakutsuchi, Akabane Ren]
‘…They’re not going to ask for age and address too, are they?’
[Currently unable to exceed the ‘national’ level]
“So distance is a problem?”
Despite the qualifier ‘currently’, it seems I cannot possess individuals from other nations.
That eliminates all the remaining lower-priority candidates.
“Then it’s only South Korea.”
…The hunter pool in South Korea is pathetic.
Calling in someone like Chul-soo, a mere B-grade, wouldn’t help at all.
The few A-grades that exist are all tank-class hunters.
The only S-grade is Han Seol-ah.
“This is the best option I have right now.”
[South Korea, EX-grade]
“Kya. EX-grade. How magnificent.”
[South Korea, EX-grade, Alias Guardian, Han Seol-ah]
I finish writing and set down the pen.
[Proceed with possession?]
[Yes] [No]
The message appears.
“So that’s how it works.”
I could have initiated the possession immediately.
But if I’m given a choice like this?
[No]
Let me create a more perfect stage.
* * *
The next day.
Han Seol-ah and her group waited for the appointed time without a moment’s sleep.
Han Seol-ah sat in a cross-legged position, resting Eternal Winter across her knees as she trained.
Whenever an opportunity arose, she cast detection spells, but she couldn’t find any trace of the Apostle.
‘How is such perfect concealment even possible?’
—Could they not be human?
Except for these brief moments when her focus wavered, Han Seol-ah circulated her mana and recalled the sensation of using magic under Frozen’s guidance.
[…]
What was strange was that Frozen, who normally couldn’t help but offer unsolicited advice whenever she moved her mana, was unusually quiet.
‘….’
Yet judging by how quietly he was drawing in Han Seol-ah’s mana, he seemed to be performing high-speed calculations of some kind.
Min Ji-hee was busy handling the Hunter Association’s administrative work remotely.
Jin Cheon-jin was keeping watch outside the building.
Since mana detection was useless, confirming the Apostle’s approach with the naked eye was the only option.
Whoosh—
The door opened and Jin Cheon-jin entered.
“They’re coming. Prepare yourselves.”
“….”
Everyone knelt in reverent posture.
A moment later.
Whoosh—
The Apostle entered.
“….”
The Apostle paused upon seeing the three people kneeling respectfully, then raised a hand to stop them as they began to bow.
“There are three conditions.”
“Yes. Please tell us.”
Min Ji-hee took the lead in responding.
“First. Hand over Eternal Winter.”
Han Seol-ah’s shoulders visibly flinched. I knew how much she relied on and cherished that staff—or rather, the Frozen dwelling within it.
“…I understand.”
Min Ji-hee answered a beat too late.
Her gaze lingered with sympathy on Han Seol-ah’s trembling fingertips.
It was the heart of a parent, unable to rush her to surrender.
Perhaps sensing that sentiment, the Apostle spoke calmly.
“I am not taking it from you. Eternal Winter belongs to you.”
“Ah….”
“Once this crisis of annihilation is resolved, I will return it to you.”
“Thank you… thank you so much.”
There was not a hint of regret in the apostle’s tone as he spoke.
Eternal Winter was a peerless artifact.
Perhaps even such a divine treasure was nothing more than an item to the apostle.
Han Seol-ah bowed deeply, then crawled forward on her knees and offered Eternal Winter.
The apostle placed Eternal Winter into his backpack.
“Second. From now on, cooperate fully with my requests.”
“Understood.”
Min Ji-hee nodded her head.
“I will follow whatever you ask. Even if you demand my life.”
The apostle shook his head.
“Do not misunderstand. My requests will be conducted in a manner that is ‘entirely reasonable’ by your standards.”
“…Thank you for your mercy.”
“I will exercise my first request immediately. The task is: ‘Arrange countermeasures so that I am not hindered in my activities in this world.'”
Min Ji-hee’s pupils suddenly gleamed with a different light.
‘So I won’t be hindered… arrange countermeasures?’
Her brilliant mind began to probe the hidden intent behind the apostle’s words.
“I understand. As you wish….”
The apostle nodded.
“Since you mentioned life and death, I should clarify—I do not enjoy human sacrifice.”
“…Yes.”
At that bland tone, a chill ran down Min Ji-hee’s spine with cold sweat.
A joke?
…Or was it actually a joke?
In the moment Min Ji-hee was confused.
The apostle spoke.
Min Ji-hee showed signs of relief. But that relief was short-lived.
“Third.”
The apostle pointed at Han Seol-ah with a slender finger.
“You must die two hundred times.”
“….”
“….”
The Appraisal Center froze in an instant.
“Pardon?”
It was Jin Cheon-jin who asked back.
His face flushed red, and his clenched fists trembled violently.
No matter that he was an apostle of salvation, to speak of killing his precious daughter.
A father’s fury, utterly unbearable, surged within him.
“What do you mean by that?”
Even the normally composed Min Ji-hee bit her lip until blood came.
‘Either push Seol-ah into a death trap, or destroy the nation… or something.’
A choice flashed through Min Ji-hee’s mind.
Following that ambiguous remark—whether jest or earnest—about not enjoying human sacrifice came an unsettlingly dark option.
The Apostle raised his hand.
“I hear no answer.”
“….”
“Will you accept?”
“Is there no other way…?”
The words Min Ji-hee forced out were:
“There isn’t.”
“Could I offer my life instead…?”
“Wait!”
Han Seol-ah urgently stepped between the two of them.
“Seol-ah! I cannot lose you, I cannot….”
“That’s not what I mean.”
Han Seol-ah gripped both Jin Cheon-jin’s and Min Ji-hee’s hands with trembling fingers.
To her parents’ eyes, it must have looked like sending their daughter to her doom as a human sacrifice.
But Han Seol-ah’s mind flashed with memories from The Other World.
The circular ring that materialized as the flag was planted.
The battle against Nebula, terrifying even to behold.
My first death amid despair I could never overcome… and my first awakening.
And the repeated fights with their identical conclusions.
Hopeless, yet above all else, the unmistakable memory of growth.
‘That was painful, but it was certain training.’
Han Seol-ah lifted her head and met the Apostle’s gaze directly.
‘Saying I must die was a question—asking if I was ready to steel myself for such resolve.’
Han Seol-ah steadied her heart.
If it meant becoming stronger, I was already prepared to do anything.
“I’ll do it.”
At her resolute gaze, Jin Cheon-jin could not bring himself to protest further and exhaled a long sigh.
“You’ll summon me back to The Other World, won’t you?”
This was an opportunity.
A chance to grow even stronger.
At her question, the Apostle’s lips curved upward as he chuckled.
“With this, your ‘Quest’ is accepted.”

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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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