I Conquered the Tower with the EX-Class Character That I Raised - Chapter 32

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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 32
In that instant.
BOOM!!!
A heavy explosion erupted from the corner of the Auction House, and a thick violet haze cascaded outward like a waterfall.
“Kyaaah!”
“What—what is this!”
Yereche reacted fastest among them all.
She immediately drew upon her holy power, covered her respiratory passages with her sleeve, and lowered her center of gravity.
‘A terrorist attack?’
The sound of people collapsing echoed relentlessly around her.
Yereche hastily infused her holy power into Lee Hyung-je, who had collapsed beside her.
“Haaah…!”
He, who had been coughing up blood, finally regained consciousness with a wheeze.
‘What about the others?’
They were too far away.
The toxin’s potency was so overwhelming that Yereche’s head suddenly spun.
Her sense of direction vanished, making even a single step nearly impossible.
‘Damn it! Even reinforced with holy power, this poison is this lethal!’
Wait—poison this potent?
Was it common for toxins to pierce through holy power?
A chilling realization flashed through Yereche’s mind.
‘Surely not.’
There existed exactly one Awakened on Earth capable of dispersing poison of this caliber.
A Hunter belonging to the villain faction Pandemonium. His alias: Race.
A murder specialist who specialized in stealth and poison.
‘It can’t be.’
Yereche clenched her teeth.
Her mind insisted it wasn’t true, but deep down, she already knew.
Her instincts had a terrible habit of being right about the worst possibilities.
“Race, you bastard. Disperse this poison and get out!”
Yereche’s voice erupted in fury.
The holy power woven through her words swept the poison cloud back with a violent gust.
A brief clearing of vision.
Most of those who had attended today’s auction lay collapsed or sat in agony across the floor.
A position in Numbers wasn’t something one could seize through brute force.
Rather, they were people capable of influencing Market, a merchant collective.
Thus, many of them lacked exceptional combat strength.
The poison cloud crept back in, suffocating the air once more.
‘Damn it all.’
“Hehehehe.”
An unpleasant snicker reached Yereche’s ears.
The thick toxic fog blanketing the surroundings undulated grotesquely, pressing in on Yereche from every angle without a single blind spot.
Even Yereche found herself gasping for breath under the suffocating density of mana that the A-rank assassin had deployed.
Swish—
Race’s speed as he glided silently through the haze was almost impossible to track with the naked eye. He meticulously avoided direct confrontation, instead deliberately fraying her nerves and dragging out time with cunning precision.
“Don’t worry, Saintess. This poison is non-lethal.”
“Non-lethal, you insane bastard. Can’t you see blood pouring from people’s mouths?”
“Weaklings who can’t even endure this much deserve to die anyway. Hehe.”
“You son of a—”
Swish—
Like a phantom moving, like a veil brushing softly against the floor.
Race’s distinctive footsteps echoed.
Boom!
Yereche threw a punch toward the sound, but Race was nowhere to be found.
“Calm down. I didn’t come here to fight.”
“Then why are you here, you cancerous bastard!”
“I received intelligence that you and the Golden Mine were moving simultaneously.”
“···”
‘How does their intelligence network even work? Could there be a spy inside the Religious Order itself?’
“It seemed like something interesting was about to happen. So I came to check it out, and look at this jackpot.”
Race slid across the floor and scattered dozens of poison needles into the air.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Yereche deflected them using holy power as a shield, but the tremendous speed made her vision spin dizzyingly.
Swish—
Just then, a brief vibration sounded from Race’s pocket.
“The Master will be delighted too. Hehe. Well then.”
Boom! The thick fog swelled explosively, and Race’s presence evaporated like smoke.
“Don’t you dare run!”
Yereche reflexively pushed off the ground to chase after him.
“Cough! Aaahhh···!”
“Please… save us… Saintess···!”
The moans of dozens of people coughing blood and collapsing behind her weighed heavily on her ankles.
Her mind screamed that she had to chase down that repugnant creature immediately and secure Elixir’s safety.
But Yereche’s feet had already stopped moving.
“···Ugh!”
Yereche bit her lip until it bled. She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and spun around, her voice firm and resonant with holy power.
“Gather the fallen in front of me!”
Running the Religious Order required money.
So Yereche burned with determination to earn Gold and accumulate Points, but…
she protected the weak and wounded before her.
That was Yereche’s worldview, bearing the title of “the Saintess”.
Under her sharp command, people began moving with military precision, like a well-drilled unit.
* * *
“Cough!”
Lee Hyung-je regained consciousness, feeling a burning pain in his chest and throat.
The moment he secured the bid on the crimson elixir, a mist descended upon him and he lost consciousness.
“Hack, hack.”
“Get out of the way if you’re awake.”
Behind the exhausted Saintess, dozens of people lay sprawled on the ground, coughing up blood.
Lee Hyung-je rolled across the floor in cold sweat, clearing the space.
In that moment, an ominous dread flashed through his mind. Lee Ah-woon’s pallid face, dying.
‘Ah! The elixir!’
He hurriedly lifted his head to look at the podium.
The auctioneer’s corpse lay there, neck severed.
And the spot where the crimson elixir had been was now empty.
* * *
“Stolen? My crimson elixir?”
What was this nonsense?
A card in my pocket trembled, so I pulled it out to find a message inscribed on it.
[My sincerest apologies. However, the final bid amount will be transferred normally.]
I thought I’d lost both the money and the item, but fortunately the money remained intact.
[We will immediately begin recovery of the elixir.]
“Mm. Yes. You should do your part properly.”
[Additionally, the winning bidder from today’s auction has a message to convey to you. Would that be acceptable?]
Options appeared below the question.
[1. Yes] [2. No]
Isn’t this the person who just threw away the elixir I won?
I could at least hear what they have to say.
I selected yes.
[Hello? Special One. I am Lee Hyung-je, known by the title “Golden Mine”.]
Golden Mine?
‘…This man—I know him.’
This gentleman, commonly known as the “Golden Mine,” is famous among the poor as a wealthy benefactor who supplies food provisions free of charge.
[There is a hunter suffering from mana addiction. If that hunter cannot consume the crimson elixir, they will die soon. Only a few hours remain before the seizures begin. If you could possibly supply the crimson elixir immediately, please, I beg you, provide it at once so I may deliver it to this hunter. Only the crimson elixir is the sole path to saving this hunter’s life.]
Hmm.
[1. Yes] [2. No]
The options flickered below.
“Mana addiction? Wasn’t it said there’s only one person in this country with that condition?”
[That’s correct. Hunter Lee Ah-woon.]
At Whitey’s affirmation, I stroked my chin.
Hmm.
‘···I need to hand over this elixir to him too, don’t I?’
Anyway, this old man.
He burned through 1.5 billion points just to save Lee Ah-woon?
Is he incredibly wealthy, or incredibly foolish?
···My heart feels warm.
I can list it for auction right now, of course.
I still have nineteen left.
With such urgent circumstances, the Golden Mine old man will surely invest massive gold to buy another elixir.
Of course, if I can earn that much gold again, it’s a gain for me.
Market said they’d settle at double rate, so it’s an enormous profit.
‘···.’
Crinkle.
I pulled out an empty ‘Calorie Stick’ wrapper from my pocket.
South Korea boasts the world’s overwhelmingly highest death toll from magical beasts.
And yet.
South Korea’s starvation deaths are zero.
How is this even possible?
The Golden Mine, Lee Hyung-je. It’s because of this man.
He’s been supplying Calorie Sticks for free, without limit.
‘Buy from those who don’t eat them, supply to those who lack them… it sounds simple, but who would actually do it?’
If…
Back when I couldn’t earn as many points through Lost Honor as I do now.
If I hadn’t been able to eat Calorie Sticks, I would have starved to death long ago.
I was among the lowest of the have-nots.
In other words.
I’m alive right now because of this old man.
‘I always thought I’d repay this debt someday.’
Isn’t now that time?
‘At the very least, I shouldn’t exploit this man.’
[Special One, I humbly ask. Would you give me the remaining red elixir?]
I made my decision.
[2. Refuse]
…I’m not selling to him.
And the reason he needs the elixir.
Lee Ah-woon’s recovery.
That’s something I was planning to do anyway.
“You’re trying to interfere with my operation to make friends with my buddy?”
Even an old man can’t tolerate that.
Beep—!
Before I could even issue an order, Whitey projected a holographic map on his own.
A red dot was frantically fleeing toward the Waters off Incheon.
[This is the real-time escape route of the terrorist who stole the Elixir. Shall I display the shortest distance to cut them off by intercepting their path?]
“No, it’s fine.”
[Pardon? If we leave it as is, the Elixir will…]
“Whitey. Where are we right now?”
[In the Warehouse, sir.]
…This damn AI.
“…This is my home. Not a warehouse. Anyway, we’re in South Korea, right?”
[Yes, sir.]
I could sense Whitey’s confusion.
For an AI, this one had remarkably rich emotions.
“And that bastard just committed terrorism in South Korea, didn’t he?”
[That is correct.]
I let out a soft chuckle and leaned back deeply into my chair.
South Korea is the land Han Seol-ah protects.
Her epithet isn’t “Guardian” for nothing. She defends the nation from demonic beasts and ruthlessly crushes foreign invasions and terrorist attacks alike.
Even Hell’s Downfall, on the brink of collapse, somehow maintains stable security—why?
All thanks to that woman.
“Dare to commit terrorism in the heart of South Korea and flee? How naive.”
In front of me, she’s a timid little hamster who stammers, but the world knows Han Seol-ah as the “Frost Queen.”
The thief would soon learn what that title meant.
“Pull up Lee Ah-woon’s location.”
I had my own work to attend to.
* * *
Race was nearly intoxicated by the surging dopamine.
An S-rank consumable artifact certified by the Market itself.
A treasure beyond words.
But more than that—outwitting both the Saintess, the core of that supposedly great Religious Order, and the golden mine of wealth that had become Numbers.
That was far more exhilarating.
“Hehehehe.”
Race, transformed into mist, moved swiftly on the currents of wind.
Race’s awakened ability: Mist Form.
Converting the body into gaseous mist to nullify footsteps, scent, and even physical impact—a perfect escape technique and assassination tool.
‘Once I return to Master, I’ll receive at least an executive position as a reward…’
Ehehehe.
Race let out a sinister laugh.
“Hm?”
Then something felt wrong.
“What’s this breath…”
Race chuckled, and with each breath came a wisp of crystalline white vapor.
Clink!
“Huh?”
Race froze mid-breath.
The faint mist exhaled from his lips crystallized in the air, turning white before shattering like glass dust and cascading down.
“….”
And then…
I felt the cold.
‘What is this?’
My body was growing frigid.
As if heat itself were being drained away… an eerie, unnatural chill permeated everything.
Sssshhhhh—
Before I knew it, a thick, pristine fog had settled around me.
‘A vision-blocking skill? How dare you deploy a smokescreen before me?’
Race instinctively withdrew the vial of toxic mist from his coat and dispersed it into the air.
But then.
Thunk. Thud.
The violet poison that should have diffused through the atmosphere froze solid the instant it touched the fog, falling like hail—thunk, thud—onto the ground.
“What… what is this?”
Race’s pupils trembled.
Now that I thought about it.
Something was wrong—not just with what lay before me.
I was an A-rank Awakener.
Operating my mist form at full power.
Yet I was feeling cold?
That alone defied all logic!
‘…What is happening?’
Crunch. Crunch.
Footsteps echoed across the frozen asphalt.
“!”
Race instinctively dispersed into mist to retreat.
Or rather, I tried to.
But my body wouldn’t move.
‘No… the mist…!’
Race gasped in horror.
The mist that should have dispersed at my command was frozen solid, covered in a pale layer of frost.
An absolute cold so intense it froze even formless vapor itself.
Then, parting through the white fog, a woman emerged.
Cloaked in softly luminous blue mana, she gazed down at Race with eyes as cold and sharp as ice.
A Hunter known as the Protector of South Korea.
It was Han Seol-ah.
“…Han Seol-ah?”
Race’s breath caught in his throat.
Beyond mere panic, a primal terror crawled up his spine.
Yet something felt wrong.
She wasn’t even casting magic.
Merely wreathed in a soft azure glow of mana, her breathing and footsteps alone radiated an overwhelming, suffocating cold that froze the body of a superhuman.
‘What in the world is this…!’
I knew Han Seol-ah was strong.
But was she truly a monster of this caliber?
This caliber of magic didn’t exist anywhere in Pandemonium’s database.
An overwhelming disparity in power.
My hunter’s instinct screamed a warning.
Entangle with this woman, and I die.
I have to escape!
“Ugh…!”
Race immediately pushed his mist transformation to its absolute limit.
The sudden surge of mana control brought a sensation like his organs were being torn apart, but there was no time to worry about that now.
In the instant he was about to scatter on the wind.
Han Seol-ah’s cool azure eyes turned toward the mist dispersing into empty air.
A gaze utterly devoid of emotion—as if she were looking down at insects, no, mere dust.
Those eyes that had flushed endlessly and trembled before the Apostle now held nothing but merciless coldness.
This was South Korea’s EX-rank Hunter.
The true face of the “Frost Queen” the world feared.
“Die.”
From between Han Seol-ah’s crimson lips fell a single word, sharp as ice shards.
Simultaneously, she slowly raised her hand.
With that small gesture alone.
Race’s ashen mist, about to scatter in all directions, froze abruptly in mid-air.
Ugh, ughhhh…!
A pure white, frigid cold engulfed Race voraciously.
The horrifying sensation of a gaseous body being forcibly solidified into ice.
Even the blood trickling from his lips instantly hardened into crimson ice, and the tears born from agony, terror, and cold never managed to roll down his cheeks before freezing solid on his eyelids.
‘So cold…’
That was the final thought of Race, the A-rank assassin.
Tick. Tick-tick. Tock.
The crystalline mist, now frozen white, shattered like glass and rained down onto the floor with an eerie, shattering sound.
The man who had been Numbers 100.
The criminal Race, who had made the underworld tremble with mist and poison.
He died frozen solid with a single gesture from Han Seol-ah, without even a scream.

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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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