I Conquered the Tower with the EX-Class Character That I Raised - Chapter 79

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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 79
[Confirmed: Progress on Floor 94 has become difficult]
[Proceeding with ‘Interim Settlement’]
Golden messages blazed across the void in succession.
[Floor 94 Conquest 1 – Offense: Elimination of the Outer God’s shell]
[Judged as ‘Success’]
[Floor 94 Conquest 2 – Defense: Protection of the Core]
[Core collapse confirmed]
[However, force majeure caused by external intervention is acknowledged]
[Judged as ‘Pending’]
[Therefore, Floor 94’s theme: ‘Ruin’ will be retried]
* * *
After Ha Sung-woon vanished in a burst of golden light.
Chul-soo, left alone in the darkness, drifted aimlessly through the pitch-black void.
Chul-soo knew he had a role to play.
And he sensed that role had not yet begun.
Given this ominous silence, something had clearly gone wrong—but….
“…Hmm.”
Chul-soo trusted Sung-woon.
That bastard would have anticipated this and prepared accordingly.
So he remained unruffled, waiting with composure.
And before long, just as his instincts foretold, ‘something’ approached to shatter this silence.
From the darkness, eyes gleamed with an ominous crimson light and opened.
If one were to face a blazing sun directly in the heart of Cosmic Space, would it feel like this?
Merely meeting those red eyes that filled his entire vision brought a suffocating pressure that crushed his very soul.
“Ugh.”
A sharp ringing, and his vision inverted.
As a splitting headache bloomed and his eyes opened, the crimson eyes appeared again, and his consciousness snapped away once more.
In an eternity compressed into an instant, with each breath Chul-soo took, his consciousness plummeted endlessly into the abyss.
“Grrgh.”
Then the floating crimson eyes rolled grotesquely before focusing precisely on Chul-soo.
Facing that blatantly arrogant gaze—as if observing a struggling insect—Chul-soo gritted his teeth and mustered defiance.
“What’re you staring at, you bastard?”
I am no insect!
Even as instinctive terror choked his breath, sheer stubborn pride forced his head upward.
He had thought human speech would never reach such a being.
[An amusing little thing. Tsk tsk…]
“…!”
A response came.
The voice of an ancient, crumbling old man.
[So that’s why you don’t die. That extraordinary shell you wear… it’s protecting you.]
‘Immortal Ritual.’
Only then did Chul-soo understand why his consciousness kept fragmenting with each breath.
Those crimson eyes had stripped his life away dozens of times over,
and each time, the power of the garment Nebula had gifted him—
the blessing of ‘eternal life and deathlessness’—forcibly resurrected him.
As the horrifying truth seized him, Chul-soo’s entire body went rigid.
Hehehehe.
The crimson eyes floating in the void curved into a crescent shape.
A silent mockery.
It was repugnant. Revolting.
[There’s a certain… amusement in degrading rather than killing.]
‘Degradation?’
The back of my neck prickled with dread.
The power of the garment Ha Sung-woon gave me was eternal life and deathlessness.
Thanks to it, I could escape the mortal threats those crimson eyes inflicted,
but I’d never heard that this garment could ward off ‘degradation’ as well.
When that grotesque god in The Other World had tried to corrupt me and clamped its jaws around my throat, the garment offered no defense whatsoever!
[Now then, let me properly claim this floor’s ‘sacrifice’.]
With that pronouncement, a viscous crimson radiance poured forth from those eyes like blood itself.
“Ugh!”
As invisible fangs tore into my heart, Chul-soo reflexively gasped, blood coating his lips.
A sensation like writhing insects crawling beneath the skin.
A malevolence so vile that my very soul seemed on the verge of blackening and warping into some grotesque abomination crashed through my entire being.
And then…
“Huh?”
It ended.
The pupils of the floating crimson eyes contracted grotesquely, trembling finely.
[ERROR! Degradation judgment failed for entity ‘Kim Chul-soo’. Retrying.]
“Krraaaagh!”
A sinister force incomparably more dreadful than before gouged at my heart.
As Chul-soo clawed at his chest and coughed blood,
[ERROR!]
Crimson radiance cascaded down like a waterfall multiple times, grinding against Chul-soo’s soul, yet nothing changed beyond that.
[…Another ‘corruption’ has taken root within you?]
In that instant, the image of the corrupting god flashed through Chul-soo’s mind.
That ‘corruption’ he’d received then had paradoxically become a shield, blocking this entity’s interference.
The moment Chul-soo grasped this astounding contradiction, the crimson eyes too confronted a truth born of rage.
[ERROR! Degradation judgment failed for entity ‘Kim Chul-soo’]
[ERROR! Death judgment failed for entity ‘Kim Chul-soo’]
[Excessive Retry Count Detected]
[Warning! An infinite loop has occurred in the 94th Floor theme ‘Eternal Decline’]
Beep! Beep! Beep—!
Sharp warning sounds struck my ears in rapid succession, and dozens of crimson system windows cascaded down like a waterfall between Chul-soo and the Red-Eyed Entity.
[Ha… hahaha!]
A bitter laugh burst forth, as if in disbelief.
Yet before that laughter could fade, the spacetime surrounding the Red-Eyed Entity began to warp and convulse mercilessly.
Scarlet light poured forth from pupils swollen as if ready to burst at any moment, blazing like an uncontrolled inferno.
[‘First’! How dare this worm…!]
Boom—!
As the killing intent erupting from the Red-Eyed Entity manifested into tangible form and crashed down, the very darkness of the surrounding space fractured like glass, screaming.
[I will slaughter them all…!]
Rumble—!
[Warning. Cease violent action immediately.]
The moment a brilliant golden message flooded my vision, the world froze.
In the silence where even the turbulent heartbeat and crushing killing intent ceased, only the dialogue between two transcendent beings echoed through the void.
[According to our agreement, one of the beings on the 94th Floor must be offered to me!]
[Question. Was it not offered?]
[Did you not see! A defective product with both death and eternal decline blocked…!]
[Counterargument. Entity: Ha Sung-woon clearly fulfilled his role by presenting ‘Human001’ as a sacrifice for the 94th Floor theme ‘Eternal Decline.’ From the moment ‘Human001’ was transferred, responsibility falls to the ‘Outer God.’]
[Yes, but ‘First’ has interfered with—]
[Rejected. Entity: Ha Sung-woon, after understanding the 94th Floor theme, anticipated and prepared for future events. This should be regarded as legitimate ‘conquest,’ not ‘interference.’]
Rumble—!
The pupils of the Red-Eyed Entity burned even brighter crimson.
[So this is how you’re going to play it?]
[Counterargument. You crossed the line first.]
The Red-Eyed Entity fell silent for a moment, then let out a cold sneer.
[Fine. Our ‘young one’ did make a mistake, so I’ll let it slide this time. ‘Conquest,’ you say? Hahaha. How amusing. A mere worm dares to conquer me? Ahahaha!]
Killing intent erupted alongside maniacal laughter, beginning to tear the space apart like paper.
Rip—!
Yet before the collapse could complete, golden light poured down, forcibly sealing the fractures and restoring them.
At that iron-clad defense, the Red-Eyed Entity let out a low growl.
[Let’s see how long you can cling to life hiding behind this system.]
[Derision. Within the Tower’s rules, the ‘Observer’ cannot even achieve physical manifestation. Your threat is deemed meaningless.]
[You dog…!]
[To prevent the collapse of the 94th Floor, an exceptional ‘Clear’ of that floor is being forcibly executed.]
[The intruder (Outer God) is forcibly expelled. Access rights revoked.]
Crash—!
Along with a flash that consumed my vision, the Red-Eyed Entity was forcibly erased from existence.
* * *
The frozen world began to flow once more.
This time, I clearly recognized that the world had stopped, and I could read every word of the argument between the golden and crimson letters suspended in the void.
‘The Tower is favorable to conquest.’
This information.
It would prove invaluable to my future endeavors.
Until now, I had believed the Tower’s rules were absolute.
But I am different now.
I am the ‘All New Ha Sung-woon’—years of living as an Awakening-disabled person layered upon me.
A nature that circumvents and shatters even predetermined rules through circuit numbers… ultimately seeking to ‘conquer.’
In other words, a gamer’s instinct comes standard-equipped.
Having eavesdropped on that conversation, I was certain my approach was never wrong.
‘If the system had known I was listening, it wouldn’t have let this slip so easily.’
I’ll continue to ‘conquer’ as I please.
Arrogant bastards.
* * *
Spit.
The grotesquely swollen core of the Outer God shrank back to its original size, expelling the limp Kim Chul-soo.
The core, now a hideous lump of flesh, convulsed a few final times—thump! thump!—before falling silent.
The sacred radiance of ‘Kyrie Eleison’ still filling the void gently enveloped Chul-soo’s fallen form.
Within the miracle of a wounded soul and depleted stamina rapidly mending, Chul-soo gasped and drew breath, struggling to his feet.
“…What happened?”
“You don’t remember?”
“….”
Before answering, Chul-soo looked around.
Thanks to potions and holy power, external wounds had healed, but Han Seol-ah and Yereche, exhausted by relentless fatigue, barely leaned against the rampart, gasping for breath.
Lee Ah-woon sat vacant-eyed and dazed as well.
Having quickly surveyed that grim atmosphere, Chul-soo cleared his throat and spoke in a stiff voice.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
I could plainly see how he barely swallowed the casual speech that had nearly slipped out by habit.
‘His instincts are remarkably sharp.’
With Chul-soo’s safe return…
The conquest of Floor 94 finally came to an end.
‘Sigh…’
Now I just needed the clear message to appear.
[Notification: Korean Tower Floor 94 has been ‘Cleared’]
Yes, this.
[Multiple Hidden Quests have been completed]
And the Hidden Quests that followed.
[Hidden Quest 1. Perfect Defense]
[You not only perfectly defended against the monster wave, but reversed it and annihilated them entirely]
[Reward: The Tower’s blessing seeps into your entire body]
‘It’s here.’
What makes a climber stronger?
The answer is simple: ‘climbing the Tower makes you stronger.’
Each floor presents a single clear objective.
Achieve it, and the floor is complete.
You can ascend to the next floor.
This ‘ordinary clear’ is easy, fast, and convenient—but it carries a fatal flaw.
It doesn’t make the climber stronger.
However, by exceeding the objective or clearing hidden elements…
Completing a ‘Hidden Quest’ causes the Tower’s blessing to seep into the climber’s body according to the items achieved.
Since I broke through the first floor tutorial.
Until clearing the 93rd floor…
I’ve relentlessly cleared Hidden Quests.
Each blessing I received, I stacked carefully and refined into a single unified energy.
That is my inner force.
A source of power fundamentally different from mana—pure and formidable.
The golden blessing seeping from my crown poured heavily into my dantian.
As the scorching heat of burning away impurities swept through my entire body, the accumulated inner force surged noticeably, filling my dantian without gaps.
A wondrous fullness as my body’s durability and senses were honed to a sharper dimension.
[Hidden Quest 2. Perfect Offense]
[You have not merely eliminated the ‘Outer God’s shell’—you have completely annihilated it]
[Reward: The Tower’s blessing seeps into your entire body]
Cleared up to the second Hidden Quest.
‘Hah.’
Since the 94th floor’s theme is Defense & Offense, breaking one Hidden Quest from each element makes this a truly perfect clear.
Now, once I exit, it’s over…
‘Huh?’
…or so I thought, but the message continues below.
‘There’s another one?’
[Hidden Quest 3.]
‘?’
But something… feels off.
The ‘3’ displayed properly, but the flow feels like there’s lag.
‘What is this?’
The Tower’s system has never displayed output this slowly before.
[Hidden Quest 3. An Apple as a Gift]
‘?’
[We apologize for the appearance of an unexpected variable]
“Oh.”
I was startled by the voice.
This was the first time the Tower’s system had conveyed its will in such a manner.
‘…It seems I scratched it a bit during that red-lettered conversation earlier?’
There’s nothing wrong with that.
[Reward: The Tower’s blessing seeps into your entire body]
Rewards are always sweet.
So now, to head outside…
[Hidden Quest 4.]
‘?’
There’s another one?
[Hidden Quest 4. Welcome Back Gift]
[Entity: Had been waiting for Ha Sung-woon’s return]
[Congratulations with sincerity]
‘….’
What is this?
[Reward: The Tower’s blessing seeps into your entire body]
…Anyway, I’m grateful for the reward.
* * *
Hanam Fortress had become an impregnable iron bastion.
The colossal walls that S-rank earth mage Happy had raised skyward.
The supreme-grade potions that Golden Mine Lee Hyung-je scattered without end.
With the support of faceless Black Market employees joining the defensive line, it had become an unprecedented battlefield that no nation in the world could dare to emulate.
But.
‘Unlimited’—that desperate modifier was slowly eroding even the vast miracle of gold.
“Huff, gasp…”
Tank squad leader Kim Tae-wan exhaled ragged breaths while gripping his shattered shield.
Though potions had healed his body’s wounds, the mana circuits burned to their limit and the severe mental exhaustion were territories that no amount of money could fill.
“Squad leader! In the front…!”
Kim Tae-wan lifted his heavy head.
“Insane…”
It was nearly the twentieth consecutive wave.
The next assault that crashed down without even a moment to catch one’s breath was on an entirely different scale from the typical monster waves they had experienced thus far.
Green-skinned hordes of goblins and orcs from the 30-40th floor ranges had begun mixing with higher-tier monsters inhabiting the 50-60th floors.
Formidable enemies that most nations had never even experienced were surging toward the walls in groups of hundreds.
“We’ll rotate again.”
Red blood seeped from Min Ji-hee’s lips as she monitored the screens in the command center.
Yet she remained unaware, watching the dire situation reflected on the monitors with bated breath.
Happy, who had been reinforcing the fortress, had already collapsed showing signs of mana depletion.
The special operations team—Jin Cheon-jin, Kang Hyo-jun, and Jang Ho-hyun, who had been deployed as emergency responders—were already sustaining major and minor injuries with their combat effectiveness severely diminished.
The healers’ holy power had been completely exhausted, and they were barely keeping the tanks alive with potions.
A dam on the verge of collapse.
That was the current state of Hanam Fortress.
Even the stalwart Jin Cheon-jin, with his jaw clenched and fists tightened, was preparing for a final stand in that very moment.
Kuuuuuuuu—!
The sky tore open.
The gray sky that had pressed down upon South Korea fractured like thick glass, splitting with a deafening crack before crumbling away.
“Screeeeeech—!”
The ravenous, guttural shrieks of monsters yearning to breach the walls were about to consume the battlefield.
Then, a crystalline system notification pierced through every ear, echoing across the entire field.
Ding—!
[Notification: The ‘Unlimited Monster Wave’ in the South Korea region has been forcibly terminated.]
“…What?”
Min Ji-hee doubted her own eyes and ears.
She thought it was an auditory hallucination born from extreme exhaustion.
Yet thousands upon thousands of monsters stood frozen, mere steps from the fortress walls.
Whoosh—
In the next instant, the vast legion of monsters crumbled into golden dust, collapsing like a sandcastle.
The moment her suspicion transformed into shock, an unbelievable silence descended upon the battlefield.
And then came the message.
And the radiant, sacred golden light proclaiming the end of war…!
Soon, an almost unbelievable message appeared before everyone’s eyes.
[Notification: Korean Tower Floor 94 has been ‘cleared’.]
“…Cleared?”
Min Ji-hee’s legs finally gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.
Tears she had held back streamed down her face in torrents.
Two hours since the wave began.
The Apostle led his party inside, shattering the ten-year shackles that had bound South Korea…
And he had truly cleared Floor 94…
Kuuuuuung—!
In the center of the battlefield.
Piercing through the ashes of crumbled monsters, a pillar of light so brilliant it seared the eyes came crashing down.

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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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