I’m the Only One With Two Towers - Chapter 168

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Only I Have Two Towers Episode 168

Someone I Know

The thought of wanting to try Cheongsan liquor completely disappeared.

Because I realized it the moment I saw the scene before my eyes.

The situation was much more serious than I had thought.

‘How many are there?’

I counted the number of people lying down.

Even at a rough glance, there were well over thirty.

Eun Gang-seok, who had been sitting in the center, stood up and approached.

“Thank you for coming all this way.”

He had definitely been a lively and energetic person.

But he must have suffered a lot, as his face had become very gaunt.

The atmosphere had also sunk low.

“Are all these people…?”

“Yes. They’re the people who were devoured by the box.”

Just as Gang-seok was about to say something more.

An elderly man entered the room.

The grandfather lightly bowed to Jinhyeok’s group before approaching Eun Gang-seok.

“I told you that was enough. This is it. It was impossible from the beginning. Because of this old man’s stubbornness, innocent people have been caught.”

Jin Yun-ho lowered his voice.

“That’s Master Bae Jin-guk, the head of the Cheongsan Clan.”

“Oh… So that’s him.”

After waiting quietly for a moment.

Bae Jin-guk turned around and faced Jinhyeok.

“How old are you, young man?”

“I’m 24 years old.”

“Do you want to die at that age?”

“No. I need to live a long, long life.”

“Then go back. Unless you want to end up the same way.”

Bae Jin-guk pointed to the people lying down.

“Over thirty young people ended up like this just to save my one son. Even if I pay for my sins for the rest of my life, it won’t be enough. I don’t want to accumulate more karma. I’m grateful you came from far away, but please go back.”

“Thank you for your concern. But since I’m already here, I’ll just listen to the story before I go. Before that, where’s the restroom?”

“…It’s over there.”

I went to the place he pointed to and locked the door.

Then I manifested Camilla.

“You called me… to a toilet?”

Camilla frowned with a disgusted expression.

Fortunately, it was well-maintained so there was no smell.

“Sorry. There are too many people outside. What do you think? About the people lying down.”

“Hmm.”

Camilla habitually moved her pipe.

I quickly moved my hand to cover Camilla’s mouth.

“Not now.”

This place currently had an atmosphere that would put a funeral home to shame.

I couldn’t go in reeking of tobacco smoke.

Camilla shrugged and put down her pipe.

“They’re empty. Just shells. Their bodies are alive but there’s no substance inside. In that state, they probably won’t wake up for the rest of their lives.”

“Can’t you call them back?”

“Impossible. Their souls aren’t in this world. Besides, even if they were in this world, it would be tricky for me to handle. This isn’t separation due to a curse or forceful power. It’s ultimately the result of a legitimate contract between both parties.”

I rubbed my chin.

It seems the game the rabbit presents is considered a legitimate contract.

“If the souls are released, will they wake up on their own?”

“They should. The fact that their bodies are alive means the connection point hasn’t been completely severed.”

Camilla pointed at Jinhyeok with her pipe.

“I know the master is strong, but be careful this time. It could be dangerous.”

“Okay! I will. Thanks, Camilla.”

After dismissing the manifestation, I left the restroom.

When I went back in, Jin Yun-ho, who was sitting with Eun Gang-seok, gestured to me.

As Jinhyeok sat down, Eun Gang-seok opened his mouth with a troubled expression.

“The Cheongsan Clan is the place that took me in when I was wandering from house to house. Thanks to them, I experienced settling down for the first time in my life.”

Gang-seok let out a deep sigh and looked at the man lying at the very end.

“That’s Yu-cheol hyung, the heir of the Cheongsan Clan.”

Bae Yu-cheol had taken care of Gang-seok like a real younger brother since childhood.

Even when he became a freelance hunter after awakening, Yu-cheol had been happier than anyone else.

“Hyung awakened a year ago. He had gotten really into tower climbing. Hah, back then I should have instilled more caution rather than just cheering him on.”

Gang-seok rubbed his eyes as if in pain.

“Yu-cheol hyung obtained the box three months ago. It came out of a special box he had accumulated and opened. And not long after that, he stopped waking up. At first, they thought he was just sleeping deeply. He used to climb the tower so intensively that sleeping all day was common.”

But his father, Bae Jin-guk, apparently realized soon enough.

That something was terribly wrong.

“From then on, he started asking around for people. To gather information about this box that was placed next to hyung. The information he obtained was that if someone clears the box, the souls that were previously trapped would also be released.”

“But there isn’t just one of these boxes, right? I saw many people on the Tower Site saying they had entered it.”

“Yes. Multiple boxes exist. But the floors are shared. It’s a different system from the Tower of Despair, where the worlds are the same but the floor progression is independent.”

“What do you mean by shared?”

“Even if two people have boxes and try to enter simultaneously, only one side can enter. One person gets put in a queue.”

This was another novel system.

It also meant that only one person at a time could meet that rabbit bastard.

“Grandfather offered a massive reward and searched for players who were attempting floors below the 71st. Naturally, quite a few people flocked to it. No matter how brutal the rumors were, the reward in front of them was too sweet. It wasn’t just about the monetary reward. The rewards from the hidden floor that came from the special box. That’s what they wanted. And the result is… as you can see.”

Eun Gang-seok leaned his back against a pillar and rubbed his face wearily.

“Grandfather delayed contacting me as much as possible. Then, when there was absolutely no other way, he contacted me late. But because of the box’s entry restrictions, there was nothing I could do. So I kept looking for methods too… and contacted you with the feeling of grasping at straws. I’m sorry. For burdening you. I’m ashamed.”

Jin Yun-ho, sitting in the middle, let out a quiet groan.

From his position, this was truly a difficult situation.

Ranker Eun Gang-seok and Runner Yoo Jin-hyeok.

Both were extremely precious assets to the Hunter Bureau and the nation.

So he couldn’t coldly dismiss them, nor could he ask them to go in.

To be completely honest, he hoped Jinhyeok wouldn’t go in.

This was different from the Tower of Despair, which had accumulated much data.

This was dangerous.

“Ah, lastly, this is information delivered by Hunter Jegal Hun from the Strategic Operations Division.”

Jinhyeok began reading what he received.

Jinhyeok’s brow furrowed.

Seeing that expression, Jin Yun-ho let out a small sigh.

Jin Yun-ho had received the contents of that document in advance.

So he had a rough idea of how the situation would unfold.

Sorry to Eun Gang-seok, but Jinhyeok would not enter the box.

All you could gain from that document was despair and frustration.

Jinhyeok possessed judgment that didn’t match his age.

In a situation already full of uncertainty, if that data was added on top?

There was no way he would go in.

Absolutely not.

“Hmm.”

Jinhyeok put down the documents.

Seeing his grim expression, Eun Gang-seok gave a helpless smile.

Jin Yun-ho quietly picked up his teacup.

“I’ll go in myself.”

“Yes. It’s an unfortunate situation, but… Pfft!!”

Tea sprayed from Jin Yun-ho’s mouth.

Jinhyeok calmly wiped the tea that splattered onto his right cheek.

Then he brought the tissue to his left cheek as well.

As if to prove they were on the same team, Yun Mi-ri also spat out her tea.

“J-Jinhyeok. Did you just say you’re going in…?”

“Yes. I’ll go rescue the others.”

Jinhyeok smiled.

He had been uncertain before.

But after seeing the data Jegal Hun left behind, he was convinced.

This rabbit bastard—he knew this guy.

“Wait a moment, Jinhyeok.”

Yun Mi-ri approached Jinhyeok.

She had to stop this.

Even if he was a Runner… no, precisely because he was a Runner, she had to stop him.

This would be a choice he could never take back.

Jinhyeok looked at Yun Mi-ri and Jin Yun-ho as they drew closer.

Convincing them would take a long time, wouldn’t it?

He smiled brightly.

Then reached for the box.

[Entering Somewhere Below the 71st Floor.]

Swoosh.

“Huh…?”

“Wha…?”

Jin Yun-ho and Yun Mi-ri froze completely at Yoo Jin-hyeok’s sudden disappearance.

Only the Soul-Trapping Box Maredo remained sitting there alone.

Thud.

Jin Yun-ho collapsed and broke out in cold sweat.

He couldn’t even begin to comprehend this.

How was he supposed to report this?

[You have entered Somewhere Below the 71st Floor.]

[Tower of Despair ticket consumed. Remaining tickets: 0]

He frowned.

This damn dangerous place even consumed his ticket.

What a conscienceless floor.

The scattered particles merged together, forming the space.

A high ground surrounded by cliffs on all sides.

The height was so dizzying that he couldn’t see the bottom.

And before long, it revealed itself.

The owner of this space and the rabbit bastard who had stolen people’s souls.

“Welcome to Somewhere Below the 71st Floor. Please, come in. I am Maredo, the administrator of this floor.”

People hadn’t called it bizarre for no reason.

When you think of rabbits, you usually imagine something cute. But the Maredo before his eyes was different.

Button eyes, patches sewn all over its body, and sharp claws that looked like they could tear through anything.

It wouldn’t be wrong to call it the Frankenstein rabbit version.

‘It has changed quite a bit.’

This wasn’t simply a matter of 2D versus 3D.

When he saw it through the monitor, it definitely had some cute charm.

Whether it had gone through harsh trials, everything from its size to appearance had completely gone wrong.

“I wasn’t happy to see you then, and meeting you in person makes me even less happy.”

Maredo tilted its head.

“Do you know me? This is the first time I’m seeing you.”

Of course he knew.

He couldn’t afford to break his keyboard, but because of this bastard, he had thoroughly destroyed one mouse.

This guy had appeared in the Mythic Tower game.

He couldn’t know exactly what process the Maredo before him had gone through to become complete from the game he had played.

The floors in the Tower of Despair that were based on the Mythic Tower were like the What If versions of Marvel movies.

Parallel worlds created through countless unspecified branches.

Speculation was meaningless.

“Well, that’s not important. Now, shall we start the game?”

Maredo’s lips curved up in a long smile.

It had been a while since prey arrived.

The scent wafting over was quite appetizing too.

“Game?”

Jinhyeok asked back and shrugged his shoulders.

“Forget the game, you just…”

Poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke.

Momoooooook?!?!

Momo had been making sudden appearances frequently lately.

Thanks to that, his eyes nearly popped out.

As he quickly bent down, Momo whispered in his ear.

“There’s a smell!”

“What smell? Rabbit smell?”

“No! The smell of treasure!”

“What did you say? Where?”

“Down there!”

Momo pointed at the cliff.

Meanwhile, Maredo frowned.

It was a presence he would never have detected if it hadn’t entered his field of vision.

Swoosh.

Jinhyeok straightened up and cleared his throat a couple of times.

“You said you wanted to play a game? Wait 5 minutes.”

After spreading his fingers wide to show five, he walked toward where Momo had pointed.

Then he jumped down.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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