The Legendary Regressor Devours the Tower - Chapter 16

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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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Episode 16
[The Old Man has completed the elixir!]
Not long after sending Han Geon-u off alone, word came through.
“You’ve got one hour. Get here fast.”
[O-one hour? That’s awfully tight…….]
“For every minute you’re late, ten lashes.”
[Damn…….]
“Got a problem with that?”
[I’m on my way.]
“Good.”
The moment Seong Un hung up, a smile played across his lips.
With Belos’ Tears complete, it was time to attempt Floor 2.
“Seong Un. I’ve brought the Hamburger Set you requested.”
Jang Byung-jun set the paper bag containing the hamburgers in front of him.
“I could have packaged it myself, but——”
“No need. You should focus entirely on preparing for the Floor 2 climb.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Before the elixir arrived, Seong Un had considered stepping out for a bit, but Jang Byung-jun had insisted so strongly that he’d gone himself instead.
There was always the chance that troublemakers might come looking for a confrontation, and he couldn’t afford to waste energy during Floor 2 preparations.
Moreover, Jang Byung-jun had instructed five additional administrative staff to rotate protective duties around Seong Un.
They didn’t enter the house itself, of course—they monitored the perimeter and prevented unauthorized outsiders from approaching.
‘Not bad at all.’
Even with the locks engaged, perfect security couldn’t be guaranteed.
“Ah, by the way—someone claiming to be your friend came to Floor 1.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. An Awakener named Seo Jae-pil from the Horus Guild. How should we handle it?”
Seong Un let out a soft laugh.
“Handle it? He’s my friend, so let him up.”
“Understood.”
Jang Byung-jun bowed and disappeared.
Shortly after, Seo Jae-pil rang the doorbell, and Seong Un admitted him inside.
The moment Seo Jae-pil entered, his face twisted into an expression of disbelief. He dropped onto the sofa and pointed out the window with one finger.
“Hey, what’s with all those people outside? Why are they blocking the way?”
“Security, I guess?”
“Security? Tight management from Floor 1 on up, huh.”
“Well, I finished the Tutorial at EX Grade and Floor 1 at EX+ Grade, so wouldn’t that be only natural?”
“Whoa……. You realize that comment you just made was seriously annoying, right?”
Tutorial: EX Grade.
Floor 1: EX+ Grade.
Seo Jae-pil knew Seong Un was the one behind those achievements.
And yet, he couldn’t help but feel rankled by the casual joke.
“Why get jealous over something like that.”
“I can’t help it. How am I supposed to deal with wanting something this badly?”
He’d received an invitation first, entered a major guild, and climbed all the way to Floor 13 with their full backing.
And yet jealousy poured down like a waterfall.
Seong Un was receiving incredible Evaluation Scores alongside management on an entirely different scale.
Just looking at this, Seo Jae-pil knew it was only a matter of time before he fell behind.
“So that’s why you came? To pick a fight about it?”
“Not exactly…….”
Honestly, it was half and half.
Half genuine congratulations, half jealousy and envy.
He knew how shameful it was to withhold sincere celebration, and controlling it was proving far harder than he’d expected.
“So how far do you think this goes?”
Seong Un’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“Huh? All of a sudden, what are you——”
“Remember when the Tower first appeared?”
“When it first…… yeah.”
The Tower had manifested, they said, because this dimension had reached the end of its lifespan.
Reaching its peak would reverse the deletion, they’d told everyone.
In truth, most Climbers weren’t ascending to prevent that.
Usually, those invited initially were forced to climb, and after that, many fell prey to newfound strength and lost sight of their original purpose.
It wasn’t as if they’d declined noticeably over the past decade—in fact, many aspects had evolved thanks to Mana as a fresh resource.
Indeed, luxury apartments like this one were designed with Mana-operated systems to enhance quality of life.
Beyond that, Mana had become deeply woven into human existence.
“If you settle for the present, you’ll collapse in a way that can never be undone.”
“Why must you say such frightening things?”
Seo Jae-pil found Seong Un’s perspective difficult to empathize with.
People across the globe weren’t settling—they were climbing the Tower with determination.
Over the past decade, crises had emerged several times, yet Climbers had united to overcome them.
As time passed, the strength of top-ranked Climbers could only increase, and even greater crises would become surmountable through that accumulated power.
Yet Seong Un seemed to regard the future with considerable pessimism.
“It means you always have to consider the worst-case scenario.”
“So instead of envying others, just climb the Tower harder?”
“Sharp as ever.”
Seong Un chuckled, and Seo Jae-pil let out a hollow laugh.
“So how does one reach EX Grade anyway?”
Now they were getting to the real question.
Word was that the method Seong Un had demonstrated had been altered so that no one else could replicate it.
How on earth could such a thing happen?
“I don’t know.”
“What? Come on, don’t joke. You declared so confidently that you’d achieve EX Grade!”
“I’m serious—I don’t know.”
“But why not?”
“When I got EX on the Tutorial, it told me how to finish Floor 1 with an EX Evaluation Score.”
“Ah…….”
Seo Jae-pil stared at him with momentary confusion, then sighed as understanding dawned.
Seong Un had simply followed the path to obtaining EX.
He knew nothing beyond that—just as Seo Jae-pil himself didn’t.
Ding-dong—
The doorbell chimed.
Judging by the staff not intervening, Han Geon-u had arrived.
Seong Un rose and opened the door to find Han Geon-u standing before him, sweat pouring down his face.
“You made good time.”
“You told me to hurry…… said you’d kill me if I was late…….”
Han Geon-u handed Seong Un a crimson-colored elixir.
Seong Un examined it and nodded.
It was unmistakably the completed Belos’ Tears he’d seen in his previous life.
“Well done. Head to Team Leader Jang now, get your items and supplies, and start climbing.”
“C-could I rest just a moment first……?”
His condition was far too poor to attribute merely to running here.
“What happened?”
Only then did Seong Un notice Han Geon-u’s state, and Han Geon-u spilled everything as if he’d been waiting for the chance.
“That cursed old geezer told me to try an elixir, so I drank it, and now I’m like this…….”
“An elixir?”
“Yes…… it was an orange-colored one. He said it would help with climbing.”
A gesture of goodwill toward someone he’d be seeing often, then.
That old man.
He must have really taken a liking to this deal.
“Any changes in your body?”
“No…… I just feel like I’m dying.”
“It’s probably because the absorption isn’t complete yet. Give it a little time and you’ll recover on your own.”
“Yes…….”
“All right. Rest first.”
Han Geon-u had followed his errand faithfully enough; he deserved at least a moment’s reprieve.
At Seong Un’s permission, Han Geon-u began to remove his shoes and step inside, then hesitated.
“Thank you. But who’s inside?”
“Hello, I’m……. Hmm?”
Seo Jae-pil reflexively stood and bent in greeting, then tilted his head uncertainly.
Something about him looked familiar.
Ah—wasn’t that the one who drew massive backlash at the Association and ended up on the blacklist?
“You recognize me, then?”
“How could I not? You’re quite the famous person.”
At that, Seong Un let out a soft laugh, while Han Geon-u looked momentarily bewildered before his face flushed crimson.
“There were circumstances back then…….”
“Ah, it’s fine. I don’t concern myself with such things.”
Seo Jae-pil waved a hand dismissively.
“Ahem, well then, I should be on my way.”
He’d been planning to rest a moment longer before leaving, but suddenly the air felt heavy.
Just as Han Geon-u turned to go, Seo Jae-pil reacted with quick perception.
“Ah, no. I was about to leave anyway.”
Han Geon-u’s condition didn’t look good—surely he wasn’t turning back just because of him.
After all, the only reason he’d come here at all was to catch a glimpse of Seong Un before beginning the climb of Floor 13 again.
“Going climbing?”
“Sharp as always. Yes. This time I’m breaking through the entrance of Floor 13 for sure.”
“Take care of yourself.”
“I will.”
* * *
After Seo Jae-pil left, Han Geon-u rested for nearly an hour until his condition recovered somewhat, then contacted Jang Byung-jun to arrange assistance for beginning the climb.
Alone now, Seong Un turned the completed elixir over in his hands.
[Belos’ Tears]
-Type: Consumable
-Grade: A+
-Attribute: Poison
-Upon consumption, Poison Attribute resistance increases by 30% for 72 hours (effectiveness may be minimal depending on the user’s capability)
-Upon consumption, designate up to 3 targets struck and inflict [Deep Poisoning] for 72 hours (effectiveness may be minimal depending on the user’s capability)
-Remaining uses: 5
Combined with the resistance gained on Floor 1 and the Poison Attribute resistance he’d built up, even if poisoned, he could withstand it for quite a long time.
And the most crucial option: Deep Poisoning.
Designate a struck target and poison them into a state where all their abilities are sealed for a time.
Additionally, they lose 0.2% of their health per second, and even if they attempt to recover on their own, the effect is halved, making it difficult.
‘But the boss lurking on Floor 2 uses poison itself, so at most it lasts a minute.’
One minute—that’s how long it takes to break free of Deep Poisoning.
‘I’ll finish it within that window.’
To wrap this up as EX Grade or higher, this elixir was absolutely necessary.
Furthermore, Floor 2 was designed differently from Floor 1—it couldn’t be cleared quickly.
That’s why thorough preparation beforehand was essential.
Seong Un checked the supplies he’d arranged for beforehand one more time, then uncorked the stopper of the elixir.
An acrid smell rose up, and he felt his stomach turn.
Unlike his previous life, he’d never consumed an elixir before, so his body was showing signs of rejection.
Of course, Seong Un simply ignored that resistance and gulped the elixir down.
[Poison Attribute resistance +30% applied.]
With this, his Poison Attribute resistance had climbed to 45%.
“Then, shall I go?”
It was time to depart.
[Do you wish to enter Floor 2 of the Tower of Apocalypse?]
[No party exists.]
[Are you certain you wish to begin climbing? *Upon re-entry, your Evaluation Score will be penalized.]
The same warning message he’d seen on Floor 1.
This time too, Seong Un dismissed it lightly.
[Entering Floor 2 of the Tower of Apocalypse.]
* * *
Floor 2 of the Tower of Apocalypse.
Unlike Floor 1, the moment he stepped onto Floor 2, a foul stench wafted toward him and a dull ache blossomed in his head.
‘Poison.’
The toxin wasn’t strong enough to hinder the climb.
After all, if the toxin had been potent, Climbers without immunity to poison would have died en masse.
That didn’t mean it could be ignored, however.
‘The more I resist the poison, the higher my Evaluation Score for clearing.’
The reason he’d consumed Belos’ Tears before even starting was precisely for this—to boost his Poison Attribute resistance.
Thanks to the 45% resistance, the faint headache that had approached moments ago had vanished without a trace.
[Start Sponsored Broadcast?]
As one might expect, Floor 2 offered the same option as Floor 1—the ability to begin a Sponsored Broadcast.
Seong Un didn’t hesitate. He started the stream immediately.
-Broadcast on
-Broadcast is live? Is this the same person?
-Channel name: Meteor. Appearance masked as a mannequin for privacy protection. Checks out.
-Sir! I followed you into Floor 1, but why does the NPC block me first?
-Seriously, give us some explanation!
Viewers flooded in the moment he went live.
Since he was still climbing the lower floors, his reach was limited to Korea—a mercy, in its way.
Had the broadcast spread worldwide, the numbers would have been beyond imagination.
But truthfully, such worries were premature.
Before long, his influence would pierce the atmosphere and touch the stars themselves.
“I will now begin my ascent of Floor 2.”
Seong Un greeted the viewers and moved forward.
The Greatest Returnee Devours the Tower (Serialized)
Author │ Yeon I-yo
Publisher │ Kim Ju-hyung
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ 401, Ace Techno Tower 8, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Yeon I-yo 2026
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder, and the contents may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this may result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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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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