Chapter 151

Baek Jinwoo sprinted into the research facility.

Drill Sarge’s assessment had been completely accurate.

“This is unbelievable.”

Sprawled right ahead of him was the defeated Archivist of Darkness (A-rank).

It was a monstrous sight, its entire form resembling a tangled mass of obsidian smog!

A massive cavity had been torn directly through its center, and the essential life core that belonged there was missing.

What could have caused this?

It couldn’t be.

Was this the explanation for Rachel’s failure to return?

• There are indications of an incredibly brutal conflict.

“Is that so?”

Baek Jinwoo scanned the surrounding environment.

The evidence was undeniable.

Deep impact craters scarred the masonry on all sides, while the floorboards were gouged by heavy strikes and marred by dark burn marks.

• It looks like approximately a fortnight has gone by since this clash concluded.

“How on earth can you determine that?”

• Observe this, my lord.

Swish.

Drill Sarge ran his fingers through the layer of grime that had settled across the remains of the Archivist of Darkness.

• A buildup of debris this dense generally takes about a fortnight to settle. Furthermore, take note of those burn marks over yonder. They likely began as a deep charcoal hue, but the passage of time has bleached them to a soft gray.

“Well, look at that.”

This fellow, Drill Sarge, was full of surprises. He had always assumed the guy only knew how to run harsh training sessions. Was he moonlighting as some sort of investigator?

“First things first.”

Baek Jinwoo shifted his attention toward Ramba.

“Start gathering those stacks. Give it everything.”

• Understood, right away!

Recognizing the seriousness of their predicament, Ramba began twirling her staff with intense focus.

“As soon as we accumulate a sufficient number of stacks, we push past the boundaries of the archives.”

Up until now, he had no concept of what lay beyond these library walls. Completing a floor’s objectives had invariably triggered an automatic teleportation out of the structure entirely.

“Aso, Drill Sarge, Rolly.”

• On it!

• At your service, my lord.

• Krrk……

“The three of you recon the immediate area. Flag anything out of the ordinary at once.”

Whoosh, whoosh!

Following Baek Jinwoo’s instructions, the trio exited the research facility.

“……”

He closed his eyes, falling into a quiet contemplation.

Indeed.

That explained why their progress had seemed strangely smooth up to this point.

Nonetheless, it altered nothing.

With an entire lineup of EX-rank champions at his disposal, there wasn’t a single labyrinth they couldn’t dismantle.

• My lord!

Roughly five minutes slipped by before Drill Sarge came rushing back into the room.

• There is an anomaly outside!

Baek Jinwoo bolted upright.

It matched his suspicions.

An alternate path?

“Show me the way.”

• Understood!

Tracing Drill Sarge’s path out of the gargantuan archives, they quickly arrived at a grand window.

The heavens above were drenched in a crimson hue.

Stretching beneath it were the charred remnants of a devastated metropolis, cast down like a massive silhouette.

Toppled skyscrapers and shattered masonry littered the entire landscape.

Fractured walls gaped open, while supporting columns continued to emit faint plumes of smoke.

Taking in the sweeping view of the urban ruins, it was clear they were positioned at an immense altitude.

“Ah……”

Baek Jinwoo’s mouth parted in sheer astonishment as he took in the panorama.

This environment—

There was absolutely no mistaking it.

It was the exact terrain of Floor 52 of the Tower of Trials, a stage he had attempted an innumerable number of times.

The objective was to cut through the hordes of beasts scattered throughout the territory, press onward, and ultimately confront a mid-boss-grade fiend waiting at the heart of the metropolis.

The Fallen Sovereign (A-rank).

A being that once governed this domain before being tainted by the corruption of Asmodeus.

However—

It had suffered the exact same fate as Floor 51.

The remains of slain beasts were scattered across the horizon……

And right at the center of the urban landscape……

“I’m going to take a closer look.”

Squeak.

He unlatched and swung open the archive window.

• My lord, permit me to follow alongside you.

“No need, I’m just planning to investigate and make a swift return. Rolly, you accompany me.”

With those words, he invoked the Skypierce Wyvern and descended toward the ruined metropolis below.

• Kreeee……!

Baek Jinwoo settled onto its scales with practiced familiarity, gliding gracefully toward the urban center.

• Krrk……!

Gripping its grim implement, Rolly flew directly behind.

Before long.

“Ah.”

Baek Jinwoo spotted the target.

The regional boss, the Fallen Sovereign (A-rank), lay utterly lifeless, its internal core completely pulverized in an identical manner……

A throbbing ache began to form in his temples.

All right. It was time to piece the clues together.

A reality where both Floors 51 and 52 had already been bypassed.

And further ahead, there had to be a path transitioning into Floor 53.

This suggested……

There was a high probability that Floors 51 through 60 were entirely interconnected.

The design of the Tower of Trials had consistently grouped environments in blocks of ten levels.

Yet, if Floor 52 was already cleared of opposition……

It pointed to one staggering conclusion.

The separate instances of the Tower of Trials around the globe might actually share a unified space.

Good grief.

The weight of the situation was becoming overwhelming.

Rachel.

It couldn’t be.

Are you navigating this place?

These massive entities.

Did you single-handedly dispatch them all?

Six weeks had elapsed since her initial entry into the structure.

BOOOOM!

Rachel was currently holding the line on Floor 53 of the spire.

A warzone completely awash in gore.

• KIAAAAAAAH……!

• GRAAAAAAGH!

This territory was thick with the remains of an countless number of combatants.

Their spirits were denied peaceful rest, bound by fiendish corruption to traverse the warzone as malevolent specters.

“Hah… hah…”

Rachel’s breath rattled unevenly in her throat.

She had only managed to survive because Floor 52 had offered a brief window for recuperation. Had she been forced into unending combat, sheer physical collapse would have claimed her life by now.

The reality was bleak—

She had been completely misled from the moment she set foot on the very first level.

The Archivist of Darkness bore no resemblance to the records she possessed.

It had been a formidable adversary back in the days of 「Battle of Summoners」, but its real-world manifestation operated on an entirely different scale.

By her calculations, it was roughly tenfold more powerful.

Had she lacked her trio of S-rank familiars, that initial level would have marked her demise.

Floor 52 had offered no reprieve.

Every single creature possessed that same terrifying level of strength……

The regional boss in particular—the Fallen Sovereign—had forced her into a non-stop war of attrition that lasted an entire month.

The moment she finally shattered that monster’s central core, a fragile ray of optimism had sparkled within her.

Could this be her ticket back to Earth?

Could she finally deliver this critical intel to JinuGod so they could devise a strategy in tandem?

Yet, the status quo remained unaltered.

Stepping through the ruined core of the Fallen Sovereign had merely deposited her here—upon this endless warzone.

Floor 53.

To overcome this level, her directive was to purge every single wandering specter……

“Great Wizard!”

Responding to Rachel’s urgent command, the silver-haired spellcaster hoisted his staff into the air.

Great Wizard.

7 Circles.

Radiance of Sanctum.

A wide-area incantation of the 7th circle—Radiance of Sanctum!

Elemental manipulations like Blizzard proved entirely ineffective against these foes.

For entities thoroughly tainted by fiendish malice, sacred sorcery was the sole remedy.

CRASH!

The Great Wizard traced a colossal rune across the heavens.

FLASH……!

A blinding, cleansing light descended upon the warzone like a torrent of solar energy.

• KIAAAAAAH!

• KEEEEEAAAGH……!

Nevertheless.

The specters proved incredibly resilient and unyielding.

Even while thrashing in agonizing pain, their forward momentum never faltered.

• GRRAAAWWWGH!

Baekho bellowed through numerous lacerations, while the golden dragon had already diminished in size—utterly exhausted after deploying its devastating breath weapon.

Curse it all.

She lacked the mental fortitude required to properly command them.

Her extremities—indeed, her entire frame—shuddered violently without pause.

She was reaching her absolute limit.

Every fiber of her being was pulsing with agony.

Throughout this entire ordeal, her rest had been limited to perhaps two hours a day, consisting of mere fitful dozes.

The physical toll had compounded drastically.

The second her concentration wavered, her eyelids threatened to snap shut of their own accord.

She felt on the verge of losing her sanity.

She would have surrendered anything just for a brief window of deep slumber.

Yet, pausing was not an option.

The moment she succumbed to fatigue here, it meant actual demise.

She would lose the chance to alert humanity to the truths of the Tower of Trials, condemned instead to drift through the netherworld.

She would likely transform into just another mindless specter haunting this field.

She refused to accept that destiny.

“BAEKHO! Just a bit longer! Hold the line until the golden dragon manages to rejuvenate……!”

Naturally, Rachel’s arsenal wasn’t limited solely to S-rank companions.

She had summoned every available A-rank ally in her possession, dragging them through the gauntlet—but they had already been forcibly dismissed due to exhaustion.

3 Circles.

Divine Aegis.

Divine Aegis!

THUMP!

A shimmering, sacred barrier materialized, enveloping Rachel in protection.

The utility of this barrier was twofold.

It served to bewilder the advancing specters, while simultaneously offering a minor degree of rejuvenation.

This specific sorcery was the only mechanism that had permitted Rachel to snatch those brief, desperate moments of rest.

She desperately needed sleep.

Rachel’s eyelids began to droop.

This was critical.

When the urge to slumber overpowers the instinct for self-preservation, it signifies a perilous turning point.

Those on the precipice of surrendering their grip on life often express a singular desire to simply rest.

Chomp!

Rachel clamped her jaws together fiercely.

Nothing else carried weight anymore.

She simply had to conquer Floor 53, and prior to stepping foot onto Floor 54……

She intended to sleep undisturbed for an entire week.

And what did that require?

She needed to eliminate every remaining specter down to the last entity!

• GRRAAAWWGH!

Baekho let out a pained cry.

“Ugh!”

Rachel, whose senses were slipping away, jerked her head sharply to break the lethargy.

Baekho limped toward her position, crimson fluid leaking from its form, and rested its snout against her side.

Stay awake.

To sleep now is to perish.

SMACK!

Rachel delivered a stinging blow to her own face to force herself back to alertness.

She drove her unkempt claws deep into the flesh of her leg.

Drip.

Pressing hard enough to rupture the skin.

“Do not fret,”

She murmured, smoothing the fur on Baekho’s head.

“I won’t succumb that easily.”

Another forty-eight hours slipped away.

Though she had spoken with absolute certainty, their predicament had deteriorated catastrophically.

The sheer volume of specters showed no signs of waning.

The Great Wizard’s internal reservoir of magical energy had run completely dry.

The reserve of two hundred premium restoration elixirs she had brought along was entirely spent.

• KIAAAAAAH!

The spectral entities were becoming increasingly strategic as time wore on.

Divine Aegis had lost its efficacy.

They no longer recoiled from the barrier—instead, they threw their weight against it, intent on shattering the structure.

Relentless, miserable creatures.

Moisture welled in the corners of her eyes.

The realization washed over her.

She was taking her final steps toward the brink of death.

Crimson foam burst from Baekho’s jaws.

At this stage, it could scarcely be recognized as Baekho the White Tiger. It had been transformed into a Red Tiger.

Smeared in gore from its ears to its paws. A Blood Tiger was a far more accurate title.

Was this the conclusion……

Ever since crossing the threshold of the Tower of Trials, resurrecting a dismissed familiar within the active zone was an impossibility.

Which meant.

Should Baekho fall here, attempting Floor 54 was completely out of the question. End of story.

This was the finish line.

Her own pool of magical energy was depleted.

The Great Wizard stood entirely drained of capability.

SNAP!

His implement fractured under the turbulent pressure of the swarming specters.

Unadulterated, overwhelming Terror.

She should have undertaken far more rigorous preparations before crossing over.

Or would it have made any difference at all?

Would any scale of preparation have proven sufficient against this nightmare?

Right at that critical juncture.

• KIAAAH!

• KEEEEEEE!

The malicious spirits that had been systematically tearing into her suddenly ground to a halt.

Flash.

An intense heat bloomed from an unseen source.

Pyromancy?

The Great Wizard was completely devoid of magical energy.

He lacked the capability to manifest a minor spell of the 3rd circle, let alone a simpler one of the 2nd circle.

However.

This blaze was anything but commonplace.

Torrential waves of heat, fierce enough to make the oxygen itself combust, unfurled across the entirety of the firmament.

It felt as though a majestic scarlet dragon had descended upon the territory.

What could possibly be happening?

• KIAAAAAAAH!

• KYAAAAAAAH!

The specters that had previously resisted all forms of destruction were now disintegrating within a singular conflagration.

ROAR!

Perishing agonizingly as the inferno expanded across the battlefield.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump!

Her pulse quickened dramatically.

There was an undeniable familiarity to the nature of those flames.

And then.

Peering through the haze into the distance, she managed to discern a silhouette.

It couldn’t be true.

The architect of this cataclysmic blaze!

Standing in that direction was an incredibly charming young lady possessing crimson hair.

A youth Rachel recognized instantly.

Stormy.

And there existed only a solitary combatant in the entire world capable of directing Stormy.

……JinuGod?

How could he possibly be in this domain?

Could it be…… that life had already departed from her?

Was she deceased and experiencing a final delusion?

Or had that wretched Asmodeus conjured a sophisticated psychological trick?

Even so.

If she was permitted to envision JinuGod just before slipping into the void……

Perhaps that wasn’t a terrible way to conclude things, she mused—and instantly, her awareness dissolved into darkness.

Her physical endurance gave out entirely.

Collapse!

Baekho extended its frame to intercept her slipping form.

Then, a shadow blocked out the light above her.

“Hah.”

Baek Jinwoo exhaled slowly.

“So my suspicions were correct?”

It was reality.

Rachel was genuinely present in this place.

What on earth had transpired here?