Chapter 169

Within the Holy Kingdom.

“Ah, ahahaha!”

Holy King Arkelion welcomed Baek Jinwoo with a broad, radiant grin.

“Greetings, greetings! The savior of our realm honors us with his presence!”

“…Where is this coming from?”

“Don’t be so distant! Do you have any idea how anxiously I have been awaiting your arrival?”

The Holy King’s demeanor had completely flipped overnight.

Then again, he had no other option.

Every single one of his subordinates was practically begging at his feet, insisting they launch an assault on the demon realm. What else was he supposed to do?

Naturally, he had to seek out the strongest person available.

“Hahaha, weren’t you the one vehemently arguing that we needed to descend into the demon realm?”

“Me?”

However, Baek Jinwoo had no intention of making things easy for him.

Nice attempt.

True, he was the one who had set this entire situation in motion, but…

Recalling all the instances he had traveled here only to have the gates shut in his face made his blood simmer.

This man needed to squirm just a little bit!

“Huh? You absolutely said so! Why, it was just two days ago!”

“I have no recollection of that. Oh, but there is one detail I do recall.”

Baek Jinwoo tapped two fingers against his temple.

“Didn’t you claim there was no divine oracle sent from God?”

“Th-the prophecy actually arrived!”

“Can you swear to that in the presence of God?”

“W-well, about that…”

Ha!

The man was incapable of uttering a falsehood without it being blatantly obvious.

“Your Holiness, I never anticipated you to be this sort of individual, but I must say I am disappointed. Before and now… how many times do you plan to lie straight to my face?”

“……”

“Sigh. This is going nowhere.”

Baek Jinwoo shifted his head and pivoted around.

“I will not be participating in the military campaign. Furthermore, I intend to depart from the kingdom entirely. Come to think of it, the land has already been cleansed. I have zero motivation to remain in this place.”

“H-hold on!”

The terrified Holy King lunged forward frantically to stop him.

“You cannot simply walk away like this!”

He might behave foolishly at times, but the man was perfectly capable of reading the room.

The demon realm was the territory of the terrifying Demon King Asmodeus.

If they ventured down there without Jinwoo’s help?

Their chances of victory were absolutely zero percent.

An impossible feat.

That was precisely why he had manufactured every conceivable excuse to delay when Baek Jinwoo originally pushed for a swift invasion.

And now the man was simply going to walk away?

“P-please, just this once. My subordinates… even the Commander and the Champion are insisting we strike… how am I supposed to hold them back?”

“And what exactly does that have to do with me?”

“What?”

“That is Your Holiness’s dilemma, not mine.”

He glanced at Rachel, and she turned her back as well.

“We will simply take our leave. No more battles for us. We will return to our previous lifestyle, tracking down wild beasts in the wilderness, living peacefully and comfortably. That is where true happiness lies. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Y-yes. Precisely.”

Rachel signaled her agreement by nodding along, and—

“Enough!”

The Holy King raised both hands in total submission.

“I will hand it over to you.”

Baek Jinwoo spun back around instantly.

“Hand over what?”

“The Stigmata of the Apostle! That is what this entire performance is truly about, isn’t it?! Did you honestly think I couldn’t see through it?!”

Oh.

Ohhh.

Holy King!

So you weren’t completely brainless after all?

“How many do you have?”

“…Two?”

“I shall be departing then.”

“Fine! Fine! The remaining four! I will grant you all of them! Every single one!”

KYAAAARGH!

The Holy King screamed out in a silent frenzy.

Just as suspected.

That individual was certainly not human.

He was a fiend. A total fiend.

A fiend so malicious that even Asmodeus would shed tears!

“Hehe.”

Baek Jinwoo grinned.

“Well, if that is the arrangement, the affairs of the continent are no longer just Your Holiness’s responsibility, are they? This is the very ground we stand upon. Of course we will provide assistance. Right?”

“…Yes. Right.”

Rachel’s expression as she looked at Baek Jinwoo morphed into something strange.

This guy.

His manipulation tactics are completely merciless.

And just like that, the final four pages belonged to him!

The authentic Stigmata of the Apostle!

Rachel passed on taking her portion.

She mentioned she only required them to empower her S-rank summons: the golden dragon, Baekho, and the Great Wizard.

Anything beyond that felt like a waste, or at least that was her perspective.

Perfect.

Baek Jinwoo willingly accepted that setup.

He had already bestowed them upon Drill Sarge, Burst Dragon, and Aso.

He intended to utilize them on Rolly and LG, and then keep the final two as a backup.

There was no point in wasting them on the Dhampir or Ramba.

They possessed no combat functionality whatsoever.

Those final two pages were reserved for…

The Demon Cat and the Armageddon Dragon……

If he succeeded in acquiring them further down the line… those two would receive them.

Very well.

With the combat preparations finalized, was it time to begin ascending in earnest?

The path toward Floor 60 was practically within arm’s reach.

BUUUUUU!

The trumpet of war resonated throughout the kingdom’s territory.

A brand-new campaign had officially commenced.

The military numbers matched the forces used when they seized the major cities.

Yet the aggression and drive were on an entirely different level.

“WAAAAAAAH!”

“SLAY THEM ALL!”

“RIP THEM TO PIECES! THOSE DEMONIC FILTH! PLUCK OUT THEIR EYES AND TEAR OUT THEIR INNARDS!”

Whether such terminology was appropriate for the holy residents of the Holy Kingdom… was highly questionable.

But nobody cared.

The intensity in their expressions had shifted, and the aura was bloodthirsty.

With spirits this high, the massive clash on Floor 59 was bound to be a worthy endeavor.

The process to unlock the gateway to the demon realm was uncomplicated.

The gargantuan basins positioned at the peaks of the three seized cities.

The instant they were drenched in monster blood, sacred sorcery spread out.

GOOOOOOO……!

Fissures began to tear across the massive stretch of terrain right at the center of the continent. CRRRACK! The ground split wide open.

The entrance to the abyss was unveiling itself.

This was the solitary route heading down into the demon realm.

“I will lead the way.”

The descent toward the demon realm was by no means a simple stroll.

One could not just leap blindly into it. Pitfalls of every description were waiting in the shadows… and you had to traverse them with absolute caution.

A single misstep meant being stranded for eternity, or forfeiting your life.

That was the exact reason why the route itself served as Floor 58 of the Tower of Trials.

Naturally.

Baek Jinwoo and Rachel possessed that exact route permanently etched into their memories.

“Eila.”

“Yes.”

Even the Champion now obeyed Baek Jinwoo without a shred of hesitation.

Three successive conflicts had provided her with a complete comprehension of his immense capability.

“Keep a tight rein on them. Unless you wish to discard irreplaceable soldiers.”

“…Understood.”

Indeed.

Would they manage to descend without incident?

Anything was within the realm of possibility, but.

It was likely going to require a substantial amount of time.

This route was incredibly intricate.

While Baek Jinwoo and Rachel consistently climbed higher up the Tower of Trials, Earth was experiencing its own chaotic transformation.

One particular day.

The Director personally made the long journey to Yubaek City.

Click!

Exiting a high-end limousine, he advanced toward the leadership office at Yubaek, protected on all sides by player guards.

“What brings you all the way here?”

Yu Jia, looking professional in a sharp, fitted suit in the middle of handling her duties, walked out to meet him.

Whoosh.

The Director threw his security team a quiet glance.

The bodyguards halted right where they stood and maintained their positions.

The Director walked straight inside the private office.

“This space isn’t wired for surveillance or anything, is it?”

“…It shouldn’t be, but why do you ask?”

Yu Jia knit her brows.

He hadn’t provided her with even a basic clue regarding the purpose of this visit. All he had done was call ahead to announce his arrival, and now, completely out of nowhere, he was asking about wiretapping?

“Bear with me for a moment. This is an incredibly grave issue.”

“…?”

“It concerns Baek Jinwoo.”

“…!”

The tired expression in Yu Jia’s eyes sharpened into focus instantly.

It had already been well over three months since he had stopped returning home.

Behind closed doors, rumors were beginning to circulate.

Everyone was filled with curiosity, and the dominant sentiment was that it might be wiser to just make the information public at this stage.

However, England had been so strictly against the idea that they were caught in a stalemate.

And.

On a personal level, Yu Jia desired to keep the matter hidden as well.

Jinwoo will return regardless of the obstacles.

It was absolute faith, plain and simple.

Yet she felt completely certain.

The warrior who had once been hailed as JinuGod……

The individual who had reportedly conquered all the way up to Floor 100!

The notion that he could fail to return alive from a basic Floor 51 was completely preposterous.

Could there finally be updates regarding his status?

“Player Headquarters received a transmission. They are demanding that the blood alliance leaders gather for a conference.”

“A conference? Who initiated it?”

“Russia’s Beskoff.”

“He formally requested the presence of South Korea’s Baek Jinwoo. It has triggered a massive panic, as you can easily imagine. England even dispatched a top-secret memo questioning what our response will be.”

“Can’t we simply reply that we are unable to participate?”

“That is precisely where things become messy. Take a look at this official document.”

The Director pulled a printed document from the interior of his jacket and presented it to her.

To South Korea Player HQ,

The Russian Federal Government desires to organize an alliance assembly to be attended by Player HQ officials from the six nations, including the representatives of Ilcheon Oje. The gathering will take place at the Kremlin, and your presence is mandatory.

We purpose to deliberate on the recent absence of routine communications, and we wish to emphasize that this is an urgent matter that requires immediate attention. Should your nation neglect to appear at the assembly, we will have no choice but to expose the true reality regarding your nation’s Baek Jinwoo and England’s Rachel.

Russian Player HQ.

“Ha.”

Yu Jia let out a cynical chuckle.

Look at these snakes.

They could have easily forwarded this directly to Yubaek or SKY.

Instead, they went out of their way to route it through official state channels?

And they had written it right there in the text, bold as brass.

Baek Jinwoo, and Rachel’s absence of communication.

“So they are fully aware of what is happening.”

“It certainly appears that way.”

The circle of individuals within the government who were aware of Baek Jinwoo’s disappearance was incredibly restricted.

Yu Jia, the core members of the SKY guild, the Director, a tiny handful of politicians, and a few high-ranking staff members.

That was the extent of it.

If this piece of news leaked out?

Wouldn’t the entirety of South Korea be plunged into absolute panic?

“What do you believe our course of action should be?”

“Hmm, if we refuse to show up… they are threatening to release a formal declaration. Have you attempted to contact them?”

“The Russian contingent?”

“I did. When I informed them that we likely couldn’t manage it due to scheduling conflicts, they countered by saying we should dispatch representatives at the very least.”

“Representatives?”

“For South Korea, they specifically demanded you and Hong Ari. For England, they requested Olivia.”

“Wait, me?”

Why would they want me, all of a sudden?

Yu Jia tilted her head in confusion.

“The entire global community is already aware. That you hold the real authority behind Yubaek and are the one managing SKY.”

This.

Something about this situation felt incredibly sinister.

“Absolutely out of the question!”

BANG!

Hwang Juwon struck his fist against the tabletop.

“That Beskoff idiot, what an absolute joke! Just because Rachel hasn’t returned, he thinks he can play emperor? Who does he think he is, issuing orders to people?!”

“…Precisely.”

Song Yeonhui chimed in.

“If we are unavailable, we don’t attend. Why are they demanding representatives? And two of them, no less.”

“Should we all just travel together?”

Ki Jaehyeok stepped forward to suggest, but—

“That likely won’t be permitted.”

Hong Ari shook her head in disagreement.

“They have already delivered their response. They will only grant admission to the designated representatives. Meaning just myself and Jia Unni.”

“What a complete load of garbage.”

“What kind of plot are they cooking up?”

“This gives me an incredibly bad feeling.”

The guild members had battled all the way to the final rounds in the global tournament.

They had crossed paths with numerous elite rankers, and among that group, Beskoff had left the absolute worst impression.

“Do you recall that guy’s expression? Totally repulsive…”

“The way he looked at people gave me the shivers.”

“Can’t we just decline to go? Ari Unni is one thing, but Director Yu Jia… she isn’t even a combat player.”

The guild members strongly advised against going, and Hong Ari nodded with a very serious expression.

“The Director is losing sleep over it as well.”

The Yu Jia of the past?

She would have never even considered going.

She would have told them to get lost, who the hell do you think you are to order us around.

However.

If she took that stance, they would expose Baek Jinwoo’s prolonged absence.

That was the exact thought that was torturing Yu Jia.

The concept of Director Baek Ajin and his parents stressing over the situation tore at her inside.

Even so.

No guild member was going to stand idly by and dispatch their director into a dangerous trap.

“The answer is no. Plain and simple.”

Hwang Juwon declared definitively.

“Even if the Guild Master’s disappearance becomes public knowledge to the entire world, our stance remains unchanged. The alliance? Who gives a damn about that? Without the Guild Master, there wouldn’t even be an alliance to speak of in the first place.”

“Exactly right!”

“Damned straight!”

Everyone was in total agreement.

Do not attend.

Do not let her go.

“Hong Ari.”

“Yes, Ahjussi.”

“Go inform the Director. Tell her she absolutely must not go, regardless of the pressure. Tell her to brace herself for the fallout, starting right now.”