Chapter 145

Chapter 145
## Chapter 145: The Elite Quartet vs. Randolph

Furthermore, the Saras that had been pulled into the assembly area appeared only as faint, indistinct silhouettes.

‘This isn’t the result of a single zone being finished. Many sectors are being cleared at the exact same moment.’

A sense of skepticism remained.

Logically, every participant should have entered a zone tailored to their specific strength. Given the varying numbers of players in each trial and the inherent physical gaps between individuals of the same rank, it was statistically impossible for every area to conclude simultaneously like this.

“It looks like we’re all facing the same phenomenon. What was the level of the zone you just left? We need to piece this together.”

The Master sparked a cigarette, attempting to find a logical thread. Around him, voices began to chime in.

“I was in a level 7!”
“Level 8 over here.”
“Level 5 for me.”

As he suspected, the tiers were all over the map. While the Master himself was level 12, the next highest among the crowd seemed to be level 8.

‘They are being cleared in ascending order. Is it just a matter of scaling difficulty?’

It was plausible. Lower levels are easier, so they should finish faster. However, the reports didn’t match a standard raid.

“A flash freeze hit my zone, and suddenly it was over.”
“Mine too!”
“Massive demonbloods showed up and just dragged the smaller ones away.”
“‘That person’… He was commanding the demonbloods to execute the boss.”

Something was fundamentally wrong. Every zone had been neutralized by either a sudden blizzard or a mysterious figure leading a legion of demonbloods. Unless this individual possessed high-level duplication magic, he shouldn’t be able to interfere with levels outside his own bracket.

Suddenly, a system message flared.

《Due to an overflow of participants in the waiting areas, the trial format has shifted.》
《‘O/X Trivia Challenge’ is commencing.》
《Rewards will be granted to those with the highest accuracy.》
《Player communication is now restricted.》
《Question One.》
《A ‘software glitch’ currently exists within the tower. O/X》

A sudden quiz was odd, but not unheard of. Towers and dungeons often reflected the eccentricities of their creators.

‘A glitch exists.’

The Master was certain now. Based on the chatter, someone was bypassing the level restrictions entirely. A literal bug in the system. As the O and X icons materialized in the air, the Master chose O without hesitation.

《Question Two.》
《If a ‘software glitch’ exists, I will personally eliminate it. O/X》

The Master’s brow furrowed. This wasn’t a test of knowledge anymore; it was an interrogation of intent.

—

## 《The entire region is entombed in ice.》
《Completion: 100%》
《Level 9 Zone Boss spawned.》
《Level 9 Zone Boss executed.》
《Gained 120 Skill Points.》
《Gained 75h Fragment of the Golden Rule.》
《Access to the subsequent tier is granted.》
《Party Aggregate Score: 850》
《1st – Randolph (580)》
《2nd – Serengeti (100)》
《3rd – Valte (80)》
《4th – Rommel (60)》

《Rank 1 among 13,788 competing parties.》

After committing to a high-score run, I bypassed everything and charged into the level 10 sector. By tearing through the previous tiers without a break, our total had climbed to 850.

《Initiate challenge against ‘Lord Solbaren’?》
《Solbaren’s power is suppressed by 35% based on current score.》

The mechanics were clear: the higher our score, the weaker the final boss became—roughly 1% per 10 points. If I could hit 1,500, Solbaren would be rendered powerless.

‘I can realistically aim for a total neutralization.’

I had earned nearly 600 points just from the level 9 boss. Reaching a thousand points across the next tiers was well within reach. My base attributes, bolstered by the Unique-tier blade ‘Winter’ which granted a +10 stat buff, put me on par with a level 13 player. Even against true transcendents, I felt confident. My current growth was enough to bridge the gap of their sudden power spikes, and that wasn’t even factoring in ‘Kindler of Darkness.’

The second battalion of demonbloods was now ready—over a thousand strong. It was a force that would make even a high-tier necromancer sweat. Controlling a legion of this scale was usually reserved for those at the level of a Death King.

“What the hell is that?”
“Demonbloods? Why do they look different?”
“Get out of here!”

The level 10 zone was crowded. Most players fled the moment my army warped in, but two figures remained.

*Whoosh!*

A man clad in crimson plate armor was frantically dancing with a spear, ignoring the encroaching monsters. It was Valte, the berserker I’d recruited from the Mountain of Cultivators. He was locked in a fierce duel with an opponent who seemed entirely unbothered by the chaos.

“Impressive. To think a ‘glitch’ would have a subordinate of this caliber at level 10.”

The man dodging the spear was a level 12 Stonekin from the southern continent. His skin was as resilient as tempered steel, allowing him to fight unarmed with devastating agility. He turned his gaze toward me, a smug grin on his face.

“So, you’re the ‘glitch’? How convenient.”

He seemed to think he could wipe out my entire legion solo.

“Spearman, you’ve become a bore. I’ll finish this now.”

The Stonekin lunged, his fists becoming a blur of kinetic energy. The air detonated with every impact, bucking Valte’s armor and sending him reeling. Yet, Valte didn’t drop. His armor mended itself instantly, and he lunged back with a ferocity that seemed to sharpen with every passing second.

By his tenth strike, he unleashed ‘Chaotic Dance.’ It was a torrential downpour of steel—hundreds of spearheads appearing simultaneously. In this technique, every phantom was tangible. A single touch was a death sentence.

“Gah…! You’re more of a nuisance than I thought!” the Stonekin snarled, his skin sparking under the pressure.

Even after the barrage, Valte stood his ground. The Stonekin finally realized the truth.

“You… you aren’t even conscious, are you?”

He was right. Valte had entered the ‘Unconscious Realm.’ Having pushed his limits on the mountain, he was actually more lethal when his mind was shut off, making him the perfect vessel for the Berserker Set. He wouldn’t stop until his heart ceased or his enemy’s did.

I prepared to step in, knowing the level gap was too wide for Valte to sustain indefinitely, but voices erupted from the periphery.

“There he is! The glitch!”
“Kill the bug!”

A mob was converging on my position, led by several level 12 players. In the center of the frenzy was a face I recognized—the Master. The man who had narrowly escaped the imperial auction in the form of a pig was now inciting the crowd against me, claiming I was a spy for Solbaren.

How had the tower owner facilitated this? It was clear the master of the Rift Tower was displeased. By using the Eternal Lord’s Heart, I had deviated from the intended script. Now, the tower was funnelling players toward me as if I were a virus to be purged.

The crowd’s hostility was unnatural. Their eyes weren’t just angry; they were possessed by a forced, magical hatred. Fine. If the tower wanted me to play the villain, I would play the part.

《Hidden Trait ‘Kindler of Darkness’ engaged.》
《‘Darkness (Lv.4)’ consumes the battlefield.》
《‘Dread Omen’s Eye (Lv.10)’ is manifest.》

—

The Master watched the figure standing amidst the demonbloods. That was the target—the anomaly blocking their path.

‘The monsters are a distraction. We have the numbers and the strength.’

With four level 12 transcendents and a mob of supporters, the Master felt victory was certain. But as he looked closer at the “glitch,” a sense of haunting familiarity washed over him. As the man’s form shifted and a golden goat mask began to glow through the encroaching shadows, the Master’s blood ran cold.

“You… it’s you!!”

He began to shake, his fear overshadowed only by a sudden, violent surge of rage. The mask was a different color, but the design was unmistakable. This was the individual from the Reaper Church—the one responsible for his ultimate humiliation at the imperial auction.

‘You were in the Empire, and now you’re here?’

The realization hit him like a lightning strike. This “glitch” was a representative of the Reaper Church. He recalled the day he had traveled to the Empire with a hoard of gold, only to be subjected to a “test” for criminal suspects. He remembered the powder, the laughter of the nobles, and the soul-crushing shame of being turned into a common hog, squealing for the amusement of others. The mocking eyes of the Church had haunted his dreams, and now, the source of that nightmare stood right in front of him.