Chapter 153

Chapter 153
## Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Tower First Floor Cleared

‘I have waited for this moment with such intensity. I refuse to let my life end in such a hollow fashion······!’

Whir-r-r-r!!!

“······You have grown more powerful.”

The Great Earth Dragon remarked, gazing down at the wound in its own torso.

Raktusha had bypassed its twin spears, closing the gap in a blurred instant to bury a blade of pure energy deep into its chest.

“You, however, have remained stagnant. This applies to you and the rest of the primary commanders.”

Raktusha spoke while maintaining his grip on the Black Heaven Sword wedged inside the Great Earth Dragon’s ribs.

When he wrenched the Black Heaven Sword out, a spray of cerulean blood erupted, staining the earth below.

Standing firmly on the dirt, Raktusha flicked the blue droplets from his blade and offered the Great Earth Dragon a thin, mocking smile.

“The White King suffers from the same flaw. The moment you all grew comfortable in Kramdel, your downfall was written in stone.”

“You, the one Kramdel cast aside······.”

“I chose to depart. I was not cast aside.”

Raktusha’s gaze turned icy.

A long time ago.

Raktusha had been a resident of Kramdel for a period.

As a young orc, his talents were so immense that he sought a seat among the elite commanders.

As his power and reputation expanded, the established leadership felt their positions waver and forcibly removed him.

Following that exile, Raktusha aligned himself with the Black King’s forces and ascended to his current rank.

“You likely trembled as I grew stronger with every passing day. Yet the Black King operates on fairness. If one possesses the talent, he is prepared to step down from his own throne for them.”

Their fundamental natures were worlds apart.

The White King versus the Black King.

The White King prioritized his own security and the status quo.

He loathed innovation, constantly monitoring or banishing those who showed promise.

In contrast, how did the Black King operate?

Pure meritocracy.

Regardless of origin, if one had prowess and devotion, the King would overlook any flaw.

“Do you truly believe that? That your exile was born of terror?”

The Great Earth Dragon challenged him.

Raktusha gave a nonchalant shrug.

“What other motivation would there be for my removal from Kramdel?”

“Your thirst for power was a rot that threatened to consume everything. Did you not dabble in ‘forbidden modifications’ and ‘narcotics’? Have you wiped from your memory the attempt to spread them in Kramdel to shatter our societal foundation?”

The Great Earth Dragon spoke with a heavy, solemn tone.

Raktusha had indeed been removed from Kramdel.

However, it wasn’t out of simple cowardice.

To cement his authority within Kramdel, Raktusha had abandoned all morality.

His expulsion was a direct result of his attempt to tear down the ancient laws of Kramdel.

“Over such trivialities? Just confess that you were terrified. You pathetic weaklings.”

To Raktusha, those justifications were nonsensical.

Orcs were defined by conflict.

Utilizing every available tool to achieve victory and strength—where was the fault in that?

In his eyes, such methods would have made Kramdel more formidable and prosperous.

Raktusha raised his voice once more.

“Observe our current standing. If our respective states aren’t the ultimate validation of my path, then what is?”

“······.”

Raktusha stood as the victor, while the Great Earth Dragon lay defeated.

Imminently, the Great Earth Dragon would face its end.

“Now, only two of your elite forces remain. The Bow Ghost and Medusa.”

Two of the four pillars had been neutralized.

With the Death King and the Great Earth Dragon eliminated, how would the White King proceed?

Would he continue to cower in shadows?

Even after the loss of his greatest warriors and Kramdel itself?

It was then that the Great Earth Dragon forced its jaw open with great effort.

“······There exists a fifth commander.”

“A fifth? Are you referring to that upstart Crow King who recently joined the ranks?”

Ah.

That was right. A fifth high-ranking member had recently been named.

The fifth commander, Randolph.

The Ruler of the Abyssal Labyrinth, a title personally bestowed by the White King.

Yet, Raktusha’s demeanor remained unimpressed.

Regardless of his reputation, how much of a gap could there truly be between him and the other commanders?

“The fifth is distinct from the rest. He is a terrifying entity that the White King himself identified as ‘the one capable of ending him’······.”

“You are hallucinating as death approaches.”

“Believe what you wish. Dismiss it as a lie. I am truly curious to see if your confidence holds after you encounter the ‘fifth commander’ in person.”

A faint grin touched the Great Earth Dragon’s face.

He thought back to the collision between the fifth commander and the White King.

That insane crow.

For some reason, he found himself wishing to see him one last time today.

Had some shred of camaraderie developed in the interim?

Their interactions had been nothing but violence, yet facing his demise, his perspective seemed to shift.

“Do not fret. You shall encounter that fifth commander shortly.”

Their meeting would occur in the afterlife.

The Great Earth Dragon and that crow-like fifth commander.

All the elite forces and the White King would eventually stand together again.

The Great Earth Dragon let out a pained groan.

“Raktusha. Grant me one final answer. What was the fate of the Death King?”

The Death King, whose trail had gone cold after he moved toward the south.

There had been no word on whether he survived.

Sss.

Raktusha tightened his hold on the Black Heaven Sword.

“The Death King?”

Ziiing!

In a flash, a wave of killing intent radiated from the sword, poised to end the Great Earth Dragon.

Then, lunging forward with an explosive burst of speed, Raktusha aimed his blade at the Great Earth Dragon’s throat and spoke.

“The Death King has transformed into the vessel for ‘Despair.’”

Kuuuung!

While Lord Solbaren’s cries echoed, we focused our assault on every one of his ‘vulnerabilities.’

The unrelenting synergy of the Holy Grail’s sanctified water and the Indulgence did its work.

After cleansing the party of all evil karma, neutralizing Lord Solbaren—whose martial effectiveness had plummeted by -99.9%—was an easy feat.

“This is impossible! This cannot be occurring! Oh, Great Tower!”

Guoooo!

As every one of his weaknesses was triggered, incandescent flames burst from Lord Solbaren’s form.

He was being consumed by fire.

The presence of Lord Solbaren was flickering out of existence.

He no longer possessed the spiritual energy required to maintain his physical shell.

However, Lord Solbaren harbored a grudge more painful than his own passing.

“You useless tower that fails to exclude such an ‘irregular’······! I deeply regret my contract with you!”

An irregular.

A genuine exploiter of the system.

A person who dictated their own laws while disregarding the established framework.

In a functioning system, the tower should have purged such an entity.

Or the tower itself should have intervened.

The fact that it failed demonstrated its total inadequacy.

He felt a deeper hatred for the failing tower than for his killers.

In that moment.

While Lord Solbaren screamed his curses at the ‘tower.’

Shiiiing-!

Chrarararak!

The firmament ripped open, and a deluge of countless ‘plumage’ cascaded down, engulfing Lord Solbaren.

In an instant, Solbaren’s physical form was torn into myriad fragments and vanished into nothingness.

It was over in a heartbeat.

Once Solbaren was gone, the rift in the sky sealed shut.

‘What exactly was that?’

······I could only press my lips together, staring upward in silence.

The sky parting with such brilliant radiance.

That likely originated from the very pinnacle of the tower.

The true nature of the ‘colossal’ entity the Master had mentioned.

‘It manifested with clear purpose. It stepped in directly to wipe Solbaren from existence. It wasn’t the tower acting, but something far above it.’

The administrator of the tower never takes such direct action.

It might play games, but it doesn’t rain feathers to execute someone.

This implied that the being who opened the heavens could project power regardless of which ‘floor’ was involved.

It might even be an entity superior to the ‘tower’s master.’

But my musings were cut short.

A flurry of notifications began to populate my vision.

《‘Lord Solbaren’ has been defeated!》

《‘Lord Solbaren’ has been defeated with a perfect rating.》

《Every party member receives 10,000 SP.》

《Every party member receives ‘Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule (500h)’.》

《The maximum level (Max Level) for all party members has been increased by 1.》

《Races represented in the party are Human and Dryad.》

《The maximum level for the entire Human and Dryad races has increased by 1.》

《Combined party and racial bonuses: ‘Randolph’ may now reach level 12.》

《‘Randolph,’ as the primary contributor to the ‘Lord Solbaren’ defeat, receives an extra 50,000 SP.》

《‘Randolph,’ as the primary contributor to the ‘Lord Solbaren’ defeat, receives an extra 3,000 achievement points.》

《The achievement ‘Irregular of the Rift Tower’ has been granted.》

《Reputation has increased by 800.》

······.

《The doorway to the ‘Rift Tower 2nd Floor’ is now accessible.》

《Requirements for ‘Rift Tower 2nd Floor’: ‘Party of 5,’ ‘Possession of Hidden Trait(s)’.》

《Refer to ‘Announcements’ for further information.》

······.

《‘The Most Radiant Hero’s Constellation’ is watching you with intense fascination!》

Isaac

《The 1st Floor of the Rift Tower has been cleared.》

《The top-ranked party has completed the ‘Lord Solbaren’ raid.》

《The 2nd Floor of the Rift Tower will become accessible in 60 days.》

《1st Floor clear bonus: Maximum level for participating races (Human, Dryad) is increased by 1.》

《Members of the clearing party are granted an additional +1 level.》

The alerts manifested simultaneously for everyone.

It wasn’t limited to the active players; every inhabitant of Pangeniar was reading these exact words at the same time.

“An increase in the level cap······?!”

“Is that for real? The actual maximum level?!”

Even those who had never stepped foot in the Rift Tower were stunned.

Regardless of their background, no one could remain indifferent.

They had assumed the rewards would be minor proficiency boosts at most.

A raise in the racial max level meant the fundamental strengthening of an entire species.

Furthermore, the heroes who cleared it were given a second bonus level.

Essentially.

“······This could shift the balance of power on the entire continent.”

“We might have to bet everything on ascending that tower.”

At present, no single power ruled the continent.

Humans occupied the largest territory, but not enough to claim total dominance.

There were far too many powerful entities scattered throughout the lands.

But this opportunity could allow humans to become the undisputed masters.

If the Empire decided to take action, the world’s power structure would be drastically altered.

Naturally, a higher level cap didn’t mean everyone became stronger instantly.

“What about the second floor? Will it offer more level increases?”

“We have to be the ones to conquer the second floor.”

A tower capable of empowering whole races was a phenomenon without precedent.

Curiosity and ambition regarding the Rift Tower 2nd Floor were set to explode.

The obstacle was the entry criteria.

“Hidden Trait holders.”

“Hidden Traits? What exactly does that mean?”

The concept of hidden traits.

The vast majority didn’t even know they existed.

And even for those who did, finding five such individuals was a monumental task.

“Where are we supposed to find people with Hidden Traits?”

“Does it require a multi-racial alliance?”

“The first floor was completed by a team of Humans and Dryads.”

“Hmm, these entry rules are not easily met.”

People everywhere shook their heads in contemplation.

Unless one combed through every race to find the absolute best of the best, assembling a viable party seemed out of reach.

As the eyes of every soul in Pangeniar fixed upon the ‘Rift Tower.’

“······We must begin our preparations as well.”

“Your Majesty. Are you suggesting we deactivate the ‘barrier’?”

“Indeed. But first, acting on the World Tree’s portents, I must arrange a meeting with the High Dryads of Basrak Forest.”

The ancient, primordial woods.

A secluded, mysterious realm isolated from the rest of civilization.

Even the elves residing there were starting to move.

《The 1st Floor of the Rift Tower has been cleared.》

《All participants are being forcibly removed.》

Raktusha scowled.

Just as his blade was about to carve into the Great Earth Dragon’s throat, his surroundings shifted instantly.

‘Cleared already?’

How much time had passed since they stepped inside?

Even if the boss’s power had been diminished, the invulnerability stages should have remained.

Based on his own exchange, he was certain.

Defeating Lord Solbaren was a puzzle that transcended sheer strength.

Yet the notification of success came almost immediately after the fight began.

It was a deeply frustrating conclusion.

Furthermore.

‘Tch. I failed to finish the job.’

He hadn’t been able to confirm the Great Earth Dragon’s demise.

He had brought it to the threshold of death, but didn’t witness its final breath.

‘Even so, it is unlikely to recover.’

Despite that, survival seemed impossible.

Once the Black Heaven Sword drew blood, all healing was negated.

He hadn’t fully decapitated the beast, but the wound was deep and surely mortal.

At the very most, it might linger for a few fleeting moments.

It was then.

“The Master’s little brat. Failed in the end.”

“Hmm. I didn’t expect to be kicked out so unceremoniously.”

The subordinates of the Black King began to appear one by one at the tower’s base.

They found the turn of events equally baffling.

“Who managed to clear it?”

“···It wasn’t the White King. At the start of the raid, the Great Earth Dragon was occupied with me.”

Raktusha responded to the dark elf’s inquiry.

At the mention of the Great Earth Dragon, the group showed immediate interest.

“Ho. The Great Earth Dragon? Did you finish him?”

“He took a lethal hit from the Black Heaven Sword, so his chances are slim.”

“You didn’t stay to watch the light leave his eyes?”

“······You know as well as I do that there is no surviving such a wound.”