Chapter 177

Chapter 177
## Chapter 177: True Divinity

The essence of the Omen King was carved into the stone monument.

It surged forward like a boundless, rising tide.

As I took in that willpower and felt it saturate my very being, the surrounding environment began to warp.

—Ooh, my descendant! You who carry the authentic legacy of the omen!

……The Omen King made his presence known.

By that point, my physical form had already shifted into the “Terrifying Omen.”

Observing me, the fragment of the Omen King’s spirit remaining in the stele struck the earth in sheer exaltation.

Even as a lingering will, he possessed a consciousness so sharp and vibrant that he seemed truly sentient.

This was the ultimate testament to how magnificent a figure the Omen King had been during his life.

A malevolent obsidian fire flared, stretching toward the horizon of the firmament.

He mirrored the Terrifying Omen but was vastly more monumental in scale.

—The tower is a deity. The tower is totality. And the tower is singular.

He spoke words that seemed beyond common logic.

And yet, those phrases from the Omen King were undoubtedly fundamental truths that sliced through the fabric of reality.

I continuously processed data regarding the tower within my consciousness.

—We were the sovereign lineage that governed such structures. Though the towers were shattered by ruin and the omen clan was wiped out, the successor to my legacy has finally arrived!

Ah.

The Omen King shuddered with intense fervor.

After countless ages of patience.

At the conclusion of that long vigil, he had encountered me.

It felt as though he had been anticipating my arrival since the dawn of time.

—Collect the monuments. Restore the lineage. Oversee the tower, awaken the divinity, and demonstrate to the world that our bloodline persists. Ascend as the legitimate Omen King.

Overseeing the tower.

That implied an intimate connection with the masters of the tower.

Spires without dedicated overseers were destined to crumble.

Just as Karas had grown progressively frail during the five-year period when Sansha acted as the overseer.

—Only you possess the power to resurrect the clan.

The Omen King reached out, resting his palm upon my shoulder.

In that instant, the reality around me buckled, and the spirit of the Omen King faded away.

He had placed the destiny of his people in my hands.

“……”

Karas stared at the avian creature—the omen clan—with eyes that betrayed his agitation.

—Caw!

A massive crow, roughly a meter in height.

The bird, balanced on two thick legs and moving with a heavy waddle while it cried out, was unquestionably a member of the omen clan.

‘A crimson tail and multiple pupils.’

The red plumage of the tail was the trademark of the omen clan.

Furthermore, it possessed a single eye containing three distinct pupils.

“It can’t be possible……”

Karas parted his lips in sheer shock.

Though there were myriad crow-like monsters in existence, this specific creature was undeniably of the omen lineage.

However, the omen clan, those who had once maintained the towers, were supposed to have been wiped out when the destruction first arrived.

How could a race believed to be extinct suddenly reappear?

This couldn’t be happening simply because that individual was the “Terrifying Omen.”

—Caw?

Before long, the omen clan member tilted its head and started to survey the structure.

Swoosh.

Ssssh!

As it reached out with a limb, the decaying, rusted tower began to fix itself as if by some miracle.

“The tower’s ‘overseer authority’ is already active……!”

The omen clan being summoned from the monument instinctively understood its purpose and began the labor of restoring the tower.

Simultaneously, a surge of life flooded into Karas’s wings, and his frame began to expand.

‘Guh, the power……’

Karas’s gaze flickered with intense emotion.

Strength was flowing back.

The dominion he had surrendered long ago, the primal source he believed was lost forever.

Now, through the presence of this omen clan member, it was being reclaimed at a rapid pace.

The putrid, crumbling facade of the tower shifted, becoming as immaculate as the day it was built.

“Ah.”

Shwaaak!

Karas unfurled his wings.

The even more colossal wings and their brilliant sheen were the signs of his returning potency.

No longer a mere shadow of a god—he had finally stepped back into the role of a genuine deity.

The authentic Martial God.

Wooooong!

As if vibrating in harmony, the tower itself began to shudder with force.

The structure, which had previously terminated at the 20th floor, expanded rapidly to 30 floors, and Karas’s gaze became more profound and piercing.

Exuding a divine aura that was incomparable to his previous state, he had ascended once more to the holy seat he had lost for so long.

To that highest throne of antiquity, where no soul dared to challenge him.

The absolute ruler who commanded both the sky and the soil—Martial God Karas.

He had at last regained his true identity.

“……Indeed, the omen clan.”

Karas permitted himself a smile.

Why had he ever doubted?

He considered his own perception foolish for not immediately trusting what was right in front of him.

But the man had proven himself, and now the responsibility shifted to Karas.

“Climb higher. To the peak of my spire, to the very conclusion. You have earned this right.”

Not just 20 floors.

The true tower had never ended at a mere twenty.

The invitation extended all the way to 30 floors.

To the heights that no one else had ever managed to reach.

Back when the tower was intact, no challenger had ever climbed to the 30th floor to face him.

Yet this man was capable.

Qualified to reach the summit and confront his divine self.

“I shall be waiting.”

Karas took flight toward the very top of the tower.

The Hall of Constellations.

A multitude of constellations perceived the shift at the exact same moment.

“A divine presence……”

“…Martial God Karas has been restored.”

The shockwave of divinity rippled through the entire world.

It was as if he were announcing his comeback, serving as a warning to all.

That he had returned to his throne.

A signal for everyone to tremble and prepare.

There was no mistake; it was Martial God Karas.

“Who could have done this?”

It was simply too abrupt.

Bringing a dying divinity back to life was deemed an impossibility.

The first act of the Great Destruction had been the systematic eradication of the tower-overseeing omen clan.

Without the omen clan, the towers ceased to function; without the towers, their masters lost their potency.

“As impressive as one would expect.”

At that moment, a single constellation spoke up.

The constellation of the Most Radiant Hero.

He, who had temporarily lost his luster, was now glowing with even more intense radiance.

There was only one person who would react to this situation with a smile.

The specific being that only he was observing.

“It can’t be…… Randolph?”

“Randolph again?”

“How did Randolph manage to restore a divinity?”

Randolph!

It was as if he were cornering the market on every major global event by himself.

How could he possibly revive a fallen god!

It defied logic…… and yet, their curiosity was piqued.

They were desperately intrigued.

The issue, however, was that the stories revolving around Randolph were exorbitantly expensive.

Especially for something as monumental as a god’s revival—the cost would be astronomical.

They had to weigh whether it was worth risking their own standing as constellations.

‘I need to see it! I need to understand!’

Despite the cost, the eyes of the constellations burned with a hunger for knowledge.

This narrative was like a deep, ancient secret finally being whispered.

Only the “Most Radiant Hero’s Constellation” was currently enjoying the rewards of that secret.

‘Aah!’

The internal conflict within the constellations grew even more agonizing.

《The ‘Most Radiant Hero’s Constellation’ shows profound respect.》

《The spire is restored and the god has been revived!》

《Every constellation in the Hall of Constellations is now fixated on you, stunned by this turn of events.》

《At the tower’s zenith, atop the ‘Eternal Throne,’ ‘Martial God Karas’ expects your arrival.》

……What exactly is happening?

Did the return of the omen clan really trigger that much fascination?

‘The number of floors has grown.’

When I came back after absorbing the Omen King’s legacy, Karas had already vanished from my sight.

However, I fully understood the invitation he had left behind.

Ascend to the peak of the tower, all the way to floor 30.

‘The original spire reached thirty levels.’

But as Karas’s power waned, the floors had diminished along with him.

Giving a small nod, I began the ascent of the tower, accompanied by the omen clan member.

‘Naturally, it’s deserted.’

21st floor.

Empty.

There were no enemies to face.

This made sense, as these levels had only just been materialized.

22nd floor, 23rd floor—I simply walked up the staircases.

《Achievement Unlocked! Gained ‘Challenger Who Reached Martial God’s Tower 21st Floor’!》

《Reputation grows by 300.》

《Achievement Unlocked! Gained ‘Challenger Who Reached Martial God’s Tower 22nd Floor’!》

《Reputation grows by 350.》

《Achievement Unlocked! Gained ‘Challenger Who Reached Martial God’s Tower 23rd Floor’!》

《Reputation grows by 400.》

……

《Achievement Unlocked! Gained ‘Challenger Who Reached Martial God’s Tower 30th Floor’!》

《Reputation grows by 900.》

My fame was exploding.

I was collecting milestones that even dedicated completionists would find impossible to secure.

And I wasn’t even doing anything extraordinary.

Simply stepping onto a new floor provided a boost in reputation.

‘First Achievement. A destination no other player has ever set foot in.’

The general consensus was that the 20th floor was the limit.

I had shared that belief.

But who could have guessed that was only a partial reality?

I didn’t pause.

There was no reason to.

Nothing stood in my path, no obstacle to slow me down.

Consequently, when I arrived at the final 30th floor.

“Challenger who has made it to the tower’s conclusion, do you intend to challenge Martial God Karas?”

Martial God Karas.

He was a completely different entity compared to his previous weakened state.

Wrapped in a shimmering divine aura and seated upon his grand throne, he offered me a greeting.

This wasn’t the broken version of Karas that Sansha had toyed with, but the authentic Martial God who once ruled the world.

Ten days since the start of the second wave of invasion.

Players from every corner of the globe began to congregate.

They formed the united front of the Hero Association.

Never in history had such a massive gathering of players taken place in a single spot.

“……There have to be over ten thousand here.”

“I didn’t realize there were this many players in existence.”

Even the participants themselves were stunned by the turnout.

It was likely because a vast number of reclusive experts had finally decided to step out.

Otherwise, bringing this many people together would have been an impossible task.

“My thanks to you. For making this difficult choice. Darkstar greets you with enthusiastic support.”

Darkstar.

He took his position at the head of the allied forces.

The rising star who had previously gained fame by clashing with Gracia on social media.

Having achieved a power level of at least 3-stars, he was more than capable of commanding the alliance.

Furthermore, a group of other prominent heroes stood at his side.

“Where is Gracia?”

“I thought Gracia was part of this group?”

There was one notable absence.

Everyone was present except for Gracia.

As whispers began to circulate, Darkstar addressed the crowd again.

“Gracia is no longer affiliated with the Hero Association. He has ceased to be a hero under our banner.”

“Is there a specific reason for his departure?”

“Weren’t we all supposed to stand together in this fight?”

The inquiries were reasonable.

After all, Gracia had been the face of the Hero Association for a long time.

Shouldn’t he be at the forefront of the preparations for the second invasion?

“However, he is no longer our premier hero. He has lost his strength and his prestige. He is no longer fit to guide us.”

Darkstar’s tone was frigid.

He made it clear: Gracia, now devoid of both power and honor, was irrelevant.

“Do not be discouraged! We have attained even greater strength! Those disgusting demonic swarms will not destroy our world! Place your faith in me! Trust the Hero Association! Let us fight as one!”

Darkstar bellowed with all the passion he could muster.

Deep down, he was gloating.

Gracia’s position was finally his to claim.

‘Are you lurking in the shadows watching this, Phantom?’

He was certain that Phantom was hidden somewhere within the assembled masses.

The thought of it made him want to burst into laughter.

It was the perfect moment for cheers and thunderous applause.

“Wait, what?”

“……W-What is that?”

“Is that a bug in the system?”

Instead, the reactions from the crowd were completely unexpected.

Even the heroes standing behind Darkstar were paralyzed, unable to process what they were seeing.

The reason for this bizarre response was straightforward.

An even more staggering event had just appeared before their eyes.

Every player in attendance could only stare in collective, absolute disbelief.

“Is that actually real?”

“Randolph…… was involved in the main quest?”

“What even is that? Is that point total insane?”

“H-How is a score like that even possible?”