Chapter 272

Chapter 272
## Chapter 272: The Summoning of Randolph

‘Has he lost his mind?’

Hugh of the Dercian lineage couldn’t help but wonder as he observed Aaron.

As the progeny of Cardinal Johansson from the Goddess Cult, Aaron was a known delinquent—a total degenerate. His reputation as a failure preceded him even within the borders of the Empire. When Hugh first learned that such a man was entering the tournament, he was genuinely baffled.

Aaron, more than anyone, should have been aware of the deep-seated hatred the Evil God Cult harbored for his faith. So, why would they officially enter him into the competition?

‘I assumed it was merely a political puppet show.’

Aaron, whose mind seemed to be a perpetual fog of delusions, appeared oblivious, but to any outside observer, he was bait. On the surface, it was a gesture of diplomatic exchange with the Empire. Underneath, the Goddess Cult must have known the Evil God Cult would never pass up a chance to strike at him. Aaron was a lure far too tempting to ignore.

‘By pairing him with Bartashu, they were essentially inviting his execution.’

Bartashu was a Paladin of the highest order, a zealot who viewed non-believers as sub-human. He was infamous for the brutal slaughter of Imperial citizens and followers of the Evil God Cult alike. Aaron was no better; he purposefully targeted those outside his faith to act out his debauchery, knowing his father, the Cardinal, would shield him.

‘I had intended to end his life myself……’

What was the true motive behind sending that pair? No one in the Empire believed this was a standard exchange. They simply needed a justification—the claim that the Empire had murdered Aaron.

Still, it didn’t change things for Hugh. If they sent him with a death wish, it would be rude not to oblige. The Archon Empire had never particularly cared for the opinions of the Goddess Cult anyway.

‘But now he’s groveling to that monster.’

At some point, Aaron had begun to worship “Hyun,” a fellow resident of the Holy City. Initially, Hugh expected Hyun to kill the nuisance. There was a grim satisfaction in watching him dismantle opponents as they climbed the tower. Hugh had stood back, thinking it poetic for Aaron to perish at the hands of someone from his own home.

However, everything shifted after they cleared the 14th floor.

‘That dark radiance…… it was a physical manifestation of Sword-Force.’

It was a phenomenon that occurred only when one reached the absolute pinnacle of martial mastery. To shape such Sword-Force into a massive, looming halo was unheard of. Its mere presence drained the mana of those nearby, pinning them in place. It was a profane power, something the Goddess Cult should have found abhorrent.

“I worship you! O Bearer of the Goddess’s Legacy! O Saint who carries Her word to the world! My devotion to the Goddess shall only grow more fervent and absolute!”

……The man was clearly broken.

Even on the 16th floor, Aaron’s obsessive behavior persisted. He scrambled on the ground like an animal, incessantly offering prayers and praise to the man. Hyun of Adrium. Had they not been at each other’s throats just moments ago?

‘That one doesn’t seem interested in helping anyone.’

It was obvious that Hyun of Adrium and Aaron cared little for the trials of the 16th floor. Hyun, in particular, remained motionless with his eyes shut, as if lost in deep meditation. Hugh clicked his tongue and shifted his focus.

He looked toward the center of the room, where everyone’s attention was fixed. Standing there was the “Ancient Demon.”

“Greetings. I am Sansha, the Former Champion.”

He looked like an ordinary man at first glance, but his physical form was anything but.

‘A biological patchwork?’

His body was a grotesque assembly of mismatched parts, stitched and fused together. Some connections looked hurried and crude. It was a revolting sight, enough to turn one’s stomach. Yet, the man claiming to be the legendary Sansha stood there with total confidence, unbothered by his horrific appearance. He remained calm even while surrounded by hundreds of elite warriors. Was the challenge of the 16th floor simply to defeat this past legend?

“The Former Champion……!”
“Is that the man who held the title for years without a single loss?”
“I thought he had vanished from the world.”
“His name was Sansha?”

Some among the crowd recognized the name. Before the Tower of the War God was restructured, he had been an invincible fixture. He possessed a level of martial skill that bordered on the mythical. A true legend of the tower had manifested on the 16th floor, identifying himself as the predecessor to the current titleholder.

“I shall now demonstrate every technique I have mastered.”

Sansha’s words were unexpected. It seemed the goal wasn’t a simple brawl to the death. He continued his explanation.

“Once I have finished, you will have 30 minutes to reflect. Select a single technique you believe you can withstand. I will adjust my power to match your individual level.”

“Are you suggesting a series of one-on-one duels?”

“That is correct.”

Sansha gave a slow nod. He shifted into a ready stance and spoke again.

“I have 100 ‘Unique Techniques’ to show you. If you can successfully defend against even one, you will be permitted to ascend to the ‘Next Floor.’”

“Only one out of a hundred?”

“Yes. A single successful block. That is all it takes to pass the 16th floor.”

“Isn’t that incredibly lenient?”

No matter how great a legend he was, the prospect of blocking just one move—scaled to their own power level—seemed trivial. Compared to the desperate “Struggle” they had endured since the 11th floor, this felt like a gift. After the blood-soaked battles they had fought to get this far, this trial seemed like a reprieve.

Then, someone voiced a question.

“Has anyone ever managed to block all 100 of them?”

“There have been such individuals.”

“How many?”

Sansha held up two fingers.

“Two.”

“Just two? I assume one of them is the reigning Champion, Lord Randolph?”

Sansha nodded.

“Indeed. Randolph is one.”

“And the other?”

A faint, knowing smile touched Sansha’s lips. The crowd leaned in, breathless. While many knew of the current Champion Randolph by reputation, the next name Sansha uttered was a household word for everyone present.

“Wilhelm, the King of Knights.”

Wilhelm. The name carried the weight of legend. Yet, that legacy had been tarnished over time. Despite his mythic achievements, he was ultimately remembered as the ‘Loser’ of the Great Expedition—the commander responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 men. As the years passed and the world changed, new powers like Lyca or King Friedrich of the Iron Kingdom had risen, causing the memory of Wilhelm to fade.

To hear that name now, from Sansha’s lips, was a shock.

“Wilhelm is no King of Knights.”

Hugh of the Dercian family stepped forward, his voice cold with denial. Sansha turned his eyes toward him. Hugh leveled his blade at the patchwork man.

“The only individual worthy of that title is Lord Lyca.”

“Lyca? I don’t know the name.”

“…….”

“Is he among you today?”

“He is not a participant in this climb……”

“Then why should I care about a coward who fears the tower?”

“He is no coward!”

In response to Hugh’s outburst, Sansha let out a mocking laugh.

“Actually, it does sound familiar. I recall a man by that name who lost his nerve while facing me fifty years ago. I believe he was called ‘Lyca.’”

“You arrogant wretch……!”

“If you find my words offensive, prove me wrong.”

Sansha settled into a stance, facing Hugh’s pointed sword. Suddenly—

*Fwoooooong—!*

A titanic surge of mana erupted from Sansha, flooding the entire 16th floor.

“……!”
“My mana…… it’s frozen!”

The warriors found themselves paralyzed, as if bound by invisible chains. This was fundamentally different from the overwhelming pressure Hyun of Adrium had exerted on the 14th floor. This felt oily and intrusive, as if a thick sludge had coated their skin. Their bodies felt foreign, as though their very essence was being siphoned away.

‘If two people blocked everything, surely I can manage one.’
‘Maybe he isn’t as formidable as the stories say.’

Many had harbored those thoughts just moments ago. Now, the challengers were forced to reconsider. But the display was far from over.

“Azure Dragon Kick. Sword of the Four Dragons. Unity of Heart and Sword.”

He moved through the forms one by one. Every strike was hypnotic. Each technique was executed with a level of perfection that surpassed the original versions. It was staggering to think a single man had mastered and improved upon so many disparate styles.

‘How are we supposed to stop that?’
‘That’s impossible to block.’

The spirits of the challengers were crushed by the overwhelming skill of the Ancient Demon, Sansha.

—

Karas, the God of War, watched Sansha’s manifestation with grim satisfaction.

‘Sansha, the Demon of Envy, was consumed. By Randolph.’

Following that event, the Demon of Greed had been triggered. Logically, the name Sansha should have been erased from existence. Yet, here he was. How was such a thing feasible?

‘He wasn’t entirely lost, however.’

While Sansha the Demon of Envy was gone, Sansha the Champion remained. They had always possessed distinct identities. One ego was devoured, but the martial spirit of the Champion survived. Left alone, that essence would have faded into nothingness, but Karas had preserved it—shaping it into a trial for the tower.

‘Champion Sansha, reborn as a guardian. He has regained his memories and grown even more lethal.’

Bound to the Tower of the War God, Sansha could never leave. But this isolation had allowed him to reach a state of completion. The memories once suppressed by his demonic side were now clear. He had evolved further by obsessing over his loss to Randolph. Karas wondered how many would survive an encounter with this perfected Sansha.

‘On another note……’

The God of War turned his gaze toward the peak of the structure. To fulfill the requirements of the trial, the tower had called upon the ‘Champion.’ Champion Randolph. But the summoned warrior was behaving strangely.

“…What is he doing?”

—

……I was in deep trouble. Absolutely doomed.

‘I can’t log out.’

Randolph was present in the tower. The system had clearly yanked Randolph’s physical form into existence, likely placing him on the 30th floor at the summit. But I was locked out of my own character. Was it because I was already here? Did the tower’s logic break because two versions of me were in the same space?

‘I can’t even quit.’

The option to forfeit was gone. The only way out was death, but if I died while climbing, my very soul might be deleted. I was trapped. I hadn’t anticipated the tower having the authority to forcibly summon Randolph’s body.

‘But how did it manage that?’

Not even the Dragon God Einhasad could pull Randolph around at will. While Main Quest 10 was supposed to trigger a summons, Randolph’s power level was so immense that Einhasad eventually had to physically carry him. His power had only increased since then. How could Karas and the tower exert such control over him?

‘Damn it.’

The Paradox of Fate. The closer I drew to Randolph within the world of Pangaea, the more the identity of Park Hyunmyeong would erode. The weight of that warning was finally becoming clear.

‘My left arm is dead.’

Paralysis was creeping through my body. My left arm was completely unresponsive.

“Aaaargh!”
“Gah!”

The Ancient Demon Sansha was putting on a show. It was remarkable that the Former Champion was back, but he was terrifyingly more powerful than the legends suggested. People were being cut down in single strikes. Moreover, watching his techniques was maddening. He was flawlessly blending the principles of Wilhelm’s swordplay with the Creation of Heaven and Earth.

Could I even stand against Sansha using only my right arm? And even if I won, the rest of the climb loomed over me. This was bad.

“Ah, I see the truth! O Magnificent One! Please, speak for the Goddess! Show us Her path! Truly! With all my soul! Your servant shall follow and offer his very life to you!!”

This was easily the most desperate situation of my entire life.