Chapter 275

Chapter 275
## Chapter 275

### Natural Catastrophe

‘He uttered my name!’

Aaron’s entire frame shuddered with a violent tremor. The instant that man spoke his name, a tidal wave of sentiment crashed through him, impossible to hold back. From the moment he had perceived the two Goddesses at the very edge of his demise, Aaron’s perspective on existence had been utterly transformed. It was, in the most literal sense, a divine phenomenon.

To Aaron, the reality that his decaying flesh had been restored and his depleted holy power had surged back felt like trivialities compared to the raw impact of that vision; it was, without question, the most significant turning point of his life.

‘I am the one chosen!’

If this wasn’t a message from the heavens, what else could it be? Despite being dismissed as a mere brat and a nuisance, Aaron had been a devoted servant of the Goddess since his first breath. Yet, he had never once encountered the Goddess face-to-face. He had lived under the impression that such a thing was impossible for anyone. He had even harbored the secret belief that His Holiness the Pope’s assertions of speaking with the Goddess were fabrications. He had suspected that the practices of the Goddess Cult were nothing more than a ‘Goddess Business’—a mere corporate venture.

But that had changed.

‘That individual… He is the sole being in this realm who truly possesses the Goddess’s affection! Thus, his decision is synonymous with the Goddess’s own will. I have been granted redemption…!’

The man had wiped away his transgressions and called out to him. In that heartbeat, the two Goddesses had beamed at him. This was genuine deliverance. If this did not constitute salvation, then nothing did! It was only fitting that he react in a way that honored such a blessing.

The Prayer of Adoration? Because that person was practically the incarnation of the Goddess, there was no reason he would hesitate to recite it. He would proclaim it with ecstasy. Even that felt insufficient. To prove his absolute loyalty, Aaron put his very existence on the line and surrendered his ego once more.

In that fleeting second, Aaron bore witness to a miracle.

—

Kureung! Kwarrrrung!

The moment ‘the fellow’ rose to his feet and announced his intent, the entire structure began to vibrate. Sansha pulled his features into a scowl.

‘A force capable of rattling the tower itself. It isn’t Karas, so…’

This was no act of the War God Karas. The origin of this violent quaking was the man standing right in front of him. Nevertheless, Sansha dismissed the thought. He didn’t care what the man planned; it would lead to nothing. No matter his tactics, dislodging Sansha from this position while he held this state was an impossibility.

‘Fixed Position. So long as I remain on this spot, I am beyond harm.’

This trial was crafted with the expectation that everyone would fail. Furthermore, it served as a mechanism for Sansha to engage challengers personally. He was far too powerful for a simple test, and engaging in common brawls was beneath a being of his rank. Consequently, the tower itself had imposed a seal on him to ensure he didn’t directly crush the aspirants.

However, he could easily circumvent this. He would present a feasible challenge, and when they inevitably fell short, he could intervene. As long as a microscopic chance of success existed, it was deemed a valid trial.

‘Aegis, the Shield of God.’

The shield existed for exactly that function. Sansha had pushed past his constraints and ascended, grasping one distinct Authority. The definitive barrier he claimed after crawling back from the grave: Aegis! As long as he stayed in a stationary spot, he could redirect his entire status into pure defense. It was impenetrable. It would never buckle. He was invincible.

‘Witness it. The barrier.’

The obstacle that no challenger could ever hope to bypass. The man might have caught him off guard on the 16th floor, but lightning wouldn’t strike twice. Sansha wanted this fellow to endure the same sensation he had once felt. Once the trial crashed and burned, he planned to deal with the fellow himself—after emerging victorious in a duel against every single challenger.

‘Randolph.’

…Sansha was waiting for nothing but the opportunity to test his mettle against him again. His revival within the tower as a ‘Trial’ served that single aim. He craved a legitimate battle once more. He longed for that adrenaline-fueled pulse. He desired to confront Randolph and Wilhelm in his current form, rather than as the Demon of Envy.

“Mmm…?”

Yet, as the tower continued to heave, the fissures began to expand rapidly.

Crack!
Cra-crack!

The stone beneath them fractured, and the entire environment began to ‘Collapse.’ it was bizarre. A truly inexplicable turn of events. The segments that crumbled did not piece themselves back together. Yet, the tower was supposed to possess an inherent self-repair function. Moreover, was the War God Karas not present as the master who had reclaimed his full godhood? There were even overseers tasked with maintaining the structure, so how could it be falling apart!

A tower infused with divinity is supposed to be indestructible. Even if the deity were to perish, the tower was an entity that operated autonomously as part of the ‘Trial.’ To think that someone was actively dismantling such a tower?

‘The whole tower isn’t falling.’

Sansha identified the anomaly with precision. It wasn’t the entire structure. This specific floor—the ‘Trial’ of the 17th floor—was the part disintegrating.

“What have you done…!”

Sansha was certain the ‘man’ before him was the catalyst for this event. After invoking that strange ‘terror of sudden death’ on the 16th floor, the man was resorting to deception again instead of tackling the trial as intended. Out of all the challengers, he was the only one whose limits remained a mystery. To think he would annihilate the entire floor just because a trial was presented!

“W-Woah!”
“I-It’s falling apart!”
“What is happening so suddenly…!”

Kurururung!

It gave way. It buckled and plummeted. It was preposterous. While descending toward the abyss, Sansha stared at ‘the fellow’ who was wearing a smirk and muttered:

“…You pass.”

He wasn’t even shocked anymore. If anything… because he could not anticipate the man’s actions at all, he was reaching a state where he was actually curious about what kind of freakish event the man would trigger next.

—

‘It worked.’

I grinned as I watched Sansha dropping away. Sansha’s challenge was to force him to move or push him out of the circle. Essentially, it was sufficient to just make the circle itself vanish. The Hidden-grade talisman ‘Natural Catastrophe’ triggered ‘Absolute Collapse’ across the entire vicinity. Even if that area was a dungeon or a tower anchored as a trial.

‘I drained the Golden Rule Shop and fused them using the Hidden Talisman Cube.’

Discovering that recipe had been a fluke. Utilizing infinite refreshes, I had grabbed every valuable talisman in the Golden Rule Shop, and as I tossed them into the cube, the device began to radiate light. So, acting on a hunch, I merged them, and the Hidden grade was born.

> **【Natural Catastrophe Talisman (Hidden)】**
> * Equipped to the Primordial Armor; effect is boosted by 1.5 times.
> * Inevitable Phenomenon.
> * Absolute Area Collapse.
> * The radius of destruction scales with Mana.
> * Cooling Period: 15 days.
>
>

The description was brief, but it was more than enough. A power that erases absolute zones. Whether it was a holy sanctuary, a domain established by an Authority, or even a dungeon or tower, it would be shattered and ground to dust. This wasn’t a joke; it was truly staggering. It felt like a power akin to Mystery Destruction, yet while they shared similarities, they were fundamentally different.

‘If I can break the wards of the Holy City, then everything obstructing Randolph will be cleared.’

The Goddess’s Barrier guarding the Holy City of Adrium. Even Mystery Destruction couldn’t bypass that shield. However, with the ‘Natural Catastrophe’ talisman, I could theoretically pulverize even that invincible ward that barred non-humans. Naturally, they would notice the moment it shattered, but the fact that an entry point could be forced was a massive victory. A tool to dismantle any barrier across any land. Used correctly, uncovering hidden loot dungeons would be effortless. And that wasn’t the end of it.

‘…This is massive.’

Witnessing that power firsthand, even I felt a sense of awe. The entire 17th floor was falling into ruin. If deployed in the heart of enemy territory, no one would survive the initial collapse. It was on par with most tactical nuclear weapons. …The only issue was that I was also being dragged down into the void.

‘Just how deep does this hole go?’

This was a twist I hadn’t planned for. If one falls from the 17th floor, logic dictates they land on the 16th, right? But I was falling into a bottomless pit. I assumed I’d be teleported to the 18th floor once the victory was registered.

Fwoo!
Fwooooo—!

As if the system heard me, warp gates began to manifest throughout the space.

“It’s a portal!”
“I’m going to live!”

One by one, the falling challengers were sucked into the warps and forcibly moved. The gaping holes in reality were beginning to mend themselves as well. The tower was initiating repairs. Just like that, those who cleared the trial were being ushered to the 18th floor.

However, it wasn’t long before I sensed something was off.

‘…What about me?’

Everyone else nearby had been whisked away by the portals. I waited for my turn, but… no matter how long I descended, a warp never showed up. I was simply left to fall. Down. Endless, infinite down.

—

Caw?
Caw!

The crows tilted their heads in confusion as they observed the 17th floor’s destruction. They were the Clan of Calamity—the crows who worshipped the War God Karas as their deity! Unlike the Clan of Ill-Omen, the Clan of Calamity lacked the authority or the skills to oversee the tower’s functions. They were harbingers who governed tragedy, expiration, and trials.

Caw!
Caw!!

Soon, the Clan of Calamity became frantic. What was the move? War God Karas had abandoned his post. Sensing a disturbance, Karas had gone to the 30th floor and hadn’t been seen for quite some time. Even so, if the 17th floor were allowed to stay broken, it would jeopardize the entire tower’s stability.

“Caw! Caw!”

Then, it happened. Waddle! Waddle!

A massive crow, roughly the height of a human child and bulging with weight, stepped into view.

Caw!
Caw!
Caaaaaw!

The Clan of Calamity erupted in cheers at the sight of this crow. It had finally shown up! The Clan of Ill-Omen. This was the administrator responsible for this specific tower! It appeared that when the Champion Randolph was called forth, the Clan of Ill-Omen had been activated as well.

“Caw!”

I’ve got this!

The crow from the Clan of Ill-Omen thumped its chest with a wing. Then, with an air of confidence, it began to fix the shattered 17th floor.

Shu-ung!
Shu-aaaaang!

It patched the cracks and reconstructed the ceiling. The 17th floor rapidly returned to its intended state.

Clap clap clap!

The Clan of Calamity beat their wings together in applause. As expected of the Clan of Ill-Omen. No one managed the tower better than them.

Caw?

At that moment, a member of the Clan of Calamity posed a query. One of the challengers who had fallen during the collapse was missing.

“Caw?”

The Clan of Ill-Omen crow blinked in confusion. While performing the restoration, it had certainly intended to return all challengers to their proper places. But one person was gone?

Caw!
Caw!
Caaaaaw!

Suddenly, the crows of the Clan of Calamity began to panic. This was a disaster! A total catastrophe! He must have slipped into the ‘Gap’ between the levels!

Instantly, the crow from the Clan of Ill-Omen turned as rigid as a statue. The ‘Gap’ between the floors. That was a realm that existed as a completely separate reality—not the Abyss, not the surface world, and not even the Heavens. Only the ‘King of Ill-Omen’ possessed knowledge of what lay within the ‘Gap’ of the floors.

—The ‘Gap of the floors’ is a secret reserved solely for our Clan of Ill-Omen.
—But an administrator must never, under any circumstances, peer into the ‘Gap of the floors.’
—Naturally, you are forbidden from entering, and you must never allow another soul inside.
—This is the supreme commandment that the Clan of Ill-Omen must protect!
—Even if existence itself ends, you must never violate this!

The ultimate law that the tower’s administrator had to guard. A vow that every King of Ill-Omen in history had stressed with desperation! If one of the challengers had slipped into that ‘Gap’? He had shattered the administrator’s most sacred rule.

…This was catastrophic. The crisis of a lifetime.

“Ca, caw…?”

Wh-what was he supposed to do? The crow of the Clan of Ill-Omen shook with fear, its face drained of color.

—

How long had I been in this freefall? A day? Two? …I had no way of knowing. All I knew for sure was that I had been dropping for so long that my sense of time had evaporated. For a fall that should have only gone from the 17th floor to the 16th, this journey was taking far too long.

Just as the very idea of time began to lose its meaning.

Fwhaaaaak!

Abruptly, a blinding light flared out. The entire environment began to shift. Due to the piercing brilliance, I squinted and shut my eyes tight. And when I finally opened them again.

‘Where have I ended up?’

The world had been replaced by something entirely new.

Gu-ooooooo.

Standing before me were two crows so gargantuan they seemed to touch the very ceiling of the heavens.