Chapter 281

Chapter 281
### Chapter 281

—

### The Chronicle of Randolph

A clue. A small piece of data intended to simplify a complex riddle. Every individual ascending the spire harbored a specific hope. They anticipated that the provided “hint” would expose a vulnerability in the Blade Dragon Queen. At the very least, they expected it to offer a logical path forward. Instead, the revelation that manifested struck their expectations down with blunt force.

“The clue is Randolph?”

“Well, considering Randolph occupies the spire’s summit, a link is inevitable.”

“First Baal of the Four Perils, and now the Blade Dragon Queen? What ties do these entities have to Randolph?”

It was a void of information. The name “Randolph” in isolation provided no leverage. Consequently, those scaling the tower circulated the hint globally to crowd-source a breakthrough. Within a few hours, the name had permeated every corner of the world, from the modern cities of Earth to the sprawling lands of Pangaea.

“Alright, let’s map this out chronologically.”

“When did the Blade Dragon Queen first manifest?”

“During Isera’s incursion. She wasn’t there initially. A Dragon Vein surged in Korea, and a Global Notification commanded us to defend it.”

“Continue.”

“As we held the line, the Union and the ‘Reaper of the Black Egg’ arrived. The Demon King’s legion was teleported in against their will.”

“We engaged in a brutal conflict with the Demon King’s forces until the Dragon Vein stabilized… Even though Isera had consumed ‘Lucaria,’ the true Dragon Deity of Earth, the Blade Dragon Queen managed to drive Isera back.”

“The issue was her subsequent loss of control. Something eventually quelled her frenzy and guided her into the Dragon Vein.”

“Precisely. That was likely the ‘God of the Black Egg.'”

“The same ‘God of the Black Egg’ who terminated Baal of the Four Perils.”

“What if this ‘God of the Black Egg’ is actually Randolph?”

The implications were staggering. At the very least, Baal and the Blade Dragon Queen—the primary hurdles encountered so far—were intricately linked to the ‘God of the Black Egg.’ While there was no absolute proof that this figure was ‘Randolph,’ the theory held weight if one considered that Randolph was the tower’s Champion and the ultimate target of the raid. A sudden spark of realization ignited in the eyes of the onlookers.

“Is it possible that these ‘sub-bosses’ we are facing… are beings Randolph once defeated or influenced?”

“That’s a strong possibility.”

“Are you suggesting we are literally playing through ‘The Life of Randolph’?”

The Life of Randolph! The tower was acting as a living memoir. Various theories began to align. Yet, certain inconsistencies remained.

“How does the sudden challenge from the ‘Mystery Tower’ in Kramdel fit in? Is that also part of Randolph’s history?”

“The Randolph of the Five Major Powers, who surfaced under the White King. I suspected a connection due to the identical names… and my research shows that Randolph was the first seeker to traverse the Mystery Coffin to its conclusion.”

“The Five Major Powers, the Mystery Tower, Ill-Omen, Baal, the Blade Dragon Queen… Does all of this center on Randolph? Or rather, on ‘Phantom’?”

“There’s likely even more to it.”

“If this hypothesis holds, then Phantom is essentially a deity.”

Phantom is a god. It was the only logical end-point. No mere mortal could be the common thread between such disparate, cosmic events. Furthermore, Phantom had only been active for a few years. In that brief window, he had amassed military prestige and forged legends that defied imitation. If these theories were accurate…

“Just… how powerful is Randolph exactly?”

The crowd gulped in unison. The scale was beyond their comprehension, transcending the limits of their logic. Randolph wasn’t just a man who had mastered five stars. Simultaneously, the weight of their predicament settled in.

“What happens if the tower fails as time elapses?”

“The seal will break. Everything contained within the tower will be unleashed upon the world.”

“Including Randolph?”

“Yes. But he likely won’t be the man we remember.”

“……Are you saying the tower’s corruption is consuming him?”

“Yes. We have to cleanse the curse before he breaks free. We must ascend, elevate our standing, and reach Randolph to find the truth, whatever it may be.”

“And if reaching him doesn’t fix it?”

“……Then we truly have to take him down. By any means necessary.”

The grim reality of the final objective was clear. They couldn’t afford to be idle. Major organizations and coalitions scrambled to exchange intelligence.

“Gather every scrap of data on Randolph! Every investigation, every report!”

“Get a line to the other factions! Contact the Korean Hero Alliance immediately! They have to know something!”

“You can’t reach Park Tae-woo? Then find him in person!”

“Forget it. I’ll handle it myself!”

—

A deluge of communication requests poured in. However, Park Tae-woo, leader of the Korean Hero Alliance, remained motionless in his private quarters.

“…….”

He rhythmically tapped his desk, submerged in contemplation.

*‘Hudson possesses the key.’*

Park Tae-woo was convinced that Hudson stood at the intersection of all these clues. When the Dragon Vein first appeared, Hudson had confronted him, demanding the presence of the Dragon God Lucaria. In exchange, hadn’t he surrendered the Relic City of Rundella—a territory formerly belonging to Randolph of the Five Major Powers?

*‘No one knows Hudson’s true identity on Earth.’*

That was the hurdle. Hudson was a manifested presence. He didn’t use an Earthly visage, but a form crafted from a shard of the Golden Rule. His true self was a mystery. The same applied to Randolph.

*‘Hudson understands Randolph. He might even know who he is in the real world.’*

There had been whispers that the newcomer ‘Oliver’ in England was Randolph’s alter ego. Yet, no one had verified those claims. What was fact and what was fiction? The current data was insufficient. He needed to track down Hudson. But another thought lingered.

*‘If Randolph is the key to the Blade Dragon Queen’s weakness…’*

When Isera struck, and even Darkstar retreated, Park Tae-woo had held his ground. He had witnessed the end. He was there when the Blade Dragon Queen snapped and executed Isera. And he had perceived something. Perhaps it was because he had delivered Lucaria, or perhaps it was a trait of his ‘Dragon Spirit Master’ profession.

…He had sensed it. The agonizing sensation radiating from the core of the frenzied Blade Dragon Queen.

“Randolph… is the weakness himself.”

Only Park Tae-woo understood that when the Blade Dragon Queen struck the ‘God of the Black Egg,’ the agony was mutual. However, he also realized that sharing this insight was currently futile.

“To reach Randolph, one must defeat the Blade Dragon Queen, and to defeat the Blade Dragon Queen, one needs Randolph…”

The clue was the solution itself. It was an open-book exam where the answer was printed on the page, yet the problem remained unsolvable. How could a riddle remain broken even when the answer was known? Because of that paradox, speaking out was pointless.

“Sigh…” Park Tae-woo was overcome by a deep sense of frustration.

—

Lyca was climbing. He had bypassed the 20th floor and entered the 21st.

“…….”

His expression remained grim.

*‘Baal of the Four Perils was manifested and then defeated.’*

The logic escaped him. Why was Baal summoned specifically to the Tower of the War God? There was no questioning the authenticity of the summon; the Baal he had faced was the real thing.

“The Manifestation Realm……”

*Clack. Clack.*

A sea of bone warriors assembled before him. He ignored them. His focus was entirely on the nature of the tower. The Manifestation Realm—a domain capable of birthing anomalies he had witnessed even within the Abyss. It was a unique dimension where thoughts and visions took physical form.

Whatever was forged in the Manifestation Realm was tangible and real. However, these summons were bound by the limitations of the ‘Master’ who controlled the realm. This implied that every challenge in the tower existed within the mental boundaries of ‘Randolph.’ More importantly, it suggested these were events Randolph had lived through vividly enough to recreate them. One cannot project such detail through mere imagination alone.

In essence:

“This tower is Randolph’s subconscious.”

It was a dreamscape revisiting Randolph’s past. This prompted a vital question: Who was Randolph? What kind of life had he led to be able to materialize such a vast array of experiences? Lyca knew the man was a mythic figure among the ‘Sinners.’ But the presence of Baal was troubling. Lyca had encountered Baal recently as well.

*‘Golden Goat.’*

The Baal of the Four Perils that his own faction had called forth as an omen of doom. Golden Goat had risen to become a high-ranking member of the Evil God Cult. Then, he had vanished. He disappeared after entering the Abyss alongside Lyca. That individual might hold the key to Lyca’s own ‘shattered memories.’ He was consumed by curiosity.

*‘Randolph and Golden Goat. What is the link between them?’*

Randolph was a Sinner, a Player. Golden Goat was neither. The Evil God Cult was too meticulous to misidentify a Sinner when appointing an executive. Furthermore, with an ‘Archangel’ in residence, a Sinner could never walk those halls undetected. Therefore… they weren’t the same person. It was more probable they shared a profound connection.

*‘Randolph. Who are you truly?’*

…The truth had to be uncovered.

**[‘Park Hyunmyeong’ has cleared the 21st floor of the Tower of the War God!]**
**[‘Park Hyunmyeong’ has cleared the 22nd floor of the Tower of the War God!]**

The system alerts flashed before him. Lyca’s jaw tightened.

*‘Two floors at once?’*

The moment the 21st floor fell, the 22nd was also conquered. Even with Lyca’s knowledge, this was baffling. The overlapping mysteries of Randolph and Golden Goat already weighed heavily on him. Park Hyunmyeong. For a second, he thought of ‘Hyun’ from Adrium, but this trial required facing ten thousand evolving skeletal soldiers. Clearing two such floors simultaneously was an impossibility. It was a miracle that defied even Lyca’s seasoned intuition. The scowl on his face deepened.

—

*Boom! Rumble! Crash! Bang! K-boom!*

“…….”

I watched as the bone legions collapsed like a line of falling tiles. These were titan-class skeletons, reaching heights of ten meters. Ordinarily, their massive swings and radiant arrows would create a desperate situation. However, at a specific moment, the lead giants began to topple. When the vanguard fell, it triggered a massive chain reaction, each massive frame crushing the one behind it.

This phenomenon had repeated the moment I set foot on the 22nd floor. *‘It’s happening here too.’* These skeletal giants possessed the Giant trait but were only level ‘4.’ Their physical statistics were fundamentally insufficient to support such enormous structures. They lacked the structural integrity to move that much mass, let alone catch or brace against the falling weight of their comrades.

*Crash! Thud! Boom!*

— This is a total racket, caw!

Observing the ridiculous scene, the God of Calamity offered a cynical remark. I had to agree—it felt like a cheat. But it was the reality. What was I supposed to do about my stagnant level? Even after slaughtering tens of thousands of enemies, I remained at level ‘4.’

*‘Sorry my growth rate is so abysmal.’*

I gave a small shrug. It was essentially a bonus round, but the prizes were excellent.

**[You have conquered ‘Trial of Calamity (4)’!]**
**[Reward: Unique-grade Mystery ‘King of Ash’ is available for acquisition.]**
**[If declined, you will advance to the next challenge.]**
**[15,000 God Points (GP) have been granted.]**
**[Allocating God Points to maximize ‘Advanced Calamity Crow Summoning’ to level 10.]**
**[‘Advanced Calamity Crow Summoning’ has reached its peak level (Lv. 10).]**
**[The skill ‘Advanced Calamity Crow Summoning’ evolves into ‘Disaster Crow Summoning (Lv. 1).’]**

Even the God of Ill-Omen, usually quiet, couldn’t help but comment.

— Isn’t the system being a bit too generous?

— Fortune is a talent of its own. This is happening because our successor is exceptional, caw!

— Didn’t you just call it a racket?

— Quiet, you eyesore. I never uttered such a thing, caw!

— Regardless, his progression is startling. I should begin preparing the ‘other side’ shortly.

— Gahahaha! No matter what you throw at him, you won’t stop our ‘Child of Calamity’!

— Such bold words. Caw.

The God of Ill-Omen gave a low chuckle, as if waiting to see how long that bravado would last.

*Vrummmmmm.*

In that instant, a colossal presence materialized in front of me.

“…….”

I was stunned into silence. This wasn’t another skeleton. It was on a completely different level from the previous challenges. A gargantuan beast stood before me. It felt hauntingly familiar, yet it was a pure engine of destruction, radiating an overwhelming aura of death.

**[‘Trial of Calamity (5)’, ‘Terrible Ill-Omen’ has appeared.]**