Chapter 282

Chapter 282
Chapter 282

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Killing Phantom

Ultimately, Park Tae-woo conducted a formal press briefing.

It marked the beginning of Phase 2.

The situation had reached a point where he could no longer keep the truth regarding the Blade Dragon Queen’s vulnerability a secret.

However, upon hearing the details of Park Tae-woo’s announcement, the public’s sense of hopelessness only intensified.

“Randolph himself is the weak point?”

“Does that even make any sense…?”

“Isn’t there a fundamental law that you defeat the sub-boss before facing the final boss?”

“But you’re claiming the final boss is the vulnerability?”

Unless the world had truly lost its mind, such a mechanic shouldn’t exist.

If a developer designed a game this way, they would be hunted down by an angry mob.

It was a blueprint where the start and the finish were diametrically reversed.

From its inception, this wasn’t a challenge meant to be beaten.

The Blade Dragon Queen occupied the role of the mid-boss.

Yet, the instructions stated that to overcome the mid-boss, the final boss had to be defeated first.

However, to even reach the final boss, one had to bypass the mid-boss.

The logical progression was broken from the very first step.

“How are we supposed to finish this?”

“He’s truly beyond reach…”

“So that explains why Isera couldn’t identify the weakness.”

“Naturally. Randolph wasn’t present then.”

“Wait. Does that imply the emergence of the Blade Dragon Queen was actually Randolph’s doing?”

During the period of Isera’s incursion, a dragon vein had manifested without warning.

The players had fought tooth and nail to defend that vein, leading to the manifestation of the Blade Dragon Queen.

If the creation of the dragon vein and the subsequent birth of the Blade Dragon Queen were orchestrated by Randolph’s intent, then this was a revelation of staggering proportions.

“…Regarding Main Quest 10. Wasn’t that the moment the ordeal of ‘Mad Dragon Einhasad’ shifted to the ordeal of ‘Dragon God Einhasad’?”

“Did ‘Dragon God Einhasad’ assist in the rise of the new deity?”

“That might have been the prize.”

“Has anyone finished Dragon God Einhasad’s feat recently? Can’t we seek answers from them?”

“To petition Einhasad, you must complete Main Quest 10 and spend the reward to ask a question, but who would sacrifice legendary rewards for a query like that?”

By finishing Main Quest 10, a person earned the right to ask Einhasad a single question.

Since a well-placed question could yield a Unique-grade blueprint, those who cleared it were incredibly guarded with their choice.

As expected, no one was willing to squander such a pivotal opportunity on the origins of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen.’

But if Randolph truly commanded the Blade Dragon Queen…

……Then Randolph would instantly become the undisputed ‘Guardian of Earth.’

Randolph.

Who exactly was he?

The people couldn’t remain paralyzed by the thought of his invincibility.

They began to dissect ‘Randolph’ with unprecedented intensity, and the deeper they dug, the more stunned they became.

“Is this the extent of the data you found?”

“How is it possible that there isn’t a single shred of concrete biography?”

……It was overwhelming.

The vacuum of information was almost comical.

Regardless of how quietly Randolph operated, the shadow of someone who had achieved such legendary feats should have been visible somewhere.

He was a man who lived a life of mythic proportions as naturally as drawing breath.

And yet, there was nothing.

Randolph’s path had been scrubbed clean.

As if a hand had meticulously wiped away his existence.

“We remained ignorant of Randolph for too long…”

“Even as he performed those miracles, we dismissed them as glitches, exploits, or developer interference just to soothe our egos…”

“On a deeper level, we refused to acknowledge it. The chasm between Randolph and ourselves.”

“Because his existence defied our logic.”

“We looked away and chose ignorance… In a sense, we were silent partners in the Hero Alliance’s ‘Killing Phantom’ initiative.”

“Actually, wouldn’t the Hero Alliance possess more insight into Randolph than the rest of us?”

That was the reality.

While they condemned the Hero Alliance for spreading propaganda and manipulating the player base, they had never bothered to truly study Randolph themselves.

Deep down, they had entertained the idea that the Hero Alliance’s lies ‘might hold a grain of truth.’

The rumors that Wilhelm’s Great Expedition was a catastrophe, that Randolph’s exploits were fabricated, and that Phantom was a sociopathic fraud.

Killing Phantom.

The public had essentially validated that movement through their collective indifference.

Consequently, they were blind.

Blind to where Randolph began and the heights he had scaled.

Despite the trail of impossible legends he left behind.

Then, players began to express their realizations.

Across social media, live streams, and every available forum.

“This Tower is the ‘Karma’ born from our refusal to see the truth…”

“It is judgment. We sabotaged our own savior.”

“…I stayed quiet. I thought it didn’t concern me. I knew the rumors were false, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe Randolph’s history was real either.”

“This Tower is a mirror. It is proving that every feat ‘Randolph’ performed was authentic. It is forcing us to live through it.”

“The Hero Alliance fed us nothing but deception! They destroyed our champion while we watched in silence, which only validated their narrative. The nightmare we face now is the consequence! Look at that damn Tower!”

“Break the silence. Stand up! Climb the Tower! Let us immerse ourselves in ‘Randolph’s Life Story’!”

The voices grew into a roar.

The era of avoidance was over.

They were finally looking at Randolph.

At the moment the entire population—not just the players—fixed the name of Randolph in their hearts.

The 2nd Generation Awakened of Earth began their ascent one after another, joined by a flood of contenders from Pangaea arriving at the ‘Tower of the War God.’

《The count of contenders currently scales the Tower of the War God has passed 100,000.》

One hundred thousand! The moment that notification flashed before the world.

《The Tower’s malediction begins to fade.》

《Phase 2, ‘Blade Dragon Queen’s’ combat effectiveness has been reduced by 20%.》

She had been weakened.

Regardless, the raid remained an impossible feat.

“Is there still no way forward?”

“Even after all this effort?”

“What do we have to do to soothe his bitterness…!”

Some players began to interpret the phenomenon as ‘Randolph’s Wrath.’

They believed that by conquering the Tower and empathizing with his journey, they could mitigate his anger.

Yet, the solution remained elusive.

The destination was still hidden in fog.

Just as the collective spirit began to break.

《The ‘Weakness’ has been revealed.》

《The ‘Invincibility’ of the Blade Dragon Queen has been temporarily suspended.》

Without warning.

……The Blade Dragon Queen’s absolute defense vanished.

—As expected of a wretched creature, you only engage in wretched schemes!

The ‘God of Calamity’ (Jae-sin) was seething.

The entity summoned by the ‘God of Ill-Omen’ (Hyung-sin) for their contest.

It was because he had dared to call forth the ‘Terrible Ill-Omen.’

That tainted Ill-Omen was no ordinary member of the ‘Clan of Ill-Omen.’

Like the dark side of the celestial bodies, it was a concentrated mass of spite that existed in the shadows of the Clan of Ill-Omen.

It was an abomination that a fledgling crow newly initiated into the ‘Clan of Calamity’ could never hope to withstand!

—Have no fear. I intend to maintain a perfectly ‘Equal Struggle,’ kawk!

—How is this fair? Have you lost your senses, kawk?

—It is a race to see who can overcome more ‘Trials’ with greater speed. Is that not balanced, kawk?

—…I see.

Only then did the God of Calamity concede.

It was a trial to see who could eradicate 10,000 skeleton warriors of equivalent rank first.

Furthermore, additional ‘Hidden Traits’ were introduced.

—Void, Giant, and Druid. These skeleton warriors will possess three extra traits.

—That isn’t sufficient, kawk. Let’s include Dexterity, All-Master, and Weapon Master as well.

—Hmm, will he not perish?

—Wouldn’t that ensure we capture the most exceptional specimen? Kawk.

—A valid point.

The God of Calamity pushed further.

They agreed to deploy 10,000 skeleton warriors bolstered by a total of six hidden traits.

But the true crisis was unfolding elsewhere.

《‘Paradox of Fate’ is triggered.》

《‘Park Hyunmyeong’s’ existence begins to blur.》

……My limbs were completely unresponsive.

The moment the Terrible Ill-Omen manifested.

I felt as though time had stopped for me; I couldn’t move a muscle.

It was then that the truth dawned on me.

That thing is the Terrible Ill-Omen, and simultaneously.

《‘Terrible Ill-Omen, Randolph’》

…It was Randolph.

Specifically, it was one of the avatars that had fully transitioned into ‘Randolph,’ the very form that had pushed Baal to the edge of destruction in the Abyss.

An aspect of Randolph had been given physical form within this space.

That entity was a fabrication, yet entirely real.

It was a manifestation of Randolph within the Tower’s logic.

‘The Tower itself has become an extension of Randolph.’

The Tower of the War God.

Every atom within this structure was a piece of Randolph.

Among them, this ‘Terrible Ill-Omen’ was so significant it was essentially Randolph’s own physical reach.

That was the trigger for the Paradox of Fate.

—Now, commence.

—Scion of Calamity, I trust you will prevail!

Oblivious to my inner turmoil.

those two were acting with complete nonchalance.

Kwaaaaang!

In that instant, a translucent barrier rose in the center of the domain.

The wall strictly partitioned me from the Terrible Ill-Omen.

Immediately following.

Clatter!

Clatter!

Colossal skeleton warriors emerged both in my sector and the sector belonging to the Terrible Ill-Omen.

Ten thousand for each side.

This time, they didn’t collapse under their own weight.

With six hidden traits active, it appeared that any physical imbalances caused by their size were being perfectly mitigated by the magic of the traits.

They brandished a variety of armaments, summoned ethereal spirits, and utilized a wide array of combat classes.

The difficulty surpassed the final floors of the Tower of Mystery or the Hall of Myth.

Even in those places, enemies with six hidden traits were unheard of.

‘There are no more shortcuts.’

Was that the message?

It felt as if the true test had only just begun.

Everything I had faced until now felt like a mere warm-up by comparison.

Kwaaaaaaaaaak—!

Across the barrier, the Terrible Ill-Omen let out a piercing shriek.

Kawk!

Kaaak!

Simultaneously, a Black Sun ascended, and a multitude of ‘Taoist Crows’ appeared.

From that ‘Black Sun,’ droplets of crimson blood began to rain down.

As the blood saturated the earth.

Crackle!

Thump! Koo-oong!

The skeleton warriors began to disintegrate one by one.

It was absolute cessation.

To escape that certain end, even an entity like Baal was forced to use a ‘Fragment of Ruin.’

Without that fragment, Baal would have perished beneath that Black Sun.

Victory seemed impossible.

No, if I remained paralyzed…

‘I’m going to die.’

……Death was a certainty.

Hana, the Blade Dragon Queen.

The individual standing before her offered a soft murmur of respect.

“Truly a grand divinity.”

It was a fresh challenger.

Hana slowly shifted her focus toward the intruder.

Standing there.

Was an ‘Ant’ roughly the proportions of a human.

A biological anomaly, a mutant.

However, the presence it projected was far from that of a simple insect.

The pressure it exerted was significantly more intense than any previous opponent she had faced.

But regardless of its strength, any who climbed to this peak was an enemy to be eliminated.

Sreung.

The ant unsheathed a blade against Hana and spoke.

“I am called Pheromone. I am the King of Ants.”

Ant King Pheromone!

A monstrosity birthed by the Black King.

He was the sole predator to emerge from a ritualistic pit where countless mutated insects had been forced to slaughter one another.

However, the weapon Pheromone gripped was bizarre.

A blade where crimson energy surged like a tide, a sword saturated with a curse that could only be described as revolting.

It was a Demonic Sword, the dark reflection of a Holy Sword.

As Hana looked at the weapon, Pheromone spoke with the unsettling innocence of a child.

“Just so you know, this blade contains a trapped demon. Hmm. What was its name? It represented some type of transgression.”

Pheromone’s antennae twitched rapidly.

He seemed to be struggling with the memory.

In the end, it didn’t seem to matter to him.

“But you are far too magnificent to be trapped in a blade. Therefore, I intend to consume you.”

Having reached a conclusion, Pheromone gave a sharp nod.

Then he added one final thought.

“Just like when I swallowed the Calamity known as ‘Despair’.”