Chapter 283

Chapter 283
## Chapter 283

—

### Phase 3

Ant King Pheromone.

That creature was a true work of art.

Out of every entity the Black King had ever shaped and brought to life, this one was undeniably the most advanced sapient lifeform. While the Black King had granted many favors over the eons, he had never encountered an individual driven by a hunger as intense as Pheromone’s.

‘He is ruled by only two core impulses.’

The Black King wore a faint smile. Pheromone had stripped away everything else to fuel his evolution, retaining only two primal drives:

To survive.
And to grow in power!

Every other emotion or concept had been purged. This was likely why he could achieve mastery over any discipline almost instantly. It took him less than a few months to manifest Sword Qi and project Sword Force. Of course, that growth was accelerated by the ‘Despair’ cells grafted into his being during his development.

‘The Four Calamities each possess a unique essence.’

These were the four mightiest monstrosities ever spawned by Ruin, and each of the Four Calamities had a distinct identity.

For instance, Baal was the concentrated essence of malediction. That massive, sturdy frame was merely a vessel designed to contain an astronomical volume of curses. Baal’s true purpose was to warp reality through that concentrated malice—exactly what was occurring within the Tower of the War God at this very moment. Every entity ‘summoned’ within its walls was a manifestation of Baal’s curses.

‘Baal is the summoner; Despair is the replicator.’

Though the Four Calamities were vastly different, they shared one primary goal: the expansion of their ranks. Baal used curses to call forth mighty beings, while Despair multiplied by grafting his own cellular material onto others. This ability to swell their numbers was the specific reason just four entities were able to topple the magnificent civilizations of the Ancient Empire.

‘Pheromone is the only one who didn’t perish after receiving the cells of Despair.’

He was the sole success story among countless subjects. The Black King had only granted the ‘Hidden Traits’ to bolster Pheromone’s individual strength so he could withstand the integration of the ‘Cells of Despair.’ Through him, the ‘Legion of Despair’ would be finalized, and the world would be brought to its knees.

If he succeeded… and only if he succeeded…

‘……Could he perhaps reach the Heavens?’

That was the paradise of the proud and the arrogant. He would finally set foot in that realm that demanded nothing less than absolute perfection. For this reason, the Black King genuinely desired to see Pheromone stand at the peak of the Tower of the War God.

‘I’ve often wondered about the internal standing of the Four Calamities.’

Even among such disasters, a pecking order had to exist. This conflict served as the opening skirmish between Baal and Despair, fighting through their chosen instruments. It would provide a perfect metric to judge them.

Who was truly superior?

Naturally, the Black King didn’t envision a scenario where Despair—where Pheromone—would fall. Excellence had merged with excellence to create the ultimate weapon. Furthermore, Pheromone was a freak of nature that continued to evolve even as they spoke. His obsession with strength was, quite literally…

‘Pheromone is the embodiment of avarice.’

……Because his hunger was bottomless.

—

“Tui!”

Pheromone spat a chunk of meat onto the ground. He had managed to tear into the shoulder of the Blade Dragon Queen, but he found he couldn’t actually digest or swallow the flesh. Only then did the reality of his foe dawn on him.

“What exactly are you? Some kind of counterfeit?”

She looked real enough, but the substance wasn’t right. She was a mannequin constructed of curses, merely borrowing the essence and authority of the Blade Dragon Queen. He wasn’t sure how a creature of malice could channel a status so diametrically opposed to it, but he knew for certain that these ‘curses’ were something he couldn’t assimilate.

“For a mere puppet…… you certainly have a bite.”

Pheromone looked down at his own frame. Both of his arms had been lopped off. He had previously sliced through every bone in the Blade Dragon Queen’s body and left them littered across the floor. She should have been incapable of even basic healing, yet the moment he thought the fight was won, she had struck back with a counter-maneuver. More importantly, it was a move that had evaded his very senses.

“Like this? Is this the trick?”

Sreeeeek.

His missing limbs sprouted back instantly. With his fresh hands, he gripped his blade and swung. It looked like a careless, half-hearted stroke, but it contained the intricate essence of the move Hana had demonstrated moments ago. In a heartbeat, Pheromone’s aura shifted, and he exerted dominance over the surrounding air.

However, Pheromone scowled, clearly dissatisfied.

“…It’s still not quite right. A blade that warps the environment through sheer imagination… Wait?!”

Chwa-ak!

Pheromone snapped his head back with violent speed. One of his antennae was neatly lopped off. It happened in the space of a heartbeat. A fraction of a second later, and his head would have rolled. His legs felt momentarily unsteady.

There had been no bloodlust. No warning. He couldn’t see it or sense it coming; he had survived purely on animal reflex.

“A doll you may be…… but you are formidable.”

Pheromone gave a slow, respectful nod. The Blade Dragon Queen—even this version—was potent. Undoubtedly, the real version would be even more terrifying. As he suspected, the world was full of monsters. This realization filled him with a dark sort of glee. There were still peaks to climb. There was still the certainty that he could evolve further!

‘I will eventually stand above you as well!’

—

《‘Ant King Pheromone’ has fallen to the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’.》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 67%》

Was it because her invulnerability had finally worn off? Thanks to the assault by Ant King Pheromone, the Blade Dragon Queen’s life force had been noticeably depleted. He had lost, but he had left a mark. Hope began to stir among the observers. As if a dam had burst, a torrent of new challengers stepped forward.

《‘Dark Elf Lord’ has fallen to the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’.》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 55%》

《‘Great Earth Dragon’ has fallen to the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’.》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 47%》

《‘Bow Demon’ has fallen to the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’.》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 36%》

……

……

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 15%》

After roughly twelve hours of constant warfare, the Blade Dragon Queen was clinging to just 15% of her health. But then, the progress hit a wall. Despite the relentless wave of attacks that followed:

《‘Lyca’ has fallen to the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’.》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 15%》

《‘Sansha’ has fallen to the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’.》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 15%》

The meter refused to budge. Even when Lyca, the Empire’s pinnacle of strength, and Sansha, the former titleholder, threw themselves into the fray, they couldn’t shave off even a single percentage point. It wasn’t a matter of skill—if lesser monsters could draw blood, these two certainly could. There was clearly a hidden mechanic at play.

Then, things took a turn for the worse.

《The ‘Blade Dragon Queen’ is beginning to regenerate.》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 18%》

《The ‘Blade Dragon Queen’ is beginning to regenerate.》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 21%》

……

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 78%》

She was healing. Before anyone could react, she had undone almost all the hard-earned damage.

“N-no way……!”

“She’s going to hit 100% at this rate!”

“It’s over for us……”

The crowd sank into a pit of hopelessness. No matter how much effort they poured into the raid, it seemed fundamentally impossible.

“Why did it stop at 15%?”

“Does she have some kind of secondary invincibility trigger?”

“Someone else needs to jump in! Now!”

Confusion turned to desperation. They couldn’t understand the logic. They had to ascend to cleanse the corruption. Only by reaching Randolph and setting him free could they hope to fix the world. Yet, they were being completely stalled at Phase 2. If this continued for a few more days, the Tower would bring about the total destruction of both Pangaea and Earth.

Just as the collective spirit of the people was about to break:

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 77%》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 76%》

……

“W-wait, what’s happening?”

“Why is it dropping again?”

“There isn’t even anyone in the arena right now!”

Without warning, the Blade Dragon Queen’s health began to plummet once more. No one could identify the source of the damage because no one was currently engaged in a challenge. The rate of decay only accelerated as the minutes ticked by.

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 18%》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 17%》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 16%》

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 15%》

Finally, it reached that dreaded 15% threshold again.

“Is she just going to heal back up now?”

“It probably won’t go lower than this anyway.”

The world watched the health bar with bated breath, waiting for the inevitable reversal. For a long while, it sat motionless at 15%.

“Just as I thought.”

“It was too good to be true.”

But just as the sighs of defeat began to echo:

《Current HP of the ‘Blade Dragon Queen’: 0%》

《Phase 2, ‘Blade Dragon Queen’ has been successfully defeated!》

“……!”

“……!”

Silence fell as eyes bulged in disbelief. The health had jumped from 15% to zero in a single blink, concluding the hunt. How? The system provided no details on who had struck the final blow or even who the challenger was. Regardless of the mystery, she was dead. And with her death came a new fear.

“What’s next……”

“What could possibly be left to face?”

What would Phase 3 look like? Everyone, from the warriors inside the Tower to the civilians watching from afar, focused entirely on the entity that would manifest next.

—

Koong!

They collapsed. Ten thousand massive skeletons crumbled into piles of bone. However, the destruction of the undead legion was an afterthought. Something far more significant was happening.

Kwaaaaaaaaaak!

With a piercing shriek, the ‘Terrible Ill-Omen’ was engulfed in flames. The fire consumed it bit by bit until nothing remained but a pile of drifting ash. Watching this unfold, the God of Ill-Omen and the God of Calamity screamed in protest.

—That is a total cheat, kawk!

—He’s cheating, kawk!

……I was inclined to agree with them. It felt like a cheat. Even I hadn’t been certain this would work. I had suspected it was possible, but the sheer effectiveness of it was staggering.

‘It appears the Paradox of Fate affects more than just me.’

The Paradox of Fate: the concept that the closer one approaches, the more their existence fades. It wasn’t a phenomenon exclusive to my own being. Even Randolph was being drawn into the ‘Paradox of Fate.’ The definitive proof was the sight of the ‘Terrible Ill-Omen’ dissolving into cinders.

I was currently standing exactly where the ‘Terrible Ill-Omen’ had been. The explanation for how I—unable to move my own body—managed to bypass the divine barrier and slay the Ill-Omen was quite straightforward.

—To use the Spear of Longinus to bridge the gap!

—I never imagined he would apply it like that!

Just before my limbs had completely locked up, I had put every ounce of my remaining strength into hurlng the Spear of Longinus at the Terrible Ill-Omen. It was a desperate move; I had no other options left. I gambled on the fact that a power designed to traverse dimensions could punch through an ‘invisible wall.’ Fortunately, my intuition was spot on.

‘Contest of Existence.’

The second the Spear of Longinus breached the barrier, I called forth the ‘Disaster Crows’ and closed the distance with the Terrible Ill-Omen. We burned in unison, triggering a ‘Contest of Existence.’ Since the Terrible Ill-Omen was merely a projection created by Randolph, I was the clear victor in a raw battle of being.

Sreureureu.

Moments later, the ashen remains of the ‘Terrible Ill-Omen’—a fragment of Randolph himself—began to merge with me. My right arm was overtaken by a dark, void-like substance, turning as black as dark matter.

‘……So this is the intended path.’

This was the essence of the Terrible Ill-Omen. To scale this Tower meant engaging in these ‘Contests of Existence’ and absorbing these fragments until we were one. This was clearly the real test I had been set upon.

《You have successfully completed the ‘Trial of Calamity (5)’!》

《Reward available: Transcended-Unique Mystery, ‘Terrible Calamity’.》

《If the reward is declined, the next trial will commence immediately.》

《30,000 God Points (GP) have been granted.》

《God Points used to max out the level of ‘Disaster Crow’.》

《‘Disaster Crow’ has reached maximum level (10Lv).》

《The skill ‘Disaster Crow’ has evolved into ‘Great Catastrophe Crow (1Lv)’.》

Who could clear out ten thousand skeletons the fastest? That competition was irrelevant now. If you simply delete the competition, you win by default.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked toward the two frantic gods.

“What’s the next round?”

—

《Phase 3, ‘Eternal Randolph’ has appeared.》