Chapter 284

Chapter 284
## Chapter 284

—

### Full Mobilization

Eternal Randolph!

The second that title was revealed, the Tower of the War God was once again plunged into a chaotic frenzy.

“At long last…!”

“Is that truly the real Randolph?”

“So, is Phase 3 the final boss encounter?”

Both the Calamity Baal and the Blade Dragon Queen were indisputable monsters of world-ending proportions who had decimated every single challenger. Consequently, a heavy tension had hung over everyone regarding what nightmare Phase 3 would unveil.

But if Phase 3 was Randolph himself?

“It’s over! We’ve reached the end!”

“Finally, we can shatter this curse!”

The belief spread that they had finally reached the threshold of the ultimate enemy. However, the true obstacle lay in the ‘Challenge Conditions.’

“Mmm…”

“The requirements for the challenge are beyond absurd.”

Groans of frustration echoed as people scanned the newly manifested system messages.

《Phase 3, ‘Eternal Randolph’ makes his appearance.》

《He can be challenged on the 25th floor of the Tower of the War God.》

《The 25th floor of the Tower of the War God serves as the ‘Free Arena.’》

《Accumulate victory points to earn the right to challenge him!》

《Higher victory points will result in a weakened state for ‘Eternal Randolph.’》

《Defeat within the ‘Free Arena’ or by ‘Eternal Randolph’ results in a forced return to the 1st floor and the ‘Curse of Domination.’》

《Amassing 3 stacks of the ‘Curse of Domination’ will lead to total subjugation by ‘Eternal Randolph.’》

The requirement was to reach the 25th floor. Yet, the number of warriors who had even managed to scale past the 20th floor was incredibly small. They faced 10,000 skeleton soldiers that scaled exactly to the challenger’s own level. Furthermore, new traits were added to the enemies with every ascending floor; no matter how much one prepared, hitting a physical limit seemed inevitable.

Moreover.

‘Damn it all to hell…!’

Choi Kang-nam, the 2nd Generation Awakened who had secured 3rd place during the Tutorial of the Island of the Gods, was at his wit’s end. Despite the massive backing of the Hero Alliance and his own prodigious talent, he had barely scraped through to the 22nd floor, only to find himself slammed against the immovable wall of the 23rd.

‘As I go up, my level increases. And as I level up, the skeletons grow stronger right alongside me.’

The challenger’s own growth was the paradox. Even if someone used high-tier equipment to boost their ‘item-stats’ at a low level, the act of slaughtering 10,000 skeletons provided so much experience that their level naturally spiked. As that level rose, the difficulty curved upward exponentially.

“Was this trial even designed to be beatable?”

Bitter profanities lingered on his breath. Choi Kang-nam no longer resembled the man he once was. The tall, striking figure who had once commanded public admiration was now covered in grime and filth, looking more like a heap of dust after endless, restless combat.

《The count of participants in the ‘Tower of the War God’ has exceeded 500,000.》

《The Tower’s difficulty is undergoing a downward recalibration.》

The influx of challengers was the only remaining shred of hope. With half a million people inside, the Tower’s difficulty was steadily being nerfed. Even so, he couldn’t see a path to victory. He felt that if he couldn’t clear it, it was simply impossible.

That arrogance, however, was shattered in a heartbeat.

‘How on earth did Park Hyunmyeong get through this?’

Park Hyunmyeong—the freak of nature who had dominated everyone with pure martial skill on the Island of the Gods to take 1st place. That man had already successfully set foot on the 25th floor.

‘Just what kind of massive power is backing Park Hyunmyeong?’

He had believed he could close the gap. The Hero Alliance of Korea was the most well-funded and promising organization on the planet. He was certain that with their resources and his skill, he would eclipse even a monster like Park Hyunmyeong. Yet, as if to spit on that pride, Park Hyunmyeong was climbing at a pace he couldn’t even fathom. Could there be an organization even more powerful than the Hero Alliance supporting him? This Tower didn’t seem like a place one could conquer through individual strength alone. It seemed impossible.

《‘Gracia’ reaches the 25th floor.》

《‘Mage of the Golden Rule, Union’ reaches the 25th floor.》

《‘Isabella’ reaches the 25th floor.》

《‘Dark Elf Lord’…》

Contrary to his thoughts, the notifications of people reaching the 25th floor began to flood in.

*Grit!*

Choi Kang-nam bit his lip until it bled. He stared at the giant, relentless skeleton soldiers that seemed to never end.

“I am the strongest. I said I am the strongest…!”

He forced his sword upward once more.

—

The moment Gracia and Union stepped onto the 25th floor, they scanned the horizon.

“Are we the pioneers here?”

“Hmm, Park Hyunmyeong should already be present on this floor.”

The floor was a colossal arena. For now, only Gracia and Union stood there. Park Hyunmyeong, despite the announcements, was nowhere in sight. The strategy Gracia and Union used to reach this height was simple: they utilized a technique to convert experience points into storable potions. By doing this, they kept their levels artificially low while they climbed. Even then, it was a grueling journey; they only succeeded because the Tower’s difficulty had been lowered multiple times by the sheer volume of entrants.

*Swoosh!*

*Saaaak!*

As if they had been lingering in the shadows, other challengers began to materialize. They came from every race, gender, and age group. Each must have found their own unique method to bypass the giant skeletons.

“Gracia?”

A woman’s voice, strangely familiar, reached his ears. When Gracia turned, he felt a wave of internal fluster.

“…It is Serengeti, the Pure White Knight.”

Serengeti! After her victory over King Friedrich of the Iron Kingdom, she had become the most talked-about figure in Pangaea. It was impossible not to know her. But it wasn’t just her fame—they had a history.

‘We encountered one another in the Abyss after our loss to Baal.’

The last time they met was in that hellish place. Back then, Gracia had acted quite pathetically. Having lost his mind after his defeat, he had behaved as if he were struck by love at first sight.

—*You are stunning.*

—*If an angel like you exists, then heaven might not be so bad.*

—*Why is an angel wandering through hell?*

The shame of those memories was as fresh as if it had happened yesterday.

‘Mmm.’

Gracia found it difficult to look her in the eye. A strange awkwardness gripped him. Of course, he had no clue that the “Serengeti” he met back then was actually Hudson under the effects of a transformation potion.

‘Hudson. And… there are many others.’

It wasn’t just her. A group of companions stood with her, including Hudson, the de facto administrator of the Labyrinth City. He was the man governing that city in the absence of the 5th Patron, Randolph. Listening to the interaction between Hudson and Serengeti, it was clear their bond was deep, especially seeing how flustered the Pure White Knight appeared.

‘Are these Randolph’s allies?’

Indeed, they were. The companions of the very man who had unleashed this curse were now scaling his Tower. Each of them radiated an impressive pressure. He took particular note of two children—a boy and a girl who looked harmless at first glance, yet gave off a chilling sense of foreboding. Even with his increased strength, Gracia sensed he couldn’t handle them easily.

*Sheee-ik!*

More figures warped in.

“The Patrons are here.”

At Union’s comment, Gracia nodded. These were the elite of Kramdel, followers of the White King: the Bow Demon, the Great Earth Dragon, Medusa, and Aria. Even Aria, the White King’s own daughter, was present.

‘They’ve grown.’

In the past, Gracia felt he could have taken the Kramdel Patrons alone. But they had clearly evolved. If the Patrons were this much stronger, it meant one thing:

‘Has the White King reclaimed his full divinity?’

Their auras were incomparable to their previous levels. He looked at the half-beast woman, Aria. She possessed the same distinct fangs as the White King. It was clear she was his progeny and just as formidable as the other Patrons. It seemed that while the Black King was busy gathering his armies, this faction hadn’t been idle either.

The Great Earth Dragon, towering and massive, turned to Hudson.

“You are Hudson. Tell me, where is the 5th Patron?”

“……Great Earth Dragon-nim. It has been a long time.”

Hudson offered a respectful bow. The two had met before; Hudson, alongside Saintess Seya, had once treated the Great Earth Dragon after his fall in the Tower of Crack.

‘If they are allied, this gets complicated.’

Watching the familiar exchange, Gracia shifted his hand toward his sword’s hilt. He was confident in a duel, but there were simply too many elite enemies here. He and Union were outnumbered, and the quality of their opponents was staggering.

“I asked for the location of the 5th Patron.”

“My apologies, but that is information I cannot provide.”

“Hmph. I expected such an answer. No matter; I will find him myself as I ascend.”

“……That will be no easy task.”

Fortunately, the groups didn’t seem entirely friendly. They traded glares, preparing for a potential clash.

Then, another warp tore open.

*Sheee-ik!*

The Great Earth Dragon turned, his killing intent flaring.

“……Laktusha.”

“……So, you managed to cling to life after all.”

Laktusha, the Orc Lord and Sword Master, spat the words out. Back at the Tower of Crack, he had informed the Black King that he believed the dragon was dead. The Black King had warned him otherwise, and seeing him now was infuriating. How had he survived such catastrophic wounds?

“Do not dream of leaving this place alive, Laktusha.”

“I was about to say the same to you.”

A bloodbath seemed inevitable. But Laktusha wasn’t alone.

‘Ant King Pheromone.’

The moment that creature appeared, Gracia’s skin crawled. It was a visceral feeling of disgust, as if even sharing the same air was a form of pollution. However, both Laktusha and Pheromone looked battered; they were still reeling from their previous defeat at the hands of the Blade Dragon Queen.

The third person to arrive, however, seemed unscathed.

‘The Dark Elf Lord……’

A figure draped entirely in black cloth, radiating mystery. Another dangerous variable.

“I shall be the first to challenge him.”

“……Pheromone, are you going rogue again?”

“I have no interest in squabbling with these weaklings. I seek a greater fight. Surely this ‘Eternal Randolph’ will prove more challenging than that Blade Queen.”

With that, he stepped forward.

《‘Ant King Pheromone’ challenges ‘Eternal Randolph.’》

*Shu-uk!*

He vanished into the challenge. Laktusha closed his eyes as his comrade left. When he reopened them, a heavy silence fell over the arena.

Everyone was on a knife-edge. Randolph’s group, Gracia and Union, the White King’s Patrons, and the Black King’s generals—if this powder keg ignited, the resulting battle would be cataclysmic. And yet, the arrivals hadn’t stopped.

“A fascinating gathering of souls.”

“Mmm, the Tower of the War God is becoming quite the spectacle…”

Lyca, the Empire’s peerless blade, and Sansha, the former champion, appeared. The balance of power shifted again. Now, no one could predict who would come out on top. Gracia’s palms grew slick with sweat. The sheer presence of those two was enough to make everyone’s breath hitch.

And then.

*Shu-oo-uk!*

“Aaaaah, Goddess! You who walk in her light! You who hold her favor! Where are you hiding?! I, Aaron, have arrived!!!”

……What on earth was wrong with that guy?

—

Ant King Pheromone had zero interest in the political games of the others. His only drive was to find and consume strength. He wanted to test himself against the peak. Even though he had been bested by the Blade Dragon Queen, he felt changed.

‘That defeat made me stronger.’

He had evolved. He was the type of being who grew exponentially through combat with superior foes. He felt that in a rematch with the Blade Queen, his odds were now fifty-fifty. As long as he kept fighting, he could surpass anyone!

“……? Are you Randolph?”

A man materialized before him. The man looked human and, frankly, didn’t seem very imposing. To Pheromone’s eyes, the Blade Queen had projected far more power.

‘There will be nothing to gain from this.’

Disappointment surged within him. Compared to the dragon, Randolph looked utterly unremarkable. But in that same instant, a primal scream of agony escaped Pheromone’s throat.

“Eh?”

*Kwadue-duk!*

Something was snapping. Something was being ground to powder. It wasn’t a physical sensation, nor was it his mana or his physical form being torn apart.

*Crack!*

Despite the lack of physical wounds, something was being erased. It was something far more intrinsic than flesh—the very core of his being, the proof of his existence as a high-tier entity.

“Uh, uh, uh?”

Panic seized him. He couldn’t wrap his mind around how this was happening. The nature of Randolph’s attack was beyond his comprehension. Even as he spiraled into confusion, the destruction continued unabated.

Before long, it was gone.

“W-what is happening……!”

Everything had vanished. He had never felt so utterly impotent in his entire existence. Cowering, his body trembling with a fear he had never known, Pheromone shrieked at the man before him.

“How… how did you destroy my ‘Mystery’……!!”