Chapter 291

Chapter 291
## Chapter 291

—

Wilhelm

The War God’s Tower.

When the First Phase, Baal of the Four Calamities, fell to the blade of Sword Master Laktusha, and even the Second Phase Blade Dragon God was driven back by a mysterious force, a wave of optimism washed over the populace.

* “Is victory actually within reach?”
* “Keep pushing, don’t stop now!”
* “It feels like the difficulty drops the more people enter the Tower.”
* “I’m signing up to climb immediately!”

Driven by this momentum, a massive surge of challengers began their ascent of the War God’s Tower.

It wasn’t merely the thrill of the hunt that drew them. Had it been nothing but grueling labor, hundreds of thousands wouldn’t have stormed the gates at once. The incentives were simply too great to ignore.

* “The prizes are unbelievable.”
* “Word is you unlock unique ‘Mysteries’ past the 20th floor.”
* “Not just Mysteries—there’s top-tier gear, hidden classes, the works.”
* “It’s the perfect chance for second-gen Awakened to grind their main quests.”
* “Even the White Temple’s Constellations are obsessed; they’re practically shoving people inside.”
* “Is it true they’re handing out SP?”
* “The EXP gains are through the roof!”

The bounty within the Tower was limitless. It was a realm where one could theoretically gain ‘everything,’ provided they survived the trials. The rumor of acquiring ‘Mysteries’—powers usually beyond human reach—acted like a magnet for the masses.

There seemed to be no downside. Society shifted to a point where staying behind was viewed as a mistake. Those who had hit a ceiling in their development were the most desperate; people who had unlocked their level caps but couldn’t find enough experience, or those stuck on their talent trees due to a lack of SP, saw this as their salvation.

With the Constellations of the White Temple leading the cheering section, climbing became the only logical choice.

Until the shift happened.

* “Did they just say ‘Eternal Randolph’ took control of everyone…?”
* “There’s no way we can beat this now…”
* “This is insane. Even Lyca fell under his sway? How is this possible?”

The elite warriors who had reached the 25th floor—the pinnacle of the current climb—had all been subjugated by ‘Eternal Randolph.’

This catastrophe seemed linked to the Tower’s mounting glitches. It appeared they had been forcibly dominated while attempting to escape the ‘Black Hands’ that were now strangling the entire structure.

* “The entrance is sealed shut.”
* “It looks like no one can even get out anymore.”
* “Was the whole thing just a trap?”
* “Are you telling me all those challengers are now puppets?”

With over 500,000 people trapped and the world’s strongest turned into thralls, the situation was far more bleak than the fight against the Blade Dragon God. The pool of heroes capable of mounting a rescue had vanished.

* “Only two days left on the clock.”
* “What happens when the timer hits zero?”
* “Are all those people really going to become our enemies…?”

The realization sent a shiver through the world. This wasn’t just about the Tower falling or a cursed Randolph emerging; it was the fact that the very people meant to protect the world were now the threat.

As if confirming their darkest fears, a series of system messages flickered into existence:

《 Time Remaining: 47 hours 43 minutes. 》
《 Upon expiration, the Tower will plummet to the earth, shattering the seal on the curse. 》
《 Following the collapse, ‘all cursed entities’ within the Tower will launch an assault on ‘Pangenia’ and ‘Earth.’ 》

The countdown was under forty-eight hours.

* “God… what do we do? We can’t even enter to fight!”
* “Is there any way out of this…?”
* “Should we just run as far from the Tower as possible?”
* “Why aren’t we evacuating the cities yet?”

Hopelessness took hold. The destruction of the Tower seemed inevitable. Even if a challenge were possible, who could stand against the combined might of the world’s elite led by Randolph?

Then, the system shifted again.

《 Rules are being adjusted in response to the Tower’s instability. 》
《 Effective immediately, the ‘Boss Room’ will be ‘Broadcast’ live to all. 》
《 Use your ‘Fragments of the Broken Golden Rule’ or ‘Intact Golden Rules’ to support either the challengers or Eternal Randolph. 》
《 Higher levels of support will provide more potent blessings to the chosen side. 》

Every Awakened suddenly saw a translucent display manifest before them. Like a high-definition television, a live feed of the boss chamber flickered to life.

* “What is this…”
* “Are you seeing this? The boss room is a madhouse.”
* “Unbelievable.”
* “Is that a full-scale war?”
* “Every single challenger is squeezed into the boss room?”

The screen showed a literal sea of humanity, hundreds of thousands strong. Two massive factions stood poised for battle on a subterranean plain. Those watching from the outside held their breath, eyes glued to the display.

* “It’s a contest of raw numbers against elite power.”
* “But who are we supposed to back?”
* “Lucaria?”
* “Both sides feel dangerous.”
* “Wait, if we cheer for the thralls, could the blessing break the domination? The rules say a blessing is the opposite of a curse.”
* “That makes sense. Light and dark, blessing and curse.”
* “Then… Lyca?”
* “Lyca was the one running the games in there. He’s probably part of the problem.”
* “What about Serengeti?”
* “Strong, sure, but is he enough?”
* “Should we just put our chips on Eternal Randolph?”
* “Are you out of your mind?”
* “Maybe, but ordinary Golden Rule fragments won’t even scratch a guy like that.”

Arguments erupted across Player Talk and other forums, but no consensus was reached. There simply wasn’t a figurehead everyone could trust.

* “Time’s running out.”
* “They’re moving! The fight is starting!”

The gap between the armies was closing fast. Once the slaughter began, there would be no turning back.

And then, it happened.

* “?”
* “???”
* “???????????????????”

The moment ‘his’ name flashed on the screen, the entire battlefield froze in an instant. Both charging armies ground to a dead halt. As the camera focused on the figure standing in the center of the chaos, the world collectively lost its mind.

* “…Wait, what?”
* “…Wilhelm?”
* “Is that just a player with the same name?”
* “No… that’s him. That’s really Wilhelm.”

The impossible was happening right before their eyes.

If it had just been text, they would have dismissed it as a coincidence or a tribute. But the man standing there, radiating authority, was unmistakably the Knight King, Wilhelm.

* “But Wilhelm perished during the Great Expedition…”
* “His gear was sold off in pieces at the Golden Rule Shop, remember?”
* “Yeah, it was definitely him…”
* “Wait—weren’t people saying Randolph and Wilhelm were both Phantom?”
* “Hold on… what does this mean?”
* “How can they both be in the same room?”
* “If Wilhelm is alive, does that mean he wasn’t Phantom’s main persona?”
* “Randolph and Wilhelm are two different people???”
* “I have goosebumps.”

The history books said Wilhelm was dead. He had fallen during the Great Expedition, a fact recently cemented by Serengeti’s own public accounts. Yet here he was, appearing as if he had stepped through the gates of death itself.

The common belief was that Wilhelm was Phantom’s ‘primary character.’ In the logic of Pangenia, a gamer’s strongest avatar was summoned upon its death, and Randolph had appeared exactly when Wilhelm was lost. The presence of his dismantled legendary gear in the shop had been the final proof.

Or so everyone thought.

* “He has to be an imitation, right?”
* “Look at Serengeti’s face. He doesn’t think it’s a fake.”
* “Look at Saintess Seia…”
* “His closest friends wouldn’t be fooled by a double.”
* “If Wilhelm is breathing, does that mean Phantom hasn’t even arrived yet?”
* “Then who is Randolph?”
* “Is Wilhelm just another cursed ghost summoned by the Tower?”
* “Then why isn’t he a boss? Why is he challenging the room?”
* “It’s him. Look at the way they’re reacting. It’s the real King.”

The world was in an uproar. Every established fact about Phantom, Randolph, and Wilhelm was being shredded. But the visual evidence was undeniable: Wilhelm had returned, and he was standing in opposition to Randolph.

Then, the scene shifted.

* “Ah…!”
* “Oh my god…!”

The confusion vanished, replaced by raw emotion. There was no more room for theory-crafting.

Because someone had started running toward Wilhelm.

—

* “Please… just keep moving. I’ll give my very life to shield you!”
* “But Seia—!”
* “You cannot stop! Whatever you do, do not look back! This is the ‘Venus Flytrap’! It’s the heart of the Demon King’s malice! It will rot the soul of anyone who wavers!”

The eighth hell. The final nightmare. This was the last moment Saintess Seia had preserved in her mind—the place where she had last served as the guide for the Knight King.

“Ah…”

The floodgates opened. Memories she had buried, or perhaps been forced to lose by the Demon King’s interference, came rushing back with agonizing clarity.

The moment she looked at ‘him’—the moment Wilhelm stood before her—the fog vanished.

“Ahhh…”

The memories were whole again.

The long, grueling expedition with Wilhelm. The hopeful beginning, the tragic end, and every heartbeat in between.

‘In that dark place, I…’

She remembered the endless prayers, the hymns of sacrifice she sang to keep the demonic rot from claiming the knights. She remembered her own skin blooming with foul pustules, her eyes darkening as the demonic energy tried to turn her into the very thing she fought.

Saintess Seia hadn’t cared. She had offered up her beauty and her health as kindling to fuel the fire that would strike down the Demon King.

But her true despair hadn’t come from her own pain. The reason she had broken, the reason she had let her mind fracture, was—

“Knight King… Wilhelm…”

It was his death.

When she saw his noble form overtaken by the Demon King’s corruption, she had surrendered. It was why his appearance now felt like a miracle. That body should have been a husk claimed by the enemy.

“Is it really you?”

“……It is. That is him.”

Serengeti spoke through a visible tremor, his head bowed. That aura of absolute confidence, that unshakable poise and effortless grace—it was unmistakable. Serengeti had spent a lifetime in that shadow; he knew the man better than himself. No one could forge that presence. It was a weight on the world that belonged only to Wilhelm.

Slowly, Serengeti dropped to one knee.

“I greet the Knight King.”

“…My eternal Sovereign.”

Seia followed suit. Though her divine intuition told her the physical vessel wasn’t the same, she knew without a doubt that Wilhelm had ‘descended.’ The soul, the essence, the sheer status of the man was pure. The Demon King might have taken the flesh, but the radiant spirit remained unbroken.

“Wil! Hel! mmmmm!!”

The moment of reverence was shattered by a primal roar. A figure tore across the battlefield, screaming the King’s name.

It was the former Champion, Sansha. The legendary warrior who had ruled the War God’s Tower for ages.

“I’ve lived for this! One duel with you!!”

Wilhelm had once been a challenger in this very Tower, but a fight with Sansha had never materialized. Sansha had waited at the peak, yearning for the encounter, but the Demon of Envy had manipulated events to ensure they never met.

Now, out of the chaos, the chance had arrived.

“You’ve wanted this as much as I have! Admit it!”

In his mind, he had tried to project Wilhelm onto Randolph, but he realized his mistake now. The genuine article was standing right there. No more shadows, no more interference. Just a final, absolute test of strength.

*Sreung!*

Sansha unsheathed his blade. In an instant, a terrifying aura of Force (Kang) erupted from his body. He didn’t hold back, weaving every one of his ultimate arts into a single, cohesive movement.

Blue Dragon Kick, Sword of the Dead Dragon, Heart-Sword Unification, Final Strike, Heavenly Dance, Gale Force, Blood Butcher…

A century of techniques distilled into a single, perfect execution.

[The Perfect!]

*Seuuuuuu!*

The concentrated Force pulled inward, condensing into a shimmering blue sphere. These orbs of energy clustered like morning dew along the edge of Sansha’s blade before shifting colors, absorbing the primal elements. Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire swirled together, fusing into a singular point of absolute power.

*Guooooooo!*

With a sound like the world tearing apart, the energy took the shape of a colossal golden dragon.

*Kwaaaaaaaaaang!*

The impact was cataclysmic. A strike that defied evasion, a certain-kill technique, washed over Wilhelm in a blinding flash. As the dust and acrid smoke slowly drifted away.

“……!!!”
“……!!!”

Only one figure remained upright. It wasn’t Sansha. The Champion who had initiated the attack was now a slumped, headless corpse cooling on the dirt.

Wilhelm didn’t even cast a glance at the fallen warrior. He looked toward the rest of the gathered host and spoke.

“Next.”