Chapter 360

Chapter 360
### Chapter 360

Has the moment finally arrived?

What exactly is defined as a ‘tower’?

In a literal, dictionary sense, it is merely a tall construction reaching toward the sky. An edifice built for the singular purpose of being scaled.

However, within the realm of Pangenia, a ‘tower’ represents a site of divine trials. The administrator of such a structure presents a test to the seeker, who must then conquer the challenge to surpass their mortal constraints.

Yet, this prompts a natural inquiry. What does the administrator actually gain from maintaining such a place? If their only role is to distribute hardships and prizes, do they not end up with a net loss? If that were the case, how have so many of these ‘towers’ successfully embedded themselves into the fabric of Pangenia?

—’The tower’ is divinity itself. It is the beginning and the end. And it is a singular entity.

The King of Sin had once spoken those words. He claimed the tower was a god, an all-encompassing unity. Because of this belief, he had tasked me with a mission—more an obligation than a request—to restore the clan of sin and prove to the world that their lineage remained unbroken.

At that time, I couldn’t grasp the true weight of his speech. I dismissed it as some cryptic metaphorical logic that governed the world’s inner workings.

‘The tower is a reflection that manifests my entire being.’

It was only after I raised the Tower of Ruin that the true meaning behind those words crystallized for me. The tower is not separate from me; it *is* me. It stands as the physical evidence of my presence in this reality.

A deity plants a tower upon the mundane soil to anchor their existence. In this manner, the structure acts as the bridge connecting the transient lives of mortals to the eternal nature of the divine. Furthermore, as more seekers attempt the climb, the tower’s potency increases, which in turn allows the god to manifest a greater portion of their essence. Through more grueling trials, more magnificent gifts, and a more terrifying display of holy power, they etch their ‘existence’ into history.

In essence, the prestige of the tower is synonymous with the prestige of the god. This was evidenced when the Tower of the War God grew in scale once the War God Karas reclaimed his full divine authority.

If that logic holds true…

‘The Tower of Ruin.’

I find myself wondering: what level of authority does this ‘Tower of Ruin’ I have summoned actually command?

*Tremble, tremble, tremble!*

The Outer God, currently inhabiting Sonora’s physical form, was seized by a violent shivering.

“There was certainly no Ruin left in this realm…!”

Ruin. That name alone was a source of terror, even for entities as ancient as the Outer Gods. Ruin was viewed as an unstoppable calamity that dismantled civilizations and blinked gods out of existence. It was something that should have remained absent. Had it not already purged Pangenia once before? That was the force that had dragged vast territories into the dark void.

“Surely it can’t be… not yet? The timing is all wrong…!”

There was no logical reason for it to reappear now. Even if its return was inevitable, it was premature. It was far too soon for such an arrival. Could the ‘Ruin’ standing before it be a clever imitation? But that thought was quickly dismissed; a fraudulent Ruin could never manifest a genuine Tower of Ruin. This was the real thing.

‘How could His Excellency possibly grant his blessing to Ruin…?’

The Outer God was plagued by confusion. ‘His Excellency,’ a figure occupying the polar opposite side of the celestial spectrum, had carved his mark of authority onto the left arm of Ruin. Since Ruin functioned as a tool of the heavens, there should be no overlapping goals or alliances. This was an unprecedented anomaly. Beyond that, ‘His Excellency’ had historically preferred the role of a silent observer.

‘Something… has gone off the rails.’

The current events were deviating wildly from the intended trajectory. The emergence of Ruin had never been part of the original strategy. Pangenia was a world the heavens had already attempted to wipe out once, yet failed to finish completely. To trigger the return of Ruin, a world typically needed to reach a specific peak of progress, yet modern Pangenia hadn’t even reached half the sophistication of its ancient predecessor.

Because of this, Pangenia had been the perfect nursery for the Outer Gods to cultivate their strength. There were no high-ranking guardian deities to stop them, no threat of Ruin appearing, and yet the land was saturated with divine energy. There were no obstacles. There were no predators. For an Outer God, this was paradise.

…And yet, standing right there, was the one thing that shouldn’t exist: Ruin.

Suddenly, the Outer God’s eyes flared with a realization.

“You… were you lying in wait for us?”

It was the only explanation that made sense. Ruin had been biding its time, waiting for the Outer Gods to show their faces. To the celestial powers, the Outer Gods were a persistent nuisance. If the heavens had intentionally kept this world on life support through Ruin specifically to lure the Outer Gods out… and if ‘His Excellency’ was a silent partner in that trap…

*Gulp.*

The Outer God stared up at the ‘Tower of Ruin’ which had erupted from the depths of the earth. Regardless of the circumstances, the tower was here. It had to be scaled. If the ‘trial’ wasn’t conquered within the allotted window, the Outer God itself would be consumed by Ruin.

—

Across the vast plains stood a magnificent temple: the Earth God Cult. An immense, unprecedented gathering of people had swarmed the area.

“Oh, Great Earth God—!”

“Glory to the Earth God!”

The crowd consisted entirely of devotees, numbering in the tens of thousands. The area was so packed with the faithful that there wasn’t a single inch of empty ground left. Their reason for gathering was plain to see.

*Swoosh!*

Standing tall was a colossal entity with the features of a canine, walking upright and gripping a staff topped with a glowing crimson gem. This titan, twice the size of the temple itself, was the one they worshipped as the ‘Earth God.’ He had returned to life, drawing followers from every corner of the world to his side. His aura and divine presence were certainly worthy of a deity.

However…

—’The Tower of Ruin’…?

The Earth God tilted his head in contemplation. He could feel the resonance of the ‘Tower of Ruin’ appearing in the distance, specifically in the sacred city of Adrium. He wasn’t the only one. Across the continent, various ‘gods’ who had recently been resurrected turned their collective gaze toward Adrium.

—Ruin…

—But how?

Something that was supposed to be impossible had manifested. It felt calculated, as if it had been waiting for their resurrection to trigger its own arrival.

And elsewhere…

“…At last.”

The Demon King, who had claimed Wilhelm’s body and seized all of his strength, spoke into the void.

“You’ve finally shown yourself, Ruin.”

His eyes cut through the shadows with a sharp, piercing light.

—

The Tower of Ruin had appeared without warning. If it wasn’t cleared within 48 hours, the goddess’s influence would crumble.

“Scale the tower!”

“Protect our divine lady!”

The fanatics of the Goddess Cult, their minds under control, began the ascent. The Outer God lent its considerable power to the effort. However, their hope turned to immediate horror when they encountered the first sentinel.

“What is that creature…!”

“Is it an eagle?”

“It’s far too powerful!”

The Nameless Repair. To gain entry, one had to slip past the gaze of that terrifying beast. Even those who managed to sneak inside found no relief.

“Run for your lives!”

“Help! Aaaargh!”

Waiting within was the master of hexes, Lilith. She had distributed one hundred ‘curse dolls’ throughout the structure. These dolls, which were perfect replicas of Lilith herself, crushed the spirits of the invaders and formed an impenetrable blockade. Not a single person could make progress.

It was an absolute defense. An entire day passed, and the wall of Lilith remained unbroken.

“Are you not the legendary ‘Knights of the Round Table’?”

“Why do you sit idle while we fail to climb the ‘Tower of Ruin’?”

Frustrated and desperate, the survivors began to hurl accusations at the Knights. Abelov, the vice-commander of the Round Table, merely gave an indifferent shrug. These were the same people who had been trying to kill them only twenty-four hours prior.

“The Round Table takes no action without the commander’s decree.”

Furthermore, Park Hyunmyeong, their commander, had issued no such order. Beyond that, even if the followers were brainwashed, it was the Pope of the Goddess Cult who had invited the Outer God in.

“You pathetic failures—!”

Ultimately, the Outer God lost its patience and decided to intervene personally. Cloaked in the guise of the goddess, she began the climb.

But the result was the same.

“Get out of my way! Do you think these playthings can stop me?”

After a grueling three-hour struggle against the Nameless Repair, the Outer God finally entered, only to be met by Lilith’s wailing wall. Even with the stolen authority of a goddess, the Outer God found itself trapped. It could smash the dolls to pieces, but they simply reformed or replaced themselves in an endless, suffocating loop.

“Eeeek…!!”

The Outer God ground its teeth in fury. Time was slipping away. If this was indeed a divine trial, there had to be a logic to it—a way to win. Just as one could bypass the Nameless Repair without a fight, perhaps there was a way to navigate around Lilith’s perception.

—*Go ahead and try to crawl up like a dog.*

Suddenly, a specific thought echoed in the Outer God’s mind.

‘Crawl up?’

Could that be the secret? Lilith seemed to manifest wherever it moved. Stealth offered no protection. But perhaps the dolls weren’t monitoring the entire tower simultaneously.

On hands and knees, the Outer God began to move across the floor, staying low. Miraculously, the constant harassment from Lilith seemed to stop.

…Or so it thought.

After crawling quite a distance across the cold floor, the Outer God looked up.

“Wow.”

Right there, blocking the path, was no mere doll.

“A dog masquerading as a god?”

The genuine Lilith stood there, looking down with a bright, innocent smile.

—

The prototype doll. The first human, Lilith.

A soul had finally taken residence within her—she who had previously been nothing more than a soulless vessel for a dark deity. Having only recently begun to perceive reality, Lilith was starving for data. Everything was new, strange, and fascinating.

But she was an eager student. To be of use to her master, she was prepared to absorb the entire world’s knowledge. At a pace that defied logic, Lilith began to learn. Information flowed into her effortlessly. She mastered the movement of her limbs, the nuances of speech, and the intricacies of her own curses.

It took a mere twelve hours for her to understand her own physical makeup and the language spoken by her master. Within a full day, she had mastered every hex and blight ever used by the evil god who created her.

‘I need more. I must understand everything.’

To possess a soul is to possess a hunger for learning. The drive to know and the ambition to grow strong are traits that require a self-aware spirit. Before this, Lilith was just a hollow weapon, a puppet scattering plagues at another’s whim. But now, with a budding ego and a will of her own, she felt a profound thirst.

She craved her master’s affection. She felt a spark of the same greed that drove him.

The hundred dolls she had deployed were not just soldiers; they were her sensory organs. There was a limit to what one body could experience. The dolls gathered data through their interactions with the world, and Lilith processed that information to evolve in real-time.

She knew everything about the people attempting to scale her tower. She dissected their fighting styles and cataloged their unique powers. The ‘Outer God’ was no exception. To Lilith, even a deity was simply another subject to be studied and analyzed. By destroying so many of her dolls, the Outer God had unwittingly handed Lilith a complete blueprint of its own nature.

“Tara-shi.”