Chapter 299: Grand Campaign (1)
On the day the Sword Emperor revealed himself on the 50th floor, all the constellations of that era whispered.
[The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains invites you to join.]
[The Ruin-Harvesting Cow recommends you a long campaign.]
[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth invites you to join.]
[The Incarnation of Love and Lust proposes the role of Apostle to you.]
[The Lotus Reflected on Water invites you to join.]
[The Lonely Seeker…]
Starting from the renowned constellations and extending up to the lesser-known ones.
It was certain. This human would shine under any constellation! By sewing together quests offered by the constellations, the Sword Emperor was bound to grasp the most dramatic love, victory, and life in this world.
-Hmm.
But it was evident in his eyes. The Sword Emperor’s eyes were clear. Those eyes would accept the bitterness of any wound unflinchingly.
-Interesting.
He didn’t consider himself a human too precious to be wounded, nor did he arrogantly think that he didn’t need to be. He simply strived to become stronger, monstrously so, in his heart.
-But, I refuse.
While surrounded by the beckoning starlight, the Sword Emperor smiled slyly.
-I choose none! No constellation! I will ascend to the 100th floor, witness its landscape first, keep it to myself, and stay silent about it. I won’t tell you anything!
With his hair redder than the sun, the King of Swords laughed.
-If you’re curious about what’s up there, stand up and follow me! Friendship isn’t about climbing a mountain together. Only those who have climbed the same mountain can truly share friendship!
The Sword Emperor became a star himself and vanished.
The 99th floor.
The place where he fell as a meteor was just one step away from the ultimate stage.
No one could find his remains. It was impossible to reach the 99th floor. Even those who arrogantly claimed to be his followers couldn’t approach it.
Was he really dead or was he still on the 99th floor? Or perhaps, he had reached the 100th floor and vanished without a trace.
The Tower revealed nothing. The rumors spread all over the tower and ran rampant .
-……
There was someone else who had reached the second highest stage after the Sword Emperor – A mage. She ventured up to the 90th floor but as soon as the Sword Emperor’s presence disappeared, she turned away.
-Idiotic bastard.
She was the elder of the Magic Tower.
I’ve learned much while climbing the Tower, but if I were to choose the most pragmatic realization, it would be this:
It’s hard to solve everything with just words.
“Damn!”
Chaang!
With an unpleasant metallic sound, a spear flew through the air. It was held by the Apostle of Mahos, a man with black hair.
I whirled my Aura, sending the spear flying far into the distance.
“Kuh…!”
“You’re strong.”
I flexed my shoulder muscles. They were starting to cramp up.
The man tried to control his Aura and bring the spear back. But in a battle of Aura, it was difficult for him to best me.
My master, even while being consumed by the zombie virus, could manipulate her muscles, intestines, bones, and heart through the art of Ki Telekinesis.
I am her successor. My training journey has been different from others.
‘Well. This isn’t the first time a duel like this has happened.’
I spoke leisurely.
“It’s no flattery but you really are strong. Probably among the top five if you were in our world.”
“How presumptuous…! I haven’t even used the power of Mahos yet!”
“Same here. I haven’t called the legion of my family yet.”
I sheathed my Holy Sword.
“When I call my family, things get amazing.”
“What?”
“The sky turns upside down, and the earth flips over. It sounds like a lie, right? It’s true. If you knew who the shadow of my family is, you’d probably have a heart attack.”
It’s the Constellation Killer, you know.
“…Even if it’s a lie. If it’s true, why don’t you call such a powerful army?”
“They’re guarding the house.”
I shrugged.
“What if someone invades from another world while I’m away? Those kids are guarding the house so I can roam around freely now. They are all as strong as me.”
“…….”
The Apostle of Mahos bit his lip hard.
[You have passed the test.]
[The quests for your subjugation and tracking have been lifted!]
[The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains acknowledges you as a temporary disciple!]
[From now on, you will share the main quests with the Warhorse of the Eternal Plains.]
Okay.
The Apostle seemed hesitant to accept the outcome of the fight, but the Constellation he served had cleanly conceded. Mahos recognized me becoming a [temporary disciple] and participating in his quests.
This meant I could directly participate in the quests led by Mahos, even though I wasn’t officially serving him.
A rare case. An exception.
“What a disgrace. Get out already.”
Pushing aside the Apostle of Mahos, another hunter emerged.
“Greetings! I am one of the Apostles of [The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth], known as [The Jester].”
The hunter, true to her name, was dressed as a jester. Her face was covered in red and white makeup, the thick layers obscuring any emotion she might have shown.
“I heard you intend to become a disciple of all the Constellations existing on the 50th floor.”
“Just a temporary disciple, though.”
“Haha. How interesting!”
Despite saying it was interesting, the Jester’s face told a different tale. Behind her, more than ten hunters were waiting. All of them, regardless of their strength, were Apostles of various Constellations.
They had come to test me on behalf of their Constellations.
“Since Mahos has tested your [strength], I shall test your [luck]!”
Crrrrk.
The Jester brought a table over.
Then, she placed 13 [cups] upside down on it.
“A labyrinth is ultimately about wandering to find the right answer!”
The Jester smiled.
“No matter how twisted the maze or how sinister the dungeon with traps is, if you boil it down, it’s just like these 13 cups. Come on, come on, King of Death. Among these cups, only one contains a candy that you can eat first.”
The Jester tapped the cups, tuk, tuk, tuk. Clear glass. Inside each cup was a candy that children would love.
“In other words,”
“The other 12 contain candies that shouldn’t be eaten.”
“Haha! Exactly! You got it right!”
The Jester beamed a pleasant smile, the kind that makes her feel refreshed but leaves others feeling sour.
“Each and every one of them is extremely poisonous!”
“These unremarkable glass cups may seem ordinary, but they are relics. An item bestowed upon me directly by [The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth] in recognition of my clowning around! Ordinary aura cannot penetrate them, nor can any skill discern what’s inside!”
Right. I know that.
“Alright! Alright! King of Death. As a challenger seeking the favor of all constellations, although it’s just a trivial display of talent, join me in my little prank….”
“I’ll gladly accept.”
I immediately picked up the fourth cup and ate the candy inside.
“Eh?”
The Jester, who had been grandly bullshitting, was taken aback. Ignoring her, I nonchalantly chewed and swallowed the candy.
“It’s mint-flavored. I prefer yogurt-flavored candies.”
“…….”
“Do you know about yogurt candies? They’re sweet and have a slight milk-like flavor, delicious really. They often have them at barbecue places. Those are truly delicious.”
Silence ensued.
The Jester slowly covered her face with both hands.
Her face looked utterly shocked.
“How can this be…! Holy shit! Oh my God! How on earth…!?”
I chuckled lightly.
“Does this mean I’ve passed the test?”
“I-I don’t know! How can a mere jester like me judge someone born with such incredible luck? Terrifying, truly terrify-”
“It’s not over yet.”
She hesitated.
“What do you mean?”
“You said it yourself. Among these, there is a candy that [can be eaten first].”
I removed the sixth cup.
“Which means there is also a candy that [must be eaten later].”
And without hesitation, I ate the candy inside.
“…….”
“So, I’ve eaten two now. How many are left?”
“…One left.”
“Okay.”
I deliberately looked at the remaining glass cups with a wide grin.
‘How come defeating Mahos’s Apostle seems less challenging than this?’
These tests weren’t new to me. While they might be a first-time experience for others, I had already faced them several times.
‘I needlessly died nine times already.’
I’ve been experiencing the same day for the tenth time.
If it were a battle of skills, maybe, but in a test purely based on luck like this, even I have no control. The first few times, I died screaming after eating candies laced with deadly poison. Then, even after I guessed right and was elated, I died an hour later.
The candy that was [safe to eat first] also contained poison, necessitating the sequential consumption of other candies to avoid death.
“Which one has the tasty candy, I wonder? This one? Or this one? Hmm. It’s tough. Both look delicious…”
Unaware of my time loops, the Jester just stared at me blankly.
“How…? Neither skills nor Aura can detect it…”
“Ah.”
I picked up the first cup.
“It’s this one.”
“…….”
“This candy was practically begging me to eat it, claiming it was totally harmless. So noisy. I feel sorry for it, so I have to eat it.”
I unwrapped the candy and chewed it. The poison from the first candy was neutralized by the second, and the second candy’s poison was completely detoxified by the third.
Normally, the Jester would have watched me slowly suffering from the poison and gloated, ‘Hahaha! Are you in pain? It must be tough! Come on! Come on! Hurry up and choose! Your own answer! Your own correct answer, pick it with your own hands!’
“Is it over now?”
“…….”
But now, having cleared the mission in less than a minute, she just stood there with her mouth agape.
I gave her a bright smile.
“I often hear that I have good luck.”
[You have passed the test.]
[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth acknowledges you as a temporary disciple!]
[From now on, you will share the main quests with The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth.]
Indeed.
[You have passed the test.]
[The Lonely Seeker acknowledges you as a temporary disciple!]
[From now on, you will share the main quests with The Lonely Seeker.]
The Guardian Spirit refused all offers from the Constellations.
He climbed the Tower stoically, nobly, but solitarily.
Yet, he failed.
[You have passed the test.]
[The Last Sword Remaining in the Wilderness acknowledges you as a temporary disciple!]
[From now on, you will share the main quests with The Last Sword Remaining in the Wilderness.]
Why he failed remains unknown.
One thing is clear: even a hunter as formidable as the Sword Emperor failed the journey alone.
The path he trod is not the right path.
It’s nothing but a dead end.
I’d rather believe that the Sword Emperor failed not due to inability or lack of strength, but due to the fact that he simply chose the wrong method.
No.
I believe it.
Therefore,
[You have passed the test.]
[The Bell that Rings for the Dead acknowledges you as a temporary disciple!]
[From now on, you will share the main quests with The Bell that Rings for the Dead.]
I will walk a path entirely opposite to the one he chose.
-…….
If the Guardian Spirit walked the path of the righteous, I will walk the path of the demonic.
If the Guardian Spirit ascended alone without creating any alliances, I will build forces. I will gain favor with the Tower’s residents. I will unite the great guilds. I will accept the love of a lover, the loyalty of a retainer, and form a family.
I will establish a lineage.
[You have passed the test.]
[You have passed the test.]
[You have passed the test.]
The Guardian Spirit served no Constellation.
Therefore, I will serve [all Constellations].
“…Good.”
As the evening sun set, the queue of more than ten Apostles had been reduced to just one.
“I have to admit. We, or rather I, underestimated you.”
The last remaining Apostle wore a cloak redder than the sunset.
[The Incarnation of Love and Lust].
The Apostle of Babbit, a girl, stared at me intently.
“You’ve proven yourself strong and lucky. Even if it’s not purely by luck, you must have a skill that makes your success seem fortuitous.”
The girl took off her cloak, dropping the heavy fur onto the ground.
She then pulled out a water bottle.
“But do you truly understand [love]?”
Swoosh!
Babbit’s Apostle drenched her own head with water. Dew slid down her lustrous blonde hair. The setting sun was ablaze, and the light that painted the sky red also slipped into the droplets on the girl, quietly coloring her cheeks.
“You and I. Let’s see who can make the opponent’s heart flutter first.”
Babbit’s power unfolded, enveloping the surroundings in a pink hue.
The girl, as if her previous stoicness were a lie, wore a sorrowful smile. The corners of her eyes drooped, and all arrogance and pride vanished from her face.
[Come closer].
The Apostle’s smile, her slow gestures, her gaze, all beckoned me.
“I’ll say it in advance. I’m sorry.”
The sunset was falling for her.
“You’re going to like me.”
“…….”
I shook my head.
“I have many identities, like everyone else.”
I slowly approached Babbit’s Apostle.
“The leader of a cult, the head of a family, the director of a troupe, a father to someone, a friend to a race, and now, adding to this list, I will be a temporary disciple of Mahos, Babbit, and many others. And as I climb the Tower, more titles will attach to me, but…”
I stood firmly in front of the girl.
The Apostle, drenched in water, looked up at me.
“The first identity I hold will always remain unchanged.”
I smiled.
“I am the man of the most beautiful being in this world.”
“…….”
“She has no heart, so I gently offered her mine.”
Before being a hunter, I was someone in love.
And then.
[You have passed the test.]
[The Incarnation of Love and Lust acknowledges you as a temporary disciple!]
[From now on, you will share the main quests with The Incarnation of Love and Lust.]
That day, I made contracts with numerous Constellations.
