Episode 37: Tower of Strife (2)
《Shield Knight Tainted by Darkness defeated.》
“Haa… haa…”
Heavy panting echoed through the air.
The major guild alliance strategy team had been tackling Floor 100 since last night.
“Let’s take a break.”
After over 18 hours of grinding, fatigue weighed heavily on everyone.
They sat to catch their breath and regroup.
“Is this right? It’s too tough. We’ve been at it for half a day and haven’t even reached the halfway mark.”
A team member glanced at Deathside’s Sun Sung-tae, the team leader.
It was natural to question him—after all, he’d mysteriously shown up with a “strategy” starting at Floor 96.
No one knew its source; they just assumed it came from a powerhouse nation.
Thanks to it, Deathside took the lead.
“The first clear title is within reach. It’s tough, but endure it. You all knew Floor 100 wouldn’t be easy,” Sun Sung-tae said.
No one could argue.
While Fire God was considered the strongest of the four major guilds, Deathside’s strategy enabled this rapid progress.
“…Where’d you get that strategy? Spill it while we’re resting,” a Sword Realm member asked.
“The condition was strict source confidentiality. I can’t share,” Sun Sung-tae replied.
“What, we’re outsiders now? After all we’ve been through together?”
Sun Sung-tae let out a hollow laugh.
“You gonna share all of Sword Realm’s secrets then? If not, grow up.”
“Grow up?”
“Yeah, you bastard. You think I brought you along ‘cause I like you? You’re barely useful, so stop acting like an ass.”
“You son of a—!”
“Enough. Everyone’s on edge. Let’s cool off during the break,” Radiance’s Son Tae-yeon interjected, separating them.
“…Damn it.”
Sun Sung-tae had a lot on his mind.
He’d gotten the strategy with his help, but his position hadn’t improved.
Despite bringing the strategy, the alliance treated him like a traitor trying to outshine them.
But those gripes paled compared to the Unknown Adventurer.
Before entering the Tower, he’d heard from a terrified Min Kang-hoon, who claimed to have seen ‘Witch of the Apocalypse Hertia’ while tailing the adventurer, along with two other eerie presences.
‘He said to watch for two threats, but has another appeared?’
Sun Sung-tae was uneasy.
Failing this mission could mean losing his support.
If he didn’t pull this off, he could be cast aside any moment.
‘After all I’ve sacrificed to get here—money, time, my future, even my family!’
He’d given everything to gain this power, rising to a major guild master.
But he couldn’t stop here.
Being abandoned by him would be the end.
He had to prove his worth.
‘I won’t stop. I’ll grow stronger, climb higher. I will…’
Swallowing his anger, Sun Sung-tae recalled his plan.
‘There’s still a chance.’
Imagining the Unknown Adventurer’s downfall, a smirk crept onto his face.
‘You’ll never clear Floor 100. You’ll face something far worse than the boss.’
He quietly summoned a guild member and issued a secret order.
“Slip away from the camp quietly. Move as planned.”
***
Floor 100’s brutal difficulty is no match for Theo and Hertia.
They completely negate the monsters’ speed advantage.
Hertia locks their speed below hers, and Theo turns an enemy into an ally to start the fight.
‘A perfect victory plan.’
Plus, I used my resources to unlock Theo’s Skill 2.
【Skill 2: Law of the Throne】
Description: The scepter’s power lets you move faster than others, dismantling enemy defenses. The first hit grants ‘Re-Action’, and hitting the same target again disables one piece of their armor for the battle.
Nonfiction time!
In short: I’ll beat one guy senseless.
Hit once, get another turn. Hit again, break their armor.
A one-on-one domination king.
Start by controlling one enemy, half-kill or eliminate another, and roll from there.
And, luckily, Floor 100 is Theo’s domain, meaning my passive skill buffs him perfectly.
《Most cruel Avenger skill activates!》
《Black Prince Theo defeats Assassin of Afterimage.》
《All enemies in Pit of Silence defeated.》
I checked the timer.
《Elapsed Time: 34:33》
‘Not bad.’
The Pit of Silence, a cave-like zone, is two-fifths of Floor 100.
Beyond it lies the Ruins of the Fallen Kingdom—the former site of Periad.
After crossing the Endless Hills and reaching the Endless Distorted Afterimage, the boss awaits.
《Entering Ruins of the Fallen Kingdom.》
No time for sentimentality.
I need to clear this Tower fast, prepare for Episode 8, and deal with the shady Deathside issue.
As I moved forward—
《An anonymous adventurer has invaded the dungeon.》
《An anonymous adventurer has invaded the dungeon.》
《An anonymous adventurer has invaded the dungeon.》
A message popped up suddenly.
I knew instantly—this was Deathside’s doing.
Invading Floor 100 means they’ve cleared at least Floor 99.
That points to someone from the guild alliance, and with this kind of hostility, it’s got to be them.
‘Fine, no holds barred now, huh?’
I turned around, ready to deal with anyone charging in.
But less than a minute later, another message appeared.
《An anonymous adventurer has left the dungeon.》
《An anonymous adventurer has left the dungeon.》
《An anonymous adventurer has left the dungeon.》
‘What? They invade and leave right away?’
If they meant to disrupt me, they wouldn’t have left so quickly.
‘Were they just checking my progress? Or is there another scheme?’
My focus wavered briefly, but I snapped back.
No matter what they’re planning, nothing on this KR server can stop me now.
“To the next zone.”
***
Guild Alliance Strategy Team
“Alright, everyone done preparing?”
At Fire God Guild Master Park Byung-chul’s words, Sun Sung-tae raised a hand.
“Hold on. Some members haven’t returned yet.”
The three adventurers Sun Sung-tae sent out hadn’t come back.
Right after the conversation, they re-entered the Tower.
《Party member Kim Jin-soo rejoins the dungeon.》
《Party member Lee Myung-jin rejoins the dungeon.》
《Party member Lee Jo-yeon rejoins the dungeon.》
They immediately approached Sun Sung-tae.
“As ordered, we left it in his dungeon.”
“Good. You confirmed his location?”
“…He’s already cleared the Pit of Silence.”
Faster than expected.
They hadn’t seen the Unknown Adventurer in action, but his guides and pace—climbing 10 floors in a day—proved his absurd skill.
‘Just as he said.’
Oh Hyun-woo shouldn’t exist.
No different from a cheater—or, as he put it, the one who “caused the global Cataclysm.”
‘And he’s definitely controlling at least one villain—Witch of the Apocalypse.’
Min Kang-hoon’s testimony, his insane climbing speed, and his words turned suspicion into certainty.
‘That’s why, at the end of Floor 100, you’ll die.’
The power bestowed by his master, Karmar de Demeter Lavle, was waiting there.
“Sun Sung-tae-ssi?”
“Let’s go!”
Sun Sung-tae stood abruptly, grinning unsettlingly.
“We can’t let the first clear title slip away, can we?”
***
《All enemies in Endless Hills defeated.》
《Elapsed Time: 01:58:10》
Past the fourth zone, only the boss remains.
“Good work, everyone. One more step, and this Tower is mine.”
Not literally owning it, but it’s symbolic enough.
The Seven Sins, hyped by my declaration, chimed in.
“Congratulations in advance, Great One.”
“Congratulations? You think our Sage would be satisfied with just conquering this Tower?”
“True. Our lord isn’t in a position to be celebrated for this.”
“So, you’re yielding the right to be the first to congratulate our lord to those worms below?”
Hertia’s jab made Caligo and Theo switch gears instantly.
“Sage! Congratulations in advance!”
“My lord! Felicitations!”
“…Enough. Stay sharp until the end.”
“Yes!”
After the brief commotion, I checked the party for the final boss.
【Team 1】
Witch of the Apocalypse Hertia Lv 80
Liberator of Death Caligo Lv 80
Black Prince Theo Lv 80
Black Priestess Meryl Lv 80
Chosen for synergy with Caligo and Meryl’s ‘Focused Taunt’.
The Floor 100 boss, Azas, is insanely fast, so I’ll use Hertia’s authority to slow him and Meryl to lock his attention.
Setup complete. The long Tower grind ends here.
It’s almost anticlimactic how smoothly it’s gone.
《Entering Endless Distorted Afterimage.》
…Or so I thought.
The moment I entered, things went wrong.
《Boss Azas awakens.》
‘The boss woke up the instant I entered? What the…’
Then I remembered.
The adventurers who invaded my dungeon.
And left in under a minute.
‘Did those bastards do this?’