Episode 40: Episode 8 Update (1)
Floor 100 is being deleted?
This had never happened before. What’s going on?
‘Because I subdued Azas?’
It’s the only reason that comes to mind, though I’m not certain.
No time to dwell on it.
I rushed to leave, not knowing what might happen if I stayed in a disappearing floor.
《Would you like to exit Distorted Afterimage?》
《Leaving will transport you to the Tower of Strife entrance, as the entire Endless Afterimage map will vanish.》
YES!
《Arrived at the Tower of Strife entrance.》
As soon as I reached Floor 1, the guild alliance team stood at the entrance, looking dazed.
“What’s that?”
“Something about Floor 100 being deleted…”
Amid their murmurs, a new message flashed on the display for all to see.
《Floor 100 of the Tower of Strife has been deleted.》
“What the hell is this?!”
“It’s actually gone?!”
People rushed to the entrance to check if Floor 100 was accessible.
“It’s really gone!”
“Then what was all our effort for? Why suddenly…?”
Someone muttered.
“…The Unknown Adventurer.”
“What?”
“He’s the only one. The clear message came, we got kicked out, and now Floor 100’s deleted!”
“…That bastard! Where is he?!”
All eyes turned to me.
My thoughts?
‘What a circus.’
It’s like saving a drowning man only for him to demand your belongings.
They had plenty of time to clear it themselves, didn’t they?
If they hadn’t hoarded information, open discussion and research could’ve boosted adventurers’ average strength, preventing the drop in public safety and countless incidents.
Yet, shamelessly, they blame me.
Their audacity infuriated me.
What irked me most was that Deathside was the loudest.
“Hey, move aside.”
A rough-looking man from the crowd strode toward me.
He grabbed my collar.
“You. The Unknown Adventurer. You did something, didn’t you?”
His guild mark—a scythe—confirmed he was Deathside.
His immediate hostility suggested he held a high rank.
I quickly realized who he was.
“Sung-tae hyung, calm down. Reporters are watching.”
“Let them watch, damn it! This guy deleted Floor 100! Unknown Adventurer, what did you do up there?”
Sung-tae. I remembered.
Sun Sung-tae, Deathside’s guild master.
The one who gifted me that lovely surprise.
He looked more haggard than in the media, so I didn’t recognize him at first.
“I just cleared Floor 100.”
“Look at this guy! You think clearing one Tower makes you something special?”
“Hidden route unlock, Twilight Colosseum first place, Tower of Strife first clear. All solo. What about you? Got anything to brag about?”
“Hah! Big talk for a guy. Makes it more satisfying to beat you!”
Sun Sung-tae raised his fist.
‘That’s a problem.’
I wasn’t about to take a hit, and if a fight broke out, the Seven Sins might manifest.
Best to minimize conflict, especially since he’s given me something interesting to work with.
“Lower your arm. You reek of foul blood.”
“…What?”
“Thick and rancid. The stench of a vampire noble’s rotten blood. Smells like it’s coming from you.”
“You… what are you talking about?”
I grabbed his raised arm, pulling it down, and whispered.
“Karmar de Demeter Lavle. You’ve been fed his blood, haven’t you? What would people think if they knew? Would they still see you as human? Or hunt you as a monster?”
“…”
“I’m curious. How about you?”
I patted Sun Sung-tae’s frozen shoulder and added one last thing.
“Watch yourself. I’ll return the surprise you gave me soon.”
Leaving the stunned Sun Sung-tae behind, I headed toward the reporters.
I’ve got a lot to sort out when I get home.
***
[Global Tower of Strife Floor 100 Officially Deleted… KR Server’s Super Rookie Changed the System Itself]
Back home, I checked the public’s reaction.
My name popped up briefly, but the focus was on Floor 100’s deletion.
I thought it was just the KR server, but the entire world’s Towers lost Floor 100.
‘Only one Azas can exist, huh?’
The stage’s boss, bound to a user and leaving its designated area, likely broke the system.
There’s a slight problem, though.
This could give major nations leverage to pressure me, possibly demanding the information I hold.
‘Well, I’ll figure it out when the time comes.’
Click, click.
With the Tower’s threat gone, the major nations’ ability to pressure Korea—or me—has diminished.
It’s becoming a fight I can take on.
‘I’m still outclassed, but with my strategies, catching up is only a matter of time.’
Crunch, crunch.
…Why are these guys out again?
My head’s already a mess.
Hertia was chomping on coffee mix powder, as usual.
Theo mimicked her.
Caligo sat at the computer, staring at the monitor with a sour expression.
Curious, I approached and saw a familiar community page.
- Unknown Adventurer deletes Floor 100 right after starting? Is this real?
└ LOL, the strategy team entered half a day earlier, but a solo guy who started late beat them!
└ What are the guilds even doing?
└ Tax leeches, that’s what.
└ LMAO, so this is the level of Korea’s top 10 guilds.
- But with Floor 100 deleted globally, isn’t the Unknown Adventurer screwed? Big nations are gonna make a fuss.
└ They probably don’t care. Episode 8 drops tomorrow.
└ Timing’s wild. Was this calculated?
└ He said in an interview it’s unrelated, so we don’t know yet.
As expected, most posts mocked the strategy team.
The internet slang was heavy—did Caligo even understand it?
“Caligo, did you get the gist?”
“I think so.”
“What’s it about?”
“Praise and worship for you, Sage!”
Yeah, he didn’t get it.
I nodded, patting Caligo’s shoulder.
Looking around the room—Hertia on the floor, Theo on the bed, Caligo at the computer…
‘Where do I sit?’
This cramped studio felt suffocating with four of us.
I need to move soon.
Money’s no issue—I’ve hoarded enough loot, even after company expenses.
‘Summon tickets, artifact coupons, crafting, and enhancement materials. Selling these could easily buy a house. Oh, and this too.’
《Received Special Ultimate Skill Unlock Scroll.》
【Special Ultimate Skill Unlock Scroll】
Description: A scroll imbued with powerful energy that forcibly unlocks a summon’s third unique skill.
I cheered internally.
Finally, I can unlock an ultimate skill for one of the Seven Sins.
Its value? Hard to estimate.
It can unlock even a mythic-grade summon’s skill instantly.
‘I’ll think about who to use it on.’
After sorting the rewards, I checked Azas.
【King of Afterimage Azas】
Attribute: Dark
Level: 1
Grade: Ancient
Class: Rogue
[Unique Skills]
Skill 1: King of Afterimage Azas
Description: At the start of battle, grants self Afterimage, increasing evasion by 30%. Landing an attack or evading one stacks an afterimage. At three stacks, triggers Absolute Afterimage.
Absolute Afterimage: Guarantees 100% evasion for three attacks of any kind.
Slightly different from his boss version.
According to him, instantly killing a target by stacking afterimages requires all skills unlocked.
Still, it’s an enticing ability.
Absolute evasion!
And his grade—“Ancient”—is new.
‘Ancient… a new grade like Apocalypse?’
Based on initial stats and skill utility, it’s between Mythic and Apocalypse.
‘High grade, even better.’
Though Level 1, raising him will be fun.
As I finished sorting rewards, the three summons sat side by side under the bed, staring at me—a signal they wanted to talk.
“Speak.”
Hertia jumped in.
“Master, what are your plans? I heard a new Tower opens tomorrow.”
The new episode.
Many expect me to dive in immediately.
But…
“Now’s not the time to move.”
“What? But with the world buzzing over your feats, isn’t this the time to show your majesty?”
Hertia thinks it’s the perfect moment to elevate my status, but I disagree.
Before rushing into the episode, I want to eliminate future threats.
My bold moves and sudden fame have made enemies—Korea’s major guilds, humiliated by me, or powerful nations that won’t stay quiet forever.
Even online, opinions about me are polarized.
So, I’ll set the stage—one where they’ll need me.
“Trust me, Hertia. As always.”
This isn’t arrogance—it’s confidence from experience.
Korea’s top 10 guilds aren’t ready for Episode 8’s ‘unpredictable dungeon’.
For now, I’ll lie low and build my strength.
***
In a place swirling with ashen dust, the World Tree stood lifeless.
Elves wept before it.
But one stood resolute, unyielding—Eldiran, the king leading the surviving elves.
“We are bound by duty. This is no time for despair!”
His powerful voice made the weeping elves look up.
“We’ll borrow the strength of other beings for our Mother Tree, the World Tree. With its revival, we’ll deliver the harshest punishment to ‘Witch of the Apocalypse…”
He glared at the crowd, issuing a warning.
“…the worst of punishments.”
The solemn declaration sent shivers through the elves.
“Rise, my kin! Set aside tears of grief and sweat for tomorrow’s rebuilding!”
As Eldiran finished, he signaled an elf beside him, who bowed and opened a dimensional warp.
“We’ll rise again beyond the dimensions!”
Eldiran stepped into the warp first, followed by fully equipped elves.
At that moment, an alarm sounded in the Tower of Records, and a message appeared.
《Maintenance begins for Episode 8: ‘Return of the Elf Legion’ update.》