Chapter 93 Abyss (2)
Killing monsters and gaining essence was the basic theme of the exploration trial. Neither Arepton, the cemetery’s guardian, nor the many other beings in secret spaces were any different. As long as it had intelligence, he could acquire essence. Not only that but also a special reward.
He thought it would be the same for that being named Setiel. But…
‘Something’s going wrong.’
The moment he arrived at Heaven, he abandoned his hostility toward Yoon-seok. In addition, if there were a mistake, he would compensate for it. As if they had their society and rules. Yoon-seok made a quick decision.
‘Let’s go back.’
He wanted the reward. He didn’t know what it was, but it would probably be something marvelous. In addition, as soon as he entered the area in a normal state, the situation became favorable. But it was hard to believe in that attitude alone.
The moment he moved between them, it was the same as leaving his life in their hands. As he was about to return to the darkness…
—So the long-awaited visitor is here.
Someone’s voice echoed like thunder throughout the space.
“…?”
His body couldn’t move. Was it a restraining skill? Then why wasn’t Heart of Liberty triggered?
Leaving those questions behind, Yoon-seok looked around.
“Mother!”
Countless angels heading toward them stopped and were looking in one direction, including the guardian Setiel. Yoon-seok turned his head to the place where their eyes were directed. He couldn’t see anything. But he could sense a powerful presence.
—Everyone, go back to your original seats.
“Yes.”
The thunder-like voice rang again. For some reason, Yoon-seok’s vision became blurry, and when he closed and reopened his eyes, he was standing somewhere completely different.
“…”
Was this the inside of the fortress he saw earlier? He thought so, looking at how the angels spread outside the window.
—Don’t be nervous, Tower challenger.
Don’t be nervous when you brought me to a place like this out of the blue? That was absurd, but somehow it made all the energy in his body leave, replaced by a comfortable feeling. Thanks to her, he was able to view the current situation more calmly.
‘She said challenger…?’
Yoon-seok focused on that keyword for now. Usually, beings created or recreated by the Tower didn’t know about challengers. They only knew the world they lived in, like Chul Namgoong, who he met in a duel, or Kanna and Elle on that mission.
“Who are you?”
Yoon-seok questioned the invisible presence, but no answer returned. He didn’t know why, but somehow it felt like she was smiling.
Yoon-seok asked again.
“Did you build the Tower?”
—No. Rather, the Tower made me.
The Tower made her? What did that mean? Did that mean she was aware that she was a recreated being? The answer came even though he didn’t speak the thoughts out loud.
—Your guess is right. I know I’m a God of the false world.
He only took a rough guess, but it was God. It was surprising that God existed, but what did the Tower do to replicate God? It felt like he had become a speck of dust, but Yoon-seok came to his senses quickly.
“Why did you bring me here?”
— Those kids outside do not doubt that this place is a reality. That’s why I brought you here separately. There is nothing else I want from you.
“…”
You don’t want anything? He couldn’t confirm whether that was true or not, but there was no reason for such a powerful being to lie to him.
“Then what is this place for?”
—It’s a place where sinners trapped in the Abyss suffer forever.
“You mean the afterlife?”
—It could be the case for mortals. But isn’t it a story that has nothing to do with you anyway?
“…”
As she said, it didn’t matter what this space was for. It was fake anyway, a space created by the Tower for the trial. That was why Yoon-seok had this question.
‘What’s the purpose for the Tower to create a place like this?’
It didn’t seem to be designed for fighting. And, even if it was a false being, that being calling herself God seemed to have almighty power.
—You question the obvious.
“…?”
—The Tower was adventurous and hoped to reward challengers who’d reached the unknown. That’s why this place exists and the only reason I know I’m a false being myself.
“…Then does that mean I’m getting a reward?”
—Yes.
「The exploration of Heaven has been completed.」
The darkness itself in the abyss sky was a secret space, and it was a condition to achieve it by reaching Heaven through the darkness. It was a bit of an empty story, but that was it.
—Now, here’s your reward.
A box appeared before him. Once he approached and carefully opened the box, a silver bracelet was revealed inside.
*Purity (Rank A+) – Treasure of Heaven called the Holy Trinity of the Trejan Church. When the User’s karma reaches a certain number, the power will be unlocked, depending on the User’s propensity.
Luck increases by +3 when equipped.
In short, if good deeds were done, powers related to it would open, and if you did evil, it was the opposite. While reading the explanation, Yoon-seok’s brow furrowed.
‘Luck…?’
There was no such thing as luck on the challenger information page. So what was this?
“What kind of effects does luck have?”
—Well, I don’t know anything about the Tower.
“…I see.”
But there was nothing bad about luck going up. Yoon-seok slipped the bracelet on his wrist. Then, the white beads on the bracelet turned gray.
—If you dye your beads black, you will have the power to judge all men, and if you dye them with white, you will have the power to save them all. Please go the way you want.
He didn’t think it was meant for him to sit in hell and make sinners suffer forever. Yoon-seok nodded quietly. Now that he received his reward, did it mean there was nothing to talk about anymore?
Whooooosh!
A portal connected to the Abyss opened over the box. Yoon-seok, who still couldn’t believe it, hung in front of the portal for a while and asked questions, but no answers returned.
Eventually, Yoon-seok leaped through the portal. A voice tickled his ear as he left.
—I’ll ask for him.
That was the last thing he heard before jumping through.
“Screeeeeeeeech!”
He arrived in the Abyss again. Before he could adapt to the darkness, hundreds of bodies burning in lava crawled toward him. Yoon-seok, who dealt with them using the Light of Purification, fell into thought without worrying about picking up their essence.
‘She’ll ask for him…?’
What the hell did that mean? Soon after checking the information on the bracelet, Yoon-seok realized it.
[Treasure of heaven, called the Holy Trinity of the Trejan Church]
He just read it naturally earlier, but he heard of the Trejan Church. The religion of those who were called pagans on that mission. Elle was the pagan’s Lady when she was alive. If the creature he just met was the god of the Trejan Church…maybe it had something to do with Elle.
‘Well, I’m not entirely sure, but…’
Even if his guess was right, there was nothing he could do. There was nothing else he could do for Elle, whether she asked for it or not. If there was any reason, he had too lively freely according to his own will.
‘Come to think of it, why is she so nice to me?’
It was the question that he had originally. Unconditional goodwill…in fact, she was the first person he received such a thing from outside his family. Therefore, Yoon-seok secretly suspected Elle had some hidden agenda.
‘It was because of Kanna’s vague answer.’
Kanna didn’t talk about Elle, although she said she knew why she chose Yoon-seok. She only gave a clue for him to receive the mission on the 14th floor if he had any doubts.
‘…Let’s think about it later.’
Yoon-seok organized his thoughts. He had this mysterious experience of coming to the Abyss and stepping into Heaven, but his goal had yet to be achieved. He decided to go on the exploration trial because something here could bring Tower equipment to Earth, though.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Yoon-seok spread his wings and rose into the air. He didn’t intend to return to Heaven, but he was going to fly low to find out where the end of the Abyss might be without being devoured by darkness. But…
“…?”
He only went up about 20 meters, but something already caught his eye. Should he call it a sinkhole? Lava was flowing into a thirty-meter-wide hole.
It was well worth the search.
‘Was that on purpose?’
Yoon-seok returned to the Abyss by the portal opened in Heaven. But there was a place like this right next to the starting point.
‘I guess she didn’t just say it. This might be it.’
Well, that was just how it felt in the situation. If that was the case, it might be what Yoon-seok was looking for.
Whooooooosh!
Yoon-seok flew toward the hole. The lava poured down like a waterfall around a spiral staircase that continued endlessly around the center. It seemed to be considerate for other exploration challengers, but Yoon-seok, who had wings, flew past them.
‘Why is it so deep?’
Even after flying for a few minutes, he had yet to see the end. What made it especially alarming was his speed easily surpassed a hundred kilometers per hour. But…
Boom! Boom! Creakkkkkkk!
He encountered a challenger who was going down the stairs. They were a Lizardman, and his equipment was of high quality. Was this what a proper exploration challenger should be like?
The equipment was unique. Sword, spear, bow. He wore ornaments, including bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. He even had a ring on each finger. Anyway, he was heading down the stairs, continuing in an endless battle with the monsters that came out of the lava flowing down from the outer wall.
‘…I guess that’s how it’s supposed to be done.’
Yoon-seok slowed down and watched him fight from afar for a moment. He was a little surprised. Should he say it was worth walking around alone without having a group? He was the strongest exploration challenger he’d ever met.
No, maybe even stronger than the demon dueler who invaded Earth.
‘Well…whether it’s the mission of exploration, it doesn’t mean that there’s a difference in rewards.’
When he cleared the Only level mission, Yoon-seok received the same points as in the duel. Not only that, but he also acquired additional items itself wasn’t planned just because it was a different trial. It was just that few people grew by pushing their limits.
He could tell by that Lizardman warrior. He was moving down the stairs alone in this remote area steadily. It was only possible if he believed that there would be a reward after suffering through the process. It didn’t matter whether it was exploration or mission.
A man like that would grow stronger.
‘I’m feeling guilty for some reason.’
Yoon-seok passed him with Enhanced Speed so that he wouldn’t notice, then continued to fly.
About fifteen minutes later, the stairs ended, and he reached an iron gate at the end of the small path between where the lava was flowing. The lava flowing down the outer wall was also flowing down the door.
「Enter the End of the Abyss.」
He decided to speed things up before the Lizardman arrived. That was the only consideration Yoon-seok could offer. Otherwise, he might be disappointed to know that he was late by a hair’s breadth.
‘But would this count as a good deed?’
Yoon-seok checked the bracelet. He didn’t know for sure, but somehow the gray seemed a little darker…
Well, maybe he just imagined things.
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