Chapter 269

<Congratulations! For being the first to clear an L-rank Gate, you will receive a 20% additional stat bonus.>

 <The Fated Tower’s dedicated system will now activate.>

 [Welcome to the L-rank Gate, ‘The Fated Tower.’ This is the 0th floor of the tower. You may return here to rest each time you conquer a floor. You can use the portal on the left to move to your desired floor.] 

[The Fated Tower consists of 101 floors, from 0 to 100. If you defeat all the trials on each floor, you will receive the reward for defeating 10,000 monsters.]

[This is a tower blessed by the ‘God of Temperance Who Pursues the Aesthetics of Slowness.’ Time within the Fated Tower flows slowly. One day inside the tower is equal to 1 hour in the real world.] 

[This is a tower blessed by the ‘God of Wisdom Who Loves Eternal Karma.’ Upon clearing a floor and returning to the 0th floor, all wounds and status ailments will be healed. However, you must conquer the next floor within one day of your body’s recovery.] 

[The system of the Fated Tower is analyzing you. You are the second challenger from Planet #9180, ‘Earth.’ Justice for the player who carries the future. The ‘God of Courage Who Sings of Challenge and Hope’ bestows a blessing upon the new player.] 

[Now, glimpse the future in the Fated Tower.]

“So we really are going to clear this Gate again.”

The barrage of system windows must have appeared for him, too. Han Geon-joo wore an expression of sheer exasperation. Sa-yoon, looking at the dedicated Fated Tower system, which felt different from the usual blue windows, hummed with interest.

“So this is where we can get a sneak peek at the monsters from the gates that are set to open.”

“I wouldn’t be so happy about it if I were you.”

“Why? Remembering the hell you went through?”

At his playful question, the man put on a sulky face and chose silence. But Sa-yoon was not one to miss the meaning hidden in that silence. He was smirking and teasing him when Lee Jaehee, who was preparing to take on the first floor with Rai, let out a soft sigh.

“I expected you all to accept, but this still seems far too reckless. Reincarnation is not something that can be given up so easily.”

“Says the bastard who accepted first.”

“…”

“Jaehee, stop with the useless worrying and just have Rai take on the first floor. From the looks of it, Rai can probably handle up to the 10th floor alone. I’ll give you up to the 15th floor for your summons. Let the kids get some experience.”

Sa-yoon waved his hand dismissively. Lee Jaehee, saying he was planning on it anyway, unleashed Rai. Sa-yoon watched the Fenrir’s retreating back as it bounded lightly across the muddy terrain as if it were home, and recalled his conversation with the System.

‘How long do we have to make our choice?’ Until you leave the tower. ‘Can we leave the tower right after we choose?’ No. You must grow. And once you choose, the right to see will be granted. You will see it in the tower. The fated future. The monsters that will appear when the world is overturned. The harbingers of doom that will emerge in a world where destruction has been carried out.

At those words, the three of them had agreed to add their weight to the scale. Lee Jaehee had been the fastest, Sa-yoon the next, and Geon-joo had followed. Each for their own reasons.

Jaehee’s goal had always been to bring down the gods and avert the apocalypse. Sa-yoon was the type to care about his current life, not some past or future one, so he had no hesitation. Geon-joo, having decided to help Sa-yoon, offered his own cycle in turn.

And when they did, the paper bag the System had been wearing had instantly scattered into light, revealing its true form. A female-presenting god with long, white hair that flowed down like a wave. The god’s pale face, as beautiful as the voice he had first heard upon entering the tower, was so pure and lovely it surprised even Sa-yoon, who was accustomed to beauty.

Thank you for joining us. I am glad that I can now show you and tell you more things.

The god, who had said this with a bright smile, introduced herself as the God of Wisdom and told them various things they were curious about. Thanks to her, Sa-yoon learned that the first system window that had appeared to him was that of the Chief Gods, and the idiotic one that had shown him ‘The Resister’ was the one manipulated by the god before him.

She told them her war stories: how she had to be incredibly careful to manipulate things without being noticed by the Chief Gods, and how she’d broken into a cold sweat when he had tried to look into ‘The Resister’ before she was fully prepared. Her words naturally brought back the memory of when he’d first seen that foolish emoticon.

That time when he had ignored the ‘currently unavailable’ notification and spammed the button to see the information on ‘The Resister.’

<Loading information. (º □ º l|l)>

The memory he’d cherished, of having bested the System for the first time, was actually of him besting the innocent and virtuous god before him. In addition, the god also shared the feelings she had experienced while watching them. When she said she almost cried from frustration and sadness when ‘The Resister’ quest was frozen, Sa-yoon recalled the bizarre system window text.

<All quests for activation will be temporarily frozen! Please try harder (//~^)>

That strange emoticon had been her way of expressing her feelings.

It had been a pleasant conversation, despite the few unpleasant discoveries. Sa-yoon was chuckling at the memory when the first floor was cleared. He was startled to see Rai, now covered in mud, running toward them, panting. Just then, the location shifted, and they were back on the 0th floor. Fortunately, Rai was summoned back to Jaehee’s side, and Sa-yoon was spared from having to use two cleaning items in one day.

“…It’s certainly easy with a lot of people.”

“Feeling bittersweet?”

“It’s not that.”

“What do you mean, it’s not? It’s written all over your face. Don’t feel too bad, pretty boy. You were just an A-class back then, but Rai is a commendable SS+ class summon now.”

“I told you I’m not feeling bad.”

“Oh my, do I hear a pretty boy barking?”

“Ugh, seriously…”

Sa-yoon chuckled and teased Geon-joo, who was trying his best to act nonchalant despite his expression, which was a mix of a bruised ego and genuine exhaustion. Thanks to Jaehee’s busy summons, the two of them didn’t get a chance to step up until they reached the 20th floor.

“Getting things done without lifting a finger lasted longer than I thought.”¹

Even that was only because Sa-yoon had complained that his body was getting stiff from sitting still for three hours and had Jaehee call off his summons. Geon-joo, who now had a slightly empty expression after viscerally experiencing the gap between A-class and S-class, and the firepower of three S-class and above summons, let out a long sigh and looked at Jaehee. His gaze was complicated. There was a bit of jealousy, and maybe two spoonfuls of awe or admiration. Sa-yoon’s face hardened.

I went through all that trouble just to add ‘admiration’ to our current relationship?

Remembering what had happened in the past, he found Han Geon-joo’s respectful gaze toward Lee Jaehee incredibly annoying.

“You shouldn’t go around giving everyone that look, you know?”

“What?”

“I’ll show you something amazing, so turn those eyes back here.”

Sa-yoon said with a grin and released his frost aura without restraint. All the monsters on the 20th floor, which had taken the past Han Geon-joo days to clear, were instantly frozen solid, then shattered into ice crystals and disappeared. It took less than a minute to clear the floor. Han Geon-joo’s face was a mask of shock.

As he cleared the 21st and 22nd floors in the same manner, Geon-joo’s face grew paler and paler. Sa-yoon happily basked in his admiration.

This is it.

He’d gotten to stretch his muscles for the first time in a while, and seeing Geon-joo’s stunned face felt good. He was laughing heartily when Han Geon-joo, who had finally regained his senses, drew his sword as they reached the 25th floor.

“You showed me something fun, so I’ll return the favor.”

“Hm?”

“Saved List: Master of Frost.”

“…?”

At the whispered words, a chilling aura, on par with a winter storm, erupted from beside Han Geon-joo. The savage, swirling energy spiraled around a single point, gradually taking a specific shape. The shape of a person.

Soon, the cold had formed into a shadow person, which stood beside Han Geon-joo. It was faceless, a mere silhouette like an anatomical model, but it was no less surprising.

“…What is that?”

“It’s a skill that was attached to Shadow Subjugation.”

…I’ve never seen a skill like this.

Sa-yoon sifted through the information in his head and, with a look of suspicion, used ‘Eyes of the Genius.’

[Shadow Subjugation (L)] You, who can handle all of creation, can also handle things without form.

• Can freely handle shadows. However, you cannot control the shadows of opponents with a higher rank than you.

“It’s the same as before.”

There was still nothing special in the description. He was lowering his hand when it happened to brush against the system window, causing him to press the name ‘Shadow Subjugation’ within the skill description again. A window he had never seen before popped up.

[Shadow Subjugation (L)]

• Shadow Saving
• Shadow Binding
• Shadow Exchange
• Shadow Planting

Sa-yoon’s eyes narrowed at the new window, which he had discovered by accident. Is this that ‘attached skill’ he was talking about?

Thinking of the skill name Han Geon-joo had just uttered, he pressed ‘Shadow Saving.’

[Shadow Saving] A sub-skill of Shadow Subjugation. If the condition is met, you can copy and save one of a specific target’s skills. 

Condition: A kiss.

• Saved skills can only be used once. Duration of use: 10 minutes. Saved Skill List Kwon Sa-yoon: Frost (In Use)

“…”

His hand, frozen in mid-air, trembled slightly. The one who had been huddled next to him, looking at the system window, shamelessly asked if he was cold. Sa-yoon looked up at him through his eyelashes and ground his teeth.

“What is this, pretty boy?”

“I told you, it’s a sub-skill of Shadow Subjugation.”

“Shit, you think I’m asking because I don’t know that?”

What kind of broken skill is this?

It was a copy skill, aside from the ridiculous condition. He glared resentfully at the thief who had stolen his skill without him even knowing. Han Geon-joo’s eyes curved into a smile.

“It’s good to use a skill you have, isn’t it? Besides, you were the one who tried it first.”

“…”

“So, does this mean we have to kiss often from now on?”

The one who whispered this while gently stroking his shoulder walked a step ahead of him. To Sa-yoon, it sounded like nothing less than a declaration of war, a promise to continue stealing his skills in the future.

“Shit.”

To be envious is to lose. To be envious… is to lose, but goddammit. Why does he get that?

The One Above All.

That disposition name was no lie. Sa-yoon let out a hollow laugh. Han Geon-joo took his pretty and lovely Frost and went off to conquer the Gate. Sa-yoon stood there blankly, watching his retreating back, then finally clutched his aching stomach and leaned against the wall. Lee Jaehee looked pitifully at the lovesick Sa-yoon.

“Do you dislike it that much?”

“…I really have to lock him in a cage and raise him. The kid keeps climbing all over me and getting stronger.”

There was no answer to the question, only a murderous mutter. Jaehee looked at Sa-yoon, who was observing Geon-joo with bloodshot eyes, and shook his head.

“And they said they’ve become lovers…”

Even though their relationship was now clear, it seemed that, then and now, nothing had really changed.