Chapter 232.

“Why are you here?” Shortly after they exchanged greetings, Kim Suho asked curiously .

Jin Seyeon briefly answered, “Because I saw you . ”

“…Huh?”

“I saw you, so I came . ”

She said so and turned her gaze to me again . I smiled nervously, feeling a bit uncomfortable .

“Haha… . ”

It was hard to believe that she was my fan, especially because I had used the same excuse before myself, but Jin Seyeon was a good-natured person . It wouldn’t hurt to trust her .

Jin Seyeon asked suddenly, “So, are the two of you looking for an oasis?”

“Yes . ”

“Eh? Ah, yes . ”

Kim Suho appeared slightly flustered at Jin Seyeon speaking politely with honorifics .

“Mm . Then may I accompany you?”

“Uh… . ” I hesitated . I knew exactly where the oasis was, and I did intend to split the reward with Kim Suho . But I was a little skeptical about sharing it with Jin Seyeon .

“I don’t need the reward . I simply wish to help you out, as a fan . ”

Jin Seyeon added as if she read my mind .

“Ah, yes, if that’s alright with you… . ”

Then it was fine with me . I nodded and hopped up on Sannuri .

“Let’s go find the oasis . ”

—Hiing .

“Follow me . ”

I ran ahead with Sannuri . Jin Seyeon and Kim Suho followed close behind, and it took us about 30 minutes to get to the oasis . I had taken detours on purpose, pretending to look for the oasis .

[Congratulations! You are the first to discover an oasis . The reward has been doubled!]

Suddenly, a giant pool of water shot up from the center of the desert .

The pool was an origin of life which brought up many plants in the dry desert and shared vigor with desert animals that occasionally stopped by it .

We stood in front of the oasis that was definitely not a mirage .

[50000TP has been awarded to ‘Extra7’ and two other Players . ]

“Eh? I also received 50000TP . ”

The reward was handed out immediately, and Jin Seyeon took out 5 bills, each worth 10000TP, to give me .

“No, that’s okay . Please keep them . The real reward is probably something else… . ”

The reward couldn’t just be TP .

I had a hunch .

I mean, just look at it . An oasis in the middle of nowhere— definitely suspicious .

I also believed in my luck . I couldn’t possibly have discovered an empty can .

“Hajin, where are you going?”

“Hold on . ”

I approached the oasis and put my hand in the water . The water was clear and cool, but right now I didn’t have the time to enjoy it .

I activated [Lv . 8 Synthesis] .

[Synthesis], which was already close to the max level (10), slowly started to absorb the oasis .

The surface of the oasis splattered and its volume dwindled, as opposed to its density which increased . But my spirit power ran out the moment the oasis was reduced to half its original size . So I added in Stigma . Stigma’s magic power synthesized the oasis much more efficiently and aggressively than my spirit power .

“Woah… . ”

“Wow . You are amazing, Fenrir . Clap clap clap . ”

And finally, with Jin Seyeon’s cheer which sounded scripted, every drop of the water in the oasis was compressed into the size of a soccer ball .

“…Found it . ”

At the bottom of the oasis, which now lay bare, was an altar, and sitting on top of it was a treasure chest .

I approached the chest without a moment of hesitation .

The chest was locked, but that wasn’t a problem to me .

Click—

I inserted the Mystic Key into the lock, turned it 180 degrees, and the chest easily opened .

Inside, there was a book and a piece of armor .

[Lv . 1 Ultimate Skill Acquisition Book – Complete Understanding of Spirit Power]

[Lv . 11 Imhotep’s Leather Armor]

**

[Busan, South Korea — Haeundae]

Meanwhile, Chae Nayun purchased a vacation home in Busan with the money she’d been saving plus her salary from the guild .

She chose Busan for no particular reason . It was just that she kept suffering from headaches in Seoul and thought that maybe a change of environment would serve her well .

But that turned out to be nothing more than a wish . Even in Busan, she rarely had the time to enjoy the new environment or to look after herself .

—Here is the related information .

“… . ”

It was all because of the regular video calls she had with her informants .

The informants whom Yoo Yeonha had prepared for her were way too diligent . They would send her reports a couple of times each day, and Chae Nayun was completely occupied just trying to make sense of them .

“Is this the information related to ‘that incident’?”

—Yes .

Chae Nayun could see the informant’s face, but the informant couldn’t see Chae Nayun’s face . She started going over the pile of reports that the informant, Kim Hosup, had sent her .

“… . ”

She examined it scrupulously . Every single cell and neuron in her brain was on fire . The report was thick and complicated, but she tried to make sense of it on her own .

…However, what she would say in the end was already decided .

“Summarize it . ”

—Yes .

The informant continued, as if he had already expected her to say so .

—There are so many suspicious points about the murder of Chae Jinyoon . In fact, it’s suspicious that there are so many suspicious points… .

The informant’s summary of the Chae Jinyoon Case was as follows:

There were too many suspicious things about the case, which was also the most suspicious thing about it, since the victim was none other than Chae Jinyoon .

Chae Joochul’s grandson was murdered .

So there shouldn’t be anything suspicious, and even if there were, they should already have been resolved .

Yet, although this case caused a stir once, it was called off much too quietly .

—Because of this, there are a lot of conspiracy theories about this case .

“Conspiracy theories?”

—Yes .

This was news to Chae Nayun who had stopped looking at the internet since that day . Well, to be precise, she was cut off not only from the internet but from society as a whole . After all, she had climbed to Baekdu Mountain immediately after her 2nd year at Cube .

“…Explain . ”

—Investigators detected a demonic energy storm of high density at the site of the murder . It was also confirmed by the witness that the demonic energy was huge and extremely destructive .

It broke her heart just imagining what her brother had to go through .

He must have been so scared and distressed .

Chae Nayun forced herself to listen to those painful words . She felt as though her gut was rotting, but she knew she had to continue .

“…Right . ”

Demonic energy storm . She was able to find out that much even by herself, but nothing beyond that . Strangely enough, her father remained silent about the case and even scolded her every time she showed the slightest intention of investigating the incident .

—As you know, demonic energy is similar to magic power in that they both have something called ‘signatures’ . So by analyzing the demonic energy at the site, we can learn how many people were present at the scene .

Chae Nayun had also learned this theory at Cube . It was something about magic power being able to work like fingerprints .

—According to the investigators, only one demonic energy signature was found at the scene . Nonetheless, the prosecutors concluded that Chae Jinyoon was kidnapped and murdered by a ‘Djinn group’ . Two theories can explain why .

The informant continued slowly, step-by-step in detail so that even Chae Nayun could understand .

—The first theory: Chae Jinyoon really was murdered by Djinns . This is what Chae Joochul has officially announced to the public . But a question remains . Djinns like to operate in groups, so why was only one demonic energy signature detected?

“No, that’s wrong . There’s no way it was a Djinn ‘group’ . ”

Chae Nayun interrupted the informant .

There might have been a Djinn accomplice, but Kim Hajin certainly wasn’t a Djinn . If he was, he would have given off the unpleasant aura characteristic to Djinns . There was no way that Chae Nayun, with her exceptional instincts, would have missed that .

“Anyways, cross that out and give me the next theory . ”

—But the next theory is even more bizarre .

“What is it? Tell me . ”

One of the two theories was invalid .

Then the remaining one should at least be closer to the truth .

…However .

—Chae Jinyoon was a Djinn . That’s the theory .

The moment she heard those words, Chae Nayun’s heart sank .

—The theory is that Chae Jinyoon was a Djinn, and that the Association intervened to dispose of him . This is what the supporters of the theories say .

Chae Nayun didn’t say anything . She had ceased thinking completely, as if a switch inside her had been pulled down .

—A number of Djinns would have been needed to carry out an operation of this size and level . However, as I said, only one demonic energy signature was detected at the scene . Also, there was no sign of demonic energy at the hospital, from which Chae Jinyoon was kidnapped… .

“Don’t—”

Chae Nayun clenched her teeth and interrupted him . Countless words lingered in her mouth . They were all swear words filled with rage, but she suppressed her anger down her throat .

—Pardon?

“…Don’t say things like that . ”

She mustn’t get angry . The informant was not at fault . In fact, he didn’t even know who she was .

Chae Nayun let out a deep sigh and continued .

“That’s impossible, so look at things from a different angle . For example… a combined organization of humans and Djinns? Something like that . ”

— Yes, understood .

“Okay . Good work . As for your performance-based bonus… . ”

The limited edition of ‘ReOrient Nox’, a game released in 1992 . She had put in quite a bit of effort to secure a copy of this rare game for her informant . she had managed to secure a copy of this ‘artifact’ only after utilizing all of her personal connections and paying 1 . 5 billion won .

Chae Nayun sent the game data over to the informant .

“…Here it is . ”

—Huk! This is… the famous Reorient Nox-chan .

“Continue your good work . ”

—Arigato! I’ll try my best!

The call ended with the informant gasping in surprise .

“Haa… . ”

Then, everything became quiet . In the silence, Chae Nayun sighed and buried herself in a chair .

…She couldn’t even properly speak because she was so dumbfounded .

“Why would anyone on the internet come up with such bullshit?”

Whoever he is, he deserves to be sued .

How could anyone even imagine my brother was a Djinn?

He was the most righteous man in the world .

He was smarter, cooler, better looking, and stronger than me… .

“Ha, that shit totally ruined my mood . ”

Chae Nayun turned her computer on to play a game in order to prevent herself from getting depressed . The game was a MMORPG titled ‘Leaf Story’ .

Pa—!

Pa—!

However, she turned it off after playing it for only 15 minutes .

It was boring .

In fact, most games had become dull after the ‘Tower of Wish’ . It was fun hunting monsters, collecting items, and raising item levels in the Tower . It was all thanks to that fun that she continued to live her life even at a slow pace .

“Mnnnn… . ”

She was stretching her body in her seat when, suddenly, she noticed a slip of paper on top of her desk .

‘Invitation Letter to the Love Room‘ .

“Hmm . ”

This was a ticket that could summon any Player, whether he was on Earth or in the Tower, to where she currently was . She had brought it with her since she had turned it into an effective good…

“I guess it’s useless now . ”

Extra7 .

There was something fishy about him but he was her old teacher . He was also the one who saved her life . She told herself she needed to thank him sincerely when they finally ran into each other .

“Well, I’m sure I’ll have the chance to use it in the future . ”

Chae Nayun muttered and placed the invitation inside the desk drawer .

[1:36 A . M . ]

It was getting late .

She entered the bedroom and laid herself on a huge bed .

But her thoughts resumed the moment she settled .

‘Chae Jinyoon was a Djinn… . ’

It was just as ridiculous the second time she thought about it .

“… . ”

But if that were actually true… .

That, maybe, by one in a million chance that her brother had actually become a Djinn… . Not willingly, of course, but if he had been coerced into becoming one, forcefully, with his life on the line…

Then maybe what Kim Hajin did was… .

“No way . ”

It really was more convincing to assume that Kim Hajin was only pretending to have killed her brother . A demonic energy storm wasn’t something that Kim Hajin could create .

“Damn it . ”

Chae Nayun muttered and shook her head aggressively . Then, she picked up a container full of sleeping pills from the drawer next to the bed . Tak, tak, tak— She emptied the container into her mouth . The amount was enough to kill an ordinary person from overdose, but it was the bare minimum to put a superhuman like her to sleep .

“Haa… . ”

She let out a sigh and lied back on the bed .

Soon, the familiar sense of drowsiness crept in .

**

[26F, True Demon Realm]

21F Card Kingdom .

22F Deep Sea Abyss .

23F Crescent Moon Sea .

24F Dream-seeking Desert .

25F Bridge to the End .

The train passed through these 5 floors and finally reached its destination: the 26th floor .

— This is the destination, [True Demon Realm] . Our train does not operate beyond this point .

Of the 403 rankers that boarded the train, only 73 remained . From here on out is the start of the final chapter of the Tower Arc . A top-ranker-only zone, so to speak .

—Please look to your right . That is the Demon Realm Tower, where the Demon King resides .

I turned my gaze to the right as the captain, who sounded much more serious than usual, instructed . The violet earth was covered in dark fog . Beyond the fog stood the silhouette of a tall tower .

A tower inside a tower .

The 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th floors were connected stages, and the 30th floor was the final floor of the Tower . At the Tower’s peak, Kim Suho would have to reach a decision with the ‘Final Administrator’ .

—An ordinary attack does not work on ‘True Demons’ . Only light-attribute, or at least luminous or shine-attribute attacks will be able to injure ‘True Demons’ .

I checked Desert Eagle’s attributes .

[Ice-attribute 6%]

[Luminous-attribute 4%]

[Darkness-attribute 2%]

[Fire-attribute 1%]

Luminous-attribute 4% . This meant that the damage done by 25 bullets here was equivalent to 1 bullet elsewhere . On a side note, the ‘ice-attribute’ appeared after I killed the doppelgänger with the Desert Eagle .

In any case, from now on, Kim Suho would have to take the lead .

All I could do was assist him .

Of course, I did have a secret weapon as well .

===

[Lv . 11 Athena’s Moonlight Arrow]

○ Lv . 11 Luminous-attribute Destructive Power

○ Lv . 11 Refraction of Moonlight

—When the arrow is reflected under the moonlight, it multiplies .

○ Lv . 11 Armor Penetration

○ Lv . 11 From Dark Moon to Crescent Moon

—The amount of magic power condensed in the arrow is amplified .

===

[Lv . 11 Athena’s Moonlight Arrow] .

With it, even I should be able to defeat True Demons .

But I never got the chance to add [Remote Control] to it like I did to my dark ore arrows . Sure enough, I needed a whopping 1500 SP to add the option to the arrow .

It wasn’t surprising considering the arrow’s high level and already incredible power… but I shouldn’t postpone it any longer . If I waited any longer, I might miss the right timing .

I let out a sigh and turned on my smartwatch .

[Lv . 1 Remote Control]

[1500SP is needed . Would you like to save?]

As soon as I clicked the save button, my luck got to work .

[The level of ‘Lv . 1 Remote Control’ is wavering… . ]

[You achieved ‘Lv . 4 Remote Control’ . Congratulations!]

“Mm . ”

This was more than acceptable .

At that moment, the special compartment’s door opened, and Jain and Boss appeared together .

“…Phew . That certainly took awhile~ How many months did we spend here?”

Jain mumbled and sat down next to me . Boss leered at Jain in discontent .

“Oh, by the way, Hajin . Is it true that the 30th floor is the last floor~? We only have 5 more left~?”

“Yes, but things will get challenging for us from here on out . You heard the captain, right?”

“Yup~ It’s pretty disappointing, actually . Everyone who doesn’t have light-attribute needs to suffer? Is the Tower favoring good guys or what?”

Despite her grumbling, there was a smile on Jain’s lips .

“You don’t look very disappointed . ”

“Well~ no . ”

“You aren’t? Then why did you decide to climb the Tower?”

“Hm? Oh, because it looked fun . If it wasn’t any fun, I would’ve quit halfway~”

Jain smirked .

Boss walked up and sat next to me . Suddenly, she swung her hair .

“My hair is a mess . ”

I let Boss mutter to herself and started thinking about the Tower of Wish .

As Jain said, the Tower of Wish was fun . Players get to explore a world of fantasy different than the real world, and unlike in other Towers, everyone could expect to earn rewards depending on the amount of effort they put in .

“My hair is like a lion’s . ”

“…?”

“I can’t possibly go outside looking like this . ”

Boss bounced her hair towards me again . The smell of her shampoo snapped me back to my senses .

“Do you want me to brush your hair?”

“…Hm . If you want to . ”

“Okay, okay~”

I jumped to my feet and started to brush her hair . Boss’ hair moved along my Aether comb, and she sighed softly as she lay on the sofa . She genuinely seemed to enjoy the process .

“Boss is so cute… Oh right, Hajin . ”

Suddenly, Jain handed me some documents .

“What are these?”

I asked, still brushing .

“You told me last time that you plan to continue your Djinn hunt . So I made a list of possible targets . They’re all at least Team Leaders and the prices on their heads are huge, too . ”

I received the documents with one hand .

…As expected, the list was full of notorious executives of Djinn groups .

“But how did you manage to put this together?”

“I had it made inside the Tower . There are so many people here who would do pretty much anything if you offer enough TP . It’s probably because they can revive even after dying a couple times . ”

“Aha… . Okay, thanks . ”

I put the documents in my inventory .

“I’ll get rid of everyone on the list within a month . ”

“But there are 200 Djinns on that list . ”

“…I’ll make it two months, then . ”

However, as I continued to brush Boss’ hair, a thought crossed my mind .

To hunt Djinns meant that I would capture their attention; to capture their attention meant that I would be exposing not only myself but also my family to danger .

I only had two family members .

Evandel and Hayang .

“Hmm… . ”

Before I began a full-scale hunt, I would first need to move them to a safer place . I couldn’t rely on the Association or the Magic Tower . It had to be a place where Evandel would be safe and comfortable… .

A certain someone’s name suddenly popped into my head, as if an electric jolt had ran through me .

The person who Evandel wanted to meet the most, Rachel .

If possible, I wanted to tell Rachel about Evandel too . In fact, even if Rachel didn’t want to know, I would have to tell her someday .

But how would she feel about a witch who looked just like herself?

“…All done . ”

I tended Boss’ hair to perfection . Boss hesitated as if wanting more but soon got up . I turned the messenger on and pulled up the message window for [CaptainBritain] .

I was still worried and skeptical, but this was a promise that I had made to Evandel as her guardian . Even now, Evandel should be training hard, waiting for the day when her wish would come true, the day when she would finally get to meet Rachel… .

「Rachel-ssi . 」

It was now time for me to make a decision .

I sent Rachel a message .

Soon, a rather stiff reply returned .

CaptainBritain: 「Yes?」

“Huu… . ”

I took a deep breath, then thought about what I should say . Ultimately, I decided to be straightforward . In for a penny, in for a pound .

「Next week, let’s meet on Earth . 」

CaptainBritain: 「Eh? Oh, I’m sorry . I can’t . Right now the situation in Crevon is dire . It’s worse than the Imjin War . 」

“…She even knows about the Imjin War?”

Well, Korean History was a required subject in many countries these days . After Korea became a world power, Korean History became more of a common sense topic . The Korean War was also considered one of the most important wars in history .

「It’ll be quick . 」

I typed a response, but because it didn’t seem enough, I sent a second message shortly after .

「I heard you were Fenrir’s number 1 fan . 」

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