"Hm?"
Raon tilted his head as soon as he ascended to the next floor.
'Is this a village?'
What lay before his eyes was a vast coastal city filled with the scent of the sea. Many people were crowded on the beach, and the city itself was brimming with refreshing vitality.
But there was a problem. The city's time seemed to have stopped, with people frozen like statues, waves motionless as they crashed onto the sandy beach, and even the clouds in the sky were still.
'What kind of trick is it this time... huh?'
Raon's eyes widened as he walked through the city. As he looked around, he began to see strangely familiar buildings and people.
'This is Montiro!'
He had felt it was strange that it seemed familiar from the start, and that feeling was correct.
The city before his eyes was Montiro, where he had lived for almost two months.
"M-Montiro?"
"Damn it! Why is Montiro here!"
"Ah..."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan also gaped in surprise at the sudden appearance of Montiro.
"It is Montiro. I lived in that inn over there."
Trevin pointed to the inn on the right, letting out a sigh.
"It may not be the real Montiro, but it seems to be an exact copy of Montiro's exterior."
Jayna, who had seen Montiro on a map, nodded, saying it was exactly the same as the real one.
"Why is time stopped..."
Mark Goetun reached out towards a seagull perched on an empty chair. As if on a different timeline, his fingers passed through the seagull without touching it.
"How annoying! Why do these messy riddles keep appearing!"
Martha gritted her teeth, clearly displeased.
"It's obviously meant to waste our time."
Burren bit his lip, seeming frustrated.
"W-What kind of magic are they preparing?"
Dorian swallowed dryly as he looked up.
"Let's go inside for now."
Raon let out a short sigh and entered Montiro. As he walked through the frozen city, observing his surroundings, he found himself near the fountain.
"Wait."
He stopped the swordsmen walking towards the fountain and looked at the ice cream shop on the right.
"What's the matter?"
"Did you find something?"
Burren and Martha turned their gaze, as if urging him to speak.
"That person..."
Raon raised his finger, pointing at the man inside the bead ice cream shop.
"I've seen him before."
"You've seen him?"
"Yes. Today, in fact."
He could tell because he had been constantly observing his surroundings while taking care of Rensia. That man was buying ice cream when the "Lantern that Awakens Darkness." operation was about halfway through.
"Then perhaps..."
Raon ran from the ice cream shop to the fountain. As expected, Rensia was frozen alone in front of the fountain.
"Rensia..."
Seeing Rensia with her eyes closed as if enduring pain, it really seemed to be the time after the operation was executed.
"That family next to the fountain are people I saw earlier too!"
Martha's jaw trembled as she pointed out people she had seen today over there.
"The kid I saved..."
Runaan nodded, saying she had protected a child playing at the fountain.
"It seems..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the frozen sky.
"It seems to be the situation right before the demonized humans attacked, just after we executed the 'Lantern that Awakens Darkness.' operation."
This frozen world seemed to be the time when the demonized humans, having detected an anomaly in the barrier, were moving towards the place where the Five-Pointed Star Formation's artifact was planted. However, while all the people here were present, they themselves did not exist.
"Wait here for a moment."
Raon exhaled a cloudy breath and kicked the ground. He moved to the upper left, the closest point from here, towards the statue of the five heroes that Dorian and Krein had been guarding. Though Dorian and Krein were nowhere to be seen, he could sense the artifact beneath the statue and the presence of the shadow mage Foreshon approaching.
Swoosh! Raon slashed at Foreshon's neck with his Heavenly Drive, but the man didn't die. The sword just passed through him as if he were in a different dimension.
-It seems they're trying to waste time like this since it's difficult to stop you physically.
Wrath shook his head, saying it looked like this would take a lot of time.
'Maybe not.'
Raon licked his lips and moved to the opposite side, the upper right.
'Morel Kazan is here.'
Unlike Dorian and Krein, Morel Kazan and his subordinates, who had left with Karoon, were present here.
'This gives us the answer.'
Raon looked at the frozen Morel Kazan with calm eyes.
-You've got the answer? Have you already solved the riddle?
'Yes.'
He nodded and returned to the fountain.
"Have you figured something out?"
Burren approached and bowed his head.
"As I said at first..."
Raon reached out to touch the frozen water in the fountain, licking his lips.
"This is about 30 minutes after we activated 'Lantern that Awakens Darkness'. It's the moment when the demonized humans were moving to destroy the artifacts."
"Ah, then..."
Jayna's eyes widened in understanding.
"That's right. We need to recreate that exact situation."
Raon nodded as he sent Runaan and Martha to the front of the fountain.
"The same goes for everyone else. Go to where you originally were."
He stretched out his hand, telling them to go in the direction they were during the operation.
"But Morel Kazan isn't here."
Trevin shook his head, asking what to do about Morel.
"He's already here. We just need to take our positions."
This was the solution he could offer after confirming Morel Kazan's presence here. If the Light Wind Palace swordsmen returned to their original positions, this world would start moving again.
"Run with all your might."
Raon waved his hand at the Light Wind Palace swordsmen, shouting at them to move as quickly as possible.
"W-What about us...?"
Jayna and the magicians rolled their eyes, unsure of what to do.
"Since you were at the headquarters at that time, please wait here."
After telling them to stay back, Raon sat down next to Rensia. Crackle! After a few minutes, black cracks appeared in the air, and the frozen world began to flow again. It seemed the riddle of this floor had been solved as all the Light Wind Palace swordsmen took their positions.
-So that really was the answer.
Wrath clapped his hands, seemingly impressed.
"It worked..."
Runaan clenched her fist tightly.
"Anyway, our Palace Master's head is working well!"
Martha raised her finger, praising him for doing well.
-I'm telling you, I don't know about you, but that's one of the best heads I've ever seen.
Wrath nodded in agreement.
"It's not over yet."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked around. The riddle was solved, but they still hadn't killed this floor's Floor Master. They would need to kill him to move up.
'Where is he?'
Just as he was about to spread his aura perception to find the Floor Master, an exit leading to the upper floor suddenly emerged from beneath the fountain.
"An exit?"
"Do we not need to catch the Floor Master?"
As Runaan and Martha approached, fascinated, they were suddenly repelled and couldn't get near the fountain. It was as if they were in a different dimension, just like when time was stopped.
"What's this?"
Raon reached out to Runaan and Martha, but he couldn't grab them. On the other hand, he could touch Jayna beside him without any interference.
"How did this..."
As Raon frowned, Calob and Felix, who had died below, suddenly appeared and charged towards Runaan and Martha.
"Why are these dead guys appearing!"
"It's the same..."
Martha and Runaan frowned as they blocked the attacks from Calob and Felix. They seemed to possess the same strength as when they fought below.
-It's not just here.
Wrath shook his head as he looked to the right and left.
-The others who went elsewhere are also being attacked by the same guys.
He lowered his chin, saying that the demonized humans were attacking just like during the operation.
'We need to find the Floor Master...'
Raon spread his aura perception, but he couldn't sense the Floor Master's presence. It seemed he was hiding somewhere invisible.
"Go!"
As Raon was expanding his aura perception further to find the Floor Master, Runaan raised her voice.
"We'll handle this."
She nodded, telling him to leave this place to them and go up first.
"That's the first time you've spoken well today!"
Martha grinned as she pushed away Felix's spear.
"There's no time to wait! Go first! We'll wring the neck of the mole hiding here!"
She also raised her finger, telling him to go up to the next floor like Runaan did.
"..."
Unlike fighting outside, this was now inside the Black Tower. Anxiety about what the Floor Master here might do made it difficult for him to leave.
"Palace Master, please go!"
"Isn't this why you put us through that hellish training!"
"Please trust us!"
The Light Wind Palace swordsmen, seeming to have noticed his feelings, beat their chests and told him to trust them. Kuwaaaaaa! As if sharing the same sentiment, magnificent sword auras rose into the sky from the direction of the artifacts.
"Alright. Then..."
Raon looked at the Light Wind Palace swordsmen with eyes full of trust.
"Don't be late in following."
After leaving those words, urging them to follow no matter what, he ascended to the next floor.
"Are, are we really going?"
Jayna swallowed dryly as she followed behind him.
"The Floor Master of the upper levels, strengthened by demonic energy, could kill all of them!"
She kept looking back, as if uneasy about being separated from the others.
"That's what the enemy wants. For me to stay behind and waste time."
It was clear that the Floor Master of this place had given him a choice and opened a way out, as it would consume too much demonic energy to keep even a Transcendent like himself trapped.
"I know that, but the people left behind..."
"He doesn't know, just like you don't. The faith and will of the swordsmen I've raised."
He let out a faint smile without looking back.
"They will never betray my trust. And neither will I."
Raon climbed the stairs with unwavering steps for the sake of his subordinates who trusted him.
* * *
Chamber narrowed her eyes as she looked at the glistening black tower.
'They must be doing well, right?'
Both Raon and Karoon had surpassed the initial stages of Transcendence. Even in the tower filled with intense demonic energy, they should be able to reach the top floor without much difficulty.
'Of course, it will take some time.'
The Black Tower was full of those who relied on dirty tricks even more than raw strength. Even for Transcendents, it would inevitably take a lot of time.
'Karoon aside, to think Raon would grow this much.'
She first saw Raon at the Six Kings conference. At first, she thought he was just a pretty-faced kid, but now he had reached Transcendence and was leading the operation to destroy the Black Tower. Honestly, she still couldn't believe it.
'What's even more impressive is...'
Not now, but in the future. Raon was growing even at this very moment. Even she, who stood above most Transcendents, couldn't gauge how strong Raon would become.
'If he survives this, he might really be able to face the Thespian Emperor or the Martial Society leader.'
Chamber drew a faint smile as she imagined Raon after the war.
'But surviving, huh...'
As she thought about the future, the Black Tower Master came to mind, and she suddenly felt uneasy.
'I can't figure out what he's thinking.'
Even though she was suppressing it, the demonic energy of this dimension was being sucked into the top floor of the Black Tower like a broken dam. As the demonic energy concentrated, her chest felt tight, as if she had indigestion.
"Phew..."
Chamber bit her lip as she cut off a large amount of demonic energy to another dimension.
"Please. Reach him as quickly as possible."
* * *
After separating from the Light Wind Palace swordsmen, Raon broke through five more floors. He fought winged upper Floor Masters in a sky with no footing, and waged silent wars against assassins in darkness where he couldn't see an inch in front of him.
Even though he was a Transcendent, fighting in the enemy's territory should have been difficult, but thanks to his enhanced aura, he was able to cut down the upper Floor Masters without much trouble and quickly ascend.
"I knew Transcendents were strong, but to be this overwhelming..."
Jayna shook her head in disbelief at his martial prowess, which had cut down upper Floor Masters one after another.
"It's not just that power."
Raon lowered his hand calmly. As he ascended the floors, his aura was also being amplified. He had become stronger than the demonized humans, allowing him to cut them down and move up without wasting time.
'Actually, what I've learned so far is more important than cutting down the demonized humans.'
To ascend to the next floor, one must either kill that floor's Floor Master or receive their permission. Even on floors that seemed empty, the Floor Master was hiding somewhere watching, so he had to find them.
Although the situation was disadvantageous in many ways, thanks to his power amplified by demonic energy and the information he had gradually accumulated, he had been able to ascend without major issues so far.
'It should be over soon...'
By his calculations, there seemed to be only a few floors left until the top. Hoping to reach the end soon, he climbed the last set of stairs, only to find a narrow space like a sparring arena, unlike the previous floors.
'What is this place?'
There was another entrance to the left of where he had come up, and on the opposite wall, there was an exit leading upwards. However, it was tightly sealed and couldn't be opened.
'The Floor Master...'
Still can't be sensed. The Floor Master of this floor seemed to be hiding their presence using the Black Tower's characteristics, as he couldn't feel any trace of them anywhere. Based on his experience so far, the Floor Master of this place would likely appear at the moment they could kill him.
"Hmm."
Raon frowned and swung his Heavenly Drive towards the exit. Clang! Despite unleashing his full power amplified by demonic energy, not even a scratch appeared on the door. He tried hitting the wall just in case, but it was the same. Unlike the maze, it seemed to be made of condensed demonic energy that couldn't be destroyed.
"Then what am I supposed to do..."
As Raon frowned with his arms crossed, he heard footsteps coming from beside the entrance he had come through.
'No way...'
As he turned towards the familiar footsteps, Karoon walked out from the left entrance. Like a true Transcendent, not a single wrinkle on his collar, he nodded at Raon.
"Light Wind Palace Master?"
Karoon raised his eyebrows, seeming surprised to find himself here as well.
"As expected of demonized humans..."
Raon let out a deep sigh as he looked at the tightly sealed exit and the arena-like space.
"What a nasty personality."