Chapter 40
I watched Section Chief Shin Sujin slip out through the exit.
I never expected to run into the Climber Bureau section chief here again.
It seemed better for her to get out quickly and receive treatment.
I turned my gaze back to the monster on the stage.
It was a gruesome scene that was hard to describe in words.
The sight of the monster crying like it was wailing a dirge among the corpses of people was bizarre and macabre. It was just like a scene from a horror movie.
Why is it crying so creepily... when it killed them all itself?
That monster must have been a human until a little while ago.
Climbers who died from the Tower's Curse had turned into monsters.
The tower, fallen, had named them so.
And it seemed the Fallen no longer retained any reason from their human days.
Then it couldn't be helped. There was no choice but to kill it.
One Fallen had just been bitten to death by Flee.
However, the Fallen that Flee killed had three horns, and the Fallen currently on the stage had five horns.
The tower clearly stated that Stage 1 to Stage 5 Fallen would appear.
Inferring from that, I concluded that the number of horns was probably the stage of the Fallen.
The Stage 5 Fallen that was said to appear with a 0.01% probability.
0.01% of 40,000 people... isn't that about 4 people? And one happened to appear in Korea?
Anyway, I could feel that the guy was strong.
sixth sense was also subtly telling me that it was quite dangerous.
I didn't want to fight a dangerous battle either... but I couldn't just leave something like that alone.
It wasn't doing anything right now, but if I didn't take care of it, there was no telling how much more damage it would cause.
But would it be able to withstand my new ultimate skill?
I highly doubted it would be to that extent.
I reached out my hand.
I was about to cast Line of Destruction toward the Fallen who was still just crouching quietly and crying.
'...Hmm.'
I withdrew my hand.
The angle was a bit ambiguous.
It wouldn't matter if it were inside the tower, but this was reality.
The problem was that this Line of Destruction skill was too powerful.
If I used it, even I couldn't tell how far the beam would pierce and extend.
It would be a disaster if it pierced through all the walls and extended outside the building, catching people in it.
If I shot it toward the floor... isn't there an underground space here too? What if someone was below?
I raised my head. The ceiling was dome-shaped.
If it were upward, it would probably be fine.
I just needed to launch the Fallen high toward the ceiling and shoot the Line of Destruction.
“Launch it.”
At my command, Flee immediately lunged toward the Fallen.
Only then did the Fallen, which had been staying still, react.
Kkiaaaaa-!
The Fallen went berserk, letting out a piercing scream like a mishandled karaoke microphone.
"..."
It was fast.
The Fallen dodged Flee's biting lunge like lightning and kicked its torso.
Flee, who was ten times larger than the Fallen, went flying and smashed into the wall. The wall crumbled and sparks flew from the impact.
Khaoooo-!
Flee immediately used Charge again, seemingly without taking much damage.
When it cast Body Slam on the Fallen, the Fallen this time flew off and smashed into the wall.
They started tumbling and fighting in earnest, but the Fallen showed no signs of being pushed back.
That didn't mean Flee seemed to be pushed back either. It was a tight match.
I watched the close combat while still maintaining stealth.
“Is it around the Level 50 range.”
About a step above me with Exaltation activated to the maximum?
But other than powerful physical abilities, it didn't seem to have any other abilities.
I was sure that one hit would be enough.
The two monsters rampaged, devastating the spacious theater.
Because the Fallen's counterattacks were so fierce, Flee wasn't properly executing my command to launch it to the ceiling.
If this dragged on too long, other people might come in. There wasn't much time left for stealth either...
I should look for an opening.
Keueueueu...!
While they were exchanging blows, a suitable opportunity soon presented itself.
The Fallen was engaged in a test of strength, holding Flee's jaws with both hands.
“Stay right there.”
I commanded Flee and approached the Fallen closely while still in stealth.
And I used teleportation right next to the Fallen.
Without giving it a chance to react, I even used the Swing skill to kick its stomach upward with all my might.
Kiaa-
The Fallen soared up as if it would reach the ceiling.
It was a perfect angle.
I reached out my hand toward the Fallen and used Time Stop.
After 300 seconds of mental concentration was finished, the fully charged jet-black ray was fired toward the sky.
Paseuseuseu...
The spot where the darkness faded.
Only a large hole remained in the ceiling. Dust fell and sunlight poured in.
Just in case, I was planning to fire Flame Strike right after, but there was no need for that.
The Fallen, hit directly by the Line of Destruction, had vanished without a trace.
As expected, it couldn't withstand it.
The outcome was decided so simply.
“Good job.”
I used Unsummon on Flee, who had worked hard, to send it back.
I looked around the chaotic scene and stared at the corpse of the Stage 3 Fallen that had died earlier.
If over 40,000 people had all turned into monsters like this, how much of a mess would the world have again become.
“What the hell is all this madness again...”
Feeling my head get complicated, I slipped out of the building while maintaining stealth.
---
"U-Uh...! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine."
As Shin Sujin went outside the building, the SWAT team had already surrounded and besieged the entrance.
"Are you Section Chief Shin Sujin?!"
"Yes, what happened to the people who came outside?"
"Do not worry. We evacuated everyone to a safe place and the injured people were transported by ambulance!"
Shin Sujin nodded and said.
"Do not go inside yet. There is a monster."
"Yes! We will now enter and exterminate..."
"No! You will all die! Ugh..."
Shin Sujin didn't even have time to tend to her injuries. She stopped the police.
"It's a monster that won't even get a scratch from rifles... If you engage, you will all die. Please stand by for now."
Since it was Shin Sujin, a Level 30 Climber, who came out injured and said this, the police had no choice but to listen to her for now.
Shin Sujin turned on her radio.
"This is Section Chief Shin Sujin. A monster appearance is confirmed inside the Seoul Arts Center: one entity and..."
Kwaaang!
*At that moment, a massive vibration rang out from inside the building.*
The police were startled and aimed their guns toward the entrance again.
"Is the m-monster going on a rampage?"
The police had no way of knowing what on earth was happening.
Loud and small roars echoed several times as if the entire building was shaking. Sounds like the roar of a beast could also be heard.
Shin Sujin looked at the building with trembling eyes before finishing her radio transmission.
"...There is a very powerful monster inside the Seoul Arts Center building. It is presumed to be the Stage 5 Fallen mentioned in the message. Its combat power... should be assumed to be at least Level 50."
Shin Sujin believed in Person123.
He was an incredibly powerful Climber even when he cleared Nightmare difficulty up to the 2nd floor.
Now that he had cleared up to the 3rd floor, he would naturally be much stronger. Besides, he even had the ability to handle such a monster.
But, even so, what if he was killed by the Fallen?
If the only person climbing Nightmare difficulty died here, it would be a critical loss.
That would be an irreversible worst-case scenario.
'...No.'
Just thinking about it made her dizzy. Had her judgment been clouded for a moment because of her injuries?
Shin Sujin regretted just coming outside as he told her to.
Instead of leaving the battle to him and coming out, she should have stopped him from fighting the Fallen.
Wouldn't it be right to kill such a monster by pouring missiles on it rather than having a person face it directly?
It was the moment Shin Sujin decided to go back inside to check the situation.
"..."
In the middle of the building, a black pillar suddenly erupted through the roof.
Everyone who spotted it stared blankly at the incomprehensible phenomenon.
What on earth is that...?
The black pillar soon disappeared.
Along with it, the vibrations that had been echoing as if the building would collapse stopped dead.
Shin Sujin stood in a daze for a moment before turning on the communication window.
She was about to send a whisper to Person123, but a whisper came from him first.
\[Person123: It's over.\]
As soon as she saw that message, all the tension in Shin Sujin's body was completely released.
He won.
Fortunately, Person123 was even more of a monster than that creepy monster.
“That black pillar just now...”
What on earth was it? The Fallen's ability?
Or it might be Person123's skill. since he had many mysterious abilities.
\[Person123: The monsters are all cleared out, so you can come in now.\]
\[Person123: Please keep my involvement a secret this time as well.\]
Shin Sujin sent a reply.
\[Lotus: I will do so.\]
\[Lotus: Are you hurt anywhere by any chance?\]
\[Person123: No. I'm perfectly fine.\]
\[Lotus: That's a relief.\]
\[Lotus: Thank you. I always receive great help from you.\]
Saying thank you wasn't enough. She owed him her life again.
If he hadn't stepped up to face the Fallen, there might have been far more casualties than now.
Shin Sujin turned off the communication window, caught her breath, and said to the police.
"...I will enter again and check the situation."
---
Shanghai, China.
Kwaang! Kwang!
A man was clashing with a five-horned Fallen in the middle of the city center.
While fiercely exchanging blows without yielding an inch to each other, the man grabbed the Fallen's horns and threw it far away.
Shooooo-
Fighter jets flying in the sky poured a barrage of missiles toward the Fallen. Massive explosions occurred one after another.
The Fallen let out an agonizing scream and walked out from the flames and debris.
*At that moment, the man used the Leap skill to lunge at the Fallen again.*
- Stop! Cease fire!
The pilots, who were about to deliver more bombardment with the intention of finishing it off completely, changed direction.
The man resumed his battle with the Fallen. His body was already covered in a red aura.
Even in a battered state, the Fallen held out for quite a while longer.
The man first tore off one of the Fallen's tattered arms, then crushed its entire chest, and stood pinning down the downed Fallen's back.
Kwang-kwang-kwang-kwang-kwang!
The man repeatedly struck its head down with his fists.
The ground cracked and the Fallen's body was increasingly driven into it, and only after its head finally burst did the Fallen stop moving.
As the effect of the Frenzy skill ended, the man's red-dyed eyes returned to normal. He spat out the blood pooled in his mouth.
A moment later, vehicles approached the man's side.
Secretaries who got out of a black sedan among the military vehicles hurriedly ran over.
"You've worked hard, Mr. Wang Kai!"
The man tore off his completely ripped shirt and accepted new clothes to put on.
Wang Kai, a Level 52 Climber on the 14th floor of Hard difficulty.
He was the record holder in Hard difficulty and the world's highest-level Climber.
"Are you hurt anywhere by any chance..."
"Can't you tell by looking? I'm perfectly fine."
In truth, it was hard to say Wang Kai's state was perfectly fine, but no one retorted to his words.
Wang Kai looked up at the fighter jets in the sky and clicked his tongue.
"I could have taken it down alone without the help of those gnats. They should have just saved on gas money. Why did they even deploy?"
"Yes, you are amazing as expected!"
"Still, it was quite strong. Is this guy a Stage 5 Fallen? If it were other Climbers, no one would be able to handle it."
Wang Kai looked down at the Fallen's corpse and laughed.
"Man! The world sure is turning out to be interesting."