Chapter 12
The next day. Tower, Floor 4.
As soon as I woke up, I returned to the Tower and challenged Floor 4.
[NIGHTMARE difficulty has been selected.]
[May glory be with the challenger.]
"Calm."
As soon as I entered the Tower, I remembered to use calming magic, too.
‘It was only once.’
You can't draw a conclusion from a single experiment.
You have to repeat it at least two or three times before you can decide there's no answer.
So today, I was going to test it again.
"Still, Floor 4."
I never thought I'd live to see the day I made it to Floor 4.
It was a strangely moving feeling.
Back when I was desperately trying to join a guild and climb the Tower, I'd clung to their pant legs, begging them to let me run even Floor 1 on Easy.
And now I was entering Floor 4—and Nightmare difficulty at that—as casually as walking into my own home.
Of course, I looked different and had a completely different outlook from back then, but I couldn't help feeling excited.
Considering I was suppressing my emotions with calming magic right now, even I couldn't begin to gauge just how happy I must be.
"Rejoice, insignificant creatures. This sovereign is in a good mood today."
I spoke as I looked at the group of goblins I'd seen so often lately that they were becoming familiar.
"Keuruk?"
They looked thoroughly bewildered.
I'd seen them so often that I could now read their thoughts with ease.
That expression clearly said, 'What the hell is this crazy bitch talking about?'
"I want to cherish this wonderful mood for a long, long time. They say laughter brings good fortune, don't they?"
The goblins still looked like they couldn't understand a word I was saying.
They couldn't even hold a conversation. I suppose insignificant creatures were insignificant creatures, after all.
"It's fine if you don't understand. This sovereign is merciful today, so..."
"Keuruk!"
At that moment, one of the goblins couldn't hold back any longer and charged at me.
"...This sovereign was speaking, you know."
Daring to interrupt me? You deserve to die a hundred times over.
A red hobgoblin.
In terms of raw stats alone, it supposedly had twice the physical abilities of an ordinary goblin.
But that wasn't a problem.
Snap!
Even if that creature had two or three times an ordinary goblin's physical abilities, all things were equal before this sovereign's saber.
The black saber shot out from my back the instant I snapped my fingers, and in no time it was poised in front of the creature's neck.
"Ke, keuruk!"
The goblin panicked and tried to stop, but the black saber was faster, slicing through its neck.
Slice!
A clean, satisfying feel.
The black saber drew a graceful arc through the air, forever separating its head from its body.
"Hmm."
Thanks to that, it died without even getting to scream.
"Now, where was I?"
I lightly shook the blood off the blade.
"Ah, right. Since we're going to see each other often, why don't we take some time to get to know one another today?"
Goblins.
Creatures that seemed similar to humans, yet were completely different.
"I've been curious whether your vital points are the same as mine."
Not just where to cut to take them down most efficiently,
but also where to strike to make their deaths as painful as possible.
There was a mountain of things I needed to find out.
"Let's enjoy ourselves for a long time today."
I raised my saber and grinned.
***
[Heavenly Demon gets another SSS rank]
[Heavenly Demon's unprecedented rise—is Super the goal?]
[Blood Demon publicly declares support for Heavenly Demon, says they're ready to help anytime]
[Heavenly Demon will surpass Super at this rate—what does the future hold?]
The moment I typed Heavenly Demon into the portal's search bar, related news articles came pouring in as if they'd been waiting for me.
"Damn it."
'Super' Josh Richards skimmed a few headlines, then irritation surged through Josh and Josh closed the screen.
"Have you still not found out who this person is?"
"I-I'm sorry."
At Josh's sharp gaze, the man hurriedly lowered his head.
How many people could stand tall on two feet under the gaze of Josh Richards, the strongest human alive?
Thinking about it that way, you could tell the man standing before Josh wasn't weak, either.
"It's been three days already. Is this all the information-gathering power the Guardians have?"
The Guardians.
The undisputed strongest guild in the world, founded by Josh Richards.
The guild made no effort to hide its arrogance, with a name that proclaimed it the guardians of humanity. As Josh Richards went from success to success, the guild had grown smoothly, like a ship sailing with the wind at its back, without a single setback.
As a result, the Guardians now had enough power to be considered a massive corporation—or even a nation.
If they wanted, they could wipe a small country off the map in an instant.
At any rate, Josh Richards, head of the Guardians, had been in a very bad mood lately.
"Everywhere I go these days, it's Heavenly Demon, Heavenly Demon, Heavenly Demon! I can't even give a proper interview because of that bastard!"
Crash!
The table Josh slammed his hand down on split apart with a thunderous crack.
It was a sturdy piece of furniture made from the finest hardwood, but it was no match for the strongest human alive.
“W-we've been looking mostly among the newly Awakened in China, but...”
The man spoke in a trembling voice.
"But?"
"It's such a hot topic that there's been a lot of misinformation and interference."
"Damn it, who's trying to get in the way of the Guardians?"
"Well, first of all, it's their backyard, so they're very hostile toward outsiders."
China had no guilds or private associations.
Everything belonged to the people.
And so the only organization in existence was the 'Chinese People's Awakened Association.'
That system came with many disadvantages, but it also had some definite advantages.
It had one head. And that head was incredibly powerful.
No matter how large the body, having a single chain of command was the worst possible news for the Guardians, who needed to exploit any opening they could find.
No matter how much they stirred up the body, they couldn't even get close to the vital information held by the head.
"Damn it, what about that Blood Demon bastard?"
Josh asked about the movements of the most powerful blade wielded by that head: Blood Demon.
Perennial second place. An annoyance, but someone who'd never threaten Josh's position. That's why Josh hadn't paid much attention to Blood Demon until now.
"W-well, apparently Blood Demon has been training nonstop lately."
"Any other unusual behavior?"
"No. Blood Demon either shuts himself in at home to train, or occasionally posts on the interview forum."
"Damn it."
Josh gritted his teeth.
Josh had never thought a day would come when Blood Demon got on Josh's nerves this much.
”Um, forgive me for asking, but may I ask you something?"
The man spoke cautiously.
"What is it?"
"Why exactly are you looking for Heavenly Demon?"
Heavenly Demon.
The new Awakened who'd recently shaken up the world.
"Heavenly Demon has only just started climbing the Tower. Meanwhile, Mr. Josh is a veteran who's passed Floor 50 and is preparing to tackle Floor 60. So..."
"You don't understand why I feel inferior to that rookie?"
"...I didn't go that far."
"That's basically what you said."
The man, having been hit right on the mark, clamped his mouth shut.
"Matthew, how long have you been working for me?"
"I guess about five years."
"That's why I haven't fired you. You're an idiot, but bringing in someone else and teaching them from scratch would be more of a pain."
Josh spoke through gritted teeth.
"You think I'm looking for Heavenly Demon because I feel inferior? Don't make me laugh! Those idiots down there might gossip about me over something like that. But I'm always looking ahead!"
"Th-that's..."
"The talent of this person called Heavenly Demon is real! So what should we do with them? Tell me!"
As Matthew met Josh's blazing eyes, he felt deep in his bones what it meant to have his knees go weak.
Answer wrong, and he'd die. This wasn't a joke.
"Uh, um, well..."
That's why he couldn't answer.
It was as if the tension had paralyzed his tongue.
"Should we crush them before they sprout, like those ignorant fools say? No! We have to bring Heavenly Demon into the Guardians! That talent! That star power! We have to let all of it blossom under the Guardians' wing!"
After spilling out his words, Josh panted heavily.
A heavy silence settled over the room after the storm had passed.
As Matthew cautiously watched him, Josh also took a moment to catch his breath and calm down.
Bzzzt!
At that moment, both their phones vibrated at once.
As if on cue, they turned on their screens side by side and saw the same notification.
[Heavenly Demon clears Nightmare Floor 4, Rank SSS]
"H-Heavenly Demon just cleared Floor 4."
"Check everyone who's come out of a Tower anywhere in the world right now!"
"A-all of them?"
Do you know how many Towers there were around the world?
Even if there were just one in every country, there'd easily be more than a hundred.
And Josh wanted them to investigate every single one?
"Yes! There must be CCTV cameras set up in front of the Towers! Get the footage by any means necessary!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
Matthew hurriedly rushed out of the room.
"Heavenly Demon..."
Josh would get his hands on Heavenly Demon. Faster than anyone else.
If Josh did, the Guardians would reign as the undisputed strongest in the world.
The sight of the whole world scrambling to kneel before the Guardians.
That was the one grand vision Josh had in mind.
***
[Title: Mage Bro, Were You Lying to Me?]
[Heavenly Demon]
(roughly a meme of someone shoving their face into the screen)
You said calming magic would calm me down.
I'm not calm at all—instead, I'm dissecting and analyzing goblins, for fuck's sake.
[Comments]
Loves Magic: W-what are you dissecting and analyzing?
Warrior Main: The gallery's been so fun lately lol This guy brings something new every time, there's never a dull moment....
Roombound Archmage: Don't come asking us when you're the crazy one...
The Wizard Gallery erupted into an uproar once again.