Chapter 18
Tower rankings aren’t determined by combat prowess alone. Of course, combat ability accounts for a significant portion, but……
Other factors include the floors conquered, monsters slain, and the number of quests completed. Rankings are decided by weighing all of them together.
And at the very top are the High Rankers. The pinnacle, a position granted to only one hundred out of hundreds of thousands of adventurers.
So even today, countless adventurers climb the Tower to become Rankers. But do they really know……
That another heaven reigns above the heavens? Those among the High Rankers who have been granted the title of ‘King’.
They are known as the ‘Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors’.
‘……Impressive. There are few in the Tower who could defy my ice.’
El was genuinely impressed. There was only one reason he still bore the name of ‘King’ despite having retired from active duty.
No one had ever wrested the throne from him. His rank had merely fallen because he had retired.
In other words, his opponent had effortlessly shattered the Ice Emperor’s power. Even if he hadn’t been going all out.
“Hup!!”
But the surprises didn’t end there. With a brief shout, Zion’s figure vanished in an instant.
In a split second, she slipped into his blind spot and drove a fist into his side. It was a swift, powerful blow he would have taken if he’d been a fraction of a second slower.
Crack! KWAANG!! He had blocked with his cane, but the force imbued in her steel fist shattered even the cane and carried through it.
‘To think she could destroy my Eternal Ice. A punch like that must be nearly on par with the Fist Emperor.’
How long had it been since he’d sprawled so disgracefully on the ground? Feeling the chill of the earth, he rose to his feet.
The forest lay beneath pitch-black darkness, while the moonlight looked down on it…… This world was undeniably beautiful.
But that was precisely why it was cruel. El exhaled a frosty breath and stood, once more leaning on his frozen cane.
──────────────────
< Zion >
Strength: ???
Agility: ???
Wisdom: 812
Mana: 953
Luck: 920
< ??? >
???
──────────────────
‘……My other stats are slightly higher, but I can’t even begin to gauge her Strength and Agility.’
In that brief moment, El had used Insight to check Zion’s stats. The result was far more surprising than he’d expected.
Considering that the average stats of a Hero NPC ranged from 500 to 700, hers were exceptionally high.
Her traits and skills didn’t show up, either. In other words…… he couldn’t get a full picture of her strength.
“……Didn’t you say we should talk?”
“For someone who barges in and freezes everyone, I’d say this is a sufficiently polite and intellectual conversation, wouldn’t you?”
“I see. I understand.”
El raised his head. He saw a nun slowly walking toward him from the chapel, which had collapsed beneath the force of her immense strength.
A veil covered her silver-white hair, shining beautifully in the moonlight, while a steel prosthetic arm showed beneath her jet-black nun’s habit.
So this was a legendary NPC. Truly on another level. While El was marveling at her, Zion herself was……
‘How dare he…… I want to just beat him up, but he’s my friend’s father, so I can’t. What a shame.’
She clicked her tongue in disappointment at not being able to beat him to a pulp. Still, he was Ifrit’s biological father, after all.
No matter that he’d attacked first, beating up someone’s father in front of his daughter was a bit…… no, a lot.
Besides, he clearly seemed to have his reasons. Suppressing her surging fighting spirit, Zion forced herself to speak.
“Brother, what are you so afraid of that you’re rushing things like this?”
“Afraid? Me?”
“At least, that’s how it looks to me.”
Obviously, she was bluffing. Zion’s eyes may have had an unusual shape, but they certainly couldn’t read emotions.
Even so, there was a simple reason she’d said that. She wanted to phrase it as convincingly as possible and find out what was on his mind.
In short, she was fishing. But from El’s perspective, it didn’t feel like a bluff at all……
“……In that case, I’d like to ask you the same.”
“I’m listening, so please go ahead.”
“You reached the Demon King beyond the 100th floor alongside the Hero. You must know how cruel this world is.”
The Demon King and the Hero.
It was a fairy tale, nothing more than a legend. But that was exactly why almost everyone knew the story.
And one of the figures in that tale was Zion herself. The great hero of legend and the first Saintess.
Therefore, El had no choice but to believe Zion’s words. She must have witnessed a world even crueler than his.
‘Uh…… I don’t know??’
Zion herself, however, had no idea what he was talking about. To begin with, she’d spent barely two months in this mysterious world.
She’d never experienced any of that cruelty firsthand. But though she lacked experience, she at least had some common sense.
She also knew that Rankers mistook her for the great Saintess. But she didn’t bother correcting them.
Why? Because it was convenient. Someone who’d died hundreds of years ago wasn’t going to come back to life, so there was no risk of her identity being exposed.
Zion remained silent. She knew that if she simply kept quiet instead of saying something unnecessary, she’d at least avoid making things worse.
And just as she’d expected, El took her silence as affirmation and poured out all the emotions welling up inside him.
“Compared to the world you protected, the one I want to protect may seem insignificant. But to me, it’s everything.”
“……”
“I don’t mind being hated, even if I’m despised. I just…… want that child to be able to live……!!”
When facing an unknown entity, the proper course was to retreat first, gather enough information, then fight again.
There had been those who ignored that rule, but most of them had lost their lives. He couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.
And his opponent was the great hero of legend. Fighting in his current state was practically suicide.
And yet, this time, he absolutely could not retreat. His only daughter’s life was at stake. That was why……
“I’m willing to stake even my life.”
His presence changed in an instant. As he declared his resolve, the forest and grass around him began to freeze.
It was an overwhelming aura worthy of the grand title of Ice Emperor. Even so, Zion showed no sign of backing down.
Just as the two monsters were about to clash, a voice sharp enough to tear through the air cut between them.
“Wait!!”
“Ifrit?”
“Zion, let me settle this one.”
“But……”
“Please.”
Zion could only sigh and put away her prosthetic arm. Her friend was pleading so earnestly.
How could she turn her back on her?
◇
The Sacred Forest.
The recently discovered Hidden Dungeon on the Starting Floor. At the heart of the golden sea of trees, two High Rankers faced one another as if in a standoff.
This outcome was only possible thanks to Zion, who had accurately understood both their positions and mediated between them.
“As expected of you, Sister Zion! Thanks to you, I have at least a little hope!”
“……I hope so.”
[Kyu?]
Zion lightly stroked Fafnir’s head as it tilted it adorably, as if confused, and sighed.
To sum it up, El wanted to take her home because it was dangerous, while Ifrit didn’t want to go back.
Zion used that to her advantage. Instead of having the two duel and letting the winner have their way, she proposed a handicap for the duel.
[Why should I have to give you a handicap?]
[Ice Emperor, if you don’t accept this proposal, then I’ll give Ifrit my full support.]
[…….]
[And more importantly, as a father, you should give your child a chance at least once.]
Carrot and stick. Thanks to using both, El was finally convinced. The conditions themselves were very simple.
El Roscadi would not fight at full strength. If El Roscadi took even one hit from Ifrit, he would lose.
However, Ifrit would lose if all her attacks missed within the allotted time. The conditions were not merely unfavorable, but unreasonable.
Even so, El Roscadi readily agreed. He was confident he could win even under such unreasonable conditions……
“Ifrit, you don’t honestly believe you can win, do you?”
“……”
“There’s only one reason I accepted those conditions. To show you reality.”
“You’re right. Even if you were bound hand and foot…… I still can’t guarantee victory as I am now. But……”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not alone.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a light so dazzlingly pure and white it made the mind go blank descended, driving back the golden radiance of the forest.
[Attack increased by 200%.]
[Defense increased by 200%.]
Battle Aura.
That miraculous power descended upon Ifrit once more.