Chapter 68
The difficulty of the Tower of Trials is divided into four categories.
Easy, Normal, Hard, Nightmare.
Most people climb the Tower on Normal Difficulty.
They only tend to enter Easy or Hard when there is a special reason.
And the Nightmare Difficulty that I am climbing was considered a completely separate Tower from the existing one, beyond simply being harder.
To the point where each 1st Floor of Nightmare is treated as 10 Normal Floors, or even more.
That was the common sense I knew up until now.
But then, it happened.
[Infinite (∞) Difficulty has been activated.]
“Infinite…?”
What on Earth is this?
The following System Message answered my question.
[From now on, for floors cleared on Nightmare Difficulty, you will be able to subsequently enter Infinite Difficulty.]
[The Space Restriction imposed by the system is lifted, and it becomes possible to advance freely into areas beyond the existing stage.]
[In Infinite Difficulty, Real World Time and Tower Time are synchronized.]
[The Tower on Infinite Difficulty allows One Entry per week, and upon One Entry, you can stay for up to 24 Hours.]
To summarize it in one line…
It meant the Map Restriction of the 5th Floor was lifted!
Just like the Endless Content you enjoy after a Story Clear or an ending.
This means.
“Is this the angle for Infinite Farming?”
It means I can enter the Tower and farm every week, right?
Of course, you cannot bring the resources inside the Tower into the Real World exactly as they are.
When the Tower first opened, people attempted to smuggle out resources like Rare Minerals and herbs scattered inside the Tower.
But they all failed.
The moment they returned from the Tower, all byproducts except for the System Reward vanished.
However, my case is a bit different.
Why?
Because for me, the greatest resource is none other than “blood”, actual blood.
There is no need to bring it into reality necessarily.
I can just drink it inside the Tower and be done with it.
The experience points gained by consuming blood inside the Tower are fully maintained even when returning to reality.
In a word, I just got my own personal Prime Hunting Ground.
“Vamp-yahoo!”
It was a truly ridiculous reward.
Plus, that wasn’t all. The more important thing was.
If the system restrictions are lifted and I can go outside the Arden Domain…
I can also avenge Sera’s fleeing enemy.
Even if that Holy Knight left the Valil Domain and fled to the ends of the Continent, I am now able to use Tracking on him directly.
Wow. Seriously, what’s with the Tower heavily favoring me?
To give me this kind of reward at the exact time I was in a bind.
“Hehe. Even the Tower recognizes the greatness of this True Ancestor and bows its head!”
I was so happy that I unconsciously placed both hands on my hips and muttered to myself triumphantly.
After finishing the Reward Settlement, I was in such a good mood.
I took my Retainers and returned safely to my Territory in reality, my Apartment.
As soon as we returned, I called Sera.
“Sera.”
“Yes, Master.”
“The door leading to your World will continue to remain open from now on. I will make sure you get your revenge, so do not worry about a thing.”
“Ah…! Thank you so much, Master!”
“Mhm. There are no limits to the authority of this True Ancestor.”
Watching Sera bow her head, I let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
With this, I completely unloaded the uncomfortable burden on my mind.
And the next thing I did was…
“First, I need to change my clothes.”
I immediately took out and put on a short-sleeved t-shirt and shorts.
Phew. Dresses are just too uncomfortable.
* * *
The Highest Decision-making Body of the Holy Imperial Church. The Cardinals, the highest rank, were gathered around the Round Table, conducting a meeting.
“First, I need to change my clothes.”
Phew. Dresses are just too uncomfortable.
* * *
The Highest Decision-making Body of the Holy Imperial Church. The Cardinals, the highest rank, were gathered around the Round Table, conducting a meeting. “The tithe payments from the Eastern Rondo Region are being del-making body of the Holy Imperial Church.
The Cardinals, the highest rank, were gathered around the Round Table, conducting a meeting.
“The tithe payments from the Eastern Rondo Region are being delivered to the decision-making body of the Holy Imperial Church.”
“The tithe payments from the Eastern Rondo Region are being delayed again. They are making excuses about a bad harvest, but it is clear that the seeds of wicked Heretics are sprouting.”
“We must dispatch an Inquisitor to Cut Down the sprouts of the Infidels, and collect double the overdue offerings!”
“Those are truly reasonable words.”
“What has become of the schedule to enshrine the holy relic in the Capital?”
“We plan to reinforce the Guard Troops and begin the transfer sometime next week.”
Large and small agendas from all over the Continent went back and forth in their conversation.
Eventually, the war that broke out between the Frontier Arden and Valil Domains, and the death of Bishop Kallion, were brought to the table.
“It is a regrettable incident. To think Bishop Kallion would lose his life so vainly. He was a devout man, enough to be mentioned as a candidate for Next Archbishop.”
One Cardinal said as he set down his teacup.
His mouth was saying it was regrettable, but there was not even a hint of sadness on his face.
The others also nodded.
“It is beyond sorrowful.”
“He has surely returned to the Embrace of the Great One.”
They all only said such things; their reactions showed that the death of a single Bishop was no big deal.
Only the Cardinal of the Faction that Kallion belonged to furrowed his brow and raised his voice.
“A holy Bishop was murdered. This is a Direct Challenge against the Holy Imperial Church. We must at once raise the Military and punish the Arden Domain!”
“Please calm down. Are there not many more urgent matters right now? We do not have the forces to pour into such a Frontier.”
A Cardinal from the Opposition Faction firmly drew the line.
On the outside, they appeared to be nobly discussing a great cause.
But in reality, it was a war of nerves as they weighed the profits and losses of their Factions.
A confrontation exists between the side trying to mobilize the Army using the dead Bishop as an excuse to secure interests, and the side trying to keep them in check.
However, since neither side had any intention of truly exerting its strength, the argument fizzled out and concluded with a moderate compromise.
“By the way.”
At that moment, an old Cardinal who had been keeping silent slowly spoke up.
“I have been hearing such talk: that the reason the Arden Domain was able to overturn that overwhelming difference in Military strength and win… was that a Dark Mage intervened.”
“A Dark Mage, you say?”
“Yes. It is not certain, but rumors are circulating that a Large Army was annihilated by powerful Dark Magic. To be able to kill someone of a Bishop’s level, that person must be quite a strong Dark Mage.”
“Hoh.”
Along with short gasps, the expressions of the Cardinals changed distinctly from before.
The greatest enemy of the Holy Imperial Church is Dark Mages.
They were already suffering headaches because the forces of Dark Mages had been expanding all over the Continent recently.
“If such a mighty Dark Mage was hiding in the Frontier, it is certainly a matter we must keep an eye on.”
“It would be best to conduct an investigation in the near future.”
Vigilance against Dark Mages hovered in the Meeting Hall.
But ultimately, that was all.
Because there was a mountain of political agendas placed right before their eyes, the rumors from the Frontier were quietly pushed to a lower priority for now.
“Then the next item is… Ah.”
One Cardinal, who was about to change the subject, suddenly looked at an empty Meeting Seat and said.
“We will have to discuss this agenda when “The Esteemed One” returns.”
At his words, the Cardinal sitting next to him nodded in agreement.
“That would be for the best. He is truly remarkable, to think he is still on his pilgrimage. Haha.”
“Indeed. He is someone who deserves to be respected.”
The others also expressed light respect toward the empty seat.
Then, someone spoke up in passing.
“But now that I think about it… Coincidentally, I believe the place he most recently stayed was the Valil Domain.”
Another Cardinal replied lightly.
“Bishop Kallion probably never dreamed that he was there either, because he is someone who always thoroughly hides his identity and goes on his pilgrimage quietly.”
“It is a pity. If the war had broken out while he was staying there, the outcome would have been completely different.”
“That is correct. If it were a Dark Mage, he would never have sat by and watched. He would have personally eradicated those wicked Heretics.”
“He is someone who always follows God’s Will and the greater good. We must pray that he finishes his pilgrimage safely and returns.”
* * *
‘What’s this? Why are my ears suddenly itchy?’
Scritch, scritch.
I dug at my ear.
Is someone talking about me?
Anyway, I was currently rolling around on my soft bed dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts.
“Hehe. A Modern Mattress really is the best compared to a hard Medieval Bed.”
Enjoying the comfort to my heart’s content, I picked up my Smartphone.
How long has it been since I touched a phone?
Should I browse the gallery for the first time in a while?
As soon as I turned on the screen and accessed the Hunter Gallery, I was able to find out the real reason my ears were itchy.
“Ah, this is it.”
It was definitely because of this.
Because that place was already burning hot with talk about me.
<Domestic Hunter Gallery>
[What the? a New Difficulty was registered in the Tower?]
[What is this ■■ Difficulty…?]
[Crazy! True Ancestor cleared Nightmare 5th Floor shivers]
[Did the True Ancestor seriously open a New Difficulty all by herself?]