79 attempts.297 raid teams from various top guilds tried, failed, and were wiped out.A total of 315,850 deaths.
These were the numbers left behind by countless failed attempts to clear the 48th Floor of the Tower of Trials.
[Time Limit: 0h : 58m : 33s]
The fading system window flickered as the remaining time ticked down.
[Howl's Moving Castle:sigh… no more challengers][Don't Know Anymore: Even the big guilds gave up. A lot of people died.][The Orange Tree Which Rhymes: The world's ending in an hour. The news has the countdown on screen.][Feeling It Finally: What do we even do on the last day? There's a party in Hongdae. Should I just blow my money?][Raccoon: Hahaha, I'm excited for what's coming. Not once in my life have I talked to a woman. Tragic.]
[Time Limit: 0h : 58m : 33s]
[Current Viewers Online: 87]
The chat window—once filled with millions—now had fewer than a hundred people in it.
Naturally so.
Most guilds had already given up.Solo challengers had long disappeared.Humanity was about to end without ever reaching the next floor.
Just as that shared despair settled in—
Woong!
A blue light surged at the place where humanity had stopped progressing. There was only one reason it could appear.
[A challenger has appeared in the realm of 'Red Dragon Deathia' on the 48th Floor.]
A man stepped into the dungeon. His face was obscured by distortion magic.
In his hand was a dagger about 30cm long.He was a player.
Howl's Moving Castle: OHHHH!!Climber123: We still have people challenging it?!Orange Tree Which Rhymes: The world's ending in an hour and someone steps up now??Raccoon: For real? In this situation?Front Vision and Blinking in the Back: I'm back. Keyboard got confiscated for an hour.
The chat exploded back to life.
It had been so long since anyone appeared as a challenger.
[Current Viewers Online: 7,588]
In moments, the news spread.People who had been waiting only for death flooded back in.
All eyes focused on the lone challenger.
Raw Cuttlefish Member 1: Who is he? Doesn't look like a ranker.Orange Tree Which Rhymes: Status window's private.Climber123: Last-minute newbie trying to act cool?Orange Tree Which Rhymes: That dagger looks like something for picking coconuts. A beginner's weapon?ID Center: LOOK AT THE COLOR! The color!
Everyone's eyes shifted to the dagger.
Obsidian black.
But the handle…
Purple.
Red → orange → yellow → green → blue → brown → purple.
The highest-grade relic in existence.
Pound. Pound.
Hearts began beating wildly.
This was it.
A fossil long forgotten… suddenly moving again.
"Drrrr…"
The red dragon Deathia growled softly inside its lair.
Its colossal body stood roughly 30 meters tall.Just facing it made the hairs on one's neck rise.
"You humans never learn. Even after losing so many, you return?"
Deathia observed the intruder.Those arrogant eyes—looking down at all creation.
Its arrogance was justified. Its power was overwhelming.
But—
"I needed time to prep a grilled lizard. But I'm not too late."
The man replied calmly.
Deathia frowned.
"Death is equal to all humans, yet the pain differs. Do you understand that?"
"Well, why don't you try and show me? Less talking, more trying."
"Fine. Talking to lesser creatures is meaningless."
Deathia clawed the air.
"…!"
The man's body trembled as high-rank body-binding magic activated.
"A futile end."
Deathia's massive paw slammed downward.
Thud!
The ground cracked, debris flying everywhere.
But—
"Hm?"
The familiar sensation of crushed bones was missing.
"A close-range attack after body-binding… such an obvious pattern."
Deathia heard the man's voice from behind.
Impossible.
"The spell was still activated… you stopped it?"
In that tiny moment?
"Well, I knew what you were planning with those gestures."
"Absurd!"
Deathia rose fully, heat surging up its body.
"There will be no more coincidences."
Flames gathered inside its maw.
Kukuku…
Moisture evaporated from the air.Even the strongest humans had been reduced to ashes by this.
Dragon Breath.
The reason all 297 raid teams failed.
It was a flame that nothing had ever withstood.
"There is nowhere to run."
But the man replied—
"I have no reason to avoid it."
He did not come to run.
He did not come to die.
He came to win.
He came to reach the next floor.He came to see the end of this world.
[Read: 'Memories of the World']
A shimmering mist enveloped him—an infinite library of skills, containing the truths of this world.
"Take 'Hellfire' and 'Black Tears.'"
Wheik!
A 1-meter fireball formed in his left hand.
Drop.
A black liquid dripped from his dagger.
Howl's Moving Castle: Hellfire?! That's Maria's exclusive skill!ID Station: That black liquid—15th floor Wailing Witch's skill!Climber123: A player who can copy skills?Raccoon: So S-rank skills can be reused once known?!Front Vision and Blinking Back: Figured as much.Military Girl: Wasting my last hour of life for this…
Viewers began leaving again.
Right. That was expected.
Neither Hellfire nor Black Tears could overcome Dragon Breath.
Everyone knew that.
"You foolish human. Did you trust those skills to stand against me?"
Deathia scoffed.
Now it would be simple.
So.
Let's do it.
'Left-hand skill.'Destroying Breath.
'Right-hand skill.'Fusing it…
A higher-level skill capable of tearing through dragon scales.
The man dropped Black Tears into Hellfire.
[Skill 'Hellfire' (S) and 'Black Tear' (S) are fusing…][Fusion successful.][You have acquired: 'Void Dragon Etherion's Breath' (SSS)!]
Kwakwakwang!
A black flame—the complete opposite of Deathia's Breath—roared in his palm.
Stronger magic.
Hotter heat.
"T-that…"
Deathia recognized it instantly.
Etherion—the ancient dragon species.This was their ultimate breath.
"You… you! How can a mere human use that!?"
Its fear-tinged curiosity overflowed.
"Who are you!? Who!?"
The young man finally answered.
"Kang Jin-hyuk."
A man once nearly dead.Worn out. Exhausted. Drained.
"And this isn't my first time killing you."
Because he was the only playerwho had ever reached the top of this tower.