Chapter 139: The 50th Floor (1)

The Towers of Trials were mysterious constructs of unknown origin that emerged across the globe.

Each floor within a Tower unleashed bizarre monsters, testing the climbers. Perhaps a reward for enduring these trials, Hunters often gained power unimaginable to mortals, risking their lives to ascend.

Yet, true to its name, the Towers of Trials were not entirely a boon for humanity.

Outbreaks—catastrophic events where monsters spilled into the real world, triggered by Tower conquests and climbing achievements.

But humanity adapted swiftly, and now the economy relied heavily on the mana stones harvested from the Tower.

Crack-

“Is this the 49th floor now?”

“Almost there.”

“Stay alert.”

“What kind of enemy will we face this time…?”

While entering towers in other countries was normally impossible, the many mysteries within them sometimes lifted these restrictions—just like now.

“It’s the hidden boss after the next clear, right? Is it really still waiting on the 50th floor?”

“It doesn’t leave the 50th floor.”

“Hmm… is it really waiting for us?”

However, such international access came at steep cost for various reasons, unless one chose to immigrate. Yet despite the expense, S-rank Hunter Max, considered a rising star by some, personally led his party here. The reason being…

-Unbelievable…

-This technology isn’t created simply out of mana!

-What a marvelous fragment of engineering…!

-We need more samples! More samples!

-Where did you find this Item?

Mysterious Items had begun appearing in Korea. Unlike other Items, they were not classified by the System, yet their existence was undeniably otherworldly—proof that they were, without a doubt, true Items.

-What? From a boss that only appears in Korea?

-Take it down immediately.

-Uh, what about my losses then?

-You will be compensated handsomely.

-Well, if that’s the case…

Max had become a Hunter for money anyway, and with the promise of generous compensation, nothing could make him hesitate.

Besides, he was also curious. A wandering hidden boss… an opponent no one had ever conquered. Though it had once nearly brought catastrophe, whispers spread of how close some had come to defeating it.

Well… rumor has it that it’s absolutely beyond human capability.

Korea suffered regular Outbreaks because of this entity, and the nation’s collapse seemed all too inevitable. Yet fate had a strange sense of humor. The very hidden boss that had driven Korea to the brink was now offering Items as rewards, gradually breathing life back into the fallen nation.

“Hmm…”

Max studied the short, stubby cylindrical metal object in his palm. When he pressed the central button, light erupted forth, forming a brilliant blade.

A lightsaber.

“Gotta admit it’s definitely worth the huge investment.”

Korea teetered on the edge of ruin, too fragile now to withstand even minimal pressure from America.

Slice-

“Oh yeah…”

Max stared at the lightsaber, mesmerized. What remarkable reward might await someone who could defeat a boss that casually distributed such artifacts? Everyone burned with curiosity, enduring complicated procedures to finally reach this place and discover the truth.

“Soon now….”

An undefeatable boss, they claimed? True, it might be terrifying as humanity had yet to conquer all floors of the Towers. However…

Zing-

“Hmph. Not a big deal.”

The lightsaber’s blue flash drew his gaze, as did the ring adorning his finger.

[Decree of Destruction (1/2)]

An SS-grade instant-kill Item. One scratch, one nick from his incredible blade, and his target would perish, whether by pierce or slash.

“Let’s go.”

Defeating a hidden boss with its own gifted lightsaber….

“Interesting. Haha.”

Max led his party forward, a smile playing at his lips.

There was nothing to fear.

***Crack-

“Eh?”

The marble Karlstein had been idly playing with split cleanly in two.

“Gasp!”

“!!”

“Huh?!”

The lead Hunters flinched in unison at the sharp sound of breaking.

“He broke an indestructible Object…”

“As if it were chopsticks…”

“…”

Karlstein cleared his throat awkwardly before offering a confident excuse.

“I guess its durability ran out.”

“…”

“Th-then what about the quest…?”

Their mission required gathering all the Objects to reach where the Berserker Witch’s frequently appeared…

“Mm! It must’ve been fake.”

“Really…?”

A moment of silence fell upon the party.

“Ha. Ha. That must be it, right?”

“…It was just an ordinary stone, I guess.”

“Y-yeah?”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.”

They were in a bind. They had reluctantly entrusted the Object to the unidentified hidden boss disguised(?) as a porter since he showed interest in the quest item, but…

“Er…”

“These things happen.”

“…That’s right. Even if it was a quest Item, it’s not impossible to enter without it…”

The healer’s warm consolation seemed to lift the party’s spirits slightly.

In any case, Karlstein casually tossed aside the broken marble and looked around.

And I was wondering where the kid was spending so much Karma on.

Mountains of broken monsters(?) resembling giant snacks littered the landscape. Oddly, beneath their sugary exterior, mechanical innards of wires and circuits occasionally peeked through.

“Haah…”

He had unwittingly gained insight into Perpe’s tastes.

A great castle loomed ahead, surrounded by trees and monsters—all made of snacks.

Is this some kinda fairy tale or what?

A brief inspection gave Karlstein a rough understanding of the monsters’ interior(?) workings.

She must have used the Premium Dimensional Store…

The store’s services had evolved considerably. Beyond the products he personally offered, it also provided custom products to client specifications. Naturally, this required enormous amounts of Karma.

And they’re tougher than I thought.

Seeing the attention paid to the creatures’ specifications, Karlstein could tell how much effort went into their creation.

Though it’s still nothing much.

He hesitated to call this a hobby.

Karlstein could not suppress a sigh. It was like witnessing the careless splurge of a child handed too much money.

“Huh?”

His musings cut short as he stopped in his tracks.

“Hmm. Looks like someone’s coming?”

Hic-

He turned his head, ignoring the hiccup in the background. Though distance kept them hidden from view, he felt it clearly—the killing intent directed at him.

***“Wh-what the heck?”

It was bizarre. Truly bizarre. With Tower-clearing experience up to the 68th floor, Max was confident nothing could surprise him. Yet…

THUD. THUD. THUD.

A giant muffin, its mass dwarfing even an ogre, lumbered forward to peer down at him.

“…”

“It’s a non-aggressive monster…. They say there’s no problem as long as we don’t provoke it recklessly.”

THUD. THUD. THUD.

A croissant joined its muffin friend.

“…”

“Let’s just pass by for now. But we shouldn’t let our guard down.”

Nod.

Max did not need the reminder; they occasionally encountered familiar monsters, which were unlike these clearly alien snack behemoths.

Seriously though…

Even more bewildering were the monsters fighting against the snack behemoths.

“Let’s hurry and move before things get messy.”

Max snapped from his daze at his companion’s urging, quickening his pace while trying to ignore the egg tart that the croissant brought along.

“Hm. Most of the battle traces are similar.”

“They all have holes where the mana stones were. But according to my information, the party ahead doesn’t have skills capable of this.”

“The hidden boss…. Is it really clearing the Tower?”

“Looks like they used a penetration skill, maybe.”

“But I can’t figure out the pattern.”

For a while, they advanced while investigating the traces of battle, until they spotted a group of Hunters waiting in a cake-like hut in the distance.

“…That’s them.”

“Get ready for combat!”

“Check buffs!”

“Doping first!”

Being veterans, they completed combat preparations in an instant.

Max pulled out his stubby rod, letting it erupt with light as he slowly closed the distance.

Zing-

Just then, he noticed the man presumed to be the hidden boss had started gaping.

“Hmm. Yes, this lightsaber’s currently the best weapon Item. Even you seem to be nervous about it, huh?”

The boss seemed to wear an expression of disbelief…

“There’s a limit to underestimating mankind. What’s the reason for handing over such weapons to us?”

Max was half-convinced the hidden boss could communicate. Inside the Towers, language barriers did not exist.

Following his moment of posturing, Max rushed towards his target in an instant. The words he spouted were merely a distraction—his true intent lay in the skill that made him an S-rank Hunter.

Sfff-

He used [Teleportation] to instantly get behind the boss.

“Bye.”

Along with the strongest movement skill, Max wielded the ultimate weapon that had elevated him to glory. Although its Item information did not show, its nature was obvious. There should be nothing it could not cut.

Of course, considering the lightsaber came from the hidden boss, there could be a trap.

But it doesn’t matter. This time I’ve prepared a definite instant-kill Item too.

On top of that, a barrage of buffs from his party and a wide array of magic skills rained down all at once.

Max thrived in skirmishes, and Team Supreme had been formed specifically to enhance his strength. With their top-tier support unleashing the team’s full might, defeating the hidden boss should not have posed an issue.

“Eh?”

It really should not have.