A massive altar spread out before my eyes.
Yordle Ranger Kancho climbed up onto my shoulder and looked around.
"I don't think there are any demons!"
"Then why aren't there any!!"
"If there aren't any, that's a good thing — stop complaining!"
Momo let out a deep sigh.
With a flashy name like the Seven Deadly Sins, I guess she'd been secretly hoping for demons.
'Well, well.'
I smiled as I climbed the stairs.
Looking at the shape of the altar and the statues surrounding it, I felt certain.
This was the place where, in the pre-awakening game, I helped the holy forces seal away a dark entity.
This time, I was on the exact opposite side.
I had to wake up the friend sleeping here.
"Commander! I think it goes here!"
Kancho, who had run ahead, pointed to a slot in the center.
It was a perfect match for the cross of Saint Peter that we'd stolen... no, formally received from the Vatican.
I hurried up and inserted the statue.
[A master sculptor's key awakens the altar!]
[The altar's frozen time begins to flow again!]
"Whoa! The statue's moving!"
"Is this the end times?!"
The Kanmo duo clenched their fists and snorted out rough breaths.
I swallowed dryly and watched the altar's transformation.
"Master. Something's coming."
At Seira's call, I turned my head.
Something like a wall filled one entire direction.
What the hell was that?
I leaned toward it to get a better look.
And not long after.
"Holy."
I couldn't help but let out a small exclamation.
It had looked like it was stopped because it was so far away, but no.
The wall was steadily moving.
A wall of water, dozens of stories high — what people commonly called a tsunami. A wall of disaster.
Ding!
[Those who imprisoned the sins of Sloth and Gluttony in this altar wished for this place to disappear forever!]
[A bundle of calamities created by the convergence of countless powers! The altar survived by stopping time, but with the key inserted, time has begun flowing again!]
[You can no longer escape the calamities!]
[Now witness the disasters about to rain down upon you!]
I almost flipped off the message.
Showing up late and then taunting me to face the disasters.
Clank! Clank! Rumble!
The altar was still busy transforming.
It looked like we had to protect it until it finished.
This fragile little altar.
"Commander! Something's falling from the sky!"
Oh shit.
I felt like my head was getting hot.
Dozens of stones falling with red tails trailing behind them.
I figured this was roughly the junior version of a meteor.
"Something's coming from the other side too."
They didn't call it a bundle of calamities for nothing.
One side had a tsunami, the sky had meteors, and on another side, a mass of earth mixed with rocks and trees was surging forward.
"Huuuuuge!"
I walked over to the excited Momo.
There was also a building-sized golem.
Camelia, who had exhaled a long stream of smoke, reached out into the air.
"As long as we don't take a direct hit, we can manage somehow."
As the barrier formation completed, a translucent shield enveloped the altar.
"I'll take the tsunami."
"I'll take the opposite side."
Dark took the tsunami, and Seira took the landslide.
Renya lightly leaped and flew toward the golem.
The remaining sky — I'd handle it with Kancho and Elia.
Clank!
I set up a heavy machine gun aimed at the sky.
"Finally!!"
Kancho dashed over and finished preparing to fire.
Elia tapped my shoulder, and I turned my gaze.
From below the stairs, breaking through the ground, a legion of monsters with holy wings appeared.
[The holy guardians sense an intrusion and awaken!]
[The Altar of Sloth and Gluttony is a place that must be absolutely protected! The guardians will give their lives to defend it!]
"Who dares covet the altar."
A sinister voice rang out.
The monsters raised their weapons and aimed at us.
Looked like market day.
Since they were all gathering.
"Kancho, Elia. I'm counting on you for the sky."
"Roger that!"
"Don't worry."
Leaving the rear to them, I walked toward the stairs.
"Commander Momo, come hold the ammo belt!"
"Got it!!"
Maybe it was because we'd coordinated during the last siege battle.
The Kanmo duo finished preparing to unleash hell at lightning speed.
And not long after.
RATATATATATAT!!
The gun barrel began spitting fire.
Hundreds of light trails sprayed into the sky.
BOOOOOOM!!!
An explosion larger than anything I'd seen before occurred.
'Oh shit.'
The magic circuit emitted light with every trigger pull.
It was the perfect partner.
The magic circuit that accelerated the bullets, and the unique trait "Clay Rides the Wind," which amplified power proportional to the bullet's velocity.
I nodded with a satisfied face.
Spelled Yordle Ranger, read as tactical weapon.
That was Kancho.
[Iron Brand]
I floated hundreds of swords and rained them down.
The various effects of Weapon Collecting triggered with each hit.
Ganjang and Moya's stacks accumulated, and snowfield waves and lava erupted everywhere.
I grabbed a greatsword in each hand and kicked off the stairs.
Then I plunged into the center of the surviving group.
"Death to the intruder!"
"Protect the altar!"
They shouted fiercely, but I didn't need to listen.
[Judas Iscariot's Inverted Cross]
I activated the effect to dispel their holy protection, then.
[Nazebever Style Draw — Night Crow Hunt]
I swung both greatswords and unleashed sword energy.
In an instant, the guardians shattered and scattered across the floor.
Swoosh!
I guess they weren't called guardians for nothing.
But a few of them dodged the draw and counterattacked.
I twisted my body to evade, then lifted my leg.
CRACK!
I crushed one's head with my heel.
SLICE!
I stabbed another through the heart with my greatsword.
And the remaining two —
[Black Shadow Flash]
I cut them in half with a single straight line.
"Phew!"
I released the breath I'd been holding and inhaled again — a cool chill seeped in.
The tsunami that had been surging forward like it would swallow the altar at any moment had stopped moving.
The water calamity was completely frozen solid.
CRRRRRACK!!
Instead, a tsunami made of pitch-black aura rose from the opposite side.
It surged forward in an instant, swallowing the debris pile.
Thanks to that, everything was wiped clean — you couldn't even tell what had been there.
"Is it over already?"
Renya, who had manifested beside me, cracked her neck.
I looked back — the golem had also vanished.
Guess they were too easy.
Now all that was left was... Ah?
"We need to get inside."
Renya, who had seen the same thing, kicked off the ground first.
I quickly followed her into the barrier.
CRAAAAAACK!!!
Meteor fragments rained down, covering every direction.
Maybe because the explosions were so big, they'd broken into very tiny pieces.
How much time passed like that?
Rumble... rumble.
The altar, which had been moving busily, stabilized.
Ding!
[The dark entity trapped in the depths reveals itself!]
I guess they didn't call it a dark entity for nothing.
Along with the message, pitch-black smoke filled my vision.
[The being bearing two of the Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth and Gluttony!]
[No one could ever stop this being's sloth and gluttony! Not even beings with divinity!]
Maybe it was because of all the impressive messages popping up.
Gulp!
Even as I pushed through the smoke, I kept swallowing dryly.
Could it be Judas Iscariot!?
I finally reached the edge of the altar.
The thick black smoke receded along with my arrival.
At last, the being of Sloth and Gluttony came into view!
"Ehh."
"What the hell is this."
I'd expected something monstrously huge since it was Sloth and Gluttony, but no.
It was tiny — about the size between Momo and Kancho.
And for some reason.
"What the hell! Why are you sleeping!"
Zzzzz!
It wouldn't come out of dreamland.
"Wake up! How long are you gonna sleep!"
Kancho and Momo ran over and shook it.
But it still wouldn't wake up.
Ding!
[A being born from darkness, burdened with the great sins of Sloth and Gluttony!]
[A new card has been added!]
[Yoo Jin-hyuk]
Class: Collector
[Unique Traits]
Card Collector
Current Cards: 8/10.
Seira Kincaiton.
Kancho.
Dark Castro.
Momo.
Elia Posen.
Camelia Sirin.
Renya.
Nia.
[Nia]
The great sins of Sloth and Gluttony, born from darkness.
Class: Light Eater.
Rank: Epic.
Level: 130.
Can evolve to the next rank upon reaching Epic max level 201.
[Unique Traits]
Within Darkness.
Darkness Conversion.
Light Storage.
Sloth.
Gluttony.
.
.
.
[Unique Skills]
Light Devouring.
Release.
.
.
.
[Possessed Artifacts]
None.
[Motto]
Wanna sleep.
Wanna eat.
Cold sweat ran down my side.
I hadn't read the detailed unique traits and skills yet.
But I was certain.
Something unusual had appeared.
[You have cleared Floor 23 of the Myth Tower!]
[Exiting Floor 23 of the Myth Tower!]
* * *
Seopangyo house.
At Seira's strong request, we ordered chicken for the first time in a while.
Crunch!
The drumstick's juices burst out with the first bite.
Excellent as always.
I chewed, swallowed, then looked up again.
Kancho and Momo were playing Jenga alongside their chicken feast.
I watched for a moment, then spoke.
"Kanmo duo, question!"
"What!"
"Why are you playing Jenga on top of Nia?"
"It's more fun going up and down! And look at this!"
Kancho picked up a boneless chicken piece and held it in front of Nia's mouth.
Nia's mouth opened naturally and the chicken disappeared.
Then she started snoring again.
"Master. Why won't this one wake up?"
"I think it's because of this."
I turned my gaze to the status window.
A status ailment had been added to Nia: Starvation.
Below it was this explanation:
Light Devourer Nia was on the verge of death by starvation when she borrowed the power of Sloth and entered an endless sleep.
A deep slumber caused by the great sin of Sloth! In this state, nothing can kill Nia.
"If it's starvation, can't we just feed her lots of chicken!?"
"No! We need to feed her pork trotters!"
I slowly shook my head.
It wasn't chicken or pork trotters.
Back before awakening, when I sealed the dark entity in the game, the first thing I did was eliminate all light around it.
Back then, it wasn't about starving it — I just removed the light because it absorbed it to revive.
But applying Nia, who bore the sin of Gluttony as a dark entity, it seemed fair to say she'd been starved.
The ones who sealed Nia in the altar in the tower probably used a similar method.
That was the only way to explain this Starvation status ailment.
Elia rubbed her chin.
"If she's the sin of Gluttony, she must eat like crazy, right? Where do we get that much light?"
"Right. Elia, you were busy interpreting ancient texts and didn't go into the Despair Tower."
I grinned and gave a thumbs up.
"Nothing to worry about. A great restaurant is coming soon."
"A restaurant?"
I nodded.
The restaurant's name was Azrael.
The situation was different from when I played the pre-awakening game.
Now that the dark entity Nia was my friend, I'd take her there to eat.
Until she was stuffed!
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T/N:
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