A redevelopment complex located at the very edge of Gangbuk.
Jin Seoyeon checked the Cheonilgyo building in front of her against the address saved on her phone.
This was the address Park Jihyun had sent her back then, suggesting they study together.
'It's actually here.'
It had already been nearly two years since she received this address.
She'd come just in case, but she never expected the Cheonilgyo building to actually be standing here.
'What is this? This feeling.'
Jin Seoyeon, who was about to press the doorbell, furrowed her brow.
A strange energy emanated from beyond the door.
She didn't know how to describe it, but it was a feeling she'd rather not confront if possible.
Click.
Had it sensed her hesitation?
The closed door swung open, revealing a familiar face.
Influencer Park Jihyun.
It was true she'd come looking for her, but she hadn't expected it to be this easy.
"Hey, Seoyeon. Long time no see."
Just as Jin Seoyeon was about to smile back at Park Jihyun, who greeted her with a bright smile…
"You're here because of the Generos influencers, right?"
Words that made her question her ears rang out.
Her face was the epitome of ease and nonchalance.
Her tone suggested she knew everything.
Park Jihyun slowly stepped aside and opened the door wide.
"Want to come in? I can tell you what you're curious about."
Jin Seoyeon looked at the hallway stretching out beyond the door.
It was so long she couldn't see the end of it.
"Maybe I will."
Only then did Jin Seoyeon smile and step inside.
Thud.
The door closed immediately, as if it had been waiting impatiently.
"Let's go inside."
She followed Park Jihyun down the hallway lit by a faint glow.
"You're not upset that I suddenly stopped contacting you, are you?"
"I just figured you were busy."
"Yeah, right. I was incredibly busy, too busy to breathe, trying to awaken to the truth of the world."
Jin Seoyeon carefully observed Park Jihyun.
Back then, she was just a little eccentric.
Now, she seemed to have evolved, giving off a subtly unhinged vibe.
"Seoyeon. You know what?"
She didn't particularly want to know, but she answered anyway.
"What?"
"I wanted to show you the truth of the world too. Because you were once my closest friend. But faith and trust are such worthless things. I never imagined that you, whom I trusted so much, would abandon me."
She was curious to see what other novel nonsense she could come up with, but she had things to find out, so she spoke up.
"So you targeted the people who signed contracts with me?"
"Yep!"
Her reply was so cheerful that Jin Seoyeon almost couldn't hold back and hit her.
"Why not me?"
"You're misunderstanding something big."
Park Jihyun spun around, a smirk on her lips.
"It's true I wanted you, who abandoned me, to be in trouble, but those friends weren't dragged off somewhere and mistreated. They just received the grace of realizing a truth you'll never know for the rest of your life. Besides, you're the granddaughter of that illustrious Genex. Always pretending to be charitable, pretending to show favor, looking down on people. If you disappeared, how much of a fuss would they make? That illustrious chairman of Genex, or the public authorities under his influence. Don't you think?"
She spoke without hesitation, as if she had already caught her fish.
"And now you think it's okay to drag in that granddaughter of Genex?"
"The Guides didn't permit it, but the fact that you came this far must mean the gods willed it, right?"
"So, where are they? The friends you took."
Park Jihyun stepped aside and pointed further inside.
"If you walk straight down here…"
Smack!!
Park Jihyun slid along the wall.
Foam bubbled from her mouth.
"Did I hit too hard?"
The scabbard was sturdier than she thought.
Anyway, shrugging her shoulders, she walked towards the end of the hallway.
Whoosh.
A bizarre sight unfolded along with a blinding light, and Jin Seoyeon let out a hollow laugh.
One of the people she was looking for was lying down on a long stone slab.
The spitting image of a sacrificial offering.
So that was what 'showing the truth of the world' meant.
"Oh dear. I knew Sister Jihyun would cause trouble someday, but of all times, why now?"
A middle-aged priest appeared, shaking his head.
"Jin Seoyeon, the granddaughter of Genex and the representative of Generos. You're so famous that I was very tempted, but I gave up because dragging you in would be too much trouble."
"You're going to be in trouble from now on."
"No. That won't happen. Because you won't be leaving this place. Your phone probably won't work either. That's just the kind of place this is."
"Thorough. Can you handle the aftermath?"
"What choice do we have? You've already seen this much. We'll just have to hold out until the world order changes. By the way."
A sneer formed on the priest's lips.
"I heard you've been climbing the Tower diligently, but this time you were overconfident. No matter how fearless you are, coming here alone."
Footsteps could be heard from various spots around the altar.
"It's a very important day, so I put in some effort. They're probably on a higher floor than you, Miss Seoyeon. Every single one of them."
One of the presences shot towards Jin Seoyeon at high speed.
They were clearly no pushovers.
With those numbers, she had no chance.
Swish.
That is, if she had been alone.
Crunch!!
A hand extending from the shadow crushed the neck of the approaching figure.
"!?"
The priest, who had been full of confidence, stumbled backward.
In that moment, Gi Wonje, one of the team leaders of Jin Taegon's security detail, appeared.
This was why she had stopped by Genex headquarters before coming here.
"Wow. There are still things like this in this day and age? Amazing. Truly amazing."
Gi Wonje, adjusting his tie, stared at the dumbfounded priest and his followers.
"I don't care if you get together and play house or slap each other around."
Gi Wonje's lips curled up.
"But you shouldn't have crossed the line. Not knowing the fear of a major corporation in a capitalist country."
Stretching, Gi Wonje took a step forward.
Let's have some fun beating them up for the first time in a while.
These cultists who dared to touch the granddaughter of Genex.
* * *
Jin Hyuk, frowning, watched Lumend, who was in the middle of battle.
For all his posturing, he was struggling hard.
'It is tricky.'
The Corrupted World Tree, Nemesis.
Even ignoring the infinite status ailments it spewed, its sheer power was immense.
It used branches and vines spread across the entire floor to relentlessly pummel them, and it continuously revived its forces with sap erupting from the ground.
Kraaaah!
Even that Ancient Dragon had already been revived twice.
It meant it wouldn't end unless they destroyed the World Tree's main body.
Knowing this, Radiana was constantly bombarding the World Tree's main body.
But only a handful of attacks reached it; the rest were blocked by the vines and dissipated before they could even get close.
Kwagagagak!!
'Oh, shit.'
Her rage meter seemed to be full.
A barrage of light arrows rained down fiercely from the entire sky.
The intense flash forced him to close his eyes.
Was he just dodging with his eyes closed?
Why bother dodging?
[Holy Attribute Resistance: SSS+]
[Light Attribute Resistance: SSS+]
Our violent whatever-his-name Azriel had so generously left these behind.
The light arrows fell towards his head but dissipated instantly.
With a satisfied smile, he continued walking.
He was slowly getting closer to Nemesis's main body.
It had taken longer than expected because he had circled the battlefield in stealth.
Anyway, as expected, our adorable Kanmoduo's energy suppression and stealth movement were excellent.
To think he could get this close without being detected by Nemesis.
Meanwhile, Lumend, who was fighting like crazy, couldn't even get near this area.
'Hmm.'
Rubbing his chin, he glared at the revived ancient dragon.
It was polluted and green, but it still had eyes.
Could he fit it into that frog from Seopangyo?
He'd call Elia later and ask, once the pollution faded a bit.
'Let's see, let's see. Where should I plant it for it to grow well?'
He leisurely surveyed the ground.
Pollution here, pollution there. The whole place was rotten, so it all looked the same.
After tapping his fingers for a moment, he took the seed out of his bag.
Just as he was about to toss it casually like that Guild Master had done…
Swoosh!
A massive concentration of light grazed past his skin.
He instinctively knew.
He had been detected.
There was only one person on this floor who could do something like this.
He turned his head and looked at Radiana, the Apostle of Lumend, also known as the Eternal Herald of Radiance.
She was staring back at him.
With an expression that could kill.
"YOU!!!!!"
Soon after, Radiana let out a scream that was almost a shriek.
'This trash…!!!'
Radiana's lips trembled.
Jin Hyuk's presence had been completely erased at some point.
So she had spread light to locate him. But along with Jin Hyuk, something else had been detected.
Something that should not exist here, something she thought she would never see again in her lifetime, something that had planted a terrible nightmare not just for Radiana but for all of Lumend.
Countless question marks popped up in Radiana's head.
How in the world? What had to happen for a mere human to possess that seed?
And why of all times, here and now, was he holding that thing?
"Show yourself, you trash."
She warned sternly, but Jin Hyuk didn't drop his stealth.
That was because Nemesis, far more terrifying than Radiana, was right beside him.
Whoooosh.
Radiana continuously emitted light to detect Jin Hyuk's form.
The sight of him just staring blankly at her made her even angrier.
"As an Apostle of Lumend, I give you a stern warning. Bring it here. That seed. Or else."
Kwaaang!!
A rough radiance burst from Radiana's body.
"You will never leave this floor alive. Even if it means defying the word of the God, I will tear you apart."
He must have heard her.
He must have been listening, but Jin Hyuk, paying no heed, lifted the seed.
Unable to contain herself, Radiana gathered her radiance and dropped it on Jin Hyuk.
The vessel and everything else didn't matter.
It had to be stopped.
Kwagagagagak!!!
The light was so intense that even Nemesis couldn't fully block it this time.
The barrage of light pierced through the densely packed vines and fell upon Jin Hyuk.
Radiana clicked her tongue softly.
She had wanted to fulfill the God's word as much as possible, but there was no other way.
Right now, erasing that trash and the seed was the best option.
"Foolish wretch. If you had stayed still, our God would have used your worthless body. You've kicked away infinite glor…"
Sensing something, Radiana instinctively emitted light.
At the same time, her pupils shook violently.
'Impossible.'
She had poured out her full power.
How could he be unharmed… no, not even have a single scratch?
Through the continuously emitted light, she began to see clearly.
The form of that trash, smirking at her, holding up his middle finger, its meaning unknown to her.
And a few seconds later.
"Ah…!"
He threw the seed.
Towards the Corrupted World Tree, Nemesis.
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T/N:
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