[Name: Choi Jinhyeok]
[Title: Sovereign of the 75th Floor]
"What a joke."
Choi Jinhyeok glared at the displayed title with resentment.
The 75th Expedition was a complete failure.
More specifically… all of them had been tricked.
Three hundred and twelve High Rankers had entered the trial together.
Three hundred and eleven had died.
Only one remained.
Jinhyeok slowly lowered his gaze.
The battlefield of the 75th Floor stretched endlessly beneath a dim crimson sky. What had once been a gathering of the strongest Climbers in the Spire had now become a graveyard of broken bodies and shattered relics.
Some of the corpses were still recognizable.
Guild Masters.
Legendary Rankers.
Men and women whose names alone could shake entire floors. Now they were nothing more than silent remains scattered across the ruined plain.
The moment the trial began, the floor had turned hostile and everyone started attacking each other indiscriminately without cause.
Only 'he' was unaffected.
Jinhyeok looked up at the sky.
"If this is what you call succession…then what exactly are you making us succeed?"
Silence remained.
Then the Voice of the Tower echoed again.
[Succession confirmed.]
[The Sovereign of the 75th Floor has been established.]
Jinhyeok's expression darkened even further.
"…Tch."
The Tower spoke as if it were congratulating him like surviving that massacre was something worthy of praise.
But Jinhyeok knew the truth.
He hadn't won.
No one had.
They had merely been used.
His gaze slowly drifted toward the towering gate standing at the far end of the ruined battlefield.
A massive black door.
He instinctively regarded it as the entrance to the 76th Floor.
Jinhyeok stared at it for a long time.
Then he let out a quiet breath.
Come to think about it, how long has he been inside this tower?
Truthfully, it had already been five years.
Five years ago, he had entered the Dark Spire as a newbie Climber with no knowledge whatsoever and almost met his end. By some stroke of luck, he managed to survive the trial of the First Floor and began his journey as the High Ranker known as [Mr Noir].
He remembered the first time he realized the Tower wasn't just a series of physical challenges. It preyed on the mind. He had been separated from his group on the 12th Floor, chased by illusions that mimicked his deepest fears. For hours, he had run through endless corridors, unsure if the danger was real or in his head. He had screamed. He had collapsed. But he had survived each step along the way.
Every floor after that had sharpened him like an unbreakable blade.
Mental endurance. Strategy. Observation. Ruthlessness.
These were the true lessons of the Dark Spire.
And now, five years later, he was here. The sole survivor of the 75th Floor massacre, staring at the 76th Floor's gate. The Tower had confirmed his title as the Sovereign of the 75th Floor but Jinhyeok didn't feel triumphant.
He felt hollow.
What was the point of this so-called victory when all of his friends lay dead?
Truly, it was meaningless.
"Looking back… whether here or back on Earth, misfortune and ruin seem to cling to me wherever I go. Is this my fate?"
His eyes shook with a faint tremor.
Choi Jinhyeok had entered the Dark Spire to rewrite his fate. Instead, he had stumbled into an even grimmer fate.
This wasn't what he had expected.
"Should I just… end it all?"
He saw no reason to go on. One well-placed shot to the head would grant him freedom from this nightmare.
But before the thought could fully settle, a cold, mechanical voice cut through the silence:
[A Climber wishes to enter the 75th Floor?]
[Will you grant access?]
Jinhyeok's hand froze midair. He slowly turned his head toward the voice and frowned,
"Who's requesting access?"
[Identity verification complete.]
[A new Climber has been deemed eligible.]
[Climber: Viper King.]
"Viper King..."
He slowly recalled the individual's identity.
Wasn't she the Guild Master of the Black Serpent Group?
More than that, she had been a close acquaintance.
After a brief pause, Choi Jinhyeok soon came to a conclusion and realized why that person would want to enter the 75th Floor at this point.
"She wants to check things out, huh. I suppose that's within her character."
With a sigh, he nonchalantly tapped on the screen pop.
[Executing command...]
[You have granted entry to the Climber: Viper King.]
A dark silhouette materialized almost immediately, stepping across the threshold of the 75th Floor.
A woman in her early thirties came into view. She was of medium height and her long dark hair fell to her shoulders, partially obscuring the right side of her face. Her eyes glinted with an unusual hue — was it red? Or reddish-brown? Either way, the subtle strangeness of her gaze matched her presence.
She wore a mourning-like dress and hugging her body was her favorite white serpent pet which followed her everywhere she went.
Certainly, a unique character.
"Oh my... what a mess. It's even worse than I thought."
A little surprised, Viper swung her head here and there as though examining the degree of violence
Choi Jinhyeok silently observed her and sneered.
"Hey. What are you doing?"
"Mm..." she looked up at him. "So you're here. Mr Noir was it? Could it be that you're the infamous Sovereign in charge of this Floor?"
"So it seems."
"Ahn. What's with that brooding look? Shouldn't you be happy that you survived. By the way, what happened here? Did everyone have a slaughter party while I was away?"
"What does it look like? Anyway, it doesn't matter."
Viper King's gaze swept across the battlefield, taking in the ruins and the scattered remains with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. Her white serpent coiled around her shoulders, resting its head near her collarbone.
"Seems like the Tower's trials have gotten bloodier than usual. I didn't expect this floor to be… well, a graveyard."
Jinhyeok's eyes narrowed. "Playful, are we? Don't act like this is a game. Three hundred and eleven High Rankers died here. You know that, don't you?"
"Oh, I know. And you're the one left standing. Quite impressive, actually. Surviving the 75th Floor is no small feat, even for someone like you."
"Someone like me? It seems you weren't expecting me to survive."
"On the contrary, If anyone was going to survive, I thought it would be you. After all, you're more tactiful compared to the other muscle heads and brutes."
Jinhyeok let out a short, humorless laugh. "Can't say I haven't heard that one before."
Then he exhaled, a faint trace of hopelessness in his sigh.
"Though… I would've preferred if someone else had complimented me."
Viper's eyes narrowed.
"Mr Noir, what could that possibly mean? Surely you're not implying that this Great Me is somehow… beneath your standards?"
"It's your imagination."
"Is it? And why does it sound like you're trying to gaslight me, hmm…"
Jinhyeok fell silent, unsure how to respond. How had she arrived at that conclusion so quickly? Could she be… insecure about her appearance?
Interesting, he thought.
Perhaps noticing his expression, Viper continued to glare at him before finally letting out a small, exasperated sigh.
"Forget all that. What are you planning to do?"
"That's the question. What should I do?"
"Seriously? You don't plan to move on to the next floor? You're the Sovereign here, so no one can enter without your permission."
"Give me time to think. I want to analyze the 76th Floor by myself first."
"Isn't that… dangerous? Aren't you afraid of dying?"
"Of course I don't intend to die anytime soon. But what's the point of standing idle? It would be a waste. We've already come this far."
Viper nodded, her expression serious.
"I see. So that's your decision."
After a moment, her demeanor shifted, and she shrugged casually.
"Well… since you've made up your mind, there's nothing more to argue. By the way… can I take a few bodies with me? For research purposes, of course."
Jinhyeok shot her a sharp look.
"So that's what you're after. Shameless witch. Have a little shame!"
"Oh, Mr Noir, don't act so grim. I'm only taking what's useful. All of it belongs to the Tower now anyway, doesn't it?"
"Whatever. I don't really care. Also, while you're at it, make sure to tell the other Climbers that I will be challenging the 76th Floor alone."
"Yes, oh, Great Lord. Your wish is my command."
"Get lost."
Viper chuckled, and without delay, exitd the 75th Floor.