Chapter – 59
✠
Day after day repeated, and the tutorial period passed quickly.
By the time I reached the tenth autumn since being possessed, I had successfully cleared the 297th floor of the Trial Tower. Only three floors remained.
It had been six and a half years since the Trial Tower had been updated.
I had spent almost my entire life inside the Tower.
Thanks to diligent seclusion and training, I had entered the top ten strongest on the continent without even invoking divine descent.
I had mastered the unique skill of the Sacred Robe Sword and the techniques Agnes taught me, and my mother had passed on a special method of Aura manipulation.
It was said to be a traditional conversational technique handed down through the Hispensil family—but to be precise, it was more like an ancient form of rhetoric.
I had also completed alchemy production, and when I returned to my room, the full moon hung high in the sky outside.
After washing, I stood in front of the mirror drying my wet hair.
My reflection, just past adulthood, appeared in the mercury-coated glass.
Long pink hair, delicate features, and peridot-colored eyes framed by sharp yet gentle eyelids…
I couldn’t help but think…
“Hmm, not bad.”
Satisfied, I instinctively lifted my chin with my thumb and forefinger.
[‘The Wordsmith Who Constructs Worlds’ feels proud that you’ve grown so well.]
[‘The Critic Who Balances Scales’ says your appearance is average for a possessed body.]
[‘The Administrator of Creative Economies’ sighs, lamenting that the standardization prevents selling a physical appearance change ticket.]
Seeing my grown-up self made the passage of time feel even more real.
“Only six months left, huh.”
Six months until the original story begins.
[‘The Omniscient Inspector’ groans at the thought of rampaging like a colt and breaking the original story right after finishing the tutorial.]
[‘The Wordsmith Who Constructs Worlds’ yells at the story obsessive to calm down.]
While the inspector’s nagging was blocked by the Wordsmith, I polished my sword.
My careful hands traced the hilt of a white sword accented in gold and pale sky blue.
This sword was Serpens, the Sacred Robe Sword I obtained after defeating the 276th-floor boss, Empyrium.
I had spent three days and nights in the Rare Ma-Dragon’s lair deliberating over it, so among Sacred Robe Swords, I proudly claimed it to be the finest.
“Heheh.”
A smile slipped out naturally. A cross pendant chimed, and Agnes asked to confirm.
<In six months, you’ll finally be able to leave the White Residence, right?>
“Yes.”
<Once you leave, what will you do first?>
“Go see Gou… I mean, find Tesillid first.”
<Oh? You really want to see him? Could he be your first love?>
“No, it’s not that.”
After returning, he was destined to be killed by the mastermind, so I needed to find him quickly and heal him.
[‘The Scales of the Soul’ likes your plan to meet the most handsome in the world first.]
[‘The Eye That Watches All Chaos’ asks if you also have Bianca.]
Alright. Enough.
“I should sleep early if I’m climbing the Tower tomorrow too.”
I turned off the lights and crawled under the blankets.
[‘The Architect of the Trial Tower’ wonders if you could finally take it easy for a bit.]
Had I been working too hard? Even the Architect, devoted to physical training, was recommending rest for the first time.
‘Better conquer the 300th floor quickly and prepare to leave the White Residence.’
Showing firm resolve, I closed my eyes. It was already past midnight, and sleep came easily.
It must be early morning in the Church Kingdom.
I hoped that, even after a rough time before returning, he was sleeping peacefully and dreaming well.
✠
“…”
He stood alone in a canyon under pouring rain.
The image that had barely held the sword in place finally collapsed.
His body fell into the mud, pierced by cold, sharp raindrops.
All around him were corpses. Too many for a B-rank dungeon casualty.
And at the center of the canyon, an unfamiliar summoning circle drawn by demons. This was also not something typical of a B-rank dungeon.
Yet the known data listed it as B-rank, and the Church Authority had dispatched Tesillid alone to this place, the ‘Valley of Heretics’. As a result…
Tesillid raised his arm to cover his eyes. A demon whispered into his ear.
<Behold, the corpses of the heretics. All your doing.>
“…”
<The Church Authority must be proud. You’ve prevented the ritual that would expand the Demon King’s territory by exterminating heretics in the dungeon. Truly a commendable achievement.>
“…”
<So… how does it feel to be a hero? The paragon of ‘strict order and virtue’.>
Tesillid spat his words.
“…Shut up.”
The arm inscribed with a sacred mark burned hot.
A divine inscription changing from humility to pride. Even amidst this, the sacred power continued to fall according to the Seven Deadly Sins—a paradox at its finest.
Tesillid removed the arm shielding his eyes.
Eyes icy as the frozen North Sea stared into the void.
“I will kill you, Carpeios.”
The named demon laughed.
Carpeios, ruler of Sanarak and the second-ranked Demon King of the demon realm, responded.
<Try if you must, silver cattle.>
Chapter 13. Architect, Write a Report
All around me stretched a sea of mist.
The small boat I was in cut through the calm waters of the Windless Sea. I focused on the sensations the environment offered.
A blurred view. The lapping of waves. The briny dampness on my skin. Every inhale felt as though I were breathing in someone else’s breath—unpleasant, thick with fog.
“It’s coming.”
An anomaly struck the once-calm sea. Furious waves surged from all directions. It wasn’t the wind’s doing.
After enduring a soaking and holding my ground on the small boat for a long while, I finally sensed the water calm a little and lifted my head. A massive shadow loomed in the fog.
Whoosh.
The ruler of the foggy sea looked down at me with hollow eyes.
It was the upper body of a beautiful giantess. Where her ears should have been, there were fins, and scaly traces marked her skin.
Cradling a giant harp, she resembled a siren. It was easy to imagine her lower body hidden beneath the water as that of a mermaid—but…
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Her thrashing lower body slammed the water mercilessly. It was an endlessly long serpent-like body.
Her name was “Cursed Undytsiel”, the boss of the 298th floor of the Tower of Trials.
With a whip of her tail, the sea went into a frenzy.
<“Eyelet.”>
“Don’t worry, Agnes.”
I held onto the mast and braced against the waves. Luckily, this field provided a “self-righting small boat.”
Still, keeping balance was entirely up to me. Thanks to the past two months of intense balance training, I was ready.
No sooner had the waves subsided than her writhing body surged at me from all directions. Thick enough that three adults holding each other wouldn’t suffice, intent on crushing me.
“……”
I couldn’t lose the boat. I leapt first toward Undytsiel.
Dodging her chain attacks as she tried to coil around and strike me, I used her writhing body as stepping stones to climb upward.
Another part of her body tried to hit me again, but I deflected it with Serpense. Thick scales flaked off where my blade struck.
“Screeech!”
<Looks like that hurt.>
Undytsiel tried to swipe me off the edge. I tumbled backward to evade, but disaster struck.
Crack!
“Ah, no.”
The “self-righting small boat” had broken.
<Again?>
“Let’s continue.”
<What are you planning?>
“There’s a way. Just watch.”
I lightly stepped onto the floating planks of the wreckage. Undytsiel had already drawn some distance, holding her harp.
Aaaah!
The deep-sea siren began singing and playing. Undytsiel was a magic-wielding beast, classified as a Sono-Mancer, a sorcerer who manipulates sound.
I immediately responded.
“Blessing of Protection.”
[<System> Intermediate Skill ‘Blessing of Protection Lv.18 (+10)’ activates.]
Though my auxiliary skills were low level, combined with my internal aura, it was enough to protect my ears. Undytsiel hadn’t specifically targeted my eardrums anyway.
[<System> Warning. ‘Catastrophic Wave’ incoming.]
A massive wall of water rose, high enough to blot out the sky.
Sigh… she’s using that skill again.
I glanced around. Only wreckage floated on the water.
For land-dwelling beings, having nothing solid to stand on was a huge disadvantage. Floating was solely a magician’s domain.
I wiped cold sweat and muttered in regret.
“Ah, if only I could use Divine Descent now.”
<Inhale.>
“Yes. Huuuh!”
A violent explosion swept over me.
The natural disaster Undytsiel summoned engulfed me, a force capable of destroying everything in its path. The boat debris turned to dust from the impact.
As my body was about to be swept away, I saw her smile, convinced of victory.
But she wouldn’t be smiling after the wave subsided.
Whoooosh…
The catastrophic wave calmed, and peace returned to the water. I walked across the surface casually.
Undytsiel’s expression twisted in shock. Understandably so.
Beneath my feet was a silver fortress, the ultimate skill “Wall of Mercury.”
<So this is how you can use the barrier…>
The Wall of Mercury loomed like a silver Great Wall in the middle of the sea. My skill level had risen enough to achieve this.
I greeted the stunned Undytsiel with a cheeky salute.
“Welcome to my castle, sister.”
Her beautiful face twisted in fury. She was the ruler here.
It was natural for her wrath to explode; I had dared to build a castle in her domain.
Aaaah!
“Saved me the trouble of provoking you.”
Undytsiel raised her voice from the depths and charged.
She came from the front, while catastrophic waves approached from the remaining three sides.
I channeled aura into Serpense. Undytsiel was originally a sacred spirit, resistant to holy power, so I had to use aura instead.
The three-sided waves were blocked by the Wall of Mercury. I left the front open for Undytsiel.
“Welcome, I said.”
I stood at the tip of the wall, waiting for her charge.
Crash!
Bracing against waves that could make the sea itself thrash, I swung my sword. Undytsiel wildly clawed at me, but her ferocious nails never touched me.
After a long skirmish, our claws and blades gritted against each other in a tense standstill. She then opened her massive mouth, revealing sharp fangs.
Aaaah!
A sonic breath engulfed me. For an ordinary person, this vibration would have shattered their body. But for me—
“Watch your spit.”
