Chapter 170

「An envoy of the Pantheon?」

At Lodbrok’s question, the Ceratopsuchus nodded.

「Yes. The Guardians, as you know, are bound by the laws of causality and cannot interfere directly in the mortal realm. However, intermediaries are needed to bridge their will to this world.」

「And you’re that intermediary?」

「Exactly.」

The Ceratopsuchus shifted its gaze to Theo.

「The ‘White’ in White Tower signifies purity, the result of all colors converging into one. In other words, this is a place where the gaze of all the gods in the Pantheon converges.」

“So, gods do exist after all,” Theo remarked.

Given the existence of demigods like Kael and Hilda, Theo never outright denied the possibility of gods. However, he had yet to witness any divine miracles in this world. Religions did exist here, but their influence was negligible, likely because evidence of divine intervention was scarce.

「They do, though they may not resemble the gods you imagine,」 the Ceratopsuchus replied.

“...What do you mean?”

「The common image humans have of gods—omniscient, omnipotent beings—is far from accurate. Most gods lack any concrete form, and their presence aligns more with ■■ ■■■■ and the structure of an idea within ■■■ ■■■■ ■... Hmm, I see my explanation is being filtered. It seems I cannot speak further on the matter.」

The Ceratopsuchus gave a wry smile and rubbed its chin before giving Theo a sly wink.

「Here’s a hint: the things you see are also tied to the Pantheon.」

Theo’s heart raced.

‘He knows about the messages!’

The strange blue messages that no one else could see had always puzzled Theo. Their resemblance to a game system from his previous life had raised countless questions.

And now, the Ceratopsuchus implied they were connected to the Pantheon.

“Does that mean this system is...”

「Ah, I can’t explain further. The filtering will only grow stronger. But as you progress through your ‘cycles,’ you’ll naturally come to understand.」

As Theo tried to ask another question, the Ceratopsuchus raised a clawed hand to stop him.

Lodbrok observed with fascination.

「There’s something here, isn’t there? I knew you were different from other chosen ones.」

Theo clenched his fists.

For the first time, he was certain that the mysteries surrounding himself, his clan, and the artifacts of the Primordial Dragon were all interconnected.

「To summarize, the White Tower is one of the few sanctuaries where the will of the gods can be projected through me.」

Theo listened intently.

「This means that within this place, the gods will observe your every move.」

“The gods... are watching me?”

「Exactly. And—」

Clap!

At the sound of the Ceratopsuchus’s hands coming together, a flurry of message windows appeared behind it.

[■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■.]

[■■■■ ■■■ ■■!]

[■■■■■ ■■■ ■ Enter ■■■■■.]

[Interesting ■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■.]

[■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■. ■■■■■? ■■■■■ ■ ■ ■■■ ■■■■■.]

The messages swirled in and out of existence so quickly that they were dizzying to look at.

「As you can see, many are already you.」

Though Lodbrok couldn’t see the messages, he could sense the weight of their presence and growled.

「What unpleasant eyes.」

Theo also felt a sense of unease, as though sticky, invasive gazes were clinging to him.

It was as if parasites were crawling over his skin.

「Please forgive them. It’s been ages since they’ve had such an intriguing guest. And don’t view them too harshly. The gods will ultimately determine the evaluation and rewards for your upcoming artifact trial.」

「So we’re dealing with benefactors now?」

「That’s a blunt way of putting it, but not entirely wrong.」

「Benefactors, creators, landlords—there’s always someone above you. Well then, let’s make this fun for them, shall we?」

Lodbrok cheerfully waved at the swirling messages.

[Warm welcome ■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■.]

[■■ ■■■■■ ■ ■■■■■. Enjoy! ]

[Delighted ■■■ ■■■■■! ■■■ ■■.]

「They seem thrilled,」 Lodbrok observed with amusement.

「They’re calling it a stellar performance. I must admit, this level of attention is new even to me.」

Though Theo had once thought gods might be emotionless entities, he realized now how passionate and engaged they were.

“Alright, so what’s this trial about?”

In his previous life, Theo knew the White Tower’s mystery had been unlocked. However, he suspected this trial would be different from what he’d heard back then.

「It’s a test of self-exploration.」

“Self-exploration?”

「Yes. You’ll delve into your subconscious, your genetic memory, and even the collective unconscious to uncover your ‘roots.’」

The Ceratopsuchus ran a claw along the wall as it explained.

「The ‘white’ of the tower represents not only the gods but also the essence of your soul. Ascending the tower is, paradoxically, a journey downward, toward your foundations.」

Ding!

[Guardian Kerato offers you a self-exploration trial. Reflect on your past, examine your soul, and unearth its secrets.]

[Warning: The subconscious is a vast and treacherous world. If you delve too deeply and fail to emerge, you risk mental collapse. Proceed with caution.]

「The tower consists of thirteen floors. Each floor you ascend will determine your evaluation and rewards. Will you accept the trial?」

Without hesitation, Theo nodded.

He had resolved to collect all the artifacts. Giving up was not an option.

The Ceratopsuchus smiled.

「A wise choice. Let’s begin.」

With another clap, the Ceratopsuchus disappeared, and the White Tower began to shift.

The spiral staircase along the walls collapsed inward, forming a single path leading directly to Theo. A red carpet unfurled along the steps, as though inviting him to ascend.

Lodbrok issued a warning:

「Be careful. The subconscious is not to be underestimated. The rules of this world won’t apply there. Logic may turn on its head.」

Theo smirked.

“There’s one thing you don’t know about me, Loddy.”

「What’s that?」

“Unreasonable things are kind of my specialty.”

Carrying memories of Earth, living in a fantasy world, and enduring a cycle of regression—what could be more unreasonable than that?

Theo ascended to the second floor.

As he stepped through the shimmering curtain of light, Lodbrok’s form vanished from view.

The moment coincided with the light illuminating the first floor of the White Tower in the outside world.

Whoosh!

[Entering Floor 2.]

In the expansive marble chamber ahead, a man sat cross-legged with his back to Theo.

He wore all black, in stark contrast to Theo’s white attire. His short white hair was the opposite of Theo’s long black locks.

The man remained motionless, seemingly lost in deep thought, even as Theo approached.

A notification rang out.

[To enter the unconscious realm, you must first pass through the door of consciousness.]

[Defeat yourself to open the door.]

The man stood slowly, turning to face Theo.

His eyes glowed a vibrant blue.

His face was identical to Theo’s—like looking into a mirror.

Bang!n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The blue-eyed Theo launched forward, dual-wielding a white Moonlit Blade and a black Dragonslayer Sword.

Clang!

Theo barely managed to block the strike with his own matching blades.

The force confirmed one thing: this doppelgänger was his equal in every way—strength, skill, and technique.

“Interesting,” Theo muttered.

When would he ever get the chance to face himself like this?

While Theo grinned, his blue-eyed counterpart remained emotionless.

[All buffs active.]

[Time limit: 10 minutes.]

[Countdown begins.]

Thud, thud, thud!

Theo’s heart and core resonated as they pumped fiercely. The activation of his Dragonborn Mode took longer than before, but it was more powerful. As his transformation completed, Theo released both the Moonlit Blade and the Dragonslayer Sword from his hands.

‘If this thing truly mirrors my skills and abilities, then a direct clash won’t get me anywhere. In that case…!’

Theo decided to put into practice a new battle style he had been conceptualizing.

The outcome would be all or nothing.

But Theo was willing to bet everything on the “all.”

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Moonlit Blade and the Dragonslayer Sword shot through the air, seemingly on their own.

From his waist, the Ethereal Sword detached itself from its scabbard and joined the others in midair.

The three swords spiraled together before diving toward the blue-eyed Theo.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each impact drove the blue-eyed Theo backward, embedding one sword after another into the ground. Dust clouds erupted as the floor cracked beneath the force.

By the time the blue-eyed Theo evaded the last sword, he found himself backed against a wall.

There was no escape.

Shing!

Theo seized the opening, drawing Drake’s Fang and charging forward.

The blue-eyed Theo twisted his body to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. Theo’s sword slammed into the wall, embedding itself deeply.

“Not so fast.”

Using the embedded blade as leverage, Theo propelled himself along the wall, dragging the sword with him.

Crack!

The wall fractured under the force, sending debris flying. Amid the chaos, arcs of lightning illuminated the room.

Boom!

Thunder roared as a wave of lightning surged toward the blue-eyed Theo.

He dove to the ground, rolling away just as Drake’s Fang sliced through the air where he had been moments before.

But Theo wasn’t done.

The three swords embedded in the floor rose back into the air, guided by Theo’s Ethereal Swordplay.

Though he had previously relied on short-range Death Beat techniques, his vastly improved mana control now allowed him to manipulate even long swords with precision.

And the resulting Thunder Dragons were—

Crackle!

Far beyond anything he had unleashed before.

Roar!

Three enormous and ferocious lightning dragons surged forth, their maws agape as they pursued the blue-eyed Theo.

The Moonlit Blade was merciless.

Carrying the essence of a griffin’s savagery, it crushed everything in its path as it chased its prey.

Crash!

The blue-eyed Theo’s greatsword shattered under its assault, leaving him visibly shaken.

The Dragonslayer Sword was sharp.

Like the swordsmanship of Kriemhild, it was so fast that the blue-eyed Theo couldn’t even react.

Slash!

Blood sprayed as his right arm was severed, sent spinning into the air.

Grimacing, the blue-eyed Theo staggered backward. Lightning crackled around his remaining hand as he prepared to cast magic.

A Lightning Bolt formed, illuminating the entire floor with its blinding radiance.

But Theo’s Ethereal Sword countered effortlessly.

The Thunder Dragon coiled, its breath unleashing a torrent of energy that bent the bolt’s trajectory, driving it upward to rake the ceiling.

The blue-eyed Theo was flung back by the resulting shockwave.

When he finally hit the ground, his body was charred, with more than half of it destroyed.

His once-handsome face was disfigured by burns, a grotesque shadow of its former self.

Yet the dominant emotion on his face wasn’t pain or anger—it was confusion.

“Wondering why you’re losing, even though we’re supposed to be evenly matched?” Theo asked.

The blue-eyed Theo’s back pressed against something hard. He looked up to see the real Theo standing over him, gazing down with cold eyes.

“Unlike you, I don’t stay the same. I change, evolve. That’s the difference.”

The blue-eyed Theo tried to say something.

But Theo didn’t wait.

Slash!

Drake’s Fang cut through his neck in one clean motion.

Blood gushed in a crimson arc, and with it, the stairs to the third floor revealed themselves.

Wasting no time, Theo sprinted toward them.

‘I’ll climb one floor every minute.’

[00:09:17]

[00:09:16]

...

43 seconds.

That’s all it took for Theo to kill another version of himself.