Chapter 171

[You have entered the 3rd Floor.]

[Humans are social animals. They play different roles in relationships and wear various masks to fit those roles. These masks are called ‘personas.’]

[Consciousness is a collection of countless personas. Remove all personas and open the ‘door.’]

If the Theo on the 2nd floor was like a shadow reflecting his opposite, then...

What awaited him on the 3rd floor was still Theo, but manifested in various forms of himself.

Some had unnaturally large faces, others were giants over 5 meters tall. One wielded a spear instead of a sword, another wore a robe like a magician, and one was as small as a fairy.

“The one with the big face seems plagued by paranoia, given how frightened it looks. The giant must be my physical prowess amplified. The one with the spear? Maybe it represents the possibility of me choosing a different weapon over the sword... It’s fascinating how ‘I’ can take so many forms.”

There were even more diverse forms among them.

Theo clad in the armor of Kriemhild.

Theo with a half-dragon form.

Theo cloaked in dark shadows like the spectral dragon, Yongryong.

‘It seems these forms are visualizations of the abilities classified as in my status window.’

If so, these forms likely represent Theo’s potential perfected in each talent.

Perhaps they even showcased the pinnacle Theo could achieve in his current state.

‘Not bad at all.’

Theo couldn’t help but smile.

Nothing pleased him more than glimpsing the possibility of growth.

[■■■■■ has become ecstatic ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■!]

[■■■■ ■■■■ deeply celebrates!]

[■■■■ welcomes you fervently!]

[Martial gods ■■■■■■■■ overjoyed by ■■■■!]

“...?”

Theo tilted his head at the sudden barrage of garbled messages from the gods, wondering what had prompted their strange reactions. But his attention quickly returned to reality.

The personas had begun to move.

With a flash—

The Theo clad in Kriemhild’s armor and the spear-wielding Theo charged at him first.

Following them, the fairy-like Theo and the magicians began chanting strange spells, snapping their fingers in midair. The half-dragon Theo and the giant swung their swords with overwhelming force.

Boom! Crack!

Lightning bolts rained from the sky, while waves of sword energy ripped through the ground.

In the web of attacks crisscrossing like a dense spider’s web—

Theo let the three swords, Wolbaek, Yongsal, and Yeongmyo, float in the air, imbuing his eyes with spiritual energy.

Hwoooosh!

[The chronograph begins to rewind.]

A faint clock face appeared beneath Theo’s feet, its minute hand slowly ticking.

The world around him suddenly fell silent, as though frozen.

The lightning bolts that had been seconds away from striking him and the deadly sword auras meant to cleave him in half came to a halt.

Of course, time hadn’t fully stopped.

This phenomenon was a byproduct of the accelerated mental state within Theo’s consciousness.

Thanks to it, he could see gaps in the tightly woven barrage of lightning and sword energy.

In that instant, the inspiration from the sword orbs reached its peak, and Theo’s mind went white-hot with clarity.

The gaps he’d spotted connected into lines, which intertwined into planes. Without hesitation, Theo stepped onto one of them.

In this moment, the battlefield lay entirely within Theo’s grasp.

Shiiing!

The three divine swords shot forward.

Flash!

As if the air itself split, the external flow of time resumed its normal pace.

Boom! Crash!

The lightning bolts and sword energy missed Theo by the thinnest margin, striking the floor and walls instead.

With a single step, Theo had rendered every attack null and void, a spectacle of godlike precision.

And then—

Slice!

A sharp sound of cutting echoed.

The personas simultaneously clutched at their necks.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed forth as their bodies fell to the ground, one by one.

Behind them, the three swords vibrated in resonance.

Vwoom! Vwooom!

‘It works.’

The synergy of the divine swords, the Chronograph, and the sword orbs had exceeded even Theo’s expectations, combining into an explosive fusion of techniques.

The result was powerful enough to completely overturn his existing talents.

Hwooosh!

Without hesitation, Theo began ascending to the 4th floor.

[00:08:41]

[00:08:40]

...

Thirty-five seconds.

The time it took Theo to conquer each floor was only getting faster.

***

Torquel was deep in thought.

What should I do?

The aura of Julius had already engulfed the surroundings of the White Tower.

Though Torquel was one of the candidates mentioned to replace the missing dragon, he couldn’t deny that the overwhelming presence of the Black Dragon far surpassed his own, making his skin prickle.

But retreating now would crush the morale of the Black Steel Corps.

Their covert alliance with the Red Blade Knights would crumble, and whispers from the North would brand the Black Steel Corps as inferior to the White Armored Corps.

And after that?

The consequences were obvious.

The other candidates would pounce, tearing him apart.

That cannot happen.

Building a reputation was hard, but watching it collapse took only a moment.

For someone like Torquel, who had prided himself on an unbroken record, backing down here was not an option.

I didn’t want to reveal this… but…!

Torquel’s hesitation lasted only a moment.

With a determined glare, he unleashed the potential he had hidden deep within his aura core.

Boom!

A thunderous roar erupted, drawing the attention of the Black Steel Corps.

“Captain!”

“Captain, are you really…!”

“At last…! We will follow you wherever you lead!”

“No. Not ‘yet.’ But.”

From beneath his black helmet, a sharp, bluish glow escaped.

“I can at least show a portion of it to the Black Dragon.”

Torquel’s rising presence surged outward, pushing back against Julius’s oppressive aura.

To an observer, the clash of their energies seemed almost evenly matched.

Rumble!

Crackle!

As the two forces collided, sparks exploded in all directions.

“You’ve been hiding some impressive strength, I see,” Julius remarked with a curious tilt of his head.

“It was an… unexpected connection.”

“A connection, you say? That’s fine. But if you think this is enough to challenge me, I’m a little disappointed.”

Julius began to swing his sword, condensed with demonic energy so potent it sent chills down the spines of those watching.

Torquel raised his spear high, and the Black Steel Corps instinctively rallied around him.

The Black Dragon’s claws were a fearsome thing.

But then—

Flash!

Suddenly, the second floor of the White Tower lit up.

The bright illumination was so brilliant it seemed as though it sought to banish the darkness of the midnight sky.

The first floor had already been lit, and now the second?

Both Julius and Torquel turned their gazes toward the tower.

The problem didn’t stop there.

Soon after, the third floor lit up. Then the fourth.

“What on earth is happening…?”

The fifth, sixth, and seventh floors followed, each lighting up in sequence.

As the floors continued to light up, the expressions of the Black Steel Corps hardened.

Even their black armor appeared white under the tower’s glow.

“Conquering the mysteries this quickly?”

Torquel had known the truth about the White Tower.

An artifact of the Primordial Dragon, the White Tower was akin to a royal scepter for those who sought the Ragnar throne.

He had assumed unlocking its secrets would take immense effort and time, which was why he had aimed to seize the White Tower’s territory while excluding the locals—even at the cost of a conflict with the White Armored Corps.

Even if it meant turning potential enemies like Julius, the Black Dragon, and the Plum Blossom Palace Lord against him, the prize was worth it.

But if Theo were to claim the artifact inside the White Tower now?

It would be as if Torquel had cooked a meal only for someone else to eat it.

The most pressing issue was the speed at which the floors were being conquered.

The second floor had taken about 40 seconds, the third around 30. Now, the fourth and fifth floors seemed to take even less time.

Even though the difficulty should increase with each level.

Now!

But Julius had no intention of giving Torquel time to think.

He redirected the condensed demonic energy away from Torquel and toward the Red Blade Knights.

Damn it!

Torquel turned his head sharply, realizing too late. The Black Dragon’s claws had already torn through the Red Blade Knights.

“Argh!”

“Ugh!”

The pride of the Winterers, the Red Blade Knights, was instantly shattered, their formation thrown into chaos.

Though the group wasn’t entirely wiped out, cracks had formed in their ranks.

Taking advantage of the situation, Amore and Squad One leaped forward.

“All right, let’s go!”

“Haha! Been waiting for those words!”

“Time to smash those smug bastards!”

The wyverns circling above descended in perfect unison, and the squad mounted them effortlessly, plunging into the Red Blade Knights with devastating effect.

“Secure her!”

It was then that Erica was successfully rescued.

She grasped the hand of Squad One’s vice-captain and quickly mounted a white dragon.

“Mission accomplished!”

“Then let’s fly!”

The white dragons soared into the air, their departure a spectacular sight.

The Red Blade Knights could only watch in vain as their target escaped.

“We can’t fall behind now.”

“Let’s show them who the real strongest in Ragnar is.”

Squads Two, Three, Four, and Five charged forward, mounting their dragons.

The low-altitude flight formations looked like a massive fortress bearing down on the battlefield.

Crash!

Neighhh!

“Hold the reins! Don’t let them through!”

The Black Steel Corps closed ranks tightly, while the White Armored Corps splintered into smaller units to break through the outer lines or scatter their forces.

The Black Steel Corps, known for their defensive tactics, found their strategies turned against them.

Though they resisted admirably, Squad One’s sweeping maneuver encircled their rear, shattering their formation in an instant.

And then—

Boom!

Julius and Torquel clashed in the center of the chaos.

Flash!

At the same time, the eighth floor of the White Tower lit up.

Torquel’s heart raced wildly.

Thump-thump-thump.

I have to do something.

Realizing that the artifact might slip away, Torquel pushed against Julius and tried to turn his mount.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

But Julius pressed forward, clearly unwilling to let Torquel leave.

By this point, Julius seemed content to help Theo conquer the White Tower completely.

“Step aside.”

“I told you. It’s already too late.”

“Then the only thing left is war.”

“You’re gravely mistaken.”

Torquel gritted his teeth and collided head-on with Julius.

Julius, though briefly surprised, smirked coldly.

“This isn’t a war. It’s an uncle teaching a lesson to his insolent nephew.”

Boom!

The explosion reverberated across the battlefield.

The White Armored Corps and the Black Steel Corps—Ragnar’s two proudest forces—collided with full force.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

As the Red Blade Knights joined the fray, the conflict escalated rapidly, casualties mounting.

Then—

Whoosh!

“Leave for a moment, and it turns into chaos!”

“Stop this at once!”

With a lion’s roar, two women descended from the sky.

The Plum Blossom Palace Lord and the Water Lotus Palace Lord.

Each landed between the White Armored Corps and the Black Steel Corps, blocking their paths.

Crash!

At the same time, a figure narrowly deflected Julius’s sword as it aimed for Torquel’s life.

“Magnus.”

“Black Dragon. You owe us a proper explanation for this chaos. Otherwise, both you and Torquel will find your heads displayed outside the barracks.”

Magnus Ragnar, the Phantom Dragon and captain of the Blue Sword Guard, one of the Nine Dragons and a close confidant of Kyle, had arrived.

And then—

“So, the artifact, huh? That’s what Torquel was after. No way I’m letting some brat who hasn’t even come of age claim it.”

“Are you really going?”

“Of course. Wouldn’t it be stranger not to?”

“Fine. Do as you wish. But don’t expect me to take responsibility for this. You’re on your own.”

“Ha. Just don’t regret it later. I’m not sharing the spoils this time.”

“Whatever you say.”

One of the other five candidates, Gishar, slipped quietly into the White Tower, using his specialty in stealth.