Chapter 174. The Origin of the Tower

The 60th Floor Administrator, that being of black silhouette, quietly raised his hand and sliced through the air.

-Swish!

With that single gesture, space split open.

“This is not a floor.”

That voice was low and heavy like a deep valley.

What was visible beyond that gap was neither the structure of the Tower nor reality.

It was a space like chaos before all order, the primordial world, a tower before the Tower.

“…What is this?”

I could instinctively feel it. 

That place was different from every floor I had trodden so far.

The foundation upon which the Tower was built—a zone of irrationality where even structural beliefs were not permitted.

“We call this place the Origin Floor.”

The administrator opened his mouth.

The information transmitted through Insight Eye was not mere knowledge; it was the past itself.

The beginning of the Tower. 

It was not of humanity.

The Tower was not made by humans, nor was it a space formed by challengers.

The Tower was a will.

And that will was the remnant left by a being surpassing gods.

That being once awakened at the end of the world and sealed its fragments across 100 floors. 

The Tower was a seal.

Conquering the Tower was resurrecting that will.

“The Tower is not a testing ground.”

“The Tower is a prison.”

“…!”

What I could understand from those words.

“If you climb the Tower… does that mean you are awake?”

“Yes. And that is the reason we exist as Administrators.”

“We are beings who watch so that someone like Nepas cannot open that door, and maintain the seal.”

“But.”

“You broke one of those seals.”

“Kuuwoong!” 

The Origin Floor trembled.

The black sky—illusory stars began to fall.

Beyond the dimensional gap, another gaze was felt.

It was a colossal being I had never experienced before.

No, it was something that even the word “colossal” could not suffice.

And at that moment. 

-Ttuk! 

Time stopped.

I looked ahead. 

The 60th Floor Administrator. 

He too was included in this time stop.

“You have finally arrived, Kim Si-won.”

It was not a voice. It was just a resonance of consciousness shaking the world.

A voice speaking from all directions, a gaze piercing all beings.

The one who climbed this far, the only one.

“…Who are you?”

“Me? No such being exists. I am what was, what will be, and also you.”

Strength flowed into the hand gripping the sword.

I realized it immediately. 

At this moment, I was contacting the formless being at the apex of the Tower.

That being was certainly not a god. 

But also not human.

He is one who seeks to complete himself through the chosen.

“I am the will of all floors. I am the name of the 100th floor and the essence of the 0th floor. I am the beginning and the end. My name is Nepas, and also Kim Si-won.”

“…!”

“The one you tried to oppose? That one was merely a terminal I sent.”

“Now accept it too. Become my tool. And become part of the true Tower.”

At that moment. 

-Jjeojeojeok! 

The 60th Floor Administrator, released from the time domination, lifted his head and shouted.

“Your time is not yet!”

He releases his authority to break that domination.

It was not martial power. It was a battle of authorities to occupy each other’s domain and space.

-Pajijijik! 

Sparks flew from the collision of those authorities.

But.

“You possess potential.”

“Destroy the Tower and release my seal.”

“Then you will become one with me and enjoy eternal glory.”

Before the administrator could intervene, he conveyed his will to me.

When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

The being sealed in the Origin Floor noticed our gaze and was instead approaching me in reverse.

But I merely looked down at my sword silently.

“…Now it’s certain.”

I understood. 

Why Nepas had struggled to reach the Realm of the Unknown.

And why all those ends converged into the Tower.

“You… are the one who created the Twisted Ones.”

The Twisted Ones. 

A general term for those possessing authorities deviating from existing laws, such as dimensional transference, time travel, regression, reincarnation.

At first, I didn’t know why such authorities came into being.

But now, the moment I met the being in the Origin Floor, I could realize.

He was the one who created the Twisted Ones.

And his purpose…

He must have intended to break the Tower’s seal by using the Twisted Ones.

And the one who came closest to that purpose must be Nepas.

“That is correct. I am your creator, and Nepas’s. I am the one who granted you that authority.”

“Your birth, your purpose, is solely to take me out of this prison.”

“Do not deny your reason for existence.”

His will burrowed deep into my mind.

It was closer to a command than a will.

As if I naturally had to follow those words, my heart and will moved on their own.

But.

“…I refuse.”

“Do you intend to resist the meaning of your existence?”

“I have no intention of cooperating with the likes of you.”

“I am not a doll you made.”

“I am… myself.”

Yes. 

It may be true that he created me.

But I chose to remain as myself.

I want to remain as Kim Si-won, not a doll that releases the seal he desires.

That will resisted his will.

-Jjeojeojeok! 

The will that had entangled me, tangled like a spiderweb, shattered.

Only then did I gain freedom.

“Stopping you, and Nepas—that must be my mission.”

The moment I realized my mission, my spiritual will awakened once more.

It was different from before. 

That was inevitable because I had resisted the will that had bound me since my birth.

-Ung-ung-ung! 

The sword rang.

That resonance caused ripples throughout the entire Origin Floor.

“Do you refuse? Do you intend to remain a mere creature, rejecting the glory of eternity?”

“Yes. I deny you.”

“And I am a human who exists to cut you down.”

At that moment. 

-Kukukukukung! 

Black stars poured down and the entire Origin Floor collapsed.

It was the moment the will of the Tower clashed with the will of humanity.

And.

“You will… be annihilated.”

“By my new will, Nepas.”

It vanishes.

The last words he left. It seems Nepas has submitted to him.

Unlike me, Nepas appears to have submitted to the being of the Origin Floor.

That one, so full of confidence, ultimately gave up himself to become the Unknown.

And that meaning…

I must stop him.

I must repair the seal to prevent Nepas from destroying the floors and releasing it.

“You…”

The 60th Floor Administrator looked at me lost in thought.

Although he was merely an illusion, he felt the collapse of the Origin Floor and realized I had resisted that will.

“…Are you going against his will?”

“I am not his tool. I am myself. I am Kim Si-won, the one who stops Nepas, who has become one with him. That is my mission.”

And that was the only way to help humanity to whom I owe a debt.

“I see. I understand your will. Then I too must become a guide on the path you wish to tread.”

The 60th Floor Administrator extended his hand. 

What was held in that hand? 

It was the seal of the 60th floor—a seal engraved with the number 60.

That seal, inscribed with geometric patterns…

“It is the Seal of Domination.”

“Something only those recognized by the Administrator can obtain.”

“It is akin to a kind of voting right.”

I understood everything else instantly. 

But a voting right?

“He is destroying floors. That is clearly to release the seal binding the being of the Origin Floor—Nepas. And what is needed to release that seal are the administrators of each floor and the seals they hold.”

“But he is killing the administrators, isn’t he?”

“If you kill an administrator and destroy a floor, you can obtain the Seal of Destruction. That too counts as gaining a voting right to release the seal.”

“Then I…”

“With the Seal of Domination, for the maintenance and release of the seal, and…”

He swallowed the rest.

“…You will naturally come to know. Recognition and Destruction. The one who gathers both seals can exercise a vote on the seal’s maintenance or release when reaching the summit, the Origin Floor.”

Obtaining voting rights from administrators—whether through their recognition or through the Seal of Destruction gained by eliminating them—makes no difference.

With the voting rights obtained that way, when one later reaches the summit, the Origin Floor, an election will be held on the agenda of maintaining or releasing the seal.

Of course, the only voters are me and Nepas.

Therefore.

‘I must somehow obtain a majority of the voting rights and prevent the seal from being released.’

At that moment, I realized exactly what I had to do.

‘The floor I have climbed so far is the 60th. Even if you add up all the floors, there are only 41 voting rights. But Nepas can obtain a total of 59 voting rights from the 1st to the 59th floor.’

Entering floors I have already passed is impossible even for me now.

Therefore, if time drags on, I am at a disadvantage.

Because the moment he secures 40 or more voting rights, no matter how I struggle, I cannot secure more voting rights than him.

There is only one method.

‘Conquer the 100th floor as quickly as possible.’

Before he conquers 40 or more floors and covets the voting rights I hold.

Thus, to initiate the election and once again seal the being in the Origin Floor.

That was ultimately what I had to do.

It was the only way to stop Nepas and the being in the Origin Floor.

“Surprising.”

And the 60th Floor Administrator looked at me, who was solidifying such resolve, with curiosity.

Surely you were created by him. 

How can it be that you choose the difficult path over the easy one?

He too knew the fact that I was created by the being of the Origin Floor.

Thus, he must have naturally expected me to accept that being’s will.

But the result was the complete opposite.

And that was certainly a difficult path.

He expressed pure curiosity toward me, who voluntarily chose the difficult path, seeking asceticism.

“I have a debt.”

“?”

“A debt toward humanity. Until I repay it, I have no intention of being used by anyone.”

The 60th Floor Administrator, who was silent for a while.

“…I see. Seeing you brings to mind someone I miss.”

At that moment, the atmosphere in the area changed.

The definitely stiff and somewhat awkward atmosphere eased.

The Administrator… was faintly smiling.

As if recalling someone from his memories.

And that must have been the only good memory for him, who lives in eternity.

“If it is you, with that heart that thinks of humanity, I can entrust this floor to you with peace of mind.”

Words that seemed to hint at the end.

And that soon became reality.

The Administrator’s body turned into light powder.

The Seal of Domination is the dominion over the floor. 

The reason an administrator can exist is because they hold such a Seal of Domination.

But because he handed that seal to me, he had no choice but to vanish.

“At last, I can obtain rest.”

Vanishing. 

But that was not an end, but rest and repose.

“May the path you wish to tread, that thorny path, be filled with the guidance of the great one.”

His body, which offered prayer and blessing toward me for the last time…

Completely turned to powder and disappeared.

What remained was only the Seal of Domination of the 60th floor that he had handed over to me.

As if all of that had been an illusion, the entire 60th floor was disappearing.