First Awakened.
That is, there is a major trait shared by Bingija who have possessed themselves into the world of Ventair.
They hardly ever use weapons that require moving their bodies directly, like spears or swords, for close combat.
The reason is simple.
It’s dangerous.
And they simply don’t have the talent for it.
No matter how many skills and traits they possess, would they ever have swung a sword or spear their whole life?
Skills and traits are not omnipotent.
Besides, even those start off randomly, and you need Fame to develop them.
It’s only natural that most First Awakened are made up of those with supernatural powers who push their skills to the limit.
Of course, it wasn’t as if nobody used them.
Some Bingija, captivated by the romance of being a knight or because the random traits and skills they received suited close combat weapons, wielded swords or spears as well…
But now, most of them are dead or crippled.
Those barely surviving realized the impossibility and had no choice but to change directions with tears in their eyes.
A stark contrast to the Awakened of the outside world.
Here, there were no stages or gates like the outside, and the methods of growing stronger were completely different.
Even the strength of the monsters here was on another level, so even if you obtained a skill, what then after you used it?
You had to swing your sword and kill the enemy yourself, relying purely on your own abilities.
So the decline of close combat weapons among Bingija was a naturally occurring phenomenon.
Which makes it stand out all the more.
Rank 2: Antiphus Praman.
The only one among the First Awakened still using the sword—the last swordsman.
The privilege of being Rank 2 played a part, but reaching the position of Chief of the Capital Knights of the Imperial Second Knights Division was solely thanks to his own effort and outstanding capability.
“…So Antiphus suddenly resigned from his post and left the Imperial Court.”
Antiphus left the Knights.
Well, it wasn’t an entirely unexpected situation.
‘What reason did a Bingija like him have to serve the Empire and be bound to the Imperial Family?’
I figured he had a purpose, and that once it was done, he would leave without hesitation.
That’s why I advised Sylvia to simply watch from the sidelines.
Although he left after showing off more strength than necessary to Royal Knight Damon, Antiphus, in his own way, left quietly.
He too would not want to become a criminal hunted by the Empire.
“Looks like Antiphus is going to begin his own assault in earnest now.”
While he was tied to the Imperial Family, Daphne had taken the lead in the assault.
I don’t know the exact order or rules among them, but with Antiphus joining, a lot will change.
“It’s time we prepared, too.”
“Yeah. We should.”
I set down my teacup and lifted my head to see Sylvia sitting demurely.
“But Hio, you look a bit tired today?”
“A bit… something happened to make me that way.”
That something was having to pry off a clinging Airlights.
Hio could use the Tower of Mages’ portal to go directly to Imenia, but Airlights couldn’t.
So I told her to wait at home, but she just wouldn’t listen…
Well, somehow she’s probably waiting quietly at home now anyway.
“Anyway, how are preparations going?”
“Since this is our first time entering from our side, we’re trying to be as thorough as possible. Thanks to you, Hio, we’ve gathered a lot of information, but… still, I’m anxious.”
“You’re not planning to cooperate with the Bingija?”
“For now, yes. Eventually, we’ll need to join forces with them, but for now, I want to keep my distance and observe.”
“That’s perfectly understandable. I get it.”
From the moment she first heard about the Bingija from Hio, Sylvia never trusted them.
‘Why would those powerful ones from another world risk their lives to protect a place that’s not their own?’
And as expected, there had been that mass logout incident on the previous 51st Floor, proving Sylvia’s point.
“They’ll know the Empire is on the move as well. The fact that they’re not acting means they probably feel the same.”
For now, both sides will move separately on this 52nd Floor and assess each other’s necessity.
The Empire will need the group of powerful Bingija.
And the Bingija will eventually need the Empire’s vast and overwhelming military might.
So this 52nd Floor will be a chance for each side to probe and confirm mutual trust.
With the new Empress, Sylvia Verden, able to see souls, it’s impossible to hide being a Bingija like before.
Ultimately, it means all will be revealed and both sides will have to cooperate.
Depending on how each shows themselves on this floor, the difficulty of future assaults will surely change.
“In a week, the floor will open. We’ll first send a vanguard to identify the type…”
There was one week left.
And still much to do in the meantime.
***
The headquarters of the adventurers’ guild led by Daphne.
This place, once the center of the Abyss assault, was now deep in another meeting.
The difference from before was that the number of attendees had plummeted.
But in their place, as it were,
The quality of those present had soared.
“It’s been a while since we’ve all met face-to-face. Two years, perhaps?”
All the top five rankers, except Hio and Airlights, were present.
“We gathered much sooner than expected. Originally, you, Daphne, were supposed to handle the lower floors, I’d build up political standing, and Antiphus would strengthen himself—that was the rough plan.”
Sirbert von Ernhem, finally venturing out from the academy.
Known as Korean Nam Tae-min in Korea, he’s the fifth-ranked high-ranker.
At his words, Daphne’s head nodded slightly.
“No one predicted the assault would get so difficult so quickly. The 51st Floor was the turning point. Those who didn’t experience the upheaval of the 50th Floor fell apart on the 51st.”
That was why the meeting room was empty.
Bingija, who directly faced the true terror of the Abyss, had fled en masse.
The instinct to live outweighed any sense of duty to save the world.
“Those guys needed to be weeded out eventually. Fewer people, but we’ve grown tougher.”
‘Who likes cowards who run when their lives are on the line?’
With them gone, those remaining will have an even harder time.
In that sense, those gathered here were the ones who fought to the very end on the 51st Floor.
Even excluding Sirbert and Antiphus, who didn’t join the assault and waited as reserves, this was still a formidable force.
Rankers within the top 100, those who decided to see the assault through to the end.
They were not simply lucky to get here—they had proved their worth.
Their numbers, roughly thirty.
Antiphus looked around at them, then slowly parted his heavy lips.
“So.”
With thick arms crossed.
“Where is Jijoncheonma?”
The name he sought, carrying a greatsword larger than himself on his back, was Jijoncheonma.
In his low, calm, and emotionless voice, the air in the room grew heavy.
All at once, every sound stopped, and a tense silence descended.
The absence of even the tiniest noise meant that everyone stopped moving and tensed up at the same time.
The reason was simple.
Antiphus’s madness-tinged obsession with Jijoncheonma had been famous since the days when this was just a game.
Unlike Airlights’ obsession, it was a different kind, a different nature.
Silent, but heavier than anything else—a quiet madness.
The one to break that brief tension and oppressive silence was Sirbert von Ernhem—Nam Tae-min.
“We all knew he wouldn’t show up for this meeting. Looks like he’s moving with the Empire.”
Even as he spoke casually, Sirbert realized he was unconsciously tense.
It’s different.
Antiphus Praman—this encounter was unlike any before.
It was the feeling you get when facing a true high-ranking knight. The pressure came through, solid and unwavering.
In the two years since, Antiphus had become no different from a real knight.
And when you considered his privileges and skills… your hands would clench without realizing.
“The Empire is entirely out of our hands. The Imperial Princess… no, with the Emperor’s power, the Empire is now moving as one, and there’s no way for us to squeeze in. So all we can do is leave that side to Jijoncheonma.”
Maintaining his tension, Sirbert continued.
There was no room to squeeze into the Empire’s political sphere anymore.
In some ways, that’s a good thing, but in others, it’s unsettling.
It’s good that the Empire—a massive entity—has united before destruction, but who knows what might happen since they’re outside our control.
Whatever magic they worked, the political sphere of the Empire was now impossible to interfere with, so Antiphus and Sirbert had to join the assault in earnest.
“If Cheonma is moving with the Empire, it’s likely we’ll have to act on our own. No need to overthink Jijoncheonma. We’ll do as we always have and just consider the Empire a powerful new ally.”
That was Daphne’s line, and it was the key point.
“We’ve lost his trust, after all.”
The failed assault on the 51st Floor.
The 51st Floor, of all things.
There are countless more floors to go, yet they failed and showed pathetic unity at the very start of the second half.
‘Jijoncheonma, in his rage, spoke directly to the camera, didn’t he?’
All of them—fools whose reputation far exceeded their actual ability. He would watch them personally, he said.
He was not a man to make empty threats. He would definitely participate in this assault.
“We must prove ourselves.”
So, in a way, this is the Testimony Layer.
A floor to prove the true strength of top rankers.
A floor to show off that ability and unity.
Of course—
“Prove ourselves, huh.”
At least one person took those words differently.
“That’s quite the interesting thing to say.”
***
One week left.
A muddy darkness flickered in Antiphus’s eyes.
One week.
‘If Hio finished preparations to reach the 4th Circle and advanced to 4th Circle while handling other tasks—then now, being ready for 5th Circle, if he set aside everything and focused solely on reaching 5th Circle, how much time would it take?’
‘Who knows… This is such an unusual case, it’s impossible to predict. Never thought there’d be a day when I’d worry about whether it’s possible to form the fifth Circle in just a week.’
Having finished his long talk with Sylvia, he returned immediately to the Tetradia Magic Tower.
Now that he had learned two divine spells, it was time to ascend to the 5th Circle.
“If possible, I’d like to reach the 5th Circle before entering the 52nd Floor…”
“Don’t rush it. Even if you manage it, you won’t have time to master new magic.”
“Sure, maybe he could somehow manage to form the fifth Circle, but a week was far too short to learn the magic of the 5th Circle.”
Of course, forming one more Circle was significant in itself, bringing stability, casting speed, and power…
“Shame. There’s so much I want to learn.”
The reason he picked only the essential spells up to the 4th Circle was so that, from now on, he could learn as many spells as possible.
The 5th Circle is the level where you go beyond Magician to become a Master Magician.
Magic he had never been able to learn until now—Chronomancy, blood magic, shadow magic.
And the power of elemental magic would be enough to alter the course of battle.
“For now, let’s learn as quickly as possible.”
Reach the 5th Circle within a week.
And if possible, master at least one 5th Circle spell before entering the 52nd Floor.
With that as the goal, a week of seclusion training began.