Chapter 131: The New Savior (3)

Seizing control of the First Floor.

It was only natural.

I had conquered the First Floor on Very Hard difficulty, and the message mentioned the difficulty was Incomprehensible. 

Since he cleared it on an even higher difficulty, it was only natural for him to take control of the First Floor.

The problem was…

‘Non-affiliated…’

It was the affiliation of the opponent revealed in the message.

Not South Korea, the United States, or even the Demon Clan—he was non-affiliated.

Literally, it meant he had no affiliation.

It meant he belonged to a new species that did not belong to any existing group.

Speaking of a new species…

‘Salmora.’

It was clearly that guy’s doing.

I didn’t know before, but I knew clearly now.

I knew what Salmora’s goal was.

‘That guy, he was obsessed with creating a new species. The most perfect species.’

The blood of the Demon King.

The Rank of the gods.

Even the reason he had me participate in his experiments was that I possessed qualities close to those of a perfect species.

After researching all of that, it seemed he had finally approached success.

Seeing as he had created a new species that wasn’t bound by anything.

And the fact that he had completed a new species meant…

‘It’s only a matter of time.’

Once he judged it to be perfect after several experiments, he would target me and the Earth.

To verify the skills of the perfect species he had created.

And the subject of comparison could only be me.

Because he had…

‘He—he. You’re similar to the most nearly perfect species I can imagine. Truly amazing. Mysterious!’

***

He had not spared any praise, saying I was close to the perfect species he envisioned.

Therefore, he would naturally carry out an attack against me for the sake of that comparison.

And that was proven through the message that followed.

[Administrator Altain of the First Floor has applied entry conditions.]

[All Awakeners from South Korea are barred from entering the First Floor.]

He had targeted South Korea, the country I belonged to.

It was no different from a declaration of war.

A declaration that he would soon attack me and the South Korea I belonged to.

“This is getting interesting.”

The current message was likely delivered to him as well.

To Leon, who was currently conquering the First Floor.

The First Floor.

Leon had become like an adventurer dropped into a Goblin Lair.

And along with it…

[Non-affiliated Altain has passed the First Floor on Incomprehensible difficulty.]

[Altain replaces Kim Si-won, the previous Very Hard difficulty conqueror, as the Ruler of the Tower.]

[Altain has been appointed as the Administrator of the First Floor of the Tower.]

[According to the Administrator’s authority, no one in the world can access the First Floor until entry conditions are applied.]

The messages rang out.

Fortunately, since it was applied after Leon had already entered, he wouldn’t be kicked out or anything like that.

But…

“It looks like I’m going to be compared without exception.”

The problem was that someone had just passed not on Very Hard, but on Incomprehensible difficulty.

Even if he passed the Very Hard difficulty he had chosen, it would inevitably pale in comparison.

No.

‘Master will scold me.’

Being scolded wasn’t the only problem.

Master’s control over the First Floor had been snatched away by someone else.

As a disciple, how could he stand by and let someone tarnish his Master’s reputation?

“I must, I definitely must…”

Reclaim the control of the First Floor and he would strike back at the one who disgraced his Master’s honor by setting restrictions.

Leon.

Actually, it hadn’t been long since he met Kim Si-won.

Even though he called him Master, he hadn’t received formal teachings yet, and they were still in an awkward stage.

Yet, he showed an obsession as if they had been together for a long time.

This was because Leon’s ego had only recently formed and was still immature.

Animals recognize the first being they see when they are young as their mother.

Of course, the first one Leon saw was Salmora, but he had abandoned the youngling.

No matter how immature his ego was, there was no way he wouldn’t notice he had been abandoned.

So, he recognized Kim Si-won as his parent, his Master, and his only sanctuary.

That was why he showed hostility and anger toward anything that harmed his Master, Kim Si-won.

And it was the same this time.

‘I will definitely pass on a difficulty higher than Incomprehensible and reclaim control.’

His brain began to work to reclaim his Master’s control.

‘The clear condition for Very Hard is to deal with the Hobgoblins.’

The objective for the First Floor on Very Hard difficulty was simple.

[Trial Achievement Objectives]

[★☆☆: Escape the Goblin Lair and survive!]

[★★☆: Escape the Goblin Lair within one hour!]

[★★★: Defeat all Goblins and Hobgoblins in the Goblin Lair!]

It was to deal with all the Goblins and then the Hobgoblins that appeared afterward.

But that was limited to Very Hard.

To clear a difficulty higher than that…

‘I have to deal with more than just Hobgoblins.’

Normally, he would have to move busily.

Because he had grasped the structure that more powerful bosses would appear only if he dealt with the Goblins quickly.

Of course, his Master had told him that.

The opponent likely didn’t know such information.

Nevertheless, if the opponent had passed the Incomprehensible difficulty, then he, who was receiving his Master’s help, should naturally conquer an even higher difficulty.

He expanded his senses.

As if casting a spiderweb, his energy began to surround the entire Goblin Lair.

‘One, two…’

Things caught in his senses.

Those were the various Goblins.

Young ones, adults, the nannies taking care of the Nursery Room, and even the Hobgoblins hiding somewhere.

He could even sense the Goblins that would normally only appear after other Goblins were killed.

However…

‘Not yet.’

There was definitely more.

He sharpened his senses even further through mental concentration.

Through that, he was able to identify something hidden in the Goblin Lair, something someone had intentionally concealed.…

‘Got you!’

That was likely…

‘The Goblin Chief.’

He didn’t know why he knew that information.

Perhaps it was included in the memories and information Salmora had implanted.

What was important wasn’t information about the guy.

It was the existence of the Goblin Chief.

Perhaps that guy was a hidden existence that only appeared on Incomprehensible difficulty.

No, he was almost certain.

But no path to reach the Goblin Chief was visible.

The guy was likely…

‘Arranged to appear only when certain conditions are met.’

He couldn’t reach him.

In that case, did he have to aim for Incomprehensible as well?

‘No.’

Of course not.

Master always said that ‘impossible’ did not exist in his dictionary.

And that ‘giving up’ was just a word used when counting cabbage.

Therefore, he did not think of impossibility or giving up.

Will and determination.

If he had those, there was nothing he couldn’t achieve.

The very moment one sets a limit is the moment it truly ends.

‘There are… no limits for you.’

He pondered according to the words of his Master, who said there were no limits.

He meditated.

He thought about how he could elevate this trial to an even higher level.

The conclusion he finally reached…

‘Will extends infinitely. There is nothing that cannot be resolved with will.’

His physical body couldn’t reach the Goblin Chief, but his will could.

Hadn’t he already identified the Goblin Chief’s location through the senses of that will?

Then the answer was surprisingly simple.

“KILL!”

He infused his will with killing intent.

And that will became a sharp sword.

-Stab, stab-stab-stab!

It pierced every being caught in his senses.

At that moment…

“Thump, thud!”

The sounds of things collapsing were heard from all over.

The Goblins, unable to withstand the killing intent embedded in his will, were slaughtered all at once.

It was the same for the Goblin Chief.

The guy, who was in a completely different area, also had his heart burst from the killing intent and died.

‘Will is another pair of hands and feet. By using it, one can cut, stab, and slash.’

He had realized the words his Master had spoken.

“As expected!”

None of his Master’s words were wrong.

Following those words and teachings changed the impossible into the realm of the possible.

And because of that…

[You have annihilated the Goblins.]

[You have defeated the Hobgoblins.]

[You have defeated the Goblin Chief.]

[Two Goblins holding the cores of the seal have fallen.]

[The Goblin who was sealed long ago finally reveals itself.]

[Difficulty has been changed: Very Hard —> Nightmare —> Trials —> Blood Sea —> Incomprehensible —> Eldritch]

By killing even the Goblin Chief at once, the difficulty skyrocketed.

“Rumble!”

The lair, the home of the Goblins, began to collapse.

No, it wasn’t collapsing.

“Crash!”

The ground turned over, and something special began to appear in the lair.

That was…

“A castle?”

Surprisingly, it was a castle.
Of course, since it was built by Goblins, it wasn’t very sophisticated or grand.

The problem was the form of a castle.

Goblins, who have the habit of living in caves, building a castle for someone?

That proved that the being living there possessed great power and immense strength.

And…

“Thank you.” A voice echoed throughout the lair, “I am the Goblin Lord, sealed by those idiots. An absolute being who had no choice but to sleep for a long time because they feared my power and authority.”

“To express my gratitude for your act of awakening me…”

The voice paused for a moment.

Gratitude for the act?

No.

“…I shall grant you a painless death, human.”

With those words…

“Creeeeeak”

The castle gates opened.

“Thump!”

What revealed itself was a massive being that couldn’t be thought of as a Goblin.

“Thud, thud—”

The being, which made the ground tremble every time it moved, was uniquely a Goblin with golden skin.

Its stature exceeded 3 meters, and its appearance was different from a normal Goblin.

‘An Ogre hybrid.’

Surprisingly, it was not a normal Goblin but an impossible hybrid.

A hybrid of a Goblin and an Ogre.

It was nonsensical.

It had to be, because Ogres are apex predators that perceive Goblins as prey.

Yet such a hybrid had been born?

That meant…

‘The result of an experiment, like my father—no, like Salmora’s.’

Someone must have released a Goblin-Ogre hybrid here for the sake of an experiment.

And its power was overwhelming enough to rule the Goblin race.

However, he had no choice but to be sealed.

Why?

‘Because he would have inherited the cruel habits of an Ogre.’

As mentioned before, Goblins are one of the Ogre’s food sources.

And it was the same for the hybrid, the Goblin Lord.

He would have eaten his own kind to satisfy his hunger.

That was why the Hobgoblins and the Chief had sealed him.

“Human, become my prey!”

“Thump, thump, thump!”

The horrific hybrid approached with its mouth wide open.

But the guy was making one big mistake.

“Don’t make me laugh!”

Normally, an Awakener coming to the First Floor wouldn’t be able to handle the power of a Goblin-Ogre hybrid.

It was a dizzying violence that could be called Eldritch, but it was different for Leon.

-Slash!

“…Huh?”

Along with the horrific sound of flesh and bone being severed…

-Splatter!

The Goblin-Ogre hybrid was split apart and met an instantaneous death.

“If you are a horrific hybrid, I am an absolute fusion of god and man.”

A hybrid of god and human.

How could a mere product of species-to-species combination handle a hybrid of human and god?