The 52nd Floor, the Conquest Floor ruled by the Conqueror.
An expedition of 50 people, consisting only of Raenka, led by Antipus.
He was certain that it would be impossible to climb any faster than this.
The entrance leading inside the castle walls was found relatively quickly, and they had advanced in a straight line toward the main castle without a single moment of disorder.
Leaving the rest to the other awakened ones, they had rushed forward, piercing only through the front.
A feat achieved with only 50 people.
Antipus Praman was convinced that he was the only one capable of such a thing.
Jijoncheonma.
He knew the temperament of Hio Pavlenko better than anyone.
As long as he was with the Empire, he would surely try to reach the castle without leaving a single person behind.
Unaware that such a deed was merely carving away at his own flesh—how foolish.
While he was busy taking care of those useless people, Antipus would move forward.
Until the name Antipus Praman was placed before the name Hio Pavlenko.
Starting with this floor, little by little.
Like being washed away by water, the name Jijoncheonma would be erased, and his own name would be engraved in its place.
Only then would all those idiots in the outside world have no choice but to acknowledge him.
That, in the end, the one who reaches the peak, the one who can reign over them all, is Antipus.
They would say that even Jijoncheonma was pushed aside by Antipus.
But… just what on earth was happening?
The anomaly was noticed shortly after entering the main castle.
Being the main castle of the Conquest Floor, the difficulty should naturally be much higher than the outside.
However, the interior of the main castle they entered was an empty shell with its contents missing.
The mid-boss level Abyss Monsters were nowhere to be seen.
It was a structure that narrowed as one climbed the floor.
The powerful monsters that should have appeared were absent.
In their place were broken bone fragments and the corpses of dead monsters.
They were not severed by the power of a sharp sword or Aura.
It wasn’t the result of systematic swordsmanship; rather, it looked as if they had been ruthlessly hacked to pieces or destroyed by massive strength.
As if they had fought among themselves.
It was strange.
Why would Abyss Monsters suddenly fight each other?
Thanks to that, instead of mid-boss monsters appearing, the difficulty had actually become easier than the outside.
Because they really just had to climb the stairs.
As they climbed the stairs with such ease, a sudden sense of unease arose.
Even though he knew it couldn’t be, the closer they got to the top.
The more he saw the corpses of destroyed undead monsters lining the stairs, the more his anxiety grew.
And so, when they finally reached the top floor of the castle, the Conqueror’s Room, that anxiety became a reality.
The door to the boss room was already wide open, and he could sense numerous presences from within.
Furthermore, he witnessed the bizarre sight of all the mid-boss monsters, which he hadn’t seen at all, standing in a row alongside the knights.
There was no need to think about who caused this situation.
In the very center of the room.
A familiar face was standing before a kneeling Death Knight.
Jijoncheonma, Hio Pavlenko.
Was he not lifting his staff with a pleasant smile?
Seeing that expression full of composure, an emotion surged within him involuntarily.
“Jijoncheonma…!”
By what method could he have arrived so much earlier than himself?
Of course, Antipus still had plenty of physical strength and Magic Power left, so he had arrived with plenty of leeway.
But at the very least, his outward appearance was a mess.
He had spent nearly two days in constant combat, rushing recklessly.
Antipus was in relatively better shape, but the other Bingija were in a state that was beyond words.
In contrast, the other knights and Hio Pavlenko were in a pristine state, as if they were people who hadn’t engaged in a single battle.
Their composed appearance made them feel like fools for having rushed toward the castle like madmen.
Not only had they arrived long before, but they had already defeated the master of the floor.
Soon, his eyes met those of Jijoncheonma.
[You have succeeded in the Abyss conquest.]
When their eyes met, the man’s smile deepened.
A winner’s smile, born of being strong and having won.
He ground his teeth.
[-The 52nd Floor sinks into the bottomless Abyssal Depths.]
[The floor is collapsing.]
Fine.
Laugh as much as you want.
I will definitely make that relaxed smile of yours rot away.
You may have been lucky this time, but there is still plenty of time and opportunity left, and I am surely stronger in terms of raw power.
So, this is the last time you’ll be so arrogant.
…Well, he intended to say something like that.
Since he knew the floor would collapse soon, he felt that conveying at least that much would soothe this inexplicable anger.
However, the reason those thoughts did not turn into a voice was that, in that brief encounter, just as Jijoncheonma’s smile reached its peak of enjoyment.
His staff moved before Antipus’s words could.
Magic Power surged.
As a faint breeze caused by Magic Power blew from him as the center, everyone’s gaze turned toward one person.
An inexplicable silence hung in the air, as if time had stopped.
After such a momentary lapse of time.
“
Black wings spread throughout the wide room.
A massive pair of wings blossomed behind his back.
The moment they flapped wide, space itself distorted.
The space around Jijoncheonma broke as if it were being squeezed and crumpled.
“What…?”
There wasn’t even time to let out a cry of shock.
His vision was seized by the feathers fluttering from those black wings.
In the midst of such a flashy scene.
“Sirbert.”
Suddenly, right next to his left ear, he heard Jijoncheonma’s voice.
“Daphne.”
He couldn’t react.
He should have reacted, but he was overwhelmed by the splendor decorating his vision and the distorting space, rendering him unable to move.
The black wings flapped beside him, and the resulting feathers swirled.
He felt Jijoncheonma’s presence right next to his shoulder, but he couldn’t turn his head to look at him.
What was the reason?
What was the reason he couldn’t turn his head to look at him?
It was something he truly couldn’t acknowledge and shouldn’t acknowledge, but perhaps it was…
“And Antipus Praman.”
…Could it have been fear?
While he was distracted by those magnificent wingbeats and the distortion of space, what would have happened if he had tried to take his life?
Instantly, goosebumps rose on the left side of his neck where he felt the man’s presence.
Was this truly fear?
“……Jijoncheonma.”
……OLICH.
That’s impossible.
He was someone who had never felt fear and must never feel it.
Therefore, he turned his head and looked straight into the eyes of Jijoncheonma, who had appeared right beside him.
He was also looking into his eyes.
The massive black wings were neatly folded on his back, and the distortion of space was gradually restoring itself to its original state.
He tried to speak to him as nonchalantly as possible, flaunting his composure.
But Jijoncheonma’s mouth opened first, as if he wouldn’t even allow that.
Even in that, Jijoncheonma was one step faster.
Those black eyes stared straight into his own.
The words he delivered, along with a composure that wasn’t boastful, were clearly…
“Watch your back.”
A warning.
[Moving to the original location.]
A warning not to dare look up at the heavens.
[Moving to the original location.]
“Watch your back. Damon has been training every day to defeat you… Damn it.”
The reunion after a long time was brief.
In truth, Hio and Antipus had only met frequently within the game and had never seen each other in reality, so it could practically be considered their first meeting.
So, to ease the awkwardness a bit, he had planned to raise Antipus’s spirits and open a conversation by mentioning his sparring with the Royal Knight, Damon, who had been thoroughly crushed by Antipus—but the floor had closed before he could finish.
He had naturally tried to say it jokingly, warning him to be careful because Damon was training hard with the goal of defeating Antipus, but the latter part of his words had been cut off.
Regrettably so.
“Well, there will be another chance to see him.”
Since they had succeeded in conquering the 52nd Floor in nearly two days after entering, quite a bit of time remained, but eventually, the 53rd Floor would open.
He could get closer to him when they met then.
-I’ve been feeling this for a while now…
The existence of Antipus was pushed out of his mind, and he focused on Furnel’s words.
-As your mastery of magic increases, there are changes in the skill effects.
“Changes in effects, huh.”
-The flashiness has been unbelievable since the 1st Circle magic, but how should I put it… does it feel more realistic?
That was something Hio had also been sensing vaguely.
As his mastery of magic grew and higher-difficulty magic became skills, the effects that unfolded felt more lifelike.
“This might also be a hidden effect of the trait…”
It was an effect that would have been useless if not for the Hidden Trait: Violence is Not Allowed!
But it had met Hio’s magic, and its hidden efficacy was being revealed.
It was like thinking of an illusion magic following him around as a passive effect.
While exchanging words with Furnel, his vision, which had gone dark, gradually returned, and a bright light entered his eyes.
Not the 52nd Floor where the Abyss’s energy lay like mist, not the fallen Necropolis where Deathly Energy overflowed, but the original world.
He had returned after finishing the conquest in two days.
Vitalianus and the Imperial knights who had been with him were nearby.
“You really are unpredictable.”
Those were the words of Vitalianus, who had likewise found Hio.
“You dislike being the center of attention, yet you enjoy flashiness.”
Out of the many people there, only Vitalianus had seen through to the essence.
The massive spreading wings.
The space distorting as they flapped.
Even the fluttering black feathers.
They reached the pinnacle of flashiness, but these were all beautiful illusions.
Vitalianus knew they were mirages meant to dazzle the eyes, but…
“You are hiding your essence behind dazzling splendor. I am curious about the reason… but I’m sure you wouldn’t do something without a reason.”
Vitalianus firmly believed that Hio must have some intention.
In fact, it had been that way since their first meeting.
When he floated the Blue Flame as if it were a bluff and Vitalianus scoffed at it, it had soon become reality as if to prove a point.
As if rebuking Vitalianus himself, who at that time had only looked at the outward appearance and hadn’t peered inside.
“I see. Did you issue a warning to them again this time? Imbuing justice into the dazzling splendor.”
At that, Hio smiled vaguely and let out a light laugh.
“Heh.”
He didn’t know what nonsense he was talking about, but he had realized that in this situation, Vitalianus would talk to himself and reach his own conclusions.
Beside Vitalianus, Frederic and the other High Priests of the Holy Kingdom swarmed over.
True to their reputation as priests obsessed with the Goddess of Ripue, they approached Hio without hesitation, regardless of whether the Order of the Sword was there or not.
There was only one reason they approached with such excited faces.
“The Apostle has wings!”
“But black wings are a bit…”
“Do not doubt! Wings are the Goddess’s grace!”
“She must have granted him black wings, commanding him to harvest those wicked beings!”
It was because they had believed the Blink skill effect to be real.
“We must quickly inform everyone of the Saint’s magnificent appearance and the Goddess of Ripue’s grace!”
“Is it just his appearance? We must also mention his character, which pities even the lowly monsters!”
Hio’s small sigh was quietly buried under the voices of the fussing priests.
“Sigh…”
For some reason, the aftermath felt more tiring than the conquest itself.
[The story of the ‘Black-Winged Saint’ spreads.]
The opening of a new floor for conquest wasn’t precisely fixed, but an approximate cycle was established.
Whether the conquest was a success or a failure, a new floor would appear roughly a month after the time limit had been exhausted.
So, a new floor would open every one and a half to two months.
What did that mean?
Since they had conquered the 52nd Floor so quickly, it meant that much time remained.
It meant they had a time buffer of about a month and a half.
That amount of time was enough to achieve many things.
For instance, learning more 5th Circle magic.
Or perhaps setting the schedule for The Union Meeting where the Empire and the Bingija would officially contact each other to discuss the future.
Or having the priests step forward to perform purification work in the regions damaged by the previous floor’s failed conquest.
Out of those, Hio chose two.
Learning additional 5th Circle magic and the purification of the damaged regions.
Hio didn’t necessarily need to go to the meeting where the Empire and the Bingija would meet to establish future measures.
Sirbert and Daphne would have prepared more for that side, and Sylvia and the high-ranking nobles who blindly followed her were not to be underestimated.
It was better to spend that time learning one more 5th Circle magic instead of wasting mental energy there.
There was still a long way to go with the magic he had to learn, and the difficulty was incomparable to when he was at the 4th Circle.
However, he didn’t focus solely on that.
Purification of the damaged regions.
In a way, this could be considered even more important.
The cursed energy of the Abyss must not be given time.
Purification work had to be carried out continuously so that it had no chance to accumulate.
It had been impossible when it was a game because the Holy Kingdom of Hibernia had been ruined, but it was different now.
Learning 5th Circle magic.
It was to prepare for the future.
Moving directly to the damaged regions to purify the residual energy with ‘Skill: Celestial’.
It was to make up for past mistakes.
Preparing for the future and not forgetting the past.
Future plans, preparations, worries, hopes, anxieties.
Past regrets, reflections, memories, penance, anguish.
A single ordinary day contains this many things.
Such things accumulate, the present advances, and a day is completed.
The time of one month passed quickly as such days piled up.