Chapter 175: Believe in Humanity

I obtained the Seal of Domination on the 60th Floor.

And then.

[You have become a Full Floor Administrator through the Seal of Domination on the 60th Floor.]

[You can now destroy, maintain, and repair the Tower.]

Becoming a full administrator allowed me to decide the Tower’s fate. 

Destruction and maintenance and the remaining one was repaired.

‘Repair?’

I already knew something about destruction and maintenance. 

But the repair was unexpected. 

As I questioned that unforeseen word—

[You can refurbish floors through repair.]

[You can set difficulty, create independent trials, and determine rewards.]

“Oh?!”

True to being a Full Floor Administrator, I could check a detailed explanation of the repair authority. 

And it was an astonishing authority. 

A special power to reset every part of the Tower.

‘This is definitely the authority humanity needs.’

The problem humanity currently faced was not just Nepas. 

Dimensional Rifts that occur when that bastard destroys the Tower, the floors. 

The monsters generated from them are not my burden alone—they are humanity’s burden too. 

As for the level—

‘It’s something only Leon can handle.’

If it were a moderate incident, current humanity could have handled it. 

But monsters from dimensional rifts were impossible to deal with unless one was at Leon’s level. 

Even Seo Jun, whom I had been carefully nurturing, couldn’t handle them. 

So besides me, who must directly check Nepas, humanity’s growth was an urgent priority. 

But with their current level of growth—

‘Impossible.’

I had to find another method. 

Of course, if someone asked whether it was possible just because I wanted it, I could only express doubt. 

But then, floor repair became possible.

Of course—

‘I can’t just hand things out the way I want.’

Even though it was called repair, biased methods were impossible. 

Basic rules. 

High risk, high return. 

Low risk, low return. 

That law remained. 

You had to raise the difficulty to raise the rewards, and only those who passed the trials could grow. 

But—

‘I can make them choose it.’

Through repair, I could allow climbing Awakeners to set the difficulty arbitrarily. 

If they challenged their limits at a level suited to them and obtained rewards, they could achieve greater rewards and faster growth.

And then.

[Ruler Kim Si-won repairs the 60th Floor.]

[From now on, all climbers entering the 60th Floor can choose their difficulty.]

[Available difficulties: Easy, Normal, Hard, Very Hard, Nightmare, Asceticism, Blood Sea, Incomprehensible, Myth, Destroyer.]

[Trials are being restructured.]

[Rewards are greatly increased according to the restructured trials.]

The 60th Floor was restructured according to my will. 

Unlike Nepas, it was a way for humanity to benefit, maximizing rewards.

Of course, there was regret. 

It would have been better if I had known this method from the 1st Floor.

‘But what’s done is done. No, to be more precise, if I went back to that time, I wouldn’t have made this choice.’

That was inevitable. 

The past me was a being stripped of personality, a hater of humanity. 

If I hadn’t Awakened like now, even if I knew this method, I definitely wouldn’t have chosen a path beneficial to humanity.

‘…Come to think of it, a lot has changed.’

The world, and me. 

An unimaginable change from the past me whose personality had been stripped away. 

Of course, I don’t dislike that change. 

Now, as a human, I am finally fulfilling that role. 

If I can repay the debt I owe to humanity this way, even if it means my own annihilation, I intend to do my best.

***

A brief moment of reflection. 

But there was no time to rejoice over that fact.

Because—

[Intruder Nepas has destroyed the 2nd Floor.]

[Intruder Nepas has destroyed the 3rd Floor.]

[Intruder Nepas has destroyed the 4th Floor.]

While I was conquering the 60th Floor, Nepas consecutively destroyed floors, reaching a total of five floors destroyed in one go.

The problem wasn’t that humanity could no longer use those floors due to destruction. 

The dimensional rifts that would occur in the future because of the floor destruction. 

If they happened not just in South Korea but all over the world—

‘The damage would be unimaginable.’

Knowing that, my expression hardened. 

With this, Nepas had seized the high ground in this war. 

Contrary to my anxiety, the dimensional rifts didn’t occur. 

But that only made me more uneasy.

So.

“Focus.”

I drove Seo Jun hard. 

There was no choice. 

My lifespan had drastically decreased because of the recent battle on the 60th Floor. 

I had exerted power beyond my full strength—the absolute maximum. 

While barely holding my collapsing insides together with sheer force, releasing full power inevitably caused a massive reduction in lifespan. 

Even trying not to be impatient, I couldn’t help it.

The same went for Leon.

“What do you plan to do with this level of skill?!”

Leon, usually known for his kindness. 

But now, he was raising his voice and shouting. 

The target was third-generation Siwon School students. 

This time, they had admitted some talented recruits. 

So I had expectations, and I drove them harshly to draw out their maximum potential. 

Humanity had to become strong.

Even without us, they had to handle Nepas and the monsters from dimensional rifts. 

Knowing that, I pushed them even harder.

But Nepas—this thorough bastard—had no intention of considering such circumstances.

“Ring ring”

My smartphone rang. 

The caller was Kim Chaun. 

One of the few who knew my contact number. 

The reason he was calling urgently—

“G-Great trouble!”

An urgent voice came through. 

And the next moment, I could see what kind of trouble he meant through the video he attached.

“Boom!”

Black pillars surged upward. 

The rift from the 2nd Floor: North America. 

3rd Floor: Europe. 

4th Floor: South America.

“He’s moving.”

And that movement—the bastard was intentionally not touching South Korea. 

He was provoking me. 

Leaving the 5th Floor rift as a warning that he could attack South Korea anytime. 

If I moved to save those continents, he would create a rift toward South Korea whenever he wanted and cause damage. 

So I couldn’t move recklessly. 

If I stepped in to stop the rifts, South Korea might take a decisive blow instead.

But—

‘Humanity isn’t as weak as you think.’

Nepas was trying to buy time through dimensional rifts. 

He was creating a situation where I couldn’t move carelessly because of South Korea, buying time to secure a majority of voting rights. 

But I had anticipated that move.

***

“Convene an emergency response meeting.”

Right at this moment, I called an emergency response meeting. 

Crisis meetings were being convened all over the world.

[Emergency Response Team of the World Awakener Association activated under the command of South Korea’s Kim Si-won.]

[Reconfiguring the summit meeting system between nations.]

[Deploying forces to be sent into dimensional rifts ]

[Beginning secondary maintenance of the global defense line.]

Everyone already knew the danger through the dimensional rifts that had occurred in South Korea. 

So they actively cooperated with me, the World Awakener Association, and through that, we could build a defense line. 

Elite Awakeners from all over the world gathered to block the dimensional rifts. 

At the forefront were Leon, Lee Seo-jun, and the graduates who had passed through Siwon School.

“Master!”

A message from Leon reached me.

“Report.”

“We are responding to the rifts that have occurred so far, centered on Siwon School’s forces. Seo Jun and my disciples have also been deployed to each front.”

Disciples. 

They referred to those recognized for their talent alongside Seo Jun. 

In line with the rapidly changing present, I had taken talented ones as disciples. 

I taught them, striving to make them a force for humanity.

But.

“It’s insufficient.”

“…Yes. It’s not enough. At this rate, the dimensional monsters will multiply exponentially. Eventually, the front lines will collapse.”

That was the problem. 

Nepas had chosen a war of speed. 

He wanted to destroy as many floors as possible before me and secure an advantage in voting rights at the Top of the Tower. 

So.

‘I need to buy time.’

Just like he was doing now. 

Only then could I secure the seals of as many floors as possible. 

That was the only way to win in the final sealing vote.

“…Leon.”

So I had no choice but to give a firm order.

“Yes.”

As if he had read my intention, a reply mixed with gravity and resolve came.

“Protect the outside of the Tower. Make sure humanity doesn’t fall. I will now climb the floors again. I have to go. I’ll chase that bastard from inside.”

In truth, I should have done this long ago. 

Even if it meant some sacrifices, even if damage increased, I had to climb the Tower and collect the Seals of Domination. 

But after regaining my personality, my heart had grown too soft. 

I hesitated, knowing that if I wasn’t there, enormous sacrifices would occur. 

Even knowing that this delay would cause even more damage, I let it be.

Of course, I didn’t just let things slide. 

I did my best to prepare humanity to some extent. 

So now I have made my decision. 

No more hesitation. 

To share the heavy burden I carry with humanity.

“You’ve finally made up your mind.”

Leon also knew that fact. 

So he had kept telling me to climb the Tower, but he had given up convincing me due to my firm attitude. 

Now he realized my resolve.

“Master. The key to this war is ultimately you. I, Seo Jun, and everyone will endure to the end.”

He made my heart feel a little lighter. 

Knowing his feelings, I decided to hesitate no longer. 

Now I must trust. 

Trust Leon. 

Trust the disciples I have painstakingly nurtured.

And.

‘Humanity.’

I can’t keep taking care of them like babies forever. 

I had to make a decision, and I chose the path that could ultimately stop Nepas.

“I wish you luck.”

Leon ended the call with those final words. 

At that voice full of resolve—

Tight.

I bit my lip.

“…See you alive.”

And I conveyed the words I couldn’t say. 

This isn’t a pity. 

Perhaps this could be my last call with Leon. 

There was no helping it. 

Leon’s lifespan was rapidly decreasing. 

It was only natural. 

He had used his power to block dimensional rifts, and that had accelerated his physical collapse. 

Judging from that speed, maybe this was my last conversation with Leon.

But.

“You can handle it.”

Leon was my first official disciple. 

My top student and the one with the most brilliant talent. 

Maybe he could surpass limits and challenge the impossible, just as I had done.

With that hope—

“Rip!”

I tore the ticket.

[Moving to the 61st Floor.]

Entering the Tower after no progress since the 60th Floor. 

But I hesitate no longer. 

From now on, it’s a war of advance. 

I will pass through the Tower faster than Nepas and acquire the Seals of Domination. 

And in the end—

‘I will conquer the 100th Floor.’

I will conquer the 100th Floor and decide the fate of the being on the Original Floor—the maintenance of that bastard’s seal.