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Chapter 517: We Still Need Theo~nim!
Chapter 517: We Still Need Theo~nim!
TL: Hanguk
The 27th Floor of the Brown Tower.
Step.
“It’s become quite desolate.”
As he set foot on the floating island in the sky, Amur commented.
Well… considering she defended this place alone against the Apostles of Destruction…
In this state, it could even be said that it was holding up remarkably well.
Step. Step.
Amur walked slowly toward the Temple of the Creator God in the center of the island.
‘That used to be the table where I’d have a drink with Mac…’‘And over there was Hati’s laboratory…’
Recalling traces of his vanished comrades.
Following those traces as he walked, Amur soon arrived at the flower garden that Emila used to tend.
The garden had grown much smaller, and the variety of crops had diminished, but it exuded even more vitality than before.
“Amur, you’re finally here.”
Emila Ibenes, the first Apostle of the Creator God, welcomed Amur with a warm voice as she emerged from the temple.
“Yes…”
Seeing Emila, Amur was filled with countless things he wanted to say, but as emotions of joy, sorrow, and other feelings surged, his voice choked up.
“I’m sorry I’m late.”
He hurriedly finished his words.
“No, you’re not too late. The real fight begins now.”
“Are we crossing over into the Land of Destruction again?”
At Emila’s words, Amur’s eyes sparkled as he asked.
In his eyes, prepared to burn everything, including his own life, there was not a hint of hesitation.
At that moment,
-Indeed.
A voice answered from within the Creator God’s temple instead of Emila. The voice carried an undeniable power that could not be defied.
This voice?!
Step.
“Amur Lange, the second Apostle of Creation, greets the exalted Creator God!”
Knowing who the voice belonged to, Amur quickly knelt toward the temple of the Creator God, paying his respects.
-Amur, thank you for coming back to us.
“Forgive me for showing such a shameful side.”
-It’s alright. Everyone needs rest at times.
“Thank you.”
At the Creation God’s benevolent voice, Amur felt some of the guilt remaining in his heart melting away.
-Thanks to your efforts, we’ve been able to buy enough time.
Time for a miracle to happen.
The Apostles of Creation had gone beyond the Black Moon, constantly subduing the forces of Destruction, preventing Destruction from quickly gaining strength.
During that time, the Creator God healed the wounds inflicted by Destruction.
No, it was more like staying alive rather than healing. Trying to stay alive as long as possible for the time remaining as the Creator God.
If the Creator God perished, Destruction would begin its unchecked reign.
Thus, the Creator God fought desperately to avoid vanishing.
But it was like pouring water into a bottomless pot.
The wounds inflicted by Destruction were too severe.
The power of Destruction embedded in those wounds gnawed at the Creator God’s power, tightening its grip around the Creator God’s neck and greedily devouring the time left.
Then, one day, when the Creator God had less than ten years left,
What is this?!
Suddenly, the energy of Creation began flowing into the Creator God’s body from somewhere.
Had the tenth tower finally begun to operate?
The Creator God naturally assumed that someone had appeared who had completed the task and succession he had left behind.
After all, the only thing besides himself that could produce the energy of Creation was the tenth tower.
The Creator God used the energy of Creation to push back the power of Destruction, recovering his body. As he regained some strength,
-Since you’ve done such a commendable deed, a reward is due.
He decided to repay the one who had skillfully carried on his mission by checking on the tenth tower.
However,
What is this?
The tenth tower was dormant.
-Has it stopped temporarily?
No…
Even though the tenth tower had halted, the energy of Creation continued to flow.
-So it wasn’t the tenth tower?!
Then where was it coming from?
Following the energy of Creation, the Creator God traced it back and,
Gulp.
Found the Destruction Devourers, who were digesting the power of Destruction and emitting the energy of Creation,
Kihihit. Kking!
[Hehe! Everyone, attack the butler!]
-Fe… Fenrir?!
Kiki!
Ptoo! Ptoo!
“Hey, could you guys please spit the seeds on my palm instead of my face?”
For some unknown reason, he discovered Sejun, who was raising Fenrir, the god hunting wolf and 1st Seat of the Apostle of Destruction who had now become the Third Apostle of Creation.
On closer inspection, it seemed that Fenrir wasn’t the only Apostle of Destruction.
-Who is this guy?!
Where did someone like him come from?
A being who wasn’t even on the Creator God’s list of expectations.
-What is this? Why are his abilities like this?
His abilities were so trivial that it would be difficult to grant him anything.
“I’m going to keep living this comfortably! I absolutely won’t face any hardships!”
He had a strange sense of defiance.
And then,
“By the way, do you know anything about the Creator God who ran away after just building the tower?”
Crucially, he had no respect whatsoever for the Creator God.
No wonder he wasn’t on the list of expectations.
No, wait. The last part wasn’t Park Sejun’s fault. It was the fault of whoever spread those strange rumors.
-I swear, I’ll find that person and crush them!
“What?!”
When the once-kind voice of the Creator God suddenly turned fierce,
What’s going on?
Amur, who had been paying his respects, was startled.
“Creator God? I think he ran away.”
At the same time, Amur recalled his response to the dragon leaders who had once asked him about the whereabouts of the Creator God.
At that time, he had been so exhausted that he’d blurted it out in anger without realizing it.
The Creator God probably doesn’t know, right?
Looking cautiously at the temple where the Creator God resided, Amur thought there was no way he’d be caught.
‘I wonder if Iona understood the things I taught her?’
He thought of Iona, whom he’d met before coming here.
At that moment,
-Apostles of Creation, activate the waypoint to the Land of Destruction.
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
At the Creator God’s command, Emila and Amur entered the temple, where a black crystal awaited.
A waypoint that could lead them to the Land of Destruction, governed by Destruction.
If, by any chance, Destruction seized control of this waypoint, it would be able to roam freely outside.
This was why the Apostles of Destruction persistently tried to capture this place.
Step. Step.
As Emila and Amur placed their hands on the crystal and infused it with power,
Wooom.
The crystal began to absorb their power.
“It will take about a month.”
“Indeed.”
Since the waypoint hadn’t been used for a long time, a great amount of power and time was required to reactivate it.
As Emila and Amur were channeling their energy into the black crystal,
“Huh?”
“Oh?!”
The two Apostles of Creation realized that there was an additional slot on the crystal for another hand—a spot reserved for the third Apostle of Creation.
“Creator God, why didn’t you summon the third Apostle of Creation?”
Emila asked the Creator God.
-Hmm. I’ve assigned him a separate task. Just know that.
“Yes.”
Satisfied with the Creator God’s answer, Emila nodded.
However,
The youngest’s not here! Not even coming to greet their seniors?!
104.28.193.250
Now that Amur was finally no longer the youngest, he resolved to establish discipline with the new Apostle when he met him.
Kking?!
[Those Apostles of Creation didn’t even come pay their respects to the great Blackie-nim?!]
I’ll give them a scolding when we meet!
Unaware that the youngest was thinking the exact same thing.
***
The 99th Floor of the White Tower.
“It seems some of the stats that Sejun-nim reverted have been absorbed into his battle aura.”
“Oh. Really?!”
He could use the stats he’d reverted?
At Les’s words, Sejun was delighted.
So the battle aura can be strengthened this way too.
Les found it intriguing as he observed Sejun.
Typically, Ogres, who had high base potential, struggled just to reach their full potential, and food that could increase stats wasn’t common, so he hadn’t known battle aura could be strengthened this way.
“When your battle aura has accumulated enough to surpass the current level, come find me. I’ll teach you how to enhance your body using battle aura.”
“Okay. But how do I know if I’ve surpassed the level?”
Since the system doesn’t inform him about battle aura, there was no way to tell if he’d advanced to the next level.
“…You’ll just know.”
“Just know?”
“Yes. This is something that’s hard to put into words… but when you advance, you’ll know it yourself.”
“Hmm. Got it for now.”
After hearing Les’s words, Sejun focused even more on eating locust dishes to revert his stats and strengthen his battle aura.
A little while later.
“Ajax, we’ll be going now.”
After finishing their meal, Sejun and his companions headed to the waypoint to return home.
“Sejun-hyung! Take care!”
“Goodbye!”
“Yeah, stay well.”
With farewells from Ajax and Les, they returned to the 99th floor of the Black Tower.
[You have arrived on the 99th floor of the Black Tower.]As they returned home,
“Kyoot kyoot kyoot. Sejun-nim, welcome!”
Iona, who had been waiting at home, greeted Sejun and his companions.
“Puhuhut. Iona, did you come to sleep, meow?”
Theo asked Iona, who was burrowing into his tail.
“Kyoot kyoot kyoot. No, I just stopped by to see Theo~nim one last time because I’m going into closed-door training for a while.”
“Puhuhut. Then, take a good look, meow!”
Theo brought his face close to Iona, inviting her to take a good look.
A little while later.
“Kyoot! Kyoot! Kyoot! It’s time for me to go.”
Having fully recharged her energy from seeing Theo’s face, Iona prepared to leave.
“Puhuhut. Iona, take this, meow!”
Theo handed her three heart-shaped fur balls he had made in his spare time.
Thump!
Iona was deeply moved by Theo’s gift.
I’ll come back as a worthy hamster that matches Theo~nim!
She once again strengthened her resolve.
In her battle with the Silent Plunderer, White Whale Mobius, Iona had realized that she could no longer be of great help to Theo.
At that moment,
“I may not know magic, but all truths are connected. Let me teach you a few things. They’ll be helpful.”
Just then, the second Apostle of Creation, Amur, had given Iona some insights to help her reach a higher level.
That was why she had decided on closed-door training.
“Kyoot kyoot kyoot! Goodbye, Theo~nim!”
With a final farewell to Theo, Iona returned to the Wizard Tower in the Black Tower.
“Kyoot! Kyoot! Kyoot! They’re all done for!! O, power of dimensions. O, power of magic. By my command, block everything. Dimension Shield.”
Hugging the heart-shaped fur balls gifted by Theo, she began her secluded training within an isolated dimension.
***
The 51st floor of the Black Tower.
Piyo!
[Uren-nim, Chelli is headed your way!]
Piyot, chasing Chelli, the squirrel who was seventh on Uren’s blacklist, called out to Uren who was waiting in hiding.
Having grown stronger by working alongside Uren, Piyot was now collecting money from those on Uren’s blacklist.
And there was only one left.
“Got it!”
At Piyot’s signal, Uren watched Chelli, who was trying to escape.
What…?!
Chelli, who briefly slowed down while looking at Uren, passed by Uren and started picking up speed again.
You could call it a kind of cooperative play…
After several attempts, they’d sadly found that their success rate was highest when Uren did nothing at all.
Then,
Slip.
“Argh!”
At that moment, Chelli slipped on a banana peel that just happened to be on the floor.
Sometimes, Uren’s misfortune ability kicked in and unexpectedly helped like this.
Piyo! Piyo!
[Got you! Now give back Uren-nim’s money!]
While Chelli was down, Piyot caught up, overpowered him, and searched his belongings for the money pouch.
Piyo!
[Uren-nim, check it out!]
Piyot tossed the pouch to Uren to confirm the amount.
However,
“Hmm. It’s far short, though? We’re missing 500 billion Tower Coins.”
The amount was significantly short of the 3 trillion Tower Coins they were supposed to collect.
However,
Piyo! Piyo!
[That’s the correct amount! Chelli bought a 500-billion Tower Coin building under his brother’s name!]
The missing amount was already accounted for by Piyot, who had become a skilled debt collector through his time with Uren.
A little while later,
Piyo!
[Here’s the money!]
Piyot sold the land deed for the building and handed half of the proceeds, 250 billion Tower Coins, to Uren.
“Thanks.”
Swoosh.
“Uhehehe.”
With the money in hand, Uren crossed off the last name on his blacklist.
Finally, I can go home!
Now, all that remained for Uren was a triumphant return home.
“For now, let’s head to the 99th floor of the tower.”
Piyo!
[Yes!]
With light steps, the two began ascending the tower.
But,
Graaaargh!
A monstrous roar echoed from afar, growing closer.
Piyo.
[Of course, it couldn’t be that easy.]
Piyot grumbled as he prepared for battle.
And,
Getting home is going to be even tougher than this, right?
They were already encountering so many monsters, so it was clear that the journey to the top and eventually home would be a perilous one.
We still need Theo~nim!
Uren resolved that he absolutely had to bring Theo along when he went home.
That day, while climbing to the 99th floor of the tower, Uren encountered monsters a total of 48 times. It was nearly one encounter per floor.
******
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