Side Story Chapter 154 - Master of the Tower (1)

The space was as dark as a moonless night. A single woman was shining like a star in the darkness where one couldn’t distinguish between top and bottom.

“So, it’s you.”

Oh Kang-Woo smiled as he stared at the woman emitting faint light. She had long black hair— no,

long

wasn’t descriptive enough. It was so long that it looked as if it created the darkness itself. It was also disheveled, showing she did not take care of it, and messily covered her face.

She had thick black circles under her eyes and dry lips. Unlike her upturned eyes that made her look sharp-tempered, her gaze was shaking in shock as she stared at Kang-Woo.

“H-How? How did you enter this space?”

God of Depravity, the highest-ranking Constellation, stepped backward without realizing it. It should be impossible for a climber to enter the realm of Constellations.

“That’s none of your business.”

Kang-Woo slowly walked toward the God of Depravity as he cracked his fingers. The cracking sounds did not occur since he was in his astral form but the motion was more than enough to intimidate the Constellation.

“So? You won’t spit out your Nebula, huh?”

Kang-Woo’s eyes of blazing fury filled with bloodlust overpowered the God of Depravity.

“Urgh...” the God of Depravity groaned.

Likely because it was immediately after she received the restriction of the Law of Titans, sparks were crackling around her and her expression was filled with agony.

“Y-You impudent human...!”

The God of Depravity bared her teeth. She had no idea how Kang-Woo managed to enter this space but a mere human was no match for a Constellation.

“How dare you show such arrogance before me?!”

Boom—!

An energy current raged within the darkness. The tower rules forbade Constellations from exerting force on the climbers but such a rule was meaningless if the climber trespassed on the Constellation’s space.

“Big words for a swindler who took off with my Nebula.”

Kang-Woo couldn’t care less about the massive energy current. He could endure his vision being plastered with revelations and childish taunts made to get his attention. However—

“How dare you try to take my Nebula?”

He couldn’t forgive anyone who unjustly stole rewards that were rightfully his.

“Hmph! You’re the one who played tricks first!” yelled the God of Depravity.

“Tricks?”

“Yes! You’re alive and well, aren’t you?!”

The God of Depravity did not know what kind of trick Kang-Woo pulled but the fact that Kang-Woo was alive was proof he pulled some kind of trick. After all, the dead couldn’t come back to life.

“So, you’re saying you won’t hand over the Nebula, right?” confirmed Kang-Woo.

“Yes!”

Kang-Woo’s eyes narrowed. He lowered his head and bared his teeth.

“Then I guess you need a beating.”

He had not come here to resolve things peacefully in the first place.

Beep—! Beep—!

[The Law warns you once again!]

“Fuck off.”

Kang-Woo ignored the warning alarms blaring in his head.

‘Even if I come out worse than before because of this, I won’t compromise.’

If he compromised, he would need to keep compromising. Kang-Woo had never compromised in his entire life nor would he ever.

‘Answer to evil with greater evil.’

He would never take something lying down no matter what misfortune awaited him. Silence only worsened things; he always paid things back many times over.

“Lemme tell you something...”

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Kang-Woo clenched his fist.

Fwoosh!

Gold and black flames enveloped his fist.

“GET FUCKING REAL, YOU PIECE OF FUCKING SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!”

Kang-Woo charged forward. The space was so dark that he couldn’t tell from top and bottom but he could feel himself shooting forward and getting closer to the God of Depravity.

“Ngh!”

The God of Depravity grimaced. Her long black hair spread out as if it were alive, exposing her face. She was considerably beautiful but Kang-Woo paid it no mind and thrust his fist forward.

“No, you don’t!” the God of Depravity yelled.

She swung her arm as she stared at the blazing flames. Her hair which had spread throughout the dark space gathered to form countless hands of various shapes and sizes. One was as dry as that of a witch and another was as thick and menacing as a beast’s front leg.

“Atrocities, born from the moonless night—”

The God of Depravity spread her arms wide. She was the God of all that was atrocious, evil, and brutal.

“Take my enemy into the deepest darkness.”

The countless hands moved according to her command.

Crack—!!

Tens of thousands of hands reached for Kang-Woo like a tsunami. They were as desperate as someone reaching for something to grab as they were drowning. The hands did not stop even as the Flames of Voracity burned them.

“What a joke.” Kang-Woo chuckled as he stared at the countless hands reaching for him. “The deepest darkness?”

He couldn’t believe someone would dare to mention the Abyss before him.

“You don’t even come close.”

Wriggle.

The black sea sloshed. The Demonic Sea raged. Flames powerful enough to devour the world whole arose from the Abyss, the deepest apportion of the Demonic Sea.

Fwoosh—!!!

“KYAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

The Flames of Voracity engulfed the countless hands reaching for Kang-Woo and devoured them voraciously.

Crunch! Crunch!!

The God of Depravity jumped backward as she screamed but she failed to escape from the bursting flames. The flames so powerful that they could burn away this dark space were extinguished, leaving the God of Depravity with the majority of her hair burnt to a crisp.

“Dayum, your head must feel pretty breezy now.”

“Ah—”

The God of Depravity’s eyes widened. She touched her head and the severe lack of hair in disbelief.

“A-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!” she screamed in desperation. “M-MY HAIR!!! MY HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIR!!!”

The God of Depravity was not shocked that her hair was gone because she was a woman— gender was meaningless for a Constellation. The problem was that her power as a Constellation was mostly infused in her hair. Now that she had lost the source of her power, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and despair drowned her.

“Bwehehehe! What’s wrong? This look suits you more!” Kang-Woo cackled as he mocked the God of Depravity. “Don’t you know that you go bald if you only like free stuff?”[1]

It was an apt punishment since she tried to scam Kang-Woo.

“A-Arghh.” The God of Poverty twisted around as she continuously touched her bare head. She continued to holler incomprehensibly as if denying reality. “Y-Y-Y-YOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU!!!”

“WH-WH-WH-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!!”

“G-GIVE IT BACK!!! GIVE ME BACK MY HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIR!!!”

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT~? I CAN’T HEAR THE WORDS OF A BALD LOSER~!”

Kang-Woo cackled vulgarly. The God of Depravity pounced on him in a fit of rage.

Bash—!!

“Kyaaaahhh!!”

However, she was naturally no match for him since she couldn’t beat him even before her status as a Constellation had gone down. The God of Depravity was blown away with just a light kick.

“

Sniff...

Huuuuuurghh!”

“What the fuck are you crying about?” Kang-Woo walked toward the God of Depravity on her knees in tears. “We’re not done yet.”

She was crying like some tragic heroine but Kang-Woo still hadn’t received what he had come for.

“Wh-What do you...”

“Come on, I know you know.”

Kang-Woo licked his lips. His rage wouldn’t subside until he was given the ten million Nebula he was promised.

“G-Go away.” The God of Depravity shuffled backward in fear.

“This never would’ve happened if you had just paid me what I was due, don’t you agree?’

Kang-Woo smiled as he walked closer. Just then—

Riiing!

[The ‘Master of the Tower’ watches you closely!]

“Hm...?”

The Law of Titans seemed to have filed a report to the Master of the Tower like it warned Kang-Woo.

‘That aside, since it’s the Master of the Tower... are they a Titan?’

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes and stared at the message window.

[The ‘Master of the Tower’ states you are tipping the balance and order of the tower!]

It was only natural for one to think that way considering everything Kang-Woo had done since entering the tower. His journey had been far too extraordinary for a climber.

“So, what are you gonna do about it?”

Kang-Woo crossed his arms together and raised his head. He was curious about how the Master of the Tower would handle this since he didn’t know how powerful they were.

[The ‘Master of the Tower’ summons you to the top!]

“Wha—?” Kang-Woo’s eyes widened. This was the last thing he expected. He impatiently shouted, “What the fuck? Hey!! What’s up with that?!!”

He was planning on reaching the top of the tower sooner or later but this wasn’t what he had in mind. He didn’t want to get up there so quickly.

“I still have so many Nebulas I haven’t managed to squeeze out!!!”

His plan to squeeze all of the Constellations’ Nebula over the remaining three weeks would go down the drain.

[Climber ‘Oh Kang-Woo’ will be summoned with his body left on the forty-first floor in ten minutes. His record of clearing the forty-first floor will be deleted.]

“What the fuck?!! Who the hell do you think you are?!”

Kang-Woo blurted all kinds of curses at the sudden situation but he couldn’t defy the one who ruled over the tower. He could feel an unknown power wrapping him.

‘Shit!’

He gritted his teeth and pulled on his hair.

‘Did I push it too far?’

Kang-Woo belatedly regretted ignoring warnings and trespassing on the God of Poverty’s territory but what’s done was done.

‘Besides, how was I supposed to take someone scamming me lying down?’

He would never have been able to— no, it should never be taken lying down. He would have made the same choice if he were to turn back time.

“Sh-Shit!”

Although it couldn’t have been helped, he still found it a massive waste to lose the chance to squeeze out as much Nebula as possible from the Constellations.

‘I at least need to get my ten million!’

Kang-Woo quickly ran to the God of Depravity on her knees in tears.

“NEBULAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

“KYAAAAHHH!!”

“HAND OVER MY NEBULAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Kang-Woo grabbed the God of Depravity’s slender neck and shook it front and back.

“S-Stop!!! STOOOOOOOOOP!!”

“STOP, MY ASS!!! HAND OVER MY NEBULA, YOU BIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH!!!”

[Commencing the summoning!]

“N-No!!” Kang-Woo shouted in pallor.

He had yet to receive the ten million Nebula the God of Depravity had set as the mission clear reward.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWW!!! SPIT IT OOOOOOOOOOOOOUT!!!”

Kang-Woo pulled on his hair and spun like a top on his head again, his spinning legs just barely grazing the God of Depravity’s head.

“Kyaaahh!!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWW!!!”

“P-Please w—”

“WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!”

“KYAAAAAHHH!! I-I’ll give it to you!! I will, so please...!”

“I’MGOINGINSANEI’MGOINGINSANEI’MGOINGINSANEI’MGOINGINSANEI’MGOINGINSANEI’MGOINGINSANEI’MGOINGINSANEI’MGOINGINSANEI’MGOINGINSANEI’MGOINGINSANEI’MGOINGINSANE!!!”

The God of Depravity reached for the hologram-like window.

Whoooom!!!

Kang-Woo felt a familiar floating sensation before the God of Depravity pressed the

Mission Clear

button.

“Ah... fuck my life.”

His consciousness went black.

1. This is a saying in Korea that means you have to pay for what you’re served. Going bald is the curse for when you don’t. ☜