Chapter 178: Forty-Seventh Floor, Curse and Catastrophe (1)

The tower’s message wasn’t very lengthy, but that made deciphering its full meaning challenging. For a moment, it felt as though my thoughts had come to a standstill.

I had anticipated that a hidden mission would emerge, but for the notification to appear so abruptly without a single precursor still surprised me. To make matters worse, the content itself deeply unsettled me.

A curse and the Catastrophe? And what is “shackle of truth” supposed to mean? Is the curse responsible for transforming the angels?

Unfortunately, while questions bounced around my head, I couldn’t dwell on them now. In the sky, the angels had already begun to writhe and contort.

I unleashed a pulse of mana, forcing back any approaching fallen angels, before quickly refocusing on the shifting forms overhead.

“Agh! Ah!”

“Our... sins...!”

The most peculiar thing was the horror etched across the faces of the transforming angels. Their expressions all mirrored each other, a sudden, dreadful realization, as though some buried truth had surfaced.

The only clue was a single word: sins.

Sins? What sins?

Another question appeared, trying to draw my attention, but I pushed it to the side just like I had the others. Investigation could come later.

First, I need to regroup the climbers.

With the angels turning into corrupted beings, that left all of the climbers stranded in a sea of enemies. At least several thousand angels appeared to be transforming. Before we were overwhelmed and annihilated, we had to consolidate and set up our formations.

The angels’ transformation wasn’t instantaneous, but a far more pressing issue loomed overhead. The fallen angels soaring through the skies had stopped targeting any of the angels.

Instead, they descended upon the airships like a swarm of locusts.

“Keek!”

The airships weren’t the only thing under siege, either. With the vessels assailed and unable to assist, the climbers stationed on the ground had become sitting ducks.

Beyond the fourteen climbers who had joined me, hundreds more were scattered across the field. After glimpsing the ominous message, many had rushed toward the city walls.

Ha-Hee-Jeong can handle protecting the airships.

Trusting in her, I focused on saving the climbers stuck on the ground. Unable to take flight, they had instinctively huddled together, which unfortunately made them even easier targets.

Even still, they pressed forward, already nearing a city gate. It seemed they were trying to take shelter beneath the archway.

Smart move, I guess.

The passage under the gate was covered, leaving only the front and rear exposed. It wouldn’t be difficult to fortify. Whoever came up with that plan had a sharp mind.

I kicked off the ground, propelling myself forward.

At that moment, a resonant voice rippled across the battlefield. “Oh, Golden Light, please grant your protection to the oppressed.”

Doppy had entered the fray.

Under the brilliance of the sun, an even brighter glow descended and enveloped the hundreds of climbers. Their weariness disappeared immediately, and their shallow wounds even began to close.

His first contribution had been a powerful area-of-effect buff spell.

I hadn’t seen Doppy cast that spell before, although I assumed he unlocked it after his evolution. A fleeting pang of envy stirred within me, but I quickly shook it off.

Amplifying my voice with mana, I attempted to divert some of the enemies' attention away from the climbers. “Look at me!”

Everyone—climbers and fallen angels alike—turned their eyes toward me.

Then, hundreds of dark-winged angels came charging in my direction. I thrust my outstretched palm into the air, causing bolts of lightning to rip through the sky.

“Kraaaak!”

“Graaaah!”

Under the blazing sunlight, the arcs incinerated hundreds of fallen angels. Their charred forms tumbled through the clouds.

I raced toward the wall, propelling my steps with Wind’s Route and Ghost Step, doing my best to weave quickly through the carnage.

This city’s defense rested entirely on our shoulders. On top of that, the battle had already spilled outside its walls.

Aren’t we supposed to defend the city?

At this point, it felt like the city had already fallen.

Does this mean we will complete the trial as long as we simply survive?

I chuckled wryly.

When I reached the gate, I found a partially shattered barrier stretched over the group of climbers. At least I had arrived before it completely gave out.

“

Huff,

Su-Hyeok!”

“Lower the barrier and catch your breath! I’ll handle the rest!”

“Th-thank you!”

Hurriedly displaying their gratitude, the mages deactivated the barrier and immediately began meditating to replenish their mana.

Meanwhile, I activated Master of Shadows—not Shadow Veil this time—to shield them. Jagged spires of shadow rose, forming a dome-like structure similar to a turtle ship.

For now, it would hold.

After ensuring the climbers were safe, I leaped back into the air and ascended into the skies. Any fallen angel that came too close met the sharp edge of my axe or the wrath of my lightning.

Despite the prolonged battle, I didn’t feel very fatigued.

Wow. Demon Slayer is more powerful than I expected.

Taking on the fallen angels felt increasingly effortless, and it wasn’t just because of Doppy’s buff. The same devastating blows that had taken a noticeable amount of energy before became almost trivial. Plus, each angel I struck down seemed to replenish my mana and stamina slightly.

I shifted my gaze toward the sky. The fallen angels were relentlessly attacking the approaching airships. Despite the layers of protective barriers, it seemed two of them wouldn’t hold out for much longer.

Is aerial combat even feasible when all the angels have fallen?

Unlike the ground, where the narrow streets reduced the available space, the airships were exposed from all directions—above, below, and every angle in between.

Even though they could rotate mages out once their mana ran out, it was hard to say how long they could endure.

Should I warn Ha-Hee-Jeong?

Boom! Boom! Boom!

While I mulled over my next move, the three airships fired their cannons, blasting the angels pestering them. Then, they began a slow descent toward the gate.

Looks like Ha-Hee-Jeong reached the same conclusion.

To support their landing, I unleashed a few lightning bolts to clear out the fallen angels hovering beneath them. The three airships slammed into the clouds above the gate with a resounding crash.

Boom!

Even though the clouds had softened the impact, the undersides of the vessels had been completely wrecked.

Well, there goes my airships.

I wasn’t about to criticize their actions, however, given the circumstances.

As the fallen angels continued pounding against the barriers, some climbers aboard the airships quickly fled toward the gate’s archway. With the new influx of climbers, the space inside the gate quickly became cramped.

Surveying the scene, I announced, “It’s too tight! Form a line with your backs to the wall and prepare for battle!”

Thankfully, the shadow dome made repositioning easier; it allowed us to move without exposing ourselves.

As more space opened up, others began leaping down from the airships. Simultaneously, a storm of fire erupted around the ships, scorching everything in its path.

“Keek!”

Engulfed in flames, the fallen angels screamed and plummeted toward the ground.

With the climbers pressed against the wall, I vaulted onto one of the airships to assist Ha Hee-Jeong. As soon as I landed, I spotted her in the process of shouting commands.

“Hurry down! Regroup with the climbers near the wall!”

The lingering flames provided a temporary shield as the climbers disembarked.

Dodging between the descending climbers, I ran toward where they had just fled from. Ha-Hee-Jeong turned to face me, beads of sweat tracing sharp lines down her jaw.

I quickly reached her side. “What do we do now?”

“For now, we hold the line. Once the barrier drops, hit them with everything you’ve got, then throw it back up and rest.”

“But this isn’t over, is it? What about the Catastrophe?”

An oppressive surge of mana continued to ripple out from the city’s center, accompanied by faint tremors that rattled the earth beneath my feet.

The portal, located at the intended site for the angel creation ceremony, obviously preluded something far worse.

Casting a quick glance around, then staring directly at me, Ha Hee-Jeong answered firmly, “You have to handle it.”

“Wait... me?”

“Yeah.” Her unwavering eyes locked onto mine. “If I leave, everyone here will die.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

Even with Seo Ho-Su, Cole, and Hakin to take her place, leaving them to face thousands of fallen angels would be reckless and tantamount to killing them.

“It’s the best option we’ve got. I’ll protect the climbers while you deal with the Catastrophe.”

I simply stared at her.

I knew she was right. Taking down the Catastrophe, then regrouping with the others, would be our best shot.

Ha Hee-Jeong had noticed my silence, misinterpreting it as hesitation. “If you can’t handle it alone, send a signal. I’ll come.”

“And leave the others behind?”

“For me... you’re more important.” Her intense brown eyes bore into mine and left me momentarily speechless.

I opened my mouth but faltered, the words slipping away. Instead, I just nodded.

***

[Defend. Time remaining: 11 hours 5 minutes.]

I raced through the deserted streets. The city, once vibrant, felt like an abandoned ghost town stripped of life.

As I closed the distance to the city’s center, the surging mana and tremors grew more intense. They vibrated through the ground in rhythmic waves.

Then suddenly, the tremors stopped. An ominous chill crept down my spine. I pushed myself to run faster, though it quickly became clear that speed no longer mattered.

A jet-black angel spread their wings and rose into the sky above the city.

Is that the Catastrophe?

His size seemed underwhelming, hardly befitting the title. Even accounting for distance, he was no more than three meters tall.

What set him apart, however, was his six wings; three pairs of wings fanned out elegantly yet sinisterly.

Even from roughly a kilometer away, I could tell his gaze was locked onto mine. A flicker of recognition danced in his eyes, and as I enhanced my vision, I saw the corners of his mouth curl into a twisted smile.

Then, he uttered a short phrase. “Behold the truth.”

His voice was low, hollow, and unnervingly calm. Although he hadn’t amplified his voice with mana, the words still echoed across the entire city.

Before I could even register his movements, he cut the distance between us in half.

Five hundred meters in a flash.

His speed defied reason. A sharp chill crawled down my spine as I activated Flash Strike.

What the hell?

Even with my perception accelerated by Flash Strike, the Catastrophe remained faster than I. It felt eerily similar to my battle against the Overseer.

Standing still was no longer an option. I lunged forward and pushed off the ground, and the gap between us vanished instantly.

He clutched a pitch-black spear, at least four meters long.

He will probably thrust first.

Dodging and countering with my axe seemed like the safest play. However, with how fast he moved, whether I could manage that remained uncertain. I would need to be ready to block, just in case.

Regardless, he had arrived, giving me no more time to plan.

I side-stepped the Catastrophe’s first attack, but he twisted his wrist fluidly, almost serpentinely. His spearpoint curved through the air mid-strike, veering toward my waist.

Shit. I can’t dodge, I will have to block it

Twisting my torso and wrist, I managed to hastily block his strike. My defense had been clumsy, but it worked.

However, I couldn’t withstand the sheer force behind the impact. The Catastrophe had accelerated eight hundred meters before landing the strike, after all.

Boom!

I braced, but the spear carried such devastating power that it reverberated through my axe. I felt my weapon strain under the pressure as the force launched me backward. My weapon remained locked in a defensive position during the contest of strength.

Damn it...

The first collision drove me straight into the outer wall of a building, and a violent shockwave rattled my armor. It did nothing to stop my momentum, however, and the wall crumbled around me as I was sent flying again.

With everything seeming slow around me, fragments of shattered bricks drifted through the air like scattered embers.

The second impact slammed me into an inner wall of the same building, shattering the structure further.

In that fleeting moment—

A flash of black light pierced through the swirling cloud of dust and rubble—the tip of the Catastrophe’s spear.