Chapter 196: Fifty-First Floor, The Female Warriors of Androctones (5)

“You need to destroy this world.”

“Destroy the world? How?”

Its words caught me off guard. No matter how overwhelmingly powerful I was, I didn’t possess the kind of strength required to accomplish such a feat.

“You don’t literally mean to destroy the world, do you?”

Sensing the confusion on my face, the Camadenus smiled faintly. “No, of course not. What I meant is that you should kill the minotaurs.”

“Kill the minotaurs? Aren’t they your kin or at least something similar?”

The Camadenus nodded. “Yes, in a broad sense, you could say we are of the same species.”

“And yet, you want us to kill them?”

“When the number of minotaurs in this world dwindles to the point that Amrita production is significantly disrupted, Camadenu will take notice of us,” the Camadenus responded resolutely.

I couldn’t help but feel like that was overly optimistic. Sure, Camadenu would eventually realize what was happening, but we couldn’t guarantee that the production of Amrita wouldn’t return to normal as soon as the climbers left.

Sure, if climbers like us attacked the minotaurs and reduced their numbers to the point Amrita stopped being produced, Camadenu would stop neglecting the world. Yet over time, the minotaurs’ population would naturally recover, and history would repeat itself.

Wouldn’t this just result in even harsher restrictions for future climbers?

In the end, change seemed pointless. The climbers wouldn’t be able to liberate the Camadeni, and they would remain under Camadenu’s negligent control again.

I met the Camadeni’s gazes. I could feel the weight of their emotions behind their words.

They are determined to end this, even if it means killing their kin.

It left me with complicated feelings about the minotaurs. Previously, I had only considered them as enemies to defeat. Now, I realized they too were victims, unknowingly abandoned by their god.

Even so, I couldn’t simply stand by and let the minotaurs hunt us.

Neither the climbers nor the minotaurs were inherently good or evil. One thing was clear, however: Camadenu was the true villain.

“This will just repeat itself. You know that, don’t you?”

“We have no other choice. We can only hope that another Liberator will one day free our descendants,” the Camadenus replied, its low voice cutting through the darkness.

Though it sounded determined, I also caught resignation in its tone—the helplessness of a mortal facing a god.

I shook my head firmly. “That’s not good enough. It’s not even worth doing if that’s all we achieve.”

“We understand your concern for us, Liberator, but this is the only way. And contrary to your thoughts, Camadenu may realize her errors and begin to care for us.”

“Do you really think so? After all these years of neglect?”

The Camadenus looked down, unable to respond.

Pressing them, I added, “Camadenu needs to be eliminated.”

“That is not something even you can accomplish, Liberator. No matter how strong you are, a climber can’t harm a deity.”

Although the Camdenus had seemingly spoken highly of its deity, it was simply a realistic acknowledgment of the divide between climbers and deities.

I nodded. “I know. It’s impossible right now.”

That wouldn’t always be the case, however.

“If we kill your kin as you said, Camadenu will take notice of you again.”

“That is correct.”

“And before she has the chance to abandon you all again, I’ll kill her.”

Camadenu would lose interest in the planet after the minotaurs’ population recovered. Before that happened, I intended to free everyone.

It wasn’t for any grand cause; I was just angry. Seeing oppression, especially by the deity they worshipped, mirrored our own suffering of being dragged into the tower to endure torment for no reason.

The Camadenus looked at me, stunned and in disbelief. “W-what?”

“You will find a new god to serve. Trust me, plenty of gods would want to take you in. Whether they’re worthy is another question, though.”

“Liberator, even if you say such things—”

I could tell what it was going to say without hearing it. It was going to tell me it was impossible.

I cut it off. “That’s something we’ll find out. Watch me. I’ll kill Camadenu. You and your people will find a new god to follow.”

After a moment of silence, the Camadenus smiled, although in a slightly bittersweet manner. “Finding a new god feels like a dream. But I don’t think I’ll live to see it.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I know you are strong, stronger than anyone else here. You’ll surely be able to kill enough of my kin to catch Camadenu’s attention.”

“And?”

“Camadenu only observes the world during collection days. If her followers suddenly start dying off, she’ll notice.”

“Does that mean Camadenu will intervene?”

The Camadenus nodded.

I remembered a few deities had intervened through their apostles during our climb up the tower. Moreover, the Camadeni were Camadenu’s apostles.

“We have to die before you begin your attack. Otherwise, Camadenu will use us against you.”

“Does that mean your intelligence would be stripped away again?”

“Yes. A powerful god can completely control their apostles. Naturally, we would be unable to defy their will. Even you would struggle against us if we were empowered by her.”

“Then why hasn’t Camadenu reacted now, even though you’ve regained your intelligence?”

“That would be because Camadenu simply doesn’t care about us. Nothing has gone wrong for countless years, so she hasn’t bothered to check,” the Camadenus responded disheartedly.

The revelation frustrated me. After rescuing the Camadeni and speaking with them, having to kill both them and the minotaurs left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I glanced at Ha Hee-Jeong for advice, but she seemed lost in thought, her expression calm yet contemplative.

Should I stop the attack, save the Camadeni now, and deal with Camadenu later?

Ha Hee-Jeong had heard everything, so convincing Turen should be manageable. Once Turen understood the situation, he would likely agree.

As if sensing my hesitation, the Camadenus gravely persuaded, “I believe I know what you are considering, Liberator, but it is unnecessary. Proceed with your attack as planned.”

“Why? If I do, you and countless others of your kin will die.”

“With all due respect, there is a higher chance that Camadenu will come to value us than there is of you defeating her.”

I couldn’t immediately refute its words. From its perspective, it made sense. I didn’t even know how powerful Camadenu was.

Even if I managed to conquer the tower and ascend as a god, fulfilling my promise still wouldn’t be guaranteed. Moreover, if we factored in the achievement points and hidden missions that would come from the attack...

This Camadenus is right.

Still, I made a silent promise that if Camadenu continued exploiting them after we left, I would ensure her destruction and free the minotaurs from their torment.

I couldn’t help but laugh wryly. Though it didn’t suit the mood, I hadn’t tried holding it back.

The Camadenus glanced at me, puzzled.

This situation felt so ironic. To secure a future for the minotaurs, we had to kill them all and their deity.

Although this attack had been part of the original plan, knowing the truth about this world left me uneasy.

“All right, we’ll go with your idea. But I promise, if Camadenu keeps neglecting this world and its people, I’ll make sure your people are freed no matter how long it takes.”

“Your words alone are enough. Thank you.”

I would climb the tower. I would make it happen.

My promises kept piling up. Returning the former slaves to their homeworlds, helping Ryun to the Omniscient Thunder Axe’s sanctuary, defeating Camadenu...

Although my words could have seemed like empty assurances, I was determined—a god who exploited their followers so cruelly didn’t deserve to be called a god.

I looked at Ha Hee-Jeong. She had been silently watching the conversation. When our eyes met, her face appeared somber, intense, and frighteningly firm.

We felt the same way.

Wanting to speak with Ha Hee-Jeong, I asked, “Could you please wait a moment?”

“Take your time.”

Ha Hee-Jeong and I stepped to the side.

Once we were out of earshot, she clutched a fist angrily. “So even gods like this exist. Total scum.”

“You didn’t know about them before?”

“I didn’t have the luxury of thinking deeply back then. Just climbing each floor was overwhelming enough.” Ha Hee-Jeong turned to the east. “I knew we encountered followers of oppressed gods often, but I never really delved into their circumstances in such detail.”

The dark plains stretched endlessly under the faintly starlit sky. Strangely, I had a feeling that Ha Hee-Jeong and I were looking at the same star. Despite the countless stars, it shone brighter than the rest.

“This time, I’m not holding back. I’ll make sure it’s done right,” she uttered coldly.

“Done right? Remember, we are trying to free the inhabitants of this planet, even if it means killing them. You know that.”

Ha Hee-Jeong clenched her teeth, her expression tense as she recalled the past. “To be honest, I don’t feel much sympathy for the minotaurs. They killed some of my closest companions last time, Su-Hyeok.”

I couldn’t argue; her feelings were completely valid. Hearing the Camadenus’s perspective had softened my stance, but it didn’t erase the atrocities the minotaurs had committed.

Even though we had gathered many of the human and Koshark climbers, others had likely fallen victim to them.

“Even knowing the truth about this world doesn’t erase my hatred. I will continue exacting my revenge. Camadenu’s indifference makes me even more enraged, though.”

I nodded quietly.

“At first, I only planned to exact vengeance without taking too many risks. But now, I’m going to settle this properly.”

“And how are you going to do that?”

“I’ll wipe them out completely. Enough to make Camadenu panic.”

Her icy resolve unsettled me. Clearly, she harbored deep resentment toward indifferent and exploitative gods. Earth didn’t have any gods, however.

Did something happen during her previous life that I don’t know about?

I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “What happened?”

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

She shook her head. “I’ll tell you later. I plan to get revenge on that motherfucker, too.”

Since she didn’t seem ready to discuss it now, I just nodded. “So we’ll proceed as planned? Attack when there are twenty-four hours left?”

“Yes, let’s stick to the original plan. I’ll work harder to gather more climbers.”

After our talk ended, I returned to the Camadenus. “Some of our allies lie beyond your settlement. I plan to head there. What will you do? Will you stay here?”

“No, if we are to die anyway, we would prefer to fall by your hands, Liberator. We will go with you.”

“I’ll be moving quickly. Will you be able to keep up?”

“Respectfully, no matter how fast you can move, riding us will be faster.”

Ah. That is right.

I had forgotten about their wings. Though small compared to their sheer size, the Camadeni were apostles. With how confident they sounded, I didn’t doubt they could easily carry me.

Turning to Ha Hee-Jeong, we briefly exchanged goodbyes.

“I’ll explain everything to the Kosharks and Earthlings.”

“Got it. I’ll head out now.”

“Be careful, and let me know when you meet the other climbers.”

I opened a portal near the minotaurs’ settlement, crossing it with the Camadeni. Mounting one of them, I soared into the sky and headed eastward.

Flying on a cow felt a little strange, but as the Camadenus had promised, they flew swiftly and stably.

***

「Invisible message: The hidden mission 'The Prey’s Merry Rebellion' has now commenced.」