Chapter 98: Twenty-Fourth Floor, Kokkari Swamp (4)

[Eliminate the heretics from the Kokkari Swamp or survive. Time remaining: 36 hours 15 minutes.]

“We will have to hold our ground on the rooftop!”

“Okay!”

“

Kriee!

Got it!”

After issuing the order to Comet and Doppy, I accelerated and began running toward the Great Warlord of Terror. Even though only two rooftops separated me from the heretic, he remained rooted to the first rooftop he climbed, unmoving.

What is he waiting for? Is he planning to talk with me?

I leaped across another rooftop and shifted my grip on the axe, letting it extend further to the lower left. Although I wasn’t fully sure why, I felt compelled to continue rushing forward. Naturally, the momentum would strengthen my first strike, so I reasoned that my urge came from not wanting to abandon that advantage.

I tensed both of my arms, fully prepared for the impending impact. If possible, I wanted to end this fight in one blow.

Only one rooftop remained between us. Just as I prepared to activate Flash Strike, the warlord’s eerie voice echoed through the air.

“Oh, great Stagnant Terror! Please let terror descend!”

Suddenly, my vision inverted again, and I was thrown into the same hellish landscape from before.

This time, however, it was different. My surroundings flickered like a broken projector, continually flashing between two scenes.

In one instant, the warlord brandished his spear before me, while in the next, I was surrounded by mountains of corpses in the nightmare world. Interplaying the images of the landscape of death were freeze-frame scenes of my opponent gradually charging toward me. Each time the vision of hell returned, my movements froze, forcing me to restart my previous action when I snapped back to reality.

Damn it.

Frustrated by the constant shifts, I activated Flash Strike. My perception of reality sped up, and the blood-red world appeared brutally clear. Though nothing within my sight moved, I felt an overwhelming presence lurking just outside my vision, something that stirred a primal fear deep within me.

Ugh.

The world shifted again. Now the warlord was leaping across the rooftops while angling his spear menacingly by his side.

Freed from the freezing effects of the nightmarish landscape, I resumed preparing for the fight. I adjusted my stance and positioned my axe low to the right, ready to intercept his spear.

The Stagnant Terror... I can see why he earned his title.

The god seemed to have the ability to cast a terrifying illusion that would naturally incite fear in any individual trapped within it. Beyond that, it restricted movement for the duration of the illusion. Thanks to my Indomitability skill, I recovered quickly from the overwhelming dread.

Well, it is certainly disorienting and limits my actions.

Fortunately, I had the Flash Strike skill to combat the disorienting effect. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to maneuver freely during the short times I was free of the illusion. At this rate, I should be able to handle the warlord.

Once more, the scenery reversed. My movements were halted to a stop once again, and I analyzed the surreal landscape while contemplating how to confront the warlord.

Right now, all I had to rely on was my focus and ability to anticipate my opponent’s next actions. Picturing his movements and factoring in my “current” location, I tried to predict his next actions and calculate the trajectory of his spear. Once I returned to reality, I would need to react immediately.

There were three meters between us, and his spear was coming in from the left.

I planned to deflect his spear with my axe and swiftly transition into a counterattack.

Right before I readied myself to act, an idea flashed through my mind. Each time the world shifted, I needed to tense my muscles again. What if, in that instant, I exploited this pause and defied physics to move freely?

It’s worth a try.

Unfortunately, with the warlord so close, I couldn’t test the theory before using it in combat. If I could set up a low-risk scenario, though, there would be nothing to lose.

Timing would be key if I wanted to pull it off, and I would need to gauge the distance between us precisely before acting. My vision inverted two more times, and I took a step back each time, perfectly aligning the gap between us on the last repetition.

Now, the warlord was directly before me. He thrust his spear at an angle, and it pierced through the air toward me. Moving just like I had planned, I swung upward diagonally from the lower right, meeting his strike.

Clang!

The sharp clang echoed, almost signaling the following shift as my vision flipped again. Although my surroundings were now painted in a blood-red hue, I remained focused, positioning myself for my next strike.

I had ample time. Counting down in my mind, I tensed my arms.

Three, two, one...

The warlord reappeared. Instantly, I gathered my strength and drove the axe forward with all my might.

“Heup!”

He grunted and twisted his body to evade. Whether blessed by divine intervention or quick reflexes, he swiftly dodged my attack despite his split-second reaction—albeit imperfectly. My strike landed on his left arm.

Crunch!

My axe ripped through his scale armor before tearing his left arm from his body. The severed limb sailed through the air, and blood erupted from the exposed stump.

It was time for the world to shift again. I focused on the warlord’s next move, ready to end the fight with my next strike.

Huh?

But my vision didn’t shift.

Did injuring him shatter the illusion?

I wasn’t sure. What I could tell, however, was that the warlord used my moment of hesitation to stagger backward and move outside my reach. Despite his severed arm, he made no noise to indicate he was in pain. Instead, he seized his severed arm with his remaining hand and invoked his god.

“―Fear!”

Immediately, a crimson glow enveloped his shoulder, and the blood gushing from it vanished as if washed away. As a warrior blessed by a god, it was no surprise that he could wield divine spells. Having finished healing, the Warlord’s eyes flashed red as he glared at me.

Meanwhile, the heretics beneath the roof cried out in despair, their anguished wails echoing like a horde of banshees.

“Great Warlord of Terror!”

“Our warlord!”

“Stop!”

He silenced the heretics with a command, and I readied myself for round two. For whatever reason, the illusion was gone. I had seen through the illusion’s weakness, and even under its influence, I managed to sever one of his arms. Now, dealing with him should be even easier.

Just as I was about to move again, the warlord spoke first.

“You... you’re not the cult’s Great Warrior.”

“How could you tell?”

“Those who wield the power of wind falter before terror.”

At first, I didn’t understand, but after taking a second to process his words, I realized what he meant. If someone relied on manipulating the wind to fight, the illusion’s constant halting would be catastrophic.

Finishing his explanation, the warlord rotated his spear, perhaps to acclimate himself to one-armed combat. As he did, a crimson glow flickered in his gaze before fading.

“Wait. The Stagnant Terror has taken an interest in you.”

“Interest?”

“You are an outsider and have no investment in our business. If you immediately withdraw, the Stagnant Terror will bestow his grace upon you.”

His god would offer me a reward? I scoffed, somewhat incredulous. Given the red glow in his eyes, it seemed he wasn’t lying, but...

“I have no use for your bastard god’s blessings.”

What could I possibly want from a god who promoted human sacrifice? Nor did I have any respect for these crazy bastards.

Taking a step forward, I watched as the enraged warlord bellowed back, “You wretch! A bastard god? How dare you! From the beginning, the Stagnant Terror has always been the true god of this world!”

Hearing his abrupt proclamation, my movements froze mid-stride.

So, the Stagnant Terror was originally this world’s god?

Behind me, Comet gritted his teeth, his voice laced with venom as he retorted, “You vile heretic! Stop spreading your lies! The true god of this world has always been the Goddess of the Dawn Breeze!”

“That’s only because she rewrote history to suit herself!”

Within an instant, the tense atmosphere grew unexpectedly light, and the whole situation seemed practically absurd. Here they were—two figures who usually bore an air of gravitas—caught in a heated religious argument.

What’s so sacred about religion anyway?

As the two warriors of their respective gods feuded with each other and completely disregarded their own dignity, I let out a deep sigh. It was all so pointless. Even ignoring the tower’s orders to eliminate the heretics, I had absolutely no intention of siding with a god that promoted human sacrifice. Nothing would change my mind on this matter, not even a hidden mission.

I raised my voice, cutting through their childish bickering, “That’s enough!”

It was time to end the twenty-fifth floor. Silently, I stepped toward the warlord. His back was pressed against the sloping edge of a roof with no room left to escape. Just five steps stood between us.

Right as I took another step, his eyes flared red once again. Simultaneously, the Chief Priest shouted from below the rooftop, “Great Warlord of Terror!”

The Chief Priest? But I already killed him! Is this a clone or an illusion?

Uncertain of what would happen next, I hastily activated Flash Strike. Yet, I was still a moment too late.

Drawn out by the effects of Flash Strike, I heard the Chief Priest’s words resonate in my ears.

“Oh, great Stagnant Terror! Please let terror descend!”

As soon as he finished speaking, I found myself in the crimson-stained world. Unlike before when I had merely seen this hellscape, my entire body had now been transported to this blood-soaked realm.

Caught off guard, the nauseating scent of decayed corpses and blood of varying degrees of freshness assaulted my senses.

“What the hell?”

I frantically checked the notification window but saw no message from the tower.

Have I been forcibly dragged into a planet outside the tower’s jurisdictions, like the factory? What kind of absurdly overpowered ability is this?

As dread and frustration surged within me, I thought about Comet and Doppy. My chest began to tighten, struggling to breathe as worry and anxiety consumed my mind.

I need to get back, and fast.

I focused on the roof I had just been standing on before quickly summoning my mana to open a portal.

Nothing happened.

Fuck—why isn’t this working?

My frustration boiled over, and the helplessness caused a surge of rage to claw at my insides. I had managed to open a portal in the factory, another location isolated from the tower. So why wasn’t it working here?

Is this place imbued with divine power?

That had to be the case.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

If so, then how long will I be stuck here? Or worse, can I even return?

Maybe there was an exit here somewhere, and it was up to me to find it. I tried to sense any danger in my immediate surroundings, but my Sixth Sense remained silent.

Come to think of it, it didn’t warn me earlier either. Damn it. Is my Sixth Sense failing to trigger because I am not in immediate danger?

My concern for Doppy surged again, even more so than for Comet. We had climbed all the way from the first to the twenty-fifth floor together. Although our first encounter hadn’t been smooth, I had grown attached to it over time.

If anything happened to Doppy, I wasn’t sure I could hold it together.

Alright, stay focused. Do something, anything.

Biting down on my lower lip, I began to move and stepped away from the hill of corpses below. Picking a direction at random, I headed to the right and started searching for an exit that didn’t even necessarily exist.

At some point, I split my lip from the stress, and I felt blood trickling down my chin.

Ten excruciating minutes passed in this manner.

Then, suddenly, I was back on the rooftop, the familiar surroundings snapping back into focus.

“Kill the last of the cultists!”

“Break their shield!”

Clang! Clang!

The first sounds I heard were the sounds of battle and the heretics’ shouts. Although I didn’t spot the warlord, my gaze quickly landed on a group of heretics hammering away at a sturdy black iron sphere.

It was an emergency steel barrier, given to Doppy by Ha Hee-Jeong for a situation just like this one. Fortunately, it was still holding up.

A wave of relief washed over me, quickly replaced by seething anger.

How dare they try to harm Doppy!

“You son of a—!”

Swallowing the rest of my words, I bolted forward and sprinted across the rooftop. My axe ripped through the heretics, lightning crackling in its wake. Taking less than five seconds, I cut through the heretics surrounding the shield like straw.

I anxiously knocked on the barrier.

“Doppy! It’s me! I’m here!”

“

Kriee?

”

“It’s me! Kwon Su-Hyeok!”

Two seconds of silence. Then, the black barrier dissipated.

Doppy, whose eyes brimmed with tears, hurled itself into my arms. Taken aback, I gently patted its back with my left hand. I could feel Doppy trembling. It had endured quite an ordeal. No matter how much it had trained, it was still a young goblin. Facing a frenzied horde of zealots would be terrifying, especially since I had disappeared and left it all alone.

Although my anger toward the heretics surged once more, it wasn’t the most pressing concern. There was no sign of Comet inside the barrier.

“Doppy... Where’s Comet?”

***

「Invisible message: The third-class god ‘Stagnant Terror’ seeks to interfere with the tower’s trial. As trials are ongoing on this planet, immense ■■■ consumption will be required.」

「Invisible message: The fourth-class god ‘Blue Dawn Breeze’ has voiced her opposition.」

「Invisible message: The tower has rejected the opposition put forth by the fourth-class god ‘Blue Dawn Breeze’ to as the actions of the third-class god ‘Stagnant Terror’ are within the laws defined by the system.」

「Invisible message: Direct harm to the climber is prohibited. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok will be temporarily transported to the Realm of Fear.」

...

「Invisible message: Climber Kwon Su-Hyeok has entered the realm of the third-class god ‘Stagnant Terror.’ All stats increased by 2.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok didn’t succumb to fear, leveling up his skills. Indomitability is now lvl 14. Combat Focus is now lvl 17.」