If someone asked whether the phenomenon known as a βmiracleβ occurred, the βTower of Wishβ would have to be the clearest answer or the closest clue.
The origin of a Tower and the process of its creation were still complete mysteries. A mysterious entity that was capable of even bringing back the dead; a vast, extensive world that ignored the laws of physics and even the laws of magic; and the souls, βadministratorsβ, who maintained this place of miraclesβ¦.
ββ¦Haa.β
But now, the most famous administrator of the Tower of Wish, Medea, was sighing. In front of her was a beautifully adorned door. Although its ostentatiousness suited her beauty, Medeaβs heart was full of bitterness as she opened it.
Beyond the softly opening door were several elegant pieces of furniture.
β¦Administrators faced Players with memories of their past life intact. However, they were humans before they were administrators. They wished to live their newly found lives as humans and found other humans to live as humans. But because administrators couldnβt interact equally with NPCs and Players, they made a gathering for administrators only. They displayed new magic and interesting magic powers and enjoyed the artifacts uncovered around the Tower. This was more or less a social-gathering for administrators.
Today, Medea had come to participate in this social-gathering.
ββ¦.β
Ancient Era and Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Modern Age. Modern times and the future had come together to form a beautiful interior. It was the result of each of the members of the social-gathering bringing something to decorate the place with.
However, no one was inside.
Feeling dizzy, Medea sat down on a chair she brought.
She expected as much.
When it came to social-gatherings of administrators, the early birds were fools, as there were five administrators, including Medea, who thought coming late was fashionable and made them more βmain character-likeβ.
[Phenomenon Realm Gathering]
Medea stared at the sign on one side of the wall and gritted her teeth. The gathering was only productive at first, when administrators actually discussed what they could do for themselves. Now that over a hundred years passed, the gathering was nothing more than a political battlefield.
ββ¦Phenomenon Realm.β
There was still one wish she couldnβt give up. The Phenomenon Realm.
To re-obtain her body lost by death and to return to being human.
To achieve this 200-year-long wish, she required two things: βfulfillmentβ and βstate of existenceβ.
Here, βfulfillmentβ simply referred to oneβs achievements.
This was the only reason Medea built an artificial sun over Prestige.
In truth, she didnβt care about NPCs in the slightest. After all, they were already dead souls. To her, only the living Players were important. As such, Medea erected a sun while the Players were watching. That should have been more than enough of an achievement.
However, the bigger problem was βstate of existenceβ.
There were many ways to increase oneβs state of existence, and one way was through her βbeautyβ.
It might seem strange. One might even ask, βwhy canβt you just equip the countless artifacts in the Tower?β
The answer was simple. The Towerβs artifacts were no different than trash to administrators. The artifacts of the tower were relics left behind with their ownersβ deaths. If an administrator happily wielded an artifact, that would be no different than honoring the βoriginal ownerβ of the artifact. Naturally, it would be the βoriginal ownerβ who received an increase in their state of existence.
As such, Medea wanted an original beauty. That was why she kept a close eye on the [Crevon Craftsmanship Tournament], even after dwarves went extinct, and when she saw the ever so elegant βoriginal beautyβ, she believed her hard work had been rewarded.
Even if it only increased her state of existence by a little, that robe was something she must haveβ¦.
βHow should I coax him?β
While Medea was mulling over the matter, the door slowly creaked open. From the other side, four administrators walked in, Aphrodite, Penelope, and Athena.
β¦Athena?
βHey, you came early?β
Hearing Aphroditeβs greeting, Medea smiled. Her goddess status was a thing of the past. Now, she was an administrator just like Medea. A hundred years had already gone by since they figured out how to address each other.
βHello~β
βHello.β
βHave you been well~?β
Helena, Athena, and Penelope said respectively. They sat down in their seats while chattering. Medea glanced at their attires, which were no different than what they were wearing last time.
βI guess they really canβt get any better at this point.β
βOh right, Medea, I heard youβve been chasing after the Player who crafted Wolfβs Fragrance.β
At that moment, Aphrodite suddenly faced Medea and smiled brightly. Medea smiled back at her.
ββ¦Iβm not chasing after him. You must have heard wrong.β
βOh please~ Donβt you know how rude that is? Simad planned to give it to me all alongββ
βBy the way, why is she here?β
Medea was more concerned with Athena than stupid Aphrodite.
Athena was someone who left the Phenomenon Realm Gathering 100 years ago. Her inflexible way of thinking kept her in the mindset that she was a goddess while others were only heroes of humans.
βIs that woman after the robe tooββ
βNo, not that.β
Aphrodite interrupted Medea, and Athena interrupted Aphrodite.
βYes, thereβs something I want too.β
Did Athena suppress her pride as a goddess? She seemed okay at Medeaβs casual speech.
βArrow. Thereβs an arrow I want.β
Athena then said something Medea couldnβt understand.
ββ¦What? An arrow?β
**
[8F, Crevon Mainland]
After leaving Medea behind, I went back to Crevon. The Atalos Royal Family had declared a state of emergency, advising citizens to stay indoors. As a result, the usually bustling streets of Crevon were now empty.
βHiinng!
βLetβs go.β
I summoned Sannuri and jumped on her back. Sitting on a comfortable saddle, I faced towards the far eastern battlefield.
Thousands of monsters were marching from the east. Their desire to battle was too evident to say that they were only acting on instincts. By the looks of it, Chimera, the hivemind of monsters, was commanding them.
βHiing.
βThanks.β
Thanks to Sannuri, I quickly reached a high vantage point. A few monsters were nearby, but Sannuri and Spartan were more than enough to take care of them, as Sannuri tackled them and Spartan shot blasts of magic power at them.
ββ¦Well done.β
Sannuri and Spartan pushed the monsters away, while I stood at the edge of a sharp cliff. The wind blew past me fiercely as I watched the monsters below filling the vast land like weeds.
A few arrows were incapable of dealing with such a number.
For dark ore arrows to display their maximum potential, I had to use Stigmaβs magic power with them. If I used all 4 streaks of Stigma, I should be able to control my five dark ore arrows freely for about 10 minutes, but 10 minutes wasnβt enough.
I checked the number of bullets I had.
Due to slowly building the count up, I now had 300 handgun bullets, 600 rifle bullets, and 90 sniper bullets. Assuming each bullet could kill 1.5 monsters, that would be 1500 monstersβ¦
While I was calculating my battle potential, I suddenly wondered. Did I even need to fight?
βA wave of lightning will rage! Die!
Aileenβs childish voice summoned a lightning storm that swept through a crowd of monsters.
βHellfire.
Yi Yonghaβs βinextinguishable fireβ also spread from one monster to another, dying the battlefield in its reddish-black hue.
βIβll focus on sniping down the liches, spellcasters, specters, and other magic casters.
Jin Seyeonβs magic arrows shot down especially threatening monsters.
Meanwhile, Shin Jonghak was also putting on a fantastic show; Kim Youngjin had obtained the legendary Azure Dragon Crescent Blade from somewhere and was utilizing his Weapon Master Gift to its maximum potential; Kim Junwoo was dancing through the battlefield with his sword, as expected of a hunter of the βVast Expanseβ; and Jin Sahyuk was firing a flurry of magic weapons in the middle of the chaosβ¦
Wait.
Jin Sahyuk?
Was that really Jin Sahyuk?
I narrowed my eyes and focused my sight.
βThe heckβ¦.β
Jin Sahyuk was indeed among the Players sweating and working hard to defeat monsters. βWhat is she doing there?β I wondered, but I quickly found an answer. She probably participated to earn TP. After all, she seemed to be placing a huge expectation on the 7th floorβs neurotech chip.
I found my first target.
I nocked my arrow and aimed at Jin Sahyuk.
[Warning. Crevon is currently in war. The Player you targeted for an attack is an ally who joined Crevonβs war effort. Killing this Player may result in punishment from Crevon.]
It seemed she even officially joined the war effort. But since the punishment wouldnβt be coming from an administrator, I didnβt care all that much.
β¦At that moment, Jin Sahyuk seemed to have sensed danger with her sharp intuition, as she suddenly turned around in the middle of a battle. Her eyes scanned the surroundings and soon landed on me.
We gazed at each other from a long distance.
Jin Sahyuk gritted her teeth, seeing my arrow.
Not long afterwards, her mouth moved.
I couldnβt tell if she was only moving her mouth or if I couldnβt hear her for some reason.
Regardless, I understood what she was trying to say.
βIβm not doing anything bad right now!β
She then added another sentence.
βDonβt shoot, dammit!β
Her desperate yelling made me laugh.
I let go of the bowstring.
Chweekβ
The dark ore arrow shot forward with a sonic boom. Jin Sahyuk quickly formed a barrier, but it was incapable of blocking Stigmaβs anti-magic magic power.
ββ¦!
Her barrier shattered, and my arrow dug through her shoulder. She should now be struck with an unimaginable pain.
βFuckβ¦.
Looking at Jin Sahyuk who managed to not scream, an absurd thought popped up in my head.
Would it be possible to change her too?
Just like how Shin Jonghak and Chae Nayun changed?
Of course, there was no need to be swayed by such a hypothetical question. I would still kill her without hesitation if I were given the chance, but perhaps Iβve been excluding the possibility of reforming her too much.
ββ¦.
In any case, Jin Sahyuk was glaring at me with eyes full of pain and frustration. I could clearly feel the rage coming my way.
For now, I had no plans to let her live in peace.
I raised my bow and nocked another arrow on it. It was then.
Jin Sahyuk suddenly disappeared.
βHow quick.β
I refused to let her escape.
I infused Stigmaβs magic power into my eyes and chased after her.
Jin Sahyuk had already gotten far away, holding onto her shoulder as she clenched her teeth in pain.
Fortunately for her, my attention was stolen by other nearby Players.
Kim Suho, Venessa Fermun, Paolo Fermun, Yi Yeonghan, and Chae Nayun.
It was Kim Suhoβs party.
βBe careful, everyone!
They were fighting Medusa some distance away from the main battlefield. A white aura emanated from Kim Suhoβs golden sword strike. That was likely from Hwaiβs Sword Technique I gifted Suho.
βYouβre the one who should be careful!
Chae Nayun then swung a claymore the size of her body. The powerful strike smashed Medusaβs minions apart and left a gaping wound on Medusaβs body.
They were at an advantage. In fact, they had an overwhelming lead.
They didnβt need my help, so I slowly began to put my bow down.
β!
Then suddenly, Medusa screamed and activated her magic eye of petrification. That much was something Kim Suhoβs party expected.
Kim Suho swung his sword. His Gift easily severed Medusaβs Authority, and the rest of his party remained unaffected.
However, the real problem wasnβt on the ground but up above. In the blue sky, a flock of harpies, several hundred in number, suddenly appeared.
[Lv.10 Harpie]
βPieeeek!
Monsters with the head of a human and the body of a bird. These monsters screamed and spat out venomous fluids, drawing the attention of Kim Suhoβs party.
βWhat are those?
Chae Nayun sent a sword strike into the sky, but the harpies were nimble, dodging Chae Nayunβs attack before it could get to them.
Thinking about it now, Venessa Fermun was the only one in Kim Suhoβs party who specialized in long-ranged attacks. Kim Suho and Chae Nayun were striking down a few harpies here and there, but that only meant that their attention was being taken off Medusa.
The tide of the battle was changing.
Kim Suho and his party had to defeat Medusa today.
βHmmβ¦.β
Without any other choice, I raised my bow once again. I nocked five arrows on the bowstring.
They only needed my help for the harpies.
I infused my three remaining streaks of Stigma into the arrows. Heavy sparks of lightning crackled around the five dark ore arrows.
I aimed at the sky where the harpies were chirping loudly.
The bowstring became tense as the loaded arrows growled.
But when I let go of the bowstring, the five arrows flew stealthily and soundlessly.
Chwaaaβ
The five black streaks only had one goal: to decimate the harpies.
To achieve this goal, the five arrows pierced through all monsters in their paths.
β¦Soon, harpies rained down from the sky and formed a mountain of corpses.
**
Seeing that the calamities were being hunted down without problem, I returned to Seoul. It wasnβt anything special. Although I had not mentioned it, Iβve been going back and forth between the Tower and Earth through Spartanβs Authority.
βHajin~β
βMeow~
As soon as I returned to my apartment in Gangnam, Evandel and Hayang greeted me.
βHave you been good?β
βUun~!β
Evandel was growing by the day. Although her height was on the slower side, she had the body of a 5-year-old when she was born. Technically, her current appearance wasnβt too different from her real age.
βI wanted to see you~β
βMe too.β
Because of Evandelβs origin, I couldnβt send her to school. If I knew a worthy tutor, I would happily entrust Evandel to that person, but not many people had the ability and knowledge to be Evandelβs teacher.
β¦I did have one in mind at first.
A magician with ample teaching experience who used βsummonsβ just like Evandel.
Ah Hae-In.
But well, I didnβt have a good first impression of her, and from what I hear, she charged an absurd 5 billion won for one lesson.
βI came back too late today. What should we do tomorrow~?β
Hearing my words, Evandelβs eyes sparkled.
βYouβll be here tomorrow tooβ¦?β
At that moment, the door opened, and Yun Seung-Ah walked in with a grocery bag in hand. Her eyes shined the moment she saw me.
βOh~ Whoβs this? The famous Black Lotus Killer~β
I was about to greet her when I heard what she said and flinched.
ββ¦Huh?β
βYou thought I wouldnβt know?β
Yun Seung-Ah smiled mischievously.
βEveryone knows that you killed Black Lotus.β
βOhβ¦.β
It made sense, but that wasnβt why I was surprised.
I looked at Evandel, then looked back at Yun Seung-Ah.
βKillerβ.
βKilledβ.
I didnβt really want Evandel to hear such words.
ββ¦Ah, it means he plucked a flower~ Nowadays, Evandel, youβre not allowed to pluck flowers that arenβt yours.β
βOkay~!β
Evandel giggled as she watched Yun Seung-Ah try to save the situation. Then, she grabbed the plastic bag in Yun Seung-Ahβs hand and skipped over to the kitchen. After sitting down on a chair, she took the groceries out with a smile.
βThis is chicken, this is onion, this is garlic, this is eggβ¦.β
She was lessening her auntyβs work.
Afterwards, I took the ingredients Evandel laid out and demonstrated [Dwarfβs Dexterity] for the first time in a while.
**
One hour later.
Evandel fell asleep with Hayang soon after finishing her meal. Yun Seung-Ah turned the TV off and buried herself on the couch with a yawn.
βLetβs get back to business.β
The next important event was Genghis Khanβs artifacts in Central Asia. While I cooked, Yun Seung-Ah and I talked a bit about it.
βAs you know, those artifacts are in Central Asia, which is causing a lot of headache. Because that land isnβt in any countryβs jurisdiction, the Association normally would have given up. Even if an excavation site was built there, the surrounding regions belong to Djinns, and Pandemonium is nearby too.β
Yun Seung-Ah continued with a serious face.
βThe question is how this information got leaked, because Pandemonium Djinns managed to find out and began to build an excavation site around it.β
Of course, I already knew everything she was telling me. Still, I pretended not to know and wore an oblivious face.
βSince we canβt just watch them take all the artifacts, the Association reluctantly chose to fight them. We are talking about Genghis Khanβs artifacts, after all.β
Genghis Khan, otherwise known as Temujin.
The emperor who founded the largest contiguous empire in the history of Earth.
Although his empire didnβt last long after his death, his name reached a legendary status that spread through the entire world. Furthermore, Genghis Khanβs army was smaller in number but stronger in individual power. As such, an old weapon used by a nameless soldier in his army could potentially be higher than a low-grade artifact.
βOf course, we still have time. From our estimate of the technology available to them, they still need 2 weeks before they can start excavating artifacts.β
Yun Seung-Ah paused and looked at me softly.
βSo I was wonderingβ¦.β
I had a hunch I knew what she was going to say.
βYouβre a mercenary.β
βI start at 50 billion.β
I gave a reply I already had prepared.
ββ¦Hm?β
Taken aback, Yun Seung-Ah jumped slightly.
βDidnβt you just call me the Black Lotus Killer? That would mean my value just skyrocketed.β
I said with a smile.
Yun Seung-Ah scratched her head with a flustered look.
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