Ch-295. **Wilhelm vs. Randolph**
—
Eternal Randolph.
An unclassifiable kind of *mystery* forcibly occupied the body of the Ant King, Phermone.
At the same time as the molting, the one who emerged had become a completely different being.
“…This doesn’t even compare to the Black King’s blessing.”
Tearing apart the Ant King’s hide as he burst forth, *he* glanced down at his own body and let out a brief murmur of admiration.
It was complete to a degree that defied comparison with before.
A body as beautiful as a meticulously sculpted statue.
Jet-black skin, and a panorama of muscles condensed to extreme density.
“Phermone…? Have you been resurrected?”
Raktusha’s gaze wavered for a moment as he looked at him.
He had thought that after being struck by Eternal Randolph, Phermone had lost his intellect and regressed.
But Phermone shook his head.
“Raktusha. This isn’t resurrection. It’s *evolution*.”
And not just any evolution—one that surpassed the very limits of the species.
Truly, beyond specification.
This mystery—*Eternal Randolph*—contained a completeness that could not dare be compared with the Black King’s mystery.
Power overflowed.
At this moment, it felt as though even the Blade Dragon God could be defeated.
And that wasn’t all.
The most terrifying aspect of this *mystery* that had evolved him—
Thus, Phermone declared with confidence,
“The Black King is no longer a match for me.”
“…Phermone. What nonsense are you spouting? Have you forgotten the grace bestowed by the Black King?”
“Grace? You mean the grace of gathering insects together and making them all kill and be killed?”
Phermone lightly threw Raktusha’s words back at him.
It was closer to enmity than grace.
Moreover, the Black King’s grace was, at the same time, akin to shackles.
Just as Phermone had lost his intellect and regressed the moment he lost that mystery—
The Black King could reclaim the grace he had given at will.
“Raktusha. I will remove your shackle.”
Phermone extended his hand.
Then—
“Wh… what?!”
Raktusha’s pupils began to tremble violently.
The Black King’s grace—the *mystery* containing a hidden trait—
…had been destroyed in an instant.
“N-no…!”
Raktusha screamed.
The destroyed mystery had contained the hidden trait *Dexterity*.
Dexterity made it easy and fast to master anything and raised all realm indices by one stage.
It was the decisive hidden trait that had earned Raktusha the title of Swordmaster.
And it had been destroyed with nothing more than a single gesture.
“Shouldn’t you be happy? I’ve returned your true freedom.”
But Phermon could not understand Raktusha’s reaction.
He had freed him perfectly from the Black King’s dominion.
Having gained long-awaited freedom, why tremble instead of rejoice?
Before long, killing intent rose in Raktusha’s eyes.
“You dare…!”
Fwaaaash!
Sword aura surged from Raktusha’s Black Heaven Sword.
He could no longer tolerate Phermone’s atrocities.
One who had received the Black King’s grace yet stood against the Black King—
Such a being had to be eradicated without exception.
*Clang!*
Sword and hand met.
He had judged he would slice it off easily—but it didn’t cut.
“His realm… rose?”
He knew from just a single exchange.
Ant King Phermone.
It wasn’t just his body and mana that had grown stronger.
His realm had risen as well.
He parried sword aura without even manifesting his own.
He could imbue his very flesh with mana and wield it.
But to receive Black Heaven Sword’s aura barehanded—
And not merely receive it, but grasp the blade itself!
“…!”
The sword would not move.
The power of Phermone, who had seized it, was overwhelmingly strong.
“Foolish Raktusha. The power granted by the Black King is not a true hidden trait.”
…Now he understood.
The hidden trait Phermone himself had obtained now—this was truly the power of a king.
A mystery at the pinnacle of all things.
A hidden trait that was proof of existence itself—evolution and transcendence.
To begin with, what is a *hidden trait*?
“A hidden trait is the name of the realm attained by those who have proven themselves.”
Standing at the apex of a species.
Only a completed being could obtain a *name* befitting that realm.
Naturally, to gain such a name required desperate effort, providence, and talent.
However, the hidden traits most beings obtain are raw.
Only by building a higher rank and completing it could one finally attain a proper *hidden trait*.
Just like Eternal Randolph.
And among those names, *Eternal Randolph* could confidently be said to be beyond specification.
“With what the Black King bestows, you can never reach the *ultimate*, Raktusha.”
The Black King’s grace.
The hidden traits born from it end as raw.
They can evolve no further.
Breaking past limits beyond one’s rank is impossible.
You can grow stronger—but you must give up ever seeing the *ultimate*.
Because the power you were given already had its limits set.
Therefore—
“You should be thanking me. You’ve gained the possibility of seeing the *ultimate*. The mystery was destroyed, but having tasted it once, you’ll reach it faster next time.”
“…!”
Though the mystery was destroyed and he lost Dexterity—
He could simply regain it.
Rather, if achieved through his own effort, then perhaps he could truly see the end.
Having experienced it once, reacquiring it would be easier.
“Of course, *if* there is a next time.”
*Crack!*
The Black Heaven Sword snapped.
And—
“Ghk…!”
Phermone’s hand pierced straight through Raktusha’s chest.
Thump! Thump!
The heart beat vigorously.
*Crunch! Crunch!*
Phermone chewed up Raktusha’s stolen heart.
“Pe… Phermone…!”
“Orc hearts really are tasteless.”
*Spit!*
He tossed the half-eaten heart to the ground.
*Thud!*
At the same time, Raktusha’s body collapsed.
Instant death.
Having lost his heart, Raktusha no longer moved.
Then Phermone turned his head and looked toward *him*.
Raktusha’s heart had been tasteless—
But Wilhelm’s heart looked exceedingly delicious.
*My prey.*
Everything here was his prey.
Food to replenish himself after just completing his molt.
With tens of thousands gathered here, once he left this place, there would be no one left who could oppose him!
Among them all, Wilhelm gave off the sweetest scent by far.
He was prey.
Just like the others.
*Swoosh!*
Phermone’s body vanished.
In an instant, he stepped right up to Wilhelm, and Wilhelm moved his sword.
*I see it.*
I see it—his sword path.
At the same time, I can feel it.
How his sword functions.
A technique that reverses the opponent’s power.
Mana itself is slick, like oil.
Then what if I reverse *Wilhelm’s* power instead?
He may be used to reversing others’ power, but facing someone who tries to reverse his own would be rare.
Right now, it felt possible.
Phermone altered the nature of his mana.
Smoother and slicker than anything.
If they collided in this state, they would naturally slip past one another.
A slipped attack always strikes somewhere unintended.
*Thud!*
*As expected!*
Phermone’s hand pierced Wilhelm’s chest.
Just as predicted.
The weakness of this seemingly invincible man!
*Random strikes premised on slipping—so that’s the weakness!*
It was softness itself.
Both sides attack assuming they’ll slip past, draining stamina.
If it turned into a battle of random strikes and regeneration, Phermone was confident he would not lose.
Now all that remained was where Wilhelm’s attack would land.
It would either completely miss or strike somewhere irrelevant.
…However—
“Hm?”
Only belatedly did Phermone realize that his own head was floating in midair.
What?
From the very beginning, Wilhelm had aimed for his neck.
But it should have slipped.
Just as aiming for the heart had pierced the chest instead.
Yet it hadn’t slipped.
*Thud!*
*Thump!*
As Phermone’s body rolled across the ground as a corpse—
“Next.”
Wilhelm said.
At the same time—
《Phase 3, ‘Eternal Randolph’, has been defeated by ‘Wilhelm’.》
The message declaring the defeat at last.
Phase 3, which had driven everyone into terror, came to an end.
People trembled as they spoke.
“I-is it over?”
“There isn’t another phase… right?”
“Ugh…!”
Please let this be the end.
Everyone prayed—
《Champion, ‘Eternal God Randolph’, appears.》
《Climb the tower.》
《Upon reaching the 30th floor, you may challenge the Champion’s Throne.》
At the end of it all.
The champion who had conquered the Tower of the War God—
The true, complete Randolph still remained.
*
*
Wilhelm climbed the tower.
26th floor.
What appeared there was the *Heavenly Demon*.
But the Heavenly Demon was not a fragment split from Randolph.
It was a joint creation of the God of Omen and the God of Ash.
To prevent Wilhelm from climbing any further—
To obstruct him from reaching the 30th floor.
“Next.”
Wilhelm overcame even that.
He had suffered a massive injury to his left shoulder, but paid it no mind.
27th floor.
The knight order appeared.
The Round Table Knights who had once followed Wilhelm.
“Why did you abandon us?”
“Captain…!”
They swung their swords at Wilhelm in resentment.
But they were illusions.
A cheap trick meant to stir Wilhelm’s guilt.
Wilhelm cut them down.
Blood poured from his side, yet he did not care.
28th floor.
The Demon King appeared.
The one he had killed—yet lost to.
“Now you will be forgotten. Forever. Embracing the history of defeat.”
Wilhelm did not care.
What he desired was far removed from honor or a victorious legacy.
Being forgotten was fine.
Vanishing was acceptable.
If only—
If only he could properly show himself to that damned god.
If only he could win the wager against him, and take his revenge.
Though his right ear was blown off and his entire body was in tatters—
Wilhelm kept climbing.
29th floor.
The God of Omen and the God of Ash appeared once more.
“Why do you not give up, caw?”
“Even if you climb the tower, nothing will change, caw?”
Nothing will change.
They were right.
But Wilhelm raised his sword.
Against the gods.
If they blocked his path, then even gods would be cut down.
“You cannot climb, caw.”
“This place is not permitted to you, caw.”
Then shadows surged up before them.
The dreadful omen—and Karas!
They began directly controlling the shadows of the two beings.
It was a long clash.
But in the end, the one left standing was Wilhelm.
Though his entire body was in tatters.
“Even if you climb in that state, you will not win, caw.”
“The moment you lose, you will be erased forever, caw.”
“Glorious child. Why burn your soul for another’s trial, caw?”
“It is not worth offering your soul, caw.”
Even as they blocked him from reaching the 30th floor, they were worried.
Wilhelm’s actions.
His challenge was one that burned away the soul.
If he lost, the faint spark of soul the goddess had left would be extinguished.
And even if he won, there was nothing to gain.
Thus they interfered, hoping he would give up on his own.
“…Next.”
Wilhelm did not give up.
And then—
《Champion, ‘Eternal God Randolph’, is challenged by ‘Wilhelm’.》
…30th floor.
The moment he faced *Randolph* there—
“Mm.”
Wilhelm’s body swayed.
At most, only about an hour remained.
The trials were finally nearing their end—
*This is my limit.*
His body would no longer move.
That he had even reached this far in an imperfect state was astonishing, yet Wilhelm felt regret.
If it had been his own body, he would not have stopped here.
Still, it was too early to give up.
Until the moment his breath ceased, he would never give up.
That was when—
《‘Park Hyun-myung’ supports ‘Wilhelm’.》
…That damned god had begun to support him.
This is so amazing