A large scar marred the ground.

Dusty haze drifted in the air where the sword had swept past.

What, what the hells wrong with this crazy guy?

I dont know. Some nutjob started attacking us out of nowhere!

He must have a death wish. Picking a fight with so many of us? Im already cranky from pulling an all-nighter, but this is good. Ill break his bones in one go.

Gasp! Wai- Stop! That guy, its him. The Sword Demon!

That psychopath?

The murmurs grew louder.

Stop getting in the way and beat it. Before I slash you all to pieces.

The one emitting a palpable killing intent was none other than Cheon Yoo-seong.

His eyes burned with such severe anger that they appeared downright murderous.

And no wonder.

Cheon Yoo-seong, who had been dedicating the whole day to his training as usual, received a message early in the morning.

[Get your ass to the 4th floor entrance within 1 hour.]

The sender was Kang Jin-hyuk.

A mountain he must overcome, the reason he remained in the tower.

Ridiculous.

Cheon Yoo-seong scowled.

There was no reason to comply just because the guy asked him to come.

His training was still lacking.

To surpass that damn monster, he had to break through the limits of his swordsmanship.

Thus, Cheon Yoo-seong ignored the message sent by Jin-hyuk.

Immediately after, another message arrived.

[If you show up now, Ill fight you without using my left arm and right leg.]

Hold back.

Its a provocation.

A shallow and childish one at that.

If he took the bait, he would be dancing in the palm of his opponents hand.

[Okay, then Ill only use my right brain and fight with both eyes closed. Deal?]

Hold back.

He must control his anger, turn it into a seed of vengeance for later.

There will be chances if he waits.

[Chicken? Ah. Looks like you chickened out. Dont worry; I dont tease puppies.]

That was the end of it.

The last string of reason holding him snapped.

Ill kill him.

Righteously tear him apart!

Completely hooked by the provocation, Cheon Yoo-seong abandoned everything else and headed for the 4th floor.

And now.

He could see the culprit of all this in the distance.

* * * *

Huh? You came? Over here.

Jin-hyuk waved his hand warmly.

He was getting bored waiting.

As always, his punctuality was detestable.

You!

Cheon Yoo-seong thrust his sword forward.

It wasnt his usual iron sword, but a new one engraved with runes.

As expected, hes got his hands on it.

Elemental Sword.

Though not complete, it was a special item that compensated for swordsmens weakness at range by infusing the weapon with elemental magic.

The corners of Jin-hyuks mouth turned up.

Cheon Yoo-seong was admittedly strong to a point no one could deny, but his personality was fixated on convention.

That meant his next moves were predictable.

Ill prove right here whether Im scared or not.

Cheon Yoo-seong gripped his sword with both hands.

Krrrrrrk!

Rough lines began to draw across the ground, powered by the sharply condensed mana.

Brutish and immense sword aura.

Youre proving something alright, but with an incomplete sword?

At Jin-hyuks remark, Cheon Yoo-seong faltered.

What do you mean?

Just as I said. The Elemental Sword isnt bad, but it needs to be complete to truly have an impact.

There just so happens to be an item in the A-rank random box from this floor that can complete your Elemental Sword. You want the fire attribute, right?

Bullshit! Its a random box. Theres no way to know whats inside!

Thats right. Under normal circumstances, you cant peek inside a random box.

But.

I prefer abnormal shortcuts, you know that right?

Jin-hyuk smiled thinly.

In contrast, Cheon Yoo-seong bit his lip hard.

If anybody else said it, he could dismiss it as nonsense, unworthy of listening.

But the sly veteran smirking before him was an exception.

That guy might actually know.

A method to peek behind the curtain.

If what you say is true, then. Are you planning to use that as bait to make use of me?

In life, using each other for personal gain is nothing new, right? Plus, theres no loss for you either.

A better item is the ultimate means to becoming stronger.

Item-luck isnt just an empty phrase after all.

Some have indeed devoured top-tier rankers with their item powers alone.

And so.

Damn it. That random box better contain whats needed to complete the Elemental Sword.

Swish!

Cheon Yoo-seong sheathed his drawn sword.

Good.

Despite all the twists and turns, all five of them had finally gathered.

Although one among them was a bit questionable as an ally.

* * * *

[A 5-member party has been formed.]

[Minimum participant requirements for the base defense battle have been met.]

The five-party members, including Jin-hyuk, soon headed for the arena.

Hmm-hmm.

Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa kept glancing at Cheon Yoo-seong.

Wasnt he the wild man who pulled his sword at the slightest glance?

They couldnt help but feel uneasy being on the same team with such a menacing figure.

Is this really okay, Jin-hyuk?

Teresa, who had met Cheon Yoo-seong in the corridors, was also visibly anxious.

Its alright. He may look like that on the surface, but surprisingly, hes quite a softie in a way. Im fairly sure he wont stab us in the back for the duration of the wave.

But still

Trust me.

You inevitably learn about a persons true nature after so much bickering.

And the Cheon Yoo-seong I know isnt one to resort to dirty tactics.

Probably

Probably, that is.

That was when it happened.

Oh right, bro. I nearly forgot. Here, take this.

As if remembering something, Yu Yeon-hwa opened her spatial inventory.

What soon appeared was a pair of swords that were unmistakably extraordinary at a glance, the Twin Dragon Swords.

Wow!

As expected.

An artifact of the past, yet they say it rivals the Holy Relics within the tower.

Their worth wasnt exaggerated; the weight transmitted to the fingertips was enough to make his heart constrict.

How did you get Grandpa to part with this? He really cherished it, but how?

Just He seemed to take a personal liking to me.

Jin-hyuk gave a vague response.

No need to discuss the Tower Resident just now.

His focus remained on the upcoming defense battle.

As they exchanged idle chatter.

Weve arrived. Thats our base.

The group soon arrived at the entrance to the arena.

Sigh. We have to defend this huge base with just the five of us, right?

Reminds me of when we stopped the outbreak in Amsterdam. I didnt want to go through that again.

Yu Yeon-hwa and Teresa exhaled softly.

Even the mighty Fierceman of Bulkwang-dong and the Saintess of Amsterdam get nervous, huh?

Well, a little? But I feel reassured with you by my side.

Me too. Somehow, with Jin-hyuk here, it feels like everything will work out even in the most desperate situations.

Theres nothing in it for me if you flatter me.

Hey, Im just stating facts.

We saw how you conquered the corridor alone.

What are they up to all of a sudden?

Could there be something they want?

Im not sure what theyre thinking

But its not a bad feeling.

It means they trust me, after all.

In a world turned upside down, finding someone you can trust your back with isnt common.

Zzzt! Zzzt!

The ring of Brahms he wore twitched violently.

Right. I trust you too.

Sensing Elises jealousy, Jin-hyuk grinned to himself.

Despite appearances, this one was surprisingly possessive as well.

So much for the cool and lofty impression at first. He could almost enjoy teasing it.

But just then.

Hmm. Wondering whod taken the arena. It was the Koreans, huh?

An unfamiliar voice cut in.

Almost simultaneously, bald, tattoo-covered men emerged from between buildings.

Brother!

Hyung, theyve been approaching us undetected!

Jin-hyuk!

The three called out simultaneously.

Yes, I know.

They had been tightening the encirclement for minutes. When would they show themselves,

Now right before the base, the faces revealed.

Considering they could conceal their presence quite well, they must possess some skill.

Chinese players, huh?

Jin-hyuk smacked his lips.

One of the major guilds, the Triads, known for not-so-stellar reputations.

And the leading young man had an entirely different aura from the others.

Youre Kang Jin-hyuk, are you?

A handsome Eastern man with pale skin and black hair spoke up.

If seen on the street, he would warrant a second look.

But rather than his looks, what caught the eye was the emblem on the sword he wore.

Jin-hyuks eyes narrowed.

That emblem

No doubt about it.

Nangong Clan.

One of the members from the 25th floor of the Tower of Ordeal, part of Wulin.

So the rumors of the Chinese side making contact with the residents are true.

Yoo Cheon-youngs words had just been proven.

Are you not the one called Kang Jin-hyuk?

Right. Im Kang Jin-hyuk.

Indeed, so it is. My name is Nangong Hyeon. Unlike your petty small country, I belong to the vast territory of China

Starting to introduce himself, Nangong Hyeon halted mid-sentence.

His opponent had begun to cover his nose and mouth with a handkerchief.

What in the world are you doing?

Oh, sorry. Your country is so polluted with fine dust, I was afraid I might breathe in some dust if you spoke.

It makes sense why his skin is so pale.

The sky covered in grey 365 days a year sunlight cant get through that.

This this bastard!

Nangong Hyeons face flushed red with fury.

Hes pissed.

Whoever gets heated first loses its an unspoken rule.

You little shit. If you dare to ridicule the Nangong Clan, I will annihilate three generations of your dont say that crap about annihilating three generations because its boring. Im sick of such third-rate villain lines.

Preempting the others speech, Jin-hyuk recited what he would likely say.

Not exactly to the letter, but the gist of it was there.

Moreover, do you, of the Nangong Clan, even have pride to maintain?

In the Tower, whenever a Sinister Demon appears, you guys tremble in fear, right?

Wasnt it just 20 years ago that the Nangong Clans young master made a name for himself?

How come you still act that old-fashioned in this day and age?

Unless, of course, youve come via a time machine.

You you!

Shh. Dont open your mouth too wide. If a virus-filled droplet flies out, youll be a nuisance to players worldwide.

Aaargh!

In the end, Nangong Hyeon exploded.