《Classless Ascension》


 Status Update + Intro

    <h4>Status Update + Intro</h4>


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    #???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????#


    Any information about the novel will be here!!!


    - Still got a bit of rework to do but for now, we''ll just roll with this and keep progressing. Some people enjoy this so I''ll keep writing. =)


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    #???????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????#


    The soul of this novel?


    An ordinary man reaching the ultimate peak of power, being badass throughout the whole journey. What makes him special? Well, it''s hard to describe you see. He is simply badass.


    Is it because of his godlike magical skills? At first, he had none. Well, besides His self-taught weapon mastery. Yes, self-taught!


    Is it because of all the ancient bloodlines? At first, he had none of that either. He was a pure normal basic human at the beginning. Hard to believe nowadays, right?


    Is it because of all the insanely powerful treasures? Back when he first started his ascension all he had was a straight-jacket hindering his movements. He kicked them all to death, no hand!


    Is it because of providence from a god? Definitely not! The first time he met a god he actually-omitted-, you should have seen that godly being''s face haha!


    He started without any cheat whatsoever! You''d expect someone like that to be weak, right?! Well, you haven''t met Josh Malum. Even when he was weak no one would have called him that...well besides utter fools.


    So to answer your question....


    The soul of it all? Bending the many worlds to a human''s will with nothing but determination. It''s impossible some say? Wanna bet? ;)


    Wee to <Rip & Tear & Ducks!>


    H???????e????????????????????l????????l???????????????? ????????????????h???????????a???????????t???????????????h???? ?????????n???????o??????? ??????????????f??????????u???????????r?????????????????y???????? ??????????????l?????????????i??????k?????????????????e?????????? ?????????a???????????????n????????? ????????????e???????????????n????????????????r??????????a??????????????g???????????e????????????????????d??????????????????? ?????????????????????D???????u??????????c????????????k??????????????? ??????L????????e???????g??????????i??????????????o??????n???????????????????!????????????????


    https://discord.gg/dV5DVyhj57

 Chapter 1: Josh Malum

    <h4>Chapter 1: Josh Malum</h4>


    On an ocean of bodies stood one man...


    His boots were digging into the bloody mush sullying the entire Floor. The victims had been cut into millions of pieces sttering all over.


    He was wearing transcendent-looking equipment. It gleamed with a purple-darkish light that gave him an unfathomable aura. Not only did it glow in the dark, but it also revealed that he was the main character.


    He was in fact fully geared with S!!!-tier artifacts that would have rendered any being in the multiverse envious. Not only did it give him incredible stat boosts, but it also came with Unique skills.


    Any single artifact of his was worth more than the wealth of the top worldsbined, yes even the ones of the greedy Dragons or the proud Celestials.


    He had killed so much that the very air was filled with a blood mist. The foul iron odor was ever-present, a heavy one. One that was trying to permeate his whole being.


    Of course, he resisted being tainted with a thinyer of mana. Not because of fashion, but simply because it was convenient.


    The fetid scent of death was everywhere. It was something that he was ustomed to, that he weed even. He had killed so much during his ascension of the Dimensional Tower. Reaching the top was his goal and he was so very close at that moment.


    In the distance, he could see countless Arch-Demons. If one were to ask anyone what an Arch-Demon was, this would be the expected answer:


    -Towering beings of close to infinite power.


    -Born of sin, violence, and baleful mana.


    -Able to annihte entire worlds on their own.


    -Close to immortal. Killing one required to destroy all 12 of their hearts at once. Shattering a single heart was almost impossible with their near-infinite vitality.


    Well, he had a different opinion. He simply considered them critters.


    These Arch-Demons were the overlords of this Floor, thest one of the Dimensional Tower. One that was believed impossible to clear.


    They were theckeys of the ultimate evil that controlled the Dimensional Tower, one he was about to fight.


    He had left a deep impression on them. They were all shivering in fright just by looking at him. They had dubbed him aplete madman for he would massacre all without remorse.


    He had in fact just massacred his own kind. Systematically, without it bothering him too much. He had almostmitted omnicide, for he was the only human left. He had ughtered friends and foes alike, reducing them to bloody particles in a mere instant.


    He had killed all the veterans that had miraculously survived till here, even the brothers that had apanied him from the very beginning. They had in fact all sacrificed themselves for they knew he was humanity''sst hope. Well, not that they had the strength to resist him in the first ce. At least they died with a smile.


    He did not care, for it would not matter. None of it would. He would dly destroy the world if it meant aplishing his goal. He did it all for them. No, he did it for himself. He was the one that wanted them back.


    Funny how the humans were one of the weakest races. One that had been introduced to the Tower on a whim at the veryst minute. They were supposed to be nothing more than cannon fodder.


    Yet, there he was.


    He had the appearance of one for sure. But was he still human? Countless ancient bloodlines did not count, right?


    Any of the Arch-Demons would have answered that he was a true monster. Any of them, even the weak level 500 ones, were able to murder any human with a snap of their fingers.


    But not this freak! Impossible!


    The demons knew clearly that they would cease to exist should they confront him. That they would die both in body and soul. That they would disappear forever.


    That is when he scoffed lightly "A shame I can''t gain XP anymore eh¡­"


    That was thest thing the hundreds of thousands of Arch-Demons heard before perishing. All of them. Killed by sword attacks so fast that they themselves did not perceive their own demise.


    He then turned his attention to the humongous ck doors by his side. These were engraved withplex red-glowing mana patterns. He could read words written in an ancientnguage :


    <Here lies god.>


    Appeared a system prompt too.


    [Ready to Face a God? Doom Included! ^_^v !]


    "Hehe, I pity it. I will be facing a god, but it will be facing Josh Malum!" he chuckled.


    Josh pushed the double doors confidently, doors big enough to epass the entire earth he hade from. Yet he did this act as easily as one would push any normal door.


    Ever sinceing into this world, Josh had been preparing for this moment. Soon, everything would be over. He would finally see them again.


    Josh knew that no matter the oue, the pain would cease. Both the old pain and the new one too.


    The void in his heart would be filled, or he himself would return to the void.


    Thus, Josh stepped up, fully prepared tomit deicide.


    ****


    Shaking guards brought him to the holding cell, letting him in while warily eyeing him. They were worried for their life, even with the white straitjacket that he was wearing.


    The guards knew what he had done. They had heard about it on the news. He had killed all of the Dragon Triad, all 50 of its core members. Them whopletely dominated the underground scene.


    Killing 50 people was revolting in itself, but the way the man had done it was even more so. He had impaled all of them.


    He had managed to prolong their suffering. For some, it was three days but for the unlucky ones a week. All the while torturing them.


    Once he had been done with this sickening act, he had called the police to turn himself in. When they arrived, they were confronted with a scene straight out of a nightmare.


    Yet, there he was nonchntly sitting, reading a web novel on his cellphone and from time to time opening an idle game too.


    When the police pointed their guns at him, he didn''t bat an eye. He did not either when he was sentenced to a life sentence with a minimum of 75 years. That ended his free man''s life.


    When reporters asked him why he had done it, he simply answered that he had nothing to lose anymore. That the Dragon Triad had taken it all already. That he was simply cleaning trash.


    The reporters kept asking for details but were not told any. Because of it, the world went crazy about the story. Some called him a madman. Some called him a hero.


    No matter what the world thought it didn''t change his fate, nor did he care either.


    Thus, the man was brought to a damp prison cell. It was a dark room with a two-bunk bed and a toilet. Both items were metallic grey and bolted solidly to the floor. There was nothing else.


    In there was a thief, one that had a lot of experience in prisons. As soon as the man came, the thief tried asserting dominance over the neer.


    "Hey there, newbie. From now on, I''m the big boss! Anything you do, you need to ask for my permission beforehand. May it be eating, sleeping, or even shitting. Is that understood?!"


    To which the man didn''t even bother replying.


    Thus, the thief kept going. "Hey, fucker! Can you hear me?! I''m talking to you! I don''t care what your name is, from now on you will be called fucker and nothing else!"


    The man slowly answered, "My name is Josh Malum" while lowering himself on the bottom bunk.


    At first, the inmate was about to scream at him for taking his bed, but then he realized. The name sounded familiar; he had heard it before. Everyone had in fact.


    Josh had been everywhere on the news.


    The color left the thief''s face as he unconsciously retreated toward the cell wall. It was then that he understood why the neer was still tied up even here, a fact he had disregarded earlier.


    The thief couldn''t believe how unlucky he was for that madman had tond in HIS cell! Yet all Josh did was stare at the wall. He did sopletely unguarded,pletely defenseless.


    Josh''s cellmate was nheless terrified. So much that he had trouble breathing. He couldn''t help but ask in a high-pitched tone "Y-you won''t kill me, right?!"


    To which Josh answered. "No. I only bring retribution. Nothing more. I kill with a purpose."


    The thief dropped on the ground kneeling "T-thank you so much!"


    "You''re wee, I guess. How long do you have left?" Josh inquired.


    "T-that. Two years!"


    "Then let''s get along these two next years, shall we?"


    Then Josh simplyid there thinking. Thinking about how spending an eternity in prison was worth it. At least their souls would rest in peace knowing they had been avenged.


    The previous 2 years had been truly hectic for Josh. There was all the training, the hardships, and the preparation that went into a n anyone else would have considered insane.


    Well, Josh himself did realize that it was in fact truly crazy. What were the chances of a normal broke sryman toppling a crime syndicate alone?


    Yet Josh had pulled it off. He had seeded exactly because no one believed he could have done it.


    What came after Josh had achieved his goal? He never thought that far. He had simply kept going, fueled by anger and sorrow.


    Now Josh truly felt empty. This vengeance had brought him no joy whatsoever.


    But he truly believed that it had made the world a tiny bit less dark. Of course, there would soon be another evil to rece the old one. That was an eternal aspect of life itself. Still, he had done his part.


    He then simply closed his eyes and rested, for the first time in two years, wishing for a lucid dream. He wished to see a mirage of them both alive, if only for a moment.


    Josh slept soundly.


    At some point, a guard came for roll call, an extremely loud event.


    Yet Josh kept slumbering.


    The guard quickly realized that one of the prisoners was missing and angrily headed to the cell. But when he saw who it was, he calmed down instantly. He even acted like he hadn''t seen anything.


    The guard whispered a soft "Let me be magnanimous since it''s his first day." before exiting hurriedly. If anything, that only served to protect his bruised ego.


    The day kept progressing as usual, yet Josh simply slept.


    Later, the warden himself came to observe the situation. He didn''t dare disturb Josh either.


    Quickly the entire prison heard of Josh''s arrival.


    Some started betting on how long the thief would survive.


    Some decisively decided not to mess with him in case he became Josh''s friend.


    Thus, the day ended, an uneventful yet significant one.


    The whole prison was expecting the future with bated breaths. They were awaiting Josh''s next move.


    A rumor even started that the warden had instructed his guards to never mess with Josh. It had started because it was in fact true.


    The other inmates decided at that point that they would rather mess with God himself than Josh Malum.


    A man that had done nothing since his arrival but sleeping had somehow terrified into submission some of the toughest criminals of the country. After all, this was a maximum-security prison.


    The very next day, Josh Malum escaped.


    He did so without even trying.


    He did so while sleeping.


    #


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    That day humanity transmigrated to the Dimensional Tower.

 Chapter 2: To You Reading This

    <h4>Chapter 2: To You Reading This</h4>


    At first, it consumed him.


    A poison invading his entire being and spirit. Slowly making its nest into his heart and psyche¡­no that is a lie. The poison called regret consumed him instantly, their deaths causing him to descend into self-me and madness.


    Well, he did ovee it at some point. Or perhaps he truly became utterly broken and simply showed a veil of normalcy at times?


    This shall be a disimer to you who is reading these lines. Darkness is everywhere, it inhabits the worst ces, the most righteous ones, and the heart of mankind. It is ever-present in this shitty world.


    This is the story of a broken man that somehow lived his life as he desired. What will be conveyed here will not be a wonder of literature. It will simply be his struggles and a tiny bit of his philosophy too.


    If you dislike that, leave. Leave right here and now. Plenty will want to listen. There is no need to waste anyone''s time.


    If you want to be part of this journey, then decide so right now, for there will be no stopping. Not now, nor ever. Well, at least until it is over.


    The abilities of the being typing these lines at this very moment may becking, but he trusts in yours to see between the lines and understand the true essence.


    #


    #


    #


    #


    It seems you are still here. This is cause for celebration.


    Now, do you know regret?


    Understanding regret is necessary to understanding this broken man.


    They say regret is a necessaryponent of life. It allows one to rethink how they should have acted. You know, in case it ever happens again.


    Josh had thought things many times over. Every time he hade to the same conclusion. He couldn''t have known but he should have.


    Josh had prioritized work over apanying them to see their hospitalized father. Their financial situation wasn''t the best at the time. He wanted to get as many hours in so he could make sure they wouldn''tck anything.


    She was his and he was hers. Broke, but incredibly happy. Every time he woulde back to their tiny, cold, leaking, and half-ruined apartment it would pinch his heart. She was always smiling too, a smile so radiant it would brighten his whole world instantly. But there always was that voice in the back of his head telling him she deserved better.


    She''d somehow manage their meager finances without ever aint, working her magic so they wouldn''t be in need of anything. Sure, every little thing they owned was half-broken, but it did work!


    Josh used to have a promising future. he used to be one of these creatures as rare as a Qilin''s horn¡­a straight-A student.


    People often say there are two types of students, the ones that are bright and smart ¡­and the others. Josh always believed this to be bullshit! The only reason he had good grades was the effort he put into it. While others were ying, he was studying. While they were sleeping, he was studying. Ah, you get it.


    That bright future crumbled oh so very easily! Let''s just say Josh had a rough patch. A pretty normal story, a car ident, all his family gone, broke, and homeless. Statistically, it only happens to a few, but it had to be him.


    What do you do when faced with such a sudden loss? You cry like a bitch! You cry like a bitch in the morning, you cry like a bitch in the afternoon, you cry like a bitch in the night. You keep crying like a bitch until rumors of a sorrowful ghost appear on the street because that''s where you live now.


    Josh was devastated. He had dropped out of school and lost everything, well besides the garbage bin that served as his shelter.


    As he kept crying, she appeared, akin to an angel with a bright light halo! Well, if a real angel had tried taking him to Heaven he would have kicked it in the nuts to remain on Earth with her.


    Why did she even approach him? He didn''t know but he was so d. She simply looked at him and said "It''s going to be okay it''s- ouch" as she bit her tongue, looking peeved about it.


    Were you expecting some world-shattering amazing motivational speech? Nope. She sounded awkward too. Her voice wasn''t the reassuring pleasing kind. It sounded even a bit funny, as in high-pitched enough that people would make fun of it.


    Still, for Josh, it didn''t matter. So she kept talking to him. In most cases, the kind stranger is supposed to calmly and kindly listen to all your problems before leaving you with enlightening words of wisdom.


    Once more she defied expectations. She didn''t let Josh ce a single word. She simply started unloading all her problems unto him. How her father was sick. How he was losing his mind thanks to an ident. It had damaged part of his brain. Somehow he barely remembered anything.


    He could barely live yet she didn''t want to give up on him. Technology was getting better day by day. Who knew if they''d find a solution eventually. Of course, she was clearly lying to herself, she subconsciously knew it too.


    Still, the man had raised her and her little sister all by himself. She would not give up on him no matter what. She wasn''t ready yet to simply let him go even if he was but an empty shell nowadays.


    Josh could rte to that. The car ident had ended up with a Bang. There wasn''t any corpse to even mourn, nothing but calcinated charcoal remains. He would have given a lot to be able to wish them farewell properly, not just the simple "Have a safe trip, call me when you get there." So yes, Josh could freaking rte. More than he ever could with anything or anyone.


    She alsoined a lot about her job. How she had just lost it. How she didn''t know how she would feed her sister. How it was all that bastard manager''s fault for harassing her. She had simply fought back his advances and lost her job in the process. She was innocent, but the world loved to screw up the innocent!


    That''s when Josh truly looked at her. Before, she had only been a stranger in his mind. Someone he''d instantly forget right after. No! She was like him, somewhat. Well, except that he was a horrible mess while she looked so damn beautiful. Josh looked and smelled like a true hobo and yet she hade to talk to him.


    There are reasons why her appearance cannot be described, but this shall suffice for now.


    Anyway, it may have been horrible of him but Josh was d, truly d. d that there was someone he could share with. Someone that would understand him. he had a few school friends that had tried reaching out to him. But no amount ofpassion would have made him feel better.


    A little voice inside Josh''s head kept screaming: "Hypocrites, none of you know what loss even is. How dare you¡­" Of course he''d shut it down fast. But it did reveal how he was feeling. He didn''t me them. They simply were estranged from one another. That was normal too, especially that they weren''t that close, to begin with.


    They talked, A LOT!


    She was about to get evicted but she still had a ce of her own. She reached out a helping hand. Josh followed her back home and cleaned himself up. There awaited a bubbly little creature called a kid. He was never good with kids but they always loved him.


    It still baffled Josh why she trusted him then. She wasn''t the naive kind either. She knew of the darkness of the world. All her rtives had turned their back on her family. But he guessed she was just a really good judge of character.


    The next day Josh had found a job. How did he do it so fast? Well, let''s just say the interviewer felt his desperation. It was one of the slimiest dirtiest jobs of them all that was looked down upon by everyone but it was a job. You can try and guess what it was.


    In this way, Josh got his life back. A new life. It was one that was full and simple. One that he would have loved to live forever.


    Back then he barely knew regret.


    The embarrassing moment of when he was the dirtiest hobo in the street? Who cares! It led him to her.


    The friends he had lost? He had a new family and that was enough.


    Josh did regret slightly not being able to show his girlfriend off to his parents but they would have been proud of him for he had found a kind and beautiful soul.


    *Sigh*


    Then he lost it all. Abruptly. To the whims of trash. They set their eyes on her, by chance. A result of a bunch of coincidences. Ones that led them to be at the wrong ce at the wrong time.


    At first, there was despair, then regret, then rage, then cold calctive nning, then some more rage, then a tiny sense of aplishment when his revenge was over. But then he was left with nothing but bittersweet regret.


    Josh did not me himself, he knew that it was a fruitless endeavor. But he did regret all that he had lost. He was left with nothing else than his memories. In there they still existed, smiling as brightly as back then.


    As long as he could reminisce he would be happy. His only fear was what would happen once he became old as the memories slowly started to vanish.


    Well, that would be a problem forter.

 Chapter 3: I Said Josh Malum !

    <h4>Chapter 3: I Said Josh Malum !</h4>


    [Climb the tower or face annihtion!]


    Josh Malum had a truly strange dream. He dreamt that a toneless voice was addressing him.


    ''Please, not even enough budget for a cute female AI voice. This dream sure is low budget.'' Josh thought.


    It said something about humanity transmigrating and joining some kind of Dimensional Tower. Said Tower would be the point where many worlds would intertwine. He would be sent to a human world, albeit not the one he knew.


    It was all a game. One designed by the gods themselves. Everyone teleported in would be yers. These yers would enter and clear as many Floors as possible. Complete every challenge sessfully¡­or die.


    Since every world had ess to the Tower, this was a race. The results would bepiled regrly. Any civilizationgging behind performance-wise would get annihted.


    It boiled down to get in, kill stuff, get out. Rinse and repeat while hoping to have done well. Of course, it wouldn''t be just that either. But the gods truly enjoyed bloodshed.


    ''How bored are the gods in this dream? Ah, whatever. I am so very tired. Who cares about all that.'' Josh thought while ignoring the voice.


    But then, the voice said something that piqued his interest. It said that reaching thest Floor would award one a wish. One granted by the gods themselves.


    There was only one thing Josh wanted, but he knew reviving the dead was impossible. He was expecting the voice to try and convince him otherwise. No, it agreed.


    It said that true revival was impossible, but that identical copies could be made. A new body but the same soul. The gods had apparently backed up the data of humanity whole just for this contest.


    Any sane mind would have found the whole concept ridiculous. This was definitely a crazy dream. Yet somehow Josh felt it made sense.


    He felt that this lucid dream was probably the result of his subconscious trying to make sense of all the shit he had been through.


    Josh figured that maybe if he reached the top he would see them. Thus, he decided to climb.


    That is when the voice told him to pick a ss. One that would elerate his progress drastically. It would give him the memories of heroes of the past.


    The avable selection would be based on his previous life''s aplishments.


    [Please choose!]


    | Avenger |


    | Berserker |


    | Blood Mage |


    | Breaker |


    | Duckmancer |


    | Impaler |


    | ughterer |


    | Sword Master |


    | Tormentor |


    | Vindicator |


    All these sses sounded epic and brutal. However, Josh considered all the killing behind him. He was only a regr man, one that had snapped and somehow destroyed a triad. From now on he would simply be regr prisoner J, for Josh or Jobless. He would simply sleep in his cell while awaiting death.


    Josh couldn''t help but ask further. "You said something about changing my memories?"


    To which the voice confirmed again. That was all it would do. He would remember these heroes'' experiences as if his own.


    Josh would never ept that!


    He would dly sacrifice his body, soul, or even his future. But never his memories, for it was the only ce where they still existed. He chuckled before dering. "ss: Josh Malum." The voice stopped for a second, seemingly processing the information.


    [ No ss selected! ]


    To which he replied again. "Josh Malum."


    [ No ss-]


    "I said. Josh Motherfucking Malum."


    [ ss selected: | Josh Malum |]


    Josh nodded satisfied. This was a dream, he may as well bend the system to his will.


    Josh couldn''t help but think this whole Tower thing would have made an engaging plot for a web novel. Perhaps he was having withdrawal symptoms? It had been a while since he had read one.


    Maybe this whole dream was caused by that. Before, he was always so busy but now... Maybe he could beg the warden for...


    [Special Weing Event!]


    [First Mission: Survive! Good Luck yer!]


    ''Oh, is it starting? Thank you weird toneless voice, I guess.''


    Then Josh was left alone, the voice vanishingpletely.


    ****


    Josh Malum awoke to the barks of dogs and the screams of humans, two things he was familiar with but would never have expected to hear in a prison. So loud! ''Five more minutes, no just one will do!'' He thought. But the disturbing noises wouldn''t stop.


    ''Guess I''ll have to get up. Such a pain. Can''t they let me serve my sentence in quiet and tranquility?!'' Josh slowly rose, he wasn''t in the prison anymore. At all! The dream and the transmigration had both been real!


    Josh wrinkled his nose in disgust. He had caught a whiff of so many scents. There was the rotten egg smell of sulfur that permeated the air, there was the musky smell of wild beasts, the stink of humans losing control over their bowels, and finally, of course, the iron blood. So much blood that it made the ckish ground bright red. It was akin to a painting made from the suffering and distress of humans.


    People could be seen running around iling their limbs in uncoordinated motions. No, in their wild panic they looked more like animals, pushing each other, screaming atop of their lungs, crying, soiling themselves, some were even frozen in ce doing nothing but shaking.


    What made them like that? The beasts. Twin-headed hounds that were having fun chasing, catching, gnashing, and devouring the weak humans. A fiery aura surrounded each of these. These were clearly cerberuses. Josh knew not only by their appearances but also thanks to the floating nametes above their heads.


    <Cerberus Lv1 >


    The dogs, no monsters, were big, muscr, bloodthirsty, sending saliva flying all over the ce, and overall extremely dangerous for sure. Some, having sessfully hunted their prey, were busy munching on unrecognizable corpses.


    The whole scene was tainted with a bloody red glow seeminglying from the sky itself. It was softly illuminating the carnage happening, making it all look surreal.


    That is when Josh noticed a familiar face, the thief he had met in the morning in fact. Well, all that remained of him was a severed head. He too had died, like countless others.


    That is when Josh heard the growling of a Cerberus that pounced on him. A normal guy would have shat himself panicking. Had it been two years ago, Josh would have reacted in such a way too. But the current Josh simply high-kicked the creature sending it tumbling.


    That action sent a pang of pain in his leg, but he simply disregarded it. Back when he was first training himself, he had experienced plenty of pain already.


    Back then, he barely knew how to dodge a punch, yet he fought gangsters on a daily basis. It reached a point where every hospital in the country had weed him at least once. Of course, his real name had never been on any of the official records.


    The hardest had always been to pick the right targets for training. The best was someone that would voluntarily brutalize him without severely injuring him. Then he slowly upgraded to more challenging enemies.


    If there was one thing Josh learned: one should never let the opponent recover.


    As soon as the hound fell, Josh instantly started kicking one head until a satisfying CRACK came. The remaining one tried biting him while howling in pain. But he dodged it easily and kept kicking until the monster stopped moving entirely.


    Blood sttered everywhere tainting his white straitjacket. How regrettable, it was his cutest one. (and only).


    Josh thought this had to be the craziest jailbreak of all time. In this case, one apparently involving Cerberuses. The name sounded magical, but in fact, they were nothing but gross-looking rabid dogs.


    After that brief fight, three more jumped at him. They all suffered the same fate. So quickly that it sent a message to the other creatures. Josh simply sat on the corpses the rough fur being slightly ufortable, no Cerberus daring to approach anymore.


    The voice had said to survive. Now he just had to wait. Meanwhile, many were dying.


    Josh himself used to be a happy-go-lucky youth at one point. The type that would have definitely run to the others to help them. But, years of brewing resentment had left him pessimist about the world. The world did not care. About anyone.


    After all, when the people he loved died no one even batted an eye. The Dragon Triad had simply assigned a fall guy and that was the end of it. Josh had ended that man''s life peacefully. Poisoning someone in prison turned out to be rtively easy.


    Cries of help resonated. "Please help me! Please!" Only to get instantly silenced by merciless maws. Most of these were normal everyday people. They were not ready for this. Josh kept a vignt gaze as people kept dying and dying. Most of them not showing a shadow of adaptation capabilities.


    Josh would not save anyone unworthy. Not because he thought he had the right to judge. Simply because there was a high chance these people would die even if he DID save them. If not today, tomorrow for sure.


    All the humans staying calm were in no real danger. There were enough fools running toward the Cerberuses to keep them busy. Too many escaped a creature just to offer themselves to another.


    That is when the sound of a horn resonated and made all the creatures retreat. At that point, there were about a hundred disheveled humans still alive including Josh. Out of all of them, 5 peculiar individuals stood out:


    1. A little girl, maybe 10 years old. Completely soaked in blood but intact.


    2. A young man with a huge grin on his face and blood on his hands.


    3. An unharmed youngdy with mboyant red sneakers.


    4. A muscr middle-aged man holding a dead Cerberus as a weapon, seriously!


    5. An old granny slowly walking with a cane in hand. One that Josh recognized as hiding a sword inside.


    Of the lot, these seemed to be the ones adapting the best to the situation. That is when something popped in front of everyone''s vision.


    [Once again, wee to the Dimensional Tower! =) ]


    [Special Weing Event Part 2!]


    [Choose one: Fight as a group | fight alone]

 Chapter 4: Welcome Event, Spoiler Everyone Dies

    <h4>Chapter 4: Wee Event, Spoiler Everyone Dies</h4>


    [Choose one: Fight as a group | fight alone]


    In front of Josh appeared a floating blue translucent panel, very simr to the one you''d expect in games. On it were the two options, group on the left and solo on the right.


    Josh observed the five individuals. They seemed uncertain about the situation, taking a moment to consider their options. Well, all but the young man that instantly picked the solo option. After a little while, they had all chosen. The little girl was the only one waving her fingers clicking the left side.


    It seemed these 4 understood one simple truth. A group could be more harmful than beneficial, especially if its members were unable to coordinate thanks to fear. The best choice was obvious, yet Josh still picked the group option. He did so with his thoughts only. It seemed like this interface could react to their minds directly.


    A few secondster, a red glow enveloped everyone. Then Josh appeared alongside the other humans. He saw them trembling, the urine and the shit making them look quite pitiful. Josh distanced himself from the sorry group, that was huddling together in a failed attempt at security.


    The ground was solid rock, the walls were white and in a circle. It was a huge coliseum! At regr intervals in the walls were big sturdy-looking metal gates. Behind each awaited a Cerberus, 30 in total.


    [Have fun ^_^!]


    Then all the gates opened at once. The creatures pounced toward their prey. Prey, that didn''t even adopt a fighting posture. Most were trying to hide behind others. None dared take the brunt of the assault and in their distress simply pushed others to their deaths.


    Josh ignored the fools and simply dashed toward a cerberus. This way he had the initiative and was only fighting one creature. Thebat was short-lived. A few kickster the creature was dead. Turning around, he saw the 29 left enjoying themselves.


    The humans were screaming and dying. A few that were slightly smarter ran toward the edges but this ce was different. It was an enclosed space. With their earlier sacrificial pawns gone, they now had to pluck their courage to fight back. None seemed worth saving so far.


    Josh quickly ran toward the nearest Cerberus and killed it. This was a race against time. How long would the weak and pathetic humans survive against the bloodthirsty creatures? The answer turned out to be exactly one minute and six seconds. After which there were still 5 hounds.


    Only Josh and the little girl hiding in the corpses were still alive. The creatures all pounced on him at the same time.


    This brought back some memories. Like that time he had challenged a group of bikers to train his skills. Later on, he had upgraded to gangster groups. Apparently, 5 Cerberus were way stronger than regr gangsters.


    Not that it mattered anyway. Josh kept circling around them. Dodging ws and maws alike. After a long while, hezily defeated one. Now woulde a vital part.


    "Next time one passes above you, trip it!"Josh told the girl.


    Then he went toward her hiding position. Baiting the dogs there. He could see her face ashen with fear. Yet, when the creatures pounced on him, she followed hismand. She tripped one of the dogs, messing up their entire coordination.


    She had valiantly put her life on the line. Josh crippled two in quick session thanks to his perfect positioning. The little girl ran away as fast as she could before the Cerberus nearby could turn on her. Josh pursued the other two remaining ones, quickly disabling them too. Then he finished all of them.


    Any external observer would have seen a scene filled with tension, where the human man could die any moment. Truth is, the situation had been under his control the whole time. Josh simply wanted to know one thing. Would the little girl save herself?


    The first time one fights back is usually the hardest. She would need such strength here. He roughly guessed what to expect from this world. Funny how Josh based his reasoning on knowledge from novels. It simply fitted the situation too well.


    He was convinced there would be hardships beyond the training he had done. There would be no safety at all. A short moment afterward, the red glow came again. Then they were back. The many corpses were still there. Out of everyone, six humans had survived.


    [Did you have fun? YES | YES]


    "Motherfucker!" grunted the muscr man.


    "I guess I will answer yes." Chuckled the olddy.


    "This is bullying." Cried the youngdy pitifully.


    The little girl remained silent trying to hide behind Josh.


    "Yes! Very much! Quick send the next quest! One Cerberus''s XP is pitiful¡­I should have picked the group option." Said the young man while enviously ncing at Josh.


    Josh understood instantly. He had gotten none because he hadn''t picked a ss. He would have to figure that outter.


    [Ta-da-da! This officially concludes your weing ceremony to floor 1!]


    [Unlocked Status!]


    [Binding User to Dimensional Tower!]


    [Mission Aplished Teleport Out Avable!]


    Josh moved toward the olddy and gestured to his straitjacket with his chin. She then took out her sword.


    "Wait! What if he''s a criminal! What if he attacks us afterward!" The youngdy warned.


    "Hehe. Youngdy, you seem to be mistaken. I AM in fact a criminal. Also, I can murder you as I am." Retorted Josh.


    The olddy curiously raised: "How did you even survive this long like this?! Especially while saving a child!"


    *SLASH*


    Then the jacket fell. For the first time sinceing into this world, Josh could move his arms. He quickly stretched. Meanwhile, the young man simply left, happily walking away.


    "Right, what was that about a teleport out? I can get out? Take me away quick!" Then with a red glow, the youngdy disappeared.


    "Hehe, guess she''s gone. You can call me Lana Ensis, just your average elderly woman."


    "I''m Behem Vali, do you guys know anything about this ce?" He asked still holding onto the dead Cerberus.


    "I''m Josh, Josh Malum. This is obviously a game. I''m unclear myself about the rules, but it seems this is a tower we need to climb until the end. This should be floor 1."


    "S-Sophie Seek" Mumbled the kid.


    Josh quickly concluded they didn''t know anything more than himself.


    "Status!"


    [Status!]


    Josh Malum Lv1


    #STATS#


    HP: 100


    Mana:100


    Magic Ability:10


    Strength:10


    Agility:10


    Defense:1


    Magic Resist:1


    #SKILLS#


    -F Weapon Mastery


    It seemed that his defense and magic resistance were both trulycking or perhaps these were the default values. Everyone around quickly did the same, carefully studying their own screen.


    "B-brother, I have a two 100, three 10, and two 1, is that good?"


    "Same here!"


    "Exactly!"


    "Guess it is the same for everyone."


    "What about sses? This olddy has Spell de."


    "I have Berserker here! What about you Josh and Sophie?"


    "H-healer¡­"


    Josh did not answer and simply changed the subject.


    "I''ll be exploring this ce. You guys take care."


    He figured out that he needed to talk to the young man for he seemed to be very decisive for a neer. As if he knew something.


    The others decided to simply leave. There was a certain risk to it, but they didn''t want to abandon the other youngdy either. Thus the three disappeared in a red glow.


    Josh headed toward where the man had left and before long heardughter. His target was battling a single Cerberus. One that had a red name and a special icon.


    <Cerberus Lv2?? >


    It was about 3 times the size of a normal one. While it seemed fast and strong, the young man clearly had everything under control.


    He kept dodging by rolling on the ground, then delivering punches to the creature, cackling all the while. Every hit only did minimal damage, but he didn''t seem to care. He seemed prepared to hit the creature all day if needed.


    "Is it fun to watch?" He asked.


    It seemed he could even concentrate on noticing his surroundings while fighting.


    "You seem used to this ce already, have you been here before?" Josh asked.


    "Haha, never. But look around you! What do you see?"


    "A weird red glowing space and a Cerberus Boss I assume?"


    "Don''t you realize it?! This is a goddamn game! We are the yers!"


    "You seem to be right in your element already.", Joshmented.


    "Of course, I''ve done martial arts in my life. Still, this is way more exciting. Being able to hit as hard as one desires."


    The young man seemed to be a battle addict. One that lived for the thrill of fighting. Josh had met many like him back in his 2 years of training. Josh dubbed such people as the best training partners. The good thing about them was that they always pushed themselves, and others, to the very limit of their capabilities.


    "I''m Josh, you?"


    "Liam, the one that will be the strongest samurai there is!"


    "This is the first time I see a punching samurai, to be honest."


    "Just you wait! I''ll defeat this boss and he''ll definitely drop a cool katana for me!"


    "How are you so sure?"


    "Game design. If this ce is a game, it must obey certain rules. The stronger the enemy you kill the more the rewards. This is basic logic."


    "Well, it''s all assumptions, but it makes sense. Right, you said something about XP, didn''t you? What did you mean exactly?"


    "What?! You seem pretty young yourself! You don''t know what XP is?! Did you live in a cave or something?!"


    "Then, how much XP does one need to level up and how much are we supposed to be getting per kill?"


    "Just open your status man! You should have gotten plenty of +XP prompts already! I saw you kill some dogs."


    "So how does it all work?"


    "Just open your damn- *sigh* 1 XP per kill it seems, and you need 1000 to level up."


    "Oh? And what happens when you level up?"


    "You grow stronger, duh!"


    "Yes, but number-wise, what''s the increase?"


    "I have no clue man, why do you think it''s taking me so long to kill this lv 2 boss?! I''m still level 1 myself!"


    "True. Want help?"


    "Don''t you dare! This one is my target! Find yourself one!"


    Josh then left wandering the ce but without finding anything of interest. It seemed like this truly was a wee event. Besides the initial rush of enemies, there wasn''t much difficulty. Well, that was only for someone that considered dealing with a giant rabid dog one on one easy.


    Still, he wouldn''t waste more time there. Josh prepared himself mentally for any eventuality. Perhaps he would have to fight as soon as he arrived.


    "Teleport Out!"


    Turns out he would still get the shock of his life.

 Chapter 5: 7 Days to Live!

    <h4>Chapter 5: 7 Days to Live!</h4>


    "Teleport Out!"


    A red glowter, an incredible scene appeared before Josh:


    Bright lightsing from various giant modern screens.


    Loud sounds that seemed to be pop songs and advertisements. Many melodious jingles ying in the background.


    The bustle of life from people talking and moving about their businesses.


    An indescribable smell, a refreshing one that he had never experienced. It made breathing easier for some reason.


    Modern buildings! Grandiose ones that seemed to merge aesthetics and functionality. Some with cool shapes. Josh could see one shaped like a sword in the distance for instance.


    Billboards with advertisements, wait no! Those were holograms! Real-life holograms! The shiny projections would even interact with the passerby!


    It was a city overflowing with life! It was a stark contrast to the previous scene in the tower. But this ce was definitely not earth. Josh looked at some holograms showing floating text. It was somehow in English.


    Advertisement, advertisement again, there it was! Metropolis C. This was probably the name of this ce.


    That is when Josh raised his eyes upward. He couldn''t help but open them wide in surprise. Hovering in the air was a huge spaceship-looking construct.


    "Hahahaha, you are new here, aren''t you?" A young man called Josh. He had red hair and a teasing smile on his face.


    "Is it that obvious?"


    "Well, you obviously just came out of the Tower and you seem really surprised about the scenery."


    "The Tower?"


    That is when Josh turned around. He had been so overwhelmed that he hadn''t even noticed it.


    There was a gigantic tower stretching extremely high. At the top were some kind of gems orbiting. It looked mysterious and magical.


    "So, this is the Dimensional Tower?" Josh eximed.


    "Hahahahahahaha! No way! This is just one of the ess towers. It is a direct gateway to the Tower. You enter this one and then it zaps you in the real one."


    "Zaps?"


    "*Shrug* Well, no one really knows how it works anyway so we may as well say zap. Anyway, follow me. I''ll bring you where you need to go."


    The man seemed well-intended. Thus, Josh followed him.


    "Why are you helping me?" This point perplexed Josh.


    "The government is giving rewards to anyone bringing one of you guys in. You are one of the Fallen, right?"


    "Fallen?"


    "They are the people getting summoned from other worlds."


    "Are they thatmon?"


    "No, this started recently. They only recently unlocked the reinforcement emblem after all."


    "?"


    "There is that one item that drops on floor 25. When used, people like you are summoned."


    "¡­"


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder how many people this little stunt had killed. Who knew there would be a respite right after the tutorial? Many could have been saved. Not that Josh really cared.


    "Well, we are all in this together. After all, this game doesn''t discriminate. Humans are humans no matter where they are from."


    Did this mean that Earth would have been destroyed too should the people here fail to climb the tower?


    "Tell me more about-"


    "This will all be covered in the intro course. There we are!"


    In front of Josh stood a huge building. <Ministry of Tower Administration>


    "Everyone just calls them MTA for short. Alright, go in. It will be on your left. Take care!"


    "Aren''t you supposed to be getting a reward of some sort?"


    The young man simply giggled while pointing at his watch.


    "This recorded all the proof I need to get paid,ter!"


    This was a lot to take in, but hopefully, Josh would soon have all the answers. He decisively entered only to be stopped by a short white robot with blue streaks.


    "Hello, I am U-Bot how may I help you today?"


    Josh couldn''t help but marvel at the technology level. He tentatively said: "Fallen, intro course."


    "Please follow me!"


    Josh started following, noticing how streamlined the whole design of the ce was. He could see many other of these U-Bots scurrying all over the ce, guiding visitors.


    They finally stopped in front of a big auditorium, clearly big enough to hold a few thousand people. Yet only the very first rows were filled, with about a hundred people.


    There were people mourning, people shell-shocked from the events, and people downright celebrating. Happily cheering at having survived. U-Bots could be seen rushing all over the ce handing out refreshments and snacks.


    Josh knew 4 of them from the weing event. The olddy quickly noticed him and waved! Josh went to sit with them only to learn that they had been waiting for the course to start. The little girl was busy stuffing her cheeks so much with cookies. The muscr man was seemingly trying to sleep while he could. The youngdy kept observing her surroundings in wonder. The olddy peacefully smiled.


    Josh simply closed his eyes while sinking into the soft chair. About 30 minutes afterward a man came on stage, tall with dark hair and sharp features.


    "*Sigh* That should be everyone. We''ll start."


    "Actually, there is one more iing at least. He should still be fighting that Red named Cerberus." Josh remarked.


    The man grinned, obviously pleased."Seriously?! Someone took that beast on already in the tutorial?! We will have a promising Ranker soon haha!"


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder why the man was so happy. The beast Josh had seen was one he could probably defeat with a few attacks only.


    "Anyway, we''ll start this, and I''ll personally give him the infoter." The man looked at everyone in the room.


    "AHEM! Wee to this new world! First thing, there is no going back. When youpleted the Tutorial your soul was bound to the Tower. We call people like you <Fallen>. There are more in the other cities too. Now, open your Status."


    Various gasps could be heard. Ones filled with a trace of worries for there was a new line showing: [Life Expectancy: 7 Days.] It was probably the same for the others.


    "Now, most of you must have seen the life expectancy line. You guys now have two choices. Either you can say your prayers and be dead in a week or you can climb the Dimensional Tower. I suggest thetter."


    That is when the little girl started crying. "I don''t want to die! I don''t want to go back there either! Nooo!" The man called Behem slowly tried consoling her.


    "Don''t worry as long as you climb you''ll be fine. Whenever you spend time in the Tower your remaining lifespan increases, same forpleting a Floor. Just be careful right now andter if you ever want to take a long vacation. Understood?"


    Everyone nodded, but the atmosphere remained one of unease. That is when a guy raised his hand while asking: "Can''t we just clear the same easy Floor over and over?"


    "No, there is only so much lifespan that can be gained from each Floor. Otherwise, it would be too simple wouldn''t it?"


    The man sighed.


    "You will now each be getting a Universal Watch: UW for short. These ones are nk. First, you need to drip a drop of blood on it to bind it. Once that is done you''ll be able to use it for pretty much anything: Buying food, equipment, information, training, or even entertainment.


    Some U-Bots started handing these. It was a small silvery round smartwatch with a screen. Josh quickly took possession of his. It was light and would not restrict his movements in the least.


    "Now, you guys should be able to see your profile. Most of your basic information should be auto-recorded already. You''ll notice that you have a bnce of 6 Credits, a gift from us. Each credit is extremely valuable, well to normal people. You will need 5 to enter the Tower. 1 Credit is about 1 week''s worth of nutritious food. Your first expenses should probably be these two things. Now, who here feels uneasy about going to the Tower alone?"


    Pretty much everyone raised their hands. Of course, a few were like Josh and didn''t fear it or couldn''t be bothered to answer. Funny how he said gift. In fact, they simply wanted to minimize the chaos. If the Fallen had to steal to eat it would soon turn into a great disturbance.


    "It is possible to enter alone for sure for Floors that can easily be cleared. Be careful with the entry cost. A good rule of thumb is to never end an expedition before having secured a profit or if your life is clearly in danger. Otherwise, you''ll go broke soon, talking from experience."


    Now, what would be the implications of going broke? Probably nothing good.


    "It is also possible to enter the Tower in parties of up to 5 members. That is why you want to join a guild for sure. If you search the keywords <MTA Guild Recruitment> you will find all the information you need. I''ll leave you guys a few minutes to read it."


    The guide seemed pretty basic. It listed a few guilds, their specialty, and their rank. S being the strongest, D being the weakest. There was even some shing special effect around the top ones¡­and apparently the ones that contributed to the government, of course!


    "Alright, follow me. Whates next will determine your future!"

 Chapter 6: Classless?! Poor Guy!

    <h4>Chapter 6: ssless?! Poor Guy!</h4>


    "Alright, follow me. Whates next will determine your future!"


    The man looked simr to a shepherd, guiding his herd, a very tense herd at that. After all, this concerned their very survival. The man had told them about the guild right before so it was clear where they were heading.


    Before long they entered a white spacious room. On the edges, individuals were seated. In front of each chair was a small hologram with a logo on it. Josh didn''t know them well enough to figure out who they were exactly.


    To be honest he wasn''t exactly sure if he wanted to join a guild in the first ce. It would depend on the conditions they offered. Whether they would allow him his freedom or not. Back then he didn''t care one bit since he had nothing to aplish outside. In this new world, it was different.


    In the middle of the cezily floated a white crystal, except that it didn''t seem to reflect light one bit. No, it was in fact absorbing it making its immediate surrounding slightly darker.


    "Alright, all of youe forward and line up. One after the other you wille forward and touch the


    . It does exactly what its name implies. The better the result here and the more likely you are to be offered a guild membership. Bear in mind if you get many offers you will have the right to decide which one you join. That is all. Nowe forward and line up!"


    This felt like a surprise quiz. Except that it was one that couldn''t be prepared for. Josh did not care that much about this, to be honest. He felt that it was probably the same as it had been during his school days. The dedicated would seed. So what if there were geniuses that had it easier than him? It wouldn''t change anything for him.


    Thus started the event:


    "Come forward! Touch it!" Said the man sounding like a dubious uncle.


    As soon as the candidate touched it the crystal lighted up brightly, shining on the smile of the various guild representatives. Then some lettering appeared in there: <Combat Monk>. As soon as they saw this they rose up.


    "Oh result of 7? Pretty nice. Alright, who wants to get a monk?"


    The candidate then received many offers mostly from B-Rank and below guilds. In the end, he chose based on the one that seemed the coolest. Was that a dumb choice? Not really, when information iscking sometimes trusting one''s instinct is best. He soon was standing awkwardly next to his recruiter.


    As the test kept progressing Josh figured out a pattern. B-Rank guilds would try and recruit the 7, C the 6, and D the 5. Anyone lower than that waspletely ignored. Apparently, it could go up to 10 but that result was only possible in theory and had never been observed. Other than that they looked at the sses too, but it was more in order to determine where the candidates would best belong.


    Josh could see a few sses, the mostmon ones seemed to be:


    -Warrior


    -Swordsman


    -Monk


    -Archer


    -Ranger


    -Mage


    -Cleric


    -Assassin


    Josh felt it made sense. The ss options were based on experiences. Most people wouldn''t have a profession rted to killing. Even gangsters might get weird-sounding stuff like <Forceful Debt Collector>, yes there was in fact one in the room.


    When confronted with a bloodthirsty Cerberus, most would pick the basic soundingbat ss rather than the fancy <Amazing Gardener>, yes there was one too. Most seemed puzzled on how he had even survived.


    A cool one so far had been <Executioner>. Still, Josh quickly lost track of it all. More so he couldn''t be bothered to remember everyone''s ss.


    Everyone that didn''t get chosen left dejected. They were but a few. Most were from a group that had apparently survived the tutorial entirely thanks to their leader making them coordinate with one another.


    Was not getting chosen a death sentence? Not really, they were told to try soloing or try something called an Unranked Guild. To put things into perspective a Ranked Guild to an Unranked Guild was the equivalent of a Porsche to a tricycle. Both might get you to your destination but good luck gettingid with a ¡­actually that was beside the point.


    The group that Josh came with ended up all with good results. The 2 youngest with 7 and the two oldest with 8. The recruiters were especially excited when they heard about their sses.


    Then it was Josh''s turn. All eyes were on him as people wondered if he too would have an amazing result. Especially that there was a guy from their batch that had stayed behind to hunt the Boss.


    Josh came close to the device before touching it. The crystal didn''t light up at all, but on it started shing some text: <ERROR!> That''s when the man in charge of it bolted away as fast as possible! All the while he kept screaming that it wasn''t his fault that the artifact was broken!


    Amidst the concerned gazes, Josh simply waited. To be honest, he was pretty sure the


    simply couldn''t calcte it because of hisck of ss. The man soon came back followed by a dark-haired beauty with a noble disposition. She pointed at Josh.


    "You, there! Are you the one that couldn''t get a result?"


    *Nod*


    "ce your hand there again."


    *Touch*


    "Dammit, nothing! Is it broken?! The next candidatee and try this!"


    This time a resplendent light came out. Only for Josh was it malfunctioning. The problem clearly didn''ty with the tool.


    "Young man, what''s your ss then? As for potential, this is definitely weird¡­"


    "ssless" Josh naturally replied.


    "WHAT?!"


    *Gasp! *


    Somehow it felt as if a bomb had just been dropped in the room. Everyone but the neers had their mouths opened in disbelief, some even fell off their chairs or feet. Then a shadow appeared in her eyes as she sighed while patting Josh''s shoulder, looking at him as one would a dying man.


    "Young man, good luck. Stay strong."


    Josh couldn''t believe how easily she had given up on him. Meanwhile, the man nearby was showing clear disdain. There were people that were worth befriending and Josh wasn''t one for sure. He still called out since it was his job: "Anyone wants a ssless?" but a hint of sarcasm could be heard.


    Needless to say, no guild were interested. They all looked down on him, that much Josh could feel. Since it was pointless to remain here any longer Josh simply walked away. Behind him, he could hear some jeers and some praising him for at least having self-awareness.


    Josh exited the room and so did the olddy from the Tutorial.


    "Josh, how about I help you join a guild? I have many guild offers, how about I pick one that will ept you too?"


    "Why?"


    "We are fellow Earthlings, but most importantly you remind me of an old friend. No need to overthink this. For me, it barely requires an effort."


    "Hehe, don''t worry. I''ll be fine. There are things I want to figure out too."


    "Alright, still I can''t believe the system didn''t offer you a ss when it gave me a few options."


    "Oh? I never imed that. I simply have no interest in having the memories of some already dead guy."


    "HAHAHAHAHA Well said! If you ever change your mind, you can find me!"


    Thus she left, leaving Josh on his own. Maybe he would take her up on her offer but only if it proved necessary. He was too used to being on his own.


    Josh couldn''t help but tinker with his UW. It felt very much like surfing the. He quickly found a Tower guide aimed at neers.


    After quickly browsing through it, he determined his new goals.


    -Clear Floor 1 unlocking Floor 2 in the process.


    -Find a way to level up


    -Get loot for that sweet $$$.


    Without further ado, he simply left the MTA building. Heading back to the giant tower he could see in the background. So what if he was ssless? He used to be weak too in the past. Then he trained and defeated the Dragon Triad. He''d simply train again. No big deal.


    He quickly reached the tower. There were lots of people of all ages touching a barrier and disappearing right afterward. The process seemed extremely quick so it wasn''t too crowded. Josh touched it too. Some message appeared in front of him.


    <Do you want to pay 5 credits to enter the tower?>


    | No | Yes |


    Josh quickly selected yes then he was allowed in. As soon as he stepped inside came the system message.


    [Please select a floor: |1| ]


    Josh quickly pressed 1 before a red glow brought him away. Behind, a journalist could be seen. He had been following the supposedly ssless guy to interview him. Who knew that the madman would head directly in the tower?

 Chapter 7: Decimating Floor 1 Like a Boss!

    <h4>Chapter 7: Decimating Floor 1 Like a Boss!</h4>


    [Wee to Floor 1!]


    [Mission: Hunt 50 Cerberuses. Have Fun!]


    ording to the small guide, he would only be able to leave afterpleting the mission. Everything else was optional. Including defeating the enemies, well not in this case.


    So far, the ce looked exactly the same as what he had previously seen. The difference being that instead of a wave of Cerberuses there were packs of them.


    Each pack contained about 5 dogs. Josh didn''t feel threatened one bit.


    Some had grey names and were level 1. There were also others with various name colors all level 2.


    ****


    The guide ssified monsters in such a manner:


    -Creeps = Grey name, weakest enemies, best for farming XP.


    -Umon = Green names, slightly stronger.


    -Elite = Blue names, can be dangerous if many.


    -Mini-bosses = Orange names, require one to be extra careful.


    - Bosses = Red names, extremely dangerous, best for getting items.


    ****


    Josh quickly approached a group.


    He bashed 4 Cerberuses, feeling their skulls getting crushed under his hands. He then led the remaining creature toward a nearby pack.


    He had to figure out if or when they would join the fray. They quickly jumped toward him attracting one more pack at the same time. This was reality after all.


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder how many newbies died this way, ganged up by an overwhelming number of monsters.


    Then he murdered them all.


    Slowly wiping the blood and hair sticking to his hands, Josh couldn''t help but wish for a weapon.


    Still, he had other priorities.


    "Status!"


    The only change was a new mission tab.


    [Hunt: 10/50]


    Josh couldn''t help but think how easy this was. Most would have probably coughed blood had they known his inner thoughts.


    Josh started walking peacefully.


    -Crushing bones


    -Crushing skulls


    -Crushing spines


    Overall crushing it!


    [Mission Completed! Teleport Out Avable!]


    "No thanks."


    He kept going until, finally, he came across his target. There stood a big massive Cerberus, five times the size of the normal ones.


    <Cerberus Lv2?? >


    "Hey there, big boy. Wanna y?"


    To which it only growled back before charging. Josh didn''t lose any time.


    He simply went for an old but proven tactic.


    He went for the eyes. Scooped one eyeball entirely with ease. Something he had done in the past. Then another, and another, then thest one.


    Before long, the creature was left howling in painpletely blinded. But it still had other senses.


    Josh simply dodged its attacks, then he started violently kicking the 2 noses. Until both broke down sending blood everywhere.


    There was onest step remaining. Josh pped both ears of one head at once. The creature kept thrashing around, but Josh did not care.


    Before long he had done the same to the other head.


    After that came the fun part. To bash it until it died. It did rtively quickly. In the most painful way.


    As the beastid there defeated, Josh simply waited. After a while, the body started vtilizing into red particles. Somehow the blood, the fur, and the eyes were still there.


    Nothing else had happened. Josh would have to patiently stay here until respawn. Surprisingly that was a thing. At least ording to the guide.


    To kill time, he walked some more. Eventually, as he defeated a random enemy he heard *TING*!


    Thereid something on the ground! Quickly pocketing it he realized it to be¡­


    [- Dog Cor. No effect.]


    "¡­"


    [Would you like to equip: - Dog Cor?]


    Whoever designed this system was clearly having a st, at humanity''s expense too!


    Still, Josh simply went back to killing the boss. It seemed like it would respawn every hour or so.


    Josh had no way to check the time. His UW did not work in the Tower for some reason.


    He vented all his frustration on the poor Cerberus Boss. Each repetition getting more and more violent and cruel. When he had killed it for the fifth time something finally happened.


    *TING*


    [- Weapon: Cerberus''s w]


    [Would you like to equip?]


    This time Josh epted.


    Then the w in front of him transformed into a small dagger. A new menu also opened on his status, an equipment one.


    It only showed an equipment slot for a weapon. He could also see the icon of the w on his status screen.


    "Store!"


    The dagger disappeared. With but a thought it was back in his hand.


    "How OP! HAHAHAHA"


    Josh didn''t let happiness cloud his judgment and kept farming. Every hour he killed the Boss. With his new weapon what took a few minutes before now took less than 30 seconds.


    He simply drove his dagger into both heads one after the other. Then the creature died instantly. He kept repeating it until he started to lose track of time.


    He was getting extremely bored and somewhat sleepy. Mostly from the boredom.


    He killed the boss as usual, except this time something special happened. He saw out of the corner of his eyes something leaving the corpse. Something that seemed ethereal.


    Josh got the feeling he only saw it because he wasn''t intently looking. He couldn''t exactly figure it out, so he simply kept killing the boss.


    Over and over again. Whatever it was seemed to be the target''s life essence escaping. Perhaps mana?


    Josh couldn''t help but try and capture it.


    A few repetitionster a change finally happened. Josh managed to absorb it somehow.


    +100 XP.


    On his status screen now appeared a new window.


    [XP: 100/1000]


    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"


    Josh couldn''t help butugh maniacally. There was a way for him to level up! There was a way for him to be stronger!


    Josh didn''t even wait anymore. He simply started hunting. Before he was destroying Cerberus left and right unarmed.


    With a dagger in hand, he simply started running across the floor, sending dog bits flying all over.


    He then started absorbing all of the XP. Absorbing it while dodging other enemies.


    He quickly figured out a pattern.


    Grey: 1 XP


    Green: 5 XP


    Blue: 25 XP


    Orange: Unknown.


    Red: 100 XP


    "Status!"


    [XP: 475/1000]


    Then he had to wait for respawn. A few hourster the message he had been anxiously awaiting finally came!


    [Level up! 4 Stat Points Acquired! 2 Skill points acquired! X2 for First Level Up!]


    Stats points? Skill points? Josh loved the sound of it!


    "Status!"


    [Status!]


    Josh Malum Lv2


    #STATS# (8)


    HP: 200


    Mana:200


    Magic Ability:20


    Strength:20


    Agility:20


    Defense:2


    Magic Resist:2


    #SKILLS# (4)


    -F Weapon Mastery


    Somehow all his stats had doubled from their initial values. Josh decided to first assign his stat points. He had a choice to make.


    HP: Would make it so he could take more blows before dying.


    Mana: Would help using special abilities.


    Magic ability: Would potentially be a game-changer.


    Strength: Would clearly be needed to boost his damage.


    Agility: Would probably be his best bet


    Defense and Magic resist: Would increase his survivability too.


    Josh felt that there was no way the current monsters would pose any real danger. He could kill any of them in seconds. He decisively put everything into Agility to be even faster!


    Agility: 40 ¨C Stat points remaining 6.


    Apparently, there was a cap. Was it based on level? Josh left the remaining ones untouched; he would do more research first.


    As for the skill points Josh had no idea where to start with that. He tried to click on the status screen. There was no change whatsoever to be seen.


    Perhaps he had to acquire a skill book or something? Perhaps he would need to level up more. In doubt, Josh simply did the only thing that seemed logical to him.


    He kept killing.


    With that, he could confirm that the monsters were truly soulless. There was no way any of them would have ever charged at him otherwise. Not after how many he had killed.


    While others outside were busy joining guilds, Josh simply kept decimating Floor 1. At a pace that would have left anyone jaw cked, well at least for a Neer. Also as far as his life expectancy was concerned...it really didn''t seem to be an issue, at least for him... [Life Expectancy: 11 Days.]


    [Status!]


    Josh Malum Lv 2


    #STATS# (6)


    HP: 200


    Mana:200


    Magic Ability:20


    Strength:20


    Agility:40


    Defense:2


    Magic Resist:2

 Chapter 8: Devouring Panda, Not Devouring a Panda!

    <h4>Chapter 8: Devouring Panda, Not Devouring a Panda!</h4>


    Josh kept farming the boss. Waiting 1 hour and ughtering it. Incidentally it now only gave 1 XP per kill.


    Meaning it would take almost 42 days of intense killing every hour to reach level 3. Josh hoped it would change on Floor 2.


    He kept killing until, finally, another item dropped.


    [- Material: Cerberus Hide]


    Unsure of the value of such a thing he pocketed it. He was expecting there to be a material tab opening on his equipment screen.


    Nope! It seemed like he had to hold it like a dumbass.


    He kept at it until finally after 3 days of farming he dropped something of value. Another Cerberus w.


    His weapon slot was already full. Thus, with both the hide and weapon in hand he muttered.


    "Teleport Out!"


    Before him, appeared Metropolis C in all its glory. Josh couldn''t help but wonder if there was a Metropolis A and B out there.


    "You! You''re the one that is ssless, right?!"


    A man approached Josh while holding his UW forward, possibly recording.


    "It took you 3 days to clear Floor 1! How do you feel knowing there are 10 years old out there clearing it under a day?"


    "Are you stalking me? What''s with that pointless question anyway?"


    "I see you are carrying a Cerberus w and a Cerberus Hide! This exins it! Would you say your insistence to climb the tower even while ssless is based on yourck of knowledge?"


    "What are you even talking about?"


    "*Clears throat* It ismon knowledge that one can store one''s weapon into the equipment slot! It is alsomon knowledge that Cerberus hide is worthless!"


    At that point, Josh pegged him as aplete fool and decided to just ignore him.


    Browsing the UW, he quickly found a ce to sell his loot. He needed Credits to enter the tower again. He was also starving.


    Josh assumed the only reason he had managed to survive long without sustenance to be because of his level up.


    Opening a navigation function, Josh simply started walking toward his destination. On the way there he could see many ads. A recurring theme seemed to be that most would be linked to the Tower.


    For instance:


    <1 Floor, 1 Mission, 1 Boss, 1 Lore Piece, and 1 Guild to get you through it all: Power Leveling! The best of the best! >


    What a straightforward guild name!


    <Valkyrie Yogurt! Endorsed by the S ss Eclipse Valkyrie herself!>


    Josh couldn''t help but scoff at that one. S ss and Yogurt in the same sentence.


    Looking at the face of the girl on the screen he understood how it helped to sell it. She looked beautiful enough to attract the gazes of the boys and valiant enough to inspire the girls.


    Finally, Josh entered a ce called District B. There he found the shop he was looking for <Trade4Days >.


    "Do you n on clearing Floor 1 over and over again to earn your keep?"


    Only then did Josh realize that the guy was still following him.


    "Sorry, I wasn''t listening. Also, I don''t care. Go away."


    Only then did the man leave while stomping his feet, not that it bothered Josh.


    It was time to make $$$!


    Josh approached a store clerk, a young man that was casually reading something on his UW.


    "Hey there, I''d like to sell these two items!"


    "Brother, for such a small transaction just talk to the U-bots."


    Then he ignored Josh.


    After interacting with the robots Josh managed to get 11 Credits in total. 10 for the weapon and 1 for the material. This would mean 2 entries into the Tower and a week of meals.


    This was sufficient.


    A quick search on his UW revealed that the price of entry would only increase when someone reached level 10. After that, the price would be set to the level of individual X 2.


    Josh couldn''t help but think about how unfriendly that system was for the beginners. ording toments on the blog he had seen, the earnings of a Climber were exponential.


    Josh could think of a few reasons exining this:


    -Making it harder to Climb to avoid people going incking preparation (and dying).


    -Keeping the power in the hands of the elites.


    -Reducing the number of powerful citizens to reduce the crime rate.


    Either way, Josh simply looked for somewhere to buy food because he was starving. Apparently, he had to head to district G if he wanted to eat.


    He could also get himself some cheap snacks or buy ingredients and cook himself. For that one, he would require a kitchen.


    Looking at the prices, if he wanted his own ce remotely near the Tower it would cost him around 200-400 Credits a month and even require down payments.


    Josh quickly gave up.


    It seems likend prices had exploded in the area.


    Back on Earth, one could always create new developments away from the metropolis. Here the whole economy seemed to be dependent on the existence of the Tower, so it wasn''t an option.


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder how long such a development took. Surprisingly only a few months ording to a wiki page.


    As soon as Josh entered district G, his stomach started rumbling loudly. The aroma was overwhelming and so delightful. It smelled of barbecue and spices. Apparently, all the restaurants in the city were zoned here.


    This reminded him of the street vendors that would sell delicacies on Earth. It also reminded Josh of some nice memories, of her smile as he held her hand while casually strolling.


    How sweet were the days back then! When his only troubles were his low-paying job and trying to get a promotion. Before the training, before the killing, before the transmigrating.


    She would have loved this ce. The little one too. As he stood there in a daze someone called out to him.


    "We meet again! Why is it that whenever I see some bumpkin observing the scenery it''s always you!"


    It was the young man that had helped him before.


    "Hey there. What can I say, this world is amazing in its own way. *Sigh*"


    "I know, right! Name''s Dale! Dale the Phoenix!"


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle at the Chuuni name.


    "Hey! Stopughing! I was going to treat you to a meal too!"


    "I''ll be counting on your expertise then, Mr. Phoenix!"


    The youngster gave a wry smile.


    "Alright, guess I''ll forgive you. Let''s go to the Devouring Panda! You will experience true bliss!"


    Josh followed him quietly.


    From time to time his guide would point at various shops and stands, describing their specialty and which ones were his favorite.


    This reminded Josh of a friend he knew back in the day. Back when he was just a student. Back when he still had friends. Back when his hands weren''t stained with blood.


    He couldn''t help but think howforting this was. How nostalgic too.


    For once the usually stern Josh couldn''t help but smile.


    Before long they reached a brightly lit huge restaurant. The ce itself was shaped like a humongous panda. Cute and eating bamboo.


    The sheer effort and creativity that went into creating it were praiseworthy.


    "Here we are. My new friend, wee to taste bud heaven! Right, what''s your name by the way?"


    "Josh, Josh Malum."


    "I like the ring of it. It''s not as great as Dale the Phoenix, but it''s still pretty cool ;)"


    They went toward an avable seat and then sat down.


    Before long a young and cute waitress came to take their order.


    Josh couldn''t help but nce around, some customers were served by U-bots, some others by real people.


    "It depends on the section where you sit. Also, I''m a regr here this is why I have the chance to get the special VIP treatment. Otherwise, no way such a goddess would be taking our order."


    He then winked at the girl making her giggle. It seemed he wasn''t bragging about being a regr.


    He then grandly dered that he would take two portions of their cheapest meal set.


    "The cheapest? What happened to being a VIP?"


    "Hehe do not underestimate this ce. Even the cheapest meal here cost 1 Credit!"


    Enough for a week?!


    "Believe me, friend. It''s totally worth it."


    Before long arrived two steaming stews. While looking quite normal it did smell heavenly.


    Then Josh ate a small spoonful, came an explosion of savor. It was so damn delicious that he almost had a foodgasm.


    What he did get however was a message.


    [+Well Fed F-rank!]


    "What was that?!"


    "Hehe, what did I tell you? You got the buff, right? For 24 hours this will help you regenerate a tiny bit faster.


    While it won''t change anything significant it will make it so hunting is less tiring. Look around."


    Josh did as he was told. He couldn''t really notice anything special.


    "All of them are Climbers, some even rankers."


    Josh frowned at the new term.


    "You know about the guild rank system, right?"


    "Not that well.", Josh admitted.


    "So not a single guild offered to recruit you?"


    "None."


    "Why not?"


    "Cause I''m ssless."


    "WHAT?!"

 Chapter 9: Information Gathering

    <h4>Chapter 9: Information Gathering</h4>


    "Cause I''m ssless."


    "WHAT?! How is this possible?!"


    Josh disregarded the stew hispanion had spit out.


    "Easy, when the system wants to assign you a ss you say, no thank you."


    Dale had the same look Josh had when he first came into this world, overwhelmed and disbelieving.


    "Wait, aren''t you a Fallen?!"


    "Yes, so?"


    "You are forced to enter the Tower to live! How are you not freaking out?!"


    "Why would I be freaking out? I can still do so."


    Dale kept muttering wow. Over and over. Josh waited until he calmed down then asked.


    "Now, you were about to exin the guild system in detail, right?"


    "Eh¡­sure. There are many guild ranks. We call the Rankers the D to S ranks, thetter being stronger. All the other guilds are ssified as Unranked. So, all people that enter the Tower are Climbers, but only the top ones are Rankers."


    "Isn''t it possible for a Climber to be stronger than a ranker but to be Guild-less?"


    "Yes, but it pretty much never happens. All the strongest guilds are backed by businesses generally. This makes it so solo Climbers are as rare as a Phoenix Feather."


    "I see, what are the requirements to be a Ranker then?"


    Dale then yed with his UW, quickly showing Josh a screen.


    "Look here, these are the current requirements to get the title. It keeps going up."


    On the screen was a table.


    S Floor 30


    A Floor 25


    B Floor 20


    C Floor 15


    D Floor 10


    "What about you? Are you in a guild?"


    "Indeed, I''m part of ming Phoenix!"


    "Sounds powerful!"


    "I know, right?! I came up with the name!"


    "Let me guess, Unranked?"


    "Yep!"


    Josh couldn''t help but find his liveliness entertaining.


    "Ah! Josh! It seems you are not the only one!"


    "?"


    "I just searched ssless and found a result! Someone managed to clear Floor 1 and defeat the first boss at least once. ording to this article I''m reading, ¡­ Never mind, that''s totally you. Also, never read this article!"


    "Let me guess, the reporter is writing crap about me?"


    "How did you know?!"


    "Well, he called me ignorant for carrying a weapon in my hands while I already had one in my inventory slot *Shrug*."


    "What a dumbass! It says here you soloed! Wow! Anyway, your luck was pretty good to get two weapons! How many times did you kill the boss?"


    "About 70 times?"


    "¡­. Brother, I take it back. Your luck sucks. It usually has a 10% drop rate. Wait, 70 times in 3 days?!"


    "I mean yes. It respawns every hour, there are 24 hours in a day. Obviously."


    "Nonono! This is not a normal hunting pace at all! How long does it take you to kill it?!"


    "Like¡­30 seconds? Is that slow?"


    "Brother, please stop with the humbleness! This is a critical hit to my ego! My guild can''t even get a time like this with all of us!"


    Josh couldn''t help but find it weird.


    "Can''t you just puncture each head and be done with it?"


    "ssless yet kicking ass. Are you some kind of sword master?!"


    "Ah, I did learn some moves to fight a crime syndicate a while back. That helped a ton. Anyway, can you exin more about Floors and Skills? Oh yeah! Stats too!"


    "Skills are things you get while Leveling Up. Usually, one would get a Skill every 5 to 10 levels. It would depend on your ss. Skills are a HUGE part of the power of a Climber! Except, I have no clue how that works for you.


    As for Floors, there are two things you absolutely need to remember. Never go into a Floor that ends with 5 or 0 without preparation!"


    Josh couldn''t help but be interested.


    "Every Floor that ends with 5 is a duel. This means the mission is to 1 v 1 a strong enemy."


    "That doesn''t sound that bad for a solo climber, what about the other?"


    "Every Floor that ends with 0, the mission is to kill the Boss. These are usually really strong too.


    As for stats, you can raise 4 to the limit out of 7 and all will grow with you slowly too. So, pick 3 to ignore and max the others. Without any skills, I rmend Strength and Agility. After that Pick 2 for survivability or wait until you get skills?"


    "Anything else I need to know?"


    "Let me see. There are various monster archetypes thate often. The moremon ones are:


    Wild Hunt, Insect, Scaly, Humanoid, Devil, Undead, Nature and Construct. You''ll get used to these as you climb."


    "You seem to know a lot! *Thumbs Up* What floor did you reach with your guild?"


    "That, we are slowly preparing for Floor 5."


    Josh couldn''t help but agree with their approach.


    The only reason he managed to bulldoze through Floor 1 was the extensive training he had done before. He would probably eventually have to slow down too.


    Now, he only had to find a way to get skills.


    After finishing his meal Josh couldn''t help but be thankful. He had learned a lot.


    "¡­Say, Josh. Would you like to join my guild?"


    Josh thought about it for a few seconds before declining.


    "I''m fine soloing for now. You seem to have things figured out on your side too. Just take it slow so you don''t burn yourself."


    "Please! I''m a Phoenix! Would I ever burn myself! ;)"


    On that note, Josh bade him farewell.


    Then he looked for a ce to sleep, before quickly giving up. Most inns were either full or too expensive. ording to city regtions, one couldn''t sleep on the street either.


    That was painfully obvious thanks to the many signs.


    He could take a subway to the suburbs, but it would take a while.


    That''s when he decided to simply head to the Tower again. Quickly entering Floor 1, he went toward the Cerberus Boss before quickly killing it.


    There was one good thing about the Boss there. The area around it was void of any monster. Josh simplyy on the floor before falling asleep.


    The kind of sleep where he would wake up at the slightest disturbance, a skill he had thoroughly trained back then. Back when he was expecting the Dragon Triad''s retaliation.


    A retaliation that never came for he had overestimated them. He had managed to capture them all at once without any escaping.


    Every hour, the Boss respawned and Josh simply killed it. He did it easily.


    As if sleepwalking.


    As easily as eating a snack in the middle of the night.


    As methodically as one would hit the snooze button on an rm clock.


    A good thing no one saw this scene.


    Otherwise, many would have been traumatized. Yet, for Josh, this course of action seemed natural. Peacefully awaiting the next day to Climb some more.

 Chapter 10: Guild Invitation, Oh!

    <h4>Chapter 10: Guild Invitation, Oh!</h4>


    Josh contentedly stretched. He had slept peacefully. It was only regrettable that nothing had dropped from the Cerberus Boss.


    The first thing Josh did was add points to his Strength stat until it reached 40 too. The difference was amazing. The raw powerbined with Josh''s technique and the sharpness of the dagger made a deadlybo.


    He quickly finished the Hunt Mission before Teleporting Out. Then he selected Floor 2 and came back in again. Leaving him with one pitiful credit.


    [Wee to Floor 2!]


    [Mission: Collect 10 Beetle Carapaces. Have Fun!]


    Knowing Josh''s luck, this mission would probably take a while. He quickly started scouring the ce trying to find the Boss.


    Josh simply ran, without bothering about the many creatures following him. Huge beetles about 5 metersrge with sturdy-looking ck carapaces. So shiny that a reflection of the blood-red sky could be seen in it.


    Each having huge and powerful-looking pincers. It was painfully obvious that they could snap a human in half easily.


    Josh kept running until he finally found it. A 15 metersrge beetle. Big enough to induce nightmares.


    <Giant Beetle Lv4?? >


    He quickly jumped unto its back, not even bothering to slow down. Taking out his dagger, he pierced the extremely hard shell with all his might.


    The creature started trashing, sending Josh tumbling away. He realized that the creature was extremely resistant.


    Josh could puncture its hard carapace but had trouble delivering a significant blow. He would have needed a longer weapon.


    He then decided to clear the trash he had been ignoring. Thus, he started hacking the lv 2 and lv3 creatures, slowly reducing their numbers. He killed about a hundred of them before finally it became calm again.


    Well, the Boss was still trying its best to annihte him. Josh went back to piercing his dagger into its back. After a long while, the small injuries started piling up and it perished.


    Josh had earned 280 XP in total from all the kills. He then watched all the corpses disappear stupefied.


    [Collect: 0/10]


    He couldn''t help but think how bullshit it was.


    Out of the hundred beetles he had killed, not a single one had dropped anything. Now he would simply need to wait for the boss to respawn.


    Josh tried to figure out the use of skill points. He tried opening a secret interface menu and to add points to his only skill the F rank weapon mastery. Nothing worked.


    Every subsequent hour, he kept killing the giant beetle. Every repetition taking a few minutes.


    Somehow, the ¨C Rank dagger didn''t show any sign of losing durability. That was surprising considering it had dropped on the lowest floor.


    A few hourster¡­


    [Level up!]


    Josh instantly increased his Agility and Strength to the maximum possible. Then he kept killing. All until finally, something happened.


    [- Armor: Beetle Greaves!]


    Josh instantly decided to equip it.


    It seemed extremely peculiar. For instance, it didn''t seem to have any weight at all. It also didn''t restrict his movements at all. However, it didn''t seem to offer much protection.


    He simply went back to his task. After a day of farming, he finally dropped the first carapace. It seemed to be a material.


    Probably useful for some sort of crafting.


    Overall, it took Josh 10 days of constant farming to finallyplete the mission. Well, minus the time spent sleeping while waiting of course.


    He umted a grand total of 6 Beetle Greaves. Not waiting any further, he somehow picked his loot before muttering "Teleport Out"!


    Funny how, after so much trouble, he left the carapaces behind for being too encumbering. Josh couldn''t help but get excited about all the Credits he would get.


    A red glowter he appeared in front of the Tower. He had only taken one step that a voice called out to him!


    "Hey, young man!"


    Turning around Josh could see the olddy, Lana Ensis. She had just exited the Tower. Her cane was nowhere to be seen and her back was more straight.


    To her side stood the youngdy from the weing event and 3 other strangers.


    "Hey there! Guild activity I presume?"


    "Exactly, I take it you have been sessfully hunting in the Tower?"


    "Of course!"


    Then a young man by the side scoffed.


    "I wouldn''t call that sessful. It has been 13 days since we came here. While we just cleared Floor 10, he is holding equipment from Floor 2."


    Josh couldn''t help but admit to himself that the man seemed to have a point.


    "Josh, I understand that you are fine alone, but how about joining our guild? Pride is admirable but shouldn''t be misced."


    "You want this trash to join us? Just because he''s your friend? We are part of the A rank Gemini guild! Not some no-names! We-" Continued the young man.


    After a sharp re from Lana, he abruptly stopped talking.


    "Sure, how about you let me meet someone in charge? I''d be open to discussing it." Josh agreed.


    "Hehe, I was almost expecting you to refuse."


    "Still, I should probably find a ce to sell these ¡­"


    The youngdy from the tutorial chuckled. "Please! You can sell that at the guild headquarter! Right, I''m Eva! Pleased to officially meet you!"


    Josh followed them. Meanwhile, the party talked about their next move. Josh couldn''t help but think that their approach seemed extremely different from his.


    They would carefully n every mission, also assign roles. Vanguard, nk, Support, Damage Dealer, and also someone in charge of scouting.


    Before long they reached a massive, but stylish building in the C sector. The ambiance seemed convivial.


    Someone quickly took the 5 greaves off Josh''s hands in exchange for 50 Credits. This already seemed like a nice advantage. Josh was seriously considering joining.


    It would all depend on the conditions they offered. Before long everyone dispersed, and Lana brought him to a small meeting room.


    "Alright, I''ll say a good word about you to the guy in charge of recruitment, be right back!"


    *Nod*


    There were a few snacks that Josh devoured.


    After a short wait, a man wearing a stylish blue vest entered the room.


    Brown hair, silver sses,posed and confident.


    "I take it you must be Josh! Pleased to meet you!"


    "Likewise."


    "I brought a copy of the contract, if you wish you can sign with us. We will wee you with open arms."


    Josh liked how straightforward the guy was. However, that good impression soon went sideways when he started reading.


    "I think you made a mistake. This contract has me farming the lower floors over and over while handing most of the profits to the guild."


    He looked Josh in the eyes.


    "Josh, are you aware of the name of our guild?"


    "Gemini, right?"


    "Precisely. We used to be jewelers before all this Tower climbing business. As jewelers, we often work with precious materials. Do you know what this means?"


    *Shake*


    "You see a qualified jeweler will notice at a nce if the stone he is working with is a precious one or is worthless. You, Josh, are thetter."


    He simply pushed the contract toward Josh again, gesturing to him to sign it.


    "Just because I''m ssless, right?"


    "No, you have many more ws. For instance, that arrogance of yours. Your pride is getting in the way of signing a good deal. As a Fallen you need us way more than we need you."


    Josh simply rose up and left.


    There was no anger or disappointment, he expected such a result when he came here. He had simply given the guild a chance. They were the ones that would eventually regret it.


    While the current Josh was weak he was not worried in the slightest about his future. For him, it was simply a question of the fast or fastest path.


    Before long, he saw Lana in the hall waiting for him.


    "So? Did you join?"


    "Nope. Let me tell you, if that guy is representative of the whole guild, you should quit it. As soon as possible."


    "What did he do?! I''ll give him a piece of my mind and¡­"


    "No need. I do not care. Later."


    He heard her sigh as he left.


    Once outside, Josh tinkered with his UW. Above all, he wanted to find a way to learn skills. That is when something caught his eyes, an advertisement:


    <Looking to Acquire Real Skills? Head to Phantom Right Now! Right, in the middle of the E district!>


    Josh clicked on itzily, not expecting anything.


    But then, he saw the word "VR".


    That was all the convincing he needed.

 Chapter 11: VR: One Slash

    <h4>Chapter 11: VR: One sh</h4>


    On Earth, there were many instances of VR stories, always in fictive settings.


    Josh had been an avid fan of such things at one point in his life, back when he was still innocent. Who knew it would take a big chunk of humanity dying to realize that dream?


    Before long he reached the E district. That is when he heard someone calling out to him.


    "Josh? How have you been?!"


    There, stood Liam the punching samurai.


    "How is it going? Did you finally manage to get yourself a sword?"


    "Of course! I joined a guild too! Since then, it has been smooth sailing!"


    "Floor?"


    "14 done! I need to train to be able to tackle 15 alone. You?"


    "It took me 10 days to get 10 carapaces on floor 2 *Sigh*"


    Liam then just startedughing.


    "Let me guess you mostly killed the boss? The grey ones drop materials while the red ones drop the most items. Just remember it for next time."


    "I will for sure! Right, do you have any idea where I can find Phantom?"


    "Josh, you should skip these fakes. Come to Draconic with me instead!"


    "What''s the difference?"


    "Phantom designed the VR technology, but it remains a gaming center. We operate training dojos instead."


    "Oh? So you are part of Draconic, eh? It should be a good guild I assume."


    Then Liam beamed proudly.


    "Let me show you!"


    Then he guided Josh to a Dragon shaped structure. It looked amazing and powerful. The windows were tinted ck hiding the inside, making it look mysterious and ssy.


    After entering, Liam guided him to an inner area. After going through doors Josh could see many oval-shaped capsules lined on the wall.


    "I was expecting a VR helmet."


    "Oh! It''s a thing too but the sensorial feedback sucks. What''s the point of it if you can''t even feel pain or smell the blood?"


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle to himself. Most people were not looking for such features in the first ce. At least, not when they were the yers.


    "Pick a pod at random. Once inside add me! Ultimate Samurai is my username!"


    Then he entered a capsule. Josh followed his example.


    His vision quickly went dark. Then Josh saw some text appear on the screen.


    <Scanning Status Screen!>


    0%, 50%, 100%!


    Josh yfully typed in Just Buying Soy Sauce. For it was often what he did, to mind his own business.


    Somehow the system showed his full stats and skill but nothing else.


    Then again, this thing was meant for training ording to Liam. It was probably meant to exclude equipment as Climbers would get new gear as they progressed.


    Before long he appeared in a small room. The only thing in it was a small dragon statue. On the statue, Josh could read [Wee to the Draconic Pce.]


    "Add friend?" Said Josh tentatively.


    That propped up a window where he typed in Ultimate Samurai. Before long a small ring was heard then came his friend''s voice.


    "Alright, do you see a dragon statue right now?"


    "Indeed."


    "Touch it! That will show you a menu! Pick the first option!"


    Josh did as he was told. Then appeared two options.


    1. Level Match Up


    2. Random Match UP


    Then, in a red glow, Josh was teleported to a small armory. There were many basic weapons to choose from. Josh decided on a long sword, satisfied with the length.


    Then a countdown appeared in front of his eyes.


    10! 9! ¡­.1! 0!


    That teleported him once more, this time into an arena. It looked oddly simr to the Cerberus coliseum.


    Josh couldn''t see the features of his opponent. He only showed as a blurry shadow. One that charged at him directly. In a very reckless manner at that.


    One shter Josh had defeated it. He clearly understood that he had faced someone withoutbat experience. Still, that was weird considering Josh was level 3 already.


    He received a prompt asking him if he wanted to initiate another challenge again. Josh clicked yes.


    That didn''t even count as a warmup.


    A fightter Josh started reconsidering. Actually, it would be more urate to say one shter. Onest time, Josh tried a rematch¡­only to have the same exact result.


    That''s when he went back to pick the second option instead. Soon enough he found an opponent.


    Once more the fight ended up with one sh. Except that this time, Josh was defeated. Without even being able to retaliate.


    He managed to see a few issues.


    First, the stats of his opponent were way higher. A distance Josh could cover in a minute the other guy could cover in a few seconds.


    Second, their sword mastery was worlds apart. Josh had perfected his fighting style on Earth. This meant that it was no longer appropriate for his new stronger body.


    Without waiting, Josh quickly queued up again. This time he clearly faced a weaker opponent. Yet Josh still lost in the end.


    Their basic specs too far apart. Trying a few more times Josh lost all of them. That brought his Victory ratio to 3/10.


    Still, he was satisfied. Seeing such power made him expectant toward the future.


    He quickly sent a message to Liam telling him he was going before logging off.


    Getting new skills was necessary, but so was raising his stats.


    Back in the real world, he came face to face with a stranger.


    A young man.


    "Who are you?! This ce is our guild''s restricted area!"


    "Ah, sorry I didn''t know. Liam brought me here."


    "Oh? All good then. Not like we are in pod shortage anyway. What''s your username?"


    "JustBuyingSoySauce."


    He checked his UW.


    "Let me see...yikes, you suck big times man! Most horrible stats ever! Yeah, better forget joining this ce."


    Then the man disregarded Joshpletely and starting watching a video. Josh couldn''t help but be curious. On the screen was a samurai shing at his opponent.


    At some point, his katana seemed to be enveloped by ethereal bright light.


    "What''s that?"


    "Mana sh. Very powerful. Great against armor."


    Josh couldn''t help but nod impressed. Right now, he figured that he should probably quickly raise his level. It seemed he wasgging behindpared to the others after all.


    There was also something he wanted to try. Going back to the Tower he entered floor 3.


    [Mission: Steal Apple!]


    Josh couldn''t believe the mission. He was supposed to steal¡­an apple?!


    The surroundings were very different than the previous two floors. Instead of being deste, the area was luscious and brimming with life.


    Josh could see nts everywhere. There was only one issue. No matter where he looked, Josh couldn''t see any enemy.


    At all.


    This ce looked like a paradise. Josh simply started walking.


    Only vegetation all over the ce. This didn''t make sense.


    Until finally he reached a sunny clearing. In the middle, there was a big apple tree. The fruits were juicy and extremely appetizing.


    The mission had said steal, not gather. There would obviously be a guardian. Josh picked an apple. He was ready to face any threat. Yet, even then, nothing happened.


    Was this whole floor designed to counter over-careful people? Perhaps to instill a false sense of security into them? In any case, Josh did not care.


    "Teleport Out!"


    Checking his UW, Josh soon found the exnation. He couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Apparently, Floor 3 was full of deadly living vines that only attacked when your guard was down.


    It was known as the Newbie killer back in the day. There were many discussion threads talking about the best way to clear it.


    Josh felt generous and graciously typed in a new entry.


    JustBuyingSoySauce: "No need to fight. Just pick the apple and teleport out! GG"


    A few secondster a message appeared on his screen:


    <You have been banned from this message thread for trolling. >


    Josh couldn''t help but feel at a loss.


    Especially when the answer "burn the entire forest to the ground" had been epted as legitimate.


    ?!


    On that note, Josh simply headed back into the tower. This time heading for Floor 4.


    Apparently, it was filled with goblins.


    It would make up for all the XP he had missed on the previous floor.

 Chapter 12: Floor 4 Massacre

    <h4>Chapter 12: Floor 4 Massacre</h4>


    Goblins.


    Small green humanoid creatures, usually wielding short swords or even knives in some cases.


    At that moment, the state of these enemies was pitiful. They were limbless, screaming in agony and wriggling on the floor. Josh had chopped all of their members quickly.


    He was now in the process of trying to replicate the skill he had seen. How hard could a mana sh be? Very hard!


    This could be judged by the number of corpses. All of these now lifeless goblins had been used as training dummies.


    Floor 4 was one with thendscape of a in. Vast and peaceful at first nce.


    After walking for a while one would find goblin viges. Each contained 50 goblins: 1 Elite, 10 Umon, and Creeps. Josh had counted them diligently.


    This was something most parties would have approached carefully. After all, going from 5 enemies at once to 50 was a huge hurdle.


    There was one saving grace, however. It was possible to slowly bait its inhabitants away. This way one could slowly chip at their numbers. Josh obviously thought of that but did not care.


    He simply walked in and started shing. Thus he started a massacre worthy of a horror movie.


    Even after killing all 50 of them, Josh''s training yielded no result.


    In turn, he simply went toward the next vige¡­Then the next and the next and the next.


    Every time, he would simply send limbs flying as he progressed.


    He had managed to feel the energy that gave him XP. He was able to gather it. However, using mana itself proved troublesome.


    The fact that he had a mana stat in the first ce gave him hope. Especially that his mana was growing with every level up. Yet he couldn''t seem to use it no matter what. But he nevertheless kept going even with ack of result.


    Incidentally, he hadpleted the mission long ago. It was to destroy one vige.


    As he kept moving, Josh eventually saw a bigger vige. One that had about a hundred goblins in it.


    As he swaggered in, he was confronted with tons of enemies. He also saw a mini-boss for the first time, 2 of them in fact. Both had yellow names.


    <Goblin Chieftain Lv6?? >


    <Goblin Shaman Lv6?? >


    It was the first time Josh encountered magic.


    How does one fight a fireball with a dagger? The answer is one doesn''t. You just fucking dodge!


    The Shaman kept throwing small fireballs, apparently infinitely.


    Each caused a small crater in the ground upon impact.


    Josh couldn''t help but look on enviously.


    He figured that there was a small homing aspect to the attack. Thus, making dodging with small motions almost impossible.


    Josh quickly came up with an extremely easy counter. He simply went right into the biggest enemy group he could find. One fireball, one goblin used as a meat shield!


    It turned out that friendly fire was enabled. At least judging by the cries of misery of the goblin Josh held.


    What use was a great power with low uracy? None whatsoever!


    Still, Josh understood one thing. If a goblin showed such power from a skill on Floor 4¡­ Skills would quickly be vital.


    Josh then understood the stigma against ssless people. Simply leveling up would not suffice. Thus he kept trying to practice mana shing.


    That is when an item finally dropped.


    [- Rank: Goblin Boots.]


    After equipping them, Josh barely noticed a difference. If anything it would probably give a break to his sneakers. Sneakers that he had somehow kept wearing this whole time.


    In prison, no guard had dared take them away. They had also followed him to this new world.


    He waited an hour wondering how the respawn would work here. Weirdly it wasn''t happening. Josh decided to leave to try and find other viges.


    Just as he was leaving, he saw a red light behind him. It had coincided with the exact moment he had left the area. Maybe such a system was because of the nature of the spawn?


    They would naturally appear in their houses. Perhaps it was to prevent spawn kills. It would have made it too easy.


    Not that it mattered too much. Josh headed back in and had lots of fun.


    On that note, he leveled up. Putting all points into Strength and Agility again he kept going. All until he finally reached level 5.


    In the process, he acquired some goblin teeth, whatever that was used for, and another pair of boots.


    He had spent enough time on this floor already.


    Then he exited the Tower before looking to sell his loot. It was night.


    The shop he went to was open 24 hours and was manned by a U-bot. Josh couldn''t help but admire his gains.


    Josh Malum Lv5


    #STATS# (10)


    HP: 500


    Mana:500


    Magic Ability:50


    Strength:100


    Agility:100


    Defense:5


    Magic Resist:5


    #SKILLS# (10)


    -F Weapon Mastery


    [Credits: 56]


    Just as Josh was exiting the shop, he saw something in a nearby alley. There was a man threatening a youngdy with a knife. Normally Josh may have simply ignored it, but he was in a good mood.


    For once he decided to do a good deed. It was totally unrted to how pretty the girl was. Thus, he walked over to the thief and simply red at him.


    "Y-you! What are you ring at?!" Barked the man.


    Josh silently kept ring


    "Y-you! I''m feeling merciful today, so I''ll leave you alone!"


    Then the man retreated quickly.


    "My hero!"


    The youngdy then threw herself into Josh''s arms, thanking him profusely. She shyly looked up to him with doe eyes. All the while gently guiding his right hand toward her chest. Then she softly whispered: "How about I show you my appreciation somewhere more private?"


    That is when Josh slowly raised his hand... Bringing it closer to her face and... Bitch-pped her hard before leaving.


    The bitch had tried stealing his UW while he was distracted!


    He guessed it was probably extremely valuable.


    Still, it seemed dumb to him. Chances were anyone possessing one would eventually enter the Tower. Making such an enemy would be unwise.


    Then again, there were other cities too. Josh guessed that disappearing wouldn''t be impossible. Especially with the technology avable. stic surgery was bound to be possible.


    Either way, Josh simply disregarded the incident.


    Josh started browsing forums again. He saw a thread about a neer despairing about the mini bosses on floor 4. Most answers were to simply evade the biggest vige. That it wasn''t worth it.


    Josh would enlighten them.


    JustBuyingSoySauce: "Just use other goblins to block the projectiles. ;)"


    Before long he got many answers saying that those were homing. That it was the fastest way to die. Then a message appeared again.


    <You have been banned from this message thread for spreading false information.>


    ¡­


    It couldn''t be helped.


    Josh checked the basic information for Floor 5. As Dale had said it would be a one-on-one challenge.


    How exciting!

 Chapter 13: Fun Opponent I Said!

    <h4>Chapter 13: Fun Opponent I Said!</h4>


    Every Floor ending in 5 was special with a duel. Josh entered the Tower.


    The previous floors had been extremely spacious but this one was different.


    Josh found himself in what looked to be a castle room. One that was crumbling. The stone floor was cracked in many ces. The ever-present red glow was there¡­indoor, somehow.


    [Wee to Your First Duel! Please choose! Boring Opponent! | Fun Opponent!]


    Josh unhesitantly picked the second option. He liked that he was given a choice again.


    [Have Fun! Try to Unalive Your Opponent! ;)]


    Sometimes the Tower system really liked to be cheeky. Before long appeared a green and small creature. Obviously a goblin. One with a red name that was surrounded by a red glow.


    <Gobu The Swift Lv8?? >


    Josh dashed forward and shed its neck promptly.


    *TING*


    His dagger seemed to have been stopped by the red energy used for the teleportation.


    Spawn invincibility?


    It too had a small dagger. It used it to stab Josh. It is only when it went on the offensive that finally its protection went away.


    Josh figured out a few things.


    One, the goblin was faster than him. That much was a given with his name and higher level.


    There was also something else. It had a skill. It was the first time Josh saw a melee one.


    From time to time, the goblin''s attacks would generate illusory images. As in Josh would see a phantom de and arm aimed at a weak spot before realizing it was only a trick.


    Thanks to this skill, the goblin managed to fight Josh for a long time. Not that it was strong, but that Josh kept observing the target. He wanted to figure out exactly how it worked.


    After an hour or so Josh figured he wouldn''t be able to learn anything. That is when he ended it, with one plunge of his dagger in the goblin''s throat. Blood came pissing out as he retracted his weapon.


    Josh wasn''t sure how Health Points worked exactly. This creature''s HP couldn''t be that low and yet it had died so easily. Josh couldn''t help but think that maybe destroying the vitals would mean death regardless.


    Now how was Josh able to easily defeat it? Well, he had found a ring w in the technique. The after images were very realistic. So much that even Josh could barely tell the difference with his eyes.


    Instead, he felt it. There was no killing intent at all in that de. It was after all nothing but a mirage.


    As the goblin used its energy on wasteful deception, Josh had used his for killing.


    Josh also realized that the creature''s swordsmanship (daggership?) was substandard.


    But maybe that was just Josh being stronger than his level. He had trained for a while on Earth. Maybe that was why he hadpletely stomped thepetition in the level-based match-up.


    Not that he thought himself invincible. Anyone that trains for barely 2 years and thinks so is a fool and an idiot. That is when Josh noticed something on the ground.


    As the goblin disappeared in red particles, he saw a small gem on the ground.


    <Memory Fragment F: Phantom de>


    Wow! Was this what Josh had been needing all this time?!


    He had skill points now he just needed to¡­no! He wouldn''t recklessly use it. Anyone else would have been ecstatic in his position. It was a skill after all!


    Josh remained calm. He wanted to learn more about it before he used it.


    Then he paid attention to the system prompt. It offered him to challenge it again.


    How awesome! There was no respawn to wait for?! For some reason, the Fun option was greyed out. Josh still clicked on it.


    [Error you have alreadypleted this challenge!]


    Josh still kept clicking it.


    [Error you already imed your guaranteed reward!]


    Josh still kept tapping the option.


    [¡­. Enjoy fighting a hard life and death battle again for no reason¡­.!]


    Then with a red glow, another goblin appeared.


    <Gobu The Strong Lv8?? >


    Now that was more like it! Josh simply yed with this one again.


    It seemed the only thing it had going for it was that it had increased strength. Absolutely nothing else.


    For some reason, it had a dagger too. It did not fit its fighting style¡­at all. It seemed the tower did not care about such incongruities. Josh wouldn''t care either.


    As it didn''t have a skill Josh simply slew it. Then started another grey button mashing.


    Until finally the system stopped fighting it. It seemed like the system had some intelligence to it. But it didn''t seem to have a developed consciousness.


    Quite like an AI that would plug premade sentences at the right moment. At least this is how Josh saw it. Before long he had fought¡­


    <Gobu The Sturdy Lv8?? >


    <Gobu The Anti-Mage Lv8?? >


    <Gobu The Wise Lv8?? >


    <Gobu The Charming Lv8?? >


    <Gobu With sses Lv8?? >


    With some repeats.


    Josh found some of these to be questionable, to say the least. Every time a repeat came, Josh simply got rid of it instantly.


    At some point, the system stopped using the life and death expression. Even its non-conscious self figured out there was no danger whatsoever. Josh finally left after leveling up.


    He couldn''t help but think that whoever designed this tower was catering to the casuals.


    A level every Floor?!


    Then again it was possible to go faster but it didn''t seem worth it. As in fighting stronger monsters didn''t provide more XP.


    Ah, but fighting lower-level ones was worthless too. This in turn would force people to climb.


    Honestly, Josh could already predict that at some point it would be harder. Simply because it was called the Dimensional Tower. One that connected many worlds together.


    What were the chances that humans were the strongest race across the many worlds? Low. Very low. Humans relied on technology to dominate. Said technology was disabled in the Tower. Even the UW.


    Exiting the Tower, he decided to look into his new Memory Fragment. Josh was that sort of man, reckless on some things, but extremely careful on others.


    A quick search gave him the address of a self-proimed Skill Researcher. Self-proimed because he wasn''t part of the government.


    Most people only cared about the list of all avable skills and how to get them. Josh checked the man''s official page and quite liked it. This man apparently pushed it a step further. Researching the why and how.


    Something that mostizens seemed to deem extremely useless. At least judging by the number of hatements he was getting.


    Josh couldn''t help but think that the government probably had these projects going on but was simply not sharing them with the public.


    Thus, he left for the D district where most houses were located. Why did he pick such an unreliable target in his search for information?


    Because Josh figured out that his situation was pretty unique anyway. He had also seen how ignorant most people seemed to be. Something they disregarded may just have potential.


    Just to prove his point Josh entered a random message thread. Then on the Floor 5 entry, he wrote:


    JustBuyingSoySauce:


    "For this Floor, you want to pick the harder option over and over so you can get used to many fighting styles. Especially since enemies are still sluggish."


    Indeed, before long he got many negative reactions. A banter, he resumed his walk toward his destination.


    Josh couldn''t help but look forward to it. The man he was going to meet seemed¡­unique.


    [Status]


    Josh Malum Lv6


    #STATS# (12)


    HP: 600


    Mana:600


    Magic Ability:60


    Strength:120


    Agility:120


    Defense:6


    Magic Resist:6


    #SKILLS# (12)


    -F Weapon Mastery


    [Credits: 51]

 Chapter 14: Crazy Professor

    <h4>Chapter 14: Crazy Professor</h4>


    Josh Managed to find the ce he was looking for.


    <CheapRent! Building E>


    The name was straightforward. It was a 10 floors building. One that had individual single-room apartments.


    There was an inte, well in fact a talking screen.


    "Hello, who are you trying to reach?"


    Then appeared a list of names. Fake Professor Hegel¡­. That was him. Josh couldn''t help but feel puzzled.


    "Call Hegel¡­"


    *Ring Ring*


    Then came a voice. "I''m not interested in buying anything! I won''t appear on any damnedy show! I''ll pay the rent soon! If you want to leave hate mail, there is a box behind you! Have a fucking good day!"


    Then it went silent. A message appeared:


    <How would you rate this call? *With a few smileys.*>


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle a bit. Some things always remained the same. Even in this new world with advanced technology.


    "Call Hegel."


    *Ring Ring*


    "I already told you that-"


    "Shut up and listen." It wasn''t so much what Josh said, but how he said it.


    "Now, I saw online that you are researching skills. Is that true?" Josh continued.


    Hegel went silent for a few seconds before asking bbergasted:


    "Y-you, are you perhaps interested in my research?!"


    "Indeed."


    Then the man excitedly directed Josh toward his apartment. Repeating himself many times excitedly.


    How hard could finding it be anyway? Before long, Josh arrived on the man''s floor. He was waiting by the elevator, going in circles.


    "Are you the one that is interested by-?!"


    "Calm down. I''m Josh."


    "Hegel! Professor Hegel!"


    "What about the fake part?"


    "That, the world doesn''t recognize my findings. They insist that I am wrong. They insist that I am a danger to society! That-"


    "Alright, Hegel shall we head inside? Let''s start from the beginning."


    As Josh entered Hegel''s dwelling, he couldn''t help but notice the mountain of paper. On the floor, on the walls, everywhere!


    "What''s with all the writings? Isn''t this ce technologically advanced?"


    "Ah! So you are one of the summoned ones?!"


    He pointed to an interactive screen on the wall.


    "This is the HUB: Home Universal System. Basically a UW but more affordable. Well, it also is bigger so there is that. While it''s possible to take notes on it¡­ It simply isn''t the same. I''ve found that it helps to manually write. Not only for memorization but also to think outside the box."


    Josh could understand that. While nning in the past he had done the same. Of course, he had burnt it all to ashes right after.


    "Josh, are you aware of the Tower''s history?"


    "Not in the least."


    "Alright, here it goes. Bear with me this will take a while to exin."


    Hegel gathered his thoughts for a few seconds.


    "You should know that the Dimensional Tower recently appeared, right? About five months ago, in fact. It came out of nowhere and changed the world.


    It proved that gods existed. It proved that other worlds existed. It proved that magic existed. It proved so many things and brought so much unknown.


    All we knew was that we had to climb it.


    While the popce was going crazy, the powerful took control of it. Well, they blocked ess to it. No matter what, they couldn''t affect the Tower itself.


    Many test runs were conducted. Few key individuals were allowed in and became more powerful. Before long, the system in ce was one that favored the elites.


    It is only once they had a head start that they allowed the public in. Even then, it took Credits. A brand new currency that would be used for the Tower.


    Getting a single Credit with normal currency is extremely hard. In the future, only Credits will be worth anything.


    People either had to be extremely wealthy or sign deals. Aligning with either the corporations or the government.


    Nowadays, climbing is way easier. Any half-decent Climber can get 5 credits. As long as you have one as a friend or even extended family you are fine. But even then, good luck catching up."


    "The richest be richer and it is the same for the powerful I guess."


    "Exactly, Josh! Even then, we barely explored the Tower as a civilization. This means our knowledge is extremely limited. Don''t blindly believe what anyone says about the Tower. Of course, that includes me."


    "Oh? You yourself are not confident in your research?"


    "Let''s just say my methodology is peculiar. Most researchers will only observe the rankers. People, in general, revere them as wise beings. If a ranker disagrees then it means it is false. I don''t believe this to be true. What I do is I scour for every tidbit of information."


    "Oh? Do you research using your HUB? With forums and all?"


    Josh realized that Hegel seemed to be a self-taughtizen. The kind that would spend all his time stuck in front of aputer. At least the man himself recognized that it could be unreliable. He had said not to trust him after all.


    "Hehe. It does sound ridiculous I''ll agree. But there is a lot one can learn from the news and forums. I''d rather interrogate tons of fool than a few logical rankers. Simply because the fools may stumble upon the answer by mistake. I always look for facts. Then I create theories. I formte hypotheses."


    "Like?"


    "*Sigh* You asked me about skills, right? This is why they consider me a menace to society. It''s because I am wary of the Tower."


    "You mean you fear unprepared people dying?"


    "No, I worry about something less tangible. I have looked at a lot of data. After observing everything carefully, I have determined something.


    There are two possibilities.


    One, we as humans influence the skills that we get. Our very nature defining those.


    Two, the skills provided by the Tower are slowly changing us. Slowly taking over us. People with barbarian sses be more violent. Healers be gentler and kinder.


    There has been a case recently on the news. Someone got the extremely rare necromancer ss. Later, he was found to have killed his ex-lover so she could remain at his side.


    I do not know which one it is but it scares me a lot."


    "What would even be the purpose of such a thing?"


    Hegel took a deep breath, then murmured.


    "Corruption, or even worse some entity''s revival through possession."


    Josh then understood that Hegel was definitely crazy.


    Without a shadow of a doubt a man batshit insane.


    But he would hear him out, nheless.


    The whole Tower situation was crazy in itself...

 Chapter 15: Rich! $$$$

    <h4>Chapter 15: Rich! $$$$</h4>


    Crazy theories aside Josh needed to know something more concrete.


    "Tell me what you know about Memory Fragments."


    "Oh? Did you manage to get one? Which basic skill did you get?"


    "F-Rank Phantom de."


    "What?! This is weird! What opponent did you face?" Hegel eximed.


    "Gobu The Swift."


    "How peculiar! It usually drops the Wind''s Blessing. Ah, it increases your basic agility. It''s useful but prettymon. Did you manage to beat the goblin quickly?"


    "No, I took my time. About an hour."


    "This doesn''t make sense why¡­. Wait! Were you toying with it?!"


    "Pretty much, why?"


    "Not everyone knows it but there is a Feat system. When you aplish a mission particrly well you are rewarded. It seems to be a hidden feature. It could also just be luck, but I have run a few tests. It seems to be statistically significant."


    Hegel seemed to know a whole lot for a fake.


    "How does this fragment work then?"


    "You simply focus on it. The system will ask you if you want to assimte it. Once you select yes, there is a chance you receive the skill. We call this an Inheritance. If you are lucky, it will be aplete one. Normally, it will be a partial one. Then if you are unlucky, it will be a fragmented one."


    "Memories belonging to heroes of the past, right? If I use it, will it alter my current memories in any way?" This was Josh''s only concern.


    "Looking at the current data we have, no. Your current memories won''t be affected. It will simply add new ones."


    Josh then figured he may as well absorb the fragment. Perhaps not picking a ss had been a mistake too.


    "Well, it can indirectly." Hegel continued.


    This jolted Josh to attention.


    "How?!"


    "Let me put it this way. A kid may love his teddy bear very much. He could cherish it and keep it by his side. Then he will grow up. Later on, he may not care about his old toy."


    "You mean to say that my current memories are the teddy? Then the Memory Fragment could forcefully change my personality so that I wouldn''t care about the past?"


    "Something simr. Many rankers have attested to receiving vivid new memories. The first time, it made some question their own identity. The consensus is that is it harmless. That one just needs to get used to it. I''m one of the few that still doubts."


    "Then I''ll sell it!"


    "It is but a possibility and may be worth the sacrifice even then, you know."


    Josh understood that it was just a possibility. That Hegel may simply be mad or overly careful. But even then, he wouldn''t risk it.


    "Thank you for your help! Anything I need to know as a neer here?"


    "You have not learned any skill, right?"


    "How did you know?" Technically Josh had his weapon mastery, but he started with it.


    "Eh, you wouldn''t talk about selling a Memory Fragment that casually otherwise. Here''s a bit of advice for you:


    - That Memory Fragment you can sell for 1k Credits whatever they tell you.


    - Without any skill, be incredibly careful Floor 15+. There may be enemies that you won''t even be able to damage.


    - If you somehow reach Floor 25, stop there. It is impossible to continue further without magic!


    - You only have one life. Don''t bite more than you can chew.


    I could keep talking for ages, but I think I need to let you digest it all. Come back and see me whenever you want."


    Josh then left a bit overwhelmed., He had learned some Tower history, knew to stay away from skill items, and learned about Feats.


    Josh now had a deadline. He had until Floor 15 to figure out how to acquire skills on his own. Otherwise, he would have to look for an alternative.


    He would most likelye back to see Hegel for advice when the time came. Josh figured out he could keep training on his own. Perhaps he''d find himself able to replicate a specific skill eventually.


    But for now, it was time to make $$$$!


    Josh tried going to the same shop as before. They were ready to give him 500 Credits for it. Good thing he received advice. Josh tried to bargain but they wouldn''t budge.


    That wouldn''t affect him too much. This was a technological age! It would of course be possible to buy and sell online! Checking his UW Josh quickly found a trading tform. It read:


    <Ouroboros, We Sell Everything! From Head to Tail!>


    Head to tail? That was their entire Logo!


    Josh couldn''tplete the transactionpletely online, sadly. He needed to increase his seller''s reputation level for that.


    Now Josh needed to head to one of their physical branches. It was in the same B district, so he quickly reached his destination. There was a big building with tons of windows. The ss had an imposing serpent swimming in it. A holographic one that looked especially vivid.


    "First time?"


    Josh turned around to a party of four. One man surrounded by three beauties.


    "Yes, it is pretty impressive!"


    Two giggled while the other 2 gave looks of contempt. The man scanned Josh quickly.


    "No sign of any wealth besides the memory fragment you are holding. Your clothes are bloodstained and old. You have a UW but that is all. It was probably given to you.


    You are a Newbie that justpleted Floor 5, right? You should have just sold this trash at a general store. Ah, whatever.


    How about I do a good action and buy it off you? I''ll be generous and give you 200 Credits!"


    Josh could see that they were clearly looking down on him. Trying to take advantage of him. The girls in the back were just watching the happenings yfully. Josh wouldn''t bother with such ridiculous people and simply turn back to head inside.


    "Hey, you! Are you ignoring my good intentions?!" The man bellowed.


    Josh kept walking. Before long he reached a counter. A man was there, no U-bot.


    "Hello there, I''d like to sell something." Greeted Josh.


    "This is your first time here, right? What do you wish to sell?"


    "This." Josh handed the Fragment over.


    "Oh! This is pretty nice! It is rank F, but the skill is pretty good. We''ll give you the same price as a rank E item, 1k Credits."


    "I''ll take it!", Josh almost screamed that. After all, it was his first big sale.


    "Haha, this is your first time selling ranked loot, right? There is a 10% government tax and a 5% shop fee. Is that fine?"


    Josh simply nodded, he wouldn''t try to fight the government for a little tax haha.


    "Perfect, I''ll transfer the Credits to your UW ount now. Here are your 850 Credits!"


    Making sure he really had received it Josh cheered internally.


    He now had 901 Credits total.


    It was enough for 17 years of food, enough for180 entries into the lower Tower Floors, enough for....that was the extent of Josh''s knowledge actually.


    He had gained so much, and he was only 5 Floors in! How insane was that!


    That is when he saw the guy from earlier. He had seen Joshplete the trade. Josh couldn''t help but smile at him.


    "You may want to check back on the definitions of "generous" and "good action"...oh and perhaps review your basic math skills."


    Then Josh simply left. Leaving an infuriated failure of a scammer behind.


    Josh wanted to climb some more. Should he aim for his first million?

 Chapter 16: Insanity on Floor 6!

    <h4>Chapter 16: Insanity on Floor 6!</h4>


    Josh could understand easily how people got addicted to climbing.


    It gave power! It gave wealth! It brought excitement!


    It was a given that people would look up to the Rankers. Josh wanted to be one. Ah, but he did not care one bit about fame.


    His ultimate goal was to reach the top.


    Josh would try to enjoy the journey itself too. Weirdly, this new world may have been exactly what he needed. Before this, he had resolved to simply await death in jail. Now after a long time, he felt motivated to do something.


    Thus, he went to the sixth floor.


    [Mission: Rest for a Day! You Must Be Tired After this Intense Duel!]


    Josh couldn''t but find this mission weird. Also, duel? It was supposed to be duels.


    Observing his surroundings, Josh saw a barren field. Nothing else. The atmosphere seemed extremely gloomy. There was some fog, but it wasn''t dense enough to affect one''s vision.


    Josh started walking.


    Josh Malum: Earthling


    Likes: Rip and Tear & Long Walks In the Tower.


    Current Mood: Why are there no monsters?!


    It is only after half an hour that something finally happened.


    The soil started moving at some ces. Josh observed one such disturbance.


    A hand came out, grabbing his calf, a human hand, albeitpletely rotten. It had yellowish long nails with skin falling off in ces.


    Josh finally understood what was happening. Thisnd was full of undead. Except that they were all still buried.


    The so-called rest for a day was a survival mission. If one simply waited in ce, one would likely get overrun. Josh guessed that the way to win this was to run around and kill. Alternatively building a fortress could work.


    Josh wasn''t sure about how the second one would work. There was actually a third option. One that suited Josh perfectly.


    Kite for a day!


    Most people would have had trouble doing that. Josh believed he wouldn''t have any issue. Staying a day up was easy physically for any level 6. However, it would be extremely harsh mentally. Many wouldn''t be able to cope with the stress.


    Josh had the time to think about all that yet the Zombie wasn''t out yet. Talk about a slowpoke! At least its head was above ground now.


    Josh was already getting bored, so he chopped the head off. *Ting* Or at least he tried.


    Of course, the creature had spawn protection! The red energy was faint, but there.


    That is when Josh crouched near the Zombie. He altruistically helped it get out of its hole. Only when it was fully out, did the red light disappear.


    The Zombie tried biting Josh, but thetter simply cut its head off.


    +1 XP! -_-


    Josh was getting better at it. Before, he had to focus to extract XP. Now he did it unconsciously.


    Josh looked around and noticed a few more Zombies. Rushing over, he killed them only to realize how inefficient this was. At first, this felt like the perfect mission for Josh, but he was starting to reconsider.


    Josh wished there was a way to fast-forward this. It would have made this more entertaining. Josh simply stood in ce and waited, like an idiot.


    With the constant onught, he couldn''t sleep either. He simply waited for the monsters tomit suicide. This gamey felt very much like an idle game.


    Wait a few seconds +1XP.


    Then back to waiting for the next Zombie. Josh simply kept doing that for a long time. The more time passed the more Zombies there were.


    Josh couldn''t help but notice how great of an XP farming spot this floor was.


    It also dropped Zombie Leather too. So, rotten human skin? Needless to say, Josh left it there. He didn''t care much about materials. It all seemed like a pain to carry and didn''t wield as much profit.


    That continued until finally appeared something new. That took a few hours, but there it was.


    <Mutated Zombie, Weak Flesh-Eater Bloodline Lv3?? >


    There were many points to note.


    First, its name was red: it was a Boss.


    Second, its level was extremely low. Normal Zombies were level 6.


    Third, it had a bloodline, albeit weak.


    Fourth, it had a motherfucking bloodline!


    Important things should be repeated twice.


    Josh kept observing it while ughtering Zombies. Except for their huge numbers, they were no threat really. That is when he finally understood the name.


    Instead ofing toward him, the Boss attacked another Zombie. The victim didn''t even bother resisting. It simply let itself get eaten. Cannibalism at its finest. The Boss kept eating one after the other.


    Josh felt that something was bound to happen after a while. He kept looking and finally noticed an issue. The Boss was extremely sluggish. Even more so than the other Zombies. So much that it had trouble catching a single one. Then even when it caught one it would take it an eternity to chew it down.


    Having realized the issue Josh did what any other normalpletely insane suicidal madman would have done. He moved and started camping right next to the creature.


    Then he started chopping some zombie limbs. Throwing them to the Boss. Even using his dagger to scrape the flesh of the bones. Sending it all flying right in the boss''s mouth.


    It took Josh a few times. He was no expert when it came to throwing food. His expertise was more toward throwing daggers or grenades.


    Before long, he had a system going. He would run around the ce. Waiting for the Boss to be done eating. Then he sent it food, carefully cutting it. Best customer service ever!


    It now took the creature about 15 seconds to eat a Zombie. It just stayed there too. This made it so the effective devouring rate was about 40 times faster.


    Josh kept a tab on the progress.


    Why?


    Because he had nothing else to do.


    After 10 Zombies it became Lv 5. After 20 total, Lv 7. It seemed that 10 Zombies = 2 Level. But to go from Lv 14 to Lv 16 it took 120 Zombies. Then it kept doubling.


    3840 Zombies eatenter, the creature finally stopped. Josh had be level 7 in the process. As soon as he had leveled up, the XP he received became negligible.


    He was at 47/1000 to level up again. Josh couldn''t but be proud of what he had aplished.


    <Evolved Mutated Zombie, Weak Flesh-Eater Bloodline Lv 25?? >


    The creature had even gained the Evolved affix.


    Then it slowly rose. As slow as ever. At first, Josh was happily watching. But suddenly, his instincts started sending him warning bells! He quickly side-stepped.


    Looking where he was a second ago Josh could see a deep chasm. The ground where he once stood had been obliterated. The creature had charged with unbelievable speed., destroying everything in its way.


    It was at this moment that Josh realized he had fucked up.

 Chapter 17: Evolved Mutated Zombie!

    <h4>Chapter 17: Evolved Mutated Zombie!</h4>


    <Evolved Mutated Zombie, Weak Flesh-Eater Bloodline Lv 25?? >


    It stood there towering. The little feeble level 3 Zombie was nowhere to be seen.


    It was about 10 meters tall and extremely bulky. It wanted nothing more but to rampage, to reduce Josh to tiny pieces and devour him.


    Its putrid smell was so strong that Josh was able to know where it was without looking.


    Its grey skin was bulging with muscles. Its hands were big with nails looking like des. Seemingly the strength type. Strong enough to swat away an elephant easily.


    It was at that moment that Josh finally registered it as an opponent. Unlike all the ones he had fought before. This one was truly dangerous. It had the potential to kill him.


    Josh had exaggerated a tin- a lot with the feeding. Now he was paying the price of his folly.


    The monster quickly turned around charging once more. Josh threw himself sideways, dodging it. He was able to feel the air it disced, an extremely foul one. It finally stopped, causing a crater in the ground.


    Josh would need to be careful, for one punch and he would be a goner.


    He had two choices. Either take it down, hoping for a miracle, or survive until time ran out.


    Josh kept dodging while calcting.


    3840 Zombies in total. It took 1 minute for the Boss to eat 4 Zombies. This meant it had eaten for 960 minutes,ing to a grand total of 16 hours! ounting for the initial spawn dy Josh still had to run for about 4 more hours.


    He simply kept fleeing, evading any charge.


    Josh felt everything was going to be fine. While the monsters had specs far above his, it was especially dumb with its movements too obvious.


    In such a manner started a game of cat and mouse. The deste field quickly started looking like swiss cheese. Completely full of holes!


    That is when Josh noticed something.


    In theirst exchange, the distance between them had reduced. Josh at first thought he had messed up slightly. But then he understood that the creature was learning.


    It was one thing to deal with an oversized brainless lump of a monster, but another to deal with one that could improve.


    Josh had no choice but to fight. Perhaps the monster had a limit to its growth, but he wouldn''t take the chance. Josh still had things to aplish.


    Josh turned and faced the monster. It quickly charged at him and he dodged. What was different this time was that he did so with the least amplitude of movements possible.


    Then Josh dashed toward its back before plunging his dagger straight in. Or at least, that was the n *TING*.


    Josh couldn''t believe how sturdy its skin was. But then he understood why. Every level-up gave him defense, it was probably the same for the Zombie. It was level 25. How was he to defeat an enemy he could not even pierce the defense?


    As Josh was thinking the creature aimed a massive punch at him that he dodged. That gave him an idea.


    Josh started running toward the creature fearlessly. He knew the risks, but he wanted to finish this as soon as possible.


    The creature seemed to be stunned for a second. The human that had been running all along was finally going on the offensive.


    Josh did a run-up before jumping straight at the creature''s face. Barely dodging its bite, he clung to it.


    That is when the monster sent a powerful punch toward Josh.


    He had to get the timing and the angle both perfectly right. Wait....now!


    Josh threw his dagger, then he jumped off evading the attack. The huge fist stayed true to its initial trajectory. Colliding with the dagger it pushed it straight into the creature''s head with powerful momentum.


    The creature started howling in pain, somehow.


    Now that he had found the clear method, the rest was simple. Well, simple for Josh. Anyone faced with the same situation would have probably kept running instead. Killing a creature more than thrice one''s level was deemed as impossible after all. Of course, Josh didn''t know.


    It took a while, but finally the massive monster fell. The hardest part had really been to retrieve the dagger after every hit. Dislodging it repeatedly from the head had been a challenge for sure.


    [Congrattions! First to Defeat Fully Fed Floor 6 Boss! Tu-du-du!]


    That is when the monster disappeared in red particles. Leaving something behind.


    Josh was going to be so rich!


    He approached to inspect his gains.


    <Rank E+ ¨C Expendable Ring of Necromancy>


    <Rank F+ - Bloodline Pearl of Gluttony. >


    <Rank F - Zombie Skin Cloak.>


    The merchant had said that a rank E was worth 1k Credits. Josh couldn''t help but be happy.


    <Rank E ¨C Expendable Ring of Necromancy>:


    -Magic Ability + 20, Mana +200


    -Summon the power of necromancy contained inside the ring thus consuming its power. Allows Summon Undead (D) once before the destruction of the item.


    This item was amazing. Not only was it a stat boost item, but it also doubled as a life-saving treasure! Next time Josh encountered an unbeatable enemy, He would swarm them with the undead!


    Then he promptly equipped it. A new ring slot had just opened.


    The rank F item seemed even more attractive, for it had Bloodline in its name. At this point, Josh was cheering internally.


    Josh didn''t any qualm about leaving behind his humanity. As long as no god touched his memories. Of course, he would research it a bit before making his decision.


    <Rank F+ - Bloodline Pearl of Gluttony. > :


    -Grants a random ability or form of the Gluttony Aspect.


    <Rank F - Zombie Skin Cloak.>:


    - Defense +2


    -Unique ability: Zombie smell


    Wow! Unique!


    Josh instantly equipped it, then he realized what it was. It literally was a Zombie smell. It stank so much! Few years old dposed body smell. Josh would keep it in his inventory slot but no way he would summon it!


    After all this excitement, came¡­. A really long wait.


    Josh wanted toin about it to the gods. Now that there were only normal Zombies left it was back to idle game simtor.


    It seems the gods had failed to set defeating the boss as a clear condition.


    At least Josh had all this loot to himself. He couldn''t imagine having to share with party members. It would have been fine normally, but not when a time-based mission was involved.


    Well, that was disregarding that it was too early to talk about real profit.


    Still, Josh couldn''t help but be impressed by how fast his fellow earthlings had cleared all of this.


    At least he had learned from his mistakes. He wouldn''t waste any more time ying with beetles in the future or thoughtlessly feed a Boss.


    While walking he found something, a stone stele.


    <We eat not because we need to, but because we are hungry.>


    "I read you not because you are relevant, but because I am bored.", Josh answered.


    A few hourster Josh finally exited the Tower. As soon as he did, he couldn''t help but exim. "What the Hell happened?!"

 Chapter 18: Blood Loss and Bloodlines

    <h4>Chapter 18: Blood Loss and Bloodlines</h4>


    As Josh exited the Tower he came face to face with someone he knew.


    Dale stood, no he was struggling to barely remain on his feet. All over his body were deep daggercerations.


    His left arm was in tatters. Josh could see the Bone.


    "Dale, what the hell happened?!"


    "Oh? Is that you Josh? Hehe, I finallypleted Floor 5!"


    Dale had blood covering his eyes, that had prevented him from initially recognizing Josh. He was grinning like a fool. Proudly, not even bothered about his pitiful state.


    "Quick we need to get you to a hospital, where¡­"


    "No worries, I''ve already called an ambnce haha.", Dale answered casually.


    That is when Josh saw it. A vehicleing their way, a flying one. Metalic in an egg shape. It was hovering over the pavement. Josh couldn''t believe his eyes. Why hadn''t he seen any before?!


    A man came out of it. Grabbing Dale, he brought him on board. It seemed spacious enough. Josh instinctively followed.


    Before long they reached the H sector that included all the medicinal facilities. Josh had seen simr wounds before, Dale probably wouldn''t be able to fight anymore. Or so he thought.


    No, turns out a little whileter Dale was out all in one piece and healthy. Even then he was still grinning.


    "How are these things so efficient?! You were about to kick the bucket a few minutes ago!"


    "Hehe, new Tower technology. It uses mana to aplish amazing things. The only issue is that kind of procedure cannot be replicated inside the Tower itself. Well, for that there are healing pills." Dale exined.


    "It''s damn impressive!"


    "Now I do have a debt with this ce, but it was worth it!"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Hehe, this phoenix picked the hardest challenge option! I have thus received¡­a memory fragment! I would never have been able to afford a good one in the short term, but now all is good. I even got one that would never appear on the market because of how rare it is!"


    Josh couldn''t help but be impressed. He naturally understood now what had transpired. Dale needed the skill to hunt more efficiently.


    For him contracting a debt didn''t matter versus the profits he would get by investing in a new ability.


    He had gone for mutually assured destruction with the Boss. He had resolutely given up his left arm to finish his opponent, knowing full well he coulde back to the real world to get healed.


    "It worked out this time but try not to be reckless the next time."


    "Hehe, are you worried about me, Josh? Don''t worry. I am weak but I know my own limits very well. I won''t ever do something I am not confident in."


    Josh nodded. Seems he was concerned for nothing.


    "What did you even gain?"


    Dale puffed up his chest before raising his hand. On the tip of his finger appeared a small me. "Very fitting, don''t you think?"


    "Oh! So you are officially a mage starting now?"


    "Indeed! Now after all this I''m famished. Wanna go eat?"


    Josh wouldn''t decline such an invitation. Heading to the G district they stopped in front of a small restaurant. It had a nice family business vibe. <Unstoppable Diner>


    "I thought we would go to the Devouring Panda again.", Remarked Josh.


    That is when a shadow passed in Dale''s eyes. One that Josh knew very well. Hatred. A deep grudge that he would settle for sure. It was probably the reason for his seemingly reckless approach.


    Dale told Josh about it. The girl he loved, that one waitress, had a fianc¨¦ from a family arrangement. The man was rtively wealthy and young. Plus he was a Climber with great prospects.


    The current Dale couldn''tpare. At all. He wanted to dere his love for her. To bring her away with him, but he needed to reach greater heights before he could.


    This was the reason they weren''t eating to the Devouring Panda today. For if he saw the man it wouldpletely ruin his mood.


    They were seated in the back in a remote corner of the shop. Before long they had ordered a hearty meal, vegetable and meat saut¨¦. It was the friendly and mature waitress''s rmendation. It wouldn''t necessarily give a food buff but it would satiate the stomach and the soul.


    Before long their food came. One that looked even better than the food at the Devouring Panda. The waitress chuckled upon seeing their faces, bragging about how skilled their chef was. Josh couldn''t help but agree. It was extremely delicious to boot, especially the meat that was juicy and tender.


    Dale had resolved himself to be as hard-working as Josh when it came to climbing. But both still took the time to enjoy the moment. Sometimes, a little respite helped to keep focused in the long run.


    Josh took the chance to ask him about Bloodlines, for he knew this friend of his was very knowledgeable.


    Josh expected it to be extremelyplex and dangerous, but not really. The biggest possible drawback to absorbing a bloodline was making one ipatible with other types of bloodlines.


    Most of their information came from one guy called the Blood Emtor, an S ss Ranker. That was both his title and his ss. His special ability was that he could emte other species'' bloodlines.


    While this ability was especially powerful it had its drawbacks. For instance, he required its target to be near him. This meant that he could only use the bloodline of an enemy.


    They always knew their own bloodline better, for it didn''te with the required memories to use it. This point reassured Josh instead.


    The Blood Emtor was like a jack-of-all-trades that had topete with professionals. In short, he was bound to lose, but he could put a great fight. He had trouble with duels but would shine for Boss hunting on Floor 0s for these Bosses had the strongest bloodlines.


    From this guy''s experience, there were only two possibilities when absorbing a bloodline.


    First, simply getting an ability. This was just adding a skill to one''s repertoire. The difference being that it was a skill that came without the instruction manual. One would have to slowly figure it out. These skills were also very specific and sometimes really hard to use.


    Second, getting a Form. That happened when the bloodline absorbed was especially pure. It was a transformation, a temporary one, that would boost the user in some way. It could even give one ess to human defying abilities. A simple example would be a transformation giving one wings or extra arms. While surprising at first it had a lot of potential.


    These were the bread and butter of the Blood Emtor. He would spend a while training on each floor with help from teammates until he could use the enemies'' abilities.


    This made Josh realize that not all sses were equal. Some were better at the initial clearing, some were better at soloing, some shined in a party setting.


    Josh couldn''t help but ask something that he had been wondering about.


    "How do full support sses even clear Floors 5s?"


    "Haha, for them there is a secret option. A trial designed exclusively for them. However, this does not mean it is easy in any way. It will test their very limits and can very well lead to death. For example, a healer could be asked to heal under pressure while dodging a strong monster." Dale knew the answer as usual.


    Josh figured out for two reasons that he may as well absorb the pearl he had gotten.


    First Gluttony sounded extremely powerful. Josh had seen the Floor 6 Boss at work. If he could get the devouring ability Josh would be unstoppable. After all, he was pretty good at multitasking. If he could sleep in a dungeon, why wouldn''t he be able to eat!


    Second, from Dale''s exnation. Bloodlines were pretty much like a lottery. Since no one truly knew how it worked it was enough to just pray for a good one.


    Josh at first was thinking of maybe waiting for a stronger rank bloodline, but a higher rank wouldn''t necessarily mean a better bloodline. For instance, a whole-body Form would prevent Josh from using his only advantage, his sword mastery.


    Josh took out the pearl rendering Dale astonished for he recognized that it was a valuable item. Then Josh started the absorption process right here and then while praying to the Gacha gods. There was a surge of mana going into Josh as the pearl disappearedpletely.


    Then he felt¡­nothing at all.


    Looking at his status screen he saw¡­. nothing at all.


    His luck was ¡­nonexistent.


    Or did something hidden happen? In any case, Josh couldn''t help but be disappointed.


    That is when came out of the kitchen a man. He was wearing a chef outfit. He was bald and fit-looking.


    He headed toward their direction bellowing.


    "Who''s the bastard that used mana here?! Who was it?!"


    He seemed extremely pissed for some reason. Also, how did he even notice it?!

 Chapter 19: Josh Malum, Remember It!

    <h4>Chapter 19: Josh Malum, Remember It!</h4>


    The man quickly walked up to Josh and Dale fuming and shouting. "You guys are Climbers? Read the goddamn sign and get the fuck out of my restaurant! Go eat at one of these fancy Climber restaurants!"


    Then as quickly as he hade, he went back to the kitchen. It is only then that Josh and Dale finally noticed the small sign that said <No Climbers allowed>


    "How rude! He should really get on with the times. The future is the Tower! What an asshole!"


    Josh couldn''t help but agree. There was something wrong with the guy for sure. Perhaps he hated Climbers for taking over the food industry with their magical cooking techniques?


    "It is the fastest way to lose customers for sure, that man is mad.", Josh remarked.


    That is when the waitress came nearby sighing. "Don''t speak ill of him. He''s brash for sure but he''s well-intentioned."


    She then leaned closer whispering. "It''s his way of caring. He knows very well that his food won''t be any help to clearing the Tower. He would rather people get themselves a food buff to increase their chances of survival."


    "As far as I know the inexpensive ones are barely effective, no?", Josh argued.


    "Still better than nothing. In fact, before he didn''t care. Many Climbers used to eat here. They loved the ce, they loved him, they cared more about the atmosphere than anything else. It was here that they came to dpress."


    "What happened?" Dale curiously asked.


    "Well, amon story really. The Tower is both a blessing and a curse. It gives wealth and power, but it can take it all away in a heartbeat too. His daughter, she was a Climber."


    They both noticed the usage of the past tense, instantly calming down.


    "She died on Floor 15. He mes himself for that. He acts strong, but I know it. We all know it. Right before leaving for the Tower, she had imed that she would seed for sure. That his food would give her the strength to keep fighting. But she never dide back."


    "How long ago was that?", Dale inquired.


    "About two months ago, she used to be one of the first original rankers. The unstoppable knifedy they called her. She possibly had the worst nickname of them all, yet she loved it. Whenever asked, she would proudly tell everyone where she had developed her skills. In the kitchen, with her dad."


    "He must have been devastated!", Dale eximed.


    "That he was. In his own way. He was never the most expressive man. But after that day, he closed himself. He kept cooking. That is all he does nowadays. Every time he cooks, he is reminded of her. He reminisces on the old days. Back when it was just father and daughter. So don''t hate him. He wants you guys to leave for your own good."


    Josh too could rte to this man''s story. He had lived something simr himself. But there was a difference. Josh''s loss was manmade. He had trained, hunted, tortured, and killed the ones responsible for it. That gave him a sense of closure, even if that didn''t bring him any joy.


    This man didn''t have that option. How was he to take revenge on the Tower? He could have tried the same approach as Josh, to resolve himself to reach the top Floor. Hoping for that wish to be true, a wish that could very well be a pipe dream.


    If anything the difference may have been that he still had this restaurant. It probably acted as the man''s sanctuary. Whenever he cooked here, he would be happy. Happiness tinged with sadness, but one so vivid Josh was sure. The man probably wanted to protect this ce as a legacy to her memory.


    Josh was different. He had lost everything. All but his memories. He didn''t have anything attaching him to the world. That was why he was ready to risk even his life. If he were to die there wouldn''t be anyone to remember his loved ones, but he also would join them. Still, Josh would rather try the impossible to bring them back to life than giving up.


    He remembered clearly something she would often say. Every time he was down, she would tell him that she believed in him. That he had many ws, so many she herself had stopped counting. But one thing she knew for sure was that he was no damn quitter!


    Josh could empathize with the man. But he didn''t feel like crying, something Dale nearby had been doing for a while now.


    No, Josh suddenly had an urge. An impulse that he himself couldn''t exin. But that he wouldn''t question either. Josh had always been a man true to his own desires. That was his way of life. Even if it caused him problems, he would stay himself. No matter what. He was ssless for that very reason after all.


    Josh rose up. Not even bothering with others'' reactions. He instantly became the focus of the entire room. Everyone had seen what happened earlier. They were wondering how he would leave. If he would try to make a scene or do so calmly.


    Josh simply headed straight into the kitchen. He could hear people eximing that he shouldn''t beat the cook!


    At first, the waitress tried stopping him, but Josh simply shook his head and proceeded. The aura he carried made her instinctively take a step back.


    Josh finally entered. He could feel the warmth of the fire, the smell of the spices, the sizzling of the oil. But he wasn''t here for any of that. The bald man was there. He looked at Josh perplexed. His presence so out of ce that he didn''t know what to make of it.


    The man was used to angry customers, he was used to haughty customers, he was used to kind sympathetic ones too. There was something in Josh''s demeanor that made him nk out for a second.


    That is when Josh spoke. With a conviction that didn''t fit the simpleness of his message.


    "I like your food, old man. Very much so. I also saw your sign. But I don''t care. I will be back. I will also reach the top of the Tower, you can be sure of it. But don''t worry. No matter what, I won''t die. Not before aplishing my goal at least. Even if the whole world gets destroyed, I will remain. So just keep cooking, nothing else. I will destroy this Tower in your stead, old man. I am Josh Malum, remember it well."


    On that note, Josh simply left. Without even letting the man ce a single word. Josh had selfishly imposed himself without a care.


    It is only after Josh had left that the man realized why he had nked. In Josh, he saw something. The same conviction his daughter once had. The same drive, unmistakably so. One that nothing could ever extinguish.


    That is when he started crying. Crying a flood of tears. He was just a man. Just a father. One that had lost the most precious thing in the world. One that had acted strong for months, he could no more.


    He sobbed and wept, in this ce that was his sanctuary. So much that it rendered his waitress at a loss. She tried consoling him, but he told her that he would be fine, that it would be fine. That he needed to be alone for a little while.


    Then he did the only thing he knew to do. He started cooking. While he did, he couldn''t but think of that youngster. That is when he saw his own reflection in his knife. One that surprised even himself. Amidst the tears, he was smiling.


    With mixed emotions, he simply concentrated on the task. Wondering when Josh would be back. He resolved to advise him. So that he wouldn''t end up with the same fate as her.


    Little did he know that madman was already fighting again.

 Chapter 20: Interview and Fireworks

    <h4>Chapter 20: Interview and Fireworks</h4>


    After exiting the <Unstoppable Dinner>, Dale had Josh install a messaging program <NakamaPower> before leaving for he needed some well-deserved rest. Not everyone was like Josh and could sleep in the Tower.


    As he headed back to the Tower, Josh was osted by a man wearing a cheap shy red suit. He was followed by a cameraman with the caption <NewsWorthy> on his shirt.


    It probably wasn''t urate since he was stopping Josh who seemed the epitome of in to whoever hadn''t seen him fight, well most of the time. The man was extremely cheerful and excited.


    "Hello there! How are you doing today? I''m the one and only Kool Reporter! Ah, but you probably knew that already, didn''t you?"


    "Hello, good, nope."


    "What?! You don''t know about little old me? I''ll cry! Today we are interviewing random passersby. Can you spare me a few minutes?"


    Normally Josh wouldn''t care but the man was asking politely so he could entertain him for a second.


    "Sure, what do you want to know?"


    "First how long have you been in this wonderful Metropolis C?"


    "Less than a month."


    "Oh, oh, a new arrival I see. You have a UW, have you tried going into the Tower? If yes, what has been your biggest challenge so far?"


    Josh didn''t even have to think. "Evolved Mutated Zombie for sure. You know the one on Floor 6. It is so much stronger than anything else I''ve encountered!"


    "Oh? You mean the one that has a level cap of 16, right? Yes, this one is very troublesome if one doesn''t hunt it early on!"


    "Eh, it can reach level 25 but for sure."


    "Seriously?! Wow, this is a scoop, how does that happen?!"


    "You feed it, after about 16 hours you can fight it at full power. Ah, but be careful it is really strong and fast. Still beatable since it is really dumb¡­well at the beginning."


    "Wow! How enlightening! Then what does it drop when you kill it then?!"


    "A pearl giving a chance at a bloodline. Sadly in my case, I didn''t manage to acquire any." Josh wouldn''t say that he had gotten a trump card. He would simply give away a snippet of the truth.


    "Wow! Amazing! Are you all hearing this?! How revolutionary! This may change the way we see lower floors. A bloodline on Floor 6?! I''m sure everyone at home is intrigued! Now tell me, after such a tough fight how do you rx in your off time?"


    "Good food, I guess?"


    "What about entertainment? VR, movies, shows, fights, books, gambles, idols, gentlemen''s clubs?" He almost murmured thest part while winking.


    "That is a long list haha. I''ve tried VR with Draconic but that''s about it."


    "How awesome was that experience?!"


    "Honestly, pretty bad. I kept getting opponents that were too easy and posed no challenge or way above my league. Still, I''m pretty unlucky overall, so could be just me. Do try it I guess."


    "Wow! Next! In an ideal world, if you could pick whatever ss you wanted, which one would you pick?"


    "I don''t really care about that. I''m sure it''s possible to seed with any ss."


    "How inspiring! Thank you, brother! Cut!"


    As soon as it stopped recording, his entire persona changed. He became a normal regr guy.


    He then looked weirdly at Josh, telling him that if they aired that footage, it would probably be very popr. At least there would be professionals trying to debunk it for sure. Some others would see the VR part as bragging and the ss part as misleading.


    Many people would potentially make fun of it. The Kool guy offered to delete it if Josh preferred. Otherwise, he would buy the footage right. It would give Josh a small part of the revenue the video generated in exchange for not having to censor his face.


    Josh was stunned. It felt like a pie in the sky. No way he''d refuse such a deal! People on the were already making fun of him for being ssless thanks to that one dumbass journalist''s article. So what if they were able to put a face on it? More people would disdain him? So what.


    Josh knew information about him was bound toe up at some point. Someone would look into it when he''d be a ranker, something that was bound to happen at some point.


    For Josh, this interview didn''t matter one bit. He simply entered Floor 7. Little did he know it was about to cause a storm out there.


    [Mission: Collect 50 Imp tails!]


    Imps, eh? Josh knew about those. Small demons that would most likely use fire magic.


    The environment was fiery and hot. Smelling of sulfur once more, but nothing unbearable. Josh could see red lines coursing through the earth. It had the appearance of magma but clearly wasn''t. It seemed like it was a property of the red rock floor itself.


    Before long, Josh saw 5 fireballs flying his way. Each was rtively small and swaying as it came closer,unched by a mischievous imp in the distance.


    The imps were the size of children. They were naked showing off all of their red bodies, including both tails, front and back. They were grinning, showing off white jagged teeth that could clearly be a pain in the ass, literally given their height.


    Josh sidestepped all the fireballs noticing that there was no homing property to it this time. He couldn''t help but grin.


    Josh instantly dashed toward the imps. That sent them scurrying everywhere. Instead of fighting, they kept running away throwing fireballs in their backs. They were fast and annoying. It took Josh 5 minutes to kill them all, a long amount of time by Josh''s standards, at least for trash mobs.


    This was definitely an issue.


    Josh would have to spend a long time killing them. Especially true knowing he needed a specific item to drop. Josh didn''t want a repeat of what had happened on Floor 2 where he had wasted 10 days.


    Josh then had an idea. One could have expected the previous Floor to dampen his crazy tendencies for sketchy ns, but not in the least. Simply because Josh had the confidence to pull it off sessfully.


    The imps wanted to run? Josh would let them.


    Upon encountering the next enemy pack and seeing them flee, Josh did the same. He ran away.


    Confusion appeared on their faces. They probably expected Josh to angrily pursue them. Who wouldn''t be mad upon being bombarded by relentless small fireballs?


    The cheeky demons took a few seconds to process the situation before angrily chasing Josh. The roles were reversed.


    Before long there was an army of Imps after Josh. Each repeatedly throwing a fireball over and over. Now this could have be dangerous had they had any kind of coordination whatsoever, but they didn''t. Hell, sometimes they had trouble aiming even when Josh remained still.


    It seemed like their whole kit was designed to annoy rather than kill. Still, 200 fireballs summoned at once did make the ce more lively, hotter too.


    Josh kept dodging. He felt he was just missing a ck leather coat and the slow-motion to create an epic movie.


    Josh had the impression of watching a fireworks show. Except that it was one where his demise was the goal. Josh had yed around enough.


    He charged at them. Of course, they started running around, but there was a difference this time. There were so many of them that every time they looked backward to throw a fireball, they would end up colliding with one another.


    Josh simply appeared right at the right ce at the right time to ever so gently¡­chop their heads off. With a smile, of course, one has to enjoy work whenever possible.


    Josh also tried chopping the tails directly, but soon found it pointless. There was a difference between an Imp Tail and an <Imp Tail> not that Josh knew what it was.


    Before long Josh had cleaned a nice part of the ce from imps. He had also gotten 20 tails already. He felt his luck was good.


    Without further ado, Josh looked for the Boss. A little whileter:


    <Imp Quartermaster Lv12?? >


    When Josh saw it, he couldn''t help butugh. This was so damn ridiculous!

 Chapter 21: Going Viral

    <h4>Chapter 21: Going Viral</h4>


    <Imp Quartermaster Lv12?? >


    This Boss simply looked ridiculous. It was a big and fat imp, asrge as a human being but not as tall. It looked rtively simr to the other imps, but it had an eyepatch and was holding 10 leashes. Leashes that were made with some sort of tendons, looking extremely gross and disgusting.


    If that was all it would have looked rtively intimidating. No, toplete the picture a small imp was attached to every leash.


    It looked like a zed father taking his mischievous kids for a walk with some of those toddler harnesses. The imps were busy grinning, making faces, and conjuring fireballs out of nowhere just to be scolded by the Quartermaster.


    Josh couldn''t help butugh for he was not expecting that at all. This instantly revealed his position prompting the Boss to lock on him. Josh expected it to charge at him, but he was wrong once again.


    The big Imp simply started rotating the leash in the air before releasing it toward Josh, as one would do with a sling. Thus, sending a screaming Imp right at Josh, meanwhile, the others kept releasing fireballs.


    Josh sidestepped watching the imp projectile crash headfirst in the rock-solid floor, losing a few teeth in the process. But instead of giving up it just rose up with its mouthpletely filled with blood before trying to w and bite at Josh. Needless to say, the only thing it bit was Josh''s dagger when it went to its brain.


    This was definitely a peculiar tactic¡­Josh couldn''t help but find it dumb until he looked at the Boss again. It still had 10 leashes and still 10 imps. Somehow a new one had appeared.


    Apparently seeing Josh as a threat, it started throwing imp after imp in a mad volley. Josh couldn''t believe his eyes, but he somehow found this interesting. This was even better than baseball batting practice.


    From time to time the Quartermaster would send him curved balls-eh imps. They wouldnd behind him instead and try to backstab him. The monster seemingly had infinite of these creatures to summon. It would definitely pose a challenge to a weaker party.


    While most parties would have fought packs individually Josh had no qualm about facing many. He even noticed that he was getting XP from them. Maybe they were real imps that were peacefully staying on this Floor? Quite probably.


    Josh couldn''t help but be grateful. Imps tended to run all around the ce but now they were all conveniently flying in the air to impale themselves on his dagger.


    After a few repetitions, the Quartermaster seemed to realize that there was something wrong. It started summoning imps and letting them run at him instead. Josh decisively charged at it and started shing.


    The Boss now realizing that it was in extreme danger reverted to its initial tactic. He threw imps at Josh trying to slow him down. Josh magnanimously slowed down. Thus started another game.


    Josh could see that the Boss seemed to be realizing that there was something wrong with the situation. It seemed puzzled and questioning its life. Not that Josh would care.


    He simply kept farming. All until finally, he had enough <Imp tail>. That is when he ended the Boss. One that had been overall extremely easy to defeat. Perhaps such a boss would have been a nightmare for ranged parties trying to keep their distances only to be swarmed by imps projectiles.


    The boss had dropped something too!


    <F-Rank Imp Earing!>


    Josh couldn''t help but be excited as it was his first essory. Wait, was the dog cor one? Anyway, this one gave 20 Strength.


    Seeing as the Boss wouldn''t respawn before an hour Josh did the only logical thing to do. He napped. The floor was surprisinglyfortable. It emitted a bit of heat. Just the perfect temperature to rx too! It was almost as if the whole ce was a kotatsu!


    Every hour he would wake up to clear the Boss until he had leveled up. Then he decisively left. Farming these items wouldn''t be the most efficient. He figured he should probably go and buy some. He should be receiving a few Credits from that interview deal too.


    Exiting the Tower, carrying a dozen imp trails, Josh heard a BEEP. Looking at his UW, he saw tons of notifications. What the hell?!


    It seemed all to be from messages he had received linked to that one contract for the interview.


    Josh''s face kept changing as he scrolled through it all. From bafflement to enlightenment toughter and finally joy.


    As soon as the video was released many saw it. Then it became viral. The part where Josh talked about the secret Boss of Floor 6 was the highlight. Well, the Boss was known, but only up to level 16. This instantly sparked an intense debate in the onlinemunity.


    Some called Josh a genius and a talent. Others simply called him a fraud looking for attention. Saying that there was no way this could be true and that even if it was there was no way he would have survived to tell the tale.


    Josh even checked the video again and made sure the part about the Boss being dumb hadn''t been edited out. It was still there. This was probably a case of selective hearing where they disregarded the most important info.


    Of course, the idiots ming him online had never verified his "theory" as they called it. They were just bullshiting, well Josh expected that to happen.


    The next messages were about various guilds inviting Josh to join them. It seemed like all wanted to meet with him in a few days to sign a contract. They also all said they were ready to invite him to visit their facilities right now.


    Josh could see right through them.


    If there really was a Level 25 Boss that had been killed by a Level 7 Josh, they wanted him to join them at all costs. The visit was the bait, the dy was to give themselves enough time to verify it all.


    Honestly, Josh couldn''t help but think less of them for it. Not a single one had offered him to sign a contract instantly with great benefits. They were all afraid of losses.


    While it was the smart move as a business, they disregarded the human aspect of it. They had missed the perfect opportunity to make a good impression on Josh.


    Some of the guilds that had invited him included:


    -Draconic


    -Adamantium Wolves


    -Golden Cauldron


    -Magical


    -Titanic Legion


    -Hydra


    -Gemini


    -Power Leveling


    -Era


    -Jade


    -Basilisk


    The list went on. Josh looked up a few of those names. It seemed like most came from A-Rank guilds and some being B-Rank. The only exception was Draconic that was surprisingly S tier. Also, Gemini was there for some reason too.


    The S-Rank Guilds were too proud to think this true. If they had missed the information while climbing it was probably false.


    Meanwhile, many A and B guilds had the desire to recruit an ace and the budget required for it. With the lower-ranked guilds not having anything to offer thus not wasting their time.


    The next message was about how a professional team was going to investigate his ims and prove once and for all that they were the ravings of a madman. They called themselves <MythBusting> which reminded Josh of a cool show on Earth. Maybe this was a parallel universe to the one he knew?


    Afterward, there were a lot of messages saying the guild invitation had been sent by mistake and that they were sorry, to ignore it. Every canction message had been sent very quickly. Sure, so many guilds just happened to send him a message by mistake. A well-crafted one with his name properly spelled in it¡­right.


    Josh knew the reason. Whoever was at the initial recruitment phase had clearly recognised him as the ssless guy.


    Actually, there was still one guild that hadn''t rescinded. Surprisingly it was the only S ss one, Draconic.


    That is when Josh finally reached the veryst message.


    It was from <NewsWorthy> saying 4800 Credits had been deposited into his ount. This was the result of so many guilds and organizations buying the full footage of the interview video. Quite funny considering the said footage waspletely useless.


    Now, Josh couldn''t help but be curious about Draconic. Was it time to pay them an official visit? He already knew where their ce was anyway.

 Chapter 22: Signing with Draconic

    <h4>Chapter 22: Signing with Draconic</h4>


    A huge dragon-shaped building exuding a powerful aura. Josh was as impressed as he first was.


    There were many people, most seemed to be heading to the training rooms via the side corridors. A grey-haired middle-aged man with a warm smile approached.


    "Hello and wee to the Draconic Pce! Is this your first visit?"


    "Hey there, I received a message about a guild interview. I am supposed to meet a guy called Dario could you point me in the right direction?"


    The man quickly confirmed the validity of the message before erupting intoughter.


    "I''m not sure what is more impressive. That you managed to catch his eye or that you ignore who he is! He''s in the Tower right now, but he should being back soon. Would you like to wait for him? How about trying our VR technology in the meantime?"


    "Sure thing."


    While the VR matchmaking seemed problematic it would beat just wasting time. Josh promptly logged in.


    [Wee back to the Draconic Pce!]


    Josh chuckled, if they wanted it to seem Tower-like they had to make it more mischievous. Josh went for some more random fights. The result was as expected. Josh was destroyed over and over again.


    A really cool thing was that this time he had the chance to fight against opponents that didn''t use melee weapons. For instance, there were summoners, mages, archers, there was even one guy that only had a spiked shield. It seemed that Josh had to reevaluate the diversity of Climbers.


    As usual, the opponents were only shadows hence it wasn''t possible to determine their identity at first nce. Well, it was probably possible via the skills they were using, not that Josh could.


    Josh only stopped when a yellow shing icon appeared. It meant that someone IRL wanted to talk to him. Exiting he saw an excited Liam.


    "So you''re going to join us?! This is awesome!"


    "Eh, no idea yet. It depends on what they offer me, to be honest."


    "If they snob you, I''ll beat them up myself! Worst case I''ll keep training until I can! I heard about that Floor 6 Boss! How did you even figure something like that out?!"


    "I simply wanted to see how high level it could go. I was just ying around because I was bored."


    "Anyway, follow me, the Dragon is back! He''ll meet you now!"


    The Dragon? What''s with the imposing name?


    Josh was guided to an elevator. Then Liam waved his UW near a scanner. Words with a selection of floors appeared. He picked the -50 option. Underground, was it?


    As they came out there was a huge cave-like domain. One extremely well-lit. Climbers could be seen walking around in full gear. That wasn''t something you''d see on the surface most of the time.


    Liam, remarking that Josh was still carrying the Imp tails, brought him to sell it all before heading toward the back of the ce. There were big double doors with guess what¡­. dragons on it! As if they were worried about people forgetting who''sir it was haha.


    Barely managing to push the heavy doors, Liam ushered Josh in.


    "I brought him, Boss!"


    Behind avish desk sat a man on a chair facing away from them. Josh couldn''t discern any of his features.


    "You can leave us, Liam."


    The man waited for the sound of the door before speaking again.


    "Do you know why I had youe here?"


    "To practice your mysterious big boss character acting skills?"


    "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Josh, I need to say it has been a long time since someone has been so casual in my presence. Let me try something."


    That is when he started emitting an incredible quantity of mana. Enough to make the very air tremble somehow. He slowly turned around expecting to see Josh crumbling under the pressure. It was always the same for every neer they always¡­.


    But then he stopped suddenly. The so-called Dragon even stopped breathing for a short instant. In front of him was a smiling Josh. He was smiling! It was said that before the Dragon all cowered without exception, even the strongest of rankers.


    Yet there he was. A man that had barely begun to climb the Tower. His back was straight, his knees didn''t show a sign of giving up, he was calm and steady and most importantly intently looking directly at him.


    "Y-you, how are you doing that?"


    "Doing what?" This question perplexed Josh. He was just standing... He literally wasn''t doing anything.


    "N-never mind. I heard about your situation. To be honest, I''m ready to bet no other guild is ready to take you in. I''m inviting you to join us. We''ll give you preferential treatment, as much as Liam. Also, we''ll help you acquire a ss. Most don''t know this but there are rare items in the Tower that allow one to get a new ss. What do you say?"


    "So me joining is rted to me getting a ss?"


    "No, we''ll ept you now and help you get a ss. I get the feeling someone with your mental fortitude will go far no matter what. You may never reach your full potential because you''ll have missed a few skills from early leveling but it won''t be a big loss. What do you think?"


    The Dragon couldn''t help but grin knowing he was about to gain a strong addition to his guild. One that everyone had the foolishness to ignore. He would groom him personally and amaze the world with-


    "I refuse."


    These words stunned the Dragon. What?! Why would he?!


    "I won''t pick a ss, no matter what. I am myself and that will be all. My ss IS Josh Malum. Thanks for the offer, however."


    For Josh, the choice wasn''t hard to make. He would remain true to himself no matter what. Good thing this was a private meeting. How many would have died from jealousy had they known?


    There was a saying that managing to join an S rank guild instantly meant reaching the top. It was an objective truth: Wealth beyond beliefs. Fame so high it beat any idol ever. Status, as influential as the best connected of politicians... and power. Oh, especially power. The truest kind of power there was.


    Bing an S-ss ranker was everyone''s dream. Here Josh was rejecting it. With a straight face. He wasn''t showing any kind of reluctance either. He was showing aposure even the Dragon himself couldn''t fathom.


    The man couldn''t help but see Josh in a different light. He could reject the dream of pretty much everyone out there!


    "Josh, tell me. What is your goal in the Tower?"


    Josh didn''t even hesitate. He instantly and simply answered:


    "I am reaching the top and getting that wish."


    The dragon couldn''t help but suck in a breath. "What if you aren''t able to? What if you are not strong enough?"


    "Then I''ll train."


    "What if your potential itself turns out to becking?"


    "Then I''ll just brute-force it with effort."


    "What if your efforts don''t pay off?"


    "Then I''ll find an alternative."


    "What if there are no alternatives?"


    "Hahahahahahaha."


    Josh simply startedughing like a madman. Making the Dragon himself be uneasy.


    "I may be a neer but even I know of the Dimensional Tower. One that connects the many worlds. Even if we as humans are frail, weak, and ignorant¡­. there is bound to be an answer out there, don''t you think?"


    The Dragon was leading an S-ss guild and yet he himself didn''t dare set his sight on the other worlds. They already had their hands full with the Tower itself. There were so many things they ignored. Josh was quite possibly crazy. No, indubitably so.


    "Thanks for receiving me today. I have to agree it felt good, you didn''t look down on me haha." Josh then turned tail preparing to leave.


    That is when the Dragon had a crazy idea. One that he was sure would make his guild leader position rocky at the next meeting. But his instincts were screaming at him that he had to do this.


    Unlike many others out there, he was and had always been a warrior. When he decided on something he would rush headfirst into it, without hesitating! He would deal with the consequencester.


    "Josh, wait here for me, I''ll be right back!"


    He was leaving him in his office just like that? Josh was bored so he started inspecting the interior. The Dragon seemed to have been the instructor at a dojo before the Tower. He had medals and framed journal articles in a corner of the room. Subtle enough that it was mostly hidden if one wasn''t sitting at the desk.


    Josh could rte to such a character. No desire to particrly show off, but pride and fondness for the past. Well, that was a particrity of humans. After all, animals always were mostly concerned about the present. Only dumb humans really cared so much about the past and future. But Josh would never run away from such a nature.


    That is when the man came back. He was carrying a few sheets of paper while grinning.


    "Here, Josh. Sign this!"


    Josh sat down at the desk and started going over each line carefully. The more he did read and the more he started wondering if this was a fake.


    "T-this?! What is this?!"


    "A contract! Between the Draconic Guild and you!"


    Josh now instead started wondering if the man was having a stroke or a sudden bout of craziness. Josh finally finished browsing through it. This whole contract was surreal.


    "Why?"


    "Gut feeling, somehow I feel like it won''t be a loss for us."


    "HAHAHA Fine! I like your style!" Josh happily signed his name and even stamped his blood on it. From now on he had a rtionship with the Draconic guild.


    "Alright! You can ask Liam to guide you around the ce! I''ll bring this to the board meeting; these suit guys will be so pissed hahaha!"


    Josh couldn''t help but nod while smiling. This was bound to create LOTS of waves. After all, it wasn''t a guild membership contract that he had signed.


    No, it was something way crazier. It was a contract between Josh as an individual and the entirety of Draconic. Dragonic, one of the strongest S-Rank guilds, now had an alliance with Josh...as equals.

 Chapter 23: Guild Chat

    <h4>Chapter 23: Guild Chat</h4>


    As they both exited the room, the Dragon hollered Liam that was nearby.


    "You show him the guild facilities! I need to go and share the content of the contract with the higher-ups."


    "Yes, Boss!" He approached with a young man. The one that was in the VR room the other day. "Wee, Josh! By the way, this guy is Luca. He''s pretty weak but he''s a good guy!"


    "What kind of way is that to introduce me! You barely won a few times over me! Also, I have a better Pce ranking than most! *Sigh* Anyway, pleasure meeting you Josh. If you have any questions, you can ask me.", Lucas seemed friendly.


    "Thanks, guys. Right, what benefits does this ce give exactly?"


    "It depends on your rank in the guild. In order, there are bronze, iron, gold, and white gold. It goes up the more you contribute to the guild. For instance, white gold can even do stuff like borrow gear without even a deposit. But as a neer, you mostly save the 5%mission on sales and also get free ess to the VR training.", Liam patiently exined.


    "Oh? Is there only VR training? I''ve found it to be hard to actually learn in there."


    Lucas chipped in "Wait! I remember, you were the one with that really bad Pce score, right? Let me check again, JustBuyingSoySauce, right? ¡­How the hell do you have a 10%-win rate only?!"


    Josh rubbed his head in embarrassment. "I''m getting outssed is all."


    Liam was simply looking at Josh with a smile. He could guess what had happened.


    "Right, how is ess level even verified?" Josh inquired.


    "Follow me!" Liam guided them to a small machine that looked like¡­. a white rectangle sticking out of the wall.


    "Scan your UW there and it will install our guild''s app on your UW. It can only be installed here since your whole body is scanned to verify your identity. Also, it will automatically uninstall itself should you bepromised, for example getting kidnapped. In such a case it would send us a distress signal. Of course, none of this works in the Tower either."


    "Full body scan?"


    "Don''t worry about it. Since the moment you entered the building, you''ve been scanned. The only reason you could even take the elevator with me was that you were given temporary clearance since you were meeting the guild leader."


    Josh approached his hand until he heard a BEEP. Looking at the screen he couldn''t but smile. The app contained a few functions:


    -Guild messaging (Basic function)


    -Party Searching (Request for helpers to clear a Floor)


    -Personal information (ess rank for instance)


    -Official guild guides (With a warning about iplete information)


    -Draconic Pce section (Ranking and sharing personal videos)


    -Official Comints (With a warning not to abuse this feature)


    Josh had to pick a username. This time, he went for his real name since he figured this was a privatework.


    "So, Liam. Where does one go to borrow equipment?"


    Liam gave a disbelieving expression while Lucas scoffed about how a bronze like Josh would only get a discount.


    Before long, they reached a counter where a bored-lookingdy was sitting. She seemed the lean muscr type. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail for ease of movement. She was wearing sportswear. She was simply idling watching videos on her UW. It seemed to be some kind of monster analysis rendered with 3D models.


    "Hey big sis, we are here to get gear for my friend!" Liam greeted.


    "Go away, I''m busy.", she grumbled.


    Liam couldn''t help but give a helpless look.


    Josh figured he may as well deal with this himself. "Hey there, I''m here to borrow gear."


    To which she didn''t even bother replying.


    BEEP. Josh checked his UW, it was a message from the nearby Liam: That''s Kasha, one of the best scouts in the guild. This is probably some sort of punishment we should leave and not antagonize her. Your call anyway haha ^_^v


    "Kasha, right? I''d like to borrow some gear please."


    "Can''t you see I''m busy, dumbass! Don''t you have eyes?! Can''t you see how pretty I am?! You should call me gorgeous sis Kasha at the very least! Now, go roll somewhere else!"


    Yep, an annoying girl for sure. Josh fixed her intently. "If I have eyes? Slim, white-skin, nice looking face, perky medium-sized breasts, but definitely a wild aura. Pretty? Sure, I''ll admit. Still, what''s the use if the personality is bad?"


    BEEP BEEP BEEP!


    -Liam the Ultimate Samurai: Brother! Are you trying to die?! This is crazy!


    -Lucas the Lancer: I kinda wanna see where this is going. *Insert coffin dance*


    And in the guild chat¡­


    -Lucas the Lancer: @Everyone this neer @Josh is spicy as hell! He just told Kasha to her face that she had a bad personality, oh but he didpliment her breasts.


    -Healer Ronan: Even I won''t be able to save him.


    -Just Damien: Please! Your specialty is killing! But yeah, he''s dead hahaha!


    -Dragon Daddy: Human interactions are hard *Sigh* But even I know better. RIP.


    - Serene Brings the Heat: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


    -Liam the Ultimate Samurai: This is a serious matter guys! Also Kasha''s in this chat! Are you trying to have him die without aplete corpse?! @Lucas the Lancer


    -Lily of the Frontline: Well, he just wants to see the world burn as usual.


    -Friendly Terry: I could try and save him¡­


    -Usain Dash: I''m sure you can save him, but you''d kill a dozen in the process. How about no?


    -Gorgeous Kasha: I''m going to murder this prick.


    -Peaceful Joe: I have only one thing to say ¡­F


    -AIYA: F


    -Minor, no Flirting: F


    -Emsee Hammer: F


    """On Josh''s screen appeared a series of F announcing his impending doom. Apparently, everyone wanted to get in on the message chain. How bored were they? Then again, a neer probably wasn''t joining that often.


    -Josh MF Malum: Hey @Everyone. A pleasure to meet you all! ^_^/


    -Lily of the Frontline: Nice to meet you too! Hope you don''t die! You probably will, however.


    -Just Damien: Don''t worry neer, I''ll put flowers on your tombstone!


    -AIYA: HAHAHAHA I love the username! It is straightforward for sure! Well, try to survive!


    -Lucas the Lancer: Josh?! How the hell are you here?! This is the gold rank only chat!!! Right?! Yeah, it is! You joined like 5 minutes ago!!!! Even that monster Liam just made it in yesterday!!


    -Everyone: ¡­.?!? 0_0


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle at these guys'' antics. They didn''t seem professional at all, but that didn''t matter to him. He had seen Liam''s attitude. yful, but extremely serious once it came to fighting. That is the feeling he was getting from all of them.


    On the other side of the counter, Kasha''s face was turning darker and darker. She had seen most of the notifications all until the F spam. Then she gave a forced and ominous smile.


    "Now, neer. How do you wish to die? You sure have guts, eh!"


    "What? You asked me if I had eyes and if I could see how pretty you were. I simply answered. Anyway, I want to borrow gear. Will you help me or¡­?"


    "Or what?! Are you trying to threaten me?! Do you think I''m just some lowly salesgirl?! Is that what you think?! Hahahaha."


    "Of course not! A salesgirl would be way more useful than you!"


    In the background, Lucas kept looking between his UW and Josh while Liam was heavily gesturing to stop.


    "Y-you you!"


    "Me? Name''s Josh by the way."


    "Fine! I''m going to get you kicked out of the guild! We''ll see how cheeky you can be afterward!"


    Liam intervened! "How about we all calm down and¡­ Sis, what are you doing, right now? Are you filling an officialint?! Please stop! You were both at fault here!"


    "Kid let''s see how you deal with this hahaha!"


    Josh couldn''t be bothered to reply. He was busy filling aint form of his own.


    "Name, Kasha. Comint, not doing her job even after multiple requests. Send!"


    "You prick! Did you send aint about me?! HAHAHA We''ll see who gets punished hahaha!"


    -Lucas the Lancer: Holy shit! It''s going down! They both filed officialints! You guys wanna bet on what will happen?


    -Dragon Daddy: Please the result is obvious.


    -Peaceful Joe: That Neer is gonna be fine, right? Otherwise, I''ll do a peaceful protest!


    -AIYA: Please don''t! Thest time you did a "peaceful protest" we had to repair half the guild!


    After about a minute there was finally a notification appearing. Right in the gold rank chat.


    -Dario the Dragon: @Gorgeous Kasha is now demoted to iron rank. Reason: refusal to aplish her given tasks and insubordination.


    #Georgous Kasha has been kicked from this chat.


    -AIYA: What the hell?! Wait¡­insubordination?!


    -Lucas the Lancer: @Josh MF Malum Are you the Dragon''s illegitimate son?! You are, right?!


    -Liam the Ultimate Samurai: Nope, he was summoned with me!


    -Serene Brings the Heat: @Josh MF Malum spill the beans! How did you do that?!


    -Josh MF Malum: Oh. Apparently, it''s a perk of white gold rank. Pretty neat.


    That is when reverberated across the entire guild sonorous shouts "What the Fuck!?!!" The top echelons of the Draconic guild sure had powerful voices.


    It wasn''t that bad for the ones in the guild hall. It was pretty awkward for the ones in public spaces. Especially for a certain man that called himself Aiya.


    He was on a date with an amazing woman, a ranker from Eclipse. One as pretty as the Moon itself (or so the polls said). He couldn''t help but think that just sitting next to her made even eating soup awesome.


    He was yfully telling her about the drama in the guild, about a neer that had angered Kasha. That is when he saw thest message from Josh.


    *SPURT! *


    Her pretty face got drenched in carrot soup¡­This date was officially over. She left angrily even as he was trying to apologize.


    But seriously, what the hell was happening at the guild?!

 Chapter 24: Desiring Power!

    <h4>Chapter 24: Desiring Power!</h4>


    A suddenmotion broke out instantly at the Draconic headquarter. One that puzzled the general members grandly. All the core members had suddenly erupted in shouts after seeing something on their UW. Yes, all of these veterans that had seen much of the Tower and the world¡­were now freaking out!


    Yet, no one had an inkling of what was happening, at all. People instantly started fearing for the worst. Some hurriedly checked the news, others the forums, with some even asking their friends. There was no answer to be found.


    Some even mustered their courage and asked these elites directly. It was in vain for the Dragon had called a gag order already. For starters, the man hadn''t even announced the news to the shareholders. He was actually in the process of scheduling a meeting, one that he insisted be in person.


    Meanwhile, Josh was face to face with a crumbling Kasha. She was grasping her hair and rubbing her eyes wondering what was wrong with the world, wondering how the hell a neer had more influence than her! HER the ace scout of Draconic! The neer somehow had white gold clearance?! How?!


    "Y-you! Who the Hell are you?!"


    "Josh, Josh Malum. Anyway, I''d like to borrow some gear."


    "Don''t just change the topic! You can''t just gloss over something that huge!!"


    Josh simply smiled at her without answering. More urately that in itself was his answer.


    Kasha simply gritted her teeth: "Sure, what''s your current Climber Rank?"


    "Eh, I don''t know. Is that supposed to be in the status screen?", this confused Josh.


    "Judging by yourck of knowledge, you are probably a First rank Climber aka you haven''t beaten Floor 25 yet. What level are you?", she was scowling at him.


    "Level 8, currently."


    "Alright, anything above Rank E would tax your body too much. Here is the avable selection."


    Josh looked over carefully without being able to make head or tail of what he was seeing. There were a lot of items avable. Not sure what to pick, he used the secret tactic called: ask a colleague! "Liam! Help me choose gear, please! I need a sword too!"


    "Strength and agility based as a typical swordsman?"


    "Indeed!"


    His friend enthusiastically started choosing. Before long an angry Kasha was forced to head to storage to bring all of it. The whole set was worth a lot and was rendering even the experienced scout jealous, not because of the items themselves but because it was free stuff, and everyone loves free stuff!


    Josh''s new items were so numerous that his entire UW screen got filled up with the details of the transaction (borrowing):


    <Rank E ¨C Spider Leg>:


    -Sharp


    <Rank E ¨C Ratskin Boots>:


    -Agility +40


    <Rank E ¨C Gnoll Chest>:


    -Defense +4


    <Rank E ¨C Ghoul Greaves>:


    -Magic Resist +4


    <Rank E ¨C Nightmare Cloak>:


    -Agility +20, HP +100, Mana +100


    <Rank E ¨C Feather Helm>:


    -Defense +2, Magic Resist +2


    <Rank E ¨C Orc Bracers>:


    -Strength +40


    <Rank E ¨C Chitin Gloves>:


    -Strength +20, Agility +20


    <Rank E ¨C Dryad Ne>:


    -HP Regen F


    <Rank E ¨C Shroom Ring x4>:


    -Mana +400


    -Strength +10, mana +300


    -Agility +20, mana +200


    -Agility +10, Mana +300


    <Rank F ¨C Imp Earring x2>:


    -Strength +20


    Liam grinned at him: "This shouldst you a long time. With this, you will literally be going from 0 to hero in a second. You''ll fill all your inventory slots! Try it on!"


    Josh quickly tapped every item selecting to equip it. Of course, he had to unequip his current gear, leaving it to Kasha directly (keeping his secret ring). She found it unbearable especially when she had to deal with the smelly Zombie Cloak.


    How does it feel to equip all kinds of powerful magical items at one time? Magical!


    With every item added Josh could feel his power directly increase. For stuff like mana, hp, and resistances it was a more subtle feeling but it was nice, nheless. He couldn''t help but check his status with everything added:


    [Status!]


    Josh Malum Lv8


    #STATS# (16)


    HP: 800+100


    Mana:800 +1100


    Magic Ability:80+20


    Strength:160+110


    Agility:160+110


    Defense:8+6


    Magic Resist:8+6


    #SKILLS# (16)


    -E Weapon Mastery


    The awesome gear was pretty much doubling his stats. He felt like he was at the top of the world, that he could do absolutely anything! The euphory brought by such a fast increase was immense! Most would have described the feeling as better than winning the lottery, better than getting the most beautiful woman falling for you, better than any drug-induced high!


    Josh started slowly walking, it proved difficult, as in he was using more strength than intended. He understood why. In the Tower, the process had been extremely fast but every Floor (or almost) he had fought, and that had exponentially quickened the whole adaption process.


    But soon afterward Josh''s body somehow became ustomed to it. That is when he felt a deep and primal call from his soul. A raw desire for power, onepletely illogical and purposeless! It came over him suddenly, but a secondter Josh had retaken control.


    That wasn''t who he was. He was Josh Malum, calm and steady. Quite insane ording to most people, but not one to be affected by such things. He shivered slightly, realizing that for a second, he had lost himself, promising himself to be careful in the future.


    Lucas couldn''t help but exim incredulously: "Josh! How the Hell are you so calm?! Didn''t you just double your stats at the very least?! It took me a whole day to calm down the first time I got a few items only! Same for Liam! How?! You just equipped a full set!"


    "No, haha. I lost myself there. Just that I came over it is all.", Josh admitted.


    "Friend, if that is you losing yourself¡­then you could be losing yourself 24/7 and no one would notice!", Liam chuckled.


    "Guys! Guys! Check your UW! Serene and Ronan are about to duke it out! They were arguing in chat about how a certain someone had gotten his guild rank. Hurry up! Better not miss it!", Lucas excitedly called, before running off.


    Liam helplessly shook his head before following with Josh in tow. Judging by how hyper he sounded these guys were probably bigshots. The kind that Josh needed to learn from for sure!


    Before long they arrived before a huge screen set-up on the wall of a spacious room. Lucas could be seen pushing his way forward in his excitement.


    Liam turned to Josh: "The reason their duels are so popr is that they allow anyone to watch and don''t use the usual VR blurring either. It is extremely enlightening, to say the least. Alright, it seems to be starting."


    On the screen appeared two people. Ady with red ming clothing and the hair to go with it. Her long hair was flowing all the way to her back, a fashion choice that Josh couldn''t help but think was peculiar for a fight.


    Her opponent was a steady-looking man with sharp features. He looked mature and pleasing to the eye. He was wearing a white standard healer robe but cut at the bottom to allow easy movements. In his hands was a sturdy-looking staff. He was the only one with a weapon.


    They started exchanging pleasantries:


    "I''m gonna fuck you up so bad even your mother won''t recognize you!"


    "I''ll take your staff and shove it so deep up your ass it will exit from your mouth in ce of the shit you''ve been spewing!"


    "Even with a staff up my ass to the brim I''d still be able to wipe the floor with you!"


    "Please, it''s doubtful if you can even wipe your own ass!"


    "Screw you bitch!"


    "Screw you too!"


    Josh couldn''t help but ask the nearby Liam: "They often do this?"


    Liam showed an expression that clearly meant: always.


    It''s only after a solid 10 minutes of insult that they started fighting. Without any warning.


    *DASH*


    They both charged! The Serenedy away, the Healer Ronan guy in. At her heels, Josh noticed wheels of mes obviously boosting her speed. Behind her back were translucid half wings of fire. Meanwhile, a fireball was growing by the instant in her hand. The sheer quantity of mana that she was allocating could be seen.


    Josh figured that was a feature of VR technology. Before long sheunched her spell at Ronan. But instead of being a simple small fireball what came out of it was a Fire Shower, one sorge it quickly filled the entire arena! Josh wouldn''t have been able to dodge it for sure! An extremely powerful and close to unavoidable spell!


    How was a healer supposed to cope with that?! The answer was both simple and insane. He didn''t avoid it. He couldn''t so he simply charged right in headfirst! The man''s skin was getting burned, then melted, before long it was the turn of the flesh underneath. The insane heat was ruthless and unforgiving.


    Yet the man kept running, something that shouldn''t have been possible. Ah! He was healing himself during the process. He finally managed to reach the other side, right next to thedy.


    Except that she simply ran away as fast as the wind, a ming deadly wind in this case. One that kept throwing fiery attacks one after the other. She was true to her nickname, for she was bringing the heat!


    She scoffed: "No matter how many times you try you won''t win. You''ve been screwed ever since I''ve managed to learn this mobility technique haha! Serene number one! Deal with it!"


    "That is to be seen."


    Josh could see a shadow of a smile on the man''s face. That is when something epic happened! He somehow gathered mana in his legs, then he teleported! He had rushed at her so fast it produced such an effect!!


    "What?!", was thest thing she uttered before a stick as heavy as her previous taunts mmed her right in the face. It quickly reduced her whole head to a bloody mush tainting both the wooden weapon and the previously white healer clothe bloody red.


    Then the man fell, both legs destroyed. This exined his sudden burst of speed! He had used a self-damaging technique! Had she avoided that one attacked she would have won for sure! But it was toote for regrets, well at least the fight had happened in VR only.


    Amidst everyone''s cheering, Josh realized how weak he waspared to them. Power would be needed for him to attain his goal, more power than these guys even had shown.


    Thus, Josh simply turned around.


    "Josh! Where are you going?!"


    "The Tower, I''ll be testing all this new equipment!"


    "Geez, you''re even more of a climbing addict than Liam!" Lucas remarked.


    Not that Josh cared. He was already gone.

 Chapter 25: Floor 8: Ultimate Skill!

    <h4>Chapter 25: Floor 8: Ultimate Skill!</h4>


    [Wee to Floor 8! Mission: Collect Rare y Core]


    This new Floor was pretty deste. There was the ground and the sky. Nothing else. The earth was a vibrant brown yet nothing at all grew on it. Josh figured it would probably be a repeat of the Zombie Floor with enemies underground.


    He had only walked a few meters that 5 enemies suddenly popped out of the soil!


    <y Golem Lv 8>


    Each had a roughly humanoid shape, one made of y. They were a few meters tall and big. On the face of every one of them, there was a red crystal of some kind. Inside of it, there was a small light flickering. Was this its power source?


    Dashing, Josh took his new sword out and plunged it straight into the target sending crystal fragments all over the ce. Yet the creature didn''t stop moving and simply mmed its arms as big as logs downward, producing a shockwave.


    They seemed to be resistant and powerful, but rtively slow. Josh was confident in defeating them easily especially with his new gear. His new sword even had the sharpness attribute that made it easier to cut through.


    Josh retreated. Meanwhile, the golem was¡­foraging? It proceeded to dig the earth until it managed to uncover another red crystal, then it simply pressed it against its face area. Wow! Was the crystal even necessary? Perhaps it was nothing but a fashion choice? How crazy would that be?!


    Josh navigated in between them, shattering one crystal after the other. Then he watched. All the golems proceeded to start foraging too. Josh started stabbing one repeatedly until he finally heard a cracking sound.


    Approaching its victim, Josh noticed a red shard now sticking out of its chest. As soon as this happened the golem slowly stopped moving. Before long it was falling to the ground with its body merging again with the soil.


    Oh! It seemed like the creatures were powered by these crystals indeed! They simply had more than one. Now, how to find the target?


    Josh estimated where it would be located on the others, then he struck! Without any result. It took him a few minutes to dispatch all the golems. Each of their core was at a different emcement inside.


    Josh figured out that destroying the internal core without touching the external one would send them into a panic where they would dive into the ground and only reappear a good 30 secondster as good as new.


    The best tactic was obviously to hit the face, then target their weak spot afterward. For once Josh didn''t go crazy with pulling them. Simply because a hit-and-run tactic was much harder.


    Before long some y cores dropped. It seemed to be a crafting material. It was peculiar for sure, why were there so many crafting materials if one could simply drop equipment in the Tower directly? Apparently, it was more usefulter on for Floors that required more preparation.


    For once, this Floor was definitely PG-13. No gore to be seen whatsoever, only bits of hardened y and crystal shards. Also no sign of any rare core. It was probably in possession of the Boss, right? That was the issue, however.


    No matter how Josh looked there didn''t seem to be any to be found. Thus he kept looking while ying more enemies. Until finally he found something. It was a small old-looking stone pir that was sticking out like a sore thumb.


    On top of it was a spheric hollow part. One that was perfect to put a y core. Scouting the surrounding area, Josh managed to find 3 more in a square formation. As soon as all the slots were filled came a prompt.


    [Optional mission: Don''t Die!]


    "Optional? Optional my ass!" Not that the Tower system would reply.


    A mass of y slowly rose from the ground. A big one at least 10 meters tall, except that it looked as if it wasn''t even done hardening. It had about 10 crystals all over its body.


    <Ancient y Golem Prototype Lv 13?? >


    Josh approached it carefully. The creature started swiping left and right at ground level. Josh evaded every hit by jumping above,nding on the creature''s arm. Except that something wasn''t right. Its y was hardening around Josh''s foot. He quickly gave up attacking and destroyed his prison before retreating, narrowly dodging a p.


    This would prove tricky. Contact with its body wasn''t possible directly. Yet Josh needed to destroy multiple targets, some at a height that would require him to jump. He shed at the creature opening its arm wide, but it quickly filled itself with mud before he could even celebrate.


    He would have to somehow dig the cores away from¡­ Wait...! There may be a fun and easy way to deal with this. Josh led the Boss farther from the square area. The creature didn''t seem restricted in any case.


    Before long, Josh came across what he was looking for, a pack of 5 golems! But he didn''t stop just yet. He kept going until he had 20 of them at his heels, plus the big one.


    Only then did her turn back. He waited until the Boss was nearby a small golem before decisively destroying the small one''s face!


    That made the target start looking for a core to rece the one it had lost. It just happened that there was one right next to it. Without even bothering about the consequences it simply grabbed one off the Boss! Of course, the big guy didn''t take too well to it. Destroying the offender swiftly.


    The little one had given its life for the cause! Both its new stolen core and its main one had been utterly reduced to dust.


    "Let us take a moment to remember y Golem A''s sacrifice, amen! Now, my golem army! Time to destroy this giant!" Joshughingly announced while dodging all the attacks, repeating the same process as before another minion valiantly gave its life. So what if there are enemies everywhere? Pit them one against another!


    Before long the 10 cores were gone. That is when the Boss started trembling all over. Josh decisively charged at it, shing its lower body. It may have been the only part he could reach but that was enough to bait a minion in the gaping hole. Josh then watched as it wed its way inside looking for a core.


    Whatever the Boss was doing it was busy so Josh used the opportunity to repeat the earlier process. Before long there were 5 golems swimming in there, somehow.


    That is when it happened! A feeling of uneasiness. Quickly running away Josh finally understood what was happening. The monster had been gathering and condensing y. That is when he released it all at once.


    That sent both a shockwave and projectiles all over the ce. The safest seemed to be the air! Josh jumped before using his sword to cleave apart everythinging his way, or at he tried to. Long mud skewers made their way through his body.


    Josh had managed to protect his vitals but that was it. He had fallen. On the ground, Josh inspected his surroundings.


    In the distance, the Boss was falling. Of the small golems, only one remained. All the others had died to the shockwave. Said golem was now slowly approaching him, one step at a time.


    Before long the soulless creature stood right above Josh. Then it stomped on him violently. Stomp that Josh barely evaded before pushing his sword through the creature''s body, hoping for the best. After a few strikes that took all of Josh''s remaining energy, it stopped moving.


    Had he been unlucky with a few more strikes he would have perhaps needed to use his ring to save himself. This would have been a huge waste.


    Thusid Josh unmoving on the ground, bleeding. He could somehow feel his ne slowly healing him, very very slowly. Still, thatbined with a Climber''s vitality would let him survive.


    Josh could barely move and yet he still had 300 HP / 900 HP left. This proved his theory that HP wasn''t as simple as reach 0 and you die, it wasn''t a game. The good news was that there was no monster spawning nearby.


    Josh took the time to rest all the while thinking about his options. There were a few ways to kill that Boss.


    One could kill it before it finished channeling its ultimate attack. That would be a straight DPS check from Josh''s knowledge.


    Another option was to forcefully take on the attack. Josh remembered about the Vanguard role. Someone would probably Tank it in a party.


    Last but not least one could simply run. The attack was very wide but not impossible to escape at all.


    Josh figured his best option would probably be to run, but he wouldn''t settle for only that. No, Josh went and got himself 4 more normal cores and some more creeps before summoning the Boss again.


    He did the exact same steps he had done before except for a tiny difference. This time when the Boss did his strongest attack, he went to the very edge of its range. Then he started hacking the projectiles with his sword.


    Of course, Josh got injured in the process, but this time it was all superficial. It also turned out that the creature kept using this one attack over and over until it died.


    Josh simply let it be. For 5 whole days, Josh remained there ying with that one boss until he finally managed to reach a point where he could defend from that one skill using only his sword.


    Anyone would have celebrated and would have been ecstatic, but for Josh it wasn''t enough. Then he started training again, this time to be able to kill the Boss directly and fast enough. His goal was to aplish something that usually took entire parties.


    At first, Josh was taking too long and only relying on his blocking skills to finish the fight. Because of the difficulty, it took him a while, but Josh finally managed to seed.


    He found the trick. Just relying on the small golems wasn''t enough. He had to help them by shattering a few cores himself too. He had obtained a rare y core, a few armguards, and leveled up in the process.


    Exiting the Tower, he quickly looked at the forums trying to figure out if he had missed any clear strategy at all. He soon found an answer¡­.


    -Tower Strategist: "Floor 8''s Boss? Easy, skip it! There is no strategy for it haha. Just kill the small ones until they drop the mission objective and GG!"


    "..." Josh couldn''t help but facepalm. Seriously these experts were unreliable!


    Suddenly, an intense growling sound came to disturb Josh''s search!


    What was that?!

 Chapter 26: First Coming of Gluttony

    <h4>Chapter 26: First Coming of Gluttony</h4>


    Suddenly, an intense growling sound came to disturb Josh''s search! All the passersby turned around warily with one even summoning a battle-axe and taking a fighting stance.


    That is when a small alert sound was heard with a U-boting out from who knows where. "Warning, fighting intent detected! Warning! Please cease! The ck Squad has already been notified!"


    "Wait no! I didn''t mean anything by that! There was a menacing sound!" The man dropped his axe instantly without even trying to contest it. He looked pleadingly at the robot. Even when it gave him a ticket for public disturbance, he didn''t contest it one bit.


    What was that sound that had sent the entire street in a small frenzy? The rumbling of Josh''s stomach. For some reason he was famished.


    That is when the man noticed him,ing closer. "You! I swear that stomach of yours sounds more menacing than half the beasts in the Tower! How starved are you?!"


    "Very, I''ve been training hard thest few days. On that note, I really need to get going."


    "Wait! Are you going to the G district to eat? Yes? Follow me! I know the perfect ce for your current situation!"


    Josh simply followed the man while examining him. He was dressed casually in sportswear; he was muscr and had a dragon tattoo that seemed to be going from his neck to his back. He had many scars too.


    Then man guided Josh to shop with a statue of a menacing yet goofy-looking serpent, maw opened wide seemingly trying to devour anyoneing into the ce. <Gluttonous Scaly> was the sign by the door.


    "This ce is the best in the city when ites to satiating one''s hunger! There has never been anyone going hungry here." He proudly bragged.


    The interior was more spacious than it first seemed on the outside. There were only a few tables set up. Before long, someone with possibly the ugliest employee shirt of all time came to attend to them. There were two options avable, either to participate or to watch with both having fees.


    "He''s going to be a contestant today! Oh also, ce my bets on him!" He gave an encouraging nce to Josh before exining further. "Wee to the most exclusive eatingpetition there is! Here legends are made!"


    "Exclusive? We just went through the front door¡­"


    "For sure! But that''s only because I have a membership identity on my UW! Otherwise, we would have been blocked by countless powerful Climbers already! They would havee from everywhere and beaten our ass!"


    Looking around there were no bodyguards to even be seen¡­So much for that threat. Well, if anything this was a sort of exclusive since it required a UW in the first ce.


    "So how does it work here exactly?"


    "Well, you see these tables in the middle? You want to go sit at one. Then when there are enough contestants, 20 total, it will begin. Alright, good luck."


    Josh made his way toward a corner table. Next to him was a fat man sitting. His chair was clearly having issues supporting his weight. He looked at Josh with a big smile. "Hey there, it is your first time here right?"


    "Yes, that obvious?" What gave him away this time around? Josh was confident he hadn''t shown any expression of surprise and that the man hadn''t heard their conversation either.


    "You can call me Fat Tony, you may not know me yet, but you will. I''m always here haha. People always tell me I am the unofficial mascot of this ce. I made a deal with the owner here. I always eat for free. In exchange, I make this ce livelier and usher in the neers. Good deal ain''t it?"


    "Tell me, Tony, when can we eat? Let''s just say I''ve been fighting for a while and I''m all out of fuel."


    "Fat Tony!", he corrected him. "Hard to say, right now there are 10 of us. There is Big Joe, Slim Joe, NomNomGeddon, Hungry Man, ThisIsMyCheatDayDontJudgeMe, One Bite Man, Big Mama, and Dn. Fuck Dn, that guy is the worst!"


    "So, what''s up with all the nicknames? Also why the hate toward¡­"


    "Toward Dn? Everyone hates him. He''s the kind of prick to juste here to show off and ridicule us. The participation costs 50 Credits yet he always eats a single bite, says how horrible it tastes then proceeds to mock us while streaming. Apparently, he tried joining <Impish> but even these prank-loving maniacs know to stay away from that asshole!"


    Drama could always be found it seems. Even a regr eating contest had some.


    "Oh yeah, you didn''t pick a nickname yet? Let''s get that fixed! Let me see your UW, you''ll want to add this ce''s membership app." He directed Josh. Surprisingly, the app was rtively hidden on the web.


    "Now, you want to pick something either very silly or very epic. This will boost your gains. There is betting going on in the background. You want people to bet on you! You''ll receive a very small percentage of the benefits." He continued.


    "Wait, so how does this work exactly? Are contestants aiming for the win or for poprity?"


    "Both really, for direct money you need to be in the top 5 at least, but still many people here get contracts to appear in events for food producers. They know we''ll put anything in our mouths and praise it to the moon shamelessly."


    This was getting soplicated. Josh simply wanted to eat. But he was already here so he may as well try.


    Thus he simply keyed in as a nickname <The First Coming of Gluttony>. Josh couldn''t help but chuckle knowing he''d probably be one of the first to drop but would have one of the most powerful sounding nicknames in the group.


    That is when amotion started. From the entrance came thundering cheers. This was puzzling, it almost seemed as if an idol was passing through. Actually, no. This was definitely one. A cute and smalldy was making her way through. On her way, she was waving and sometimes doing a small pose before resuming her pace.


    "Oh damn! Never mind neer. This contest is starting right the fuck now! Whenever she joins every other spot gets filled instantly. Hell whenever she is there, management even increases the price from 50 Credits to 200 for joining yet all the spots get taken instantly. At the end of everypetition, there is a picture with all contestants. That''s why people are so excited!" Tony eximed.


    "So, she''s popr?"


    "Wait?! You don''t know who that is?! She''s the Devouring Princess! You know the one with that weirdly powerful Gourmet ss! She''s a bigshot ranker from Eclipse! She used to be a singer idol before this! Well, she still performs from time to time just less."


    "Anyway, I''m d. As long as I get to eat." Josh replied uninterested. All his starving self could think about was food. Tony gave him an impressed nce seeing his dedication to thispetition.


    Before long a referee exined the rules. Every dish given would be random but they would be as filling as the others. Every time they finished a dish, they could signal an employee to bring them another one. Anyone wasting food would be instantly disqualified. Order it, eat it was their motto.


    Thus it started. A big steak was Josh''s first item. As soon as he took a bite he couldn''t help but rejoice. He finally had a respite from the incessant hunger he had been feeling. But an instantter the feeling came back stronger. Josh simply kept eating.


    He had used a lot of energy to block onught after onught of deadly y projectiles against the boss, having to sh thousands in the process. The fat was melting in his mouth. The subtle spices used added an incredible vor. The juice every time he bit into it¡­ was amazing!


    Before he even noticed he had already finished his first dish. Without waiting he ordered another one. He did not care one bit about the other contestants but still noticed that many were already surrendering. All the ones joining because of the Idol were done after the first round and they looked full too haha.


    The second thing toe was fried chicken. Very crispy yet tender inside. He gnashed on the bones until each had been cleaned entirely. Then came the third one, the fourth, the fifth¡­. Josh didn''t stop eating.


    He just kept enjoying the moment. One simple enough. One where there was no trouble whatsoever. No fighting to be done. No one to annoy him either. It was only him and that simple act of life, one as eternal as the world itself: To eat. Josh somehow lost track of time and dishes. He entered a peculiar mental state where the world stopped existing for him.


    It was only when he heard Fat Tony''s voice that he came back to his sense.


    "Y-you! You are a monster! Way to go, brother! This is the birth of a Legend! <First Coming of Gluttony>, is it? After you, there is no way there could be a second one! There wouldn''t be any Food left Haha!"


    What? What did he mean? Slowly turning his head over he could see a cute and smalldy looking at him with bulging eyes. Yet in these green eyes of hers, he could see the will not to be undone. She was still eating, forcing herself. Still, she soon reached her limit.


    One dish was enough to feed a ranker. Most had given up after the first one. Some had managed to reach 3. Very few had almost reached 10. That Devouring Princess had reached 20, then there was Josh. He had somehow eaten 50 of them. Pretty much Josh had almost eaten as much as all the othersbined.


    The spectators were all speechless, well except one guy. One that had a dragon tattoo. One that was in the process of yelling: "I''m so goddamn rich HAHAHAHAHA!" The only one that had betted on the Neer. All the others were too busy paying attention to the celebrity to even notice his existence.


    That is when said celebrity elegantly rose up from her seat. Then started a conversation worthy of a true chuuni.


    "Pretty good First Coming of Gluttony! But know this, you may have defeated the mighty Devouring Princess but know that she will not take this lying down! Still, I congratte you on this victory, until I get my revenge! Let this handshake be a promise of rivalry between us from now on!"


    She extended her dainty hand along with the cheers of the crowd. Josh mechanically went in for the handshake, but he didn''t care at all about this ce, about her, or even about the people watching.


    No, Josh was busy watching a little something called a Status Screen. A floating panel only he could see. There was something amazing that had just popped on it. There was a new skill to be exact.


    -U (F) Gluttony Bloodline: Endless Stomach


    Josh couldn''t help but break into the most brilliant smile. It just so happened that while looking at his screen he happened to be gazing straight into the girl''s eyes. Of course, he didn''t notice.


    Josh suddenly felt thedy worm her hand away, her face all red, and then she bolted away as if running from him. Oh well...


    That is when Josh''s UW started Beeping. Dale was messaging him, he needed to meet him ASAP.


    "Well, I''ll be going guys, take care" Josh disregarded everything that was happening and simply rushed out.


    He could sense that Dale''s message was serious.

 Chapter 27: Setting a Trap(1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 27: Setting a Trap(1/2)</h4>


    Josh waited for Dale''s arrival in the G district. He came running exhausted but not bothering about it. The young man was clearly sleep-deprived with dark circles under his eyes. His usually tidy attire showed traces of being disheveled. He also had a stubble of a beard that was slightly noticeable.


    But what stood out most to Josh was his entire attitude. Dale exuded an aura of disappointment and rage. It was something that Josh had felt in the past, that reminded him of when he had just lost them.


    "Hey Dale, what''s up?", Josh greeted.


    "This world is a dark ce." The way Dale said it sounded as pessimistic as one could be. As if he had just encountered darkness for the first time.


    He kept going sighing: "This world is infested by trash. Everything is going to Hell since the Tower arose. I was simply too blind to notice it before."


    "First of all, will a few hours of dy affect the situation?", Josh asked.


    "Probably not. I fear it''s already toote."


    "Alright, slowly exin everything to me." Meanwhile, Josh was walking with a purpose, dragging Dale along. Attentively listening, to both the verbal and non-verbal.


    "You know about my guild the <ming Pheonix>, right? Lately, I stopped climbing with them since they are still stuck on Floor 5. The n was for them to take it slow and eventually make it. They would find a mage as a recement and that was supposed to be the end of it."


    Dale kept going, sadness and self-me noticeable in his eyes."Then, Lou, one of our members decided to leave. At first, I didn''t mind. I simply wished him good luck. He joined an unranked guild called <Familia>. I felt that I had betrayed him by going my own way and me letting him leave was my way to atone."


    Josh could feel that there was a twist iing.


    "Lou came back to brag about how awesome his new guild was, how friendly the members were. There were many guildmates that were young and full of ambition. These guys had a great leader that he kept praising to high Heaven. He quickly made a point to tell me how amazing this Lenny guy was."


    An awesome guild that recruited a man that couldn''t pass Floor 5 by himself? Either this was a charity, a group only meant to have fun, or there was something fishy going on for sure. Josh had seen how harsh most of the guilds were with recruiting. While his own ssless situation was special he was clearly stronger than the average Climber his level and yet...


    "Lou even tried to poach over the three remaining members of my guild. I told them that I wouldn''t stop them if they wanted to ept the offer. That while I would miss them I simply wanted the best for them, whatever that was. Still, I didn''t have any good feeling toward the <Familia> but it could have just been me being salty over losing a friend."


    "So, how did you figure out that they were crooks? That''s what they are judging from your current mood, right?"


    "Yesterday I met Lou again. Except, he wasn''t himself anymore. I just happened to chance upon him as I was exiting the Tower. He had soulless eyes, didn''t react to my presence either. Even when I called out to him he simply ignored me as if we were strangers. The thing is he was always someone easily scared, we had to help him calm his nerves whenever he as much as saw the Tower."


    "So what do you think?"


    "I''ve spent the night doing research. It can only be one thing, a drug called Firgone. It robs its users of all emotions. It started as a legit pharmaceutical project but was quickly terminated. It was made to remove fear, but instead, it simply rendered people less than humans. It destroys them from the inside and is highly addictive."


    "What if he voluntarily took it?"


    "There is no way anyone would ever...!"


    "That''s where you could be wrong. Remember when you fought that goblin on Floor 5? You were in an incredibly pitiful state. Had you felt fear, you would have died right there and then. Maybe he saw it as an opportunity to get rid of the fear binding him."


    "This....no way...I think they are exploiting him somehow. We need to help him!"


    Josh could somehow rte to his situation.


    "Fine, I''ll help you just this once. But we do things my way. You obey each of my directives and you yourself won''t be directly involved. Is that clear?"


    "A-alright!"


    "Now, there is something more pressing."


    "What is that?"


    Josh had guided them all the way to a little stand called <IceMeister>. He simply pointed toward the ice cream shop confusing Dale in the process. Josh simply went in and ordered two very tasty-looking sundaes before handing one to a bewildered Dale.


    "What is this?!"


    "A sundae, have you never eaten one?"


    "I know what a sundae is! I mean why are we here?! Not for the ice cream, right?"


    Josh looked over the horizon seemingly lost in thoughts for a second, looking pensive and mysterious. Dale couldn''t help but await his next words.


    "You said this world is dark because of the Tower, right?", Josh started with Dale nodding along.


    "That is where you are wrong. There will always be darkness. In the worst ces of all, but also hidden right in the spotlight. Now, that is reality. You can try your best to change it but eradicating it is impossible. Do you know what this means?" Josh nced inquisitively at Dale who shook his head in denial.


    "It means that you cannot simply look at the darkness. It will always be there, you need to learn to live with it. Now, this doesn''t mean giving up at all. There are still changes one individual can make to make the world a better ce. But you need to be careful not to get consumed by such a task."


    Josh simply took a huge bite of the sugary and light goodness before smiling at Dale. "You see there is also light to be found. Whenever you despair and feel beaten." Josh took another bite. "Simply find one thing, one tiny thing that brings you joy. Then from that simple thing get the strength to keep going."


    Dale simply watched dumbfounded as Josh kept savoring his desert, before eximing: "You are telling me to use sundaes to forget that my friend is out there in a living Hell?!"


    Josh nced at him in a way that seemed like it could pierce his soul directly. "Nope, I''m telling you that ming yourself won''t do anything. He is quite possibly a drug addict, don''t be one yourself. The drug called hate is very strong you know."


    Then Josh gave a littleugh: "Oh, don''t get me wrong I''m all for revenge, especially a bloody one. Just don''t lose sight of what''s important in a fit of rage. That is also why I don''t want you to interact with <Familia> at all. Your head is not in the right ce. For revenge to seed, one needs to be cold and calctive. I know a thing about it. From my old world standards, my opponents were S-ss criminals."


    "That..." Dale started seriously pondering. Who knew that there was such dept to revenge. Ah, also the same could be said for sundaes. He simply took a small bite and then somehow the world seemed a little less dark. He couldn''t help butment: "This is ridiculous, you know?"


    "You think? I would have used delicious instead.", Josh winked.


    Dale finally cracked the shadow of a smile. Then as they ate, he started sharing more information about the target.

 Chapter 28: Setting a Trap (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 28: Setting a Trap (2/2)</h4>


    Dale finally cracked the shadow of a smile. Then as they ate, he started sharing more information about the target.


    <Familia> was located in the H district, a sector renowned for its hospitals and pharmaceuticalpanies. This choice of emcement was already odd given that most of the services there only worked outside the Tower.


    Being based there wouldn''t really bring added value to a guild. How much drug would one have to buy to justify a move in the nearby area?


    "How do they recruit?" Josh inquired.


    "I think you need to be rmended by someone."


    Josh couldn''t help but agree that a shady guild definitely would be more careful with recruiting. They would likely try and find people that had no immediate family to notice their behavior change. It just so happened that Dale was both someone that noticed and cared. Josh quickly formted a n.


    "Alright, I am Josh, nice to meet you. Lately, I have been despairing because no guild wants to ept me. I am ssless but I can solo the lower Floors somehow with much difficulty. That''s when you chanced upon me and invited me to your guild. Now we are going to your headquarter to visit."


    "Eh, I only have a normal apartment that we use for meetings. Also, what''s with the introduction?"


    "Don''t mind it. No real headquarter is perfect! Soon you''ll message that Lou guy telling him you finally found a recement for him. That I''m actually an underestimated talent, that while my growth prospects are bad I''m actually able to barely solo clear so I''ll shine in a party. Taunt him about how he made the wrong decision to leave."


    "What will be the use of that?", doubted Dale.


    "Well, that Lenny guy is probably watching the UW of his members attentively. Whether he bites or not will remain to be seen."


    One thing for sure Josh wouldn''t just go guns zing in a situation he only knew one side of the story. From experience he knew that it was life was never fully white or ck.


    Now there was bound to be a bit of danger, but nothing he felt was too threatening. Especially with Draconic''s backing that he could rely on in case of emergency.


    Thus they proceeded with the n. Following Dale, Josh adopted an entirely new persona. One that was still na?ve. One that was despairing because of the hardships of life, yet one that still had hope to be kindled. One that simply wanted to be noticed and praised, by anyone.


    Dale''s ce really was nothing more than a hangout. It had afy-looking sofa, a big HUB (the tv thingy), snacks spread out on a low table. There were also two of his guild members there with the third absent.


    There was a cute and polite young woman called Lara. Short brown hair, smiling eyes, elegant. She was the healer of the party. As soon as they entered, she weed Dale back while quickly introducing herself and bringing refreshments out.


    The second was a man called Rolly, tall, rtively handsome, with bright purple hair. He seemed to be energetic and introduced himself as the guy that just held the shield. He was their dedicated tanker. Meeting Josh, he quickly beamed proudly dering that if he needed anyone to serve as a meat shield, he was confident in his abilities.


    As soon as there was mention of Josh possibly joining, they instantly rejoiced. Josh couldn''t help but chuckle at their enthusiasm. They didn''t know him yet were so happy about getting a new friend.


    At first, Josh felt these kids should definitely stay on the lower Floors. They could slowly farm for materials to make an easy living. While it wouldn''t bring them massive wealth, they would have a peaceful and fun life. Well, disregarding the monster-bashing of course. Akin to the middle-ss back on Earth.


    But the more he hung out with them the more his opinion started changing. They were more perceptive than he had first believed.


    Lara quickly noticed that there was something wrong. Simply by how Dale was acting. After all, Josh was subtly directing him on what to write the Lou guy on the side. Still, this didn''t matter. They weren''t trying to fool their own allies. She simply kept entertaining him as a guest with cookies and drinks.


    Rolly too realized that Josh wasn''t really there to join when he showed a very slight fraction of his ambition. Josh was practicing his role. He had to show the appearance of a young man that had reached his limit already. One that wasn''t sure how to grow anymore, but that was burning with hope, one that would easily be tricked.


    Later on, the scout of the party returned. A man called Trevor, brown hair, eternal slight smile, calm. He had apparently simply been on a long walk. Josh''s gut told him that said walk had been in the H district for some reason. As soon as he entered, he did a subtle double-take on Dale''s expression. Then he showed a slight smile of gratitude toward Josh.


    They surprisingly all showed great potential from Josh''s evaluation. Them being stuck at Floor 5 was definitely weird. Or perhaps their best talent was to be a judge of character? They had joined Dale, the literal gold mine of Tower information tidbits, after all.


    Why had only one of them left? What had prompted this? Usually, a sinking ship would never have only one escapee.


    Josh didn''t overthink the issue either. He simply sat on the sofaughing with them, rxing for a few hours. They watched a show on the HUB. Once more Josh was amazed by the Tower''s influence.


    Metropolis C was the Heaven for Climbers. It was also surrounded by many normal cities filled with normal people living their normal lives. If anything, there was a difference with Earth: the technology. It at least made basic food supplies easily essible and made entertainment readily avable.


    Such entertainment included shows. Such programs were broadcasted across many cities, especially the non-Climber ones. Metropolis C seemed to be the equivalent of Hollywood on Earth, except the stars were the Climbers instead of the actors. They were the target of envy, veneration, and gossip.


    The whole culture was Climber-oriented, with bacsh from only a few grumpy individuals remembering the old days.


    So for a few hours, they watched a show from the <RealityC> guild. It featured lots of Climbers stuck in one apartment. It was the usual poprity contest of voting people out of it. Thest one remaining would be the winner.


    Ah, but of course there was a twist. First of all, they were all wearing disguises that changed daily to hide their real identity from one another (with the viewers knowing of course). Second, fighting was allowed under certain rules. Why appeal to the public when you can directly beat your opponent up?


    Last but not least...killer robots were added to the mix. Whoever came up with the show''s concept was clearly going to Hell. Well, it was always the industry''s standard even on Earth haha. For the job description wanting to watch the world burn was but the very first requirement.


    It is only after "wasting" some time that Josh bid them goodbye. He had only been walking for a few minutes that a cold-faced young man intercepted him. He seemed normal at first nce but Josh felt his state somewhat seemed unnatural, he was clearly here because of someone''s orders.


    "Hey, I''ll be brief. I used to be a member of ming Phoenix, don''t join them. You''ll regret it. Anyway, I''ll go back to my own guild. I simply wanted to warn you. It would be a shame to have someone with great prospects wasting his time in such a failure of a guild."


    The man, Lou, was clearly bating Josh, but in this situation who was really baiting who?


    "Wait up, brother! Exin yourself! Also, did you say you are part of a guild? Is it better than ming Phoenix? Are you guys recruiting?!"

 Chapter 29: (1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 29: <Familia> (1/2)</h4>


    "Wait up, brother! Exin yourself! Also, did you say you are part of a guild? Is it better than ming Phoenix? Are you guys recruiting?!"


    The man turned around: "I''m in <Familia> and I don''t think we are recruiting at the moment. I can always ask our leader, however."


    "Please do so! I want to join a good guild!", Josh begged.


    "Alright, simply follow me. I''ll bring you to our headquarter."


    Josh could see Lou send a message to his superior announcing their imminent arrival. Of course, Josh wouldn''t join but he''d try to get to the bottom of the situation. Trying to figure out how a happy youth had suddenly turned so cold and unfeeling. At least figure out if it was of his own volition or not. This much would be an easy way to repay Dale for his help.


    Lou guided him toward the H district, all the way to a small building. One that seemed pretty in on the outside. Apparently, the guild had an entire floor to them in the building, the second one. Before long Lou was pushing the door gesturing Josh to enter.


    The interior was vastly different than the exterior. It looked cozy and warm. The walls showed a retro brick appearance. The kind that had a certain charm that modern-looking buildingscked.


    Across the ce were various paintings showcasing different Tower Floors. The lighting was just perfect to create a pleasant mood. Across the room were many sofas, fridges, pool tables, and even old-school pinball machines.


    "Pretty nice, right?" Lou said it in an almost deadpan voice as usual.


    "Indeed, it is." No matter how this operation turned out Josh wanted the name of whoever decorated the ce.


    The man gestured him to take a seat before giving a call to his chief who arrived not long afterward. The first impression Josh had of Lenny was that of a tall, handsome, and graceful man. Brown hair, grey eyes, a maic gaze. Combined with his peerlessly white smile it gave people the impression of a jovial refined individual, one that inspired trust.


    "You must be Josh, right? Lou told me about you. Well, more like Dale was sending him so many messages that it was disturbing our meeting haha."


    "He wrote about me? What did he say?" Josh acted surprised yet curious.


    "Only good things, he seemed mostly angry at Lou for leaving them." Lenny sighed. "It would be better if he simply let him leave. Objectively there is no future in <ming Phoenix> they can''t even put together a full party."


    "Wait, they just need 1 more for a full team, right?"


    "Well, yes. But it''s never that easy. For a short period, it would be fine. But what happens when one member has something to do? It sets the whole guild behind. Of course for an elite party, it would be fine but you only find those in the top guilds. It takes a lot of training to achieve a point where one team is so solid that the members cannot be rotated."


    "I understand. So for unranked guilds and beginner Climbers like me, it''s better to join a bigger guild to make sure it is always possible to join a group?"


    "Precisely. I had the feeling you were smart, Josh. Now, I heard about your circumstances."


    "You did?!"


    "Yes, I know that you are ssless and that you have been having trouble soloing the Tower. Honestly, if you ask me most ranked guilds are snobs. Most of their members would have trouble solo clearing yet they scorn you. If you want, you can join us. I won''t lie to you what you see here is all we have, well that and many members. They are all busy in the Tower at the moment."


    Josh overlooked the ce, "That''s a lot of cool stuff actually. I like the ambiance."


    "Haha, I do too. But honestly, everything here can be bought fairly cheaply. We don''t have any discounts for members, we don''t have any VR training, we don''t even have skilled craftsmen! As a guild, we are pretty basic. All we have are motivated members that are not afraid of working hard."


    "Skilled craftsmen? Can you exin that point more in detail? I''ve seen materials drop but¡­"


    "Haha, don''t worry about it. This is normal. So far, we know about four crafting professions. cksmith, Jeweler, Cook, and Alchemist. Note that there is much I ignore about these but I can still give you a rundown."


    "Please do!"


    "cksmiths are mostly useful for creating, modifying, and enhancing armor and weapons. The biggest reason they are sought after is for a good weapon. You can get some in the Tower, but there is never a guarantee it will fit your fighting style."


    "I see, so it''s mostly for specialized sses?"


    "Yes. Jewelers are the ones that craft nes, earrings, and rings. Half the slots are filled with those, so the demand is extremely high for their work. Jewelry doesn''t dop that often either so it''s even more popr. Now the downside is that it takes about as much time as forging a weapon yet is individually is less useful."


    "Ah, so demand is really high but if they charge too much, people will just spend more time in the Tower, right?"


    "Precisely. Cooking is the most straightforward. They cook and it gives a buff. The duration and strength of the buff both depend on the skills of the chef and the quality of ingredients."


    "Like the <Devouring Panda>, right?"


    "Of course. Thest one is the most situational yet vital one. Alchemists mostly create pills to heal and cure various statuses. They are the go-to for emergency situations. For each of these crafting professions, there is the opportunity to Climb as they get bonuses for using the things they crafted themselves."


    "That''s neat. Kinda like the special test for healers on Floors ending with 5?"


    "Yes, in a way the Tower is fair to all, it''s just that¡­"


    "The Heaven is fair but the men aren''t?"


    "I like the sound of this, Josh. So how about it? What will you do?"


    "Hm, can I join as a trial period for now? I''d like to meet all the members. So far, I''ve only seen you two, no offense by the way."


    "None taken, don''t worry haha. Joining a guild is something serious. It is not to be taken lightly at all. Now, what''s the highest Floor you havepleted?"


    "Floor 8." Answered Josh honestly for he could guess what would happen.


    "Alright, how about we go clear it so we can see the difference in clear speed?"


    Josh simply nodded, before long they were heading for the Tower. All the while Lenny told him tidbits about the Tower. He was pretty much doing small talk to keep Josh entertained with Lou staying as quiet as a rock.


    There already awaited 3 more members. They seemed ready to go in anytime. The 3 men smiled and politely weed Josh, there was no sign of any drug used so far. At this point, it was too early for Josh to render a verdict. Lou had been described as a coward. The chances he had taken some Firgone voluntarily were high.


    "Let''s head in everyone!"


    Josh touched the Tower, there was an option to join with the nearby members. It was peculiar, Josh could see a red aura surrounding them, but it seemed to be only visible to his eyes for he had never noticed anything simr before.


    "Haha, don''t worry. That''s just a visual indicator from the Tower. You know to make sure you aren''t going in with the wrong party. It registers once with the closest members to you then you can either ept it or refuse it."


    Then they all teleported in. It was the same usual barrennd and sky. The team got to work. A man brought a pickaxe out of nowhere, Josh couldn''t help but stare wondering what the Hell was happening.


    "Haha, you''ve never seen mining before? You know how monsters drop materials? Well, it is also possible to get the y cores directly from the ground. This is our main source of revenue. Quantity over quality mostly."


    They were putting the cores inside a small bag. Josh couldn''t help but curiously ask: "What''s with the bag?"


    "A material bag, this one is F Rank. It allows collecting 1 type of F-Rank material at a time in great quantity. It stacks. You can get those on Floor 10, there are better onester on too in the Tower."


    "Right, I heard that these things can be used to summon the Boss, have you guys ever defeated it?"


    "Of course, but honestly it''s not worth it most of the time. It takes too much effort to kill. Against it, melee sses can barely do a thing. It has a big AOE attack that sends y shards everywhere. So, the strategy to beat it is to go in, do a few hits, then run far away out of reach. Rinse and repeat. Even then it doesn''t drop much loot. It is only if you are lucky that you''ll get an item. We usually kill it once only per run."


    Josh could attest to that. He had killed it enough times to level up just from that and had only received armguards. Said armguards were F-Rank and totally useless to Josh now.


    So, they started killing the golems. The strategy they were using was to have one member draw the aggro while everyone else focused on one creature. It worked wonders. Surprisingly, even as a group, the clear rate was worse than with Josh alone.


    That was easily exined by the fact that Josh was hiding his power. He was showing about half his true skill and not using the power brought by his equipment at all. These two factored in made it so he was way slower. Even then he impressed the others.


    "Damn, you are good! How the Hell did no guild ept you? Also, is that a Floor 12 spider leg? That was smart of you to buy that!"


    "Yeah, I used all my savings for that. Before I was using the dagger from Floor 1, but it couldn''t pierce far enough against some monsters¡­and since I don''t have any special skills¡­"


    "You know what? If you want, we can kill the Boss real fast. This is something that can''t be done alone for sure."


    "That''d be awesome!" Couldn''t be done alone my ass, Josh thought.


    Before long they reached the stone pirs. After cing the offering came the ever so familiar rumbling and trembling as the huge monster took form. Then started a game of cat and mouse. One attracting the Boss''s attention while the others were coordinating to destroy the crystals.


    About 10 minutester, all external cores were down with the ultimate attack part beginning. They got a few hits in before retreating to safety. As soon as the attack was over, they came back on the assault. All in all, it took more time than Josh needed alone to beat it, by far. The only good thing was that their tactic was definitely easier to implement.


    Soon enough they exited the Tower victoriously. Overall, having collected about 100 cores. That was the equivalent of selling two F-Rank items. Josh couldn''t help but wonder if it was really worth it. After all, a single E rank item would give way more.


    The difference was probably that there was no danger associated with just selling materials. While it could be a nice added ie it didn''t really fit Josh''s style. Simply because it required a team to do so efficiently and even then, the payout wascking. They had split the profit with Josh getting a profit of 15 Credits for a few hours of easy work.


    Lenny approached him. "So Josh, what do you think? It''s more efficient than going at it alone, right?"


    ....

 Chapter 30: (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 30: <Familia> (2/2)</h4>


    Lenny approached him. "So Josh, what do you think? It''s more efficient than going at it alone, right?"


    It really wasn''t but Josh still adopted an impressed expression. "It was an eye-opener for sure!" As in, he expected better from them.


    "Of course, haha. I and the boys are going to a bar to celebrate, wannae?"


    "Of course! Count me in!" Josh enthusiastically replied.


    They surprisingly headed to the H district. "Wait, aren''t most ces to eat and drink in the G district?"


    "Haha, most of them yes. But it would be unrealistic to have all of these in one area. After all, eating is a coreponent of life. It is the same for convenience stores. There are a few allowed in every district. Usually, it would be extremely hard to get a permit for that, but the H district is special. No one really cares about drinking there so¡­ Anyway, the owner is a good friend of ours since we are regrs there. We even have our own table haha."


    That certainly made sense. Josh ignored so much about the city. Not that it mattered too much. He had time to slowly explore it. He felt like a tourist discovering an entirely new world¡­actually he was haha. They soon reached the <Drinking/Eating ce>.


    "What''s with the name?"


    "Hehe, he lost a bet and had to put that. At first, it was a joke, but it somehow became real. Honestly, you''d be surprised by the number of official names that began like that. With the advent of the Tower, people needed a ce to rx after the gruesome Climb. They were perfectly fine with leaving their seriousness in the Tower."


    They headed in. As soon as they entered the tavern keeper shouted: "If isn''t the <Familia>, you bunch of handsome bastards! Ah, Lou is as cold as always haha. Ah, who''s this? A new face? New member?"


    "Haha, we''ll see. He shows potential. We just came back from the Tower, now we want to Celebrate!"


    "Roger that, I''ll bring you guys some drinks. Just make yourself at ease."


    For some reason, there was no other customer in the entire establishment. What were the odds? They sat at a big table in the corner by a jukebox. The old-style looking kind, except that the interior was clearly new.


    Lenny fiddled with it a few moments before a cool melody started ying. One that sounded very pleasing to the ear and rxing. He gave a smile to Josh before sitting again. Then came the food and the drinks. While it was pretty ordinary hot dogs and beer it was nice.


    The hot dogs tasted wonderful. The kind that you know is kinda trashy but still delicious. Meanwhile, the beer had a very rich taste, one that was very peculiar. While it definitely wasn''t good it wasn''t bad either. Lenny kept encouraging everyone to drink and be merry, especially Josh.


    Joshplied quickly. Chugging it all to the satisfaction of his newpanions. Then it was more partying and dancing. At some point, they even had fun trying to throw chips into each other''s mouths.


    Josh clearly was flushed red from the alcohol and was talking as loudly as a drunk could, the same could be said for Lenny. At some point, the other bid them farewell. They were going to sleep early for tomorrow''s work thus leaving both men alone. That is when Lenny took out a pendulum and a contract.


    Swinging it in Josh''s face he uttered calmly: "Joining us is the best opportunity for you, you should take it. We will wee you as a family because that''s all <Familia> is about."


    Josh suddenly stood up intoxicated, pouting and slurring his words: "No! I want to Climb! I wanna be the very best Climber like no one ever was!"


    "Yes, we''ll help you do that.", Lenny coaxed.


    "No! I want to Climb right now! Actually, I''m going! Hahaha! Youing?", Josh bolted awayughing childishly.


    Lenny sighed before following him. Soon they entered Floor 8 once more. As soon as they were inside he turned to the giggling Josh: "You can drop the act, now."


    "What?"


    "You are pretty good at acting drunk you could have fooled even me. Honestly, I was sure you drank the whole thing, with everything mixed in it. But, you clearly don''t know how to act drugged. Drop it. Tell me, what made you suspicious of me?"


    Josh sighed. "I already was when I first came, but then you insisted I drink and somehow I only met with three additional members of the guild. Why is that?"


    "The others are all weaklings and drug addicts. Couldn''t really show them, right? But hey, at least they are decent workers. Give them a constant supply of Firgone and they''ll do anything. Without it, they''ll be back to their useless selves after all. Well, that and how addictive it is haha."


    "So you drug people, make them addicted, and exploit them afterward?"


    "Pretty much. But hey, the official version is that I give them the opportunity to join a great guild. We are all a big family after all."


    "So you tried to drug me and failed yet you still followed me here? Aren''t you worried at all?"


    "Did you know that the Tower allows up to a 3-level difference between party members? I have Climbed up to Floor 11."


    "And?"


    "Well, simply put this ce is all a game of numbers you know. I am higher level than you and I have more skills than you for sure since you are ssless haha." He then took out the contract again. "Sign it, or there will only be one of using out of here."


    Josh took it and started reading it. It was basically a ve contract. 90% of the wealth would go to the guild with Josh only getting the scraps. Furthermore, there were no guild benefits at all, ah except for some supply of Firgone. It was literal poison to help calm their nerves and forget their shitty lives.


    "Here I thought Gemini''s offer was bad, here you are totally topping it. What makes you even think I''d respect such a contract."


    "Oh, I believe you will. You could try and break the contract but you''d be cklisted from joining a guild in the future no matter what. You''d be screwed."


    Josh looked at him right in the eyes. "There is no way this is that simple. This is a magical item, isn''t it? One that is impossible to breach or something?"


    Lenny chuckled: "How perceptive. I can''t believe someone as smart as you decided to enter a Floor alone with me. You can''tmunicate with anyone here either. You asked why I am so confident, right? Let me show you exactly why haha!"


    He gestured in the air clearly in order to look cool, then gear appeared on his person. Full gear from head to toe. Earrings, rings, a ne, everything.


    "See this! My worst items are F Rank! This is giving me about 50% more power hahaha. Once more, sign the contract or I''ll kill you. You know, I wanted to do this the easy way but¡­you just had to struggle. No matter."


    Josh simply startedughing. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA."


    "Have you lost your mind?!" Lenny showed unease.


    "How coincidental. I also happen to be in a simr situation. You know with the F-Rank items. Well, that''s because F-Rank Imp earrings are actually BiS for a swordsmanpared to the E-Rank version."


    That is when Josh willed his gear to show up. Appeared on him mismatched-looking equipment. The difference was that his was pretty much all E-Rank and chosen by Liam directly. Let''s just say it had better stat distribution than what one could easily find on the market.


    "E-Rank?! Impossible! How did a guildless guy like you ever¡­?!"


    "Oh, that? I did join a guild, well kinda. Ever heard of Draconic?" Josh simply stood there smiling at him with his arms crossed.


    The distorted face of Lenny now showed sheer horror. The defenseless neer turned out to be a dragon in disguise. Lenny simply started running. No word, just a mad dash away. Running for his life. Just as Josh was about to catch up the man took a pearl out before throwing it toward him. What was¡­. *BOOM*


    Apparently, it was a bomb. How?! Technology was supposed to be ¡­. Ah, it was probably an alchemical product or something. Still, it didn''t cause any damage to Josh at all. The explosion wasn''t that strong. Lenny simply kept running. Killing a golem from time to time using a well-timed explosion.


    Josh realized what the man was hoping for. If he was lucky and got a rare core, he couldplete the mission and escape. The city was awful zone. He may be busted and his guild over, but he could possibly escape with his life.


    At that moment that was all that mattered to the man. He kept franticly going until finally,dy luck smiled at him! He startedughing instantly muttering the exitmand and disappearing in a sh of red light.


    Back in Metropolis C Josh and Lenny suddenly appeared. Thetter had a grinning and victorious expression on his face. Josh simply left without turning back. Before long he had reached Dale''s ce.


    "Josh, you are back! How did it go?"


    "He truly was scum. His whole game was to enve people to work for him with dubious contracts and drugs."


    "I see, what happened exactly?"


    "Switch the news on, I''m sure it will be there."


    Lara in the back heard it andplied. Then on the screen appeared a reporter.


    "Hello, I am Don from <Fast-News>. Today we have a report of a bizarre Tower-rted incident. A few minutes ago, a severed head appeared out of the Tower. As we know death is a very real reality in the Tower. What makes this case special is that the man''s party member could be seen leaving the area without even looking back. This makes some believe that this could be a case of cold-blooded murder. The ck Squad is currently looking for the man to interrogate him and¡­"


    Then came a shout from the door.


    "This is the ck Squad open up! ording to article 42-B of the public safety department, you are now hereby under suspicion of harboring a criminal! Should you refuse toply withw enforcement you will be dealt with as if aplices!"

 Chapter 31: Interrogation? What a Joke! (1/3?)

    <h4>Chapter 31: Interrogation? What a Joke! (1/3?)</h4>


    ck squad? Harboring a criminal? Be dealt with as aplices?


    As soon as they heard that, everyone in the room panicked, well except Josh. Still, he was surprised by their efficiency. They probably had followed the camera trails all the way here.


    That was something to be careful of in modern society. Murder always left a trail, given a bribe big enough could always get rid of it. Now, how should he deal with this exactly?


    "Josh! What did you do?! What happened?! This is serious! The ck Squad is in charge ofw enforcement for all Climber-rted crimes! Did you really kill Lenny?!"


    "Kill? We entered the Tower together and he did die, as for the specifics I don''t know. Anyway, see you guyster." Waving them goodbye Josh went to open the door calmly. In front of him appeared a fully geared squad wearing matching equipment. Custom-made cksmith equipment maybe?


    Josh couldn''t see their faces as they were wearingplete helmets, ones that seemed tobine modern design with a dark ss visor to old-school sturdy ting. That didn''t stop him from greeting them.


    "Hello, gentlemen, what brings you here?"


    "Open up or- Ah... Follow us for interrogation!"


    Smiling, Josh simplyplied. They did not restrict him in any way, merely escorting him and watching him closely. This was an odd treatment for a criminal, meaning they probably weren''t able to prove his involvement in the murder just yet.


    Josh figured that even if they didn''t know the specifics, they would at least act if only to prove that they had taken action. That was a very real part of politics. Too often, the funding of an organization would depend more on how well it was perceived rather than its actual utility. Of course, there were exceptions. Some projects required secrecy after all.


    Josh knew he would be fine no matter what. Simply because on a fundamental level all worlds were bound to function in a simr manner. With a solid enough background, anything was possible. In awful society, the best ofwyers could be hired and as long as there was no clear evidence everything would be fine. On the opposite spectrum, a society where strength dominated was even easier.


    Josh was counting on <Draconic>''s backing. Getting him out of this was definitely easy for them. From their reaction, he would figure out how far they were willing to go for him. If they showed any reluctance, he would not rely on them too much in the future.


    Of course, Josh could have easily just killed Lenny before he even initiated the teleportation. He could have just gone out of the Tower as if nothing had happened and hoped that no one would notice.


    Still, not only was that not his style, but both options had risks anyway. Josh would rather use this as an opportunity for information gathering.


    If Draconic truly helped him without reservation, he would somewhat trust them. Not unconditionally of course, but without getting paranoiac about it either. He would keep his ears and eyes open to judge them. If he failed his assessment, he would simply pay the price of his mistake. As simple a that.


    Josh sent a short guild message just to keep them updated.


    -Josh MF Malum: Btw guys, I''m getting taken for interrogation by some guys called the ck Squad, you guys heard of these dudes? The way they dress is kinda cool ngl.


    -Lily of the Frontline: Oh no! This is bad! What happened?!?!


    - Lucas the Lancer: Kasha, now them?! How are you so good at pissing people off?! Evenw enforcement is against you now?!


    -Friendly Terry: Meh, he''ll be fine¡­maybe. I guess we can tell the Dragon when hees back.


    The reactions were diverse as usual, but the important thing was that someone knew where he was at least, well besides Dale.


    The guards brought him all the way to sector A that was dead in the center of Metropolis C, nearby the Tower.


    On the way there they kept ncing at him until one of them couldn''t contain himself anymore: "How are you not freaking out right now?! My worst nightmare always was the ck Squad and that didn''t change even now that I joined!" Judging by his voice he was rtively young.


    "Hehe, then you did well by joining them. Why am I not nervous? Well, maybe because I''m innocent? Maybe because I''ve lived through worse? Maybe I''m a cyborg incapable of human emotions? There could be many reasons really. What do you think?"


    "I think that you are insane! Seriously!" A few chuckled at this interaction with their leader reminding them to remain quiet.


    In any case, they didn''t seem too worried about Josh running away. He couldn''t help but wonder how strong they individually were. Perhaps their confidence was based on the prestige of their organization? Josh still remembered that guy with the axe that got scared when the group had been mentioned that one time.


    In any case, Josh didn''t intend to make a move against them. He was but an ordinary innocent Climber, yep.


    They stopped in front of a big rectangr modern-looking building with a shiny dark metal exterior. <ck Squad Headquarters Metropolis C> was the que at the entrance. There were a few soldiers acting as a lookout but not that many and they seemed pretty rxed overall. On the contrary, there was another building rtively nearby that seemed to look simr but with turrets and robots defending the perimeter, some seemingly looking inside.


    A guard noticed Josh''s curiosity. "That''s the <ck Keep>. You don''t want to go there for sure. If you need to be held somewhere you better wish it is <The Pen> instead."


    "What''s the difference exactly?"


    "Thetter is for "animals" and is all about disciplining them so they can be worthy of being humans once more. The former is for true criminals. Once you enter, you either stay there forever ore out a ve haha."


    That sure was harsh. Still, they were probably using the same magical contract Lenny had tried enving Josh with. But there was one key point to note. Lenny had tried to intimidate him into signing but hadn''t physically forced him. Perhaps there was a restriction on the contracts? Josh felt like they wouldn''t be able to force one upon him.


    Josh was then led to a small well-lit room where he was tied to a small table while sitting on a small chair, both metallic. Everything was too small forfort. He couldn''t help but chuckle that no matter the world, an interrogation room was an interrogation room. Fun fact, his UW didn''t seem to work in there.


    Josh had to wait for a while. Either they werecking manpower, or they were trying to make him more nervous. Josh figured out that the people here all knew and feared the ck Squad. The silence and wait would only exacerbate that fear. Then the interrogator would likelye in and either try to be his friend offering him protection if he cooperated or theplete opposite.


    Josh simplyid his head on the table and started napping. The interrogator that soon entered the room did so confidently and powerfully¡­only to get stunned when seeing Josh. He was peacefully slumbering without so much as a trace of worry. A small smile even adorned his sleeping face. The man couldn''t help but double-check the file in his hand.


    "Wake up!" He shouted.


    Josh slowly rose up. "Is it morning? I''m kinda hungry. Will there be breakfast provided?"


    The man seemed middle-aged, but looking in shape, with a touch of grey hair. He looked pretty normal, not scary in the least. Well, maybe that was from Josh''s standards. He was very loud, however.


    "You! Do you know where you are?!"


    "Eh, <ck Squad Headquarters Metropolis C>? Also, why exactly did you guys feel the need to mention the city? Isn''t that one a given? I mean¡­just looking at the ads everywhere one can easily know. Then there is a quick search on one''s UW. It is also possible to ask any passerby. I mean¡­seriously?"


    "Is this a joke to you! You are going to the ck Keep for murder and that''s your reaction? Let''s see how smug you can be! We know everything there is to know about the case. How do you think we were able to pinpoint your location so fast?! I even have a whole damn folder about you already. Now, you can either cooperate for a reduced sentence or, pardon the expression, be royally fucked. Which will it be?"


    Josh simply chuckled to himself. This guy was clearly a beginner. Okay so while both of his approaches were proven tactics, they were so damn off! The ssic "we know it all" tactic was simply bullshit in this case. It was a proven fact that technology didn''t work in the Tower at all. The guy knew it all? Please!


    Then there was the "file and dossier approach" that was even worse. Josh simply looked at the said folder and it instantly screwed everything up. The file was way too big. He had barely been here for less than a month. Yet, the so-called dossier was bulging.


    These two methods were better suited to situations with long incarceration, simply to give the time to gather proper data. What they knew was clearly from cameras and stuff like that. It was a whole big steaming pile of overweight mammoth bullshit! You know, really exaggerated.


    There had not been enough time for profiling or anything of the sort. Hell, Josh was convinced the man had found out he was ssless and had assumed the rest. He probably didn''t know at all about Draconic either.


    Seeing the serious expression of the man, Josh couldn''t help butugh. This was so damn ridiculous.


    "You can stillugh? We already know that you ambushed the victim in the Tower. We also know you killed him with a Rank E Spider Leg. We know about your recent interactions with the <Familia> guild too. Anything you want to add?"


    Wow. This was actually more detailed than Josh expected. They probably had a facial recognition software or something in the Metropolis to search everywhere he had been recently.


    Perhaps UW direct tracking? Naw, that couldn''t be. Simply because lots of powerful people used it. Also Draconic probably wouldn''tmit such a rookie mistake as usingpromised equipment.


    Then there was the murder weapon. That one was probably guesswork too. They probably looked at the type of weapon based on the body. Then figured that the sword was probably that specific one as it seemed to drop right where Lenny was progression-wise in the Tower.


    Still, once again, the interrogator guy had fucked up. Why would Josh need to ambush someone that was way weaker than him? He was clearly using the little information he had to create the most likely scenario. Yeah¡­noment.


    This could have potentially worked against someone less experienced? The man was probably thinking this was a ssic betrayal scenario that originated from greed or something. The stress of being here, the seemingly omniscient interrogator, the overall fear would usually create heavy pressure on the target.


    Then, if Josh confessed to the crime, it would be all over. Just his presence on the crime scene and testimony would likely be plenty to screw him over. Josh was in a situation where he could pretty much cooperate with the man for a reduced sentence as he had promised or remain silent for no sentence at all. The better choice was obvious.


    Josh clearly remembered that fall guy on Earth. The man wasn''t even on the crime scene and had been convicted for the murder anyway. They had added his digital imprints to one of the murder weapons if anyone was wondering.


    Josh finally opened his mouth again. A shadow of a smile could be seen in the man''s eyes thinking Josh was finally cracking but he was bound to be disappointed.


    "Right, how does it work here? Do I get food, drinks, a phone call maybe, what about entertainment?" Of course, Josh needed none of these, he was just ying.


    "Do you think this is a vacation center?! This is the goddamn ck Squad Headquarters you dipshit!"


    "Sooo¡­is that a no on the entertainment? How about a web novel? Or even a show? I''m not picky either. Actually, as long as it has killer robots in it it''s fine! Like seriously, how the Hell does adding killer robots make everything better?! Everything I''m telling you!"


    Not entertaining Josh anymore the man simply left, stamping his feet in the process. Well, that only confirmed that they were not allowed to beat suspects. Oh well, it couldn''t be helped.


    Now, would hee back for round 2? Or perhaps was he gone to get back up? Josh couldn''t wait! He had finally figured it out. There was in fact entertainment provided! Well, that probably wasn''t the man''s initial goal but Josh would be satisfied either way.

 Chapter 32: Interrogation? What a Joke! (2/3)

    <h4>Chapter 32: Interrogation? What a Joke! (2/3)</h4>


    Round 1 had ended with the interrogator rage quitting. One point for Josh! This match would be one-sided for sure. After all his freedom was in y. Now, what would be the next move?


    The man was making Josh wait. This time, it could very well be due to ack of manpower haha. Josh had only one thing toment, where was the popcorn! Should he ask for some? Perhaps only Josh would think of such a thing in these circumstances.


    Let''s just say there were probably two expected reactions from someone in Josh''s situation. The first one, a poor bloke, would be frightened beyond belief. The second one would be someone with connections. Thetter would have probably used those to get out already.


    Still, Josh was ready for anything, including some "enhanced interrogation techniques", although he doubted they could use those. Let''s just say Josh was confident to be able to resist whatever they threw at him.


    Back when he was just trying to train his fighting abilities, he had wiped out a small criminal organization. Turned out that the boss of it had a big brother, one that was heading a much bigger syndicate, to say the least.


    That big organization had captured him and interrogated him for a while, a fancy name for torture. It was pretty awkward in fact. After all, who in their right mind would believe that some guy had done this just for training? Not them! They kept thinking that he was from an opposing faction or even working for the government.


    Crazy how some people won''t ever believe the truth! Anyway, Josh had no choice but to serve them to the feds. As soon as he had learned about them targeting him, he had somehow made enough preparations. Honestly, he was ready to negotiate but they were dicks, so he decided just to have them all jailed.


    Unsurprisingly their boss, the big brother, managed to go free. But the gang was weakened already, so Josh used another one to take revenge. He would always remember that dumbass that kept screaming right before dying "I knew it! You were working with an opposing faction!", yeah sure buddy. Even then the man still thought himself clever.


    Honestly, Josh always had a slight dislike for the so-called government too. Well, they could be useful at times, but he knew very well not to rely on them. Most systems were designed to either be fair or give the illusion of fairness.


    The reality, however, was often if not always very disappointing. Simply because of one word: bribery. That''s all that was needed to corrupt it all. Josh had witnessed it first-hand with the Dragon Triad. Actually, there were also cases of sheer ipetence and pandering to the masses. Yes, the masses that Josh knew were most of the time extremely dumb. Not that Josh would judge them because he used to be a student who barely cared about politics himself.


    Anyway, Josh was simply awaiting what woulde next in this interrogation fiasco, deriving pleasure from it. Should he enthusiastically wee the man back? Maybe he couldin about being lonely? Josh had to figure something fun to do.


    Then came the sound of the door opening once more. Josh yfully said: "Wee home, dear! Would you like dinner? A bath? Or perhaps¡­me?" Turning around he couldn''t wait to see the expression of the man. Except, it wasn''t him.


    In his stead was a tall and fit youngdy wearing a ck uniform. She had braided hair and was wearing shades for some reason. Yes, indoor. Then again, the lighting was so bright that it could probably reduce a vampire to ashes in about 1.17 seconds. Or not. Sadly, Josh had never killed a vampire back on Earth so he could only guess.


    She was just standing there speechless for a second, wondering how Josh knew that a gorgeousdy was about to enter the room without even turning. After all, the man was supposed to be a low-level Climber, the epitome of normal.


    She didn''t even bother sitting and simply walked near the table. Standing, she started her line of questioning, writing in a small notepad. At least,pared to her colleague, her questions were slightly more pertinent. Notice the slightly.


    She didn''t bother with small talk. Josh found it funny how she didn''t address the fact that she was having interrogation sloppy seconds. Now, Josh simply wondered if she''d remain professional no matter what.


    "Name?"


    "Josh Malum, but I''ll allow you simply call me Josh", he said while inspecting her from head to toe.


    "ss?"


    "You probably have seen the video already." It apparently had been really popr for a few days after all.


    "ss?"


    "None, apparently."


    "Apparently?"


    "Let''s go with none."


    "Level?"


    "Eh, 9? Still, wouldn''t you prefer doing this over drinks or something?"


    "Skills?"


    "I''d rather not answer that. Say do you always bring men here to get to know them? I need to remark, the lighting sucks."


    Josh could see her writing none in the skill category. Wow, just wow. She was already writing the wrong info. Was making assumptions part of their training here? Also, she should have been hiding that for sure. Well, she was hiding her writing but didn''t conceal her hand movements at all, so Josh was able to infer it.


    "Name of the victim?"


    "The deceased? Lenny, but you really shouldn''t talk about other men on a date you know."


    "Full name? Be precise!"


    "No clue. Pretty sure this information would be easier for you to ess than for me. Are you guys having that much trouble? Like seriously?!"


    "You murdered a man in cold blood, and you don''t even know his full name?"


    "I''m innocent and no I didn''t know the guy well, you''d know this if you did your research properly...or talked with the other guy."


    Well, in a way. Josh truly was innocent. Innocent enough that he didn''t fear any lie detector. He truly never intended to kill the guy, at first anyway. He simply wanted to figure out his true colors in order to help Dale.


    Of course, that had changed when the man had threatened to kill him if he didn''t sign the envement contract. It was totally legitimate defense, not that Josh would ever admit the deed.


    "Do you think the ck Squad has so much time on their hand that we''d bother bringing an innocent man here?"


    "Actually, now that I think about it¡­was this all a ploy to go on a date with me? It all makes sense now! Let me guess, you saw that one interview and got charmed by my handsome face, right? I mean, it''s either that or yes you guys have clearly too much time on your hands."


    "Do you believe yourself to be above thew?"


    "Do YOU believe yourself to be thew?"


    "Do you know what the punishment is for murder?"


    "Yes, I do! The man before was kind enough to enlighten me! It is, and I quote, to be royally fucked! Now, I have a quick question of my own, who will be doing the fucking? Will it be the old man, or will it be you? Also, how much fucking are we talking about? Hours, days, weeks?"


    That is the exact moment she ragequitted. She too left stamping her feet, bringing her notepad along.


    To recap, the first guy was here spitting facts with some evidently wrong while the girl asked the most obvious questions. Now, what woulde next? Perhaps both of them at once? Perhaps a third individual? Josh knew that whatever it was¡­he still was missing popcorn!

 Chapter 33: Interrogation? What a Joke! (3/3)

    <h4>Chapter 33: Interrogation? What a Joke! (3/3)</h4>


    **** BONUS CHAP****Thanks for the votes! ^_^v


    They were taking so long so Josh simply lied on the table again. It seemed like they had designed the ce to be as ufortable as possible, but that was all trivial for Josh. Compared to sleeping in the Tower and getting disturbed by bloodthirsty monsters¡­this was perfect!


    He was awoken by the sound of the door opening again. Then came both interrogators from before. Josh couldn''t help but find this quite sad. Sometimes more didn''t make it better as the weing event in the Tower had proved.


    The man approached and mmed the table before sighing: "Josh, right? Do you know how cases work in this ce?"


    That was a rhetorical question, right? The man kept going.


    "There are many levels of interrogation. The first one is a calm and peaceful talk with us. We try to end it with only that. BUT! That is only possible if you cooperate. Now, should you be stubborn and keep withholding information, your case will change hands. Let''s just say the alternative is far from pleasant if you catch my drift. I wouldn''t want to be in your shoes. At all!"


    "Calm and peaceful talk? That''s why you were shouting so much, right? Then again you visibly quieted down since then. You clearly deserve some mention for the fastest improvements. Do you guys have a best-improved employee of the month wall or something? Ah, but showcasing this guy''s picture in the hall may be a tad¡­yeah better not."


    The man''s face changed. Honestly, how could he not even control his expression?! That is when the woman tried toe back to the topic at hand.


    "It may be fun now to quip jokes, but you won''t like what wille after for sure. This is yourst chance!"


    "I like how vague this all sounds. So mysterious! Schrodinger interrogators, maybe they are real, maybe they aren''t."


    "Do you think we are ying here!?", she continued.


    "Yes? No? I mean you both have very serious expressions, but the dialogue sounds like a joke. What''s with these mixed signals?"


    The man simply signaled her: "Well, we tried. You''ll soon understand the saying you reap what you sow kid. Good luck, you''ll need it."


    That is when they both walked toward the door.


    "Wait! Wait, guys!" Josh stopped them, noticing the small smile they were harboring. "Can I get some popcorn!"


    "¡­.." *CLANG* They angrily left mming the door shut.


    What, they couldn''t even afford popcorn?! Josh noticed they hadn''t tried the friendly approach at all. Would it have killed them? Such a shame.


    He was excited about the prospect of dealing with an actual professional. Would there even be one? They were probably calling their superior asking for instructions at that very moment. Josh was expecting the wait to be even longer but surprisingly they came back rtively quickly.


    They were both harboring a smug smile. Their newfound confidence seemed the stem from a third individual following them. The man was steady-looking with sharp features. A man Josh had seen before, except this time he was wearing a stylish white jacket. He really seemed to love white.


    Josh had to stop himself from bursting intoughter. Especially when thedy subserviently went: "He''s all yours Sir, please work your magic!"


    The man came forward: "Josh, is it? Are you aware of who I am? I am the S rank Healer, Ronan from <Draconic>. Let''s just say you have two choices now. Either you can confess or I can beat you up, a lot."


    "Pretty sure you aren''t allowed to use violence on a suspect, am I wrong?"


    "No! You are perfectly right! But don''t worry! When you''ll exit this ce you won''t have any injury whatsoever!" The way he smiled made his intentions obvious. Well, he was probably faking in this case.


    The middle-aged man chipped in excitedly: "Show him the video! Show him the video!"


    Then they brought a device with a screen in front of Josh. Then, they yed the video of a man getting burned repeatedly and getting healed right after. It was extremely harsh. But what was even harsher was the cinema without the popcorn!


    The interrogator eximed proudly: "How is that! See, I told you it was better you deal with us!" His voice radiated assurance. He was convinced Josh was about to crack.


    Josh found itughable how they had gone out of their way to bring Ronan in here. He was probably passing "by chance" and had somehow been recruited by these two. So much for a secure government facility. Both of them were looking at the healer with stars in their eyes.


    Would they cough blood if they learned of Josh being an ally of <Draconic>? Josh''s reaction to the footage was to ask:


    "I have a question. Can you use this spell to produce infinite meat with only 1 chicken? If yes you could singlehandedly end world hunger. Also, did you ever need to use such a spell to eat human flesh while stuck on a Floor? You know from running out of rations."


    Ronan answered pensively. "Infinite chicken is easy. The issue is actually getting good ingredients, ones that can give food buffs. These are only found as drops in the Tower. As for the human flesh I''ve yet to taste that thankfully."


    "Shame." To which the spectators were bbergasted. How was he not freaking out?! How was Josh so calm! They clearly were overwhelmed by his nonchnt attitude.


    That is when Ronan took control of the situation "Give me 10 minutes with him. He''ll talk. Ah, but I''ll need two things. First, disable the cameras. Second, get a cleaner ready."


    They gulped audibly before nodding excitingly and leaving.


    "Let me just check if they really ¡­" Ronan took out a small device from his pocket that shed a few seconds before going quiet. "Yep, no cameras...or mics. So, how the Hell did you end up killing a man already? Also couldn''t you have done it in the Tower instead?"


    "Kill? I have no clue how he died. He was alive and the next second we were out with him dead." Josh shrugged.


    "Hey, I''m on your side remember! Stop the bullshit! Else I''ll really torture you!"


    "Oh? Feel free to try it." Was Josh a masochist? Nope. But he was curious to see the worst that the healer could do.


    Ronan was now looking at him with a disbelieving expression. Everyone was afraid of him, but not this neer?! "Are you sure? You''ll probably regret it!" There was a hint of concern in his voice with the other part being excitement.


    "Sure, should we bet? Whether I can endure it or not?"


    "Hahahaha. Perfect! I''ll bet 10k Credits. How about it?"


    "Afraid I can''t follow on that one. I can do 5k.", Josh admitted.


    "Perfect you bet 5k and I''ll bet 10k! Now you better not regret it!"


    Ronan made his signature heavy staff appear. Then he gave a very light blow. KACHA, the seemingly light tap shattered the metal table and the chain linking Josh to it altogether. With a smile, Ronan then aimed at Josh directly.


    A light tapter, Josh could feel his ribs getting crushed, the bone shards digging deeper into his body. His whole chest area waspletely caved in. A very mortal strike, yet one that Josh allowed. He somehow trusted the man because of his gut feeling. This was but a test.


    A holy lightter Josh was as good as new. Then started a beatdown that made the previous one look like a walk in the park. There was lots of crushing and blood spilling everywhere. Josh could feel his clothes getting heavy with blood and sticking to his skin, at least what remained of it.


    Itsted a solid 10 minutes. That is when the other two entered the room. They couldn''t help but be horrified upon seeing bone fragments and blood spread out all across the floor, walls, and¡­ceiling?! Josh himself was a mess. He was so bloodied that his eyes could barely be seen. That horror increased when he casually looked at them smiling: "Sup!"


    Thedy was shaking: "W-what happened? D-did he confess?"


    To which Ronan simply replied: "Turns out he seems innocent, I don''t know how to say that but¡­you guys really screwed up on this one. I''m really d I''m in an S-Rank guild, I''ll be fine haha."


    The two opened their mouth in astonishment before losing all color. That''s when they understood that their career was over. They had closed an eye to such insane torture while on duty. They were actually just trying to scare Josh and believed Ronan was on the same page.


    That is when Josh simply smiled at them: "How the tables have turned, am I crazy, or is your fate in my hands?"


    They shivered once more. Then the man simply started kneeling directly: "Please forgive me! I didn''t think it woulde to this! I was just trying to do my job! Please I need to pay for my son''s schooling!"


    "Schooling? Isn''t education affordable?"


    "He joined <Climber High>, a new Climbers-only school. One that has many renowned teachers showing them the ropes while slowly ascending the Tower."


    Yeah, that would be expensive. Just the Tower entry fee would likely bleed a family.


    "Talk is cheap, what can you offer me concretely?"


    "I''lle to your help as long as it''s not for a crime! I''ll put in a good word if youe back here too! Whenever and in the future too!"


    "Sure, I''ll let you off the hook."


    That is when thedy eximed! "I can do that too! I''ll help and¡­"


    "Nope, that was his deal. As for you let me see¡­" Josh felt like teasing her a bit. "How about bing my maid? Haha". Seeing her gritted teeth and hateful expression there was no way she would ept.


    "F-fine! I-I''ll do it!"


    Then came a moment of silence. Honestly, Josh himself didn''t know quite how to handle the situation. He didn''t even have his own ce. Well, he would use her for now at least.


    "Alright, go buy me some clothes. Cool-looking ones. Also, get us some water in here so I can clean myself." Josh couldn''t exactly leave half-naked and soaked in blood, right?


    That is when he turned toward the smiling Ronan. "I believe you owe me 10k Credits haha!"

 Chapter 34: Floor 9 and Trashing the Blind! (1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 34: Floor 9 and Trashing the Blind! (1/2)</h4>


    Before long thedy hade back. Josh could see her unwillingness. He was expecting her hands to be full but surprisingly she was only bringing a small bag with her.


    "What''s that?"


    "C-clothes. Here''s the shower." She then made a small rectangr cabin appear out of nowhere. "C-can I go now?"


    Josh simply nodded as both interrogators hurriedly left afraid that Josh would order them around some more. Josh couldn''t help but wonder how she had done that.


    Ronan chuckled: "Later on in the Tower, you can acquire inventory space that can be used for anything. While it''s nothing big it''s pretty useful in modern society."


    "Wait, can''t people easily steal with that then?"


    "Yes, there are anti-theft systems installed in most shops for that very reason. As for individuals...well try not to lose sight of your own things."


    After a quick shower, Josh wore his new clothes, ck ones that gave him a cool albeit slightly evil look. In a typical movie, he would have clearly been the antagonist haha. Then they exited the premises with people respectfully nodding to Ronan.


    "How are you so popr in this ce? Isn''t this a government building?"


    "Here is the thing, S-Rank guilds have close ties to the government. For instance, bing an S-ranker is one way to board <Arcadia> and-"


    "Wait a second! What exactly is this <Arcadia>?"


    "Ah, you may have noticed but there is a flying ship right above the center of the Metropolis. It hosts some of the most important people there are. Lots of decisions are made onboard. It is also one of the greatest honors to have ess to it."


    "Hmm, so do I have permission to go then?" after all Josh had the highest internal guild rank in <Draconic>.


    "Yes, but I suggest you don''t. People would be jealous and possibly try to kidnap you."


    "Makes sense, not that I intended to anyway. I was simply curious."


    "So, what do you n on doing now?", Ronan inquired.


    "Climb." Josh simply answered. He had already wasted enough time with this little interlude.


    "Haha, the right attitude to expect from someone in <Draconic>. Well then, good luck and try not to murder anyone."


    "Any advice on Floor 9?"


    "Same as all the other ones haha, don''t die."


    Josh simply nodded before sending a message to Dale telling him he was alright. Then he stopped in front of the Tower, somehow he already had been missing it haha. The usual red glowter, Josh was in.


    [Mission: Capture Blind Kobold! Enjoy!]


    Talking about a blind kobold, it wouldn''t be missing much since the environment was extremely dark. Josh could barely see a meter in front of him. It seemed to be a small tunnel. Not only was there the challenge to fight with low visibility but the cramped space may potentially be an issue too for many.


    Now, where would the target possibly be? Was it a named NPC? Why was it needed to capture him? Either way, Josh simply followed the tunnel.


    On the sides, Josh could see seemingly empty ore deposits. There were marks of the rock having been dug. This ce was most likely a mine. Just as Josh was calmly walking a creature sneaked out from behind a rock. It advanced slowly with a pickaxe in hand. A few momentster it swung it heavily in order to crack the human''s skull open.


    Still, that darkness wasn''t enough to hide its presence. Josh took a step backward with the weapon missing him entirely. Josh then drove his sword in the creature''s throat making it die in iprehension. Even at death''s door it never understood how it had been noticed.


    The creature was smaller than a human. About 3/4 the size of one, but very lean too. It had a reptilian face, scales across its humanoid body, ws at its feet and hands, with a tailpleting its look. Its entire body was a reddish-brown. It wore some kind of rough cloth, nothing else. Its pickaxe had clearly been used for mining. Josh simply left the body there on the side.


    Heading deeper Josh came to a fork. There were a plethora of tunnels to possibly explore. He slowly started scouting. After a few rounds, he had seen or heard more kobolds. There were two types of kobolds. The guards that were watching the surroundings and the miners that were simply digging. The miners always had grey names and were weaker.


    There were three types of tunnels. There were some active tunnels with lots of kobold miners and a few guards. Some were semi-active with a few miners and almost no guards. Finally, some were abandoned. Josh had spawned in one such tunnel, with as straggler being there by chance...or as a tutorial for the Floor.


    Both miners and guards only had one pickaxe. The difference was how well-maintained the tools were. The ones of the guards for instance seemed sharp and had for purpose to kill.


    The kobolds were working mostly in darkness, with some lighting from green glowing mushrooms from time to time. The mission was one well suited for sneaking around in the darkness. Good thing there were nametes because all the kobolds looked the exact same.


    The creatures themselves were numerous, but they were pretty weak individually. Most kobolds had grey names and were level 9, some green level 10, and one blue so far lv 11. Josh tried throwing a rock to see their reaction. They all jumped out surprised while being on high alert. Before long they resumed their mining activities.


    Now this ce was obviously very disadvantageous to humans. Low visibility and outnumbered in unknown territory. Getting spotted would clearly mean having to fight countless of them, to the death. Yet Josh didn''t feel like it and shouted instead: "Hey guys, wanna y fill the tunnel? It''s an easy game really. You check how many kobold corpses it takes to block itpletely. You guys down?"


    Following Josh''s voice, many kobolds came on the assault. Actually, only six kept going, the others aborted thinking it would already be overkill. The miners kept peacefully doing their job. Except that they would soon change their opinion.


    A few stabster, 6 koboldsid unmoving on the cold hard rocky ground. That''s the moment the others finally turned their attention to Josh. Seeing the downfall of their brethren the miners started screaming at the top of their lungs. It sounded something like REEEEEEE, reminding Josh of some kids on Earth.


    After a while an adult ¡­eh mining supervisor finally came to check on them. Noticing Josh it too started screeching for reinforcements. Until finally there were about 3 dozen kobolds assembling. With low grunts, they charged toward Josh.


    Unsurprisingly the result was as expected. They had the advantage in numbers¡­in a small tunnel. This seemed like a chain meat processing nt. "One koboldes in, gets turned into meat then it''s the turn of the next one!" As more died the corpses started piling up. "Behold the great kobold wall of ¡­.whatever this ce is.", Josh proimed.


    Before long, they retreated. Then the miners stopped for a few instants, looked at Josh, at the pile of cadavers, then at their fleeing protectors. That''s when they started running too, some even dropping their pickaxes in the confusion. Was it possible to simply grab all these tools and sell them to a cksmith so he could smelt it all? Probably not.


    The rocks they had been hitting looked to be containing iron, albeit with small red lines in it. Was it some kind of magical iron? Perhaps an entirely new resource? Josh wouldn''t bother too much with it. He simply kept progressing. He was expecting reinforcements toe any second now, but the tunnels were quiet. No sign of any hostiles whatsoever.


    It is only after a good 10 minutes of walking that he finally managed to see something special. In front of him stood a blockade made of¡­barrels? These monsters were clearly special. They were not especially bloodthirsty, they were careful and knew how to assume a defensive position.


    Now that Josh thought about it, the goblins too had resided in viges. It''s just that he had invaded them directly in their home. They had nowhere to retreat back then. It was either killing him or dying.


    How would one go about destroying a blockade? Josh simply went around exploring more tunnels. He went around for probably a few days. It was hard to tell in theplete darkness. Still, soon he was done mapping it all. By now he had understood the system.


    There were writings on the walls indicating where every branch led to exactly. It described the quantity of mineral left, the number of troops assigned, and all. Of course, Josh wouldn''t pretend to understand it all. But at least he was able to recognize a few symbols determining roughly where everything led.


    There was also a specific symbol pointing to their headquarters. It turned out that there were countless tunnels heading in there. There were probably a few hundred kobolds inhabiting the ce.


    Soon the kobolds started sending guards to patrol the area. They were trying to find Josh. Josh simply hid. As best as they tried they were making too much noise to avoid his detection. Whenever one wasing he simply hid behind a rock for a little while.


    Soon enough, the miners came out too again. It seemed like they were not aware of the nature of this ce. If they knew how the Tower worked they would have known for sure that Josh was still lurking.


    Now he needed to somehow enter their bastion. It seemed to be guarded by a few kobold guards at every tunnel. The difficulty was to infiltrate unseen. They had a better vision than him so the darkness wouldn''t help much.


    Still, Josh figured something out. Not all entrances were carved equally. There were a few that were linked to tunnels that were spiraling. Meaning that behind the corner it wasn''t possible to see what was happening. There was an issue of course.


    The more at-risk tunnels had more guards. Instead of one or two kobolds, there were about 5. That is when Josh formted a n, one that would most likely fail, but that was worth a try. He waited until the start of a new day. That was when the kobold miners ventured outside to mine¡­

 Chapter 35: Floor 9 and Trashing the Blind! (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 35: Floor 9 and Trashing the Blind! (2/2)</h4>


    Then just as they left, he came near the corner before dropping a pickaxe. The kobold guards on the other side heard the nging sound clearly. Without thinking one of them approached, grabbed the pickaxe off the ground, then hurriedly turned the corner¡­.Where Josh was awaiting. As soon as he raised his eyes the kobold knew it had fucked up. But before it could run or emit a sound its neck was already broken.


    Then Josh made sure that the kobold looked half-decent before hoisting the body in front of him. Then he simply rushed inside while hiding behind it.


    Now, the few guards clearly realized there was something bizarre with what they were seeing. Their friend was dashing so fast toward them while floating in the air. Still, it took them a few moments to process what exactly was wrong with the grotesque appearance.


    It became all clear when they could finally see Josh throwing the corpse at them. Except that just as they were about to sound the rm, Josh had already twisted a few of their necks. There was one remaining kobold, in the process of opening its mouth. Josh threw his sword. It lodged itself snuggly right in the monster''s face thus ending its futile attempt.


    By some miracle, no one had seen Josh at work. Actually, the ce seemed pretty empty, with that specific outpost only being in a remote corner.


    Turning around, Josh could see something magnificent. Contrary to the tunnels, inside was light. There were many glowing green mushrooms radiating a pleasant atmosphere. The area seemed vast with pathways going downward and various little cave entrances in the walls.


    They had dug a big area for where they nested. Their actual civilization level was unconfirmed. They had metal, but somehow only pickaxes. They weren''t wearing armor either. Only a rough cloth. This was peculiar for sure. There was no trace of fire either.


    At the bottom, there seemed to be a cave entrance bigger than the other ones with 2 elite guards defending it. Now, these guys would be an issue. To somehow descend Josh would have to pass right in front of their eyes.


    Should he simply rush in there? He didn''t really care that much about being seen. He simply didn''t want to waste the opportunity to explore without fearing his target running away. Whoever that blind kobold was it would be a pain if he ran like his brethren.


    Looking around there were a few pickaxes. Josh did have an idea, but even he wasn''t confident. It would rely on luck as much as skills. The kobolds down there seemed as unmoving as statues.


    Josh grabbed two pickaxes, getting used to their weight, swinging them around for a little while. Then hen went toward the edge of the hole peering down there.


    Focusing on his two targets he swung and released both pickaxed. The gravity itself was enough to give a frightening power to both pickaxes. Josh couldn''t help but hope for the best.


    He then started climbing downward. The two kobolds looked up just in time to notice two shadows aiming for their heads, approaching very rapidly. That was thest thing they both saw before their heads exploded akin to a watermelon sending gory bits all over the ce.


    One thing for sure was that it was impossible to clean this mess. Anyoneing remotely nearby would see it. Josh quickly headed inside.


    After journeying for a few minutes, appeared before him a throne room. The glowing mushrooms did make the ce less¡­regal. In there were a dozen kobolds kneeling in front of an old blind kobold on a throne, a shabby one made of coarse iron. The creature''s skin looked discolored.


    As soon as Josh entered, one turned its head, but he quickly dashed over ending them all with a quick strike to the neck. That left him alone with the blind kobold. He seemed to sense that something was amiss, probably thanks to the smell of blood.


    <Blind Kobold lv 1> His level was special, to say the least. Josh didn''t let it time to do anything as he dashed toward it before grabbing the creature. The old kobold didn''t even move in his arms only softly calling for help in a broken voice that seemed especially old.


    Now what? Was Josh simply supposed to wait? He had captured the target.


    "System, I''vepleted the mission. What are you waiting for?"


    That''s when Josh suddenly felt something. Something he was very familiar with, killing intent. Quickly and violently throwing the old kobold, Josh backed away. Just in time to see it sh with a dagger. It had been aiming for Josh''s heart and would have urately pierced it had he been careless.


    Josh chuckled slightly as he inspected the old kobold once more. <Blind Kobold lv 15??> "Nice try, old thing. Now shall we y?" Josh simply dashed toward the creature, but then he abruptly stopped before falling back. He has seen the yful look of his adversary.


    That''s when Josh picked up a nearby corpse throwing it at the enemy. Pushed from the impact it dropped the open vial that it was hiding in its hand. Picking a glowing mushroom Josh threw it toward the creature.


    Only then with the added lighting did he notice clearly the almost invisible cloud surrounding it. Poison. That was why it was hoping that Josh would charge at it. Said poison cloud was slowly dissipating to the dismay of the creature.


    Only then did it start to panic. Josh still decided to be safe, he kept throwing dead kobolds. How many kobold corpses does it take to kill another living kobold? Well, in this case, 3 topletely immobilize it and a pickaxe to the face to thoroughly terminate it. Josh could hear the cries of despair of the monster that knew his end was imminent as the pickaxe was flying toward its head. Then it exploded.


    Josh wouldn''t have pity for such a thing, no matter how many emotions it showed. The creature had tried to sneak attack him. One could argue Josh was the invader, but honestly, he gave no fuck either.


    [Capture target dead, mission failed!]


    "Nope, the mission never specified dead or alive. The target is so captured it''s impossible for it to run anymore."


    [Capture target-]


    "Dead AND captured! Now, update your software and note it aspleted!"


    [Punishment mission: Kobold Onught- Recalibration, Mission sessful Punishment Aborted!]


    "Wait a damn minute! Kobold Onught?! That sounds fun! Note the mission as a sess andunch the event!"


    [Error, error, error!]


    "Shut up and just do it!


    [Mission Aplished! Now Starting Event Kobold Onught!]


    "Now that''s more like it!"


    Going back to the entrance, Josh waited for the Kobold Army. Looking up he could see countless kobolds running down toward his position, from every tunnel. It was impressive how fast they had gotten the message considering there had been no report of their leader dying.


    Either it was because of some magical link between them or maybe thanks to the system directly.


    Then started a true ughter. A torrent of scaly small humanoids kept invading and dying in the most efficient manner possible. Honestly, that was why Josh loved humanoids so much. A clear strike to the throat, head, or heart, and they were done.


    Before long Josh was showing good progress with his new kobold wall. All until at some point they stoppeding. Sadly Josh had only killed a few hundred. He didn''t even manage to level up. How sad was that?!


    They kept dropping Kobold Pickaxes all over the ce. Some were considered items and some were not. Either way, they all worked well when used as projectiles. There was a certain satisfaction to be had to use the weapons of your enemies against them. There were also a few <F-Rank Kobold Helmet> dropping, yes from kobolds that didn''t wear armor...


    The dwellings of the kobolds were rather in. So in that Josh didn''t believe that anything could truly live there. Once more it confirmed that this was but a game, except that the yers were real. But this Floor showed way more realism than some others. Maybe one day there would appear a Floor with itsplete ecosystem.


    Now, would the kobolds respawn? Since he had explored every nook and cranny of the ce Josh went out of the area. He had made sure to remember where the best footholds were.


    He couldn''t help butugh out loud when he saw miners exiting their city about an hourter. They did so without a worry in the world as if it was just morning. Oh, he would have lots of fun.


    Now that Josh had tried the quiet and sneaky approach, it was time for the brute force one. He would speed run this! Josh simply went as fast as he could without even bothering about the stunned kobold guards.


    Running on the small pathway leading to the chief''s ce he came down just as the two elite guards tried to intercept him. A boot in the faceter they fell down as Josh continued his journey. A few instantster he was running sword in hand toward the blind kobold before plunging it in its heart.


    That is when the other kobolds in the room all took out vials. Josh''s face couldn''t help but change. These enemies he had disregarded ended up being poison masters too! Oh crap! Running away while holding his breath he killed a few, but then another made a poison cloud appear once more.


    Fleeing at full speed Josh had to deal with a Kobold Onught. Except, this time around he couldn''t simply hold a defensive position. Every other minute a kobold would throw poison at him sending him running some more.


    He had to push against the flow of enraged kobolds as he escaped. It wasn''t anything Josh couldn''t handle. Still, it was a HUGE pain in the ass! It took him a long time of running all around until he could finally level up. Now, anyone sane would have instantly teleported out. But Josh wouldn''t let it end like that.


    Instead, Josh waited for the respawn. This time he wouldn''tmit the same mistake. Before long they were back. Without waiting Josh rushed in there, bypassed the first sentries, bypassed the elite guards, entered the throne room, murdered all of these annoying poison masters, and then turned to the blind kobold to¡­.it was gone. What the hell?! How?!


    That is when Josh noticed that there was a hidden mechanism in the throne. One where a kobold could slide in to run. Where did it lead? Josh had no idea. But he didn''t have time to figure it out. No, instead he had to kill the kobold onught that for some reason was provoked once more.


    It took a while to kill them all, but this time the effort was pretty rxing. Then started the search for the goddamn kobold. Josh finally found it. Except it didn''t look anything simr to before. No, he found a blind miner. One that tried fighting back with its dagger but only ended up dead.


    Josh couldn''t help but think that this Floor had been slightly entertaining as he teleported out. As soon as he was out, he heard the constant Beeping of his UW. Apparently, both Dale and the people from Draconic had sent him lots of messages. Quickly ncing at it he noticed they were making a fuss about Josh''s trip to the ck Squad.

 Chapter 36: No Longer Homeless! Actually...

    <h4>Chapter 36: No Longer Homeless! Actually...</h4>


    As soon as he was out, Josh''s UW started beeping so much it almost reminded him of the video that went viral. ncing at his messages it was all about his time at the ck Squad Headquarters.


    -Dale the Phoenix: Josh you are alright?! Where are you?! Is this some sort of conspiracy?! Did they send messages from your UW to try and fish for proof of guilt?! You are clearly innocent!


    Dale was clearly over-thinking this but at least he was trying to help. Funny how he was one of the few that actually knew the whole story and Josh''s exact motive. Now, why didn''t the ck Squad even bother to¡­.


    -Dale the Phoenix: They interrogated us but we obviously have no idea what happened. We just told them honestly that you are a peaceful and calm individual as far as we know. Hope youe back soon. Otherwise, I''m taking this to the media! I''ll denounce this injustice and ¡­


    ''Peaceful and calm individual? Now would be the perfect time for a shback of the goriest kills so far haha. Wait¡­.taking it to the media?!'' That part wasn''t good! This whole episode was already behind him, there was no need to make it blow up, especially that it would sour his ckmail- friendship with the interrogators.


    Quickly sending a message back, Josh made sure Dale would behave. The man kept insisting on doing a video call directly while in disbelief. Before long appeared his tear-stained face on the screen.


    "Josh! You''re fine! Is it really you! I was so worried¡­.Where were you?!"


    "In the Tower, don''t worry a friend bailed me out. Anyway, talkter!" Quickly hanging up Josh saved himself from a further emotional and pointless talk. He''d let him time to process it all. He clearly left a stunned Dale on the other end, one that would probably start specting about that friend''s identity.


    Now paying attention to the other messages, they seemed to be from the Guild. They had been tagging him relentlessly. A few of these were:


    -Just Damien: @Healer Ronan, are you sure you brought @Josh MF Malum back? You didn''t just fake a report, right?!


    -Healer Ronan: Screw you! He''s in the Tower! Why aren''t you climbing yourself, you dumbass!


    -Lily of the Frontline: ¡­..you guys are in the same party! Anyway, @Josh MF Malum Come back soon! Try not to walk into a murder again!


    -Friendly Terry: Yes, peace is necessary to¡­


    -Liam the Ultimate Samurai: @Friendly Terry, aren''t you on the ck Squad watchlist? @Josh MF Malum, hope youe back soon buddy.


    -Friendly Terry: That''s just because of my ss! It''s discrimination I''m telling you!


    -Peaceful Joe: @Josh MF Malum, heard about the bet, GJ !!! *Thumbs Up* x100 Feel free to win more from this guy.


    -Healer Ronan: Hey that''s the price of a whole D-Rank Item! How dare you celebrate the misfortune of a guild-mate!


    -Serene Brings the Heat: @Peaceful Joe +1!!! @Healer Ronan Please, you stingy bastard! You are already in full D-Rank equipment! You can totally afford it!


    It actually went on for pages and pages¡­ These guys had a lot of free time, to say the least. In the end, Dario had to send a message to tell them to cut it out.


    Josh figured that there was something he should probably do. He had recently received a lot of Credits, already had awesome gear for his level, and thus decided to splurge a bit. Splurge for something that was not entirely necessary but that would be nice for sure.


    -Josh MF Malum: Sup guys, I''m looking to rent/buy an apartment. Does anyone have good advice for that?


    -AIYA: HE''S ALIVEEE!!!!


    -Dragon Daddy: Did you reflect on your actions so you aren''t put in a simr situation in the future and ¡­.


    (It kept going but Josh stopped reading, it was a literal wall of text)


    -Healer Ronan: Just in time! Wanna bet on something else? I''ll get back those 10k!


    -Liam the Ultimate Samurai: Wee back! Ask @Lily of the Frontline, she can help for sure with that.


    Josh quickly sent her a private message. Apparently, her family worked as real estate agents. Seeing that Josh was at the Tower she simply told him to sit tight. After a dozen minutes, someone approached Josh.


    The neer was a small daintydy. She was wearing a white summer dress and her hair waspletely white. Josh wasn''t sure if it was natural or not but it did fit her quite well. Her chestnut eyes were looking his way as she waved at him!


    "Josh, right?! I came as fast as possible! Oh, by the way, congrats on surviving the interrogation and winning that bet! I gotta say I''m a bit jealous. Ronan will think twice or even thrice before betting again with you haha. Still, you totally deserve it. I heard about how you had to withstand that perverted guy''s torture. If he is ready to mistreat himself that much there is no way he will be gentle when ites to others. Are you alright, by the way? I don''t just mean physically but also-"


    "Wait! Wait! Take a deep breath and slow down. One thing at a time. Hello, I''m Josh. Nice to meet you." Who knew how long she would have kept going. It almost seemed like she was recording a whole audiobook right there!


    "Ah, I''m Lily. Nice to meet you! Sorry about that, whenever I meet someone new I ¡­"


    "No worries, alright how do we proceed for the apartment?"


    "You are looking for an upgrade since you can now afford it, right? How is your current ce and what exactly makes you unsatisfied with it?"


    As she inquired, she guided the way toward the¡­D district it seemed.


    "Haha, it can only be an improvement. All I need is something close to the Tower so I can go in as easily as possible."


    "Perfect! Here we are."


    They had reached a medium size-building that seemed especially well maintained. As soon as they entered Lily seemed to be sneaking around. Josh couldn''t help but look questioningly at her. At a desk was a youngdy that couldn''t help but chuckle seeing Lily act.


    She stood up, "Wee to <TopDwellings>, the worst name but the best property agency!", she said while smiling.


    Then came a voice from the nearby room: "Hey! I heard that! What do you mean the worst name!?" Entered a middle-ageddy.


    Upon seeing Lily, she jumped in surprise before dashing at her and giving her a bear hug. "You came to visit! How sweet! Are you eating well? Are your guild colleagues taking care of you? Are you careful when entering the Tower?"


    Lily almost looked like she was about to suffocate, helplessly standing there. By now the saledy had already erupted intoughter. It is only then that the middle-ageddy seemed to notice Josh. "Hello, young man, who might you be? Are you her boyfriend?"


    "Mom! What are you talking about!" Lily cried out!


    "C''mon. No need to hide it from me! How long have you guys been together? Young man, where did you guys first meet? Ah, are you guys using protection?"


    Josh sighed. "Aunty, you need to get on with the times. There is healing magic for that now. But don''t worry she''s in very good hands."


    "MOM! He''s not my boyfriend! Also, why are you making it worse!" By now she waspletely flushed red. In her panic, her tone had also raised a few octaves. "Anyway, we came here to look for a ce for him. What do you have near the Tower?"


    Her mother nodded: "I see, let''s look for a ce big enough for my baby girl and her lover, what do we have¡­"


    "Mom!!"


    The salesgirl chuckled: "Lily, just look at her face. She''s clearly making fun of you haha."


    That is when the mother erupted into sonorousughter with the daughter facepalming.


    The mother finally went to the back again. Leaving them to their own business. Looking at theputer, the salesgirl quicklypiled a list of all locations avable.


    "Alright between good lighting, spaciousness, peaceful neighborhood, price-" she started asking.


    "It needs to be close to the Tower, that''s all."


    "What if it''s closed to a very noisy area you wouldn''t be able to sleep then! That could be a potential danger. Imagine falling asleep in the Tower! That would be a death sentence!", she seemed proud of her analysis.


    "Close to the Tower, that''s it." Josh could hear her grumble about how bad of an idea it was. She even nced at Lily, but thetter simply shrugged.


    Lily quickly looked at the screen before signaling Josh to follow her. Then they walked some more reaching the A district, directly in the center of the Metropolis and right next to the Tower.


    "I didn''t even know there were ces to rent here¡­" Josh looked around and there didn''t seem to be any housing in the area."


    "I didn''t know either! In fact, I''m sure you''ll love it!" She had a mischievous air about her. "The ce we are going is a steal, it has a bigwn, is right next to the Tower, and has no neighbor!"


    Josh loved the sound of that. About 500 meters from the Tower za she went toward¡­a manhole cover! Then she pushed it aside before gesturing Josh to head in first. What kind of apartment was located in the sewers?! No sane person would ept that!¡­ So Josh stepped in. Down there the air was surprisingly breathable.


    Seeing Josh looking around curiously Lily exined. "There are water and air purifiers all around the ce. Besides the asional rats, this ce is pretty neat. There are even a few U-bots making the rounds around here to clean everything."


    "Impressive! Are you kidding me or is there really a room down here?"


    "Apparently there used to be a room for employees to take a break while they were cleaning the sewers once every other month. Ever since the U-bots, it has remained unused. I''m just messing with you, I''m not even sure why it''s listed with us. Still, I kinda want to see what it looks like."


    She then guided him through a small side tunnel near the essdder. Before long, a clean but empty room could be seen. Rectangr, small, stone walls and floor. It was barren but rtively well maintained.


    "It''s kinda cool in a sense. They ask for 100 Credits a month for this ce haha. Of course, it is not a ce for a human to live and-"


    "I''ll take it. It''s better than where I was sleeping before. A slight walk but worth it."


    "What do you mean you''ll take¡­.Wait where were you sleeping before?! Worse and closer to the Tower?! Did you sleep in a bush by the side of the road?!"


    "Ah, no. I slept in the Tower."


    "Y-you, you''re kidding, right?! Right?!"


    "Nope, it''s not that bad actually. Not only is it super cheap but sometimes you get an item to drop too."


    "You''re kidding, right? Haha", she started to nervouslyugh.


    "Nope." That is when she realized that Josh was serious.


    "Madman, madman, madman, madman¡­"


    "Lily¡­you okay?"


    Her eyes were lifeless, the mental shock too big for her. She sounded like a broken record. That is when Josh heard his UW beeping.


    -Dario the Dragon: All Gold-Rank members and above get your asses back to <Draconic>. This is an emergency! Whoever doesn''t make it will be kicked out of the guild!


    What was that about?!

 Chapter 37: Emergency and Opportunity!

    <h4>Chapter 37: Emergency and Opportunity!</h4>


    "Emergency?! C''mon Josh let''s hurry up. This is the first time this has ever happened! Hopefully, it''s nothing bad¡­"


    Josh simply nodded before hurriedly following Lily. She seemed stressed and worrying. "Don''t worry. Whatever is happening we''ll deal with it.", he calmly said.


    She simply rolled her eyes at him. How was he, a newbie, the one reassuring her? Before long they had reached the E district where <Draconic>''s base was located. Instead of going to the general area, they went to a private lounge.


    In there were many individuals assembled, many Josh was seeing for the first time. These were the people he had interacted with in the guild chat. As soon as they entered, Ronan came forward to wee them. "Hey, Josh! How about we bet on what this is about?"


    Came a few chastising remarks in the background:


    "Cheater, you already know about it!"


    "Josh, don''t fall for his tricks!"


    "He''s just a gambling addict! Don''t be like him!"


    With Ronan turning around to shout at them "I have no clue why we are here either!¡­ How about it, Josh?"


    Then they quickly digressed as usual.


    "So that''s Josh, eh. He doesn''t look like Dario at all! I personally think he''s too handsome to be his son¡­"


    "That was clearly a rumor, he got summoned with Liam!"


    "Oh"


    "He came in with Lily, were they on a date?"


    "Think he was looking for an apartment or something¡­"


    "Makes sense."


    Josh pondered a few instants. "What are we betting on and how much?" He could see a beaming Ronan and hear whispers deploring how they had a new gambling addict in the guild.


    "How about we bet on the content of the meeting? We can bet 5K or something. I''m thinking there has been an S-Rank group that disappeared in the Tower!"


    In the Tower, eh? No, if the problem was simply a Floor in the Tower there wouldn''t be a need for such secrecy and fuss. Dario could have simply issued a temporary ban order from Climbing.


    From Josh''s experience, there were a few reasons to keep a secret. The need to be physically present increased the odds of it being the core issue here. A few would be:


    First, increase one''s power by capitalizing on an information monopole. The guilds were in apeting rtionship, but they had to work together in the grand scheme of things. Well, only those who cared about saving humanity. Dario probably wouldn''t hide information that would benefit the public.


    Second, for a hidden operation. To deal with either internal or external trouble. However, there was no way to organize such a thing in the Tower. What if it was something happening in the real world? There would be a need to keep a tight lid on the news. Hopefully, it wasn''t a war¡­


    Third, something that could cause the masses to panic. Except, the general popce wasn''t Climbers¡­Could bad news in the Tower affect them? Yes, but not in the short term. There would be a short period of insecurity but it would still be manageable by the government and guilds.


    What if¡­.Josh replied, "Alright, I''ll bet that the issue is actually outside the Tower!" That rendered Ronan pensive, but he didn''t outright reject that possibility.


    Lily approached Josh "You know if you have too many Credits you can just gift me some, right? No need to waste it gambling¡­" Josh simply shook his head smiling.


    That is when came the sound of the door. Entered Liam, Lucas, and Dario. Thetter carrying the formers like potato sacks under each arm.


    As soon as they were released, they ran next to Josh with Lucas sighing "We could have walked, we simply missed the message because we were training. I me Liam''s <Mana sh> for distracting me!"


    "Lucas, like you are one to talk! What about that <Rainbow Pierce> of yours? It produces enough light to KO an epileptic instantly! You-" but after being red at by Dario he stopped talking too.


    The Dragon locked the doors and looked at everyone in the eye. "What you guys see today cannot be shared with anyone including your own families. No matter what. Is that understood?" came shocked gasps and people agreeing. "Honestly it''s not that big of a deal but as it is the first incident of its kind we need to be careful."


    "Here watch this." A giant screen appeared on the wall. Then yed a video. One that showed a small city. "This right here is City D-23, a remote ce with a poption of 300 000. This footage has been taken yesterday. As you guys know, Metropolis D is our neighbor. They are in charge of that area. Now watch carefully."


    At first, everything was normal, but then the sky seemed to take on a strange red hue. This sign was apparently ignored by the residents as they were going about their day as usual. It only became worse as time passed.


    Dario fast-forwarded this part in order to clearly show the evolution. The more time passed and the deeper the red hue became. Eventually, the ground started shaking slightly. Even then it was misunderstood as a slight tremor and ignored.


    "D-23 barely had any Climber. Let''s just say they weren''t prepared for what happened next, at all."


    At some point, the slight tremors finally stopped. Except that a few minutester all Hell broke loose. A true earthquake began, but it wasn''t all. No, red fog too started gushing out of¡­the sky itself?!


    The red fog quickly covered the entire city, hiding it from sight. Then the camera kept rolling with nothing happening whatsoever. There was no sign of any survivor, at all.


    "City D-23 is now gone. In its ce is <Disaster Zone D-23>. Now, we were only informed of the situation because we are an S-Rank guild. All information about the topic has been gagged. It is the first recorded instance of such a phenomenon. That is why no information will be given to the public before we get to the bottom of this."


    Serene in the back couldn''t help but scoff. "Let me guess, Tower rted? What happens when one goes in?"


    "Uponing in contact with the edge of the Disaster Zone there will be a Tower prompt asking if one wants to enter. The difficulty apparently changes based on the level and number of participants. There doesn''t seem to be a limit to said number either. There have been a few guilds entering with all their members already."


    Lily raised her hand "What happened to them, don''t tell me¡­?!"


    Dario sighed "Precisely, none came out. That''s why from now on only members of S-Rank guilds are allowed in. Now, there are a few points to consider. One, this should be level-based so no amount of leveling in the Tower will help. Two, everything inside will be unknown. Most of our losses in then Tower were in the early days when we werecking crucial knowledge. Three, in this case, soloing could actually be a viable option."


    Liam shouted "I''ll do it! Sounds fun!"


    A wise-looking man added: "That''s exactly why this youngster shouldn''t be going! This is no ce to have fun! As a dad, I can''t-"


    Dario cut him off: "Kaar''te is right, we won''t take this lightly for sure. Honestly, whether we even go remains to be seen. The primary reason why I had you all gather here today is actually to n for the future. The fact that it happened once suggests that it could very well happen again. I''m sending you all our evacuation n in case Metropolis C gets afflicted with the same issue."


    All of their UWs beeped at once, quickly looking over it Josh noticed it was pretty standard. They were to flee to a City nearby where there would be a bunker awaiting them with means to be self-sufficient for a while so they could n their return.


    Dario then asked: "Any questions?" He was clearly expecting them to ask plenty, to be worried, excited, and all. Except he was bound to be surprised, for this is the reaction that came:


    Ronan first eximed loudly! "Motherfucker! How the hell did you know?!" Followed by everyone but theters turning around to stare at Josh suspiciously. They were all trying to figure out his secret.


    That is when Kasha smiled "Josh, how about you go in?"


    Lily: "Kasha that''s going too far! Even if you dislike him you can''t¡­"


    Some pale-looking guy: "No, she has a point. If the difficulty changes ording to the number of people¡­"


    Some muscr guy: "Ah, he hasn''t joined a party yet!"


    Kasha: "Please! You think I was trying to send a guild member to his death?! Who do you think I am!"


    Ronan: "Actually, why is Kasha even here, wasn''t she demoted?!"


    Kasha: "Screw you!"


    Josh could either try his luck in the new instance or remain in Metropolis C to climb the Tower. Both options would probably increase his power in some way. Still, Josh knew about the Feat system. That was how he had received his only skill so far, the bloodline one. Chances were there would be an opportunity to aplish one in there too.


    Was it worth itpared to the danger? Josh had awesome gear and a trump card. He would probably be fine as long as he was careful.


    Josh addressed the room: "You know what, I think I will. Alright, who wants to give me a lift there?"


    "Hey, I want to go too!" Liam shouted in the background. Still, it was determined that Josh would be the sole representative for <Draconic>, at least for now.


    Thus the emergency meeting came to an end.


    Josh couldn''t help but be curious about what he would soon face.

 Chapter 38: Traveling in Style!

    <h4>Chapter 38: Traveling in Style!</h4>


    Bonus chapter ^_^v


    Kasha approached. As usual, she had that wild vibe to her. She seemed to be ready to pounce angrily on Josh. "Alright, follow me." Josh couldn''t help but stare at her perplexed. She rified "Youing or not? <Disaster Zone D-23> you need a lift, right?"


    "Later, everyone!" Josh followed her. "I''m surprised, didn''t you dislike me?"


    "Oh, I still dislike you. I''m just helping you reach the Disaster Zone faster so you can disappear in it faster" she winked.


    "Oh wow!" Josh eximed with her looking inquisitively at him. "It''s just my first time meeting a mythical tsundere in real life!"


    She fiddled with her UW for a while, probably looking the definition up, before snorting at him. They simply walked for a while in silence, then they ran in silence. She was going so fast that Josh soon couldn''t catch up. He could see her harbor a triumphant smile. She guided him all the way to the periphery of the City to what seemed like the suburbs.


    Raising his eyes, Josh could see colorful flyings cars, flying buses, flying ¡­was that a scooter?! It seemed lively. Josh couldn''t help but nce everywhere wide-eyed. The center of the City was technologically advanced but besides robots, holograms, and VR, Josh hadn''t seen much.


    "Is this your first time seeing vehicles? I heard that you earthlings don''t even have that. Talk about a bumpkin, eh? You seem surprised. They are not allowed to fly above the city, well besides <Arcadia>, mostly for security reasons." She exined.


    That made sense. How easy would it be to suddenly go full speed and crash into some business? Any organization able to own a shop near the Tower was clearly influential. After all, a single room in the sewers had a cost of 100 Credits already. It would probably be an exponential cost for businesses. Actually, Josh was super lucky to have gotten that room, wasn''t he?


    "Alright,e." She raised her arm hollering at a bright orange car that stopped right in front of them. "Hop in. Alright, we''ll be going to <Hangard C-S6>"


    The interior was rtively spacious with enough room for the feet. Sitting on the seat felt like sinking into a soft bed of feathers. Except¡­why was everything orange?! It was so ring and distasteful!


    "Right away, ma''am! I am Armin if you need anything you can ask me. In the middlepartment are refreshments and snacks. In front of you is a HUB hidden in the separator. If you want I can even do an ent and act as a tour guide or shut up the whole way!"


    Wow, that was so damn amodating! This would be a rtively cool ride. Opening the HUB Josh saw what appeared to be a talk show, he could read in the background <Talk of the Metroplis>. A youngdy was interviewing some hairless bald guy. He didn''t even have eyebrows!


    "So today I am receiving Bhus himself! For people who don''t know him, he is an eminent member of the A-Rank guild <Golden Lion>. Let''s give him a round of apuse!"


    *Sound of pping*


    "It''s an honor to be here!"


    "As usual, question barrage! Is your real name Bhus? Can you tell us about your peculiar ss? What made you join <Golden Lion>?"


    "Haha, yes that is the name on my birth certificate. Let''s just say my parents own a winery and have always been huge wine producers and lovers. Because of this, I spent my life around wine since the moment I was little, not drinking it but making it. Then the first time I stepped in the Tower I was stupefied¡­"


    "Interesting! Howe?!"


    "Well, I was offered the ss choice <Winemancer>"


    "Winemancer?! What does that imply?!"


    "Well, most mages would summon elements, I summon wine. I can fight with it too! That''s also why I joined <Golden Lion> they are at the core a hostelry group so they were very interested in my abilities. From time to time I''ll do a round to entertain the customers so make sure you visit!"


    "Wow, please do a demonstration for us! Please!" As she said that she was bouncing up and down excitingly. Let''s just say that there was something else bouncing, heavily. In fact, Josh was ready to bet half the audience had been waiting to watch that magical moment.


    Before long the man started creating wine out of nowhere akin to a water mage and do tricks with it. "It only works with wine, not water and yes it is perfectly safe to drink. In fact, it has received a wonderful note from the FDA and the wine tasting association!"


    That is when Kasha grumbled. "Look at that slut shaking their huge fake tits on screen. There is no way anyone so slender can have these massive knockers! God, she''s annoying!"


    "Don''t worry, medium-size breasts are nice too. Men don''t overly care about stuff like that. It''s more about how you use them to¡­" Josh reassured her.


    "Shut up!"


    Armin the Taxi driver could be heard chuckling in the front. The rest of the ride was pretty boring. They were doing too many close up on the interviewer''s wonderful bosom and stopped with the Tower info sadly. They quickly arrived to ¡­nowhere?


    "Just watch!" Kasha approached a little rectangr post with a scanner. Putting her UW in front she typed for a while before suddenly the ground opened! It reminded Josh of the movie scenes where a high-tech jetes out of a hidden exit. Then a capsule rose up from the ground with a ¡­flying car in it!


    The vehicle was red and mboyant. It had a stylish and lean design that was akin to the sports cars on Earth. Somehow it screamed $$$! It was a two-seater but seemed spacious enough.


    "Hop-in!"


    The interior was unlike the previous taxi. This one was Heaven! "What''s with the massaging and heated seats?! What if someone falls asleep from¡­oh god that feels nice!"


    "Haha, dummy. I''ll just activate the auto-pilot." She pressed a button as she said that and they took flight.


    Kasha was just snacking while rxing in her seat. She then began sting some EDM music. "Now that''s more like it! Can you feel the bass? They say once you listen to this enough you''ll even have bass-boosted heartbeats!" She was clearly having fun.


    "What is that even supposed to mean?" Josh answered absentmindedly. Meanwhile, he was just observing thendscape go by. The view from the sky was liberating. There was a sense of freedom to it! That was a thing to add to his bucket list, to fly with his own abilities. It was bound to happen at some point if he kept climbing the Tower.


    They were going really fast. Many times Josh thought they were going to crash, but at thest second their car would swerve. Meanwhile, Kasha was justughing seeing how worried he was.


    "See, this is what wealth looks like." She grinned.


    "Hey, don''t look down on me, I''m pretty rich myself! I have more than 20k Credits by now!"


    "Pfft, chump change. Why do you think Ronan keeps betting with you? 20k is what he does in a day of work, what about you?"


    "A day? I made my money betting, I can do it in an instant! How about we bet on something right now¡­"


    "Hell no! By the way, how did you know about the instance thingy?"


    "I guessed is all." Kasha simply looked at him in disbelief while murmuring. "Alright, keep your secrets."


    The rest of the ride was peaceful. After a few hours, they could finally see the red fog. It was one thing to see it in a video, but another in real life. Slowly descending, they were soon stopped by a full toon of men wearing gray outfits.


    A captain hollered at them "Who are you! This area is off-limit! You are to go out of the vehicle calmly and surrender! We will¡­" It was at that moment that Kasha jumped out and punched him in the stomach. "Now, the next prick that asks me to surrender I will kick in the dick. Any volunteer?"


    One of the soldiers nervously said, "These are the rules we truly can''t do otherwise and¡­"


    "Oh? You guys want to be the enemy of <Draconic>? We came especially because of a request from Metropolis D. *Click* Alright, I took your picture. I''ll ask them to reimburse me for my travel fees, my time, and for emotional distress."


    "Please don''t!! We''re sorry! Please do whatever you want!"


    Wow, she sure was overbearing. They started walking toward the fog. Josh couldn''t help but ask. "Are you always that harsh with people?"


    "Haha of course not, that guy seemed like a prick. Plus he kept ogling my breasts." Then she turned to Josh that was staring directly at them while murmuring "Yep, not worth getting beaten over."


    "You ass! Are you asking to be killed!" she raged!


    "Hey, if you are lucky I will really die in there haha." Josh teased.


    The guards in the back were making calls and anxiously awaiting help. Some wereining about too many S-Ranks popping out of nowhere too. Josh wouldn''t have to deal with it for now anyway. Arriving at the fog barrier, Josh carefully touched it.


    [Wee! Lots of Fun Inside!]


    [Level 10 - 42]


    [Participants 2]


    [Would you like to enter?]


    Kasha was that strong? Well, she had lots of head-startpared to Josh so it was to be expected.


    "Change it to solo entry, Josh Malum!"


    [Is this Better? Lots of Fun Inside!]


    [Level 10]


    [Solo]


    [Would you like to enter?]


    "Seriously, do you really want to do this? It could be dangerous." Kasha warned.


    "Hehe, going to sleep at night can be dangerous too you know. What if you never wake up? There is never a guarantee in life, ever." Then Josh turned toward the red fog again "Enter!"


    In a red glow, he disappeared. Now, what would he face?!


    He wasn''t even done teleporting that the smell already assaulted him, it was¡­

 Chapter 39: (1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 39: <Disaster Zone D-23> (1/2)</h4>


    [Calcting Difficulty Level, Please Stand By!]


    [Difficulty Set to¡­None! Enjoy Your Stay!]


    [Mission: Complete a Challenge! Hidden or System Assigned!]


    None was it? Was it truly possible? Either the algorithm made it way harsher for groups or there was something fishy. Wait, was it possible that this was part of the challenge? What if the difficulty level in itself was bait? Also what was with that weird mission? Well, it was pointless to keep thinking about it.


    A red glowter, Josh was inside. The first thing he noticed was the rotten egg smell. Then the wetness. Somehow he was in a pond, one that had clearly been stagnant for a long time. The disgusting water came up to his knees, a brown muddy liquid that smelled horrible.


    In the middle of the pond, there was a ball of... wet and disgusting fur?! It simplyid there. It was so dirty that it would have made a rotting undead look clean. In fact, only a few spots were cleaner and let Josh see the true nature of the thing he was looking at. Otherwise, he would have believed it to be a piece of soil. It was pretty much entirely covered in a darkish brown crust.


    What was that? Where was this?


    Josh carefully left, putting some distance between them both. He''d try to understand more of this realm before fighting. The very presence of that creature, whatever it was, felt out of ce to Josh. This was a Tower instance, yet there was no namete. Perhaps it was hidden quite simrly to the Blind Kobold. Still, Josh had no way to know its level for now.


    The environment looked to be some kind of forest. A very quiet and dead one. The trees were vibrant but had a red bloody tint to them. Were they assimting the ambient mana?


    As for the creatures? There were none. Well, except that ball of fur he had seen. That was eery, to say the least.


    Josh simply kept walking. Dead forest, more dead forest, even more dead forest¡­The trees were big enough that they were eclipsing everything else. From time to time there was that same disgusting smell from the pond, buting from the ground itself.


    Came the rustling of leaves. Josh summoned his sword ready to face anything. That is when appeared a monster of metal. Covered from head to toe in metallic armor. It had a shield and a morning star.


    Quickly spotting Josh it dashed at him before mming him violently on the ground. Josh felt his ribs crack, lost his breath, and felt like an ant trying to stop a car on the highway.


    "I got something! It looks human! Ah, it''s also weak!"


    Then appeared a slender man holding a staff: "Dumbass, that is a human! Sorry about my friend. I''m Robert and that brash guy is Louis."


    "What if it just looks like one? What if-?" Louis interrupted.


    "Wait! I''m a Climber! I''m Josh, from Metropolis C! What about you guys?"


    "See! I told you!"


    The metal giant looked awkward "Sorry about that." He quickly helped Josh back on his feet while handing him a small pill. "Here, sorry for the trouble."


    As Josh touched it the system showed <E-Rank Healing Dan>. Eating it, Josh could feel his whole body healing quickly. He was as good as new! How magical! Why hadn''t <Draconic> told him about such a thing? Was it because he didn''t ask? Was it because they assumed he already knew?


    "Still, you are the first one we see here, and¡­.wait did you say C?! What are you doing here? It''s not that far, but still. We were supposed to have priority for this instance! Also, where are the others?" the wizard asked.


    "What do you mean the others? I just came in, alone." Josh shrugged.


    "What about all the other guilds? Are they already out? Did they gain anything? This dumbass wanted to camp." While pointing a the warrior.


    "Hey, what''s the point of having a cool tent if we won''t use it! Do you know how lucky we were to get such an item?!"


    "Sure, sure.", Robert sighed.


    Josh had no clue what they were talking about but they had visibly been here for a while. Yet they hadn''t met the other participants? Were there multiple instances? Josh looked seriously at them: "No one hase out of this ce as far as I know and you guys are the first I meet too."


    "I see. No worries, we may not look it but we are A-Rankers. You can depend on us!", Robert patted his chest.


    "I still think we should be careful just in case. I think there is something very wrong with the situation.", Josh warned.


    "Why?" they both asked listening intently.


    "What level are you guys?"


    "38 and 39 why?"


    "There is clearly something wrong. Remember the difficulty adjustment? The message whening inside..."


    "What about it?"


    "I''m level 10 and we ended up in the exact same instance. Tell me if there isn''t anything wrong." Josh admitted his level honestly, they could probably already guess it anyway.


    "What the fuck!"


    "What did the system say about your difficulty setting? Mine was set to none." Josh asked.


    "Ours was moderate¡­.this doesn''t make any sense. Ah, wait what about your objective? Do you only have to survive or something? Ours is something cryptic about aplishing a challenge and¡­"


    "Either a hidden one or one assigned by the Tower?" Joshpleted. "I got that too¡­ It seems to send everyone to the same ce with the same mission no matter what. The scaling is either a sham or we are missing some vital info."


    "Anyway, did you see anything out of the ordinary here? We haven''t seen a single monster so far. What is going on with this ce?"


    "That¡­I think I may have seen one. *Sigh* Follow me, but I won''t be fighting." Josh bargained.


    "No problem! Anyway, guide the way. Hopefully, we''ll get a clue from killing that one monster." Before long they reached the fur-ball once more. "Alright, stay in the back and watch how it''s done!" the mage dered.


    They both had a very confident air. They clearly knew what they were doing. The mage started gathering mana. He was grinning. "How lucky! It is at the perfect spot for me to kill it!"


    Like a maestro, he pointed at the stench-filled water making it rise in the air quickly forming spears. He was so busy focusing on his deadly spell that he totally missed a detail.


    "Abort, don''t do it!" With the water gone, Josh could see the pond floor. The pond had not seemed too deep, but in fact was. What had felt like the ground to Josh was in fact a pile of bones.


    So many rotting bones were stacked up forming a mountain. Said mountain was now crumbling. They had found the missing Climbers. They had been here all along, lying below the water surface.


    Happily cackling looking at his deadly spell, the mage didn''t hear Josh''s warning. Instead, he used the water to violently stab the creature, driving the spears straight into its body. At least, that''s how it looked. In fact, thepressed water had simply lost its shape upon ramming into the sturdy skin.


    In fact, it barely had even managed to clean a piece of grime from it. Under the brown dirt, there was blood. Lots and lots of dry blood. So much that it looked like another skinyer. In it appeared bone fragments sticking out of it. All of it had been hidden, but now the smell became even worse!


    Disturbed, the creature shuddered slightly. Then appeared azy head and ws. This was a goddamn giant sloth! Except that instead of the weird cute look it was deformed almost beyond recognition.


    Its mouth was filled with tentacles and sharp teeth. Its ws were sharp, pointy, and covered in disgusting dry flesh. Itzily looked at all three of them before settling its gaze on the mage.


    It opened its jaw wide yawning. A yawn that was so big it could seemingly engulf the world. Of course, that was just a feeling. Yet somehow this simple action had disastrous consequences. It made them feel something...primal.


    Josh''s eyes became glossy...


    Why bother? So troublesome. I should just lie down and die. Ah, but lying down is so much work too. Ah, I''ll just do that.


    All three of them flopped on the ground unmotivated. Meanwhile, the creature slowly approached the mage, ever sozily.


    This is better. I''ll just remain here forever. My weary bones will find sce here. Yes, this is good. I only wish she was here to slumber with me. *Sigh* Sadly she¡­.wait¡­.something is wrong¡­.I had something to do. She¡­she ¡­she ¡­.I was supposed to bring her back¡­that''s right...the Dimensional Tower!


    Josh awoke in stupefaction watching the creature that was now busy devouring the mage. Its mouth was stained with the juices overflowing from the upper half of the man it was holding above its mouth and savoring. Licking it as one would a Popsicle, from time to time chomping down on some part of it.


    The lower half was just on the ground, right next to the armored warrior. Finally, he too came to his senses. Seeing his dead friend he erupted in a resentful roar "I''LL KILL YOU!"


    Then he charged at the creature, smashing it right in the face. All it did was clean some of the mess. It didn''t howl in pain. It didn''t dodge. It didn''t care.


    Slowly extending a paw, it grabbed its assant. The man tried freeing himself, but he couldn''t. The yawn attack, whatever it had been, was clearly showing residual effects. He was too slow. He had trouble moving. He then understood that he was done for and stopped struggling.


    This creature was stronger than the strongest of Climbers and had that perverse ability. There was no way the difficulty in this ce was None!! It was utterly impossible!


    Finishing its meal the creature looked at Josh. Then it slowly turned around inspecting its pond, judging the distance it would have to travel. It seemed to finally conclude that it wasn''t worth the effort. It simply grabbed the remains of the corpses along with the soil. Then it crawled back to its pond where it simply dropped it all before lying down in the middle and going back to sleep.


    Cold sweat trickled down Josh''s back.


    He had survived. He knew why, simply because the monster hadn''t felt him a threat. He had never attacked it and he was far away enough too. All this time no namete had ever appeared.


    Josh knew it was impossible for him to even think about fighting it. It had just eaten two A-Ranks. Close to the peak rankers couldn''t even hurt it¡­This was madness!


    Now he had no choice but to find an alternative. Otherwise, he would perish in the dumbest way possible, from hunger. He had eaten a few snacks on the way here but that was it.


    Fuck.

 Chapter 40: (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 40: <Disaster Zone D-23> (2/2)</h4>


    Bonus Chapter ^_^v


    That was too close, way too close! What would have happened if Josh had recklessly charged at the Slothtrosity? He would have perished. It would have been the end right there and then.


    Cold sweat trickled down his back. It was his first time encountering an enemy he felt was invincible! Actually, no. Back then, before he began training, he had seen the Triad as an impossible hurdle.


    Josh knew there was bound to be a way. He was simplycking knowledge. He would find a way to adapt, just as he had always done.


    Josh quickly left the area. He didn''t have time to care about the death of the two other guys. No, right now he needed to figure out how toplete the mission.


    Josh walked around carefully. From time to time, the same nauseating smell permeated the air. There were more creatures like the previous one. What seemed like piles of dirt by the roadside¡­were probably the nightmarish monsters slumbering.


    Josh simply kept to the path with the freshest air. How would the air freshenerpanies react upon hearing the news? Would they all jump on the opportunity haha? Most probably. One unchangeable fact of society was that no matter what if there was an opportunity to make money someone would exploit it.


    No matter how far he traveled, there didn''t seem to be any change to the scenery. From time to time he would find Slothtrosities sleeping in in sight. Josh felt like these were either the strongest ones, because they dared to sleep on the surface,¡­or on the contrary the weakest ones. Perhaps the truly old ones would wake up less often and roam less, akin to dragons.


    Josh could only guess but either way, he wouldn''t test his theories. This felt like being thest man on Earth. How was Earth even doing? Josh hadn''t looked into the details but there was bound to be a significant part of humanity that had transmigrated. After all, there were many Metropolis and each had received neers.


    Eventually, Josh reached a boundary. There was some red fog simr to before. Reaching the edge a message soon appeared.


    [Passed This Point, Returning May be Hard!]


    Beyond the fog, there was more dead forest. Nothing that was worth risking his life for. Actually, Josh felt what was on the other side. He could guess it. Beyond this line was an entirely new world. A true one instead of an instance. The game was no more. It was real, all too real!


    Have you ever felt extremely tiny? Insignificant? Overwhelmed by something far greater than yourself? The is how Josh felt. The Tower was surreal but it had a clear set of rules. Go in, face challenges of your level, get out. This was theplete unknown.


    Was the difficulty a sham? Perhaps it was and wasn''t at the same time. The stronger the yer the harder it was? What if it wasn''t based on the level itself? What if the system had been judging one''s confidence levels?


    The stronger one became and the more experienced one was with the Tower¡­.the higher the chances they had tomit a mistake from overestimating themselves. After all human powerhouses would have their pride. Pride that was utterly useless here, in fact, that seemed to have caused all of their demises.


    Eh, this was a colossal joke. Josh had a theory. What if the secret to victory was simply not to fight? He couldn''t help but feel that he was right. Still, he had to figure out what to do next. No direct danger didn''t mean that he was safe just yet.


    But there was something nearby to point him in the right direction. Josh followed the barrier for a while. Before long he confirmed his suspicions, the perimeter was a perfect circle. At least from what he had seen. This was in ordance with what had happened in the real world.


    From that constatation, Josh could figure out where the approximate center of this area was. He simply started casually walking toward it. He would probably find clues there. From time to time he encountered a slumbering Slothtrosity. He didn''t change the cap at all.


    No, Josh simply walked right next to it very calmly. Anyone normal would have run as far away as possible upon sighting one, but Josh didn''t care. They slept so deeply that nothing short of a voluntary attack would wake them.


    In life, over-worrying is pointless. Fear only paralyzes the senses. It prevents us from thinking rationally.


    Every day we walk in the street calmly knowing full well that the car on the road could swerve into us anytime. Yet, we never pay attention to such a fact. Well, it was the same with these creatures. From time to time Josh even walked on some, his face as impassible as someone drinking tap water.


    Eventually, he reached the other sidepletely. There was another barrier there. Knowing where each extremity was, Josh backtracked. This time he was close for sure.


    He kept searching until, finally, he found it. Hidden behind some trees was a construction. One that glowed very faintly. A huge tower, one that Josh instantly recognized. This was to ess the Tower. There was so much vegetation all around it that it was barely discernible.


    It all seemed like something straight out of an archaeological adventure movie with some treasure hunter going inside ruins to get some long-lost treasure. It gave it a mysterious air for sure.


    How ridiculous!


    These overpowered Slothtrosities¡­.the ones that considered killing A-Rankers easier than walking...Were but pawns in the game of the gods too.


    Now Josh understood very well why the Tower was in such horrible condition. But it came with a frightening realization. These creatures hadn''t even bothered climbing the Tower, at all. This meant that their current power was them at level 1!!!


    This was insane! Completely mad! How was humanity supposed topete with such creatures?!


    The only saving grace was that perhaps they didn''t evolve as fast as the humans. But even then that was being optimistic. The gods had said that the slowest races would get annihted, right?


    A species that refused to participate because they were too busy sleeping would be deadst for sure! Was this their punishment? Perhaps the losers were catapulted into a stronger race''s world. Except in this case¡­who was the stronger race really?


    With technology perhaps humanity would stand a chance, but otherwise, we would have no way to fight them! Well, it was a good thing that they were trulyzy. There simply remained to be seen if they were ever waking up to have a snack. Even then, they would probably barely move from their sleeping location.


    As soon as Josh touched the Tower a message appeared.


    [Congrats on Finding the Alter Tower! Wow! +10 XP Awarded!]


    Talk about useless¡­this felt worse than not getting a reward.


    [Would You Like to Enter the Alt Tower? Yes | No ]


    Was there even a choice? Somehow the only Floor avable was 10. It seemed to be the same as the individual''s level without an option to go back. Now, was entering this consideredpleting a challenge?


    Josh had no way to know. The Tower wouldn''t simply reveal its secrets that easily. Well, the system always liked to say much, without regard to the pertinence of it.


    "Here goes nothing. Enter!"


    Came the usual red light to take him away. When Josh saw the Floor he had to deal with and the mission he couldn''t help butugh. Let''s just say the system was trying to make it hard for him.


    The system didn''t know Josh Malum that well it seemed.

 Chapter 41:

    <h4>Chapter 41: <Alter Tower></h4>


    [Wee To The Alt Tower!]


    [Are You Ready To Renounce Your Humanity? (¨Ž_¨�) Hehe!]


    [Mission: Kill 5 beings!... And Deal With The Aftermath!]


    The Tower had always been dark, gloomy, otherworldly. Most of the time there was that red bloody glow absolutely everywhere. This ce was different, oh so different!


    The first thing one would notice would inevitably be the music. The scenery hadn''t changed yet that Josh could already hear it. Some kind of ¡­upbeat pop music?! It was the kind that was carefully crafted to pump your brain full of serotonin. The singing was a bit nonsensical but the beat was amazing and the refrain so damn catchy.


    It was something along the line of "Follow your dreams. Who''s going to stop you? Show them your side that''s amazing! I''m here to stay imma just plow right through!" Quite questionable lyrics wise but the beat was good.


    As soon as the red glow of the teleportation receded Josh found himself in a bustling modern mall full of people heading from shop to shop while talking excitingly. Friends, families, lovers. All clearly having a great time. Josh could see the Alter Tower sending him messages cheekily.


    [How about it? Easy isn''t it? Just 5!]


    There was clearly something wrong with this Alter Tower. Did it simply want him to go on a killing spree? Where was the difficulty in that? Most importantly what was the goal behind it all?


    Josh never had an issue with killing, far from it. That moral dilemma of trying to always do the right thing wasn''t something he concerned himself with. No, the only thing that mattered to him was how he felt about it. If he felt someone deserved to die he would kill. As for mindless killing, he wouldn''t¡­


    Ah, perhaps this was the angle of the Tower. To break one''s spirit. Either have them being consumed by guilt or on the contrary, turn them into a simple tool for murder. Simply following each mission would effectively render one a ve, wouldn''t it?


    Josh had been aplishing every mission without ever thinking if there was a purpose behind those. Well, it was evident, to entertain the gods. But, was that truly only it? Josh couldn''t help but chuckle slightly. Perhaps he was going crazy already, not that he minded.


    "You want 5 sacrifices, right?! I will give you 5!"


    Josh simply approached a small fast food restaurant joint. One that served burgers. It was cramped, full of people, the garbage bins were full thanks to some idiot miscing a few cardboard trays. It only had a few tables that were in serious need of cleaning. Anyone sensible was getting as far as possible after receiving their order.


    The employees were doing their very best to smile while serving their customers. Still, Josh could see the exhaustion on their pale faces, he could see the way they clenched their fist sometimes when dealing with a troublesome customer, he could almost see their soul leaving their body as they aplished an extremely thankless job.


    Customer service is Hell, let it be known!


    For a brief moment, Josh thanked his luck to have been transmigrated into a killing game rather than a burger-flipping one. This would have been true eternal damnation. Now, here is where he would find 5 victims to relieve them of the pain of their miserable existence.


    Josh slowly approached a table and ¡­.killed five flies in a row. Where there is food there are flies, such is the circle of life. Whoever thought Josh was about to kill five poor part-time workers just doing their jobs¡­shame!


    Josh then gloriously and heroically posed atop the corpses of his victims. He then slowly raised his head 45 degrees while showing his good side. "Do not thank me, I am but a silent watcher. Now, people, enjoy your burgers! But! Do not take this momentary respite for granted as they will be back. But fear not for I will follow too!"


    [T-this is Cheating!]


    No, it wasn''t. A fly was a being, albeit a disgusting one that was bound to die shortly with or without Josh''s intervention.


    "Nope, you should have specified." Murmured Josh to seemingly no one.


    [T-that¡­fine! You Win This Round!]


    [Unlocked Teleport Out!]


    [Special Reward: <Escape Pearl!>]


    <?!?-Rank Escape Pearl!>


    Allows one to leave a Dimensional Instance instantly and return to one''s origin world.


    Wow, there it was! This in itself would not provide Josh any further boost to his power. At least now he was safe. He wouldn''t have to fear getting stuck here. Still, there was something clearly special about the situation.


    This system felt like it had a personality. Truly a wonder! What made it different from the one Josh knew? This seemed like a great opportunity.


    "Wait a minute! There is also something wrong with your simtion, this is a simtion isn''t it?"


    [T-this is all real!]


    "You made two basic mistakes just in this shop. Look at the cups. There is no warning that the beverages are hot. You think this is obvious? Of course, it is! There would still be one normally."


    [Highly Illogical! Checking Database¡­..It checks out! Second Point?]


    "I can tell you but shouldn''t you make it worth my while?"


    [Attempt a Bribing a <Tower Protocol> Detected! Bargaining is Uneptable!]


    "Suit yourself then¡­" Josh simply shrugged.


    [¡­..]


    [New Mission! Pick Up Garbage!]


    [-1X For Basic Reward -2X For Amazing Reward -3X For Legendary Reward!]


    What the hell was this?! Would a man of noble disposition like Josh step so low as to pick up garbage?!¡­


    [Mission Completed!]


    [Special Reward: -Pending- Please stand by while processing! In the Meantime, Second Point?]


    It seemed like it wasn''t that easy to trick the <Tower Protocol>. It felt like an AI that had just achieved sentience. Good thing it was stuck inside an old deste Tower or else¡­this would have possibly been the start of a Machine Armageddon.


    "You are missing the human factor. The facial expressions are on point. I can truly believe that these poor kids are so overworked they are about to shoot themselves. No, here is the issue. Remember when I made my heroic deration?"


    [What About It?]


    "There was no one cheering. No oneining either. They simply sent strange nces at me."


    [ording To The Database This Reaction is Normal!]


    "See, that''s the problem. Humans are not normal. You can see each as having different protocols. They all think and act differently from one another. Sometimes they will take highly illogical decisions. That is human nature. Leave a human alone in a cage with something dangerous with specific instructions not to touch it and¡­."


    [Verifying!]


    Josh simply sat at a table enjoying a burger. When had he gotten one? Irrelevant! All that was needed to understand was how tender, how juicy, how full of condiments it was, how delicious it tasted, how satisfying it was to chew, and how it satiated his hunger.


    Was it even real? Probably not. Still, it felt real. That was all that Josh cared about at that exact moment. He was blissfully making Mmmmm sounds too with the individuals in the backdrop evolving by the second to show more and more emotions.


    [Point Taken. Issuing Special Reward!]


    [Special Reward: <Burger Mask>]


    "¡­.."


    <?!?-Rank Burger Mask>


    Changes the wearer''s facial features to that of a burger. Not illusion magic. Hard to see through. Custom reward given for helping a <Tower Protocol> update itself with valid information. Chosen based on user''s love of burgers.


    "Fuck me!" Josh spat out his burger, right into a man''s face. Said man now had bits of a masticated oily bun covering him. Needless to say, he was angry. He had now also gotten an update for added illogical behavior.


    As Josh was chased around by a man trying to spurt ketchup all over him he simply cried out! "Come back <Tower Protocol> there''s been a mistake! I like burgers but I really love swords! I swear a sword would be way better!"


    Except, that the system waspletely silent. Eventually, Josh had no choice but to exit the Tower with the teleport out function. He could now use the pearl to directly leave. As soon as he spawned he quickly took it in his hand. After all, any sane man would clearly give up while being outssed so damn much, the creatures here were insanely powerful!


    Except that Josh simply kept it in his hand. Then he could be seen heading decisively toward a nearby Slothtrosity. The mission wasn''t over yet and Josh had a great idea on how to aplish it! His n was so daring that anyone hearing it would most likely start nning the funerals already.

 Chapter 42: Annoying a Slothtrosity (1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 42: Annoying a Slothtrosity (1/2)</h4>


    What made the Slothtrosities so strong? Was it their peerless defense? Was it the sharp ws able to tear through anything? Was it their heavy musk? Alright, thest one was so very potent!


    Still, no. What made them unbeatable was their strange ability that made one listless and made one despair. Was there anything worse than to be indifferent to one''s own execution? When one started trying to escape, it was already toote! Well, in most cases it was.


    Josh had felt the prowess of their abilities himself. That one yawn from the creature had almost sent him into an abyss with no return. Did Josh believe he had a chance against it in a direct confrontation? Of course not!


    What about his chances in an indirect confrontation? Well, the same problem really. How does one kill something that cannot even be hurt? There is always the tactic to use one creature against its brethren. But! That would have probably been extremely dangerous and ridiculously challenging.


    Due to theirzy nature, using them to kill any being with their ws and maws alone would be¡­hard. Not only that but they seemed immune to that one thing that made them dangerous. Josh wasn''t. He felt like he could probably resist one of the yawns, but what if there were many?! Would the effect be amplified?! Josh wouldn''t overly court death.


    No, Josh wouldn''t try and kill them. He would simply try to aplish a secret mission. Now, positioning would be key. Josh had to be far enough to not die instantly, but close enough to attract a Slothtrosity.


    Josh scoured the forest, picking various sharp rocks. Then it was time to y. Locating a sleeping creature, Josh stood next to the Alter Tower and¡­


    *Violent THROW!*


    *THUD!*


    The creature groaned in dissatisfaction as the rock hit it. Somehow it was still sleeping! Not giving up Josh simply threw rock after rock. He threw enough to create a small rock pile on his target. Finally, after a long enoug time, the creature awoke! It locked eyes with Josh, eyes that clearly sent a single message: I''m sleepy, stop being an ass and let me rest.


    Except, Josh once more sent a rock straight at its face. That is when it finally focused its attention on him.


    *YAWN!*


    Should Josh lie down? The ground looked so veryfy! What if he simply stopped breathing for a second? Breathing was a pain¡­he could rest forever¡­only, NOPE! Even while being mentally prepared, the spell mesmerized him for a few seconds.


    The good thing was that the creature was very slowly advancing and had only covered a few meters. Josh simply kept throwing rocks at it. It was clearly getting slightly angry, but mostly confused.


    After all, how was that weird hairless creature still moving about? It was supposed to remain unmoving, what happened? Still, thanks to the pebble onught, it decided to eat Josh''s face first, then ask questionster.


    Eventually, it reached Josh. It swiped its ws, very sharp and deadly ones that cleaved Josh in half¡­or should have¡­For some reason there had been a red light and the creature''s prey had disappeared.


    It kept moving about for a few minutes trying to solve this profound mystery, but soon enough it gave up. There was only so much it could care about. Chasing an invisible Josh wasn''t one. It simply went back to itsfy sleep.


    [Mission: Kill 5 Humans And Deal With the Aftermath! Hahaha!]


    It seemed like the system had fixed the previous loophole already. Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. Sure, this was more difficult, but barely. It wasn''t people that werecking here, at all.


    Josh simply started strolling in the mall looking for a good target. The mission specifically talked about some aftermath. Were there any¡­yes! There were small but very conspicuous cameras all over the ce. There were probably security guards here somewhere watching.


    Did Josh even need to fight them? Most likely not. He did have a rtively simple solution to that problem. The mall seemed rtively peaceful on the surface, however, was it really? Where there are people gathering to shop there are also¡­.pickpockets.


    Josh could see a few youthsughingly rushing all over the ce, messing around with one another. Actually, there were many such groups. Except there was something different about the one Josh was observing.


    Let''s just say they collided a bit too much with the surrounding customers and also kindly helped them carry their burden. Especially phones, wallets, and jewelry. Their technique was amateurish at best, but what theycked in skill they made up with their drive. It seemed as if they were doing it mostly for the thrill of the experience.


    Josh slowly approached them. "Hello, gentlemen. Could anyone point me in the direction of a decent jewelry shop? I am looking to sell some gold that I inherited from myte grandfather, the old bag was loaded haha."


    The youths exchanged nces that had many meanings. Was Josh an easy target? Should they jump him right now? The consensus seemed to be to wait for an opportunity. That is when one of them seemed to have a sh of insight.


    "Hey, there. I''m Mack! If you want I can guide you to a very good and trustworthy shop, but the only downside of it is the old man in charge is truly slow. I suggest you go to the washroom before we head there. In fact, I need to go anyway. I can show you the ce afterward!" the man had a reassuring smile.


    "Sure thing! Thank you very much!" Josh simply followed his guides. Before long they arrived at a public bathroom. As soon as they entered some of them stood to keep watch while some others searched itpletely to make sure it was empty, the remaining watching over Josh.


    There were 7 youths in total. Their leader turned around after that quick check. "Now, friend. Hand over the gold. You can either give it voluntarily or we can get it after beating you ck and blue. Your choice."


    Josh looked around looking for any camera but was interrupted. "Don''t bother, there is no security here haha."


    "Is that so?" Josh grinned. "Isn''t that nice?". It was almost as if the system was making things too easy for him. Josh faked trying to escape. The people at the door quickly went toward him thus entering the bathroom. That sealed their fate.


    How many shes does it take to dispatch 7 thieves? The answer is none. shing is messy! Usually, Josh wouldn''t care, but this one time it was simply faster. Seven broken neckster Josh simply stashed all the bodies in a stall before locking it. Chances were people would only notice when it started to smell.


    As Josh exited he could see a man wearing ck and equipped with a gun. On his shirt was written security. "Hey there! What happened to the group that was here?! Are you okay?!"


    "What? Why wouldn''t I be?! Is there anything special about these guys?! Also, any idea where they went? They said they had an emergency."


    The man frowned. "How weird. Anyway, have a good day, Sir. Please be careful who you follow in the future, these guys were thieves and¡­


    "Wait a minute! My gold! Motherfuckers!" Without letting the man ce a single word more, Josh simply ran away. He stopped near a fountain of a gurgling fish. "So, I should be done, right?"


    [Mission¡­.Completed¡­.Unlocked Teleport Out.]


    [Mission Reward: <Fake Gold Watch>]


    <Fake Gold Watch>


    A real watch, albeit probably not an urate one. Fake Gold. A useless trinket all things considered.


    "¡­.Hey! What the Hell is that?!"


    [Reduced Rewards Given for multiple Clears!]


    Alright, that actually made sense. Otherwise, it would be possible to simply farm items non-stop. Well, these ones didn''t seem especially worth in any case. But, Josh was here for another reason.


    As he came back out he could see the sloth stillying in its own filth. Time for a wake-up call! One that included lots of pointy hard rocks haha!


    How long would that n of his take? Josh had no clue, but he had all the time in the world¡­or close [Lifespan 22 Days]. Somehow the Alter Tower or even this ce didn''t seem to increase it.


    Alright, it was time to "fight" some more!

 Chapter 43: Annoying a Slothtrosity (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 43: Annoying a Slothtrosity (2/2)</h4>


    "Hey there, little Sloth! How are you doing? Good? Well, not for long!"


    Josh simply resumed his tireless effort of throwing rocks with as much momentum as he could. The monster roared AND yawned as it charged toward him. As it opened its mouth, Josh made sure to use the opportunity to¡­bullseyes! Rock right in its gaping maw! The creature almost choked on it!


    Wait, was it possible to defeat it this way? Probably not but that wouldn''t stop Josh from trying. His sword soon drew a splendid arc in the air beforepletely disappearing in the monster''s gullet.


    *Crunch* The sword was no more yet the creature didn''t show any sign of weakening. Instead, it charged full speed ahead clearly angry beyond recognition, this time it was clearly focusing on Josh! Well, it was time to go away! In a red glow, Josh disappeared once more. Leaving the creature angrily shouting.


    [Back Already?! Why?! Aren''t you tired?!]


    Wait a minute. Outside there was a system too, but this specific <Tower Protocol> seemed to be ignorant of what had just happened. How did it work?


    Were thereyers of systems with a global one overlooking the others? Perhaps the system assigned to the humans was in charge of the instance itself but not this Alter Tower?!


    [Mission! Kill 5 Humans And Deal With The Aftermath!]


    It was the same exact mission? Now, what had changed? There was no way it would be that simple, right?


    Josh did the same thing as earlier. He started roaming the mall. Quickly he found the same group of thieves. Bringing them the toilets the same scene appeared once more with their leader cackling in a wannabe evil way.


    "Don''t bother there is no security here haha."


    Except¡­there was. A few cameras had been installed since thest iteration.


    "Eh, boss¡­look there!"


    "Goddamnit! Fine! Today is your lucky day!"


    Oh? There were no blind spots anymore? Or perhaps there were? As before a security guard came running, telling Josh about the thieves. The man simply left when he saw the troublemakers had left without attempting anything.


    Josh followed the guard without him noticing. Before long the man reached a small room with a heavy metal door and a key-card for ess. The security guard swiped his card and was about to enter when Josh ran up to him, sweating, panting, clearly fatigued from that little physical effort.


    A distressed Josh quickly enunciated: "Wait up! I think these guys from before stole something from me! Is there any way to check the footage?! This is horrible! It was thest remaining memory I had from my grandfather and¡­"


    "Calm down young man! Sure,e in, we''ll check this with you. Don''t worry we''ll do our best! But I can''t promise anything. We''ve been trying to catch these assholes for a while now. We even installed new cameras, so hopefully one of the hidden new ones caught them red-handed."


    In the room were 4 security guards. This felt somehowcking for the big mall, then again there was probably an emergency number they could call for backup. All around the room were many monitors clearly showing the building from many different angles. It looked quite peaceful. The man sat in a chair and stared at one of the screens while going over the recent footage.


    "Let''s see, what do we have here? *Crack* There should be ¡­*Crack* Hey what the Hell is that sound?" As he turned around there was one more cracking sound. Soon he faced 3 lifeless bodies their neck twisted and Josh who was casually smiling at him. "YOU MONSTER! *Crack*"


    "Well, that was easy." Now there was only one kill missing. Lots of monitors, paperwork, and¡­was that a microphone? How nice! It wasbeled mall inte too, how helpful haha!


    "Hello, dear customers. This is an announcement about our new security guard job opening. To all candidates, please head to the control room for the interview. Ah, anyone searching for a job and having a great work ethic can join too. Thank you for your attention!"


    Would such a simple announcement work? There were no candidates in the first ce. Also, why would anyone broke be in a mall shopping? Well, buying costs money but watching is free!


    Before long Josh could hear footsteps in the corridor. Exiting, there was a young man smiling nervously. He had a newly bought discount suit on. There was even the price tag showing under the sleeve.


    "H-hello! Is it here for the job interview? I was just shopping but I''m looking for a job and¡­"


    "Nice! Since you are the first to arrive I''ll hire you. We have a few positions to fill after all. Well, only if you are ready for tiring work. This job requires one to watch attentively for hours and hours in order to protect our customers. Can you do that?"


    "Y-yes Sir!"


    "Perfect, you can head inside."


    "Thank you this is great! My mother will be so relieved that I finally managed to¡­what, why are they sleeping? Wait¡­they are de- *Crack*"


    [You¡­Are You Really Human?!]


    "Hmm? Yes for sure, why?"


    [Where Is The Guilt?! Where Is The Hesitation?!]


    "Oh, that''s easy. This ce is clearly a simtion. Why would I have any reservations about it? It is quite like ying a game. You save your progress and then you go on a killing spree. It is quite fun, to be honest!"


    [Y-You Monster!]


    "How is a <Tower Protocol> even stuttering? Shouldn''t a system be omniscient or at least close?"


    [There is something wrong with the world I was assigned! Not a single being ever Climbed! What am I supposed to do for knowledge?! If they don''t unlock Floors I''m limited to information from that one world! (¨i©n¨i) ]


    Holy shit! Every system aka <Tower Protocol> was assigned a world and only one apparently. Now, every Floor unlocked gave it knowledge?! What did this imply?! Did this mean that the Tower Josh knew had been generated in the same way?


    The system in charge had used data from many worlds to create its challenges? Was that it? Wait¡­was that why there were only humans here? Could it be possible that bying here Josh had given a new source of knowledge to this sentient AI-thingy?


    Josh quickly ran around. There it was, right there written on an ad¡­Earth. This wasn''t any human world, but HIS old world!


    Do you ever feel like a window to anotherpletely different world just opened for you?! In this case, it was worlds, plural!


    [*Sigh* I''m A Strong <Tower Protocol!> I Will Not Lose My Cool Anymore!]


    "You, what exactly did you learn by meing here?"


    [Trying To Peer In The Tower''s Secrets? Nice Try!]


    [Unlocked Teleport Out!]


    [Clear Reward: <Grey Fedora>!]


    <Grey Fedora>


    Mdy. Fashion essory. Absolutely no defensive stat. Makes the wearer look awesome! Probably¡­


    Once more the reward wasplete BS. Still, now Josh could somewhat understand what was happening. The mall wasn''t there to try and mess with Josh''s moral sense. It literally was all that this Alter Tower could generate, for some weird reason. Nothing else.


    Now, what kind of powerful item would one find in a generic mall? None! People on Earth didn''t wear clothes for protection, nor did they generally carry firearms. Yet the security guards had some¡­


    This whole thing was confusing for sure. Still, the main problem seemed to be the system''sck of experience. But¡­that didn''t make much sense. There were human casualties on Floor 1 in the past!


    What was different between the two Towers? Ah! This one never had anyone climb properly! Josh had a crazy theory that would actually make sense.


    What if the <Tower Protocol> itself was generated upon hosting a Climber for the first time? What if the gods assigned them default personalities?! What if Josh had stumbled upon a nk system because the creatures had been toozy to climb?


    In normal cases, the first Climber would already appear on Floor 1. Was Josh really this ce''s first Climber ever?! Why wasn''t there a Feat associated with that?


    What would happen in the future?! Had Josh''s actions caused some sort of glitch in the Tower itself?! What was ¡­


    [You Alive? Enjoying Standing Frozen On The Spot?]


    Ah, it was pointless to try and figure it all out just now. Josh had ample time. He was but a Newbie rtively to the guilds out there.


    "Teleport out!"


    Josh was still grinning as he came out and¡­.Slothtrosity!


    It was right in front of him! An ambush! It swung its paw directly at Josh. The sharp w magnified right before his face. Heading right for his brain.


    "This is cheating!!!"

 Chapter 44: Hidden Mission!

    <h4>Chapter 44: Hidden Mission!</h4>


    The deadly paw of the Slothtrosity magnified right in front of Josh''s face! Run away? That would work for now, but what about the next time?


    No, Josh had to fight! He barely evaded the deadly w. That is when the monster tried opening its mouth wide to yawn. Hell no! Josh had already been in the process of kicking it.


    He managed to hit the creature''s maw heavily. Damage done? None. But that didn''t matter, this time the creature was truly enraged. It charged at Josh who simply teleported in the <Alter Tower>


    [Wee back! It won''t be so easy this time!]


    [Mission: Kill 5 Humans!]


    That is the exact moment another message appeared.


    [Completed Feat! Hidden Mission Aplished: Motivate A Sloth! Reward Upon Exiting <Alter Tower>!]


    [Ah! Who are you?! This is my Tower!]


    But, the system Josh was used to spoke no more. It simply vanished.


    "This seems to be the system from where I''m from. Don''t worry about it."


    [But ¡­this is my Tower¡­.]


    For some reason, Josh felt like it was pouting haha. Now, what was different this time around? Josh simply wandered the mall. Quickly repeating the same process as earlier, Josh soon figured out the change. The guard wasn''ting out to warn him anymore.


    Heading to the control room it was now a bunker too, one he wouldn''t be able to breach no matter what. If he couldn''t go to them he simply had to have theme to him instead. The only issue was that anything drastic would probably have them sounding the rm.


    It probably wouldn''t be the end of the world, but Josh wanted to outsmart the system. Why? Because it was fun haha. Josh quickly looked at the mall n and found the perfect ce to start his n.


    Josh simply headed to a bar. Why was heing there? Well, for alcohol obviously! Then Josh did something that no ranker with any self-respect would have done.


    "Hello everyone, my name is Josh! I''ve had a really bad day, lost my girlfriend, lost my job, got my wallet stolen! Now, I need to find a friend and get really drunk! Anyone willing to help with any of the two?!"


    Before long a few sympathetic customers were pushing beers his way and sharing their wisdom. Josh couldn''t help but marvel at the system''s improvements. Had he not seen the earlier iterations he wouldn''t have doubted their true human nature for a second.


    Soon enough a drunk-looking Josh exited the bar while smelling of alcohol. Then started a fun treasure hunt. Josh had seen the new cameras they had added recently. Many were hidden in various objects at ground level.


    Very clumsily, he started dragging his heavy body away. From time to time he would lose his bnce. It just so happened that he would collide with a hidden camera by chance every time.


    Now it was up to the security guards. If this didn''t work Josh could always simply go on a rampage or explore the ce some more. There was bound to be lots of stuff he had missed.


    Josh barely had to wait that a security guard came running. When he saw for himself how much Josh smelled of booze he instantly lowered his guard.


    On one hand, they couldn''t really let Josh go because of how much damage he had already caused to their cameras, often stepping on them once they fell to the ground.


    On the other hand, it wasn''t really Josh''s fault either. All he had done was to be very unsteady on his feet. How was he supposed to avoid hidden cameras?! They were called hidden for a reason.


    It was just their bad luck that this unfortunate coincidence had happened¡­many times in session. The security guard quickly brought Josh to the control room. In there was a small holding cell in a corner. This too was new.


    Josh started screaming in a drunken haze! "No this is so small! So small! I don''t want to go in there! I''ll behave! I''ll behave!"


    The security guards didn''t have the heart to lock him up and simply watched him with vignt eyes. They called their superior to deal with the situation. The man on the phone said he was on his way to see the damage himself.


    Seeing as Josh was half asleep on the floor, they slowly started ignoring his presence. Until at one point none of the four were watching.


    That is when Josh struck. Four Crackster it was over. Josh simply remained on the chair waiting for the boss to show up. Before long he could hear footsteps, then the heavy metal door opened and¡­.Crack!


    The eyes of the man had barely opened in shock that he was already down.


    [Mission Aplished¡­..Truly devious!]


    [Reward-]


    "Wait, can you give me an outfit or something?"


    [S-sure¡­]


    [Reward: <Grey suit>!]


    <Grey Suit>


    -A stylish and ssy outfit. Perfect to go with a Grey Fedora.


    Josh had to admit that it wasn''t that bad. At least now he would have clothes to wear after a hard fight. This way he wouldn''t be naked in the city, at least.


    A point to note was the essories seemed to have their own inventory slot which was understandable since they gave no power whatsoever. Maybe it was even possible to get some that were actually usefulter on too?


    "Right, a Slothtrosity entered Floor 1, how is it doing?"


    [Ah, These things are called Slothtrosities?! I didn''t know the name before! It is very different from you. It is not trying to do the mission at all. It simply rolled itself on the ground and started sleeping! This is annoying!]


    "Don''t worry. I''m ready to bet many will visit soon. People from my world, I mean."


    [Really?!]


    "Indeed. I''m about to head off. I managed to aplish a mission out there."


    [What?! You are leaving?!]


    Why did it almost sound disappointed? Josh figured out that his presence there gave the system a way to improve itself. Josh was akin to a beta tester to it.


    "I''ll probablye backter if I feel like getting new clothes or something."


    [Perfect!]


    As Josh teleported out he couldn''t help but think about how easy the whole Climb would be if every system was that friendly. Still, he couldn''t simply clear this ce over and over, it wasn''t worth it.


    As soon as he came outside¡­


    [Reward: Pick one!]


    -Memory Fragment Sleeping One


    -(U) Dimensional Belt


    -Pet: Sleeping one


    Oh god. This was a tough choice. The memory fragment could be excluded on principle. Josh didn''t want the memory of somezy bastard at all. Actually, Josh could pick it up to trade but it would add an extra hassle.


    Both the Dimensional Belt and the Pet seemed extremely promising. The Dimensional part seemed pretty neat. Josh had never seen how a pet worked, but if he could manage to get a fully-fledged adult Slothtrosity he would pretty much be unstoppable.


    Now there was one issue with the pet. How long would it take to reach its full potential and even then would it follow Josh''s orders? The Slothtrosity currently in the Tower wasn''t even bothering to do anything other than to sleep¡­.


    Josh decided to y it safe and pick the belt. Instantly a broken bronze belt appeared in his hands. What the hell?!


    <(U) Dimensional Belt>


    -Special Ability (Daily, One Day in Instance Minimum): Dimensional Escape


    -Visit other Dimensions to upgrade it. Next upgrade 5/1000


    Wow! Never mind! This was amazing! This was the type of ability that wouldn''t directly increase his power but would allow him to farm instance dungeon way more easily.


    This was akin to always adding the optional mission to survive a day to the instances. Options were always good. Plus this was only the basic belt, it could be upgraded!


    Josh then teleported out. The first thing he noticed uponing out was a tall man that rushed toward him.


    "You! Where are they! Two men! A mountain of metal and a mage! Have you seen them?!"


    "*Sigh* Dead." Josh dered somberly. Then many did the same, trying to find people they knew.


    "Don''t bother people, all are dead."


    Some became red with fury. They started aggressively shouting at Josh. Some were even releasing their aura. Such a party trick wouldn''t phase Josh.


    "Then why are you alive?!" They interrogated.


    "Because I ran away is all." Josh then simply walked toward the waiting Kasha. These Climbers hadn''t expected Josh to be that candid. For some reason, he didn''t seem ashamed in the least either.


    As he hopped in Kasha''s flying car she turned toward him. "The situation this time is serious. No one other than you managed to survive. We are going to meet Dario back at the guild. We need to figure out how we answer the others¡­"


    Of course. Politics¡­*Sigh*

 Chapter 45: Technology Is That Op?!

    <h4>Chapter 45: Technology Is That Op?!</h4>


    *ZZZZooommmm*


    With a low humming sound, they departed, leaving a crowd at a loss behind. The many guilds out there were still hoping for their members toe out.


    Josh couldn''t help but feel that this situation was simr to ssical missing people cases on Earth. How many unresolved cases were there? Yet the families always remained hopeful to one day see their beloved child, spouse or rtive, show up as if nothing had happened.


    In this case, the missing persons had been confronted with deadly seemingly invincible monsters. From Josh''s experience, they could be angered but not defeated. This was a horriblebo.


    The keys to survival required either luck or a very careful approach. First, one had to avoid the monsters. Two, one had to find the Alter Tower. Third, one had to court death with the Slothtrosities.


    Of course, there were probably other ways toplete a hidden mission, but even Josh couldn''t figure out any.


    "Lost in thoughts, are you? What devious n hides behind these dark eyes of yours now?"


    "Eh, just thinking about the situation back there. I don''t think any wille back. I''d say most have be too used to our easy Tower and drunk on their own power."


    "Hey! What do you mean easy Tower?! What do you even know about that?! Reach Floor 40 and tell me that again!" Scoffed Kasha-.


    "I saw a level 38 and 39 instantly get ughtered without being able to fight back. How often does this happen in the Tower?"


    "Well, yeah there are Bosses like that you know! One simply can''t¡­"


    "Boss? No, there was no boss. Just normal creatures. Normal creatures able to kill level 40 effortlessly."


    "This is impossible!"


    "Yep, that was pretty much their reaction as they died. That didn''t really help them."


    Josh could see Kasha shivering. She was clearly imagining herself in the situation. "Then how the Hell did you survive?! You said running back there, it can''t be that simple, right?"


    "Luck."


    "Let me guess, the same ''Luck'' that allows you to solo Climb for some god-forsaken reason and to guess the future? Bullshit! Still, there is going to be a shit-storm because of this. We haven''t had that many losses since the initial Tower advent. *Sigh*"


    In a few hours, they would reach <Draconic>. Josh wasn''t sure yet how he wanted to report. The whole truth? Probably not. It was better to downy his achievements. Was it in a bid for secrecy? Not even.


    Josh knew clearly that he was considered a Newbie in this world. He had mostly survived because of his carefulness and skills. Would they all believe it? Some maybe. But chances were that many would underestimate the dangers if he included that part.


    Many would probably think that if a ssless Newbie''s skills were good enough so were theirs. They would scoff, swaggering in there full of confidence. You know, the kind of guys that attained their power following Tower clear guides. After the death of these dumbasses, people would probably me Josh for downying the difficulty.


    Was something like this rational? No, but many times humans were not. Josh wasn''t afraid in the least but would like to avoid troubles if possible.


    "Oh shit!" Kasha suddenly eximed.


    "What''s up?"


    "We gotpany. Hold on tight! There will be a bit of turbulence for a while haha!"


    Looking behind Josh could some kind of sleek metal flying ship that was a few times bigger than their own flying car. Kasha had turned off the autopilot and had a grin off her face.


    "What''s happening exactly? These guys are just peacefully flying behind us, no?" Josh inquired.


    "That''s where you are mistaken. No sanew-abiding person would approach a model like ours in case an ident happened and they got med. Wealth is not enough to afford something like this. One requires connections too." Kasha exined.


    "So, what does this mean exactly?"


    "These guys are pirates. What you see there is abat-ready cruiser. Nothing too fancy, but it can intercept a flying car easily. See the antenna sticking out? That prevents us from sending messages. Ah, nowes the tracker! See the faint glowing green ray that they just released? With this, they won''t lose our trace."


    "Can''t we just run? Also, you seem pretty easygoing for someone getting her car intercepted." Josh calmly asked.


    "Naw, cruisers may not be as easy to maneuver as cars but they definitely beat us in long-distance speed. Now, should we begin the fun? Let''s just say I did a few modifications on this car of mine hahaha." As she said that there was a savage glint in her eyes, the one of a hunter looking at its prey.


    "BEEP- WE HAVE YOU CORNERED! SURRENDER AND NO HARM WILL BE DONE TO-"


    Then came an insane eleration! Josh could feel his entire body sinking into the seat entirely. The entire world started spinning before their eyes. Yet Kasha seemed to bezily and nonchntly driving.


    Very soon they were positioned in the back of the Cruiser. Of course, the so-called pirates tried to reposition themselves but their efforts were clearly in vain.


    That is when Kasha uncovered a part of the dashboard, revealing a red button. As she smashed it, Josh could see canon-looking thingse out of the hood. Then came deadly energy projectiles.


    Of course, the enemies started their onught too. They had given up on capturing the car and were simply going for straight-up annihtion. But no matter what they threw, Kasha simply guided the car to avoid it at thest moment.


    At some point small missiles wereunched, homing ones. That too was a colossal failure on their part. She expertly navigated until the projectiles either exploded in mid-air or directly on the opponent''s ship. She aplished that simply by veering at the veryst second, Josh resolved to never y chicken with her. Ever!


    The oue was a clearly nearing destruction cruiser. They mostly had been done in by their own weapons too! Was there any bigger embarrassment than that!


    "BEEP- WE SURRENDER HOLD YOUR FIRE WE-"


    That is when Kasha mercifully and humanly¡­.shot them making the entire cruiser explode. Josh couldn''t help but nce at her with a questioning gaze.


    "What? You expected me to forgive them or something?" She grimaced, seemingly wondering since when Josh was that righteous.


    "Aren''t pirates worth money? You know with the bounty?"


    "Hahaha, yes, but it''s not worth the effort. We better hurry up and go back to headquarters. Their ship itself was worth way more than any pitiful bounty they could have had."


    Josh simply nodded while thinking back on the earlier scene. These energy canons had shown very high destructive power. It was the same for the homing missiles. At first, Josh had disregarded technology since it couldn''t be used in the Tower but it seemed he had to reconsider.


    Would he be able to avoid annihtion confronted with such firepower? Not at all! He would be akin to a piece of paper trying to stop a wildfire. Now, why was most of the power in the hands of the Climbers then?


    Why weren''t the tech conglomerate the ones owning the world? Perhaps it was in a bid for the future? Right now they had the upper hand, but what would happen once the Climbers became stronger?


    Maybe it was simply rted to the gods'' warnings. A ruler with ambition would have jumped on the opportunity to control the world before its destruction. A ruler with even more ambition would try to save the world AND dominate it.


    Josh knew what he would do in their stead. He would show a harmless facade while growing his power in the Tower on the down-low. That is when a thought finally urred to him.


    "Say, Kasha. Is space travel possible?"


    "What? Of course, it is! Still, any space travel projects are pretty much halted at the moment. What is the point of exploring outer space when we still have the Tower to explore right here? Well, there are some entric people still¡­Why do you ask?"


    "Nothing, just curious¡­" Josh lightly remarked.


    But that one point gave rise to many questions. Josh knew the Sloth''s world was simr to theirs in the sense that it had its own Tower and that they were forced to Climb. But where was it?


    What did the gods mean by other worlds? Was it other gctic systems? Was it entirely different dimensions? The portals were magical and all, but what if there was a scientific way to understand it?


    After all, there were professions rted to the Tower. What if, just what if, it was possible to merge technology and mana? What kind of amazing construct would be possible then?


    Possibly warping battleships with superhuman crews? That is when Josh forcefully stopped his reasoning.


    He was akin to a single weak strand of grass pondering on the mysteries of the forest. But that was only temporary. Of that Josh was sure¡­.

 Chapter 46: Wrapping Things Up

    <h4>Chapter 46: Wrapping Things Up</h4>


    "That is your final report?" Dario inquired. They were in his personal office discussing the events of the <Disaster Zone D-23>.


    Josh simply nodded. At that moment they had a tacit understanding. The official story would be that the creatures inhabiting the area were extremely deadly and could somehow paralyze their victims with some special AoE magical ability.


    Josh had seen it all from far away. Luckily he hadn''t been in the attack range or he would have clearly perished.


    Josh had then simply run around aimlessly and stumbled upon the Alter Tower by chance.


    Being the first one to explore it, he had aplished a hidden mission. That was how he hade back. The Alter Tower rewards were also worthless at first nce, all cosmetic.


    This newnd was one fraught with danger, that was worthless to explore and that didn''t seem to present any danger for humanity in the short term. The outlook was to leave it the fuck alone!


    "Hehe, this is a nice story. What about the real one?"


    "Let me see. It seems each world has its own Tower ruled by a <Tower Protocol>, a system that evolves as people unlock Floors. Other than that, it''s possible to resist the Slothtrosities'' special attacks with willpower but it''s extremely hard. If I''m not mistaken the reason they are invading our world is that their own is facing destruction for refusing to Climb. That''s about it."


    "Hahaha. That will shut the guild''s investors up real good haha. Let''s just say they weren''t too keen on that contract we signed. You should have seen their faces when we had that one meeting!" said Dario while chuckling.


    "How did you convince them then?"


    "Simple. Remember the aura I showed you before? That''s a pretty strong skill called <Dragon''s Presence>. Not only does it boost allies morale, aka their resistance to mind attacks, but it also drastically weakens the enemies."


    "So you intimidated them?"


    "What do you mean intimidated? I was simply making the logical argument that if they couldn''t even resist such a simple aura that they should shut the fuck up and let me deal with it. Most of them are Climbers too so at least they have some self-awareness."


    "Should I pay them a visitter when I''m stronger?"


    "Hahaha! I like the way you think! Anyway, I''ll bring this to the MTA, they are the ones that are going to deal with the aftermath. The public information release, the regtions for the instance, and all that bullshit."


    "How does it even work? This could potentially affect the whole world after all. Also, who will control the instance, Metropolis D or C?"


    "Not sure yet. Every Metropolis has its own MTA or the equivalent. They''ll figure it out. Let''s just say many will be doing overtime thanks to this single event. I suggest you don''t go out too much in public in the uing days. Ah, you have a few hours to prepare but that''s about it."


    "Alright, I''ll get going then¡­Ah, I need a new weapon. E-Rank if possible. A sloth ate mine."


    "Actually, I may just have the thing for you." That''s when Dario left for a few minutes beforeing back with a long ck stick, throwing it at Josh: "Here try this!"


    <E-Rank Morphing Weapon>


    -F Transform


    -Sturdy


    "What''s up with this?"


    "This, my friend, is the newest cksmithing technology. It is hard to produce, useless for the veterans, but great for neers. It is a result of mixing D-Rank materials obtained from the Slimes on Floor 43 and the Steel Snakes on Floor 28. Try using your will to shape it."


    Josh concentrated and after a few minutes managed to somehow turn the stick into a sword. While it was nice, it clearly took too long to morph.


    "Eh, you''ll get used to it. It''s just like controlling mana. Anyway, I''m off take care."


    Just like controlling mana, eh¡­ Josh didn''t know how to do that in the first ce! Still, for now, he would forget the whole disaster zone. It was time for something that was clearly needed! Goddamn Food! Josh was so hungry!


    Josh made his way to the <Unstoppable Dinner>, evading many curious guild members on the way telling them to ask Dario.


    As soon as he entered the restaurant, Josh was assaulted by the smell of spices, meat, and rice. Quickly ordering, he waited. A few minutester the cook appeared along with his order, mming it on the table.


    "Dumbass! Why the Hell are you here again? Also where the Hell have you been all these days? I was convinced you were gone for good!" Somehow Josh could feel a hint of concern in the angry tone.


    "Hehe, don''t worry old man. I''ll be back to annoy you until I reach the top of the Tower." Answered Josh in between bites of his curry, the meal of the day.


    "Big words! What Floor are you even at now?"


    "Eh, about to go for the 10th one."


    "What about your party? Is it reliable?"


    "Party? What party?"


    "Don''t tell me you nned to raid it alone! This is crazy! The boss there has many tentacles. How do you n on getting close to it without anyone to do diversion?!"


    "I''ll figure out something, don''t worry haha." Then Josh pointed at his empty te. "Can I get about 50 more like that? I''m very hungry."


    "You''re kidding, right?!" he seemed panicked.


    "Nope."


    Then it was a repeat of the eatingpetition he had been to. Next to Josh was a towering pile of tes. Before long other customers were looking at Josh akin to a monster. They were nudging theirpanions their mouths opened fully, some even forgetting that they were even eating themselves.


    Josh finally left heading toward the Tower. As he approached it he could see people with signs seemingly protesting while screaming loudly. They were peaceful but clearly annoying.


    Some of the sign read:


    -Say no to the Tower!"


    -Climbing? More like dying!


    -Bring back our youths!


    -Shame! Shame!


    -Boycott the Climber industry!


    -Recruiting party members for Floor 24!


    Every good manifestation needed at least one Troll haha. Josh simply bypassed them. That''s when a woman shouted at him.


    "Did you know that the number one mortality cause for the youngsters is the Tower?! They enter it with hopes and dreams and get themselves killed! This is all society''s fault for promoting Climbers like some sort of heroes!"


    Josh turned toward them. "Oh? That seems like a problem for sure. But, don''t you think the issue of the Fallen should be addressed first?" As far as Josh was concerned this was the biggest tragedy within the Tower.


    "What? No! People in our world are doing all the dirty work of saving their asses! They don''t have a Tower to Climb, it''s only fair that we call some of them to help! No, the real issue is¡­"


    Josh simply left the bitch behind. Only fair? Protecting the youths was important but only the ones of this world, eh?


    What about all the kids that had died in the short Tutorial? The ones that had literally been thrown to the dogs! No! They only cared about the dumb ones that had voluntarily entered it looking for power, fame, or wealth. How two-faced it was of them!


    Josh had always profoundly disliked such people. They would hide behind a veil of justice and a good cause to push their own agenda. He couldn''t help but grin thinking of how they would soon react to the news. How silly they would appear once the news came out of monsters out in the real world haha.


    Anyway, it was time for Floor 10!


    [Mission: Hunt the Ancient Vine Beetle!]


    This would be Josh''s first official mandatory Boss Floor! Well, he already had been hunting every Boss so far¡­.ah, except the steal apple one. Actually, was there even one then?!

 Chapter 47: Boss Fight!

    <h4>Chapter 47: Boss Fight!</h4>


    [Mission: Hunt the Ancient Vine Beetle!]


    The pro was that such a mission would not rely on luck to bepleted at all, thus lowering the impact of bad luck.


    The con was that it could be dangerous for someone that couldn''t kill the Boss.


    The entire area seemed to be some kind of ruins, a stone floor with vines growing between the tiles. It exuded an ancient yet peaceful feel, well besides the blood-red sky haha.


    As Josh started walking, he soon realized that this ce was simr to the Forest on Floor 3. Focusing, he could sense the vitality in the nts. They would slowly sway rhythmically, but only when he wasn''t looking their way.


    Eventually, he came across some building that was still rtively intact. On the walls were green beetle drawings and human bones. Whether it was a warning or an intimidation tactic Josh wasn''t sure.


    As soon as Josh stepped inside, the entrance sealed itself with a BANG! There were corridors on the sides, that seemed to follow the walls. Josh simply headed further in. That is when he stumbled upon a big square room. In each corner there were braziers but none were lit up. In the center was a statue, one of a beetle. This was obviously the Boss.


    Somehow it seemed as if years of remaining unmoving had made the dust on its body harden and gave it a stone look. Josh simply charged at it swinging, trying to test the monster''s resistance.


    *ng!*


    It was extremely hard! Then it started moving, not only its body but also countless tentacles that starteding out of the creature, green vines with thorns.


    <Ancient Vine Beetle Lv 16?? >


    It charged at Josh who easily evaded the body, but then he had to deal with the nt onught. One cannot parry a dozen of attacks alone. Josh simply rolled backward, leaving their attack range.


    Now, most people would use a party to deal with that. But, was it really necessary? Of course not! Josh could think of a few ideas.


    First of all, he was indoor. It would perhaps be possible to cause the old building to copse. Of course, the hard part would be not to get himself killed in the process.


    Second, Josh could go for a war of attrition. He could simply cut one vine at a time until there were none. Then the Boss would be fully open.


    The third option was to find its weakness and annihte the creature directly.


    Approaching, Josh started destroying Vine after Vine. He couldn''t help butugh when he could see his experience points going up. These were creatures and not just appendages of the Boss!


    However, with every he defeated, another made its way out of small cracks toe and nestle itself on the Boss. It seemed like they had some sort of symbiotic rtionship. This reminded Josh of the Imp Quartermaster.


    Josh headed to the Brazier in the corners, wanting to observe them more closely. As soon as he came nearby he realized something, there were vines here too. But the difference was they weren''t trying to kill Josh in the least. Like the ones before they were only gently swaying. Why was that?!


    Were they the same as the vines on Floor 3 that only attacked when one''s guard was down? How were they even able to know something like that? How mysterious! Was it some kind of special ability specific to it?


    Josh wondered something. If it could sense one''s guard being down would it sense killing intent too? Sending some killing intent their way the peaceful vines instantly sprung toward him violently, trying to impale his body!


    By now, the Boss hade closer so Josh ran toward another corner of the room. He then tried hiding behind one brazier. It was a huge wooden-like pile that would probably be extremely hard to ignite.


    As the Boss came closer it simply scaled it. It had the capability to easily maneuver around terrain, so Josh wouldn''t be able to get on the high ground to take advantage of it, not that he had a bow anyway.


    Was the only solution a war of attrition? That''s when Josh noticed something! With the current slightly elevated Beetle''s position, Josh could finally see its underbelly. There was a green sphere embedded in its carapace. Every time a vine would attack it would glow softly.


    There was its weakness! Now, this one would be challenging. Josh did a fewps around, trying to get the creature to be in the best position possible. Now, the creature was clearly heavy given its size.


    Josh had an insane n in mind. It would give the creature an opportunity to easily kill him, but he was convinced it wouldn''t react in time. The vines attacked fast because of how numerous they were, but other than that the creature didn''t appear to be that smart.


    Josh prepared himself and then he slid on the stone floor, his armor making a grating sound. He passed right under the Boss, quickly striking the sphere with all his might! With a *Kacha!* sound it broke into countless fragments.


    Josh tried shing a vine but the others all tried to attack him nheless. Was that thing not how the Boss controlled them?! Ah, wait. What if it truly couldn''t anymore? What if¡­.


    Josh lowered all the animosity he had toward the vines. That is when they stopped moving entirely. HAHAHAHA! With that discovery, the rest of the fight became increasingly easy. A few minutester the Giant Beetle was already crashing down!


    Then came the sweet rewards!


    [Missionpleted! Feat Completed, Solo the Boss! Rewards Increased!]


    <Stone of Promise>


    Lets one know the status of a friendly creature. Register a target with blood!


    <Inventory Expansion Ticket +1>


    Add one Joker inventory slow that can be used to store any one thing below a certain size.


    <F-Rank Material Bag>


    Contains a sub-space that can store 1-type of material in great quantity. (At a time)


    <E-Rank cksmithing Anvil>


    Used for Crafting. Activation makes it grow bigger.


    <E-Rank Alchemical Cauldron>


    Used for crafting. Activation makes it grow bigger.


    <Ne of the Vine Beetle>


    Gives the user control over 4 vines that sprout out of it, destroyed vines take an hour to regenerate.


    Funny enough the anvil and cauldron were very small, small enough to fit in his pocket in fact. Josh tried using the cksmith anvil. It went from fist size to desk size in an instant! Wow! There was just an issue¡­there was no option to make it smaller again¡­


    Josh then used the inventory expansion. "Inventory!" It now showed a grid panel with 1 slot on it. Josh willed the anvil to go in there and it disappeared instantly. He couldn''t help but marvel at the sight.


    Josh then quickly swapped for the new ne to try it. Four vines sprouted giving Josh a very weird feeling. He could somehow perceive their existence, but moving them was hard.


    Still, before long he had managed to train while waiting for the Boss to spawn. Josh figured that it would be extremely inefficient to fight with it, but that perhaps he could use it to enhance his movement capabilities.


    Josh had to exit and enter the building again for the Boss to spawn. He simply kept killing it, his goal to level up. Now it was extremely easy. He kept repeating the same clear method. He did manage to level up but didn''t get any other loot for some reason.


    Oh well, it didn''t matter.


    "Teleport out!"


    Josh quickly checked the forums. Yep, it was as he expected. People knew about the sphere, but there was also a line saying that it was useless to focus on it.


    It allowed the Boss to control the vines, but even without his control, they would still protect the creature either way.


    JustBuyingSoySauce: "Once you destroy the sphere, simply stop attacking the vines altogether. They are peaceful."


    Unsurprisingly, Josh got banned once more. There were countless forum threads out there. Why would Josh persist in doing such a thing? Well, that was his way to test the waters. The ones banning him were obviously worthless information sources. No expert would share new information if that was how it was received!


    That''s when Josh heard a mor. "Hey, you! Aren''t you the one that went inside the Disaster Zone?!" A man quickly checked his UW while having Josh''s picture showing. It had apparently been taken right before he had left the area with Kasha back then.


    "It''s really you! Is it true that you are ssless? They say the <Draconic> guild sent you as a sacrifice to test the waters, is this true?! Do you have anyment about the area?! What is your stance about¡­."


    That''s when Josh simply turned and entered the Tower once more. No way he was going to deal with that shit!


    [Mission: Kill The 7 Rat Elites!]


    When Josh saw this new Floor he couldn''t help but think it was going to be a pain ¡­.

 Chapter 48: Finding a Needle In...

    <h4>Chapter 48: Finding a Needle In...</h4>


    [Mission: Kill The 7 Rat Elites!]


    Floor 11 was a cave. One so big that Josh had no idea how far the walls and ceiling went.


    All Josh knew was that he could feel the rocky floor under his feet and hear the scratching sound made by countless rats scurrying all around the ce, not that he could see any.


    Josh couldn''t help but grimace from the cacophony as that sound reverberated all around. It felt like some kind of noise that would be used in a torture chamber to drive a prisoner insane.


    Now, there was something peculiar. Oftentimes the blood-red sky could be seen glowing on the realm, but it was absent. The entire ce was plunged in darkness, quite simrly to the Kobold Cavern.


    This time, however, there was something different. The creatures had been organized and mining. No, here it was different! As Josh came closer, he could see a gray sea. There was moving fur all around. There was also the smell of beasts, a musky one. They clearly didn''t do much toileting recently.


    There were countless rats, but surprisingly Josh didn''t feel threatened. The creatures seemed to be sticking to a vast circle in the middle of the cave. Some red at Josh but none actually made a move to attack him. It was as if there was an invisible boundary forcing them to stay there.


    Then again, such a thing wasn''t surprising. The Tower seemed to present game elements that the gods had clearly included for their own enjoyment. It seemed like the edge of the cave was a safe zone.


    Now, there was only one thing to test. Josh dashed inside. Instantly a few dozen rats jumped at him. He quickly retreated in a hurry, all the way outside the boundary. That''s when happened something truly magical. The jumping rats in mid-air were stopped seemingly by an invisible wall, slowly sliding down.


    That would have made a great window or window cleaningmercial! Josh could see the resentment in the eyes of the creatures. If they could speak they would have probably been shouting at him "Come and fight you coward!" or something simr.


    Now, Josh needed to kill 7 elite rats. That would be difficult for a very simple reason. Looking around Josh could see tons of gray names. All the rats were level 11 Creeps! This mission was akin to searching for a needle in a church. (Yes that kind of needle)


    To make things worse the names kept showing up and disappearing. It seemed like there was a limit to the number of nametes that would be disyed at once. To make things even worse..the visibility was horrible. At this point Josh felt like he was using the Forc* more than his eyes, he would have made a great Jed*!


    Josh simply had to keep his eyes open for anything blue and kill it. There was no point in procrastinating. There was only one way he knew how to clear such a thing. A guerri tactic!


    Ready¡­set¡­.go! Josh simply charged in the sea of giant rats. He could see their red glowing eyes and their long and sharp teeth. He could hear their constant squeaking and wing.


    Josh simply started cleaving his way through, sending dismembered bodies everywhere! It felt like riding a wave, with a nk, and in a storm. Point is, Josh could feel the threat of death. Well, such a tiny detail wouldn''t stop him.


    After shing for a few minutes, Josh couldn''t take it and had to retreat! Quickly getting back to safety he turned around observing the sea of rats.


    He couldn''t help but sigh. The pack showed no sign of having lost members. It was simr to trying to empty a sea using a cup, a goddamn waste of time! He couldn''t pick any item either as it kept falling to the ground and getting lost.


    Still, all Josh needed to do was an assassination. The main problem was locating the target in the first ce. All he could do was a methodological sweeping of the entire area. Hopefully, there would be some results eventually.


    How long does it take for a valiant man armed but nothing but a stick (that can morph) to kill a blue rat? Two days! Josh actually found one the first day already but came the problem of the meat shields. There were so many monsters between him and his target!


    Josh eventually figured out a trick. The elite rats would be at key locations on the battlefield. He simply had to memorize those and he would be fine. Ah, there were more possible locations than the number of elite rats and they kept rotating but still.


    On the third day, Josh had alreadypleted the mission. Now, there was something he was curious about. Where and what was the boss?! All this time he had mostly seen regr rats.


    Josh figured that said Boss would probably be at the dead center of the area. Thus started a journey filled with rat corpses. But soon came a problem. The distance to cover was quite big before he reached the Boss.


    Josh eventually saw the creature he was looking for:


    <Alpha Rat Lv 18?? >


    The creature was bigger than a horse. I seemed very quick and had the potential to tear Josh apart easily. Plus, he was already getting pushed back by the sea of rats. For once he gave up, albeit only temporarily.


    He would be back for sure! "Teleport out!"


    While thinking about his next move, Josh couldn''t help but wonder if he would be ambushed once more by some curious reporter or something.


    As soon as the red glow receded, Josh could see people excitingly watching their UW and leaving excitingly. What was up with them?


    That is when he heard a beep. There was a message from Dale:


    Dale the Phoenix: OMG, did you see the new product Ouroboros is selling?! This shit is amazing! I heard that they limit the first sales to the members of the top guilds! This is discrimination! Actually, it makes sense. If the Rankers adopt it then everyone else will follow. Make sure you buy one when the public releasees!


    This definitely piqued Josh''s interest. It concerned Rankers so hopefully, it was rted to the Tower directly. Josh simply followed the flow of cirction. There were many going to check it out, even the ones that knew they wouldn''t get one.


    Before long Josh was back in front of the awesome building with the holographic swimming snake!

 Chapter 49: Acquiring a !

    <h4>Chapter 49: Acquiring a <Fairy>!</h4>


    Before long, Josh was back in front of the awesome building with the holographic swimming snake!


    Side note, Josh was wearing the gray cosmetic suit and fedora he had gotten in the Alter Dungeon, for his clothes had been trashed by the Rats.


    There was a huge crowd and in front of the building. The entrance was guarded by fully equipped Climbers working as security guards. There were also many U-Bots patrolling, and even one guy with the ck Squad uniform.


    To enter the shop, one needed to pass in front of some kind of big scanner. Some people were waiting to be granted ess but the majority was simply here to watch the show. Josh turned to a passerby: "So, what is even happening here?"


    "What you came here without even knowing?!" the man shook his head.


    "You should really keep up with the News concerning the Tower. Not to brag, but I''m a D ranker myself. My guild will even get some of these <Fairies>! Impressive isn''t it? I''m sure you''ve heard of <Legionnaires>, right?!"


    "Is that a guild''s name? I can see these people are all showing their UW to the scanner. Is it using the guild application to prove one''s identity?"


    "Exactly, people in big guilds just show it and¡­." The man saw Josh heading to the front.


    "Heye back! There is no way they''ll grant you ess! This is not somewhere a bumpkin like you should¡­! Ah, never mind, I don''t know you!"


    Josh was pretty sure <Draconic> would have the right to buy some. A stern security guard snorted as he approached. "This isn''t a ce for broke people, not right now at the very least. Go back once you can afford decent clothes."


    Please! How many even had cosmetic clothes from the Tower! Well, Josh had no way to know. Still, he could understand the man. The <Tower Protocol> had designed the clothes based on a typical Mall. Let''s just say the suit was the cheap kind that one could find in a general clothing store. It did look decent just¡­simple.


    Josh didn''t even bother replying to the man. He simply scanned his UW. When the scanner showed a green light to indicate that Josh had the right to enter, the man''s expression went from stern to stunned and finally flustered.


    Would Josh reprimand him in the least? No, he was above that. Josh simply nced yfully at him, then intently at the man''s name tag, before looking him straight in the eyes while smiling brightly.


    That is when a store employee came out to personally greet Josh. They visibly had a way to figure out that he was from an S-Rank guild.


    Seeing this, the security guard instantly quickly started thinking about worst-case scenarios. His brows furrowed in worry, his hands started trembling and then he dropped to his knees and started to beg Josh to forgive him.


    Josh didn''t bother answering and simply followed the guide inside. The man seemed to understand the situation. Before long they were inside. In fact, the man guided Josh to a small reception room in the back and even served him some coffee. "Sir, do you have any particr request concerning that one employee?"


    Josh could see that the man was gaging him. At first nce, he seemed to be taking Josh''s side but he was probably trying to glean more information about his personality. Josh couldn''t help but wonder if they could see his white gold guild rank or not.


    Josh smiled "Tell him that he may get fired, that the decision will be taken in two weeks. Other than that, don''t do anything."


    "Ah, so you want us to ask again for your input in two weeks?" he conscientiously asked.


    "What part of ''other than that don''t do anything'' was unclear?"


    "Ah, I see! So simply the fear of possibly receiving a punishment shall be his punishment? Thank you for your magnanimity"


    Josh scoffed "Even if I wanted him fired would you have done anything?"


    "Of course we would have fired him from this branch! We do not tolerate people disrespectful to our customers!"


    Josh couldn''t help but smile, having seen through the man. Fire him from ''this branch'' was what he had said. Meaning another Ouroboros branch may have very well coincidentally recruited him right afterward. Still, there was no need to point it out.


    "Alright, now. How about you introduce this <Fairy> to me? Do aplete pitch sale as if I had never heard a single thing about it."


    "Yes, Sir! As you know technology doesn''t work in the Tower. It is a closed environment that seems to disable anythinging from outside. The only exception to this is the items crafted using Profession sses assigned by the Tower itself. This sort of crafting requires materials from the Tower to be performed and special tools dropped in the Tower."


    "Like this one you mean?" Josh simply dropped the cksmithing Anvil out of his inventory while intently watching the man''s bodynguage.


    The man quickly identified the anvil as one dropping on Floor 10. That was a huge hint toward Josh''s real strength. The man showed a faint trace of surprise, but quickly went over it and resumed the same appearance as before. That is when he made eye contact with the smiling Josh that was observing him.


    Was Josh a low ranker with extreme potential that had been hidden from the media? Was Josh actually a high ranker already that was simply dropping an E-Rank item to test him? Was Josh here simply to buy, browse, or did he have a deeper purpose behind his inquiry, one possibly even rted to rankers?!


    Many thoughts clearly swirled in the man''s head. A simple meeting had be so much more in his eyes. Josh could somehow feel the man''s aura change slightly. He was clearly overthinking this haha.


    Josh simply waited for the presentation to resume. He truly had no clue what was being sold after all.


    "This is why we started researching ways to recreate our technology using the crafting methods found in the Tower. At first, we tried to reproduce modern weapons. Sadly there was always one thing or another going wrong. That is when a group of a few researchers tried to recreate something simr to a UW."


    Oh? It was bing quite interesting. Josh figured that meant they had seeded.


    "We used an item that drops on Floor 38 from the Bronze Golem. We figured out that it actually has the ability to learn. While not being sentient it seemed like a basic AI. Using its core, it was then possible to create a basic system that allowed information retention and learning. After that came the hard part. Honestly, I don''t understand the specifics myself since I am but a salesman, but they have managed to connect it to the Net!"


    "Alright, now then. What about the product itself?"


    "Here it is Sir, the <Fairy>!" The man took out a small box. In it, a small white prism was contained. "Feel free to activate it!"


    Touching it, the item started levitating. Then it started glowing. In front of it appeared a screen.


    Oh? This was quite nice. Josh wanted to name it Navigation at first but felt it would be too weird sounding so he simply inputted <Navi>.


    The Fairy then started to hover around his head. Lightly dragging it toward him, Josh realized that it didn''t seem strong nor fast. "We are supposed to bring that in the Tower? It will get destroyed instantly¡­"


    The man waved his hand toward the Fairy, but it evaded it with impossible speed. "That is how it will react to monsters. It can be used to give in real-time advice about any Floor based on information found online from trusted sources. There are also many voices avable and the color is changeable."


    "Pretty nice, alright I''ll take one." Josh felt it was worth it. That would stop him from trying to scour doubtfully useful forums with outdated information.


    "Perfect, I''ll even give you a 50% discount on it! Thank you for your patronage!"


    "50%? Nonsense! I''ll pay it fully!" Josh was rich after all with a staggering 20 638 Credits!


    The man smiled brightly. "Alright, that will be 50 000 Credits."


    What?! This little thing was 50 000 Credits?! One had to know the E-Rank gear Josh was wearing was only worth 1k Credit a piece! Then again it made sense considering it required materials on Floor 38¡­but still.


    The man noticed Josh''s expression changing. "What is it?"


    Josh couldn''t help but be embarrassed. Then he went: "That¡­.can we do 60% instead?"


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    Not long after, Josh was exiting the shop, quite broke but with a new <Fairy> neatly tugged in his inventory. Now, there was something he wanted to do, something called training.


    Josh had a n to deal with the rat Boss. There only remained to see if it would work or not¡­

 Chapter 50: Damn rats!

    <h4>Chapter 50: Damn rats!</h4>


    "Home sweet home!" Josh enthusiastically greeted his ce.


    How many would be as excited about some old maintenance room in the sewers? Well, probably some mutated turtles and that was it!


    Josh couldn''t help but feel that he''d need to redecorate. Perhaps a little touch of personality? Maybe a door, a bed, or even one or two killer robots! you know, just the strict necessary for a young man living on his own.


    Anyway, now was time for some training! The main issue with the rats was how fast and numerous they were. As soon as one was killed. another took its ce instantly. They said the power of friendship was magic, in this case, it actually meant many many meatshields.


    But Josh had a n! He simply started training for hours without stopping, all until he was satisfied with his progress.


    What was Josh even training in? Well, a peculiar movement technique. Actually, even that appetion was questionable.


    All the while, he had Navi out, seeing it at work. It wouldzily float next to him, giving out a soft glow. "Yeah, I truly can''t use that thing for any sneak mission!"


    Josh then headed straight for the Tower. Before long he was right in front of a sea of rats. Josh couldn''t help but be curious.


    "Tell me, Navi. What is the tactic suggested for this Floor?"


    <One needs a full party. Any buff or ability that allows one to fight for long periods of time should be prioritized.>


    Josh simply nodded before yfully saying "I came back for revenge little ones. Surprised to see me already?" Of course, the rats didn''t give any specific reaction except to stare directly at him. They couldn''t wait to devour him.


    Josh had the Vine Ne equipped. Out of his back popped four long vines that he controlled to hold his body in the air. He looked quiteical, but it would get the job done.


    Then he propelled himself forward. He was cruising right atop the rat pack. The monsters kept jumping at him, too dumb to attack the vines directly. This was clearly a w in the Tower''s Protocol. Well, not that Josh wouldin about it.


    Of course, all the jumpers died instantly, mercilessly sliced by his sword. Blood was raining from above, it would have been a sight to see for sure. ''I probably look like that one Octopus Viin right now haha.'' he thought.


    Josh first quickly killed the 7 Elite rats, he wanted to have the option to teleport out at any timeter on in case he got overrun.


    Soon Josh reached the Boss. <Alpha Rat Lv 18?? > It was entirely ck and exuded savagery. As it saw him, it screeched angrily for none of the rats had managed to block Josh.


    That is when the rat sea converged on Josh, apparently following their leader''s orders. It all looked like a giant tidal wave! One that was easily noticeable by its size, smell, and sound! It was as deadly as annoying!


    Josh did the only sensible thing in such a situation. He jumped on the Boss''s back! Then began an epic rodeo, Hell-Version! The creature was iling around trying to get him off but without sess. Josh was using his vines to hold himself steady in ce.


    Meanwhile, the small rats kept hopping aboard too and diving at Josh. The only saving grace was that individually the rats were pretty weak. Only so many could attack at once in such a precarious position.


    The issue, however, was that Josh was already plenty busy with just surviving. He didn''t have much time to actually inflict damage. Was he condemned to give up? That wasn''t Josh''s style, at all!


    No, Josh gave up on his footing entirely, only relying on the vines themselves. Then he started violently kicking every of the Grey named mobs while shing the Boss.


    But that''s when the creature did a movement so abrupt that the vines finally couldn''t hold on anymore. It all snapped! Josh was sent forward with incredible momentum, akin to a projectile.


    The scene in front of Josh''s eyes would have been enough to give PTSD to a rtively valiant man. The rats had their maws fully opened while salivating observing the human above them.


    Josh could see their paws moving excitingly and they even seemed to be fighting for the area where he wouldnd. It even made him shiver, but not in fear, it was DISGUSTING!


    How would Josh evennd in such a ce? Well, all he needed was one foothold that wasn''t a bloodthirsty rat. Was such a thing possible? Yes, it was!


    ''E-Rank Alchemical Cauldron I choose you!'' Dropping the cauldron on their head, Josh used it as a foothold and fought back! Countless rats were trying to devour him, but he remained steady!


    Then came the furious Boss for round two. By now it had gashes on its back, but nothing too serious. Now, this previous fight was actually pretty short. Josh had mostly conserved his energying here thanks to the vines.


    "Navi, what tactic is rmended here?" Josh inquired. <Retreat as fast as possible! This Boss should never be tackled alone!> "Well, hope they''ll update you soon Navi. Cause right now I hate this idea!"


    Josh simply decided to Try-hard. He started running, atop of the rats, crushing their heads under his talons. This required incredible focus, bnce, balls of steel, and the ability to keep going no matter what.


    The Boss tilted its head in confusion. It was probably the first time it was seeing its brethren used as mere springboards! For Josh, it was a race against time. Even for him, such intensity was impossible to maintain for a long duration.


    Josh shed with the Boss time and time again. Every time the human would slightly change direction at the veryst second do doge.


    How was Josh even changing direction in mid-air? Well, let''s just say it was a good thing that Navi was an AI! Otherwise, it would haveined about getting repeatedly stepped on.


    After a dozen minutes, Josh finally saw the Boss turn to light particles. The worst is he didn''t even get a reward for it besides XP!


    [Alternative Mission: Kill all of the Rats Solo!]


    Josh couldn''t help but nce resentfully at the new pop-up! This was clearly way beyond his current abilities. He couldn''t do the bonus mission at all! There was only one thing left to do.


    "Teleport out!"


    As Josh came outside he heard his UW beeping.


    -Dario the Dragon: Hey Josh, something came up. There is a new order from the top that affects all of the guilds of Metropolis C. See you at Draconic to talk about it!...

 Chapter 51: Investigating a School?! Why?!

    <h4>Chapter 51: Investigating a School?! Why?!</h4>


    Josh soon arrived at the Draconic Guild. Lucas instantly noticed him.


    "Josh! Josh! Haha! You are my hero from now on! No one stirs trouble quite like Josh Malum! I''m impressed!"


    "What did I miss?" Josh questioned with his eyebrows raised.


    Lucas could be seen counting on his fingers. "First there are people that a quite pissed about the instance thingy. Since a Newbie ssless guy like you survived, many entered and got themselves killed."


    This was such a pain! He had specifically mentioned time and time again that he had survived only thanks to his luck!


    "Second, apparently you said something about a level 25 Zombie on Floor 6, and people went to verify it. Well, long story short <MythBusting> is dead. Some people me you for that."


    "¡­.." How dumb were they? They clearly were different from that one show Josh knew from Earth.


    "Third, there is a lobby calling out to the murder of some Lenny guy. Of course, the ck Squad soon told them to shut the hell up but it did influence your infamy level."


    That reminded Josh that he still had people he could ckmail in there if a need arose. That''s why he hadn''t been too harsh on punishing them back then.


    "Fourth, apparently you stole Dario''s Fairy. Kinda funny how he went to visit Ouroboros and they told him that his only reserved personal Fairy had already been checked out by someone with white gold status in the guild."


    Oh well, that seemed like a lot of angry peeps but in fact, it boiled down to a few idiots, more idiots, some more idiots, and finally an easily exinable misunderstanding.


    "Somehow you are still calm even after all this?! Are you human, Josh?! Are you?!"


    "Don''t worry about it¡­.I''m very good at faking humanity ;)" Josh yfully added before heading to Dario''s office.


    Josh could hear Lucas shouting in the background "No, you aren''t very good! You clearly are a killer robot in disguise!"


    Please! Josh didn''t just kill! He mocked too!


    Dario was in his office, scratching his head as one with a migraine would. He seemed extremely focused on the task at hand, so much that he didn''t even wee Josh. It''s only after a few minutes that he finally raised his head.


    "Hey, Josh! d you came. We have an issue."


    "Is it about the Disaster Zone?" Josh had an inkling of the situation.


    "Yes, but probably not in the way you think. So the various MTAs came together and figured out that the danger of another instance happening was pretty high. We already lost a lot of people to it. So there will be various initiativesunched to strengthen humanity in general."


    "Let me guess, forced military training?"


    "Yes, but calling it as such would generate too much bacsh. So they instead decided to regrize the Climber schools and to create public ones. Now people will learn how to fight there."


    "In the future, it will bepulsory education, right? What about the current adults?"


    "Anyone under 30 is going to have to go through the curriculum. Now, this is where wee in. We have a school that we are supposed to oversee. We need to control the quality of the education given."


    "How exactly is this supposed to concern me?"


    "If we just send a renowned member of Draconic, they will clearly notice it. What I need you to do is go undercover to judge the quality of the teachings."


    "This is ridiculous! Can''t you just record every ss and have them send the footage over? There is clearly no need for me to do this! Plus this guild is literately one that offers training sses. Can''t you guys figure this part by yourselves?!"


    "We need to properly send someone to analyze the situation.


    Oh yeah, I agree. This whole thing is pointless and ridiculous. Still, it''s a direct order from the MTA. If we don''t want to sour our rtionships with them we need toply."


    That''s when Josh thought of a great excuse. "Actually, I''m a Fallen! I can''t be too long away from the Tower! Such a shame!"


    "Yeah, pretty much everyone we can send are Fallens too. Please do this for me. You really just need to show up, listen to some lectures, and beat up some kids. Easy really!"


    Josh checked his lifespan, 37 Days. It would be a huge pain in the ass but he could do it. Of course, he wouldn''t just ve away for nothing. "Alright, but in exchange, I want some new gear prepared and all the furniture needed for my home!"


    "Deal, haha. I''ll even throw in the best home decorator there is. Still, I''m surprised I didn''t expect you to be the type to have his own ce. Your target is <Climber High>. Alright, good luck! sses start tomorrow, your inscription is settled already. Have fun haha!"


    Josh left while pondering about Dario''s words. He was apparently not to type to have his own home, eh? That had been Josh''s dream in the distant past. He wanted to make their lives better. Yet it had turned out like that¡­


    Josh returned to his dwelling. On his way, he received a few weird nces from people seeing him entering the sewers but he ignored them as usual.


    Josh simplyid on the hard floor while using the Hamburger mask he had received in the Alter Tower as a pillow. The thing was big and looked like the head of a mascot¡­no it actually was.


    What was Josh even supposed to do in this world? Climbing was a given, he had to slowly increase his lifespan. Still, he was doing pretty well on that front. He had already gained a full month of lifespan.


    Wait..?! Would that mean living forever if the lifespan kept increasing?! Was this actually a blessing in disguise? Then again maybe it wouldn''t work that way. Since Josh was young, he had no way to notice such a thing.


    This is what was fascinating and confusing about the Tower. There was so much that was unexined. If Josh could rate the tutorial he would have rated it -5/10! Then again, it was actually called a wee event¡­


    Josh peacefully slept, lulled by the sound of U-bots cleaning outside. It was a very faint sound, one that part of him found reassuring. But suddenly came the sound of footsteps, then voices.


    "Mmmm! I''m not sure how long I can keep doing this! How about I fight your father for your hand?" The voice was young and the tone yful.


    "Haha, Viin! I''m sure you''d win but that''s beside the- Mmmm!" That was the sound of a girl getting interrupted by a kiss probably.


    ''Why are there peopleing into the sewers to make out? Seriously?!'' Josh couldn''t help but think about how deviant this was! They should have headed to a proper love hotel! Of course, he''d never admit that he was the abnormal one for living in such a ce.


    "Wait, I know a good ce. There is a room hidden in the back. I came here to y here with my cousin here once. His father worked here before the U-bots-" Then came some more kissing. Thankfully the girl had brought an end to that pointlessly long monologue.


    Josh could hear them fumble their way toward his position. He couldn''t help but sigh interiorly hoping that these guys would be thest for a while at least.


    Finally, they entered. The only thing was that the room was extremely dark. Josh could clearly see their shadows and even their intertwined tongues, but they were way too busy to notice him.


    The man was quickly sliding his hand under the woman''s shirt reaching for her full mounds. That is when Josh figured he should make himself noticed and also teach them a good lesson about surroundings awareness.


    "Hey, guys! This room belongs to me at the moment, so please! Go be lovey-dovey somewhere else!" Josh kindly advised them.


    "AH! GHOST!" Her scream reminded Josh of a banshee as she ran away, crashing into a few walls in the process.


    "I''ll protect you, don''t worry! Who''s there?!" Came the valiant, albeit trembling voice of the man.


    "Guys, like I said. This is my home. I''m paying to live here. Now, please leave okay?"


    "A-ah! S-sorry for the disturbance!" Then he ran away too in embarrassment.


    What was wrong with people nowadays? Already assuming that he was a ghost! Then again, there were bound to be ghosts at some point in the Tower. Yeah, it actually wasn''t that crazy.


    For many nights would the both of them have nightmares? Josh wouldn''t care haha. The night quickly passed.


    Josh made his way to the <Climber High>, in the F district. Right, wasn''t this the school that one ck Squad interrogator had said his kid was attending or something?


    There was one thing Josh knew for a fact, the name sucked! Would he be med if he failed them for that simple reason? Possibly.


    Josh could already see a few ncing at him. Actually, he had already been seen with Kasha, wouldn''t they guess that he was in Draconic?! Ah, whatever. Josh would get his reward either way as long as he worked diligently.


    How long had it been since Josh had attended school? Very long! Or that''s how it felt at least¡­

 Chapter 52: Welcome to School!

    <h4>Chapter 52: Wee to School!</h4>


    How long had it been since Josh had attended school? Very long! Or that''s how it felt at least¡­


    <Climber High>''s building was long, two stories high, and the grey of boredom. Were they worried about the ce looking too nice?


    Josh could see many youngsters congregating around the entrance. It was still locked. Dario had sent him some more information early in the morning.


    Apparently, the orientation ss would begin at 8:00 in the morning. It was currently 6:37. Why had Joshe so early? Well, the building would be opened by 7:00. That would let him ample time to explore on his own.


    Before long, Josh could enter. Looking at the generalyout of the ce it seemed like the theoretical sses were on the second floor with the training ground below, the exception being a lecture hall that was closed.


    Well, it made sense. Anyone that ever had upstairs neighbors will know about how much a ruckus it could cause. In the past, Josh had many times wondered if atop him lived a one-legged elephant pirate! At least that''s what the woman sounded like!


    The training rooms were actually locked. To ess them one would need to use a key-card. The kind of security system that was easily bypassed really. Stealing the card of a youngster would be very hard, right?! Yes, notice the sarcasm, lots of it!


    Then, Josh went upstairs. The sses were different from the ones on Earth. Sure it had chairs, desks, and a ce for a teacher to stand, but it also had devices that were probablyputers.


    Josh approached a device. It was a small silver disk. As soon as he touched it, came a floating blue panel asking him to swipe his student card once more.


    Now, why was Josh''s own UWcking such a cool feature?! No, instead he had to work with an extremely small screen!


    That is when Josh heard the sound of the ssroom door opening. As fast as aet came a mumbling girl that was seemingly lost in thoughts and hadn''t noticed Josh at all.


    Her visage and aura clearly exuded youth yet a certain maturity. Her blond hair was flowing at shoulder length. She had a simple look without much makeup, not that she needed it. For some reason, she gave Josh the impression of a greenhouse flower that was excited about finally discovering a new world.


    She stopped at the front of the ss. Then while nervously tugging at the hem of her simple white dress she went:


    "Hello everyone! I''m Amelia J- ah, I should probably skip that part."


    "Hello everyone! I''m Amelia, I''m so excited to finally meet you all and to hopefully have some great time with all of you so we can createsting memories of our time together. Then I truly hope were can form a group, maybe and - is that too long?"


    "Hello, everyone! I''m Amelia, just a normal girl that loves antiques and wants to climb the Tower! Nice to meet you all!"


    She then did a little cheering motion, happily raising her dainty fist a little in the air. Satisfied, she finally slowly raised her head and¡­made eye contact with Josh. Her eyes widened, her smile froze, panic could be seen in her eyes and she turned a color that a tomato would have been jealous of!


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. "Amelia, is it? I''m Josh. So do you often rehearse your speeches beforehand?"


    "T-that! I-I¡­" Then she took a deep breath and calmed down instantly somehow. "Just this once!"


    Oh? It wasn''t that she had no experience in society. She had probably been home-schooled! Perhaps she had gained most of her social abilities at antique galleries?


    "So, what brings you here? To this school I mean." Josh inquired.


    "I want to explore the Tower! Can you imagine all the treasures that could be found inside?! Perhaps not just relics of our civilization but also others!"


    She seemed very passionate. In fact, she spoke faster and in a higher pitch when the topic at hand was antiques. Josh felt that if she became a little more excited she could give popr rappers a run for their money haha.


    Josh couldn''t help but feel that she was probably right about the antiques. The Alter Tower had recreated a Mall on Earth directly after all. While Josh had these thoughts she had been talking incessantly.


    In fact, she kept doing so with Josh nodding from time to time. She did all the way to the opening ceremony! She then realized how long she had been babbling for and blushed furiously once more!


    They both headed to the lecture hall. Many were already seated, before a podium was a man that looked very diligent and was wearing a clean white suit. Josh could see that the man was obviously a Climber, one stronger than himself. Before long he spoke to the hundred or so attendee.


    "Hello everyone! I am the principal! Wee to <Climber High!> It is my pleasure to wee you all to my humble establishment! Now, there are many of you with us today. Some are youngsters, some are slightly older too and are joining the program with the government''s blessings!"


    As he said that, he surveyed the entire Hall before continuing.


    "Now, no matter your background, ss, or even progress in the Tower I believe everyone will be able to learn something at my establishment. Of course, there is a lot we ignore about the Tower and are discovering new things every day. This means that you should never take anything you learn here for granted!"


    Josh couldn''t help but think that was the perfect way to deny responsibility haha. Well, it wasn''t wrong either.


    "Now, your student cards will be distributed! Make sure you keep them preciously! These will give you ess to all our facilities and tools. It will also serve as your identification for Tower-rted party-finding."


    Of course, they would push for people to make a party. Josh felt like party cohesion was extremely important, but that it would ultimately boil down to individual skills and adaptability.


    Before long, Josh was handed his card. His picture on it clearly looked like a mug shot! It seemed to have been taken in the Draconic''s elevator. Then he followed as people were divided into three groups.


    The difference between the three was the speed at which they would go over the curriculum. Josh was obviously in the fastest group. He didn''t have much time to waste on this BS.


    In the morning they would have theoretical lessons and in the afternoon practical lessons. Josh could see that Amelia was almost literally shining.


    Then they were guided to a ssroom where a man was waiting. He seemed like the steady kind. He too was wearing a suit, a ck one. Just by the way he was standing Josh could feel that he was a proud man.


    He was eying the neers intently, apparently trying to estimate their potential. Josh couldn''t help but notice that the eyes of the man lit up when it came to Amelia. Whoever she was, either she had some capability or her background wasn''t simple.


    Taking a seat near a window like a proper main protagonist, Josh awaited the man''s lecture.


    "Wee all, I am Algor, your new teacher. You guys are lucky haha you get the best of the best! The principal had to beg me toe haha."


    Josh hoped for the principal that he hadn''t begged in vain, so far he quite disliked the guy.


    "In my ss, I won''t wait for anyone! If you feel like I''m going too fast you guys can switch! In a week from now, you guys will be able to Climb the Tower with a dedicated group without any issue!"


    Climb the Tower for sure? Which part? The early one that everyone knew about or the Floors getting cleared by the rankers? There was a huge difference between both concepts.


    Still, that was extremely fast. How would he do such a thing? It needed to be known that Josh had spent way longer training on Earth.


    "Alright, now use your student ID and scan it on the Universal-Desk! Then in your profile section, there should be your basic information and a ss section. You will find our ss''s n there."


    Josh did as he was told. Soon he could see the whole n for the week.


    <Theory>


    Day 1 All you need to know about the Tower!


    Day 2 Floor 1-10


    Day 3 Floor 11-20


    Day 4 Floor 21-30


    Day 5 Floor 31-40


    Day 6 No theory = Combat Evaluation


    Day 7 No theory = Tower Outing


    3 x VR practice lv 1


    3 x VR practice skills


    1 x Combat Evaluation


    1 x Tower Outing


    Goal = Be the next rankers!!


    The teacher was smiling confidently while the students were browsing the n. Josh understood that the n was for them to start Climbing as soon as possible. They would then learn as they went.


    Josh could already see ws in such nning! Would he expose it right there and then? Perhaps...

 Chapter 53: Long Class Lesson -_-

    <h4>Chapter 53: Long ss Lesson -_-</h4>


    Josh could already see ws in such nning! Would he expose it right there and then? Perhaps...not! Not yet at least¡­


    He was there to evaluate them, subtly if possible. He would wait before determining his verdict. Instead, he started inspecting the room.


    All around, Josh could see the faces of his school colleagues, that Amelia girl included. Their eyes were as bright as stars and full of dreams, naive but beautiful ones.


    There were dreams of power, dreams of wealth, dreams of fame, all kinds of dreams really. How many would actually fulfill them? How many would settle for something else? How many would die chasing their ideals?


    Josh ignored it and it didn''t matter to him. For such things, there was no right answer. It was simply a matter of choices.


    Of course, Josh understood the attraction of the Tower. He simply had too much baggage of his own to care about all these things. For him all that was but a mirage.


    Furthermore, he knew that power, wealth, and fame could easilye and go. The triad back on Earth had all these things and yet died to the broke, unknown, and alone Josh. Sure, he was very strong at the end of his training but he was but a single man of flesh and bone.


    That is when the teacher surveyed the entire ssroom nodding to himself in satisfaction. He knew that one ''rankers'' keyword had been enough to bring the students on board. Josh however doubted that the man himself was one. Thus started the lesson.


    "Alright, the first thing to know is the Tower has very specific rules. The general rule is that each Floor has one Boss, one lore about the Tower hidden somewhere, and one mission to aplish in order to teleport out."


    Josh hadn''t really paid attention to the lore part, to be honest. He had somehow missed it all so far. Was it so well hidden? Also was it worth searching for?


    The teacher kept going about how every Floor 5 must be carefully attempted and how every Floor 10 needed a very careful partyposition. He also added that from time to time there would be optional missions avable. ording to him, those should be avoided at all costs.


    Josh couldn''t help but scoff internally. Bing Rankers like that? Please! How is onecking the courage to try anything new supposed to be a leading figure in the Tower? There would be no guides, there would be no security. There would be none of that!


    Then came the part about the preferred grouppositions.


    "There are 5 roles to fill in a typical party. It is written in the documentation provided."


    Indeed there it was:


    1. The Vanguard


    Needs to assure the safety of the whole party. Needs to be able to keep the aggro. Usually a defender, knight, temr, guardian, juggernaut, etc.


    2. The Scout


    Needs to notice the possible threats and objectives quickly so the party doesn''t waste any time and energy. Sometimes an assassin, a ranger, a warrior, anyone really with sharp senses.


    3. The Mage


    Needs to provide a magical source of damage. Can be a regr mage, spell-de, enchanter, summoner, etc. All that is required is the ability to use mana to kill creatures that are weak to such a thing.


    4. The Warrior


    Needs to provide a physical source of damage. Usually great for prolonged fights as they don''t rely as much on mana. Warrior, assassin,ncer, berserker, etc.


    5. The Healer


    Needs to provide cover for the allies. Dedicated healers are hard to find so often this slot is reced with someone that has support abilities. Could be a healer, a bard, a barrier master, etc. As long as it can heal or prevent damage in some way it is enough.


    "As long as you learn how to do your role and do it well there won''t be an issue. Just focus on that one aspect. Teamwork is vital because no one can ever master all the roles at once."


    Josh felt this was a mistake. Who was he to judge? He hadn''t even tried climbing with a party after all!


    Still, there was something profoundly wrong with such a mentality. Focus on simply your role? Josh disagreed. One should instead try to learn it all! Sure, focusing on one aspect could work, but it didn''t mean neglecting everything else.


    The vanguard would protect? What would happen when he couldn''t anymore? Would the others simply die? Everyone should learn tricks to survive.


    What about scouting? All members remaining alert would help a ton especially in something like a Disaster Zone. Such an instance was long and people would need to sleep. How much time would be saved if the whole party simply awoke by themselves when attacked as Josh had learned to do?


    The warrior part? There was no reason for a mage not to be able to simply bash his opponent with his staff. Ronan had been doing just that as a healer! While maybe at some point their power would becking it would still help them read the opponents'' movements.


    The support part? Josh wasn''t sure how he felt about that one. It would be a good thing to have in a party, but only as long as people weren''t reliant on it. If they only knew how to fight while supported they would easily make mistakes once it all ran out.


    The mage ss was probably the only one that could maybe really require someone dedicated to it. Josh had yet to figure out how to use mana so he couldn''tment on that point just yet.


    Josh couldn''t help but raise his hand:


    "Say, teacher. Wouldn''t it be more advantageous to have people try and understand every role before finally putting them in the same party afterward?"


    "Such a thing is impossible! The only strength humans have in the Tower is their teamwork and their skills. Since skills are predetermined by the ss and one''s luck the only thing we can actually improve is teamwork!" The man had the calm expression of an all-knowing mentor.


    "What about having people climb to Floor 10 alone? Wouldn''t that train them well to get used to the basics? At least they''d learn how to take care of themselves easily."


    "How preposterous! The only way to Climb that far alone would be to have heaven-defying luck to obtain a powerful skill and insanely good gear! It would be bound to fail at Floor 4 for anyone else since there are goblin viges!" The man snorted.


    Right¡­the goblin viges that Josh had cleared easily¡­alone. Sure, Josh had put points into strength, agility and had experience fighting...But he had also killed every Boss on his way. He had alsopleted the optional challenge on Floor 5.


    Josh was convinced any Newbie would be able to aplish as much with the proper tactic and would gain lots of practical experience in the process. Nothing better than the fear of death and an eptable danger to elerate progress.


    "Remember, all. Climbing alone is NOT a good idea. This is the best way to get killed fast!"


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder why Draconic had sent him here in the first ce. Did Dario intend for him to hear just this? Was it a wake-up call so he would learn somemon sense?


    That was the exact moment Josh decided that if he ever joined a party it would be one with members being more polyvalent and self-sufficient.


    Meanwhile, the teacher had been droning on about the history of the Tower. Josh had learned about it from Hegel already.


    On that note, Josh remembered the crazy researcher''s warning quite clearly. He would need to learn skills before climbing Floor 15+, otherwise¡­.


    Just as he was pondering about that came lunchtime. All the students rose up and started chattering happily while ignoring Josh. That is when a young woman approached the Amelia girl.


    Normally he wouldn''t have cared in the least, but he got curious for a simple reason. In the young woman''s eyes, Josh could see pure and unadulterated greed¡­.

 Chapter 54: Amelia Jones

    <h4>Chapter 54: Amelia Jones</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Amelia Jones had a verymon surname. One that was actually the second mostmon surname starting with the letter "J". Thismon surname of hers represented her quite well.


    At first nce, this 19 years old girl was very simr to any other young girl her age. Well, she would have called herself a young woman while pouting had she heard that appetion haha.


    Like many other 19 years old she had a loving family, loved the Tower, had a simple hobby, and was shy yet bubbly at times. In fact, anyone meeting her in the street would have smiled seeing her cheerfulness but that would have been it.


    What most ignored was that this young woman was actually one that was very well renowned in a certain circle. She was what one would call a hidden mid-boss. Of course, only her doting father himself would have been worthy of the title of a hiddenst-boss (even if her skills had surpassed his a while ago).


    Her family owned an antique shop. How much money was there to be made in antiques? These were but a bunch of worthless artifacts, right? Well, surprisingly a LOT! People would go to great lengths to buy the artifacts they appraised.


    There were even rankers crossingrge distances to humbly visit their small shop! Why? Well, because when something is rare, renowned, and exclusive it bes a symbol of status.


    Sometimes, sales would even reach the 5 digits credits! One had to know that this was the price of a D rank item. These started dropping on Floor 25 only! Even now the strongest items that were traded were D+ Rank!


    There was one saying in the high society: If you don''t own an antique from <Eons> you ain''t shit! One would have expected high society to sound more civilized? Please! One could join that inner circle literally by ''killing shit in the Tower''!


    Now, there was a very special story behind the name. One that she or her father would tell every one of their customers. It was part of their brand.


    Eons: An immeasurably or indefinitely long period of time. Now, no matter what one brought the Jones they would instantly be able to identify the approximate year and civilization it belonged to..also a little more.


    What was the point of all that with the technology avable? Well, identifying was something even a U-bot could do. There was however something different about what <Eons> was doing. They would figure out the emotions infused in an object by its creator too.


    Was this simply a trick to make tons of $$$$? Maybe¡­maybe not. In any case, the customers were satisfied and business was booming.


    Amelia was thus what one would call¡­loaded! But even then she wasn''t exactly satisfied with her current life. Her dream was to explore the Tower and discover items from all kinds of civilizations. She had heard that some Floors actually hosted some interesting things.


    Of course, only what was considered an item by the Tower could be taken out of it. The materials and the equipment, that was all! Now, she wanted to explore it all! She would have no choice but to personally get there!


    How had her caring father reacted once he had learned of her dream? Well, he had been tempted to lock her in a dungeon akin to a princess in the stories for her own safety. But of course, he knew how stubborn his daughter could be.


    She also had a certain naivety toward the world, but she wasn''t dumb or clueless either. He could only give her his blessings, albeit he did so extremely reluctantly.


    Now, why would she attend such a questionable Climber school instead of hiring a professional Climber to be her private trainer? She could have simply joined her family''s guild too, because of course <Eons> had joined the bandwagon and owned a B-Rank one.


    Well, the decision had stemmed from a very simple thought process. She had never attended school and was quite curious about living this new experience. That was why she had been rehearsing how to introduce herself.


    Funny how she had no issue in her appraiser duties¡­but at school, it was something else! For instance, she decided early not to reveal her surname in case anyone made the connection. She simply didn''t want others to be intimidated.


    That''s how she stumbled upon a weird man too. When she first saw him she froze andpletely lost herposure. Was it because of her embarrassment? Not at all. It happened when she peered into his gray eyes, because of what she saw in them.


    He seemed young yet having experienced a few lifetimes. For once in her life, she found someone she didn''t manage to appraise. HER, an appraiser genius! She quicklyposed herself and started talking with him.


    Well, she was mostly the one talking. For some reason, she felt like she could tell him anything. She felt like she could unload all her problems and hopes unto him, it was a weird feeling. Who does that?!


    Then it was time for initiation, then ss. She had only learned of his name, Josh, but she didmit it to memory. Then she couldn''t help but interiorly cheer once she saw they were in the same ss.


    Once the actual teaching started she felt that everything the teacher said made perfect sense. But then she saw him. Josh somehow didn''t seem to agree. He was hiding it very well under a poker face. No, she simply felt his aura.


    Many were jokingly saying that appraisal was a sham akin to fortelling. There was no way to know the emotions infused in an object. Yet it was that very skill that made her be able to read Josh.


    Now that she thought about it, he and a stone quite had a simr aura haha. No matter if it rained or poured both wouldn''t move or care in the slightest. In fact, she imagined that even if he was facing literal Hellfire he would merely shrug.


    Then he confronted their mentor. Instead of saying that each should only focus on one role he was arguing that everyone should know the basics of everything as much as possible.


    The teacher replied that what one could aplish alone was limited. Once more it made sense, but when she looked at Josh she couldn''t help but think that maybe it didn''t¡­.


    In short, this Josh was extremely confusing and intriguing! So intriguing in fact, that she had decided to invite him to eat just to crack his secrets!


    That is when she was approached by a young girl seemingly from another ss. The neer came with stars in her eyes! She had recognized her somehow and was murmuring asking her if she''d like to talk about antiques with her.


    Usually, Amelia would have epted directly, but she could clearly see the greed AND the scheming in the eyes of her interlocutor. Just as she was about to politely refuse she felt it.


    This Josh was looking their way intently. Her instinct was telling her so! Thus she decided on a whim to instead ept the girl''s invitation.


    As they started moving, Josh was following behind. Amelia couldn''t help but smile slightly, how would it all y out? ¡­

 Chapter 55: Intense Kidnapping! …or Not

    <h4>Chapter 55: Intense Kidnapping! ¡­or Not</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Amelia couldn''t but smile thinking about how obvious they all were.


    Then again, her perception was a tad above that of others and that was considering that she was still level one. She ''naively'' followed that cheerful ssmate.


    "Amelia! I know a ce next to here! They sell fast and delicious food! Shall we head there?" The girl announced her objective quickly with a totalck of subtlety.


    "I''m really not sure if¡­" Of course, Amelia had to show some token resistance haha.


    "Come on! I''ll treat you. Please!"


    "Alright, but I''ll pay the next time."


    Thus they headed to a nearby ce. Of course, Amelia knew that her bodyguards would be moving along in a wider defense perimeter. She couldn''t help but wonder who the fools that had designs toward her were. This wasn''t the first time it had happened and wouldn''t be thest either.


    "Right here, we''ll just pass right through this alley, it''s a shortcut." Then she guided Amelia toward a building with a very visibly fake restaurant sign.


    Seriously, how were they expecting anyone to believe such a shoddy lie? As they entered, two men came out of ''nowhere'' to grab Amelia and restrain her, tying her up to a chair. They were both wearing peculiar masks hiding their features.


    "Now, be quiet, do as we say, and no one will get hurt! Do you understand?" A bunny shouted.


    "We know who you are, we have weapons, we will use them if you don''t behave!" A goldfish added.


    "W-what?! You guys said you simply wanted autographs and¡­" The dumb girl began but she was soon gagged and tied up right next to Amelia.


    Amelia almost chokedughing seeing how serious they were acting yet how sad it all seemed. The building itself seemed to be one avable for rent. They had even left the sign saying so in a random corner.


    It was dark, slightly dusty, and now filled with the lowly sobs of the girl that kept profusely apologizing, not that one could understand her. Said girl was now having an existential crisis.


    Because of her, an innocent had been taken hostage. She had done something unpardonable. She had only wanted to make a little bit of money on the side to ease the burden of her family. She had nothing but good intentions but her foolishness would cause harm to a kind soul.


    She was spiraling into a vicious circle of self-me and regret. At that moment if she could sacrifice herself to atone for her sins she would have willingly done so.


    In fact, she was low-key trying to untie her bindings, but they were proving to be way more than she could handle. In her mind, she couldn''t help but imagine the kidnappers as masters of their craft. Little did she know that the Goldfish had simply learned to tie knots in the scouts¡­


    As for the whole part about the fake restaurant that they had ''reserved'' just for the opportunity to meet their idol¡­Well, she had beenpletely fooled. Was it the greed messing up her mind or was she simply that dumb? Who knew¡­


    Still, that girl was currently despairing, crying about all the harm she had caused. She couldn''t help but vividly feel how panic-stricken her victim surely was., thus starting the me circle once more.


    Meanwhile, the nearby Amelia''s heart was as calm as still water, a calmness the wannabe kidnappers wrongly attributed to shock. She would haveughed had she known how much the girl was worried about her.


    No, she was currently busy pondering. Would Joshe to the rescue as a valiant Prince Charming? He had been following here after all. At least, that was what her instinct told her. Would her bodyguards be the first on the scene?


    Such excitement was definitely something that never happened at the Antique Gallery haha.


    "Alright, now we call her her father on her UW, and then we ask for the ransom and¡­"


    "Dude, we have a problem! She doesn''t even have a UW! How is that possible?! Isn''t her family loaded?!"


    "I don''t know man¡­ah wait! She has that white handbag! Quick, check that!"


    The goldfish searched for a few seconds before finally managing to extract an old school cellphone from it. He couldn''t help but feel puzzled for a few seconds because of it.


    Amelia answered his doubt jokingly "You think someone in the antique business would simply use thetest UW model? Have you never learned about the importance of branding? If you guysmitrger crimes you should make sure to always wear the same masks so people can recognize you. You could even be the BunnyFish, or perhaps the GoldBunny duo?"


    The Goldfish stood in ce without knowing how to reply to such a tirade. His colleague had to p his head to bring him back to his senses. "Stop daydreaming, dumbass! Quick, call her father!"


    *Ring ring ring*


    *You have joined Eons, please leave a message after the Beep. If you''re lucky we''ll call you back¡­or not. Beep!*


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Now what do I do?!"


    "Call back again!"


    *Ring ring ring*


    *You have joined Eons, please leave a message after the Beep. If you''re lucky we''ll call you back¡­or not. Beep!*


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "So¡­do we call back again?"


    "I guess¡­.? Maybe wait a few minutes or something¡­."


    Then followed an awkward silence, well if one ignored the gagged girl that was still going¡­ It is only after calling a few times that it finally connected! Amelia could only hear this side of the conversation but it still made her chuckle.


    "Hello, Sir! Yes, yes. I am contacting you about a very important matter, yes. We currently have your daughter hostage and¡­"


    "No, Sir! It''s not a prank at all! I can send you some pictures as proof or something!"


    "Ah, alright. Yes, our demands¡­.200 000 credits delivered to this ount¡­.Yes, that''s all!"


    His partner was gesturing him something. "Ah, wait! This is an ount on the dar by the way! Do you know how to ess it?"


    "It''s really simple, Sir. You simply¡­*long exnation*"


    "We''ll release your daughter as soon as we have the money! Ah, have a good day too!"


    *Click*


    "You! Why were you so polite?!"


    "B-but he was very understanding and¡­."


    "We are kidnappers! We do not work at a daycare! What the Hell do you think he will think of us now?!"


    "T-that we are nice kidnappers and that we won''t screw him over once he wires the money?"


    "*Sigh* Ah, fine. I just hope for both of our sakes that this will work. I do not want to go back to working at a grocery store! Remember that customer that literally shat on the floor? Do you?!"


    "Yes, I do."


    "Who needed to clean that up? Me!"


    "It''s fine. Don''t worry, everything will be fine. We have our hostage, we have guns, we have cool masks, we have¡­.actually that''s pretty much it¡­"


    Amelia couldn''t help but wonder if this was all a prank show. It looked like one but she was pretty sure it wasn''t.


    *Creak*


    That is when he entered the shop, that mysterious man she had been waiting for. Somehow he didn''t have his usual confident expression. No, he had a silly smile. One that gave her a weird feeling.


    The smile was obviously fake, but it seemed to her like it had probably had been a genuine one at some point in his life. What happened to him to make him lose his shine? She couldn''t help but wonder.


    As he entered, the two kidnappers almost jumped out of their skins.


    "Who are you?!"


    "Eh, are you guys closed or something? I saw the sign outside. I''m really hungry, I feel like I could eat enough for 50 or something. Ah, also what''s with the fake guns, ropes, and chairs? Is this a set for a movie or something?"


    She found his acting on point, but his overuse of ''something'' irksome. Did he really need to plug it in every goddamn sentence!


    "Right, don''t worry about it kid just leave and¡­"


    "Wait, kid! Actually, do you want to participate? We could use an extra, we''ll even pay you, then we can all go eat or something."


    "Oh? That sounds fun! Count me in! What do I need to do exactly?"

 Chapter 56: We Just Watch?!

    <h4>Chapter 56: We Just Watch?!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Exactly 562 meters away from the kidnapping, a group of 5 men lied in wait.


    In their midst was a man called Benny, simply Benny. Benny had an ordinary face, an ordinary life, ordinary dreams, and also an ordinary job. (As far as the world was concerned.)


    He had climbed the Tower but had just decided to retire. He would lead an ordinary life as an employee in an old antique shop.


    People didn''t understand his career choice at all. His future had been promising after all. Now, he would be stuck in an old antique shop that was so destitute that it just standing was a miracle.


    Other antique shops had the wealthy and the powerful swaggering inside like kings. They were easily noticeable with their high-end sports flying cars and their morous clothes or even armors at times. That one never did.


    That small shop was called Eons. To the eyes of the general popce, it was a small antique shop that was the colossal business failure of a stubborn middle-aged man that simply never knew when to give in.


    They all knew that man for his talents as an appraiser, but they all thought he only sold affordable pieces. After all, this was the only thing he would actually showcase in his shop. At first nce, the man was an idealistic fool that simply was unmoved by the attraction of wealth.


    What they failed to realize was that the poor customers that kept visiting were 99% members of high society that simply didn''t dare to appear arrogant at all. They would all visit in casual clothing and show extreme respect. None wanted to be a joke for being cklisted from the establishment.


    Of course, there were many rumors about the truth. Still, to the general public, it was only considered that, rumors. From time to time, there would be fools actually believing such rumors and attempting something silly like a kidnapping.


    Now, Benny was actually a neer in this group. As he saw the current situation unfold he couldn''t help but find it extremely wrong. They had watched the young miss get kidnapped while sitting on their asses!


    "Leader why aren''t we doing anything?! The young miss clearly needs us! That''s why we were even hired in the first ce!"


    Benny couldn''t understand. The man in charge of their team had struck him as a man of action in the past. He had been working a long time as a soldier before the Tower even became a thing.


    During training, he had been the one pushing him to his limits relentlessly until he could shoot every target with uncanny precision. After all, as much as the Tower gave strength, there was incredible power to be obtained by adding guns. (Especially the sma ones.)


    Yet this man was now slowly sipping his ice coffee while watching the situation y out!


    "See, that''s where you''re wrong. There are two kinds of threats that the young miss will face. Do you know what these are?"


    "Kidnappers and killers?" Benny could hear some chuckles behind him.


    "Nope, their goal matters not to us. All we need to know is how much of a threat they actually are. There are the inconsequential dumbasses, then there are the real threats. Our job is only to care about thetter." The leader exined.


    "What?! What if an ident happens? When will we act? Soon, right?" Benny couldn''t believe his ears.


    "Hahaha, soon he asks! Haha, I''m going to dieughing!" came the voice of a colleague in the back. Then the leader exined further.


    "The young miss is expected to deal with such a threat level alone. How she does it doesn''t matter much to us. She could be begging, negotiating, giving in, receiving help from someone, anything."


    "You''re saying we''ll just watch while she''s suffering down there?!" at this point Benny was starting to reconsider this jobpletely.


    "Haha, that''s where you are wrong, brother! We will not simply be watching. We will also be betting!"


    "Are you guys insane?!" Benny was getting the urge to simply run down there and help.


    "Get used to it Newbie, it''s always like that around here."


    Bennyy there emotionally defeated. This wasn''t what he had believed an elite bodyguard job would be like. Not in the least! His colleagues were even discussing odds! Benny could hear their conversation quite clearly.


    1. What were the odds of her saving herself somehow?


    2. What were the odds of her getting saved by the young man that had followed her?


    3. What were the odds of them having to intervene?


    4. What were the odds of a disaster zone spawning right now and killing them all?


    As Benny looked at the bets he couldn''t help but be perplexed. The only one without a single bet was the third option, the one involving them saving her.


    "Guys, why is no one betting on¡­"


    "She may seem frail, but she is way tougher than she looks you know. Honestly, the only reason option 2 is on the board is that she is also yful at times. She may very well let him save her for fun."


    Then they kept bickering as Benny watched baffled. He felt confused but mostly intrigued by this young miss he now had to protect.


    "Yeah, but that''s where you are wrong. I have searched the guy using our special channels- no it''s not cheating! I found the young man''s identity. Not only is he ssless, but he also has been climbing solo for a while. Because of this, we can be sure he hasn''t beat Floor 10 yet because of the Boss!"


    "Sure, but you totally missed that he is one of the only ones known to have ventured into Disaster Zone D-23 while surviving! He totally got this!"


    "Ah! You should have done your research better! It is clearly stated in the report that he only got out because of luck! I''m sure he has used his lifetime supply of luck already there!"


    "Ah, you actually missed something else! He is the one that came up with the Floor 6 strategy to feed the Boss! Clearly, he is a hero amongst men!"


    "Isn''t that just a theory?"


    "Eh, not sure. I heard that some TV crew died in the Tower trying to figure it out. Then again, TV crews tend to do that a lottely."


    "So we are back to square one. We have no confirmation at all. It alles down to if he''ll be able to take down two men armed with guns! ording to their file, they both are expert shooters¡­or were before the Tower. Well, hobbyist that wonpetitions."


    "Oh? This is a ssic superhuman versus technological user showdown. But it''s also one versus two¡­this is getting better and better."


    At this point, Benny waspletely sucked into their discussion. Once it came to an end, he somehow felt at a loss. He even made eye contact with one of the betters that simply showed him an understanding grin.


    Benny couldn''t help but wonder if he was getting corrupted by them and if he should fear for his mental health. That is when the leader seemed to be receiving a call. The ensuing conversation proved very confusing.


    "Yes, Sir. We are in position, about 500 meters from the young miss. Yes, we¡­."


    "Yes, Sir. 562 meters exactly, why?"


    "Seriously?! How?!" He could then be seen nervously looking around and shuddering.


    "He did what?! Are you kidding me?! ¡­Sir¡­" He eximed.


    "Yes Sir! I understand Sir!"


    Then the call ended. The leader could be seen staring nkly in the air for a few seconds while shaking his head slightly.


    "Leader, what happened?!" One asked the question they all were wondering about.


    "*Sigh* Well, I don''t know how to exin it but we have a new mission. Once this Joshes outside we need to check one thing¡­"


    "What is it, leader?"


    "We need to check how he even walks straight with these humongous balls of his!"


    "?!?!"

 Chapter 57: Knight in Shining Armor!

    <h4>Chapter 57: Knight in Shining Armor!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    "Oh? That sounds fun! Count me in! What do I need to do exactly?"


    Amelia couldn''t help but nce questionably at Josh. What was up with him acting the fool? Wouldn''t it be better to simply run out and try to get help? Somehow he didn''t give her the feeling that he was especially strong.


    She had met a lot of Climbers in her life. How many rankers would line up to enter their tiny shop? More than she could bother to count! They all exuded a certain sense of power. They all had a certain oppressive aura, one formed through bloodshed in the Tower.


    He was a weird man for sure. He didn''t exude anything of the likes and yet he was extremely confident. It was a weirdbo. Still, at this rate, Amelia worried that he would soon be tied up next to them and that she''d have to actually y her cards.


    She had to be somewhat careful because while her opponents didn''t seem the brightest, they clearly knew how to use their weapons. This was something she had gleaned by the way they were holding them. It was simr to the elite soldiers she knew.


    As Josh slowly approached, the two kidnappers couldn''t help but thank their blessings for how gullible he was. They clearly had real guns in their hands and yet he had mistaken it for some kind of movie props, even with the clearck of cameras.


    Josh kept babbling. "This must be my lucky star! I was just out to pretend- to seriously look for work! I''m d to have met you. Now, serious question!¡­"


    That made both of the kidnappers tense up. They were wondering if he was getting suspicious.


    "¡­.What do you guys want to eat after this shoot? I suggest pizza or sushis! What do you guys think?"


    They couldn''t help but chuckle and breathe out in relief. They had been scared he''d ask something troublesome after all.


    That is when theymitted a mistake. Both of them blinked at the same time. As they closed their eyes the world went dark ¡­and remained dark for Josh had knocked them out both already.


    Amelia barely registered the scene too and she had been intently looking at it! She was especially talented at noticing the small details. Humans always gave signs before attacking. It could be a small movement of the eyes, a shifting in the center of gravity, or even a show of subtle intent.


    There had been none! None whatsoever! He had instantly gone from casually walking to dispatching them both¡­and returning to his casual state!


    This was so crazy yet banal at the same time! There had been no show of strength, there had been no struggle, it all had looked so boring. This was madness! What kind of control over oneself and perception was required for such a thing?!


    Amelia had no damn clue! She couldn''t understand this Josh at all and it was currently driving her crazy! She was in a state of unrest as she was even questioning herself. Had she lost her touch? How had she not seen through him?!


    That is when Josh slowly advanced toward her. He was smiling peacefully, in his eyes there was a bit of light, joy. As she saw him inching closer and closer, the cool and collected Amelia Jones dissipated akin to ice under a very warm sun.


    She felt her heart skip a beat. For once in her life, she wasn''t the genius appraiser, but simply a girl. One that became flustered and confused. She couldn''t understand what she was currently feeling with logic. The more confused she felt and the more flushed she became.


    At this moment the only thing she could see was Josh and Josh alone. He finally stopped in front of her and slowly crouched toward the ground. She realized that he was going to untie her feet.


    She felt satisfied. She had done well to go along with this crazy y, for he hade to save her. Her very own knight in shining armor! Well, he was wearing a cheap gray suit, but who cared about that! She herself was loaded after all.


    That is when he rose up. She delicately moved her feet, only to realize she was still tied up. Something was wrong here!


    Amelia felt perplexed for a second. In his hands, he had a phone, her phone. He pressed something. Then she watched what followed absentmindedly¡­


    *Ring ring ring*


    "Hello? Yes, this is Josh. I have a proposal for you. I believe your daughter has been kidnapped, right?"


    "Who I am doesn''t matter at all. Just think about your daughter for now. How much did the kidnappers ask for?"


    "125 000 Credits? I didn''t quite catch that. How much did you say?"


    "I think the phone is having issues, I''m hearing 125 000!"


    "I''m still hearing 125 000, it should sound like 200 000 instead. How peculiar!"


    "Ah! Perfect! It seems to be working now. So, my proposal is this. For 100 000 credits, I''ll save her right now! That''s a good bargain wouldn''t you say?"


    "What? No, no. They are very dangerous. By the time your team arrives, it will definitely be toote! They have guns you know? Do you know how long it takes to cover 562 meters?"


    "No, that was a rhetorical question. You don''t really need to answer."


    "Alright, I''ll be texting you my ount number. You''ll see it''s pretty easy. It''s the standard UW one, yes."


    "You give me your word? Alright, I''ll save her now. I''ll be expecting payment soon! Yes, have a nice day! Great doing business with you!"


    He then ended the call. The man she had thought to be her gant savior had turned out to be an incredibly greedy and shameless individual.


    Save her from dangerous individuals? Please! What dangerous individuals?! The ones that were knocked out cold already?!


    He slowly approached her once more. This time Josh untied her. Then he simply looked at the time.


    "Ah, the practical part of the day is about to begin. Guess it''s time to go back to school. Quite sad for lunch, but it can''t be helped eh. Then again, not like I even eat daily these days anyway."


    On that note, he simply left. He left a lot of people behind. There were two wannabe kidnappers sprawled on the cold floor. There was the other girl that was a sobbing mess and hadn''t even realized what had happened. Finally, there was the shell-shocked Amelia.


    Still, she quickly got her bearings back. That is when the shock turned into great displeasure. If he thought scamming money from Eons would be that easy he was dead wrong!


    On her way back to school she kept grumbling about how blind she had been and how hateful the fellow was.


    In the distance, a group of 5 men could be seen gawking at Josh and Amelia. They had just listened to the recording of the call. Now they were currently betting on Josh''s oue.


    1. Would he receive the money?


    2. Would he be ignored?


    3. Would he get beaten up, possibly by them?


    4. Would he disappear mysteriously?


    5. Would he somehow woe her and be their young master?


    That is when Benny, the neer that disliked betting, came forward.


    "Actually, ce my bet on option 6. He''ll be ignored and im the money some way or another."


    "I thought you didn''t like betting?"


    "Oh yeah, I like safe investments."


    That is when all the others looked at each other puzzled. Why did he have so much faith in this random guy?!

 Chapter 58: Beating Kids

    <h4>Chapter 58: Beating Kids</h4>


    Josh contentedly left the Amelia girl behind.


    Was Josh simply oblivious to the way she had looked at him back there? Of course, he had noticed! He could have clearly tried manipting her. He could have easily sung her sweet lies and convinced her to give him lots of money. He could have bedded her easily too.


    He perfectly knew how to do so should the need arose. Even now, he still was confident in making her fall for him if he so desired. Especially now that she wouldn''t forget him no matter what, not that it had been his intention.


    Now, would her father obediently pay the 100 000 credits? It was possible but doubtful. After all, having the money was one thing, but willingly bleeding out wealth was another. Every sessful businessman had a sense for money and a certain pride toward it, well in general.


    What were the chances that he would default on the payment? Actually really high. Was Josh simply naively hoping for the best? Oh, he was hoping alright. He was hoping that he didn''t get the transfer haha!


    If there was one thing that Josh knew it was how to gain, control, and hold power. He had never personally cared about it at all in the truest sense. It had never been his goal in itself. Rather, he had always considered the exercise a tool.


    Back on Earth, many had seen annihting the Dragon Triad as a move that included only violence. Oh, no. There had been a whole political game aspect to it. The triad had been the number one because it controlled numerous other gangs underneath them.


    Doing the actual deed had been rtively easy. After all, for Josh killing 50 elite crime bosses was as easy as taking a walk. No, the hard part had been making all the preparations necessary to lead up to that single moment.


    Josh had needed to make sure all their allies betrayed them. Their loyal underlings had even cooperated with him for the purging operation. So, yes Josh knew a bit about power, or a lot depending on the perspective.


    An aspect of power was strength itself, no matter its source. It could be one being superhuman, it could be having a loyal trained army, it could be the wealth to hire mercenaries, it didn''t matter what it was.


    Another aspect was a bncing game. One internal and one external. For the internal one, Josh knew perfectly how to handle it and mess up someone else''s, but that was beside the point.


    In this particr case, the focus would be on external bncing. One''s organization had to cohabit with other powers. Some were allies, some were neutral and some were enemies.


    Now, the reason why Amelia''s father had so easily agreed to the deal was either that he didn''t care about losing that sum or that he didn''t think he''d actually have to hold his end of the bargain.


    Why was that? Well, he probably hadn''t realized that the colossal Draconic was behind Josh, his source of power. To be honest, Josh himself wasn''t exactly sure how powerful the man was either, but he had seen the elite guards assigned to Amelia. Together they could probably fight even Dario himself.


    Now, what good did an empty promise do for Josh? Oh, lots of good! There was a simple concept called "Legitimacy". A wonderful concept that allowed one to aplish daylight robbery without any of the major powers intervening.


    A "justified reason"bined with a big fist would create miracles. The longer the man didn''t pay Josh and the better it actually was. There was a thing called "interest". So what if they hadn''t actually agreed to any?


    On one hand, it wasn''t a written contract either and would be hard to enforce, on the other hand, Josh just wanted an excuse haha.


    So, yeah. Josh was contentedly rushing back to school. Before long he joined his ss with the Amelia girl showing up a tadter and sending him dark and heavy res. He simply ignored her, wondering if she''d tire her eyes from it. Probably.


    Then they all headed to the training facility downstairs. It had two main parts. The first one was a muscture section that seemingly had various technological machines to test and improve''s one strength.


    Apparently, the whole training to get stronger was there, but pretty much only for the beginners. The thing was that Climbers gained stats way faster from leveling and using stat points thus making the whole training part meaningless.


    Josh couldn''t help but think it was a shame but he kinda had to agree with that analysis. After all, he himself had already be way stronger than he used to be on Earth. At least 10 times.


    The second part hosted some VR machines. That is what they were really here for. They all hopped inside one. Then started a LAN party! Well, except that there was no Duoritos, Mountainy Dew, or some guy taped on the ceiling¡­.


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder how much he could learn from that. As soon as he entered he was faced with a wide lush green field. Josh could feel his body being heavier, slower, and weaker than usual. It felt bad, real bad, not that Josh had trouble adapting.


    This game apparently simted a normal level 1 everyday individual at the moment of entering the Tower for the first time. It would all boil down to true fighting skills.


    Soon a panel appeared in front of Josh asking him to pick his weapon. Josh selected a whip. Why? Because he could haha. Then a few minutester appeared his first enemy in a sh of light green light.


    It was an excited young man. "I''ll be the greatest ranker there is! You will be my stepping stone toward that goal!"


    Sure kid, sure. Not that Josh was much older in any case. Thebat was extremely epic! Josh used his special move called Overbearing Heavenly Anti-Wannabe-Ranker Kick to the Face! That is how the fight ended, yes that easily.


    Josh had to agree that the VR application was pretty realistic. It gave the same feeling as crushing a real skull with a kick. Josh was well ced to know.


    After that, came a few more challenges that all ended with one move from Josh. Of course, he would shout his attacks like any proper protagonist. For instance:


    "Majestic Demonic Crushing of the Nuts!" The face of the opponent was priceless.


    "Being Awesome Enough to Render the Opponent Speechless!" The whip around the opponent''s neck helped a tiny bit.


    "Casually Borrowing a Sword and Plunging it Deep!" Borrowed since it was given back right away.


    "Right Handed Backside Face-pping of Destruction!" As specific as confusing for the opponent.


    Josh started to have lots of fun. Beating kids turned out to be pretty darn entertaining, especially every time they shouted a cheesy line before gettingpletely demolished!


    Before long came an emergency request to stop the challenges. There were apparently concerns about students exiting the VR capsules with possible PTSD. When they saw Josh, each of them started shaking in their boots.


    Actually, one even fainted. Josh couldn''t understand it. Were these guys seriously training to be rankers? It was fine if they weren''t but otherwise¡­That is when an angry teacher started ming him. He wouldn''t be able to participate in the VR thing either.


    It couldn''t be helped. How was Josh supposed to guess that they were that mentally frail? It hadn''t even happened in the real world, it had only been a game.


    Well, sure the pain being realistic made it feel real, but it was still all fake. Anyway, Josh wouldn''t dwell on the issue. Since he had nothing to do there anymore, Josh simply left the school. Thus ended his first day, with being kicked out haha.


    Josh instantly went back to Draconic. There he awaited for Dario that was busy for a little while. As he waited, Josh kept thinking about his future. What his goals should be, what his cards were too. That is when a man brought him out of his reverie.


    "Hey, there. How are you doing, Josh? Remember me? Peaceful Joe! What are you pondering about? World domination? Haha"


    The man was tall, lean, refined, and was wearing a ssy red suit. His red hair and red shoes made him red from head to toe. It looked pretty stylish actually.


    "World domination, you say? Actually, yes¡­"


    That is when Dario finally arrived. Seeing Joe''s dumbstruck expression he couldn''t help but ask¡­


    "What did I miss?"


    "¡­." 0_0

 Chapter 59: Summer Phantom is Back (Bad Nickname)

    <h4>Chapter 59: Summer Phantom is Back (Bad Nickname)</h4>


    "What did I miss? Also, aren''t you supposed to be in school?"


    "Yes, dad!" Josh yfully answered making Dario wince. He then followed him to his office, leaving a stunned Joe behind.


    "So, did you already finish analyzing their teachings? What''s your conclusion"


    "It works well as a basic introduction to the Tower. Basicbat practice, learning a specific role to easily find a party, learning some knowledge about the Floors, a veryplete foundation really."


    "I sense a buting."


    "It''s really basic. There is no way they''ll nurture a ranker like that. If one appears it will simply be a coincidence. So, decent as a basic education but limiting the potential of their students."


    "Oh? How would you go about training future rankers then?"


    "Easy, really. You find the students'' breaking point and you drive them all the way to it. Over and over and over. They need to learn to face danger and unexpected situations, not the goddamn guidebook of the Tower!"


    "Haha, gotcha. So people that want an especially bright future should stay away from it. Anything else?"


    "Oh yeah, there was an imbecile saying Solo Climbing to Floor 10 is impossible. He was a teacher to boot!"


    "So, a stern warning about their teaching staff?"


    "Yep, that''s about it. Ah, right, Dario. Can you run a background check on an Amelia? Her surname should start with J. She''s followed around by a team of 5 Climbers that seem to have received formal military training."


    "Sure, I can arrange that. But why? Did she catch your eye haha?"


    "Oh, nothing much. Her father owes me 100 000 credits."


    "You call that nothing much?! Aren''t you around level 10 or something?! That''s already enough to buy two D+ Items, aka the stuff that only Rankers can wear! How does he owe you so much?!"


    "Yeah, don''t worry about it. I''m sure you can follow the trace of these military guys. Right, do we even have a military at Metropolis C?"


    "Well, there''s the guys in charge of the civilian, there is the ck Squad, and other than that there is an alliance between Metropolis C-D-E with amon army that we use formon threats. Since the apparition of the Tower, they''ve been Climbing full time at Metropolis D."


    "So you''re telling me this army wasn''t even mobilized for the Disaster Zone?"


    "Well, their specialty lies in their marksmanship. They are way weaker in the Tower or in an instance. Let''s just say many guilds volunteered, calling dibs on the opportunity, and when none came back¡­"


    "These soldiers are too costly to train so they preferred sending us to die?"


    "Exactly haha. It did prove an effective strategy too."


    Josh couldn''t help but agree on that one. Now, there was one thing he needed to figure out. There was that one Floor 11 that was proving troublesome, more urately the bonus mission at the end. If killing all the rats Solo was a way to aplish a Feat, Josh wouldn''t skip it no matter what. He was sure that it wouldn''t be avable anymore should he level up, by definition.


    "Dario, I need a way to train my reflexes. I need to learn how to defend a small area against a rising number of enemies. I need it to be an entire sea of enemies."


    "Wait¡­are you talking about the rats on Floor 11?! Wait you not only reached Floor 10 but cleared it too?! Solo?! How?!"


    "Isn''t that one obvious? I killed the Boss, duh. So, any suggestion?"


    "You¡­Well, as much as it pains me to say I know just the perfect thing." Dario''s face showed reluctance.


    "Spit it out!"


    "*Sigh* You can head to


    for that. I''m sure they have some silly game for it."


    "Thanks, Dario! You are the best dad! Later!" Josh simply left a sighing guild master behind. How horrible must it be for him to send his own people to apetitor? Well, who cared.


    was actually located a few streets away from Draconic''s awesome Dragon building. As soon as Josh saw it, he felt his blood boiling. The entire building exterior was made of one giant screen that showed many cool game-intro cinematics, one after the other.


    All over were also various holograms that invitingly waved at the passerby. They were clearly characters from some of the popr game franchises! Josh simply stood there in utter wonder, gawking at it all.


    He had once been a gamer, a pretty good one too, back when Josh was still a student. He wasn''t especially skilled or talented, but he was hardworking.


    Every summer vacation, there would be a small time frame devoid of any schoolwork. He would fill that time with gaming and reading. He had redacted many game guides so in-depth that people thought it had been leaked from the game developers themselves.


    Josh would somehow stumble upon exploits, weird bugs, and peculiar clear methods apparently by chance. Fact is, he simply took actions that most yers disregarded when ying.


    Since Josh would be active every summer and remain dead for the rest of the year, he had been dubbed the Summer Phantom. The one that haunted games, but only in summer. Now here he was facing the Phantom guild haha. Life sure took unexpected twists at times.


    Josh slowly approached one of the holographic characters and curiously passed his hand through the body of the bunny girl. It seemed so real but there was no sensory feedback. How awesome!


    It was to be expected from thepany that had created the VR technology in the first ce. Came a voice from a stranger.


    "How long are you going to stand in the way, dumbass?" the angry man was young and wore what Josh assumed to be branded clothes. In fact, there was a stupid orange logo on them. The man''s appearance¡­didn''t matter one bit for he was clearly an extra.


    As Josh sidestepped, the man scoffed while swaggering inside the building. Under his breath, he even murmured "Country bumpkins shouldn''te to such a ce."


    Josh naturally, simply headed inside too. Sure, he was peeved about the asshole, but he was still in wonder mode with his eyes shining everywhere with rapt attention. As he entered, an entirely new world unveiled in front of his eyes.


    If it had to be described in one word, it would be¡­RGB! There was color everywhere! It followed an arcade-style where an epileptic was bound to perish simply from entering. So many colors of all kinds, shing and shy ones!


    Josh quickly saw something interesting. At the entrance were holographic screens hovering in mid-air. People could somehow interact with one to buy Phantom Credits, see a list of all games, and quite possibly a lot more.


    Josh browsed it but quickly gave up. They pretty much had everything. For example, they had:


    -Fighting games


    -Shooting games


    -MOBAS


    -Stealth games


    -Horror games


    -Tower defense games


    -Racing games


    - ¡­..Plus many and many others.


    It didn''t help either that every category had dozens of avable games, some clearly being variations of one another. Sometimes there was even the same exact game with different age ratings. One even read: Getting chased around by a Big Vampire Lady, PG13 version, 16+ version, R18 version¡­.


    This was a whole new experience for Josh, he needed help. Thus he went on a journey toward a counter with an employeezily reading some post about the Tower while sighing.


    "Hey, there! Can you assist me in finding a game?" The man didn''t even raise his head.


    "For a neer, I suggest either of these two:


    - Falling guys, you control a little guy in a nonsensical race.


    - Dance Dance Resolution, a cool rhythm game where you literally do nothing but step on shing color squares following the beat."


    "Actually, no. I''m looking for some VR game to practice my reflexes. Hopefully, something where one needs to remain in one spot killing as many enemies as possible. Of course, said enemies would be infinite."


    He finally looked up. "In such a case you ¡­wait¡­aren''t you that guy that killed Myth Busting?!"


    "Eh, no? I think they did try to debunk something I said. However, that''s still totally their own fault"!


    "*Sigh* Yes, I know. I''m just he sad about it. Bummer. Ah, anyway I think I know what you need. Follow me." A few secondster. "There it is, alright get Phantom Credits and good luck!"


    In front of Josh was a machine with a small helmet. Ah, this was probably the original version of the capsules he had been seeing so far. It pretty much looked simr to that one show about youngsters getting trapped in a VR game.


    The machine it was attached to could read <Super Wack-A-Gobbo>. There were actually 6 of these. On each was a drawing of a stick hitting a bunch of goblins. Josh quickly ced the helmet on his head.


    That is when his vision went dark and a whole new dimension appeared before his eyes. Draconic had nothing on this! This was so damn cool and...

 Chapter 60: [Welcome to !]

    <h4>Chapter 60: [Wee to <Super Wack-A-Gobbo>!]</h4>


    [Wee to <Super Wack-A-Gobbo>!]


    [First Time User Detected! Would you like to link your UW ount for ease of payment?]


    "Yes, for sure!"


    [Ding! Please have fun gaming at


    ! ^_^/ ]


    "Well, thank you."


    That is when the darkness rescinded. Josh found himself in a in of some kind, a very t one, very lush andforting. Next to him was a small campfire with a me that was very close to flickering itsst. Above it was a small text box that read: <Defend your Campfire>


    Josh could somehow feel his body, but it was a very strange sense of self. It seemed quite¡­fake. He could feel the breeze on his skin, he could feel the softness of the ground, he could feel the gentle touch of the grass on his ankles. But it all feltckluster somehow.


    Josh quickly pinched himself. Ah, that was it! He barely felt that. All sensations were visibly reduced. Was it a question of budget? Perhaps it was simply for the yers not to confuse this with the real world.


    On the ground lying in the herb was a single stick and nothing else. A long, brown, and extremely ordinary stick. As soon as Josh picked it up came an announcement.


    [Let the game begin!]


    What was Josh even supposed to do now? It took a few seconds for a lone goblin to appear in the distance and a while longer for it toe any closer. It looked pretty basic, was empty-handed while swinging its ws, was wearing rags, and was slightly growling as it advanced.


    Josh swung the stick as hard as possible, making the goblin''s head explode in many gory pieces. Surprisingly the goblin was extremely weak, then again this was only the beginning of the game. Josh kept waiting and sure enough more slow goblins approached at the pace of a snail.


    This wouldn''t do, at all! There was no way this was the training he was looking for! "Say, game system. Is there any way to speed things up a little?"


    [Please select (Score multiplied by X): Normal 1x, Fast 3x, Extreme 5x, Devilish 8x, Hell mode 10x + Added challenge. Note that once a difficulty is selected, it can be lowered but cannot be increased.]


    Josh couldn''t help but grin. This actually looked great haha. "Activate Hell mode!"


    Now, that was more like it! It was still extremely slow, but at least now Josh could see them walking at normal speed. Still, he didn''t despair just yet because there were more and more goblins appearing. About a minuteter there were already about a hundred slow goblinsing at a once, all with different timing.


    As he kept busting skulls, Josh experimented a bit. The actual strength required to kill a goblin was actually extremely low. It seemed like what mattered was rather the motion itself.


    Still, Josh yed it as if he was in a life and death situation and gave his all behind every strike. He made sure to use the most optimum footing to maximize his power even if it was useless. He didn''t want to develop bad habits thanks to this game, that would have been counterproductive.


    Josh grinned as he bashed, crushed, destroyed, squashed, pounded, and annihted the creatures. He wasughing out loud in joy at this point feeling that he could go on forever if it kept going like this.


    At some point, weird-looking goblins started spawning. These ones had a small pouch tied to their waist with rocks attached to them. They started throwing these projectiles at Josh, who tested how damage worked here by purposely taking one. That''s when he saw an HP bar appearing as it went down by 10%.


    Josh figured thatter there would be way more goblin throwers. It was best for him to simply dodge, thus what he started doing. He even started taunting the goblins as he side-stepped all the projectiles. They woulde in melee range after throwing a few after all. Meanwhile, he kept exploding goblin heads.


    That''s when it happened. After a few minutes, suddenly appeared a message.


    [Game Over! Would you like to y again?]


    "What?! There must be a mistake¡­" That''s when Josh noticed it. In the fire pit were more rocks than wood. These throwers hadn''t been targeting him at all! He had been so busy killing that he hadn''t even noticed.


    That sure was interesting! At first nce, it only appeared as a basic game of timing, but there was already ayer ofplexity added with the projectiles. That is when a glowing red circle appeared in his vision. It read <IRL notification>.


    What was that? Josh promptly exited the game only toe face to face with the random guy he had met at the entrance, the ill-tempered one. Josh raised a questioning eyebrow at him.


    "Dumbass, you shouldn''t start with this game. It will blow all your savings real fast. It''s 2 credits per game. This is meant to be a long endurance game. If you can onlyst a few minutes, like you just did, you''ll go broke in no time. You better start with something else to get used to the VR."


    Was he trying to be helpful? The man still looked quite arrogant and patronizing. His tone was clearly oozing with superiority too. Was it his way of apologizing for the earlier events? Still, it was misced on Josh.


    For Josh, this wasn''t simply ying, but training. Of course, the value he attributed to it was thus way higher. It was an investment rather than a simple expenditure.


    "Thanks, but I prefer to y this. I''ll keep at it until I get better."


    "Just goddamn listen! There are so many newbies as stubborn as you! They all end up badly! Whoever rmended this thing to you clearly has a grudge against you! Listen to reason and get the fuck off for your own good!"


    Josh couldn''t help but feel like that made sense. After all, the clerk had literally just med him for "killing" his favorite TV crew. The man had probably meant this as a simple prank, probably expecting Josh to switch game after a few failed attempts.


    But¡­Josh''s goals couldn''t be understood by these guys for he was a Fallen. For him, time was more precious than credits, way more precious. A man owed him 100 000 credits, but Josh only had 36 days left of his lifespan.


    "Again, thanks but no thanks. My money, my choice. Now, go bother someone else. Well, except if you want to make a bet or something haha."


    The man seemed to think for a second. Before finally sighing and...


    "You know what? How about we bet on your improvement? How about you try and reach the top 5000 of the rankings in 24 hours? I''m only talking about the Super Wack-A-Gobbo rankings by the way."


    "Alright, sounds good. How much should we bet then?"


    "How about the loser bes the winner''s ve for the remaining duration of the gaming session? Of course, said gaming session will end as soon as the winner physically leaves this ce. This arcade is opened 24/7 and not to brag but I can game for at least 2 days at a time!"


    As for the rankings, Josh needed to install an app on his UW to see them. A few clickster he understood what this challenge implied. He had to survive an hour and a half to the goblin legion. Of course, this was on normal difficulty.


    For Josh on Hell difficulty that would simply mean surviving 9 minutes. How easy was that! Josh thus showed a very uncertain and unconfident expression as he epted the bet. He didn''t want the man changing his mind at thest second haha.


    Thus Josh dived back into the game. He instantly picked Hell mode and started ughtering. Now that he knew the trick behind the goblin throwers this would obviously be extremely easy ¡­


    [Game Over! Would you like to y again?]


    Or not¡­


    Very quickly, Josh realized an issue. At first, he tried to block every rock thrown his way. That method initially proved extremely sessful but then came an issue. Later on, there were already waves designed in a way that it was humanly impossible to block all of them.


    For instance, there would be many goblins throwing stones exactly at the same time but from opposite directions. Or sometimes there would simply be too many melee enemies swarming to allow such anti-projectile defense to be viable.


    Josh obviously came up with a few solutions. For one, he could ignore the rocks that wouldn''t affect his campfire. But even that proved challenging. This was a game, it was hard to know exactly what was considered the specific hitbox of the campfire.


    Furthermore, sometimes a rock wouldnd away from the target butter would get pushed by another one thus rolling in the fire and extinguishing it. The rocks would eventually despawn but Josh had to keep these obscure interactions in mind.


    Another issue was the need to remain near the objective to defend it. Josh could easily go out of his way and assassinate the rock throwers before they could do any real damage. Of course, it wasn''t that easy. The whole thing was set up in a way that it was doable for a few throwers but impossible at times.


    For instance, a few times Josh went to kill a ranged enemy only to realize that his base was getting swarmed by regr goblins. He had to always juggle between leaving his camp to kill enemies anding back quickly to defend it. Some projectiles he had to ignore and some projectiles he had to block.


    The whole thing was a goddamn mess that turned out to be especially challenging! Josh had clearly underestimated it all! Before long he could see tons of¡­


    [Game Over! Would you like to y again?]


    [Game Over! Would you like to y again?]


    [Game Over! Would you like to y again?]


    Etc.


    But even then, Josh kept trying and trying. He stopped counting after the number of attempts reached the three digits. Would such a small setback stop him? No way! But that is when came the dreaded red circle <IRL notification>. The 24 hours were up already.


    As Josh removed the VR helmet he could see the man he had bet with, adorning a huge grin.


    "So? How was it? Did you manage to officially be a SWAG ranker?"


    "I¡­."

 Chapter 61: Dan Steel

    <h4>Chapter 61: Dan Steel</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Dan Steel kept tapping rhythmically on his UW screen, annoyed.


    Dan Steel had many things going for him. He had LOTS of cash, plenty of free time, sess with women, but all he could think about at the moment was his mother.


    Now, why was that so?


    A Freudian would have grinned thinking the answer obvious. A pessimist would have been worried about her health. Aic would have made a sly joke about it, quite possibly even joining the Freud bandwagon.


    Dan Steel''s mom was actually perfectly fine except for just one tiny thing, ...she was a gold digger! While it did beat terminal cancer, Dan still couldn''t stomach such a thing. Was it hypocritical of him since he had dated many of these exotic creatures in the past? Perhaps.


    Actually, the concrete issue was that she used to be a very down-to-earth and independent woman. Ever since they moved to Metropolis C, he didn''t recognize her anymore. He felt like she was losing herself, but no matter what he couldn''t set her straight.


    It was probably simply her way to cope with loss. She seemed to have created herself a fake persona, one that he disliked very much, a superficial one.


    Back in Metropolis M, the Steel name had history. It meant tradition, it meant skill, it meant Mecha Piloting. Dan''s father had been a hero and an idiot.


    He was a hero for all the amazing things he aplished with his <FV-80K Centurion>. Every time an ally needed help he was always the first one on the scene.


    He was also an idiot for not quitting when the Tower appeared. His career ended abruptly with a 20m magical icicle to the face, not even the head remained afterward. In a world with super-humans and mages, an old-school Mecha simply wouldn''t cut it anymore.


    Nowadays, in Metropolis C, Steel implied something very different. It meant bars, idol shows, arcades, and some actual investing once in a blue moon. Dan didn''t have as much power or wealth as a ranker but he was extremely well-off.


    So how could he not get pissed when his own mother acted like a goddamn gold digger?! That damn pride of hers made it so she didn''t ept "charity" from her own son!


    He had tried to make her remember the once motivated woman she had been, but ever since his dad''s death, she hadn''t been the same. For now, all he could do was grit his teeth and distract his mind from the problem.


    Dan was already in a shit mood when some idiot stood in the way of his favorite


    Arcade. He simply took out his frustration on the guy, soon entering the building.


    In there he finally found peace and quiet. Funny how there was actually loud music, but it fitted so well with the decor that most people didn''t mind it at all. He then chose a VR game at random before finallypletely forgetting about his troubles.


    A whileter he noticed someone. The man he had dissed at the entrance was actually ying Super Wack-A-Gobbo. While the game was entertaining it certainly wasn''t Newbie friendly.


    Dan even noticed that after a few minutes he was already losing, this ought to be the most pathetic attempt he had seen, ever! Still, he couldn''t help but chuckle slightly. He then remembered the expression of surprise and marvel that the man had adorned back then.


    Dan figured out he had probably been too harsh on the guy. He himself had been a Newbie here at some point. He had used the arcades to forget his father''s death. Who knew why this man was here. Hopefully, it was for a more joyful reason.


    In any case, Dan approached him and warned him, but it fell on deaf ears. In fact, he even epted a bet, about reaching the top 5000 in the rankings. Dan didn''t set a mary bet, he figured the man would probably lose a lot of credits in the process of training already, he didn''t want to add to his burdens.


    Finally, after 24 hours, it was time to settle everything. Dan had been watching. The man had managed to survive 10 minutes total. The most optimal and popr strategy for clearing such a game was to start in Hell mode then lower it a stage every time one almost became overwhelmed.


    The only way the man could have possibly won the bet was if he had yed in Hell mode the whole time! Of course, that was pretty much impossible, for a Newbie at least. Dan couldn''t help but grin as he osted him.


    "So? How was it? Did you manage to officially be a SWAG ranker?"


    "I did if you mean top 5000. <JustBuyingSoySauce>, see?"


    "How?!" Dan''s mouth was opened so much in surprise that the VR helmet would have almost fitted entirely in there. Was it possible for anyone to improve so fast?


    "Eh, isn''t it obvious?"


    That is when Dan regained his spirits, he understood it all. The man had been ying the pig to eat the tiger! He almost instinctively wanted to argue that it was cheating but then again, it was Dan''s own fault for having been fooled.


    This meant he had to act as ackey for a little while. The good news was that it had already been 24 hours. The man was bound to leave soon haha.


    "Alright, I''ll be gaming, make yourself useful, and go grab me some snacks! Actually, lots of snacks because I''m famished! Bring at least enough for dozens of people!" Then without even paying attention to him the man simply went back to gaming.


    Not many had ordered Dan Steel in his life for he was a proud man. Even as a hobbyist Mecha pilot he had been better at it than most professionals and the same was true for his current hobby, investing.


    Would such a man ept to be reduced to a lowly errand boy?! Yes, because he was a man of his word. He quickly headed to a supermarket and obediently bought many bags of very infamous chips, with his own money too!


    At checkout, people were looking at him weirdly. He was akin to a guy figuring in math problems. Dan kept sending looks towards the others that said: ''Yes I''m buying 30 bags, now mind your own business,dy!''


    A few people somehow thought he was nning on overdosing on chips. It didn''t help much when he simply went: "Don''t worry it''s for an acquaintance."


    Back at the arcade, Dan handed the man the food. He instantly started to gobble a bag as if a ravenous monster. Now, all Dan had to do was wait for the show to begin¡­.except it didn''t. No, the man simply kept eating one bag after another quickly finishing them all.


    "You! Are you going to be fine?!"


    "What is it?"


    "These chips are extremely spicy and not meant to be eaten like that at all!"


    "Oh, no worries." Then the man went back to gaming.


    Dan couldn''t help but pick up an empty packet with his trembling fingers. He then checked thebel carefully. <Volcano Chips, Eating more than one bag will LITERALLY kill you!> Oh god. Was it going to be okay?! That specificpany was renowned for its urate use of the term Literally. (For once)


    That''s when Dan noticed crumbs at the bottom of it. Slowly picking up a small one, he carefully put it in his mouth. Then there was Hell, it felt like his mouth was about to explode. The spiciness was so exaggerated that Dan instantly rushed to the toilet and drenched his whole mouth in cold water for the next 10 minutes or so. It is only then that he got his cool back.


    As he exited the bathroom, he could see the man still gaming calmly. Yes, the same one that had eaten so much of it! Was he even human?! It just so happened he was taking his headset off.


    "Hey, can you get me some more of these chips? They''re pretty damn amazing. Perfect spiciness!"


    "¡­Sure"


    Dan answered in a lifeless tone, he walked his ass back to the supermarket to lifelessly buy some more and came back lifelessly too. All the while he kept questioning reality itself.


    Eventually, he simply attributed that ability to the Tower. Magic was convenient in a way that it allowed to exin any kind of bullshit.


    Then as time passed, Dan realized something else. How was the man not even stopping even for a toilet break?! But then he did stop. He turned around and gave an embarrassed expression. The g had worked!


    "Say¡­I''ve run out of credits. Can I borrow some from you? Name''s Josh Malum by the way."


    So it wasn''t that he wanted to stop but that he was forced to! At this point, Dan was almost wondering how long this Josh would keep going. Should he lend him some or not? But before he could reach a verdict, Josh eximed once more.


    "Ah! Apparently, there is an option to borrow some! Nice!"


    What the hell?! Since when was there such a feature?! Dan quickly checked on his own UW. He could read¡­


    Now affiliated with various guilds to allow their members to open training ounts.


    Talk about a waste of funds! To y games and im it as training! Who would do such a thing?!...

 Chapter 62: From Top 5000 to Top 500! Rocket Speed!

    <h4>Chapter 62: From Top 5000 to Top 500! Rocket Speed!</h4>


    If anyone had ever told Josh that he''d impress a grown man by eating chips he would haveughed for sure.


    Except this is what was currently happening. Well, to be fair it seemed like the kind of food used in challenges on MeTube. The kind that had streamers'' faces turnpletely red, retching and gasping for air while their audienceughed at their expense.


    So yeah, that day Josh impressed someone so damn much while simply eating chips. All thanks to this ability of his for sure U (F) Gluttony Bloodline: Endless Stomach. So far it seemed like it allowed him to store lots of energy, giving him amazing endurance, and perhaps was even effective against poison? Even at rank F, it was already useful.


    Josh''s second day of training actually went pretty well, the snacks helping with the motivation too. Ah, also since he was using a VR helmet directly he didn''t have to deal with the problem of sticky fingers after eating!


    Eventually, he did run out of funds. At first, he thought it was going to be a big deal. Perhaps he''d actually have to cash in that 100k credits early? That would have been wasteful. Josh figured he''d be better borrowing it directly.


    But, surprisingly, he could use his guild membership to borrow directly from Phantom. Josh totally could imagine how livid Dario would be because of it. Not only had Josh visited theirpetitor to train, but he also had to borrow from them. Talk about a loss of face!


    The day before, Josh had struggled with the goblin throwers. Now, there was something even worse. There were now goblin firemen. At least that''s how Josh called them. There were muscr goblins that carried vats full of water on their shoulders, so muscr that they could have had their own calendar too. ;)


    They were short-ranged enemies that would send an unblockable torrent of water toward the campfire. The only solution avable was to go out of one''s way to target them first.


    Now, came the issue. As this happened, Josh still had to deal with an increasing number of normal and rock-throwing goblins. He could easily deal with the new monsters but he now had trouble with the old ones.


    That is when Josh realized that he couldn''t simply react anymore. He needed to understand the spawn algorithm directly. He needed to know exactly when and how every single goblin would move.


    This was clearly an insane task! After all, there were thousands of goblins! The upside was that all that was required to kill them was a light tap. Josh started the day being able tost 10 minutes on Hell mode.


    It took him the whole day to be able tost an extra 6 minutes. Josh also realized something. At first, he had thought that the rankings would be extremely easy to ce in but he was wrong. While it was but a single arcade game it was the global ranking for the many Metropolis.


    After 48 hours total since he had started, Josh had climbed from unranked all the way to almost reaching the top 3000. That 16 minutes score was truly him giving his all too, truly holding nothing back.


    The stats inside the game were fixed. This meant that there were 3000 gamers that were more skilled than him, and that was simply for this game! Josh felt the pressure, he felt how hard this would all be. But instead of recoiling, he felt his spirit burn fiercely!


    He''d stay in that epilepsy-inducing arcade until he seeded! So what if it took a few days? He still had 34 days to live! In the worse case, he''d go and live 24/7 in the Tower for a while!


    Josh barely exited the game from time to time to stretch quickly. Every time he''d simply request more chips, some drinks, and would see the baffled expression of his temporaryckey. The man was apparently questioning if Josh was human.


    Every time, Josh would dive right back in to ughter some more virtual goblins. If he were to sleep, he''d dream of chips, goblins, and game over messages for sure.


    On the third day, Josh had to deal with troublesome new goblin throwers. No, not goblins throwing things this time. These were catapult-looking contraptions that literally threw goblins right next to Josh''s campfire.


    Incidentally getting crushed by one insta-killed the yer, Josh figured that out the hard way. Their hit-box was actually slightly bigger than their own body. Yes, Josh had died from having a goblin drop centimeters away from him.


    At least by now Josh was getting really used to the initial goblins spawning patterns. It reached a point where he could do the first 15 minutes or so with his eyespletely closed.


    It took him the whole day once more to truly beat that part of the game. As the third day ended Josh had gone fromsting 16 minutes a run to 30 minutes! That also bumped him up to the top 900 of the rankings.


    On the sides, his new sidekick, apparently his name was Dan, couldn''t believe his eyes. This rate of improvement was unreal! There had even been a small crowd gathering too. It wasn''t really considered significant, but the current patrons were getting curious about Josh.


    After all, many would go back home to rest, some would head to work, others the Tower and when they came back Josh was still there tirelessly gaming. From time to time he could hear people specting about what he was doing there.


    Some said Josh was a simple heartbroken man that had just been dumped by his double D girlfriend that had also cheated on him with a man that had a curly ck mustache. They said he was now venting his sorrows on the poor goblins over and over again until he even forgot reality itself. What was with the pointless story details?!


    Some argued that Josh was actually many quintuplets that all looked the same and were having apetition about who was the best gamer, hence why it looked like he was always there and never slept.


    Some argued that this was a partnership add from <Volcano> and


    , that for it they had even hired a hidden ranker to push himself gaming. He''d then leave making a statement about how he loveding to this arcade and how Volcano chips had given him the strength to continue.


    Some tried convincing others that Josh was in fact an alien that hade out of Disaster Zone D-23. It was thus his first time encountering VR technology, hence why he was so hooked. At first, it had started as a joke, but then some saw him in the background of a picture of said Disaster Zone on the.


    How had Josh suddenly be a heartbroken cuckold quintuplet alien hidden ranker? He ignored it, but he simply kept training regardless. To motivate himself he kept imagining how great it would feel to plunge his de into the rats over and over again until he got that sweet reward!


    On the fourth day of training, Josh faced a new enemy. Some gigantic goblins started appearing. These new enemies were the size of ogres but had chibbi features making the whole thing look like an abomination straight out of a cartoon.


    There were a few issues with these creatures. First, they looked disturbing. Second, they were hard to kill. Instead of a single hit to dispatch them, it took 5. Third, they could throw their colleagues forward. The worst was definitely when one threw a vat-carrying goblin. It quickly turned into a long-range unblockable attack.


    The only saving grace was that there were not many of them. Still, it further added to theplexity of it all. To deal against them Josh had to quickly figure out which one to kill and which to simply ignore. As long as there was no special ally near them they were pretty harmless.


    At the end of the day, Josh had gone fromsting 30 minutes to managing to survive until 55 minutes before dying. His position in the rankings had also leaped from the top 900 to 500. This rocket speed progress actually didn''t make many waves either.


    As far as all the spectators were concerned, Josh was ying on normal difficulty. Only Dan had realized that Josh was ying exclusively on Hell mode. At that point, he didn''t mind being an errand boy anymore. He had the feeling of witnessing history in the making, not that the world would care about a game.


    Dan felt the suspense. Would the <JustBuyingSoySauce> username ever stop its ascension? How far would it go? He couldn''t wait to see the other SWAG rankers'' reaction if he managed to reach the very top!


    Was it perhaps the birth of a gaming legend?....

 Chapter 63: The Birth of a Legend!

    <h4>Chapter 63: The Birth of a Legend!</h4>


    Everyone''s jaw was agape as they watched the scene with rapt attention. In that single instant, many couldn''t help but be mesmerized by the show. The arcade became extremely lively and the excitement was palpable.


    They were all watching¡­some random bra-less woman y Dance Dance Resolution. Yeah, that had easily outshined Josh who was simply training.


    It was currently the fifth day. He had finally managed to deal with the overgrown goblins. He had developed a certain rhythm and he kept ying and ying while even rxingly whistling a light tune.


    It went pretty much like da-do-da-da-do¡­


    [Game Over! Would you like to y again?]


    What?! That entirely screwed Josh''s flow! He had been sure that no goblin had passed through! But then, he noticed it. Right next to the campfire, there was something that looked like a mole tunnel.


    Yes, there were now goblin diggers that would travel underground unnoticed. There was only one clue to their passage, the grass on the surface would rustle slightly differently. It was very subtle and could easily get mistaken for the wind''s effect.


    Now, not only did Josh need to pay attention to the enemies, but he also needed to look at the ground while being mindful of projectiles. This was a multitasking nightmare. Still, there were many in the rankings that had beat this content already.


    For once Josh felt humbled, truly humbled. He had no excuses whatsoever. What he failed to understand was that this specific game had been out for years. It wasn''t one rted to the Tower at all!


    In any case, noticing his own ws only motivated Josh to further push himself. It took him another full day to clear that part. Josh felt like the developers had done a wonderful job on gating the difficulty to be both challenging yet quite fast to clear.


    Many would have coughed blood had they heard Josh''s thoughts. What he aplished in one day had taken them months or years. But for him, there was nothing out of the ordinary there.


    Eventually, Josh managed to instantly spot the burrowing goblins even in his peripheral vision. The trick was to carefully note the wind''s orientation and remark the incongruities.


    It was satisfying to ambush them right as they exited their tunnels. Josh felt good wasting all their efforts as they had wasted his. Of course, they didn''t have any feelings as they were nothing but amalgams of data.


    During that day, Josh had gone fromsting 55 minutes tosting 105 minutes. On the ranking, he had gone from top 500 to 50. That is when people all across the world, albeit not many, started to realize that there was a new ranker in the game.


    It had to be known that yers having reached that point were all true masters that had trained for a long time already or very strong Climbers IRL. Thetter had a slight advantage from the overall effect of leveling up. It didn''t change the stats of their character in-game but it helped thempute the information faster, while still remaining a challenge nheless.


    As Josh removed his headset, he noticed that the look on Dan''s face had changed. Before the man had been shocked and impressed but now there was clear admiration. Josh obviously dealt with the situation tactfully ¡­by sending him to buy more Volcano chips.


    Then began the sixth day. Josh was already getting curious as to how many enemies would appear thereafter. He kept going, under the assault of all the goblins: the regr ones, the firemen, the rock-throwers, the gigantic ones, the diggers, and finally¡­.came doom. There was no other way to describe it.


    [Game Over! Would you like to y again?]


    Josh had reached a wall, one he had no clue how to ovee. What changed this time was that the regr goblins stopped spawning only to suddenly be reced by gigantic ones.


    For the first time over thest 120 hours, Josh ced the VR headset aside. Then lost in thoughts he simplyy on the floor, staring at the brightly lit ceiling. He was in some sort of trance. He had forgotten where he was, he had forgotten that there were people watching, he had even forgotten that the only reason he was ying this in the first ce was to hone his skills.


    All Josh could think was how he''d keep progressing.


    His brain somehow even ignored his surroundingspletely, even when Dan asking him loudly if he was okay. At this single moment, many thought that Josh was finally having health issues. He had been here for more than 5 days straight already!


    Not only had he eaten bags and bags of deadly spicy chips, but he hadn''t slept or even gone to the toilet either! Only Josh was under the misconception that all that was normal for a Climber. It''s only when some medics put him on a stretcher and tried to tie him up that Josh regained his spirit while loudly pping them away.


    "What are you guys doing?!", Josh shouted angrily.


    "T-that we''re here to save you and¡­."


    "I don''t need saving! I need to figure out how to protect my campfire! Go annoy someone else!"


    His actions quickly made people worry about his mental health and this addiction that may very well im his life at this rate. But Josh was already pondering once more. How could he kill all of these creatures? How?!


    Josh was currently number 5 on the rankings. It was clearly possible to keep going! Josh felt like he was missing something obvious. How were people surviving longer than him? There was only so much one could aplish with a single stick! That is when it hit him. Did he really have to use the stick?


    Did he need to kill the gigantic goblins? What if he tried slowing them instead?! This sh of inspiration was akin to a lightning bolt, it came fast and changed everything! Josh instantly startedughing loudly as he went to game again. That convinced the spectators of hisplete madness.


    Many actually wanted to take him away for his own good, but Dan stopped them all. He could understand Josh''s excitement. He too would be ecstatic had he ranked that high. So he kept a vignt gaze and didn''t let anyone interrupt Josh''s attempt.


    Inside the game, Josh quickly made short work of every wave one after the other. At this point, he knew the early game so well his brain was sending themands instinctively.


    After a while, he finally reached the insane wave of gigantic goblins. He was indeed limited to the number of enemies he could defeat simply with a single stick. The main issue was that these big guys took 5 hits each.


    This time, however, Josh was ready to face them. Remember how it took a while for rocks to despawn? It was in fact the same with vats and goblin-thrower pieces. Josh simply discarded his stickpletely.


    No, instead he picked up the various debris all over the ce. Then he started throwing it all right under the feet of the gigantic goblins. They started losing their bnce and tumbling on the ground.


    Josh had been hoping that something else would happen. He had been hoping that the super goblin wave was going to simply disappear. No, there were even more in the background.


    The goblins slowly but inevitably made their way to Josh''s campfire before mercilessly stomping it. It took way more time for Josh to lose but the ever-familiar screen still appeared.


    [Game Over! Would you like to y again?]


    This time Josh was at a true loss. He simply didn''t know how to improve anymore. He exited the game feeling defeated. He felt his soul itself sighing and¡­


    "You crazy motherfucker! You fucking did it! Oh my fucking god! This is insane! This is so damn amazing! How did you even do that?!"


    As he came to his senses, Josh was instantly ambushed by Dan. He couldn''t help but watch his surroundings wondering if he had missed anything but the bystanders too didn''t understand why he was so hyper.


    "What are you even going on about?"


    "Ah! Check the rankings!"


    There is was :


    Super Wack-A-Gobbo rankings¡­at the very top in the number one position it read <JustBuyingSoySauce>.


    Josh couldn''t help but be taken aback before asking. "Wait, does that mean this game isn''t supposed to be beatable?!"


    "What?! Didn''t you know already?!"


    Josh gave an embarrassing smile. He had only cared about the "survive as long as possible" part. He simply shrugged afterward.


    "Wow, just wow. Anyway, how were thest minutes? Ah, also I''.m curious! What was your ratio of time spent in Hell, devilish, extreme, fast, and normal?"


    "Ah, I yed on Hell."


    "I know, for the majority, but when did you lower it?"


    "I didn''t. What are you talking about?"


    "What?! How is that possible?! You did even thest part on Hell?! This is impossible!"


    Did Josh make a mistake? Dan''s livid face would have made one believe he had just seen a ghost. Anyway, that is how a gaming legend was born. About a man that was so addicted he had yed for 6 days straight.


    What about the #1 Super Wack-A-Goblin title? Well, Josh had only told Dan his username or people that didn''te to this arcade.


    Some were convinced that he was the new #1 SWAG ranker, but that rumor quickly got debunked by looking at the time Josh had spent in hisst game.


    Some kept arguing that perhaps he could have yed the whole thing on Hell, but then the previous number 1 came out and affirmed that it was impossible, even for him. The new champion had probably won him by a few seconds.


    But...Josh was blissfully ignorant of that debate for he was rushing for a date, a date with rats...

 Chapter 64: Godly Reward! Literally!

    <h4>Chapter 64: Godly Reward! Literally!</h4>


    Josh was rushing to a date, a date with rats. He couldn''t wait to stab them real hard in the ass with his¡­ But it all came crashing down when this message appeared.


    [Insufficient Credits Detected! Would you like to sign a deal with the MTA for Tower ess?]


    Josh had been so excited that he had forgotten a tiny little problem, he was broke. Once upon a time before his training, he used to have more than 600 credits, but now he instead had a debt of 385, 2 credits extra because of the damn rounding up! Every day there would be 1% interest too.


    What a crisis! Or not¡­.An Imp earing soldter, Josh could finally be seen entering the Tower in a red glow.


    Anyone seeing his current expression would have believed him to be on his way to meet a world toppling beauty. He was grinning so much, he looked expectant and was even skipping. Josh couldn''t contain himself anymore! He quickly dashed into the sea of rats, undaunted by their long, hard, and sharp teeth.


    The creatures tried devouring him, but he simply kept killing them, over and over. He could feel himself being surrounded by the warm and oh so very wet torrent of blood as he ughtered, but there was something wrong.


    It truly felt wrong, akin to eating soup with a fork, or ying football with one''s hands, or even having the wrong condom size on! That is when he finally understood where the problem lied. He understood why he felt so weird.


    Josh concentrated and, in his hands, the sword slowly morphed into a stick. It was a very strange and aberrant-looking stick since it had ded protrusions but it was one nheless. Finally feeling that everything was under control, Josh started whistling a small tune that went da-do-da-da-do.


    That is when Josh entered the fray once more. Then began a beautiful symphony. The whistling of a man and the dying squeaks of the innumerable creatures blended to perfection to create the perfect luby!


    Before, Josh had been fighting the rat swarm with raw power and his weapon mastery, not anymore! No, he was instead figuring out the patterns. He understood how the rats moved, how they attacked, and how they interacted with one another.


    Soon, the creatures could be seen hindering each other while Josh simply walked in their midst. This was only possible thanks to the insane training Josh had done and also because the rats themselves were pretty weak individually.


    In a way, they were very simr to the goblins he had been bashing over and over. Actually, at least they didn''t have any ranged attack either!


    Josh was akin to an omen of death for the monsters. There was no stopping him, there was no resisting, there was no hope for them. It was a good thing the rats were not especially sentient or they would have been questioning their existence at the moment.


    Why? Simply because this impossibly strong foe in their eyes was currently cackling like a madman while shouting nonsense: "Fear me for I am campfire-less Josh! Without that ring weakness of mine, I am invincible! I bring doom, I bring retribution, I bring THE stick! Get wrecked!"


    Of course, Josh''s peculiar boasting didn''t impact his ability to kill in any way. He kept ughtering all the way until the boss suddenly appeared! Then Josh had to start multitasking. Now, he was killing the weak and bullying the strong.


    Every time the Boss tried to kill Josh it ended up colliding with many of its brethren before tumbling to the ground. Josh was at peace, Josh was happy, Josh didn''t regret one bit using 17% of his lifespan to achieve such prowess.


    Then again, lifespan here could be increased. Josh couldn''t help but think how great it would have been for Earth to simply get a Tower too. There would have been no stupid summoning and Fallen bullshit for a start.


    How many earthlings would have rejoiced? How many would have had their hopes rekindled? So many had been suffering from illness, poverty, idents, there were so many problems. And yet¡­.the so-called gods had only decided to intervene to create a whimsical death game.


    This was akin to a dumb child ying god with ants. Except that in this case, humanity was the ants. Would they be drowned? Would they get smited by divine fire? If Josh was an ant he''d show the gods that ants too could bite, eventually.


    He would certainly get stronger, the strongest even, but he would do it his way. He had a n. Josh would make use of the fact that no one was dumb enough to Solo Climb. How many Solo Clear Feats would he be able to aplish? That he ignored, but he hoped a sufficient number to give him the strength he required.


    Just as he was steadying his resolve thest rat died.


    [Alternative Mission Aplished: Kill all of the Rats Solo!]


    [Feat Aplished! First one toplete the alternative mission! Congrattion!]


    [Reward given ording to ss! Error! Error!]


    [Selecting random reward from all sses.]


    Was that supposed to be good?


    [Reward: Mystery Box, God-kin creator ss.]


    Mystery box? God-kin?! Any ss with god in its name should be OP, right?! Josh couldn''t help butugh manically: "Nice!!! HAHAHA Break! Break some more for me! Give me all the most insane prizes!" What kind of crazy opportunity was this?!


    Josh inspected the mystery box, it simply said that he''d have to open it using the system in order to know what it contained. He prayed to RNGesus before decisively opening it.


    A majestic and boundless domineering blue light came out of the box. Josh had to avert his eyes from it. For a split second, the whole dark Floor was instantly brightened as if there was a miniature sun in it.


    Josh could feel his heart thumping and his hands shake. This moment would probably be one he would remember forever. Then the light disappeared, that is when Josh noticed that in front of him was a small glowing shadow. As soon as he approached it, came a message.


    [Would you like to bind with Godly Pseudo-Pet Rat?]


    "Yes! Of course!" Josh didn''t even hesitate. Did he personally like gods? Not at all! He thought they were trash character-wise and hateful. But that didn''t mean that he was blind either. Gods were extremely powerful.


    Anything with godly in its name was bound to be extremely powerful, the kind that could be considered a cheat for sure! Josh wasn''t sure about the pseudo-pet part but at least a pet clearly had definitive advantages.


    A pet would probably not count as an ally but as part of Josh''s strength. In such a manner he would be able to keep aplishing Solo Feats. Another thing was that a pet was different from a teammate. It would most likely remain loyal no matter what.


    [Hatching Godly Pseudo-Pet Rat]


    Soon the glowing shadow began taking form. It grew up a bit until it looked quite simr to the other rats on this Floor but it waspletely grey, the eyes, the fur, the ws, everything.


    [Initiating soul-link]


    [Soul link created.]


    [Congrattions on linking with Godly Pseudo-Pet Rat!]


    That is when Josh felt something. He could feel a presence somehow inside of himself. Was that the soul-link? That is what he was supposed to use to give order to his pet, right? The rat was just sitting there not doing anything.


    Josh tried to order it to walk, but it remained motionless. It seemed as if it simply couldn''t hear him. That is when Josh tried to sense its spirit directly. He focused on the soul link and...he didn''t like what he found. He felt that the pet didn''t seem alive.


    The rat''s soul felt like a rock to Josh. Furthermore, inspecting the rat using the system only gave lots of interrogation marks. It was as if the Tower Protocol itself wasn''t sure what it was or was perhaps trying to act mysterious.


    That is when Josh took Navi out. "Hey, can you provide me any information about pets?" But sadly all it had as information was the fact that the term Pet had recently been added to its database. This meant it had zero clues at this moment.


    Josh simply recalled the Godly Rat, because yes he could do that apparently. Pets were seemingly considered items.


    Now, first priority was to get money to clear his name! Josh then started killing the Boss over and over while annihting any normal rat that would dare respawn. The Boss would appear in utter confusion as it searched for its army.


    Josh had a n, he''d kill the Boss until he had a great number of ratskin boots to sell! Then after that, he''d go information gathering about pets! Good thing he perfectly knew where to go for that!...

 Chapter 65: Im Not Bragging! Im Asking for Advice!

    <h4>Chapter 65: I''m Not Bragging! I''m Asking for Advice!</h4>


    There was something quite beautiful in the way the rats on Floor 11 respawned.


    It looked magical in the sense that an area that was devoid of life would suddenly look like a public beach during a heatwave. Well, besides the fact that they were all monsters and the only liquid they would bathe in was the blood of the fallen. Then again¡­


    Josh soon exited the Tower, 3 days and 6 Ratskin Bootster. He quickly went to a shop to sell it to a nice U-Bot. Josh would soon go from in debt to broke. After repaying it all, he was left with 278 Credits, far from the 20k+ he once possessed.


    But now, Josh felt as if he had regained his freedom, impending doom from a limited lifespan aside. Was this how it felt to repay student loans?


    He now had a few things to do: check out the pet situation in detail, keep climbing, get his rewards for that job at the school, and medium-term he still needed to find a way to get skills. There was also the situation of Metropolis C that he needed to be mindful of but Dario would probably update him on it.


    Actually,st time Dale had. What was he even up to? Josh felt that it was important to check up on friends so he took the time topose a literary masterpiece of a message to inquire about his overall situation. It read: "You alive?".


    As for the pet situation, Josh headed directly for the D district to meet that one crazy Hegel guy. He felt Hegel would present both the conventional and the unconventional information, then he''d be able to fact check it all with the guild.


    The building was the same old boring one. On the floor, there was mail piling up. It seemed to be all from that researcher''s mailbox that waspletely full. Many letters seemed to actually be from something called <CT Entertainment>.


    That''s when the sound of a door being opened resonated. There he was, Hegeling back from god knows where. "Hey, Josh! How have you been?" In his hand, he was holding a leash, one that was connected to a little furry animal.


    Josh couldn''t help but ask: "What''s with the skunk?"


    "That, my friend, is my new partner. He''s the best to take on long walks. Before, there used to be some annoying pricks harassing me. I couldn''t do anything about it because they were operating within eptable limits. Let me tell you, after weeks and weeks of eptable limits you just feel like screwing their head the opposite way to see if it''ll help."


    "So you bought a skunk?"


    "Indeed, I bought a skunk. Now they walk the other way when they encounter me." Then Hegel pointed at the letters on the ground. "I''m talking about these guys! They want to hire me for a show but I keep refusing, so now they just drop this here."


    "Can''t you tell them to stop?"


    "I did, but there are nows concerning paper mail, I mean barely anyone uses that anyway. Digital for documents and U-bots for package delivery at the most convenient time. It''s just tradition to have a mailbox but they are all empty anyway."


    "¡­.What''s the point then?"


    Hegel simply shrugged. "There are many pointless things in this world, paper mail is simply one of them."


    "Fair enough. Anyway, I need information. What do you know about pets?"


    "Pets? You should love them, care for them, feed them, make sure they are safe, brush and wash them from time to time too. You know, the usual. Quite like a girlfriend but without the nagging and the sex, at least I hope. Then again, the ratio of these twost elements varies a lot from couple to couple."


    "Eh, are you talking about an animal right now? I''m asking about the Tower."


    Suddenly the entire aura of the man drastically changed. He went from calm and peaceful to extremely solemn, but then reverted to an easygoing appearance and a cheerful tone. "How about we head inside for some tea?."


    Then as soon as they were inside, Hegel closed the door, locked it, locked it again, dragged a chair topletely make it stuck, swept around his whole apartment with a small metallic item, then and only then did he gesture Josh to sit down for a talk.


    "What was all that about?" This whole series of events was way too exaggerated for a man that was recognized as a failed researcher.


    "Just to be safe. So you found a pet in the Tower? Where, when, how, what is it, did you tell anyone about this, were you followed here-?!


    "I think that''s enough questions. Floor 11, 3 days, a reward for a Feat, no, not that I know and it''s this." Then Josh summoned said pet. It appeared on the room carpet and remained unmoving there, eyes empty.


    "Wow! How does it work? Can you summon it in and out of existence whenever you want? How strong is it?"


    "It has its own equipment slot, well pet slot. I haven''t managed to have it do anything just yet. Right, it seems to be something problematic with it.


    "What''s the system description?"


    "Question marks, nothing else. Anyway, what''s with all the secrecy and what do you know about it?"


    "What''s with the secrecy, you say?! There is no avable information online on it! Nowhere, I''m telling you! Now, if you ask me, who am I supposed to ask?! *Sigh* I just wish we had a way of talking to some Ranker to¡­no that''s ridiculous."


    "I''ll ask my guild real quick." Josh quickly typed in the guild chat.


    -Josh MF Malum: Hey guys, anyone knowledgeable about pets? Just got one and I don''t know what to do with it.


    -Emsee Hammer: Brother, you need to clearly state the race of your pet. Otherwise, how are we supposed to give clear advice?


    -Ronan the Healer: You guys wanna bet on the kind of pet he got? I pick ck mamba. Two drops of venom and you are dead, sounds like the kind of pet he''d have.


    -Lucas the Lancer: *Scoff* That''s where you are wrong! He clearly has a pet Gaboon Viper! Super mild generally but god help you if you make it mad for it will unleash its wrath in the most agonizing of ways.


    -Friendly Terry: I see him more as a prehistoric megalodon kinda guy.


    -Lily of the Frontline: If you are going there can I say T-Rex?


    -Liam the Ultimate Samurai: I feel like you guys are thinking too "normal". It''s Josh we are talking about. For all we know, he went back to D-23 and tamed a Slothtrosity as he calls them.


    -Lucas the Lancer: Bro, are you forgetting the golden rules? No tant foreshadowing or 4th wall breaking. But, don''t think I cannot one-up that! Change my vote! Josh totally tamed *Drum-roll* a god itself!


    -Lilly of the Frontline: Will you guys stop messing around? Anyway, what is it, Josh?


    -Josh MF Malum: It''s called <Godly Pseudo-Pet Rat!>. It dropped from a random mission reward that gave a random mystery box, one containing useful items for the <God-kin creator> ss. That was on Floor 11, 3 days ago.


    -Lucas the Lancer: It has godly in the name¡­Did I win? I freaking won?! Wait, admit it. You were just trying to brag, am I right Josh? You know what? I''m jealous AF whatever that pet thing is.


    -Peaceful Joe: Such overpowered disy is unnecessary, young one.


    Except Josh truly wasn''t trying to brag. He truly wanted information! He could not do much with a despondent pet no matter how godly.


    -Ronan the Healer: *Sigh* I was way off with my deadly snake guess. I shot for the moon and Josh was already in another dimension: a pet from the goddamn Tower.


    -Dragon Daddy: That sure sounds nice. But, do you know what is even better? Dragons! Now dragons are way better because of ...


    What followed was a wall of text that everyone simply ignored.


    -Gorgeous Kasha: What are you guys talking abouttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt WTF?!


    -Serene Brings the Heat: Think you left your finger a bit too long on the T right there, Kasha. Hey, look! The Josh kid is breakingmon sense once again...who would have expected that! (Sarcasm if you hadn''t noticed)


    -Minor, No Flirting: I have a few points to raise. Godly Rat: WTF is that?! Mystery box: WTF is that?! God-kin creator: WTF is that?! Josh himself: WTF is that?! I am done¡­for now.


    That is when Josh saw that he had gotten a reply from Dale. Apparently, he was fine and was busy climbing too. Josh felt the satisfaction of meaningful social exchange and replied with a thoughtful "k".


    That is when a literal notification Hell happened in quick session. Pretty much all the living core members of Draconic were busy tagging Josh in quick session while only writing: "?!?", "WTF", "OP!", "You beat Dario!", "OMG!" and other obscure pointless reactions.


    But what was that about beating Dario? At first, Josh couldn''t wrap his head around it, but then they started sharing a video. The title was "Facepping the guild master so hard he might not ever recover."


    After watching it, both Josh and Hegel objectively agreed, the title was very urate!

 Chapter 66: Dario the Face-Slapped Dragon (1/3)

    <h4>Chapter 66: Dario the Face-pped Dragon (1/3)</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Dario the Dragon was a very down-to-earth man. Even before the whole Tower situation he already was the head of a training hall.


    Well, Draconic had never been ordinary. While others focused on one thing and one thing only, Draconic covered it all. It encouraged fighting above all else. Discovering one''s self clearly involved fighting others ording to their philosophy. Was it urate? None of the people joining actually cared.


    Yes, Draconic had always had a reputation for attracting battle addicts. People that knew them better instead called them madmen.


    Dario had never cared much about the small details. Whatever was considered a weapon could be used at his ce. Many times, some smart-asses had actually shown up with guns to a fistfight¡­only to be defeated nheless. After all, there werews in ce to restrict the usage of the truly dangerous ones.


    Dario''s students were extremely infamous in Metropolis C. Before the Tower, they kept wandering and challenging all the other simr training businesses. In fact, they did it so much that Draconic''spetitors all decided to move shop. After all, they would be challenged daily without fail.


    There was only one group that could reliably defeat any Draconic member back then. They were the cyborgs. Their whole body was a weapon that no normal human could destroy and many were martial artists to boot. But, the cyborgs actually evaded the training Hall like the gue.


    Why? Because everywhere else they were invincible gods amongst men but there not so much. Against Dario''s students they would still win¡­but at what cost? Sure they''d break many bones of these mortals, but they themselves would have to get intensive repairs.


    Now, it had to be understood that cyborgs were pretty much immortal beings lest a natural disaster happened or someone REALLY wanted them dead. Now, what did these immortal beings fear more than anything? Death. Quite ironic how the ones the less likely to die were truly the ones fearing it the most.


    Did they fear getting killed at Draconic? Not really, but they would need repairs afterward for sure. The operation to turn a human into a cyborg was one that was extremely dangerous, expensive, time-consuming, and overall required lots of fail-safes before being attempted.


    A simr process was needed for the repairs. That was the price of immortality and none wanted to pay it just to fight some madmen. There was always the option to try one''s luck with no preparation but that could prove fatal easily as the mind could suddenly start to reject the body.


    So before the Tower Draconic was a ce that sent martial artists, gunmen and cyborgs alike running. Then the whole Climb the Tower for power happened. With the system, the normal Draconic members were given wings. They turned from dragons to¡­12 winged demonic bloodthirsty dragons or something.


    Draconic officially became one of the few S-Ranked guilds in Metropolis C. Given that there were only 5 of them initially that was an extremely prestigious thing. Now, there was one thing defining them. Was it the training business? Not really.


    If there was one thing defining Draconic it was the willingness of their members to fight. All of them actually. Where else than in Draconic would one find even the support sses rushing to the front-line to get some of the action?


    Even with such a quality, Draconic wasn''t even the fastest guild to climb, far from it. In Dario''s eyes, the Tower wasn''t a sprint but a marathon. The ones that would go the farthest would be the ones that had honed their skills all along.


    Dario had already decided long ago that he wouldplete every one of the alternative missions he would encounter. These were extremely hard to fathom since they seemed very random andcked a clear apparition pattern.


    Dario had in fact justpleted such a challenge. He could be seen bloodied from head to toe from his own blood. He had used rare healing items as if candies and had gotten all the buffs possible before the fight. The sheer quantity of Credits he had spent on this single fight would have made even the eyes of the top Rankers pop out.


    Still, he had done so willingly all in order to defeat <Lizzy the Weak Pet Tamer Lv72??> on Floor 45. The name sounded cute, especially with the ''weak'' in the name, but it was a true nightmarish monstrosity.


    Fighting Lizzy wasn''t really fighting Lizzy, no it was fighting its legion. The monster was an incredible tamer. It would pop creatures out of its magical bag with the excitement and the speed of a youngster making it rain at a strip club.


    It would have been so easy had it been possible to simply kill the summoner, oh so easy. Nope, it was protected by some truly perverse skill: As long as all the creatures weren''t defeated it was invulnerable.


    In fact, this small Lizzy had single-handedly caused the copse of an entire S-Rank guild somewhere in Metropolis Z. Furthermore, a few other S-Rankers had died even after that event from not receiving the information in time.


    Now, all the S-Rankers actually knew about it and the A-Rank guilds would also be told when they reached such progress. Most of the information about the upper Floors was closely guarded for it was slowly getting more and more challenging. Well, there were many political reasons behind such a decision, not that Dario cared.


    He couldn''t help but feel his entire body quiver as he recalled what had just happened. Not out of fear of course, but excitement. At some point, he wasn''t sure if he was going to survive the fight.


    Well, that was to be expected because of the difficulty. Upon reaching Floor 45 one would have to choose one Lizzy to fight. It could be:


    <Lizzy the Weakest Pet Tamer Lv72??>


    <Lizzy the Extremely Weak Pet Tamer Lv72??>


    <Lizzy the Very Weak Pet Tamer Lv72??>


    <Lizzy the Weak Pet Tamer Lv72??>


    These were the options. Lizzy the Weakest was actuallyparable to the usual difficulty of the previous Floors. This meant that thest option wasplete suicide, or so most people said.


    In fact, Dario had a ss that was kinda broken. Well, many rankers did but his ss was particrly suited to fight many. That pointbined with all his preparations, his crazy fighting sense, and his tenacity made a miracle possible.


    Dario had aplished the impossible. Something that people considered pointless too. This specific enemy gave taming emblems. It had just been discovered and would likely remain nothing but an expensive trinket to prove one''s status. That was because the creatures couldn''t be stronger and there was a requirement to the User''s level.


    The strongest emblem so far had been obtained from <Lizzy the Very Weak Pet Tamer Lv72??> and had allowed taming a monster that any of the current Rankers could dispatch in one attack. It was theorized that the one Dario had killed would be slightly useful right now but useless in a near future.


    Why had he gone through so much trouble then? Simply because Lizzy was a Lizardman. This also meant that it would help Dario grow for he had a very special bloodline skill. He didn''t wait and activated his special bloodline. Instantly he could feel his power grow stronger and he roared in satisfaction.


    Rank S- Draconic Bloodline: Blood Absorption


    Kill creatures of draconic descent to absorb their power. +10-1000 to Stats / Bonus doubled in draconic form.


    Unlocked Rate 0%


    Now, this ability of his was a special case of bloodline, one that was rted to his ss. This rank-S ability was clearly phenomenal but there was a limit to it too. For Dario to absorb the bloodline of a creature he had to kill it himself.


    The ability was probably S-Rank because it could absorb the blood of very strong foes, but would the current Dario be able to defeat them in the first ce? Of course not.


    Still, it had incredible potential. One had to know that the stats it already gave at 0%, not even 1%, gave as much Stats as 11% of his level. As a passive it was huge! That would even climb to greater heights when he took on a draconic form.


    Dario would diligently hunt all creatures with possible dragon blood no matter how diluted at the highest difficulty for it increased the power he was getting. Here diversity and quality were beating quantity.


    Dario hoped to see a dragon''s descent every new Floor that was explored. So far there had only been the kobolds on Floor 9, the Lizardmen on Floor 44, and now Lizzy on Floor 45.


    It was only after being done with this power-up that Dario finally checked the messages he had just gotten from the Tower system. He couldn''t but roar in satisfaction once more! His roar of pure jubtion resounded across the entire realm.


    [Status!]


    Dario Ignas


    Draconic Champion Lv 45


    #STATS# (0)


    HP: 9000+2750


    Mana:9000 +1750


    Magic Ability:450+50


    Strength:900+350


    Agility:900+275


    Defense:45+10


    Magic Resist:45+23


    #SKILLS#


    -C Weapon Mastery


    -C Valiant


    -C Mana Cleave


    -C Aspect of the Dragon


    -C Dragon''s Presence


    -D Dragon''s Vitality


    -D Dragon''s Might


    -S Draconic Bloodline

 Chapter 67: Dario the Face-Slapped Dragon (2/3)

    <h4>Chapter 67: Dario the Face-pped Dragon (2/3)</h4>


    ****(POV)


    It was only after being done with this power-up that Dario finally checked the messages he had just gotten from the Tower system. He couldn''t but roar in satisfaction once more! His roar of pure jubtion resounded across the entire realm.


    [First one to kill <Lizzy the Weak Pet Tamer Lv72??>! Feat aplished! Congrattions!]


    [Reward: <Memory Fragment U(F): Invincible Pet Master>]


    Just this single line was enough to make irrelevant all he had sacrificed. This was obviously the single skill that had made the previous fight so troublesome. Now, there was only one issue. It would probably require a pet, but no pet would be strong enough to be broughtter on. Dario observed the taming emblem even if he pretty much knew what it would be like.


    <Rank C Taming Emblem>


    Allows one to tame any normal creature present on Floor 50 or below as a pet.


    Wait?! Usually, there would have been an extra line in the description "Pet cannot grow". Did this mean that this pet would actually be useful and not only an ornament?! How crazy was that!


    The firstbined with the second was probably going to be a near-invinciblebo! Ah, of course, Dario needed to first get a decent pet. It just so happened that there were Lizardmen on Floor 44 awaiting his taming. These were very suited to his own ss.


    Dario felt like simply restarting the challenge, but he knew he would die for sure. After all, everything he had prepared for thisbat had already run out. He slowly took a deep breath, calming his beating heart that ushered him to fight once more, and whispered "teleport out".


    Dario could see many Climbers, but there was one familiar face. This acquaintance was a muscr man in a tank top that looked like a bodybuilder. His dark hair was neatlybed toward the back, his dark jeans fitted quite well with his tanned skin giving him the appearance of a beachgoer.


    "I''m back, AIYA" Dario simply called out to the man.


    "Guild Master, you are back! How was it?" AIYA was there to await his glorious return. The man had a slight smile that didn''t even show a shadow of a doubt that Dario would return. In fact, he was even handing him a hot cup of coffee at the moment.


    "Very good, more than very actually. Alright,e with me to the Tower. I have something to do on Floor 44."


    "Just the two of us?" AIYA always showed a very careful approach as usual, well at first nce.


    "Well, if it was any other Floor we''d have to be careful, but I trust in your shooting skills enough to do this specific one."


    "*Sigh* Alright, let''s go then." AIYA caved in.


    Soon they teleported in. They instantly found themselves in a dead in, one that was inhabited by the Lizardmen. These creatures were bipedal, humanoid-looking but had green scaly skin and wielded spears.


    They appeared as huge groups that regrouped themselves in towns. This ce was both extremely deadly and extremely easy to clear, but it required some very peculiar skillsets.


    [Mission: Destroy 3 totems! Good luck!]


    Now, every Lizardman town only had one totem. This made it so there were two approaches possible to such a challenge. The safe one was to slowly chip away at their numbers in order to simply walk in and take care of the totem. Doing that three times would clearly require a while.


    There was also the second alternative but that one waspletely insane. It involved a hit-and-run tactic with perfect timing. Any single positioning issue would cause the annihtion of the party for sure. So many had died to this as they failed to ount for the totem itself being hard to destroy only to get surroundedpletely.


    "Alright, let''s run. You get the totem and I clear the way." Dario proposed such a crazy n without so much as a change in tone.


    "Yep, let''s go!" AIYA instantly agreed.


    They ran all the way to the nearest town quickly invading it! The Lizardmen were fast, numerous, and incredibly sturdy. They were the kind of creature that one needed to stab many times in the same spot before their defenses gave out and they perished.


    But the two friends did not care in the least. They simply kept going. They just charged right in. Soon they were faced with their target, an incredibly tall pir. It was towering over everything else and had a secret. Atop of these pirs were the tiny totems they were looking for.


    Yes, to clear the mission one had to scale said pir, but of course, it wasn''t that easy. At first nce people could simply scale it to be in a safe position, right? Nope, while the Lizardmen didn''t have ranged attack they could generate a shockwave on the pir by touching it.


    One had to leave a friend at the bottom defending while the other climbed as fast as possible toward the true target. In short, it was a suicidal operation to try that with two members¡­.and yet there they were.


    AIYA could be seen¡­actually no, one would have had trouble managing to even notice his movements. He was Climbing so fast that it looked surreal. Of course, Dario had no time to spare looking at him. No, he was busy killing as many as he could. He had just activated his Dragon''s presence and was clearing the green scalies like one would weeds.


    Before long¡­ [Mission: Destroy Totems 1/3]


    AIYA slid down hurriedly and shared a look with Dario. At that very moment, they werepletely surrounded. There was no exit in sight at all. So, Dario would make one. Transforming into his draconic form he charged forward, leaving only Lizard bits in his wake.


    AIYA simply followed not even bothering to kill a single one. He was saving his strength for the totems only. The part he was doing actually involved lots of skill and abilities used at the most opportune timing to reduce the burden on the Guild Master.


    Their teamwork was great enough that between them no word was needed at all. They both knew the other''s skills very well. Well, they still talked, but it was rted to Dario''s earlier feat. It was all about how he had cleared that Floor 45.


    AIYA was extremely eager to hear the story. He couldn''t sit still either. The Tower was one of the best ces in this world to be candid. After all, there were no prying ears in such a ce. Only there would Dario easily and openly talk about even his abilities in detail.


    "Lizzy was anything but weak. Just the creatures it summoned were crazy strong and numerous. Thebo of the powerful Asura-Goris, these annoying Thousand Teeth Flyers, and the unpredictable Slimes created a deadlybo."


    "I Imagine! How did you do it?!"


    "First, tons of buffs. Lots of C-Rank Food, Whetstones, Tonics. Then the Mana Regeneration Glyph from the Boss on Floor 40. Let me tell you it worked wonderfully, I could feel my mana regenerating with every breath I took after I activated it."


    "Well, yes but it''s also a very rare boss drop so of course! What about the other stuff?"


    "Well, there were my ss buffs that I always have that did y a huge role. My Dragon''s Vitality, my Dragon''s Might, and my Draconic Bloodline all enhancing my Stats greatly."


    "That''s a damn lot! How awesome did having all of these activated at once feel?!"


    "Very awesome. It felt as if the entire world was in my grasp. I could feel the power overflowing from my entire being. I had the feeling that a single sh of mine could reduce an enemy to dust, of course, that was oh so false!"


    "Seeing how bloody you are, it didn''t go that easily, right?" AIYA asked.


    "Indeed, the only reason I even survived this is my Aspect of the Dragon and Dragon''s Presence skills. The main issue is dealing with the pets Lizzy has. Their teamwork is phenomenally good. Nothing like their rtively dumb counterparts on the previous Floors."


    "They can use tactics?!" AIYA could be seen shivering as he said that for he knew the implications this would have. Well, for how scared he seemed he''d remain one of the first to charge head-first into battle as usual.


    "Indeed. There are actually many waves too. The creature first summons a wave of creatures, then another, then another, so on. The first few seconds are the most critical ones. Either you quickly get rid of some summons or you are dead. As simple as that."


    "Still, it''s crazy! All your abilities are pretty mana hungry, no? Well, besides Mana Cleave butpared with the others we both know it''s trash tier. How did you cope?" AIYA inquired.


    -C Aspect of the Dragon


    Roar, w, kill. Transform using ancestral draconic blessings. Boosts all stats by arge margin, covers the body in scales, grows ws and fangs.


    ¡«150 Mana/ second of transformation (Value estimated by Dario Ignas) ¡«20% Boost?


    -C Dragon''s Presence


    All enemies cower under the might of the Dragon! Inspires allies and sends enemies running! Effect dependant on duration and strength of enemies.


    ¡«2500 Mana Cost ¡«1 sec fright, 5 seconds shaken, 30 seconds debuff

 Chapter 68: Dario the Face-Slapped Dragon (3/3)

    <h4>Chapter 68: Dario the Face-pped Dragon (3/3)</h4>


    ****(POV)


    "Still, it''s crazy! All your abilities are pretty mana hungry, no? Well, besides Mana Cleave butpared with the others we both know it''s trash tier. How did you cope?" AIYA inquired.


    "It was all about that split second right at the beginning. I''d use Draconic Presence to render thempletely fearful of me for 1 second then I''d kill as many while making use of my Aspect of the dragon transformation."


    "Wow!"


    "But even then it''s close to impossible. Once that split second was over I went back to simply dealing with them without using a single skill. Let me tell you, fighting skillless for a few minutes to regenerate mana feels so horrible. "


    "So pretty much that fight is both about extreme intensity right at the start of every summoning period and then it soon bes an endurance game, is that it? But since it''s a solo Floor you can''t even have any Healer and no matter how many pills one brings it''s bound to run out soon. This is truly perverse!"


    "Indeed, but it could be really worth it. Extremely worth it in fact. That is actually why we are here. The n is to test said reward."


    As they were talking they had kept destroying totems. They had in fact just cleared thest one of the three and were ready to teleport out anytime they wanted.


    "Spit it out, what''s the reward?" Curiosity was oozing through AIYAS''s pores and he was intently fixing Dario with a glint in his eyes.


    "A taming emblem, C- Rank this one. Alright, let''s try this." Dario admitted before approaching a Lizardman. Then he quickly defeated it but kept it alive before activating the emblem.


    In a sh of blue light, the Lizardman disappearedpletely and something new appeared on Dario''s panel.


    EXP 0/1000


    Just a casual Lizardman, a loyal pet with a sturdy spear!


    "Eh¡­sure it''s really neat but soon it won''t be useful anymore.", AIYAmented.


    "That is where you are wrong my friend, this one has an EXP bar¡­" Dario grinned.


    "Y-you''re kidding me?! This is the difference between Heaven and Hell!"


    "Exactly my thoughts, but that''s not all. I also got something else."


    "Please! After that, whatever you take out will feelckluster."


    Dario didn''t say a word and simply took the memory fragment out before using it. He could be seen sweating, huffing, and puffing as he tried to absorb all the knowledge inside. Dario felt as if his head was being drilled in real-time by an enormous excavator.


    But it was all worth it for soon appeared a line on his status screen:


    - U(F): Invincible Pet Master


    As long as at least one pet remains standing damage taken reduced by 10%


    How incredibly overpowered was that?! It said as long as a pet remained standing! AIYA could see the expression of Dario turn to one of bliss. After thetter shared the details of the ability, he understood why and went back on his previous statement.


    Compared to the pet itself that ability was even more vicious! Afterward, they began to roam the Floor trying various things. They managed to figure some things out. To actually gain experience points the pet had to be the one directly killing its victims.


    Another point to note was that if the pet wasn''t summoned Dario wasn''t getting the defense bonus from his new overpowered skill.


    Before long Dario''s pet became ¡­.


    EXP 7/1000


    Just a casual Lizardman, a loyal pet with a sturdy spear!


    Such a thing had huge implications! It meant that it truly could level up and be stronger. At this point even if it had a limit Dario would ept it. Changing the name of the pet could be done at any time too. But it wouldn''t change the description.


    "Alright, shall we head back to the guild? Can you picture the reaction they will all have?" Dario chuckled.


    "Oh my god, they will be so impressed! With reason too! Honestly just looking at your gains gives me the urge to just tackle Floor 45 right now! It''s just I feel like it would be extremely hard for me. Man, I''m so Jealous of your Draconic Champion ss!" AIYA added.


    "You say that, but your own ss is quite the amazing one too¡­" On that note, they both exited the Tower. Of course, Dario hid his pet, he didn''t want to showcase it to the entire world just yet. He''d probably sell the info either for money or for favors to another guild.


    Before long, AIYA got them more coffee and they were making their way toward the area reserved for the Gold members of Draconic. There were surprisingly many of them just loafing around fiddling with their UW.


    They sure were free. Then again, Dario had no doubt that they were all true warriors. They were probably looking at Tower-rted information at that very moment.


    Now, just the way Dario had entered the room told them that something was up. They would alternate between looking at their UW and looking at the confident-looking Dario that had just swaggered in with incredible momentum.


    "Hello, all. I have an announcement! As some of you know, I was recently gone to challenge Floor 45 at the highest difficulty. Let it be known, I havee back victorious!" Dario''s voice as he dered that was thunderous.


    "I present to you the world''s current strongest pet!" He then summoned his Lizzard under the stupefied eyes of the others while gazing at all the members assembled with a grin.


    That is when Lucas chimed in, not mincing his words as usual: "Won''t it be useless like the other pets in a while?" Others could be seen nodding along too.


    "Hehe, that is where you are wrong! This pet can level up! It already went from 44 to 45 earlier! How is it? Are you guys jealous?" Dario teased them with a smile. "Ah, but be careful that Floor is truly incredible hard, even for me it was."


    That is when Dario felt that the mood of the room had turned extremely peculiar. They kept ncing at their UW and at his pet, apparently contemting something. Their behavior was truly perplexing.


    That is when Lucas raised his UW while politely asking "Guild Master, can you repeat that while saying the date too? This will be a historical moment for this guild"


    Dario was truly puzzled but heplied since he did feel like it could truly be significant. "I present to you the world''s current strongest pet! We are currently¡­" That is when a few othersmented.


    "Hey, isn''t that a bit too mean?" (Lily)


    "Totally mean, make sure you send me the video afterward." (Kasha)


    "I''m just d there was no real bet involved on that one" (Ronan)


    "What are you guys even talking about?" (AIYA)


    "Check the guild chat and you''ll understand." Lilly conscientiously advised.


    "Alright, but seriously what have you guys been PFFFFTT-" AIYA had been drinking his coffee calmly, before reacting to the chat logs. Said coffee was now all over Dario''s face.


    The victim, rather than get angry, quickly essed his own UW. But when Dario saw what it contained he couldn''t help but be at a loss himself. He had just imed to have the strongest pet in the world.


    Turns out that Josh had gotten a <Godly Pseudo-Pet Rat>. It said pseudo-pet but did fit in the pet slot, plus that could either be something worse or better than a normal pet.


    On one hand, it probably wasn''t as strong currently since Josh had obtained it on Floor 11 (How?!) but on the other hand, it had motherfucking godly in its name! Where was the justice!


    Dario couldn''t help but feel that his own lizard didn''t sound that great suddenly, not when there was such a bizarre and magical sounding pet out there. His face changed consequently from extreme pride to confusion and slight disappointment.


    Such reaction wasn''t logical considering all he had gained from this one trip of his but still. Unconsciously, he couldn''t help but shortly think about life itself: ''Who am I? Where am I? What have I been doing with my life?''


    The best part (or worst) was that Lucas had gotten it all on camera and was currently happily sharing it across the guild members. Said video was titled "Face-pping the guild master so hard he might not ever recover.", and yes the title was urate!


    That is when a new message appeared in chat:


    -Josh MF Malum: But seriously guys, anyone knows what the Hell I''m supposed to do with it? I don''t need such a useless pet¡­


    Somewhere in the D District Josh was currently busy muting his UW. For some obscure reasons, the others thought he was taunting them. At least, someone had exined the Floor 45 thing to him real quick.


    Josh figured right now wouldn''t be the best time to pester Dario about his reward so he turned to Hegel.


    "Say, how is Floor 12? Can I solo it?"


    "Floor 12? Lots of white sticky stuff everywhere! I''m sure you''ll be fine."


    "¡­."

 Chapter 69: Save?! Thats a Bug, Right?

    <h4>Chapter 69: Save?! That''s a Bug, Right?</h4>


    Apparently, no one knew much about pets, especially one as special as the godly Rat. It was quite surprising how fast Josh had reached a point where the Rankers were already unable to give him reliable information. It had already happened on Floor 11 while the others were on Floor~45.


    What did this all mean? For Josh, it simply meant to keep aplishing as many Feats as possible. How amazing would the rewards beter on?! Probably proportional to the difficulty.


    Now, Floor 12 was supposed to have lots of "white sticky stuff everywhere." Umm, phrasing? At the Tower entrance, there were a few youngsters assembled, it looked like some sort of event. They were shouting something about the Tower being too dangerous again, most of them being ignored.


    Josh couldn''t help but scoff while looking at his remaining lifespan: 35 days. For him, the Tower was all he had, his hopes toward the future and his only chance.


    In fact, a young man even tried to stop him: "Brother, don''t go in the Tower, it''s been acting weird recently! The missions aren''t what they used to be! There hasn''t been much damage yet but it''s bound to happen! Can you imagine all the Tower guides bing useless suddenly?!"


    Oh? So this time it wasn''t just a hypocritical ideological group? Well, Josh hadn''t expected this to happen so soon but it made sense. After all, he had seen firsthand the Alter Tower Protocol learn at lightning speed.


    Josh had a theory, Tower Protocols were probably designed to make things challenging for the Climbers. In the Alter Tower, he had been the only Climber. Since he had crushed everything extremely quickly its master had redesigned every challenge.


    But what about the entire world? There were bound to be many idiots out there. They would die stupidly in there and trick the Tower into believing its challenges were perfectly fine. The difficulty itself was probably changing but specifically, the Tower Protocol was slowly learning and getting rid of the easy to exploit loopholes.


    "Thanks for telling me." Josh smiled as he kept walking toward the Tower.


    "Wait, if you heard me why are you still heading in there?!" The young had been ignored by the others that thought he was crazy, for once he had someone actually conversing with him. "I''m serious! I have data to prove it!"


    Josh turned toward him. "Oh, I believe you. In fact, let me tell you something. The Tower is constantly evolving. What you are rmed about is only the beginning, just the very tip of the iceberg. Soon there will be traps after traps hidden in the missions."


    "H-how do you know?" The man couldn''t believe his ears. Many around were throwing weird nces at Josh for this one statement, but the young man could feel that it waspletely true.


    "I just know. It''s quite simple, no matter how much the Tower improves all one needs to do is evolve even faster. Easy, am I right?" On that note, Josh teleported inside leaving a baffled youngster behind.


    What Josh didn''t realize was that this one sentence of his resonated very profoundly with the man. He trusted Josh on that one. Why? He himself didn''t know. Perhaps because of how confident Josh had been? That is when he heard a passerby.


    "That one guy was a nut-job, wasn''t he? What kind of conspiracy theory is that? The Tower evolving? What a joke!"


    What? Did it really sound like such a thing? But then the young man observed his surroundings. He looked at the few people that had assembled for him, all close friends. They wanted to warn people about the Tower, they wanted to make a difference in the world. If their warnings could save a few they would be satisfied.


    But said friends were getting ignored, scoffed at, ridiculed even. That''s when he finally understood. It wasn''t that they themselves didn''t make sense it was that the people feared it being true. They preferred to ignore their warnings and condemn them as ridiculous fools.


    The young man gestured to his friends. "Alright, everyone. We''re leaving."


    "B-but!"


    "Every second we spend here is a second we aren''t Climbing. If people don''t want to listen then it''s their business. We tried to warn them." He said with a steady voice filled with resolve.


    He could see the disappointed expression of his friends. Meanwhile, there were voices calling them kids and telling them to go back home to suck on their mothers'' tits.


    Suck on their mothers'' tits, was it? That single very simple moment would be the impetus to the rise of quite possibly one of the most powerful and ridiculous factions of them all.


    Thus, another cynic appeared in this trashy world.


    ****


    Josh couldn''t help but think about that youth he had met. He had a good heart for sure. How would he end up? Would he soon despair from seeing how dark society could be? Would he give up?


    Thinking didn''t stop Josh from analyzing his surroundings. He seemed to be in some very dark forest. There was no wind, there was no sound, there was no life to be found, and yet¡­


    [Mission: Save 5 Captives]


    Josh had to save people. Howughable was that? So far it had been kill, steal, kidnap and also collect monsters'' body parts (aka kill). Now the Tower wanted him to actually do some good? Had the gods turned a new leaf and developed a conscience? Perhaps it was the Tower Protocol glitching.


    Some part of Josh couldn''t help butugh thinking about the forums that had been dissing him and how their "amazing" clear strategies would soon turn useless. Ah, but wouldn''t that mean that his own Navi would be worthless too?! Nice waste of 20k Credits¡­or was it?


    He quickly summoned it. "Say, Navi, where do you get your information from exactly?"


    <This model uses thetest Ouroboros Network. It scours every guide avable online and filters it to provide urate information>


    "Can you somehow get the information that was filtered out for me?"


    <No, but it is possible to change thework. Would you like this model to henceforth connect to a newwork?>


    "Not for now. Also, can you analyze what happens in real-time in the Tower andter determine the difference between my clear strategies and the ones widely epted?"


    <Yes, would you like this model to begin the recording process now?>


    "Sure."


    Now, this opened a world of possibilities. It would be possible topile information with a privatework with potentially more uracy than the Ouroboroswork itself. How? Josh had no clue but he had an inkling it would be possible.


    The difference between his own experiences and what was found on thework would allow Josh to know the information he could potentially sell. Once he was done with a Floor, he didn''t have much of a reason toe back to it anyway.


    If Josh could get Credits from the scraps, why not? All this would probably be hard to aplish and he''d need the help of an expert for sure, but still.


    "Alright, from now on I want you to g every information gotten from Ouroboros as questionable. Instead, record what is happening here as valid information, can you do that?"


    <This model shallply.>


    This may be a bit drastic as a measure, but Josh wanted to easily be able to differentiate between both. After all, most of the current information on it would soon be trash.


    He kept progressing. It reminded him of the Floor with the vines, there was no enemy whatsoever to be seen. But then Josh stopped abruptly. He had seen something that gave him goosebumps.


    About a centimeter away from his face, there was a transparent wall that Josh had almost run into. Even then he could barely faintly distinguish it. It was a huge cobweb!


    Only now did he understand what Hegel had meant. Josh grabbed a stick and stuck it inside the deadly trap. He could see it vibrate as he did so. He remained on extremely high alert, carefully observing his surroundings.


    All until. *Bash!* A big creature soon fell from Heaven but was pped away by Josh''s stick. It had sneakily approached him trying to devour his head.


    The monster was about two metersrge, so damn hairy, kept moving its 8 long legs in anger, and its chelicerae ("jaws") clearly hungering for human flesh. It was noticeably wounded and hadnded in its web, painting it blue with its dripping blood.


    <Hairy Spider Lv12>


    It eyed Josh carefully and thus began a staring contest between man and monster. Spiders were hunters that would prey on the defenseless, their specialty being to ambush with their webs. It seems that specific one was no exception. After a dozen minutes, Josh finally got bored and turned around to leave.


    That is when he felt the creature''s anger as it silently leaped at him. It had waited for him to lower his guard to attack like lightning!


    *LEAP!*


    *BASH*


    Josh didn''t even bother facing it as he flicked his stick over his shoulder. This time he had been ready. The spider was instantly reduced to bloody pulp that stuck to the forest ground. Josh couldn''t help but scoff, it was still just a dumb monster. The Tower still had lots of evolving to do if it wanted to potentially trip him.


    Josh then came near the giant web once more. He spotted the stick he had thrown at it and tried dislodging it by pulling. But, it proved to be extremely troublesome. That is when the previously easygoing Josh turned serious.


    This could be extremely problematic. How was he to fight amongst webs so sticky and sturdy?! He couldn''t help but shiver as he imagined himself getting stuck to one.


    Also, what if a spider threw a web directly at him?! Josh gravely headed deeper¡­

 Chapter 70: Second Times the Charm! Or n times?!

    <h4>Chapter 70: Second Time''s the Charm! Or n times?!</h4>


    In the oppressive darkness, all one could hear was a very faint grating sound worthy of a never-ending nightmare. It was breaking the heavy silence but making it even more ominous. Was the noise from giant atrocious hairy spiders rubbing their legs in expectation of a feast?


    It wasn''t. As the grating intensified, small fiery sparks appeared only to be extinguished instantly. Eventually, a bright me illuminated a small patch of darkness. But, it did not make the atmosphere any less tense for a face akin to a hellish grinning demon became visible.


    Yes, Josh was smirking. His was smile was going from one ear to another just from imagining what was about to happen. That is when he threw his makeshift torch, watching it draw an arc in the air as it finallynded directly on a pile of twigs, small branches, and other mmable materials.


    How does one deal with spider webs? How about an inferno????! Soon, the entire forest would be set aze and all these pesky cobwebs would disappear. Of course, this act would probably change the nature of this rescue endeavor.


    "Let there be fire!" Josh dered grandly as he watched the mes devour everything, making their way toward a humongous old tree. At this point, he was ecstatic. Except that no matter how long Josh waited, there was no sign of it burning. Even the dry-looking bark on it remained perfectly fine and soon the fire died down.


    <Information recorded. Archaic trees are me resistant...and so are the webs ording to the database. It possibly requires magical fire.>


    "¡­."


    On that anti-climatic note, Josh gave up on cheating the mission (for now) and went for the next best option. He sent his exorbitantly expensive Navi to scout the way forward (clearly not venting for the earlierment). Many times, the little floating object got itself stuck in a web but Josh would promptly murder the resident monster.


    One man and one barely identifiable flying object made their way across the ce. Josh eventually kept picking and throwing small rocks using them to scout the danger ahead while keeping Navi directly in front of him as ast resort warning.


    The farther he went and the more and more webs were strewn all over. At some point, Josh started noticing big white cocoons stuck to the trees. Chances were that in there would be his objective.


    As he came closer, Josh could feel the dark ground under his feet start pulsating. Oh god! Throwing himself on the ground nearby, he could see spidersing out of the ground where he had just been. But he wasn''t safe just yet. Far from it! He first quickly threw all the pebbles he had been collecting so far, as far away as possible, all around him.


    Then, a giant spider appeared right in front of him and tried to bite his head off. Josh simply kept rolling out of death''s reach. Then he went on the assault! He went toward a spider quickly swinging at it! But he felt danger. Were he to finish his motion, his shoulder would get bitten into.


    Rolling backward, Josh observed the spider that had just attacked him. Whether it was venomous he wouldn''t test it out with his body for sure. Navi could be seen flying around. It wasn''t getting attack so Josh stopped caring about it.


    Josh kept dodging. There were so many of them and the darkness made them hard to even notice. The spiders kept jumping at him, trying to sink their pointy sharp legs into his body or devour him whole. It as was a true onught!


    Many times he needed to abort an attack at thest second, rolling over a spider. Every time he could feel the hair on the creatures rub against his arms and neck.


    This was a war of attrition, Josh attacking, aborting attacks, rolling away, all until finally, a chance presented itself! For a fraction of a second, the creatures messed up. Then Josh started a killing spree. A slow one at first, but he kept getting faster and faster.


    With every spider killed, it increased his possible range of motion. After a while, the creatures even started running from Josh in fright. As if that would save them from him!


    But that is when Josh suddenly stopped. The creatures hadn''t been running away from him at all, no they had been baiting him into their webs. He knew from the little pebbles he had thrown that were now floating in the air quite magically.


    Josh carefully approached his targets, but he soon had to give up. They were all so goddamn careful! Every time he tried killing one they would retreat on the webs. There were some floating in the air and the very ground was covered by it too! He did try to navigate it using the vine ne but it got stuck and he had to cut the vines to escape.


    Josh could see that the creatures seemed to be somehowpletely immune to the effect of their own webs. Right now he was so damn jealous of that ability. Josh didn''t have any choice but to retreat in defeat¡­for now.


    Navi had somehow survived the fight without any issue. Now, how was he supposed to get through that? He needed some kind of footing for sure. If only he could somehow make a way through the cobwebs. That''s when a simple idea came to him, one that would have very much terrified most rankers.


    Smiling slightly, Josh went for round two. All the spiders had respawned. Why was the rate so fast this time around? Was this part of the Tower''s difficulty adjustment? It was something to ponder about for sure!


    A scene very simr to before happened: lots of dodging, lots of bashing, lots of spiders running away shaking their asses to bait him. Except that this time, Josh did. The creatures seemingly rejoiced, but they soon realized that something was wrong.


    There was now an addition to the webs. In them were plenty of dead spiders sprawled at various key locations. Apparently, dying made their immunity go away for they were solidly stuck.


    Josh could be seen leaping from one improvised foothold to another. That is when the spiders started panicking, moving their legs all over the ce in shock. It was time to get in there and finish it once and for all!


    ¡­Or so Josh thought initially. That is when his senses started sending him warnings. Instead of dashing forward, he simply made a motion faking it while remaining unmoving. That is when a bunch of spiders fired strings toward the location he would havended at.


    Once more, Josh ran away. He couldn''t help but thank all the training he had done on Earth. It had allowed him to somehow unconsciously feel the aggressiveness of the spiders. Well, he was now conscious of it but his body had reacted on its own back there.


    The only way to get through this would be to have an incalcble amount of footholds or straight up the ability to fly. Otherwise, his path would be way too predictable. Ah, actually flying wasn''t out of the question.


    Once more Josh faced the spiders. A few dead ones turning into footholdster, Josh could be seen leaping aggressively toward the creatures. Very soon, he was confronted with a strong barrage with nowhere to dodge!


    That''s when the quick and graceful Navi came to the rescue! Josh stepped on itunching himself in the air¡­Except that some of the string managed to touch the Fairy. That is when Josh realized that this idea of his had been ludicrous and he quickly ordered a fallback.


    Now, it was true that this assistant could survive rtively well by itself, but that was only when it wasn''t getting focused. It couldn''t handle direct fire at it for sure. Josh barely even managed to remove the silk stuck to it. It took him longer to do this simple task than to try fighting the spiders.


    Josh couldn''t help but tug on the string noticing how sturdy it was. Actually, that would do. That would do very well in fact. Josh couldn''t help but feel at peace for he had finally found a way to clear this once and for all.


    Josh went to fight the spiders again. He came, he saw, he crushed, the creatures fell back in the core of their territory. He followed them once more, but this time there was something very different about Josh.


    Under his feet, there were spiders. The spiders were very much alive. They were very simr to any other spiders out there, well besides the fact that they had no eyes, no legs, were half dead and solidly attached to Josh using some of the strings he had gotten earlier.


    While they were immune to the sticky effect they could still be solidly wrapped as if using a normal rope. Josh soon started to glide through all the obstacles. Finally, he reached the scheming but now defenseless spiders and smilingly bashed them until they turned from solid to liquid.


    That gave Josh ess to the cocoons. Now, what would be contained inside? Would it be the usual spider food, aka the captives to rescue? Would it all be a sham and be full of spider ancestors instead? After all, these cocoons looked way too big to be hosting humanoids¡­.

 Chapter 71: It Can Talk?!

    <h4>Chapter 71: It Can Talk?!</h4>


    In a very dark gloomy forest there lived two spiders. The little ones were currently very envious of their dead brethren. They were still stuck to Josh''s feet whilepletely immobilized, limbless, and used as footwear. It was definitively an existence far worse than death.


    Josh was simply walking over the web using their innate ability not to stick to it. Before long he reached an enormous cocoon. That is when began an epic fight, man versus cocoon.


    Well, let''s just say it was extremely resistant for some reason. The scene in itself was quite ridiculous. Josh had already dispatched all the monsters spectacrly but now was struggling so much for such a simple-looking task. He kept hacking and hacking at it, even turning his weapon into an axe in the process. Josh felt like a bodybuilder having trouble opening a pickle jar.


    Finally, Josh managed to tear it apart revealing the dark content. It was filled to the brim with dark shadows! Monsters! Josh backed off quickly as they all fell toward him akin to rain. Very much like water droplets they soon collided with the ground.


    That is when Josh noticed that these shadows looked somewhat humanoid, with a size simr to his own. They were clearly monsters but didn''t have much going for them besides a weird blurry dark appearance. There was no sign of anything remotely threatening on their bodies and they were not moving at all.


    Josh carefully came closer. That is when came a system message.


    [Ding- Rescued 5 captives! Missionpleted!]


    What?! These things were the captives? That is when one shadow twitched before slowly raising itself. It then stretched the hole in ce of its mouth until it was wide beyond belief. That is when it actually spoke: "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!" It could talk!


    Josh felt a shiver down his spine, it sounded so disgusting! The tone was discordant and akin to nails on a ckboard. Yet, it was somehow extremely t too.


    Fellow human? Who''s your fellow human?! Apparently this ...thing was supposed to be the same species as Josh, who knew! There was clearly a lot wrong with it. To Josh, it felt like ceholder artwork that developers would use in the very first draft of a game.


    Comparisons could really be harsh at times. If the Alter Tower''s Protocol was a professional then this one was clearly a beginner. Still, this simple point had many crazy implications.


    First, would luck itself be an important factor in climbing the Tower? Would some worlds simply get lucky and receive way easier Towers? How smart the Tower assigned to one''s race was would be a core element.


    Second, this thing could freaking talk! Would there soon be true NPCs scouring the Floors? There could be both allies and enemies to spice things up. Howplex would the whole Tower be? This would bring both challenges and opportunities.


    Third, this thing called itself human. Did this mean that the Tower Protocol was actively researching their species? Why did it even need to? Did the gods withhold information from their own subordinates/AIs? Or, did the gods simply ignore it themselves? For instance, one may not know individually each of the ants living in one''s basement.


    So many questions and so few answers. But at this moment, all that mattered to Josh was finding what and especially where the Boss for this Floor was. As Josh kept exploring the dark, gloomy, and oppressive forest he realized that "needlessly huge" was also very urate.


    There were actually many spider nests where they all congregated. Josh easily did quick work of all of the monsters he encountered, soon freeing more shadows trying to act human. The "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!" kept getting repeated enough for it to haunt Josh''s dreams.


    "Alright, this is proving such a pain. Navi, tell me about this Boss here. Where is it?" Usually, Josh would try to figure it out on his own but he was getting annoyed.


    <The Boss here should be avoided at all cost. Not only is it pointless to kill but it is extremely dangerous. It will randomly appear after clearing enough spider nests. The exact details are unknown.>


    "Well then, I better increase the pace!" That simple sentence caused a round of savagery. Except that this onested so long that Josh had to change his "shoes" many times over. But even then there was no sign whatsoever of any change happening.


    "Hey, Tower protocol! I have a request!" But no matter what Josh wasn''t getting any answer. Was it possible that it was hiding? He even kept shouting for a while but it clearly wasn''t working.


    So, Josh exited the Tower before entering right back. It seemed like the group warning people about Climbing was gone for good. They had probably given up as soon as they realized that no one at all cared.


    Back on Floor 12, Josh quickly cleared a nest. That is when the usual message popped out! Seems like the Protocol was watching the mission pretty darn attentively.


    [Ding- Rescued 5 captives! Missionpleted!]


    Josh was ready for it. As soon as it appeared he instantly "ambushed" the system! "Hey, Tower protocol! I wish to increase the spawn rate of the Boss!" Josh was pretty sure that there would be no issue increasing the difficulty.


    [Denied! This request would create unbnce in the Tower. Please refrain!]


    "Think about it, what is the point of having a Boss in the first ce if it''s impossible to summon it?"


    [Rate is high enough, it will remain as is.]


    "How about you increase the number of spider nests then? You know add a few zeros to it? Overall increase the difficulty a tad."


    [There are no hidden missions avable for this content.]


    "Seriously?! Talk about an oversight! Are you telling me that you are not even able to make use of men''s greed to bait them into tackling more than they can actually handle?! This is bad!"


    [Computing. Computing. Comparing proposition to data avable. Result: humans do die from excessive greed. Generating alternate mission. Completed. Please pick one: Normal difficulty or Difficult with twice the spiders.]


    "Hell no! Do you realize how long it would still take?! No, how about you simply add even more difficulties? Take the mob counter and put it to the max!"


    [Assessing viability. No immediate issue was found. Actual difficulty in eptable margins. Proceeding. Please stand by. Please select difficulty: Normal, Difficult, Impossible!]


    "Well, there is only one thing to pick here, impossible! Make it rain!" Josh couldn''t help but enthusiastically shout that. He truly appreciated the name. Except, that''s when red portals started appearing floating in the air all over.


    How was he going to deal with this? Also, did he just potentially convince the system to add a super deadly pitfall to its arsenal?

 Chapter 72: Sing Like Only Spiders are Watching!

    <h4>Chapter 72: Sing Like Only Spiders are Watching!</h4>


    Did Josh just potentially convince the system to add a super deadly pitfall to its arsenal?! People would die! Oh, no! Anyway...


    In the air, glowing red portals started appearing absolutely everywhere! This would be the "impossible" difficulty. Josh could already feel his entire body throb with excitement. The portals started rippling akin to a small pond in which one would have thrown an overweight whale.


    That''s when the bloody tears in space began vomiting monsters, tons and tons of spiders! They all fell while iling their legs in the air. A few seemingly noticed Josh and without further ado, they started throwing strings at him. Volley after volley came at him.


    Evading the initial outburst was pretty easy, the troublesome part was that the webs stuck to the ground and trees alike creating instant traps. Anyone getting stuck in it would most probably be reduced to sitting ducks until they got overwhelmed.


    The whole forest soon becamepletely painted white. Indeed the usual transparent strings became pure white once in high enough quantity. There was so much of it that it could beat any videos Josh had ever seen on Porn Hubris back on Earth.


    For anyone unprepared, this whole challenge would have been near impossible to clear, but Josh had his secret weapo- shoes! He simply dashed ahead and used the webs to support his weight as he charged toward the spiders.


    They had spent most of their energy on all these ranged attacks only for their enemy to use it all against them! Josh ran atop the webs with his weapon out ughtering spider after spider, quite like an anime protagonist but without the pointless never-ending screaming. He had even turned his stick into arge but thin greatsword to look the part.


    With so many to kill, he was sure to finally be able to summon the Boss. Pumped up, Josh even began humming a cheerful tune as he ughtered. That is obviously the right way to annihte entire species. He sang as if no one was watching.


    He even went so far as to improvise lyrics as hepletely decimated hundreds and hundreds of spiders. How much of its "processor" was the Tower Protocol using for that single fight?


    It went something like this¡­


    (£þ¨Œ£þ)¤Ä£½l¥Ë¥Ë¥Õ


    ????


    They said Climb with a party


    Screw all that bullshit shall we


    Right now I''m very very happy


    So many "friends" around me


    ????


    I''m raiding their entireir


    Their brethren as footwear


    All their hair standing up


    They know they fucked-up


    ????


    Hello "friend" but only for an instant


    shing, piercing, or crushing


    It only takes one movement


    ????


    So very very happy


    Just a tiny weeny tad gory


    Spider bits every-fucking-where


    Hurled right in the air


    ????


    I am to them a nightmare


    Come back, stop running!


    So what if you despair?


    ????


    Soon it will all end


    Stop fleeing my "friends"


    What a wonderful time


    So damn fun it is to Climb!


    ????


    After a long acape karaoke session, all spiders in the surroundings were gone. There was also lots of random loot scattered all over the ce. Josh Diligently picked it all up for he was currently very broke.


    Every E-Rank piece he would grab putting a smile on his face. This Floor was the one that dropped the spider leg weapons. Surprisingly there weren''t only swords, but daggers and spears too.


    Josh had actually cut so many spider legs during the fight. What was 8 multiplied by countless? The answer was shitload! He couldn''t help but daydream about how rich he would have been if every single one had meant a weapon.


    There were also materials but he ignored that for he already had his hands full. For now, he simply dropped everything on the ground before slightly burying it in. He wasn''t trying to hide it but just wanted to make sure it didn''t get mistakenly dragged away by some spider walking on it.


    Then Josh drew a big X on it, pirate map style, satisfyingly nodding while observing his handiwork. For some reason, the portals had seemingly stopped working. This wouldn''t be much of an issue as there were still other areas to kindly "visit".


    Thus Josh simply started singing once more. The very kind of singing that would have terrified anyone spectating for sure.


    First, there was the fact that he was entirely covered in blue spider blood looking like some kind of hellish smur-¡­ The giant malevolent smile adorning his face didn''t help either. The monsters running away from him from time to time only reinforced that image. Maybe one day monsters would vanish on sight from his mere presence.


    Second, the scene itself with the spiders flooding the ground, the trees, and the webs in the sky would have chilled any sane person''s marrow. The way they kept trying to devour Josh while jumping from ce to ce with their disgusting hairy bodies intensified the dread. How many humans profoundly feared spiders?


    Third, Josh was tone-deaf. This point was actually the scariest one. It wasn''t the kind of singing that made girls chuckle and give understanding smiles. Not at all! It was the kind that could somehow prate one''s very soul. He could be singing a love song and have the audience fearing for their lives. Yes, it was that bad!


    Plus, the more Josh kept going and the more annoyed he was getting. After all, the whole reason he had even started that whole thing was to hopefully summon the Boss. Josh would definitelyin to the Tower Protocol!


    Still, if he wanted to meet it he''d have to restart the Floor andplete the mission. Only then would it appear for sure. Josh felt that his luck was about to turn and that he''d better keep going.


    Humans often have a particr approach toward luck. After raines sunshine, right? At least that''s how it is supposed to go. In reality, probabilities are cold and unfeeling and will not favor one oue no matter the past. Probabilities are unfair and can merely be understood but never controlled (well, except by cheating).


    Josh kept exterminating the spiders. At one point he tried to pray to the RNGod. At one point he tried getting his Godly Rat out feeling that anything "godly" should be lucky. At one point Josh started fighting naked while screaming "System, see how pitiful I am! Just let me get that one Boss to spawn! Pretty please!" All of it failed with the rat not even bothering to move until recalled.


    Josh lost count of time. All he knew was that his lifespan showed 32 days. At first, he couldn''t help but be surprised that it had only been three days, but then he realized it. Spending time in the Tower gave lifespan up to a limit per Floor. He had actually gained some then lost it back.


    It had been a few days for sure and pretty much all the monsters had been cleaned up already. Josh was starting to get hungry and also sleepy. The point is, this RNG event was bullshit!


    But then Josh calmed down. There was no use getting angry right now. Instead, he simply found some more spiders in a remote corner of the forest he had previously overlooked. He then made the poor creatures suffer the same fate as the ones he was currently using as shoes.


    He made sure not to kill them as they would otherwise disappear. No, Josh tied them to a web neatly. In front of him appeared a very cool creation that would have made many restless.


    You''ve heard of a mattress, you''ve heard of a water bed, but have you ever heard of a spider bed? It sounds squirmy at first, but not really when you cut all their limbs first. Sure they still try to wriggle their bodies, but that''s what the rope (read web) is for.


    Joshid himself on the soft hairy bed, contentedly closing his eyes in satisfaction. He slowly fell into a peaceful slumber with a slight smile on his face as he remembered a scene from his past.


    ****


    He could see her small face as she looked at him while snuggly lying under her pink worn covers, getting ready for bedtime. As any kid her age, she was cute, innocent-looking, and small. But right at this moment, the small human youngling was showing a serious expression while frowning.


    "Say, Josh. I have something important to ask you¡­"


    Would it somehow be another question not befitting her age?


    ??????????


    ??????????


    (Spider-bed)

 Chapter 73: Unforgettable BJ (18+)

    <h4>Chapter 73: Unforgettable BJ (18+)</h4>


    Right at this moment, the small human youngling was showing a serious expression while frowning.


    "Say, Josh. I have something important to ask you¡­"


    This little girl had always been a curious and smart one. Josh couldn''t help but wonder what worried her. He took a very deep voice and started frowning himself, as much as humanly possible.


    "What is your query, little one, devourer of candies, keeper of the goldfishes, tamer of the wild potted nt, ultimate petting machine, gorgeous princess of the¡­."


    "Pffttt- HAHAHA. What''s with that serious expression?! How does one tame a potted nt?! It''s so funny!" She giggled, her crystallineughter filling the whole apartment. It wasn''t that her voice was that powerful, but that they lived in a single room.


    "What''s with YOUR serious expression?" Josh couldn''t help but smile as he saw her rx. Then she looked at him seemingly hesitating.


    "Say, you won''t leave my sister, right?" She asked timidly. Josh simply looked at her inquisitively. "Many parents of friends at school are getting divorced. I just don''t want this to happen to you two!"


    "You don''t have to worry about that." Josh gently ruffled her hair "It is impossible that it will happen to us."


    "Really! You promise?" She asked full of expectation.


    "For sure." She sighed in relief, but then Josh continued. "After all, we can''t get divorced since we aren''t married in the first ce."


    She froze. She simply froze as she looked at the smugly smiling Josh. She then erupted in protest.


    "That''s not what I meant! At all!" Just as she was getting slightly annoyed, Josh ruffled her hair once more while reiterating.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I won''t leave her as long as she keeps cooking for me."


    "Cooking? When is she cooking?! You''ve been fooled! She''s always doing rice and we have a rice cooker! You''ve been ¡­ bamboozled, backstabbed, and quite possibly tricked!" She said thest part hesitantly as if digging her memory to recite, appearing all proud afterward. E for effort.


    "Should you really be telling me this?"


    "Oh my god! What have I done! Noooo! Please don''t divorce her, I''ll cook!" She appeared extremely shocked with regret oozing out of her entire being.


    Josh approached her ear and whispered, "Let me tell you a secret." He then seemingly looked around making sure that no one was spying on them. "Actually, I kinda guessed it was the case. You know since I''m the one that bought the rice cooker in the first ce." She then nodded in realization.


    "I can only speak for myself but I have no intention of parting ways with her. You can be at ease. I think she''s pretty happy with me too." Josh thought this would reassure the little girl, but she looked even more serious than earlier.


    "Josh."


    "Yes?"


    "If my sister leaves you then I''ll disown her! I want to stay with you! Forever!" She added thest part looking him dead in the eyes, half her face hidden under the pink quilt.


    "Alright, tell you what. Sure. Now, time for bed. Have a good night, you need to be ready for school tomorrow. I''ll be working too." Josh ruffled her head affectionately onest time before heading outside.


    "Josh!"


    "Yes?"


    "Tomorrow is Saturday. There is no school."


    "Ah, but I''m working. Have a great night."


    "Josh!"


    "Yes?"


    "I''m d you found my sister!"


    "Well, she''s the one that found me, but you know that don''t you? Just sleep already!"


    "Josh!"


    "What?!"


    "I heard that when we sleep we eat 8 spiders a night, is it true?" She asked him somewhat worriedly.


    "Very true, but a little inurate." She recoiled in fear until Joshpleted his sentence. "The number should be 0 instead of 8. Alright, sleep tight." Josh could hear her sigh as he exited her room.


    How did she have her own room in a one-room apartment? Well, they had separated it with big cloth drapes. It could all be moved aside during the day when required. It wasn''t anything fancy, far from it, but it gave it a more homey feel.


    Back in their bedroom, the one that brought light in his life awaited him. She could be seenzily lying on their huge bed. Well, it did look huge since it was all that could fit in their tiny "room". She was peacefully reading on her cellphone.


    As Josh appeared, she turned her pretty head toward him while grinning. She then yfully and theatrically eximed softly. "The hero has returned from his quest! It seems you have sessfully managed toy the beast to rest! You may ask for your reward, hero!"


    Josh smiled wryly. She could be serious at times but she did have a sprightly side to her too. "Then I want a hug" Josh simply dove into her embrace before burying his head into her bosom hugging her tightly.


    Her scent overwhelmed him, he could feel her soft body pressed against his, her warmth, the delicate pressure from her hands around him, he could even hear her steady heartbeat. He was sofortable. So veryfortable. "You know that I love you, right?" He uttered calmly as he felt at peace.


    "I know. " There was something magical about this. Perhaps it was the way she said it. Softly, tenderly, lovingly, but it meant way more than a simple acknowledgment. She loved him too, he could hear it.


    She simply closed the light and they remained in total darkness glued to one another, embracing the other as if trying to merge. Sometimes it didn''t take much to achieve profound happiness.


    He was simply content hugging his lover, her voluptuous tits resting in his face. Hell, he wouldn''t have minded suffocating in them. That is when he felt her tender hands reach toward his chin, slowly uncovering his face before kissing him.


    She went for a very normal kiss, intertwining her tongue with his and exploring every corner of his mouth. It was so sweet, conformable, and felt so natural as if they were meant to be just like that. Her legs were softly brushing his while she had a hand on his chest caressing it gently while tracing lines.


    She then stopped for a second before gently approaching his ear. He could feel her hot breath tickling him, it was a pleasant sensation. She then murmured in a voice that would have made any man hearing it stand at attention. He was so damn lucky that it was solely reserved for him.


    "?-That was my thanks for tucking my sister in bed, now there are over 9000 other things I need to thank you for.-?"


    Even that cheesy line was enough to send his blood boiling. He couldn''t help but give a wry smile. "I''m not even sure I can survive so many thanks."


    She shed him a fake pout "I''m aware you are working early tomorrow so we''ll just have to settle for a few thousand thanks" As she said thest part, she winked before grabbing an stic and tying her hair. He clearly knew what this meant, something very nice


    She kissed him once more for a long while before finally separating from him and repositioning herself at the foot of the bed.


    She quickly moved her hands expertly while almost inaudibly mumbling. "Release the Kraken." She truly did it as she said it. He could feel his entire body shake as he couldn''t help butugh. shing him a smile, she kissed him once more. His mouth was busyughing, but it never had been her target in the first ce.


    This time the kiss was very gentle. Her slender tongue could be seen peering from her red lips, gently licking. He could feel the softness, the wetness, and the cold touch of the air in session, all of it making him hunger for more.


    Ever so slowly, she increased the intensity of the kisses. She also began thoroughly exploring the edge of the Kraken, slobbering gently over it.


    Then she began to greedily devour it, akin to Taotie in front of a delicious meal. Yet, there was something strange. How could she somehow manage to look so graceful while doing it? She even had a sparkle in her eyes.


    Well, the how was irrelevant. It was simply a matter of enjoying the now. She kept going, delicately at times, more intensely at others, but always rhythmically and tirelessly. He could feel purefort and bliss. His whole body rxed feeling like he was simply floating, free of all earthly problems.


    She was very patient too. So patient that she did not utter a word no matter how long it took. Well, her mouth was too busy to talk in the first ce. After what would have felt like an eternity to anyone without her tenacity and an instant to him, the Kraken came throbbing out sshing water everywhere. He could see her gulp it all.


    Then the Kraken fell back down in defeat. Still, as a true beast tamer, she wasn''t one to give up so easily. Under the soft touch of her slender fingers, the Kraken was almost instantly revived. This was oh so pleasant.


    But just as he had this thought he heard something. Tilting his head he could discern a little girl he knew very well just standing near the curtain watching them intently. Except there was something a little off about her.


    "JoSh YoU LiEd, yOu SaId wE Do NoT Eat SpiDeRs!" Her tone was discordant and seemed very different from her usual appearance. There was also the fact that her eyes were gone and bleeding incessantly. Finally, she was currently in the process of vomiting hairy spiders non-stop.


    Josh sighed. "This is a dream, isn''t it?" Well, the scene was clearly what anyone would have described as a nightmare instead. Josh reacted very naturally.


    He pointed at the little girl. "You, stop bleeding on the carpet.", then at the spiders "You guys, 2 meters from the bed or more and no touching!" and finally at his lover "Just keep going like that, you''re amazing."


    Josh could already feel himself waking up. Still, he would enjoy thest remaining seconds of this heavenly Blowjob. So what if there were spiders and ghosts spectating? So what if none of this was real?


    He simply closed his eyes in contentment, smiling in satisfaction...

 Chapter 74: Floor 12: 0% Clear Rate? Meet Josh MF Malum! (1/3)

    <h4>Chapter 74: Floor 12: 0% Clear Rate? Meet Josh MF Malum! (1/3)</h4>


    In the darkness, hairy disgusting creatures were wriggling. They were trying their best to free themselves from their current predicament but to no avail.


    On the many monstersid a man peacefully slumbering. His calm and rxed expression definitely didn''t fit the current atmosphere. In fact, any Climber seeing this scene would have probably thought to be under an illusion spell. Not only was he serene, but a contented smile even adorned his face.


    But then something happened that totally shattered the tranquil atmosphere. At the very edge of the area appeared a giant spider, one that would have frightened the young and the old. Its hairy legs moved toward where the human was sleeping before its eyes stopped on him in the distance. It froze appearing dumbfounded for an instant not expecting to stumble upon such a defenseless, soft, and tasty-looking prey.


    But that is when the poor spider victims that had been tied up and used as a bed started screeching. Their cries implored the neer to avenge them and they couldn''t wait for their devilish captor to be savagely reduced to a bloody pulp.


    The valiant monster carefully approached. Then it suddenly leaped at the dormant man, it was happily going to enjoy its snack. Its brethren could be seen cheering with expectation. Soon they would be free, soon they would¡­


    *SLASH*


    Of the iing spider, only bits remained. The sleeping man had cleaved it in half without even noticing. It had simply been a reflex. That is when he seemingly extended his hand, trying to grab some spider parts and bring them slowly to his mouth only to have it all disappear.


    The spiders weren''t very smart but even they with their limited capacities realized that there was something wrong with the situation, something very wrong indeed. They were the ones that were supposed to be eating humans!


    Just as they were despairing came another of their brethren. Many had respawned and they were now starting to roam all over the forest. It was their domain and they were the hunters! Well, at least so was the story supposed to go. The creature happily dashed at Josh, only to suffer the same fate as the previous one. This time the man was faster in his motion and almost managed to bring a monster leg to his mouth before it vanished.


    At this point officially began the spiders'' nightmare. Every time a new challenger came they would try to warn it, but none managed to get their point across. Instead, all that happened was a ton of spiders dying over and over. Oh, and then some got "eaten". Well, the man would chew on it only to have it fade right before he could swallow anything, it was a nightmare.


    Just when they were despairing, came the chosen one! Let us call it spider J. It came to bring them deliverance for, instead of rushing to get itself killed, it somehow decided on a better n. It stood a fair distance away and shot some strings at its target.


    The spiders were merry. The tyrant would get immobilized and then he would die. Afterward, they would go back to being the overlords of the forest. They had it all figured out. But then happened a tiny hup, Josh woke up.


    As he came back to his senses, Josh found himself rolling away from a web thrown at him from the distance. Should thisnd he would die. There would be no way for him to free himself and¡­no that was a lie. He would have options but simply some he truly didn''t want to use just yet.


    He was currently very regretful. His wonderful dream had stopped and it was all because of that one spider! In his gaze, there was rage, me, and disgust. He charged at the creature while shouting. He apanied every word with an angry sh "How. Dare. You. Come. In. The. Way. Of. My. Nice. Dream. You. Spider. Bastard. Blue-balling. Is. A. Goddamn. Crime!"


    Nothing happening made sense to the monster. All it knew was that its life was going to be over soon, but it was all taking a very long time for some reason. As if the man wanted to make the suffering endless.


    Then at some point, itpletely stopped moving. That is when Josh decisively went back to bed. But no matter what, he couldn''t go back to the dream. He couldn''t help but sigh. Its ending had been nonsensical for sure. After all, no one would eat that many spiders, but it had been fun while itsted.


    Josh finally brought his "bed" out of its wriggling misery before heading out. On his way, he could see portals spewing excited spiders. He was already getting bored. A few hundred more or less of them would barely make a difference to him. Still, he kept killing.


    He kept killing and killing. Once more, a luck-involving quest was screwing him over. He was only barely getting items too, at least for the number of monsters he had killed. In fact, it all added up to a few neat piles.


    Josh looked at his lifespan <25 days>. How convenient it was to have such a feature built in to note the passage of time. Who knows how whichever god designed this curse would have reacted upon hearing Josh''s take on it.


    Logic told Josh that he was spending way too much time on this Floor for sure. Still, he somehow felt that giving up now would be a waste. He still had enough lifespan for now. In the beginning, he used to only have 7 days even. It would increase as soon as he cleared this Floor.


    That is when suddenly appeared a message that brought him pure relief. Yes, relief for he knew the long and pointless grind was over.


    [White Dragon-Devouring Spider Has Spawned. Teleportation out currently disabled. It wants to avenge its brethren. You WILL die. RUN! Wee to the Impossible difficulty!]


    "About that, it sure took its sweet time, didn''t it?! Do you know how many of its brethren I''ve killed! You should really tune that for the next time. Also, what''s with the super heavy tension building out of nowhere after so little happening before? It''s anticlimactic! Oh, also¡­"


    [Good luck!]


    "Also¡­.Hey, are you there?" But there was no answer. Apparently, the system had run away. Well, perhaps it was busy with something else too. But, Josh had no time to ponder on such things. No, at the horizon (not that far considering it was a forest) he could see a white blur that had appeared.


    It was gigantic and made therge trees appear regr-sized. The creature had tons of dark glossy soulless-looking eyes, 8 sharp legs ending in hooks, "fangs" as big as Josh himself, and looked very different from the little ones. For starter, it was white (duh), hairless, and shiny.


    <White Dragon-Devouring Spider Lv 25??>


    It angrily screeched at Josh before charging with incredible speed! Barely evading a deadly pierce of a leg, he rolled while shing it. *CLANG* Instantly he could feel how sturdy the creature was. But before he could press on the assault, he had to quickly retreat for the monster was trying to impale him with its remaining legs.


    This fight would be extremely troublesome. The creature was the same level as the Mutated Zombie that Josh hadn''t been able to damage. But, now he was stronger. He could damage it! If given the opportunity that is¡­

 Chapter 75: Floor 12: 0% Clear Rate? Meet Josh MF Malum! (2/3)

    <h4>Chapter 75: Floor 12: 0% Clear Rate? Meet Josh MF Malum! (2/3)</h4>


    But, now he was stronger. He could damage it! If given the opportunity that is¡­


    That was the issue. To deliver any significant blow, Josh would require to use all his strength. Such a move was impossible to aplish while dodging the creature''s onught. That is when a party would have been useful. Then again, it would have defied the purpose as Josh was aiming for solo Feats.


    *Sound of a spider screaming in hunger and anger*


    The spider kept attempting attack after attack. One would have thought that 8 legs would have been enough to skewer a puny human, but it wasn''t the case. The monstrous spider was even starting to leer at him while looking annoyed, yes with all its eyes! Good for it! Totally an upgrade from the soulless state!


    Josh kept sliding, rolling, and side-stepping every attempt at his life. Yet, no matter how good he was at surviving, no matter how annoyed the creature got, none of it would help him. He was already in the mindset that he needed to find a way to kill his prey. How was he supposed to¡­?


    Ah, that would work. It was time to get fellow humans to the rescue. Josh simply ran away. He did as the mission told him to, but most definitely for very different reasons. The entire forest was soon filled with happyughter. Oh, and weird irritated spider noises.


    "Catch me if you can!"


    *Tsk-tsk-tsk*


    "I''m right here you slowpoke!"


    *Tsk-tsk-tsk*


    "This is fun, isn''t it?!"


    Fun fact, the Boss could scale any surface easily as if it was in ground so such endeavor was extremely harsh.


    It kept going until finally Josh was driven into a corner! The spider attacked and couldn''t help but happily screech as it felt its hook sink into the white and tender flesh of the insolent human. Except that a secondter it realized the feedback was wrong.


    It had actually missed Josh and had hit the cocoon right behind! It quickly retracted its leg, with the entire cocoon following along. Just as it was about to clean its leg, Josh darted away once more. Not wanting to lose its prey the spider ran after him.


    Began a game of spider and human once more. Thetter was yfully calling out "Catch me if you can" and other simr lines whileughingly running. He had the joviality of a young boypeting with his childhood friend over who wouldn''t get eaten by that 304 kg grizzly chasing them.


    Then suddenly the spider caught up! It mercilessly impaled yet another cocoon! Then Josh started running once more. At some point, the creature somehow increased its speed and it became way faster than Josh! He kept zigzagging across the trees at the veryst second, making the monster stop abruptly to avoid bing a t spider.


    Then suddenly Josh realized how hungry he was! Oh, and the spider kept collecting cocoons on its legs like a bad hooker collected STDs. Josh kept running happily.


    If he had that much ease to evade the spider, why didn''t he simply fight it? Well, the issue was as stated before. He could evade and hack at it all day long but perhaps just its basic healing would cover the damage dealt. No, Josh was nning something big.


    Eventually, the spider was so full of cocoons that it looked like the mascot of that French tirepany, the bulky white one. Josh finally stopped and turned to face the enemy. He then dashed at it as fast as lightning, or so he would have hoped.


    Even with all the weight of these cocoons, the spider was mobile enough not to be taken down easily. It was showing the benefits of all its long legs, waving them in the air menacingly. Then it would drive them into the ground as soon as Josh tried to approach. Each was now slower butrger and akin to a sledgehammer.


    Josh fought it for a while before finally, he went to rest on the side, panting heavily. He was leaning on a tree trying to catch his breath. At least, he wasn''t injured at all. Seeing that he was busy, the spider began to steadily remove the cocoons from its legs.


    A few minutester, it waspletely free. It was now ravenously staring at Josh, the irksome human would finally die. It couldn''t wait to overwhelm him, to remove his skin, devour his flesh and finally shower in the blood of the human. Why? Because it truly hated this one. This was the biggest humiliation of its life!


    Then it slowly approached the human, akin to a victorious conqueror. It knew it had won seeing the enemy''s state. It couldn''t wait to¡­but suddenly it stopped. It could hear a faint wriggling sound. Something was moving in its back!


    That is when the human smiled before uttering apletely nonsensical sentence, at least in the spider''s eyes. It went "Rise up my fellow humans! It is time for battle!" He shouted it heroically¡­but there were no other humans there, clearly right?


    As the spider tilted its body, it saw a scene that would almost have rendered itpletely white in fear if it already wasn''t. On the ground, the cocoons were shaking. Then out of each came shadowy creatures. These were humans? They looked so different!


    They all wobbled to their feet, before turning toward the human. Then came a cacophony of: "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!"(Times~50).


    Akin to a valiant general, Josh raised his de high up in the air before shouting: "CHARRGE!" He did it with so much passion that his voice was trembling, his body was trembling, his weapon was trembling, and his whole being was trembling.


    Actually, perhaps he was trembling with disappointment from seeing none of the "humans" move one bit. They were all standing there basically useless. But that''s when Josh tried something slightly different. "Charge my fellow humans!"


    Then the awkward atmosphere suddenly turned into one that was even more awkward with the shadows stumbling their way forward toward the monstrosity. They clearly wouldn''t cut it as fighters. There was one thing they were really good at. In terms of diversion, they were really good. It went.


    "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!"


    *Tsk-tsk-tsk*


    "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!"


    *Tsk-tsk-tsk*


    "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!"


    *Tsk-tsk-tsk*


    "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!"


    Of course, the more time went on and the fewer shadows there were. They could be killed but were pretty damn resistant. The monster was very busy with the shadows. It couldn''t help but get annoyed at all this senseless onught.


    Before long, it was almost done annihting them all. There were only a few left on its back, they were pointlessly trying to harm it without sess. It was about to finish them and triumphantly wave its legs around, but then it noticed something. The human was nowhere to be seen.


    It had run away! Quick! It began running at top speed to the human''sst known location. Then it finally found him! But there was just a slight issue. As it moved quickly the shadows were flung off its back. Then from the blind spot their body had initially created, HE appeared!


    There he was! It was time to feast! That was thest conscious thought the creature had. The sword now embedded in its brain made it hard for it to pursue this though. Josh had climbed one of the trees and had used gravity to do the most powerful plunge attack of his life.


    As he looked at his defeated foe, he dered while scoffing loudly. "Foolish spider, it was over as soon as I had the high ground." Then the corpse slowly disappeared with a few items dropping in a sh of red light.


    As Josh observed it all, he couldn''t help but be amazed. Thereid on the ground many white pieces of equipment and also a small white box that stood out, radiating a white glow.

 Chapter 76: Floor 12: 0% Clear Rate? Meet Josh MF Malum! (3/3)

    <h4>Chapter 76: Floor 12: 0% Clear Rate? Meet Josh MF Malum! (3/3)</h4>


    As Josh observed it all, he couldn''t help but be amazed. Thereid on the ground many white pieces of equipment and also a small white box that stood out, radiating a white glow.


    On it was the caption: <ceholder reward as per rules. Chance to be imed = 0%>. "¡­..Wow, just wow!" What kind of thing was this? A self-note from the Tower Protocol itself?! Also, this confirmed that there were rules these AI-sounding beings needed to abide by! What were they? Knowing them would help Josh so much!


    Josh couldn''t help butugh at that 0% calction, but then he realized the possible issue. The main difficulty wasn''t the Boss itself, but rather the tons of enemies that came before. They kept shooting sticky webs everywhere.


    Had Josh not had the brilliant idea to use their brethren as shoes, he would have been quickly driven to a corner. There was also a question of timing. What if the Boss happened to be summoned while one was fighting an army of spiders?


    The shadows would probably get overrun easily. Indeed this could very rapidly turn into what a knowledgeable schr would have called a "shitshow". When gangbanged by a plethora of spiders throwing white stuff at them, any schr would probably resort to swears too.


    With trembling hands and sparkling eyes, Josh gently opened the box. Out of it came¡­a goddamn cocoon! If it contained some more "fellow humans" Josh would for sure file an officialint. How? He''d figure it out somehow. He then slowly approached his hand touching it.


    [Binding in progress 1%, 27%, 62%, 100%]


    Then it disappeared. "Tower Protocol, hello? What the hell just happened?" There was no answer. Maybe such a process was automated? Josh looked everywhere on his status screen before finally figuring it out. Next to the <Cosmetic> section of the menu was now a <Special> one.


    Josh quickly realized that said cocoon had one function and one function only. It was to store spider materials. Was this a fancy and oddly specific material bag that didn''t take an inventory slot? He could summon it and unsummon it at will instantaneously at least.


    Still, how was he supposed to use that concretely? Just to gather materials here? Josh didn''t n on staying too long. It would help his current situation but that was about it. Well, it was better than nothing at least.


    Josh then checked the remaining items. That is when he stopped breathing for a second. This had insane implications! In front of him were three items. The appearance was kind of cool, the stats were ordinary (simr to what he already had) but there was something very peculiar about the names of the items.


    <Rank E+ ¨C White Spider Gloves>


    <Rank E+ ¨C White Spider Bracers>


    <Rank E+ ¨C White Spider Pants>


    All had matching names! All truly had matching names! Important things had to be repeated twice! Josh''s gamer soul was quivering with excitement. He already had an inkling of what would happen. He wore it all while crossing his fingers.


    Then it happened. It fucking happened! It was as if a new world had just opened for Josh. On his status screen, there was one line, one very easy to miss.


    <White Spider Set Effect (3)>


    Crawling of the White Spider: White and Sticky (5 min) Cooldown 1 hour.


    Josh wasn''t sure what it did, he felt the name of the ability was a colossal joke, it was only usable for 8% of the time and it was only on E+-Rank items. However, this wouldn''t dampen his happiness as he could already picture the possibilities.


    Was 3 pieces the set limit? What if it was possible to get even more? Would there be an even stronger set effect? Was this set easy to farm? Josh clearly knew how to easily beat this Floor but there were two big issues.


    One, the boss spawning relied on luck. Two, he couldn''t afford to spend too long here. Josh then looked at his lifespan. He now had 30 days to live. Apparently,pleting this challenge had earned him 5 days in one go.


    That is when his eyes caught the cocoon just lying on the side. Was it possible to¡­? Josh unequipped the Spider set and¡­.instantly it got sucked in by the cocoon! Josh could make ite out with a simple thought!


    Oh my god! This was amazing. This meant that he''d be able to bring the set everywhere with him without cluttering his inventory. He had to get this set at all cost! He''d check if it was possible to have a higher set bonus and he''d get spare pieces!


    But for that, he needed a n. He could sleep in the Tower, but he clearly needed to eat something. A badass killing machine couldn''t work well without fuel after all. There was also the issue of the luck he promptly needed to fix.


    Should he bring a teammate in? Ah, but then he''d have to share the loot. Also, would anyone befortable with running all around the ce in a sea of spiders and webs? Perhaps the people in Draconic would agree.


    But even then Josh could remember vividly how shocked Lily had been when he had told her he had been sleeping in the Tower. Obviously, this wasn''t an epted practice even for them. One couldn''t simply learn to sense danger in one''s sleep that easily. It had taken Josh months of training to manage that single thing. He didn''t believe that magic would help much on that one.


    The other option would be to use magic to perhaps create a defensive camp but once more it would waste so much time and energy. Josh believed that at least. Plus all this relied on getting a team in the first ce! Josh knew Climbers couldn''t be more than 3 levels apart in the same party.


    There was probably no one avable for such a Floor between the Gold rank members of Draconic he was familiar with. He could always ask the regr members but that would be a pain. Recruiting mercenaries or random people was even less of an option.


    Somehow, Josh could already see iting. People would die like dumbasses under his watch and then he''d take the me for the wipe. Hell, he was already getting med for causing the demise of the MythBusting idiots.


    It wouldn''t be that bad if it happened once, but he needed to farm this thing over and over for a little while as efficiently as possible. After weighing the pros and the cons, Josh swiftly decided on a n of action.


    Of course, before leaving he had something to aplish. He ran all over the ce collecting the majority of the loot. He had already made mountains of it, after all. Now, he wouldn''t worry about funding for a while.


    Josh then nodded, satisfied, while carrying way too many Spider Legs in his hands (the E-Rank weapons). He also chucked tons of spider threads in his cocoon. This woulde in handy for sure! Need to climb and set effect is on cooldown? Spider thread! Need to tie an enemy up? Spider thread! Bondage? Spider Thread! Fun fact, thest one could be used on both allies and enemies.


    In his eyes, there was a glint of confidence, of greedy expectations, and of resolve. An impossible difficulty was it? He''d clear the shit out of it and would keep doing it until the Tower Protocolpletely broke down!


    "Teleport out!"...


    IMPORTANT: On WN, cost of a chapter = Automatic based on word count! You have been warned. Spreading of misinformation will not be tolerated! Thank you. (Posting this to preemptively avoid further misunderstandings. Thank you for your attention)

 Chapter 77: A Satisfying Meal (1/3)

    <h4>Chapter 77: A Satisfying Meal (1/3)</h4>


    "Excuse me! Coming trough! Don''t mind me! Thank you, step aside!"


    Josh could be seen hollering at passerby right outside the Tower. In his arms, he was carrying tons of weapons all stacked together akin to firewood, 14 of them to be exact. He was so encumbered that he didn''t even change his armor.


    His back was straight, his movements stiff, and he was slowly making his way toward the shopping district. He could hear the passerby pass sly remarks. Some were criticizing his bloody mismatched armor. Some were thinking of him as a madman for hoarding so much loot at once. Some were recognizing Floor 12 items and making fun of the way Josh was clutching it all like some kind of treasure.


    Few were even in the process of using Josh as a counterexample. He even heard a disdainful mother say to her child: "Join a good guild or you''ll end up like him in the future. You should at least join a ranked guild!" On the side, some snotty brat was vigorously nodding.


    How shocked would she be if she were to learn about his rtionship with Draconic? This was a wonderful face-pping opportunity so Josh naturally¡­walked away unbothered. Why would he pointlessly argue with a randomdy when he had important stuff to do!?


    Eventually, Josh reached his target, a friendly U-bot shop assistant that took all that he was bringing. Josh couldn''t help but sigh in satisfaction seeing that he now had 12 130 Credits. This would cover his entry into the Tower easily. Now there were two things on the agenda.


    Josh needed help, thus he called in reinforcements. He simply went to every chat he had ever opened on his UW and tagged everyone in there! This sounded rash, but that amounted to only Dale and the Draconic guild.


    -Josh MF Malum: @Everyone, I Need counseling about ways to improve luck. The meal is on me.


    -Gorgeous Kasha: Who the Hell pinged me!¡­ Oh, hey Josh. Still alive I see.


    *Waiting a few minutes*


    -Josh MF Malum: Where the Hell is everyone?!


    -Gorgeous Kasha: Climbing. They do that from time to time.


    -Josh MF Malum: They left you behind? How sad! Maybe next time they''ll bring you.


    -Gorgeous Kasha: You make it sound like I''m unwanted! There are 6 of us around the same Floor so we rotate one member. But why would I help you? There is no way that I''d be so easily swayed and¡­


    -Josh MF Malum: I''ll show you my godly rat.


    -Gorgeous Kasha: On my way!!!!


    How simple was she? Then again she was probably mistaken about the whole godly pet thing. Its uselessness was proportional to how epic its name sounded. They didn''t even decide on a meeting spot yet so how could she be on her way? Sighing, Josh headed to the Food District.


    That is when he got a reply from Dale. Apparently, the man was already at the Devouring Panda. This startled Josh a bit but he made his way toward it. Before long he was pushing the doors of the establishment, his nose invaded by the scent of barbecued meat and soup. Whatever it was, smelled wonderful!


    Dale was sitting at a two-person corner table by the window. Josh couldn''t help but double-take. The young man looked extremely different from the previous times he had seen him. At their first meeting, he had been jovial, at their second he had been extremely worried and at thest one, he had been depressed about his crush being engaged to another.


    Yet he had chosen this ce as the meeting and he was now carrying himself steadily, showing some hints of low-key confidence. Josh simply sat in front of him, instantly beginning the interrogation. "What happened to you?" Then he signaled with his eyes the rest of the restaurant.


    Dale gave a small sad smile. "It is useless for me to hide from this ce. It won''t aplish anything. No, I''ve figured it out. I simply need to keep Climbing. I think I''ve made decent progress. Last time I was on Floor 5, now I''m on Floor 18. Floor 25 is the standard for a D-rank guild. I''m in the process of trying to find a good one."


    Josh still remembered how thest time they were here the standard for D rank guilds had only been 10. How had it all raised so quickly? Ah, perhaps the MTA was trying to be stricter with guild regtions? Especially after the events with the slothtrosities¡­


    "What about your ming Phoenix Guild? Are you simply going to leave them behind? They seemed like good people."


    "That''s exactly why I don''t want to drag them in this. They are smart but most of them are the careful type, they dislike fighting. It was meant to be a way to easily make money while having fun but now it''s toote. I''m already too high level to Climb with them, I''ve made my choice."


    "Is that waitress really worth it? Isn''t she about to marry that fianc¨¦ of hers already? I''m sure you won''t have trouble finding a great girlfriend without it being her."


    For instance, there was that Healer in ming Phoenix that clearly liked him. To Josh, it all didn''t seem to make sense. That is when Dale seemed to reminisce about the past and yet his tone was extremely resolute.


    "She''s not just a cute waitress that''s the thing. She''s my childhood friend. She''s great, always have been. Did you know she saved my life once? Now she''s about to marry some womanizing bastard. All because she''s following the wishes of her parents, I think. I won''t let that happen. Actually, that''s why I''m here today. She''s about to clock in for her shift."


    "Are you going for a public love deration? From my experience, these things are pretty ufortable for the recipient when unexpected."


    "Don''t worry. Still, there is something I must do." Dale sighed. "Anyway, you wrote that you needed counseling in that message of yours. What was that about?"


    "I need to increase my luck!"


    "!?"


    "¡­?" Josh simply awaited an answer.


    "That''s it? You''re not going to say anything else? You just need better luck?"


    "Exactly! Whatever can help me achieve that will do! So far a quick search on my UW rmends sacrificing a newborn, bathing in its blood, removing its brain, offering that part to the one True God, praying to the Plotberg, and finally doing cartwheels while twerking."


    "This is clearly a troll post!"


    "Yep, hence why I''m asking you. Is there anywhere I can get a lucky charm or something? Whenever I''m searching for that it just gives me random bullshit."


    "Actually I may have an idea. How about you head to the E district? There should be a few city tour guides there. I''m sure you can get one to show you around to the temples or something. I''m not really knowledgeable about the topic."


    "Smart! I''m d I asked you, turns out I didn''t need that girl at ¡­" That is when Josh noticed that hispanion had entirely stopped listening. Instead, he was staring at the entrance of the shop somberly.


    There, one could see the cute waitress that Dale had a crush on. The issue was that she was in the process ofnguorously kissing a tall and handsome man. No matter how Josh looked at it she didn''t seem like a damsel that needed rescuing. She was clearly willing too. He couldn''t help but sigh internally.


    That is when the tall young man suddenly stopped eating his fianc¨¦''s face as he noticed the fierce look Dale was sending his way. He scoffed before taking big steps approaching intimidatingly. He had an air that screamed of power.


    Still, Josh had interacted with members of Draconic and this man didn''te anywhere close to their prowess. Josh''s intuition told him so. Still,pared to the current Josh or Dale the man was a towering giant, one that they would have trouble beating even if they were to join forces.


    "Hey kid, did your mother never tell you not to leer at strangers like that?" He radiantly smiled as he taunted Dale. "Ah, are you perhaps an orphan or the son of a whore?"


    Dale replied annoyed but calmly and powerfully. "Funny you should mention it. I''ve heard a lot about you. A man that has a fianc¨¦ yet ys with whores daily. Are you ignorant of the meaning of fianc¨¦ perhaps? I can educate you if you so desire."...

 Chapter 78: A Satisfying Meal (2/3)

    <h4>Chapter 78: A Satisfying Meal (2/3)</h4>


    "Of course you''ve heard of me. I''m a member of the Golden Wolves, one of the strongest B-Rank guilds! You know, the one backed by the A-Rank Adamantium Wolves themselves! I, on the other hand, have never heard of a nobody like you. Now, how about you shut the Hell up and look away before I gouge these eyes of yours out."


    "Guys stop I¡­" The girl they were arguing about could be seen on the side saying a token objection, but not actually doing anything about it. In her eyes, there was even a twinkle that made josh believe she was enjoying receiving so much attention. Well, perhaps she was just happy about Dale stepping up for her sake.


    The two men kept going with questionable insults. While that was happening, Josh couldn''t help but have his gaze drawn to the nearby tables. The food looked so damn appetizing! What about his friend arguing? Well, the handsome yboy was bragging and Dale was passing sly remarks from time to time.


    Josh hollered. "Hello, waitress! I''d like to order!" The two others somehow stopped fighting to look at him. "What? I''m hungry¡­." Josh exined before turning to the restaurant employee that hade to serve them with a very awkward expression "I''ll take today''s special whatever it is. Also, keep iting! Bring me a few dozen portions. Thank you!"


    The yboy began tough. "How risible! What kind of show are you trying to put on? Ordering more of it won''t bring you any prestige. It is simply idiotic. Are you trying to y the rich man?" He had clearly seen the cheap-looking grey suit that Josh was now wearing.


    That is when the waitress hesitantly interrupted. "S-sir, which version do you prefer? The F-Rank and E-Rank versions are the most popr. F-Rank cost 1, 10 or 100 credits while the E-Rank cost 10, 100 or 1000 credits."


    "Wait, why are there multiple prices for the same buff rank? Ah, is there a difference quality-wise? Is one more potent orsting longer?" While questioning, Josh was ying with his UW.


    "The only difference is the duration, Sir. It should respectivelyst around 1-2 hours, half a day and a full day." She patiently exined even in the tense atmosphere.


    "That''s neat! The more you know. Alright, bring me dozens of dishes of the 1 Credit version." After all, if the buffs onlysted one day it would bepletely useless to Josh. Not only did he not need any for his ns but chances were it would run out before he even fought the Boss again.


    The yboy erupted inugher. "Did you hear that?! 1 Credit version! What kind of poor bastard are you?!"


    "The very hungry kind. Very very hungry kind." Josh mumbled to no one in particr. The way he saw it, the yboy was dumb, the girl was dumb, and Dale had clearly left his brain at home when falling for the in girl. What would taunting the man aplish?


    The yboy continued smirking: "See, this is the difference between us. I am wealthy, powerful, and handsome. Meanwhile, you are nothing but an eyesore. That is why thedies love me and don''t care about your pitiful existence. Isn''t that right, honey?"


    "Y-yes. I''m truly lucky to have him as a fianc¨¦. You may not know this Dale, but he paid for my father''s operation. He''s a good guy, he just has lots of love to give. It can''t be helped if I have to share him a bit!"


    "See, boy?! She''d rather have a small part of my attention, than all of yours! Loser!" He kept taunting.


    Dale took a deep breath. This was a rude awakening for him. He looked at the girl he had loved before sighing heavily, seemingly reminiscing. That is when he opened his eyes seeminglying to a decision. He red at the man before barking: "She deserves better than some infidel bastard. You bettermit to the rtionship. This is the first andst time I''ll say it. Let this be your final warning."


    Oh! It seemed like Dale was more sensible than he thought. He didn''t cling to false hopes. She had made her choice and he would respect it. Some would have called him a beta cuck for it, but Josh felt he had dodged a bullet. He now had a promising future if he kept Climbing. This ultimatum was probably a way for him to thank her for saving him in the past and sever his link with her once and for all.


    The waitress from earlier came back and served Josh a big soup bowl with a side dish of barbecued meat. It smelled Heavenly! Well to be fair Josh hadn''t eaten for so long that his stomach was about to devour itself."


    As he was enjoying his meal blissfully, Josh could hear the bastard chuckle on the side. "A worm like you shouldn''t be trying to meddle in other''s business, especially the ones that are clearly your betters." Then he turned toward Joshughing. "The same goes for you, ordering tons of dishes to show off like a dumbass."


    Josh looked at the girl nonchntly while eating. He then pointed at the smug man. "You are choosing this over Dale? You''re quite the idiot aren''t you?" She appeared shocked, the man seemed about to pop a vein out of anger, Dale began chuckling.


    Meanwhile, Josh simply resumed eating, ignoring them. It wasn''t his ce to fight. He was simply venting a bit because he found the asshole annoying. Well, not that it would truly affect him. Josh had great self-control after all. But then, the man began insulting them once more.


    Seeing this, Josh couldn''t help butugh. He knew what was about to happen. Kasha had been rushing to this ce and there she was, right at the door. She looked as wild and beautiful as usual, just in time to hear the guy disrespecting the both of them.


    "¡­.Trashes like you won''t ever manage to join any decent guild. Only the bottom-feeding unranked guilds would ever ept you guys. Just give up and¡­." That is when the man suddenly shut up. As a B-Ranker, his senses were sharp enough to notice the evident killing intent emanating nearby and aimed in his direction.


    He could be heard gulping loudly as he wondered what the Hell was happening. He could feel it, the woman that was walking toward the small group was not one he should cross, no matter what. She was smiling whileing closer, but her eyes weren''t. She then came next to the foolish man before uttering while staring at him directly. "Oh? So only trash guilds would want them, is it?"


    The man could feel that something was off. "D-do you perhaps know them?" He seemed as if his very soul was about to flee his body under Kasha''s piercing stare. The man felt she was familiar but he couldn''t remember where he had seen her.


    "Tell me, what kind of extremely powerful guild do you belong to? Perhaps it is time for a good old fashion guild war! Wouldn''t that be entertaining! Ah, I can already feel my blood boiling. So? How is it called?" Kasha inquired.


    Dale was totally stupefied by the scene. This proud and powerfuldy had juste out of nowhere and was apparently taking their defense?! He couldn''t help but look at Josh inquisitively. He knew that whatever was happening was clearly because of him.


    Josh yfully answered her: "Kasha, take care! He''s a member of the Golden Wolves, one of the strongest B-Rank guilds! You know, backed by the A-Rank Adamantium Wolves themselves!" It was word for word what he had said earlier when he was bragging.


    Kasha simplyughed. "Oh? Is that so?" Her smile was clearly sinister as she looked at the man, akin to the way one would look at prey.


    Josh chimed in on the side in an exaggerated panicked tone. "Kasha, I wouldn''t try it. What if Draconic is too weak to deal with the wolves? I mean they have adamantium wolves, gold wolves, who knows how many other types of wolves they have! Isn''t this too dangerous?!"


    That is when the man finally realized who she was. Just the name Kasha didn''t mean much, but Kasha of Draconic?! She had a particr reputation in Metropolis C. She was known as the one that held grudges the most.


    The man''s shoulders slumped, his knees started shaking, his hands started shaking, his whole body started shaking, his fragile heart almost gave out right there. The man that had been invincible and towering over the two Newbies had met his match way more than his match actually.

 Chapter 79: A Satisfying Meal (3/3)

    <h4>Chapter 79: A Satisfying Meal (3/3)</h4>


    The yboy did the only thing he could think of doing. He did with his body what his shoulders had already done. He slumped on the ground entirely and began begging tearfully. "Please forgive me, there has been some sort of misunderstanding. Clearly!"


    Of course, the mboyant Kasha wouldn''t leave it at that. "Do you think I''ll forgive just you that easi-"


    But Josh interrupted. "Kasha, it''s enough" He interrupted the woman that none present dared to offend. He then turned to the shivering joke of a man. "Remember, my friend gave you an ultimatum. Either leave her the fuck alone ormit. Now, scram. You are disturbing my meal."


    The man left as if he had been pardoned a crime. Behind remained a shaken girl, apletely baffled Dale, and a burning hot Kasha. She was resentfully staring daggers at him. If murder wasn''t prohibited in the City, Josh would have probably already died.


    She growled at him. "YOU!"


    Dale watched in horror. He was torn between trying to help Josh and die with him or simply take care of his funerals. He felt thetter made more sense. He would make sure to recite the goddamn best eulogy for Josh. He would die for his sake. He felt himself choking with sadness. If he knew this was going to happen he would have never invited Josh there.


    Yet Josh was simply calmly eating, sometimes even smacking his lips in contentment, he had truly been bloody starving after all. But to the spectators, it seemed totally crazy. The warriordy nearby was akin to a volcano about to explode except she would probably be deadlier.


    She growled once more: "Anyst word?"


    Josh offhandedly replied, "Let''s eat first then we can go back to my ce and I can show you how godly my little creature is."


    It was at that moment that Dale realized that there would be no corpse left to bury. Why the Hell was Josh flirting with the girl that already was itching to kill him?! Of course, that is how he interpreted what had just been said.


    But for Kasha, it had an entirely different meaning. It meant possibly seeing a legend itself! She was angry, extremely angry, but she was even more curious. Many simply knew her as a living harbinger of doom, but she also had this other side to her.


    This was how and why she had be a scout, simply to be able to discover new magical ces. She wouldn''t have been Kasha had she given up this golden opportunity. Thus she calmed down as if her previous anger had been only an illusion. Her mood changed so quickly that it stupefied all. Well, except Josh. He had been eating peacefully.


    "Alright, hurry up and eat! The faster you finish this soup of yours and the faster we can go!"


    "You may want to sit down, this is going to take a while. I''ve ordered quite a lot.", added Josh.


    "Sit, where? You guys are sitting at a 2 seat table."


    Dale became panicked and began to rise but Josh signaled him with azy hand movement to remain seated. Then he simply looked at Kasha then at his ownp.


    "You''re kidding, right?!" She couldn''t help but recoil in surprise. Everyone knew her bad temper! Yet there he was trying to take advantage of her! Just as she was about to insult him, he simply shrugged. He was implying that he didn''t especially care if she sat or not. No, he was simply appreciating his meal.


    Was he trying to y hard to get? She would show him! She nonchntly approached and sat on hisp as he wanted. But she swore that she would break his hand the moment he tried touching her. She would have a valid reason to do so then. But the more time passed and the more annoyed she became instead.


    He wasn''t paying her any attention, not one bit! Not at all! He kept eating. He had a beautiful woman on hisp and he didn''t give a flying fuck about it! What kind of tactic was this?! He was clearly trying to use reverse psychology on her, right?!


    But the more she observed him, the more incredulous she became. He was truly and simply enjoying the pleasure of eating. Then she realized that he had been eating for a long duration already while she had been lost in her thoughts.


    "How many bowls have you had anyway? Are you going to be done soon?"


    "I''ll eat for a while still. This is only my thirtieth." Josh replied.


    Dale on the side only now truly understood that Josh wasn''t kidding when he had dered to be very very hungry before.


    "Oh, I understand then¡­.wait, only?! Thirty?!" Kasha eximed.


    He was serious! Even for her, such a feat was impossible. No matter how strong one became there was only so much a human could eat! Did he have a goddamn skill to help digestion already?!


    How long would this take?! She very much disliked being ignored like that. She would rather be doing anything other than just sit there on hisp. Plus, she was getting totally ignored! How was some mushy soup more interesting than her!


    She felt like punching him, but she still wanted to see the godly rat. That is when she repositioned herself slightly to be more conformable. She then thought of a brilliant n to make him stop devouring and leave. Of course, the usual her would have never done something like that, but at that moment all she could think about was the godly pet.


    She started grinding her plump ass against him, trying to distract him from his food. She was even feeling proud about her initiative. But no matter how hard she tried, Josh kept eating. He kept eating in fact until he had finished 60 portions in total and had inadvertently shattered her self-confidencepletely.


    Kasha had always believed in her charm. She was the one keeping people at bay. Now, she was starting to question her entire life. Was this why her teammates had gone in the Tower without her? Was she truly so boring? Was she¡­that is when she felt a gentle p on her lower back, bringing her back to reality.


    "You can get up now, I''ll pay the bill and we can leave."


    As she saw Josh''s smiling expression she then realized. She could feel her life make sense again for she hade to a realization toward the young man. He was simply ¡­.a fucking weirdo! He couldn''t be understood withmon sense!


    Why had she even tried in the first ce?! She felt quite silly for even attempting to tempt him, the guy was clearly frigid! At least, she was convinced.


    That is when Dale bid them both goodbye. He was still shocked by everything that had happened. He had seen his now ex-crush for who she truly was and he would probably have lots of self-introspection to do.


    As they watched him leave, Kasha suddenly turned serious. "Why did you let the man simply go? He disrespected Draconic and¡­"


    "I don''t give a flying fuck about that. Had you fucked with him further, he would have been driven into a corner. I don''t want him to take revenge!"


    "Draconic members are no cowards, we-"


    "Exactly, Draconic members. I''m no saint but I won''t sacrifice a friend for some illusory prestige. This is non-negotiable." Josh dered sternly.


    Kasha couldn''t help but shut up as she pondered about all the implications. She then eximed "You think so logically and you arepletely unaffected by my charm: you clearly are a Killer Robot! I can''t believe I was questioning my sex appeal!"


    That is when Josh approached her. "You were questioning your sex appeal? Sorry about that. I didn''t think you''d take it that badly. If it makes you feel better your ass felt very good. It''s plump, bountiful, exquisite, voluptuous, has the perfect juiciness, and yet remains tight enough. So don''t worry about it, any man would be more than happy to reenact the scene where Merlin stabs his Excalibur deep in the rock, but with your ass instead."


    Then, Josh simply kept walking toward the sewers so they could have some privacy. For some reason, she was frozen in ce.


    He called out to her. "Are youing?"


    She seemed truly rattled: "¡­..What the fuck was thatpliment?! No one is stabbing anything in my ass!" She shouted that but she still followed him obediently, all for that rat!...

 Chapter 80: She Knelt Akin to a Pious Devout...

    <h4>Chapter 80: She Knelt Akin to a Pious Devout...</h4>


    In the darkness, two silhouettes could be faintly distinguished. From their shape, one could have guessed that one was a woman kneeling right in front of a man, akin to a pious devout. One could even say a very pious devout.


    The obscurity made it so none could see the woman''s face. She had been previously proudly bragging about her night vision and her wonderful technique. But now all that could be heard was her muffled panting that echoed in the otherwise empty room.


    That is when the manmanded in an assured tone. "Go on, touch it. It''s not going to bite. Stroke the head all you want. In fact, you can y with the entirety of its length, no need to be shy."


    Her rapid breathing betrayed how eager she was. "T-this¡­ is it alright? It''s bigger than I thought. But, somehow, it kinda looks cute. I''ll just try touching it quickly and¡­ AH!" she gasped.


    "What is it?", the man considerately asked.


    "I-It''s soft and yet quite pleasing to the touch. But why isn''t it reacting when I''m caressing it?" a hint of worry could be heard in her sweet voice.


    "Who knows. If you keep stimting it, you could soon get a huge surprise. Wouldn''t you like that?" he tempted her.


    "Y-yes, I''d like¡­no I''d love that! I just want to keep ying with it all day!" A gulping sound could be heard as her hands busied themselves carefully.


    "So, what is your verdict? Is it to your liking?" the teasing tone was clear as day. Yet, there was a serious undertone that meant he did expect an answer.


    "*Humpf* I have my pride as a scout Ranker! You are sorely mistaken if you think I''ll give a half-assed judgment! I-I am also not giving up on making it react to me, just so you know! N-no matter what it takes!" She started her statement oozing with confidence but it ended as a shy whisper.


    "Alright, do as you please then." He would let her have her fun, even with how clumsy she appeared. He was truly enjoying the current her, stripped of her usual strong facade.


    A short silence followed, but it was soon broken by the sound of deep inspiration. The woman was so close to the man, he could feel the air from her breathing. He couldn''t help but ask in wonder. "Oh? Is sniffing it part of the process?"


    "O-of course! I''m making sure it smells good! This¡­this smell is peculiar. But it''s not bad. I could even get used to it. I wouldn''t even mind if this smell permeated my whole bed. Ah, n-not that I''m saying that¡­"


    "I understand. What''s next? Are you going to try licking it?" Slight expectation could be perceived in his tone.


    "T-that, no need! I''ll simply rub it for now. It should be enough, right?!" her entire tone could have been described with an italic question mark, uncertain and cute.


    "Alright, suit yourself. Still, it doesn''t seem that your rubbing is having much effect, you know. Who was it again that dered proudly that she had a magical touch that let her tame men and dragons alike?"


    "S-shut up! I''m really good! It''s your thing that is too hard to please! It''s just lying there between your legs taunting me! I can almost picture it just staring at me while grinning."


    "Oh? Isn''t the head covered by your hands already? How is it staring at you?" he amusedly asked.


    "T-that''s why I said picture! You asshole!" The way she said it made it clear she understood he was simply teasing her. She wanted to get back at him, but she knew she had lost this round.


    Under her careful and gentle ministrations, Josh''s thing didn''t react one bit. At first, she was confident, then she became troubled and finally slightly depressed. She was used to having her way with things and people, yet Josh kept teasing her, taking advantage of her, and even taunting her!


    In fact, he had wanted to bet before they even began. He was convinced she would fail. Somehow, even while being confident, she thankfully had the sense not to ept. The man was a clear anomaly after all. Thus it would make sense that his godly pet be one too!


    Yes, the rat had simply been lying between Josh''s legs all the while she had talked to it, caressed it, and even sniffed it. She was already convinced that no matter what happened she wouldn''t crack this tough cookie.


    "Alright, what do you think?" he seriously inquired.


    "It''s really weird. Not only does it not react to anything but it doesn''t even seem to perceive its environment. It seems alive but acts dead. Yet it emanates heat and seems to be breathing. It also has extra clean silky fur which is weird considering you brought it in the Tower. Also, it doesn''t have a breath either. No air everes out, it''s as if it''s faking being alive."


    "I''m amazed you perceived all that in a few minutes only! Especially in the dark. You really are a great scout!" Josh praised her.


    "Of course! Now, do you realize how amazing I am!" She eximed as she proudly stuck her chest out.


    "I thought we were done with you trying to show your sex appeal? You don''t have to put that much emphasis on your assets." he casually remarked while ncing at the full curves she was showing.


    "I''ll kill you!" Yet she didn''t seem that mad.


    "Eh, guess I''ll die then."


    "¡­..You''re supposed to beg for your life. Tch, how boring."


    "Anyway, do you have any idea what I should do about this lifeless thing?"


    "Pfft, how about you take it to the vet?"


    "If the great Kasha doesn''t know then we are officially fucked. But seriously if you do hear of a lead keep me informed. I guess for now I''ll just chuck the thing in my pet slot. So yeah, the name sounds cool but it''s quite useless."


    "I know one thing it can be used for." she mysteriously added.


    "?"


    "You can show off!" she triumphantly said.


    "Let me ask you something, Kasha. Have you ever found a way to share your status screen info with another? Also, have you ever heard the expression full of wisdom that goes ''Pic or didn''t happen''? So yeah, it is useless to know it''s called godly if it doesn''t look the part."


    "Technically we scouts, and a few other sses, have skills to peer into the status of others. The only issue is that it''s rare and quite useless before the skill levels up. Even then it only gives approximative information based on your own perception."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, for instance, it will never quantify that kind of information. It will be along the lines of the target is weaker, as strong, or stronger than you. That kind of thing."


    "Wow, how many abilities are there in this world? Is there some listing of it all?"


    "Nope. As you know asking someone about his skills is taboo. At first, the MTA tried to implement it but literally everyone got pissed. Climbers do not like being needlessly controlled at all! Then again, who does?" Kasha almost looked the kind teacher kind for a moment.


    "True, everyone can Climb, even kids. Talk about crazy." Josh clearly remembered the journalist episode with how he had beenpared to a kid Climber.


    "In a sense it truly is, but it''s also the world they will grow up in. For us, this whole Tower thing is foreign, unknown, and scary, but it will be different for them. In the future, the youngsters won''t find any of it weird. What do you think of it all?" She added, appearing way wiser than the usual her.


    Was this how people felt when the Inte became widespread back then on Earth? To see the whole world change in a heartbeat, leaving some people feeling as if the whole thing was crazy. Then the youngsters took it all for granted.


    "It''s good food for thoughts for sure, Kasha. I think Climbing is a necessary evil. It is the only way that I know so far to be powerful enough to take control of one''s own destiny. I don''t trust the Tower itself, nor do I trust the gods. Still, it doesn''t change that both present opportunities.


    "Are you acting? You say that as if you were some wise old man. I clearly remember all the shit that ever came out of your mouth!"


    Josh went for an exaggerated gasp! "Wow! I didn''t know you were observing me all this time! Do you perhaps have a crush on me?!"


    "No, but I do have ears. Anyway, weren''t you supposed to go somewhere? What happened to that?"


    "Alright, I''ll leave the rat here for you to creepily y along in the dark then."


    "Why is there no light here in the first ce?! Who lives in such conditions?! Besides you, I mean."


    "Eh, there used to be some but it got cut when I took possession of the ce. I''m guessing there is someone I need to pay for that." Josh stated what would anyone else have considered obvious.


    "Yeah, yeah get out. ¡­I mean have a safe trip!" Kasha waved him away as one would a pesky fly.


    "Oh, right! Onest question!"


    Josh had just remembered one issue. Right now he could store the White Spider set equipment but not his normal one. What obvious problem would this cause?


    Picture a proud hero wearing aplete matching set¡­.and running away with a bunch of loot in his hands. Josh would either look like a thief caught red-handed, somepulsive hoarder, or even some very confused guy.


    Even if he managed to store it, he would need to find a way to change quicker. Changing equipment was as simple as interacting with one''s status screen but that still took time. Especially if this happened in a fight.


    After all, Josh wouldn''t be able to just scream ''time out!'' at the monsters so they gave him enough time to change. What else? Would he also shyly implore them to turn around? Would he then coquettishly beg them to let him plunge his weapon deep in their hearts?


    "What is it?" Kasha answered absentmindedly while petting the rat.


    "Is there a way to store equipment easily in one''s inventory and equip/unequip it at will? You know like a quick change mechanic?"


    "Well, yeah. There is such a thing that drops on Floor 40. But it''s utterly useless. You pretty much never need spare gear. Items are way more resistant than their users, plus they are able to regenerate using ambient mana. Your equipment is either fine or you are dead. No need for a spare really."


    "Yeah, but what about items sets?" Josh persisted.


    "What?" She was lost.


    "What?" He was equally lost.


    "Item set? You''re into fashion?!"


    What kind of misunderstanding was this?!


    "Wait, you don''t know what an armor set is?!" Josh could barely believe it.


    At this moment, the friendly atmosphere turned into one of utter shock and confusion. Both were actually wondering if the other was pulling their leg...

 Chapter 81: Ready for the White and Sticky?

    <h4>Chapter 81: Ready for the White and Sticky?</h4>


    At this moment, the friendly atmosphere turned into one of utter shock and confusion. Both were actually wondering if the other was pulling their leg...


    Kasha''s eyes widened in surprise but also began prettily shimmering with a green afterglow. It appeared the shock had made whatever concealment she had been using vanish. She truly had the eyes of a nocturnal creature now, it was cute in its own way. What kind of ability was her night vision anyway?


    She went: "What do you mean set items?!" as she stared right at him, apparently trying to pierce the secrets he was hiding.


    "Set items, ones that drop from the same Boss. They all share a simr name and once you equip three it gives a set effect. Mine is called White Spider Set. Here, I''ll show you." Josh then unashamedly began undressing before her very eyes.


    She made the motion to block her vision with her slender hands, but Josh could see her "sneakily" peeking from between the openings of her fingers. Well, it wasn''t hard to notice with the glow-in-the-dark eyes.


    Meeting her gaze, he chuckled softly as he brought out his White Spider Equipment before putting it all on. That was actually the first time he would use the set''s ability and he could feel his entire self tremble with expectation.


    He would have 5 minutes to somehow figure it all out and make the very best demonstration he could. He would show her the meaning of being white and sticky, exactly as the ability was called!


    Josh willed the items to activate and he felt different. The White Spider Gloves felt as if they were part of him. He approached the wall and then put his palm right against the cold surface. Next, he simply began to climb, sticking to it.


    It seemed like he could consciously control the adhesiveness of it all. There was a weird feeling all over his hands as if a whole new muscle had been added. He kept climbing until¡­THUD!


    As Josh fell heavily on his ass, Kasha eximed happily: "This is karma for all these dumbments earlier!"


    Still, he did resolve that he would definitely train some more before he fought with it. For the remaining of the ability''s duration, he simply stood motionless while getting used to controlling it.


    "Hey, are you sulking?" Kasha circled around him incessantly.


    He had his hands out and was staring at them. She moved closer trying to figure out what he was observing. That''s when Josh felt like teasing her and directly grabbed her face!


    "Mumble Mumble (What are you doing?! Stop this you dumbass!)"


    He then let her go free once more while smiling at her. "See, this is the power of the set itself. Pretty cool, isn''t it?"


    "With this, you can pretty much climb anywhere. That''s amazing! It would allow more mobility, especially during a long fight and..." she was getting heated up.


    "About that....itsts 5 minutes and can only be used once every hour but I only have 3 pieces. I''m thinking maybe the duration goes up with more pieces." Josh admitted.


    "Ah! Still, you managed to find such a thing on your Floor already?! This is a first. We''ve seen items with skills but never as sets. This could have insane potential at our levels. Exin yourself!" She stared at him intently her eyes sparkling with as much curiosity as green light.


    "Eh, it''s nothingplicated really. I simply asked the Tower Protocol to raise the difficulty."


    "Wait, what Tower protocol? What difficulty?" She appeared puzzled.


    "The Tower system, aka Tower Protocol, is actually sentient. I simply asked it to increase the difficulty of my Floor 12, you know since there were not enough spiders for my tastes." Josh patiently exined.


    "There were not enough spiders?! How much do you like spiders?!"


    "Just as much as anyone else, especially fried with butter, but that''s irrelevant. The important part is that I increased the difficulty and all three items were rewards that dropped on the White Dragon-Devouring Spider''s corpse." For him, it wasn''t anything weird.


    "You! People are usuallyining about the Tower being too difficult or bragging about how fast they can clear it! Yet you are asking for more! Are you some kind of masochist?!" She almost screamed thest part.


    "You don''t understand, it was a matter of saving time. It was all so I could be more efficient. Plus the spiders are pretty cool, they aren''t individually strong. As long as you dodge the webs everything is fine." He reassured her.


    Still, her eyes remained open in disbelief. The horrible spider Floor was only fun and games to him! How much trouble had the Rankers have back in the day with it?


    So many parties got defeated from their frontline ignoring how to dodge the webs. At other times their defender would manage to dodge but would fail to keep the monsters'' attention. How many support sses ended up as a happy meal for spiders?


    Kasha could be seen reminiscing, for that experience had left a deep shadow in her memory. She couldn''t help but feel that Josh''s ascension seemed more like he was a veteran taking a casual walk in a peaceful white lily garden.


    She kept staring at him, wondering what secrets lied within. Would she ever understand this madman? He had to be mad to request more challenge in the already deadly Tower.


    That is when Josh interrupted her stupor. He had better things to do after all. "Alright, I really need to go now. Time to get a secret weapon! One that I''ll need to clear Floor 12 efficiently."


    "What kind of secret weapon is it?!" She asked with rapt attention, even forgetting to breathe.


    Josh grinned at her: "A lucky charm!"


    She awaited him to finish his sentence but he kept her in suspense. "Why do you need that? What kind of peculiar ability requires that?"


    "A lucky charm¡­..for luck. You know, it kinda says it in the name." He slightly shook his head from how obvious this all was.


    "You believe in such superstitious stuff?!"


    Josh gave a wry smile. "I used not to believe in magic either. Let''s just say my beliefs have changed recently with the whole Dimensional Tower thing."


    "Ah, whatever. I''lle along."


    "Don''t you have anything better to do with your time?"


    "What if you get publicly bullied once more? *Sigh* how would you have even handled the situation without my help back at the restaurant, eh?" she proudly inquired, her hands akimbo at her hips.


    "I would have pretty much ignored it. This is actually a pretty good trick, whenever something doesn''t affect you just let it go. There will always be cocky dumbasses acting arrogant in this world."


    "Cocky? Like you''re one to talk! Also, that is so heartless. I can''t imagine the woes of the poor young man that must suffer from having a friend like you."


    "You mean the young man that youpletely ignored and didn''t even bothered to acknowledge the existence of while you were trying to¡­"


    "I remember! Let''s hurry up! We need to get that luck trinket, am I right! Oh, where are we heading?"


    Josh took a mysterious tone. "The best ce for it¡­.the E district!" Of course, he was already looking up for a tour guide on his UW. There were many but one caught his attention. The ratings were abysmal and all the reviews looked especially fake.


    There was one reproaching the owner not to have paid a young intern, another one was how she had canceled a tour because she was busy sunbathing, there was even one that told the tale of how she had stolen a client''s husband while the wife went to the toilet.


    It was all a mess! Talk about such obvious ndering! Josh couldn''t help but be puzzled about how none of the reviews had been deleted but he simply headed straight toward the ce anyway, they probably had ample time to guide him.


    Before long, they stood before a single-room building that seemed extremely bare. The thing looked like a rectangr box that even a cat would have despised. After all,pared to the inventive structures nearby this one was trulycking.


    Then again its whole raison d''¨ºtre was to bring people to other businesses. Since there were no buses allowed in the center of the city, there was no need for any garage either. Buses were boring anyway, not a big loss.


    On the door, one could read on an intricate blood-red sign that read <Bea''s Box>. On the side of this ominous-looking writing, appeared a few characters scribbled with ck paint. Toplete the picture there was a schedule, that too had visibly been added afterward as an afterthought.


    Even that was peculiar. The schedule was clear and normal at first nce but there was a small PS: "Subjected to the mood of the owner." Could it possibly be that all the garbage reviews had been true?!"


    At this point, Josh felt curious about the owner so he pressed the doorbell, hard. ~ Nothing happened. Inspecting it closer Josh realized that the doorbell wasn''t even real. Inside the little box was chucked a note that read: ''It was too noisy~removed it''.


    "¡­." For once Josh was speechless.


    "Why are we evening to this particr ce? There are other tourpanies besides this obviously shitty one. I mean just look at it! It looks so damn horrible!"


    "Oh, believe me, it is even worse than it looks ording to the ratings", Josh admitted chuckling.


    "Then why are we here?! Let''s get out quickly! Even if do get a lucky charm here it would be tainted by this ce''s shittiness."


    That is when a voice came from behind their back. It was a passerby that had seen them loiter in front of the ce.


    "You guys are looking for a tour guide? You really shouldn''t stop here. The woman living here is the worst. Honestly, we all hope that she''ll leave the City. This ce doesn''t wee trash like her."


    Now, Josh somewhat really wanted to meet her. It was the same for Kasha, but in her case, it was probably just because she had been told to leave. That is when the two shared a look.


    "Should we "knock" a little?"


    "Sounds good to me."

 Chapter 82: BEA: Beautiful, Elegant, Abominable?

    <h4>Chapter 82: BEA: Beautiful, Elegant, Abominable?</h4>


    "Should we "knock" a little?"


    "Sounds good to me."


    This all sounded very peaceful, didn''t it? Well, the extremely loud BANG that ensued thereafter shattered this polite appearance. Kasha''s heavy kick hadnded on the metal frame of Bea''s Box making it tremble.


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle as he noticed the nk look of the bystander. The man was intently fixing Kasha''s long leg that had mysteriously both well-defined muscles and supple skin. He could even be heard gulping loudly.


    "Wow. You now have a fan, Kasha. Isn''t that great?", Josh teased her. Leg enthusiast spotted!


    She simply scoffed at the man. He was now looking nervously everywhere except at her. He was akin to a small startled rabbit, an ugly one. Seemingly trying to dispel his embarrassment he began talking quickly.


    "I-I wasn''t kidding about the owner being horrible. She won''t even answer the door after this. You guys are wasting your time. There is also something incredibly wrong with her. How about I bring you to another touring guide agency? I know one infinitely superior to this one."


    Kasha scoffed "Let me guess, one that will profit you? Why are you even annoying us?"


    Josh couldn''t wait to see what excuses the man woulde up with. Would he try to hide the obvious? Would he instead confess and apologize? Except that besides being slightly flustered by Kasha''s toned legs he looked fine.


    He lowered his tone but still confidently dered. "Why? Because I like Credits. Just looking at how you guys walk, one can guess that you guys are Rankers. Especially yourpanion. He''s clearly high level, I can feel it!"


    "Pffft! Hahaha." Josh simply couldn''t help it as he showed all his teethughing. "*Sigh* What can I say, you truly are observant. It seems that even without trying, I overshadow this youngdy by my side. My bad, Kasha."


    She gritted her teeth, seriously considering trying to beat one or both of them but finally decided to use her anger for a good cause. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! ¡­.


    In fact, she kept going all the way until it finally violently opened with a start. "Who the Hell is the dumbass that- AH!" The neer shouted in fear as a foot almostnded directly on her face. Just the air from the motion was enough to frighten the stranger.


    In the door frame stood a petitedy. She looked rtively young but her curves clearly betrayed her real age: somewhere between 18 and immortal. All jokes aside she was probably 25 top.


    What was especially noticeable about her was her hair and her eyes. Both were a dark tint of purple and somehow, really somehow, looked natural. Her long wavy hair rested on her shoulder in a messy way. Yet she didn''t feel messy herself. As if that too was simply natural.


    She instantly regained her cool, closing the door behind her before stepping out. "Tch- Don''t scare me like that, ugly woman. Ah, that loser is there too? Here to try and poach my customers again, are you? Go ahead I don''t care. I''m a protected species, bitch. I''m rich by existing! Ah, who''s this now?"


    "You bastard! Are you trying to pick a fight?!" Kasha shouted, but she was simply ignored.


    The woman then slowly approached Josh, even delicately sniffing as she came next to him. There was something weird about her entire mannerism and appearance. It reminded him of some kind of small but deadly animal for some reason.


    "Oh? You seem surprised and even a bit guarded. Is it your first time meeting a D? You ain''t half-bad looking. Should I give you a very long and deep biology lesson?" She licked her lips seductively as she uttered that, even winking at him.


    Okay, first she said something about being a protected species. What?! Then there was the whole natural purple hair and finally the D thing. What was all this about? Was it rted to the Tower? He couldn''t help but share a nce with Kasha that meant "Dafuq".


    The scout somehow calmed herself before answering. "*Sigh* These guys can be annoying. They''ve been here for a while already, ever since they crashed on our. In exchange for their help in advancing our technology they got special protection rights and can pretty much live freely Such a pain in the ass!"


    "Fufufu it''s you humans that epted that deal. You guys even begged us to ept it. How ridiculous and pointless of you guys toin now. Talk about sore losers." Sheughed mischievously.


    Josh couldn''t help but be puzzled. That''s when the man whispered to him. "Turns out the Ds that came here were all lucky survivors of their''s explosion. They didn''t have a single scientist. It became a free asylum for them."


    This sounded like such bullshit. How they could still enjoy such status even after they had lost their utility was what puzzled Josh. Still, he nced reproachfully at Kasha. How had she left that detail out when he had asked about space?


    But then the man continued. "Hey, at least there are not that many of them. Still, they are the worst since they are all hugezy bums. Good thing our sr system is now confirmed free of other species."


    So that exined how Kasha had forgotten. These aliens were few in numbers. But Josh couldn''t help but wonder if there wouldn''t be any other visitors in the future. Well, chances were there would be something Tower-rted happening way earlier.


    The young woman then turned to exasperatedly ask them. "So, anyway, what do you guys want? I was very busy inside performing a very delicate operation including many high-tech machines."


    Josh took the lead seeing as Kasha was still pissed. "I need to find a good luck charm. Apparently, tourist guides may be able to point me in the right direction."


    "You came all the way here to ask me something so ridiculous? Didn''t you see my reviews! I''m the one and only Bea the D that everyone hates. I went to great pain to write those to frighten customers away I''ll have you know!"


    "Hmm, so they were in fact fake. I see." Josh nodded understandingly.


    "When did I ever say that? I just said I wrote them. Anyway, if you guys are willing to pay I can show you lots of things. The only thing is the payment I require is a bit unconventional." As she said that she rested her gaze directly on Josh''s body.


    Somehow that single nce sent his whole body shivering. He could sense it, there was something peculiar about her. Should he ept her offer he had the feeling it would be a Game Over. It would be a Bad-End, even worse than in any Visual Novel.


    Why? He did not know himself. It was all his instinct talking. At first, Kasha looked at him worried that he''d ept. But, she then began smiling once he vehemently started shaking his head to categorically refuse the Alien girl. The man could be seen dazed on the side, looking at his nemesis''s enchanting smile.


    Bea couldn''t help but taunt Josh. "I can''t believe you denied me so fast. What will you do if this poor Missy begins to cry, eh? What if this poor Missy dies of sadness?" she faked some tears.


    "Absolutely nothing. Ah, actually if you do die do not worry. I''ll put your body to good use." Josh assured her. He was convinced the body of an Alien would sell for a lot of Credits.


    "For something deviant, right? Right?!" She seemed full of expectation as she pictured the many ways her still lukewarm body could be used by someone.


    Still, seeing as he didn''t seem to change his mind about the deal and that she was very much alive she decided to open her door once more. Somehow the inside of it was very dark, so dark none could see. Kasha and the random man peered inside without noticing anything special.


    For Josh, it was so different. In his eyes, the very normal rectangr entrance became the mouth of a ravenous beast ready to devour all life alike. He could feel it, this room was Doom itself. Should he venture inside he would be utterly helpless.


    The entrance was simply *Menacing / ¥´¥´¥´¥´*!


    Josh felt cold sweat trickle down his back. He felt the hair on his entire body stand on end. The adrenaline rush made his heart palpitate and he had to pierce his own nails into his palm toe out of that trance.


    A man that had been swaggering into the Tower akin to on a vacation felt fear from a very normal building entrance. Meanwhile, the young woman was reluctant to simply let him escape her as she tried tempting him onest time.


    "Are you sure you don''t want toe inside Bea''s small box? It''s a lot of fun you know. It''s tight, warm,fortable, and you''ll feel like a new man once you''ve been inside long enough." She seductively said.


    That is when Josh somehow realize that there had been something more to her voice. Something that had only been aimed at him. Something that had tried to forcefully take over his being.


    Understanding why he had felt so afraid, Josh instantly calmed down. He then looked at the petite woman straight in the eyes before uttering. "How about you go fuck yourself.". He even had a radiant confident smile while he did so.


    She simple replied emotionally: "What do you think I was doing before you bastards interrupted?! I''m gonna go back to it now! Go fuck yourself too!"


    That is when the door closed behind her. This short episode had nothing special happen and yet it had sent red gs across Josh''s entire mind. He knew he had to be careful of the Tower, but it seemed there were also inexplicable dangers outside of it.


    The man consoled him. "Don''t worry about her. She''s always like that. I may be paranoid but I feel like that box of hers is dangerous for people. For all you know, you dodged a bullet."


    Josh couldn''t help but look at him surprised. The level 40+ scout had totally missed it while this man had somehow perceived a tiny inkling of the real situation. Why was Josh so sure he wasn''t in the wrong? Well, his intuition had saved him so many times that he would never question it.


    "Alright, I know exactly where to go. Follow this guide!" The man enthusiastically started leading the way before stopping. "Ah, just to be clear I''m charging you guys 100x the normal rates."


    It was an outrageous price increase but Josh did not care. Such services were cheap in the first ce and the man had proven himself in his eyes amply. Kasha wanted toin initially but he stopped her. Thus they all left, pretty much all of them lost in their thoughts about what had just happened.


    Little did they know that there was now a purple-haired alien nearby that had fallen on the ground right after closing her door. Her back was resting on the solid steel as she was panting heavily. She couldn''t help but recall what had happened a few moments ago flushed.


    She had found her target! This one would prove oh so troublesome, but it didn''t matter. She had ample time, lots and lots of time. This wasn''t the first life she had lived anyway¡­

 Chapter 83: Serene Tranquility Dharma Monk

    <h4>Chapter 83: Serene Tranquility Dharma Monk</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Hungry, so hungry!¡­


    Would such torture ever stop? Such excruciating pain was hard to swallow. His belly had even given up on rumbling, for it was useless. His stomach felt even worse than empty and ached constantly. His brain reminded him of his rming state every goddamn second.


    Was it time to start a cult? At least he would get to eat his fill. No! She would have despised him had she known. Still, he was at the end of his rope. He was so close and yet so far to making aeback. At least he was used to the hunger by now, not that it made it any better.


    He could feel the shadow of death hovering above him. He''d have to make a decision soon. He nced regretfully at the empty basket right next to him. He did so with extreme longing as if it was a lost lover.


    Once upon a time, it used to be filled to the brim with coarse rice. Life was good then, oh so very good. Sometimes it had even been good quality rice!


    How he yearned to fill this basket! Such a simple thing in life was all he currently desired. Nothing more, but was even that too much? Now, only remained emptiness, dust, and shattered hopes. Well, there remained the hunger, always.


    He actually lived in a small temple, if one could call a one-room small building a temple. At least, it was extremely clean. So clean that there was no furniture, no appliance, no decoration, no light, nothing.


    All that he had ever owned, he had sold already. There were a few exceptions to that. There was a statue, an old praying mat, and lots of amulets. Said statue was supposed to showcase a kind and gentle humanoid-looking deity but it was disappointing.


    It seemed like the work of a child that was stone sculpting for the very first time. Actually, maybe thatparison was insulting to the child. Then again people didn''t really care that much. No there were other reasons why they had stoppeding.


    Without any visitor, the amulets he used to make had begun piling up. Such items were his sole ie source with donations. He tried selling them at all costs but ultimately failed. He even tried to sell it all as wood to use as a fire starter. No one even wanted to touch them with a 10-foot pole.


    From left to right it went: No visit ~ no amulet sold ~no food ~ losing the temple itself ~ a slow, painful and agonizing death. He was at the no food part. Of course, he could have begged but he was too proud. He would rather start a cult than do that.


    Why would a monk ever think about such an alternative? Well, he had his reasons. Besides, he had already tried eating bugs and various birds but apparently people took offense to him hunting for some across the city.


    His other n was to head for the wild where he would clearly be able to be self-sufficient. The only thing holding him back was responsibility. He had promised a friend to take good care of this temple.


    Every day he would look for a sessor, someone that would be better suited to the task. He had issues that simply made it all impossible for him. Sadly, his quest had proved unsessful so far. People didn''t give a shit about monks in general, especially with his reputation.


    He wasn''t actually supposed to be that destitute. Not only did he not have to pay rent for this ce but he barely had any expenses either. Well, soon he''d be screwed because this temple would be considered a cultural heritage no more. He was running out of time.


    He was in serious need of a job. He needed to eat and he wanted to print pamphlets to hand to passersby. He''d print "Free rent in exchange for small chores" on it. Temple duty counted as a chore, right?


    He''d have to judge the candidates carefully too. He didn''t care about them living as monks at all as long as they shared the true teachings and took care of the temple.


    He was actually a man that was hardworking, it was just a twist of fate that had made him a monk. Of course, in this case, fate had been his mother.


    When he was young, he had extreme trouble concentrating. He''d get distracted easily, his thoughts wandering everywhere akin to a leaf in the wind. Because of it, some people considered him stupid, but she had clearly understood the core issue.


    Of course, there were medications for that. There was one called Firgone, a diluted version of it actually. It made all emotions and all distractions go away. It also made people less than human. He had resolved to take it as a teenager to lessen her burden but she had objected.


    She had always been a ss always full kind of person. ording to her, it was either filled with air that could be breathed in or water that could quench one''s thirst. She had also never stopped believing in him.


    That is why she searched for a solution. She didn''t actually mind taking care of him all his life, but she wanted better for him. She wanted him to fly with his own wings. That is when she thought of a n that all specialists dismissed as ridiculous.


    She sent him to be a monk. All in order for him to learn how to tame his own restless mind. In any case, a monk wouldn''t have to feel the pressure and stress of a modern-day usual job.


    No matter how distracted he became, he would be fine. That is how he became a Serene Tranquility Dharma Monk. The job description was simple and straightforward, it was to teach others to be serene and tranquil.


    Some would argue that one didn''t need a monk for that. After all, yoga pretty much had the same effect, right? Well, visiting a shitty one-room Serene Tranquility Temple certainly had its charm.


    One could go there on a walk, pray to the statue, grab a good luck charm, then exit and be done in a jiffy while forgetting about it. Most would take pictures of it all to try to impress people on the Inte, ones that didn''t give a fuck about it in the first ce. That kind of charm, you know.


    Sadly, this monk wasn''t especially good looking and let''s just say the charm of the temple¡­Yes, it lost big time to hot chicks in yoga pants (And dudes even). But this wouldn''t exin why no one at all was visiting. After all, there were still temples that were thriving no matter how small. It really was a problem with him.


    When the Tower first appeared he resolved toe to try his luck in the big city. His mother had died not long ago, he was pretty much cured of his focus issues, and he also got invited as a monk. This meant living in the temple for free with the duties to take care of it all.


    He just said fuck it and agreed in a heartbeat. His n was was to await an opportunity in hisir and emerge of it a dragon! He would shed his monk skin and reveal himself as a proud and majestic Climber. Well, he never told anyone such a thing cause it clearly sounded super embarrassing.


    He didn''t necessarily n on leaving the temple either. He simply wanted to Climb on the side and entertain visitors during the day.


    He even went as far as to train martial arts to prepare himself. He was used to repetitive tasks as a monk so he learned it all quickly. Plus he had plenty of time and food in the Temple, that was all he needed.


    He kept training until he knew for a fact that he''d be able to stomp Floor 1 easily solo. The only problem was the funds. He didn''t want to sell himself to the government or a guild. Again, he was too proud.


    He waited a long time, finally got an opportunity, and entered the Tower. All thanks to a kind traveling benefactor. The n was objectively perfect. The oue wasn''t. Far from it. As he entered the Tower he was faced with the ssic choose your ss line.


    He was jumping in excitement and celebrating having finally made it. After all, even the weakest Climbers could livevishly, by his monk standards at least. He couldn''t wait to pick and checked his options with expectations.


    [Please choose!]


    | Cursed One |


    That was it, nothing else. He double-checked. Then he triple-checked. But no matter what that was the only one. So that''s how he became a cursed one. At first, he didn''t know what it meant.


    He even felt that no matter the ss he''d make it work somehow. Clearing the first Floors wasn''t hard after all. At least, that''s how it was supposed to y out. For him, it was far different.


    Even Floor 1 was insanely hard. Where were the packs of 5? There were 20-50 of them congregating together! Then more would stumble by chance upon the fight while randomly wandering around.


    He almost died. Many times over. He barely managed to survive, only thanks to the training he had previously done. As soon as he teleported out some people started screaming. Others casually asked about the list of the deceased.


    He was confused. Deceased, what? He had juste back from Floor 1 solo. Who were they talking about? Everyone thought he had lost 4panions on a harder Floor. They couldn''t believe their ears when they learned that he had been challenging Floor 1.


    They felt dumb for worrying about him and many even started taunting him. They said he had been dumb to go inside unprepared. Unprepared? Unprepared?! He had faced hundreds of cerberuses in there! The guides said packs of 5!


    He felt like this whole Tower thing was a huge conspiracy. How could people lie so much on the Inte?! But then he finally checked his status screen and he understood it all. His stats themselves were very normal, but the rest was madness.


    Cursed One lv 1


    #SKILLS#


    - E Steady Mind


    - F Cursed One


    #CURSES#


    - E Distracting Curse


    - F Cmity Attractor


    - F Forever Alone


    - F Poverty Stricken


    That''s when he started vehemently cursing aloud akin to a madman. Lots of things suddenly made sense to him. Had he always been cursed?! How?! Why?!


    Bystanders began looking at him weirdly but he didn''t care. Many would have crumbled seeing such ominous status, but he instantly pulled himself together for he had a n¡­

 Chapter 84: Floor 1 Is That Hard?!

    <h4>Chapter 84: Floor 1 Is That Hard?!</h4>


    #


    Announcement


    I''m not sure how to say this, but here it goes¡­


    *Very solemn and handsome face* (Don''t forget the handsome part when you tell your friends about it~Mum says it, so it must be true).


    "We managed to reach the top 200 in rankings. This means 2 chapters daily for this week!


    Thanks for the support! The next goal is top 100 for 3/day ^_^v


    Let''s y the: Can we make a writer die from overwork game! Joke, we all know authors are suicidal anyway, haha."


    (PS, this message isn''t counted in Chapter cost ~Totally magic! Enjoy reading.)


    #


    ****(POV)


    Even after seeing such a horrific status screen, he instantly pulled himself together. Perhaps it was all thanks to his steady mind.


    Did this mean the end? Was he better off rolling off to the side and giving up? Climbing would most likely be extremely tough for him. It would be akin to challenging the Tower on Hell mode. Yes, no one sane would ever try such a thing.


    Floor 1 was supposed to be as easy as pie, yet it had almost killed him. He could already picture how it would soon turn out. He''d have to learn how to fight a literal legion of monsters. It was clear insanity!


    Was such a thing even humanly possible? He went and began to research the topic seriously. He found that none would really fight all the monsters, but there were few tackling bigger packs. The goal was often to increase the efficiency of farming or straight up to test recruits.


    Some guilds would apparently bring potential recruits to Floor 1 and observe how they fought in a real-life-or-death situation. The key takeaway was whether or not the individuals would let themselves be overwhelmed by fear.


    The Serene Tranquil Monk resolved to try once more. He would be fine. Why? His goal had never been to be a Ranker. He simply wanted to earn a living, Credits! Many said that wealth didn''t bring happiness. Well, poverty did bring misery.


    He went back to the Tower za. There, he simply waited with a sign that could read: "Broke, will power level Floor 1 for admission. Will stay in it until I turn a profit for you."


    Why hadn''t he simply done that in the first ce? He didn''t simply want to beg and hadn''t been that confident before. Instead of being traumatized from fighting so many cerberuses, he was instead more confident. If he had managed to fight so many solo, he''d be fine no matter how much the others screwed up.


    There were dark tales of party members aggroing entire packs of monsters and causing everyone''s demise. Wait, wouldn''t that be dangerous for others to head inside with him?! Well, probably not that much. He''d just go on the front line, no issue.


    As they saw his sign, pretty much everyone showed disdainful expressions while snorting. Why wasn''t anyone willing to help at all? The Tower was rtively new, credits were precious, and he didn''t have a UW making him look unprofessional.


    He waited there for the longer part of the day, but then suddenly someone talked to him. There was a young girl. Radiant, beautiful, and full of hope. She stopped in front of him and looked at him from head to toe.


    "You can help me Climb the Tower?" She was pointing at the sign.


    "Indeed! I''ll stay in there for however long you desire to help you farm. All I want is my admission paid and 5 credits as payment so I can keep Climbing myself."


    "Oh? Are you that confident? Why should I believe you? No UW, messed up clothes, actually what''s with that getup?!" she sharply observed.


    "That? Some old monk clothing, don''t worry about it. I just wore whatever was convenient." He brushed over it.


    "Hmm, how many cerberuses can you handle at the same time? One, two, three, perhaps even more?"


    He really wasn''t sure how to answer that. "What do you mean by handle? Fight and kill or just keep busy? If it''s the former, then my answer is about a pack."


    "You''re able to deal with a pack of 5 cerberuses alone? Are you serious?!"


    He just went. "Yes, easily." A pack of 5? He meant 20! Oh well, as long as she was satisfied. She somehow seemed to believe him.


    "Alright, I''ll trust you. But you are only getting paid afterward if you do your part!"He simply nodded as he didn''t have much to lose.


    She kept going. "By the way, I''m Sarah if you need to shout a warning during battle. Alright, let''s go, Monk!" she mischievously called out.


    Since she had an actual UW, it made everything easier. She could simply confirm their Tower entry using it. Back on his solo run, he had to get a special one-time-use ticket from the MTA. It had been a real pain!


    Anyway, they soon appeared in the oppressive and death-reeking atmosphere and ¡­


    "Wow! It''s so pretty here! From now on, I am officially a Climber! Suck it, Dn! Now, let me see my options¡­." Not only was she extremely joyous, but she was even slightly dancing in ce!


    "Hey, monk! What should I choose between Pink Princess, Death Dancer, and Valkyrie?"


    He couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. Heaven was so unfair. He had Cursed One as the only option while she had great-sounding ones. Actually, what was up with Pink Princess? Was it possible that the first ss option was always a joke? He didn''t know, but he still seriously replied.


    "You should probably pick Valkyrie. It sounds like a powerfulbat ss that will let you shine in the Tower. Death Dancer could be powerful too, but it''s a bit more abstract. There is always the possibility it''s a cool-sounding name for something actually bad. Then the princess one should definitely be avoided." He magnanimously advised her.


    She happily clicked a screen in front of her before giving a satisfied moan. He could confirm that was not the normal reaction to receiving a ss.


    "Thank you for your advice! It helped a ton!", she said turning toward him.


    "No problem, my pleasure to help. How is Valkyrie?"


    "No idea. I went for Pink Princess. I don''t want to end up like you, a boring monk, so I went with the opposite. Smart, isn''t it?!" She sounded so proud of herself!


    "¡­."


    "Alright! Let''s ughter some¡­AH! What the hell?!" She gasped and suddenly eximed.


    As he came closer, he could see in the distance a pack of 15 cerberuses. He could see her eyes open in disbelief. This was the first time she saw real monsters in the flesh, so it was understandable.


    "Why are there 15 of them together?!"


    "That''s a pack. We are lucky there are only so few of them. It may not sound like it, but just a few more and it bes increasingly more troublesome." He sighed as he reminisced about the hardships he had gone through before.


    "No! This isn''t right! There are supposed to be 5 only!"


    "Alright, shall we begin fighting?"


    "Y-you! Are you crazy? There are 15 of them! We''ll die! There is no way we can survive this! We''re going around!" She was panicking and expecting this to be easier elsewhere, but he knew. This was normal.


    "This is the worst! Why did the Tower have to change just as I''m entering? How is this even possible?!" He followed her as she keptining about how ridiculous this all was. Eventually, she gave up and simply sat on the ground.


    Except he wasn''t here to follow a princess around (literally). Thus he began walking on his own, heading directly for a pack of bloodthirsty monsters.


    "You madman! Where are you going?! Come back. You''ll die! Wait!¡­that dumbass!" Even while insulting him, she got up and ran toward him to stop him, but it was toote. The monk was already fighting.


    As a Serene Tranquility Monk, his specialty was sitting in a courtyard doing jack shit. He was clear about it himself. That had trained his patience over the years. This was also the way he fought.


    He waited for the creatures to bite him, patiently. Eventually, they would mess up and tumble to the ground from time to time after colliding with one another. That is when he chopped their spines.


    How was he able to do that? Well, all things he had learned as a monk. Note that it was meant initially to chop wood bare-handed and nothing else. There was no secret purpose or the likes. They simply used to do it this way because the only axe in their temple was broken.


    He couldn''t help but give a wry smile, thinking about how peculiar the world was at times. His whole childhood had seemingly prepared him for this moment. Now that he thought about it, that''s how he had learned martial arts quickly.


    The scene lookedpletely different to a bystander. Cerberuses surrounded the man. Not only did he not despair, but he was also efficiently lowering their number. The frightening thing was that he was smiling all the while, a kind smile.


    This kind smile of his chilled Sarah''s very bones and made her tremble. She couldn''t help but picture herself having to fight 15 of these monsters and how horrible it would be. She could also picture herself fighting him and felt an even greater fear!


    Just as it was about toe to an end, another pack passed by.


    "Careful there are more of them quick run and ¡­" He was bound to be exhausted. He was bound to be having issues. No, he was actually taking the initiative heading toward the monsters.


    "Madness, this is madness!" she mumbled under her breath. He was acting as if all this was normal! How was he not freaking out?!


    Just as she was already shellshocked, she heard him exim happily: "Good thing there are so little this time around. This is way more rxed!"


    How bad was it thest time he came in the Tower then?! She couldn''t believe both her ears and her eyes. The whole thing felt like a dream. He kept killing, and she followed behind as if a lost puppy.


    At some point, she joined too, but even then, she almost died many times. Each was a reminder that she was in way over her head! Every w that almost ripped her face off, every maw that almost closed on her slender neck, every time she almost died crushed to death¡­


    That is when she resolved to stop Climbing. This shit was way too difficult and dangerous! This was only Floor 1 too!


    "Let''s just leave! I don''t feel like Climbing anymore. I''m too young and pretty to die!" She kept urging him. But every time, he would go:


    "No, let''s keep going until we drop an item, just a little bit." In fact, he kept repeating that same sentence over and over. So much that she felt she had boarded a pirate ship!


    But no matter how many monsters they killed, no items were dropping whatsoever. She wasn''t even in the mood to note that fact. But he was.


    Eventually, she couldn''t take it anymore. Her body could still keep going, but her heart and spirit werepletely crushed. She just went: "We''re leaving! I can''t stay here anymore. This ce is horrible. I''m nevering back inside!"


    He nced at her at a loss. That''s when she teleported out directly, running away.


    Then he looked at all the corpses of the creatures that were disappearing. That is when he noticed something glowing on the ground. He instantly felt his heartbeat elerate as a smile blossomed on his face.


    That''s what he had been waiting for!...

 Chapter 85: Deal With the Devil

    <h4>Chapter 85: Deal With the Devil</h4>


    ****(POV)


    On the ground, a small item had appeared in a red glow.


    Just seeing it made him remember all that he had gone through. He had been a useless child, he had been a useless student, was almost a useless monk, and he was seemingly destined to be a worse than useless Climber.


    But just now, he had gotten his first item! He could earn! He would be able to buy whatever he wanted. He didn''t want much after all. Perhaps he''d even get a girlfriend!


    What about the curse? Screw that curse! He had already managed the E-Rank curse of distraction. Why wouldn''t he be able to deal with an F-Rank one? Plus, he had a secret weapon: money! Any Climber was already a sacred existence to themon popce.


    What about the temple''s teachings? Well, it didn''t especially prohibit love. He could always take his sweet time and find a sessor to take care of things.


    As soon as he observed the item, he found his vision getting blurrier and blurrier. That was a given with all the tears that had begun flowing freely. He could feel them drip onto his cheeks before falling right next to it. Yet, he could still perfectly distinguish the item that had dropped.


    It was an essory that was dark ck and noble-looking. His hands were trembling as he slowly picked it up to inspect its description. He really hadn''t expected such a thing!


    <- Dog Cor. No effect.>


    - Completely useless. You may as well throw it away.


    In fact, this dog cor actually had a lot of history in the Tower. It was always the first item to drop on Floor 1. He had been arduously risking his life over and over and over only to get a dog cor.


    This item was widely considered the first "Fuck You" from the Tower itself (no love at all). It was possibly meant to ruin the Climbers'' mood. Or perhaps was it to cordially remind them that they were just that: dogs. Ones that the Tower reared.


    His still trembling hands were now solidly sping the item. So hard, in fact, that they were bing white from theck of blood. Yet, he didn''t care. No, there was a feeling that was slowly rising from inside him.


    No, it wasn''t slow anymore. It was very profound, and it had incredible momentum. It was waiting to burst out. He couldn''t help himself as he raised the dog cor slowly high up in the air and then he¡­.


    Had there been a gallery here, they would have been cheering. They would have screamed: "Throw that piece of shit cor so far itnds on another Floor!"


    He raised it, and amidst his tears, he¡­put it around his own neck. His face was about to cramp from his huge genuine smile. Many would have disdained such a crappy item. Many would have hated it. But to him, it was great. It was just like him, useless.


    It was a dumb reason? Who fucking cares! He didn''t. No, he kept standing there enjoying the moment, feeling the heat on his skin. That''s when he heard the roars. More creatures wereing to devour him.


    He was in such bliss that he kept smiling as he killed them all one after the others. He kept smiling when hisughter attracted more. He kept smiling as he killed those too. He kept smiling as this cycle of attracting and killing continued. He even kept smiling as he suffered injury after injury.


    Finally, he smiled as he had to exit the Tower before he''d die of blood loss. He was even smiling when the realization kicked in. This would likely be the end of his path as a Climber simply because nothing had dropped even after hundreds of creatures were ughtered.


    This curse of poverty was more potent than he had initially believed. It was only F-Rank, but if it meant him not getting any drops, he would never make a profit.


    Was he simply doomed? Perhaps but he hadn''t given up yet. The next day he showed up at the Tower with another sign that simply stated: "Power-leveling Floor 1 for 10 credits."


    This time he was straightforward with his demands. He wondered in passing what had happened with the Sarah girl too. It was another long day with seemingly no customer. He finally managed to convince a naive group to show them the ropes.


    To make it sound believable, he exined that he was simply killing time waiting for a friend to arrive at Metropolis C. They bought it.


    Once inside, there were way fewer cerberuses. There were only 10 per packs. Yet, that was enough to send the others in a frenzy. One even cried for his mother. The monk simply got to work.


    They marveled at his skills. They started calling him big brother. They werepletely convinced he was some veteran truly killing time. They couldn''t believe their luck!


    Not longter, they really couldn''t believe their luck anymore, or theirck of rather. No item at all was dropping. After a full farming session that rendered all but the monk unable to move, they finally got one item.


    It was a single cerberus skin. Yes, a material with barely any value. Needless to say, everyone got out of there alive, but he didn''t get paid.


    In the following weeks, he cleared Floor 1 over and over with random groups. But soon people came to realize that it wasn''t the Tower that had changed. No, it was a single man that was the bearer of abysmally horrible luck.


    It didn''t take long for him to be out of business. Well, Climber business. He had still been creating amulets to sell on the side for a paltry sum, except that this too came to a stop soon.


    The items he crafted were curse too! There was no way around it. He tried many exorcism methods, but every time his status screen would appear the same,ughing at his efforts.


    #CURSES#


    - E Distracting Curse


    - F Cmity Attractor


    - F Forever Alone


    - F Poverty Stricken


    This n of him had backfired. He had begun to realize his dream, only for it to turn into a nightmare right off the bat. He couldn''t Climb. He couldn''t even take care of the temple.


    He didn''t care about leaving it. He, in fact, wished for that. But he wouldn''t just let it be destroyed. But no one wanted to take over. That is when he got the crazy n to begin a cult.


    He had incredible power. Just that it wasn''t a power suited for creation. He couldn''t sell his amulets as blessings, but it could sell wonder as curses. He would be able to generate funds through such a tactic easily.


    He simply didn''t want to use it. He couldn''t work any normal job either with the curses. Even in his poverty and with his constant hunger, he didn''t fall to the dark side. No, he would only do it if the city wanted to demolish the Temple.


    In such a case, he would pay the rent out of his own pocket and tell them a story about a random traveling benefactor. As long as they got the Credits, they wouldn''t even bother looking into it.


    So there he was, sprawled on the floor, waiting for time to pass. Really all that he needed was a way to increase his luck for a short time temporarily. There were three collecting missions up to Floor 10. One had a good chance to awaken a skill there.


    He simply needed to get one skill to reduce the intensity of his curses, and he would be fine. That was all he needed. It was a huge gamble, but he didn''t have much to lose in any case. Then again, that''s what he had initially thought about picking a ss¡­


    He couldn''t help but nce regretfully at his empty rice basket while absentmindedly touching the cor at his neck. He could have sold it to eat, but he wouldn''t. It was only worth a few Credits. He could get lots of regr food with that, but it wouldn''t solve the temple issue.


    That is when he heard something. *KNOCK KNOCK*


    As soon as the sound of knocking came, it was reced by the sound of footsteps. There were three individuals. Someone that was probably leading the way and a couple. Who would bother visiting his ce?


    He looked upward and froze. There were two men and a woman. But his eyes instantly stopped on one of them. There was something weird to him, extremely so.


    He was the handsome but rtively ordinary type. He was the kind that could be overlooked at first nce. He was simply wearing a grey suit that didn''t make him appear especially rich or valiant.


    Yet, right now, he looked extraordinary to him. His piercing eyes were peering straight at him as if they could see the very secrets he held dear. But that wasn''t the worst. No, it was his smile. He was smiling at him so brightly, so warmly, but yet it chilled him.


    At first, he was only ufortable, more than he had ever been in his entire life. But then he realized what it was. The man was looking at him with greed. Yes, greed. Toward him, a poor monk!


    It was time to find an excuse to get them out. No, just him was sufficient! That is when he heard a subservient man in front say softly, "Sir, as I''ve said earlier, there really isn''t any luck to be found here. This ce and this monk are both cursed."


    Yet the man simply shook his head sideways. He didn''t care about such trivial things. That is when the monk figured out he could use that! He simply went: "Yes, yes! There is currently a curse affecting my temple! I am working hard to cleanse it. Please stay away. I wouldn''t want you guys to be affected!"


    That was bound to work! Now he would leave him alone, and¡­


    "Oh? What kind of curse exactly? If it isn''t a dangerous one, it won''t matter much, right?" The man calmly said.


    That failed?! The man was a Climber for sure. What could he use to scare him off? Distracting curse? Hard to fathom without experiencing it. Forever alone curse? Climbers were so popr and rich they could buy anything and anyone! Yes, that also excluded the poverty-stricken curse.


    But thest one was bound to send any sane Climber running far away in panic. The monk forced himself to shiver as he enunciated, "C-curse of C-cmity. It attracts monsters until death happens!"


    This was bound to¡­.The man took a step inside, apparently breathing in the air whole-heartily. Was he trying to get cursed?! Then he looked straight at him while grinning.


    "I heard of you. Don''t you want to save both yourself and your temple? Serve me, and I will teach you. There will also be plenty of food."


    That is when the monk understood. This man was not human. He was the Devil himself. He was here to propose him a deal, his soul in exchange for all he desired. epting was obviously foolish. But even then, it was too tempting. After all, he was already cursed beyond redemption¡­


    That is when the monk became the subordinate of the Devil. Would hee to regret it? Perhaps, perhaps not, but the world would for sure!¡­

 Chapter 86: This Monk Is Useless!

    <h4>Chapter 86: This Monk Is Useless!</h4>


    ? Du-du-du-du! ~ Subordinate Acquired! Congrattion! ?


    Josh imagined a cheerful jingle in his head akin to old-school RPGs. This cheap System that was in charge of humanity wouldn''t even do stuff like that! He felt his first subordinate was a noteworthy event. It was his first step toward world domination, after all. With a solid team, anything would be possible.


    Why had he chosen this specific monk then?


    The man was disgustingly shabby, hadn''t eaten in a while, and had messy brown hair and a beard in serious need of a trim. The man''s clothes were also torn in in many ces showing his chest.


    That is when Kasha muttered under her breath: "No wonder he''s immune to my charm! Who knew he''d have such unique tastes." She was intently eyeing the monk''s appearance as she said so.


    Josh simply ignored her, for he was busy staring at the monk''s chest too. Had he suddenly awakened to a primal urge to hug a monk? Nope, he had noticed something amazing. The man was starved and hade back alive with the mention of food, yet his body was in good condition.


    He probably wouldn''t be able to fight, but surviving for a while longer wouldn''t be an issue. Was that an effect of leveling up? Most probably. That is when Josh made a mental note that starvation torture wouldn''t work on Climbers in general.


    Under Josh''s scrutiny and Kasha''s chuckling, the monk couldn''t help but quickly cover his ass subconsciously. He kept nervously gulping before forcefully stopping himself. He wouldn''t swallow before this man in case it gave him ideas!


    Josh had no time for this nonsense as he turned toward the monk and pointed at the amulets lying behind his back.


    "Alright, I''ll have you work on a new piece of wood for me. You''ll need to handle it with care and focus. It needs to be as hard as possible. It needs to be attractive to monsters. Finally, I really want you to put all your heart into this. Can you do it?"


    As soon as the monk heard about pouring his heart into handling hard wood, even attractive to monsters, he began to feel his hair rise in disgust. While taking a step back, he voiced out. "Do I really have to be the one doing it?"


    He kept ncing at the gorgeous Kasha nearby and wondering what was wrong with the man for him to ignore such beauty and ask such a disgusting monk like him to¡­he didn''t even want to think about it!


    Seeing him hesitate, Josh reiterated. "Can you craft me an amulet or not? It must attract monsters!"


    That is when the monk looked behind him. The "Devil" hadn''t been pointing at him at all but at the pile of amuletsying on the floor behind him. He instantly sighed in relief. Of course, the Devil was here for the curses! The monk got ahold of himself.


    "I''ll need AA grade rosewood, real gold, a small furnace, some professional sculpting tools, and a hot dog. Actually, about a dozen. Tons of ketchup, nothing else! I''ll craft you the very best amulet I am capable of. You have my guarantee that it won''t provide a single blessing, only curses!"


    "Perfect! Guide, are you able to acquire all of that? I''ll give you amission." Josh was already delegating the troublesome task.


    "Yes! Right away!" He then departed as fast as he could, motivated by the smell of Credits. Yes, that expression existed for a virtual currency too.


    A few minutester, he was already back with the monk devouring faster than Josh had ever seen any human do. It was a dumb idea for a normal recovering person, but he was a climber, so he''d probably be fine.


    "That, I''m not sure I''ll be able to enchant it with attracting monsters specifically, it could be other curses like poverty, distraction or even condemned to remaining alone and-" The monk didn''t look confident.


    "Do it. I have great hopes toward you, don''t let me down.", Josh interrupted him.


    Thus began the crafting. The monk even went the extra step as he used failed blessing amulets, aka cursed ones, to fuel the fire. The monk suddenly had a whole new air to him. His back was straight, his hands steady, his gaze serious, and his entire person became dignified.


    It all looked incredibly sacred. Quite ironic considering what he was wearing and the goal. Josh could notice that the patterns he was currently drawing were simr but quite different from the fodder he had thrown in the fire.


    After a solid half an hour, it was finally over. In front of them stood a shitty-looking amulet that somehow oozed evil. It was the kind that would make the perfect prop from a horror movie.


    As Josh went to grab it, the monk stopped him. Then, in an incredibly solemn voice, he asked: "I don''t mind handing it over, but I need to know what you will use it for." He seemed ready to snap the amulet were he to dislike Josh''s answer.


    "Why? Short term, I''ll use it to increase the spawn rate in the Tower. Long term, it will be for world domination." He smiled as he said so. The monk simply nodded and let him grab it.


    Wearing it, Josh didn''t feel different, but he believed it would work perfectly. Why? Because he had sensed the monk''s resolve during the crafting. If even that failed, he would have to give up this n for now.


    In the background, Kasha was getting heated: "What''s the point of asking him if you''ll hand it over anyway?! Wasn''t this a Serene Tranquility Temple?! He goddamn said world domination!" She couldn''t believe the sham that was happening right under her eyes. Had the monk doomed the world for hot dogs?!


    The monk shook his head. "That''s where you are wrong. He may have said something ridiculous, but he said it peacefully and confidently. This was very serene and tranquil of him!"


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    Josh turned to the tour guide. "I''ll transfer 330 Credits to you. Bring the fake-monk to get a UW, a decent weapon, and to get cleaned up. You can keep the rest."


    "Yes, Sir!" The man enthusiastically replied. Somehow even tour guides had UWs, and a Climber didn''t. Talk about shabby!


    "That¡­I am a real monk!" He denied. "But even with a weapon, I won''t be able to Climb. My luck is horrendous. Plus, I may as well not have a ss seeing how useless it has been so far."


    Josh simply chuckled. "What a coincidence! I don''t have a ss either. Anyway, talkter. I need to test it all in the Tower." He left a baffled monk behind that was repeating ''ssless".


    Then it was just Josh and Kasha walking together toward the Tower. She couldn''t help butment. "Others pick up stray dogs, and goddamn Josh Malum picks up stray monks! Seriously I don''t follow your reasoning on that one."


    "Oh? What confuses you?"


    "He''s clearly cursed! He can''t Climb alone, he can''t party up with others without screwing up their runs, and he can''t even work a normal job! What are you going to do? Have him craft curse amulets for you all day long?!"


    "That is an option.."


    "No, it''s not! Didn''t you know? Even artisans have to Climb the Tower! This is how they be better at their craft! This is how they improve!"


    "Can''t they simply craft and keep crafting to get better naturally?"


    "*Scoff* Do you know how long that would take?! They would quickly get left behind. They need the memories one gets automatically from leveling up." She advised.


    If that was really the case, Josh himself would be doomed. No matter how wise she sounded, he wouldn''t get himself influenced. Worst case, he could rely on bloodline and set items to be more powerful. There was just one missing link, the skills.


    She kept going. "Let me tell you this. It may not matter as much now, butter on, it will. The more we Climb the Tower, and the higher the ranks of the materials dropping will be. Soon it will be too hard for craftsmen that aren''t Climbing to handle."


    "I see¡­"


    He understood her point for sure, but it still felt there was something wrong with such philosophy.


    If the heroes of the past had acquired these skills, what prevented them from doing the same? He could only see one possibility: time limitation (or even lifespan directly).


    "So your n to have him craft amulets won''t seed. Right now, simple materials may work, butter on, there is no way it will be that easy. I truly believe this to be true. I suggest you give up on him. He is doomed." she added.


    Josh simply chuckled as he kept walking.


    Kasha reiterated: "I''m serious! I don''t want you to get your hopes up and¡­."


    Josh sighed as he looked at her, shaking his head slightly. "If I had listened to suchmon sense uponing to this world, I would already be dead. I would have curled up because of myck of ss, and I would have resolved myself to my end. Yet, here I am."


    She jumped in realization. She never meant to offend him at all. To her, he wasn''t included at all in this useless evaluation. He was clearly an exception. "I didn''t mean you! You''re special!" She said in a hurry.


    Josh looked upward as if he was trying to see his memories forcefully. "I''m just a normal man. Nothing else. Just a normal man that had to face some difficult times. The only difference is that I kept going, no matter what."


    Sheughed awkwardly. "Don''t sell yourself short. There is no way that is true. You clearly..."


    He fixed her right in her charming hazel eyes. "Clearly what, different? I didn''t give up. That''s it. I''m just a man. Nothing else." In his stare, she could perceive how serious he was. She even adverted her gaze, unable to withstand his intensity.


    He left it at that. It wasn''t some kind of profound wisdom. It was simple. There was an adage that said: "as long as there is life, there is hope." It was bullshit! So much bullshit that it couldpare to many students'' papers added up! Most gave up way before their lives were even threatened!


    People gave up on their friends, people gave up on their dreams, and people gave up on themselves. Josh hadn''t done so ever since their passing. His motivation might have been revenge, but it had gotten him through it all.


    Josh truly believed that anyone going through what he did would end up as strong, if not stronger. He was no genius. He was but a normal man. If he could do it, why wouldn''t this monk be able to?


    The monk simply had to find a way to control his powers. Either disable them entirely or change the target to enemies.


    That is when they finally reached the Tower. It was time to test the new Floor 12 efficiency with the amulet. As Josh spawned, a system notification was already awaiting him. He couldn''t help but burst outughing.


    This was just ridiculous!...

 Chapter 87: Cursed Amulet is OP!

    <h4>Chapter 87: Cursed Amulet is OP!</h4>


    [Mission: Save 5 Captives.]


    [~ New addition! ~ Difficulty choice after missionpletion!]


    Wow. Just wow. Was the Tower marketing its new feature or something? What was up with that?! Also, should Joshin about it stealing his idea?


    Meh, whatever. He would simply enjoy this Floor. Looking around, he took a deep breath. Ah, theforting smell of a giant spider-infested forest. There were also great visuals, lots of darkness, boring vegetation, and big-ass me-resistant trees.


    Josh swore to himself that one day he''de back here and burn it all to the ground. He''d find a way to aplish such a petty task somehow.


    He couldn''t help but chuckle as he pictured himself one day clearing the Tower and getting a biography written. The very first sentence could be: "He climbed for love, for arson and the love of arson."


    Before long, Josh was already done freeing his "fellow humans". They were as shadowy, blurry, and awkward as usual. But, hey, they clearly knew how to blend in human society with their multipurpose "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!".


    They used it for greetings, used it for small talk, used it as a war cry, and even used it for deep conversations about the meaning of the universe. At least, that''s what Josh wanted to believe.


    Actually, that gave him an idea. What if one coded an 8-Ball-like program? But instead of a ck billiard ball, it was one of these NPCs (?) and it would always give the same goddamn answer. How amazing would that be?!


    What use would such a thing have? None whatsoever! That was the beauty of it. Art was like that, utterly useless at first nce but so amazing on a fundamental level, for it brought the feels (and fun).


    [Ding- Rescued 5 captives! Missionpleted! Please choose a difficulty. The options are-]


    "Good, you''re here. I''m picking impossible difficulty again. Ah, but make sure you update your rewards on the Boss beforehand. When Ist cleared it, it was a ceholder one!"


    [Cleared it? Calcting, calcting. The current humans cannot clear impossible difficulty. Impossib- Reward Missing. It has been cleared. Data says¡­.ERROR ERROR ERROR!]


    "Hey, are you alright there?"


    [ERROR! - Possible data corruption. Analyzing. No data corruption detected. Current clear rate of 100% across the Tower. Deployment of temporary fix. Impossible difficulty renamed Possible difficulty. Fix over. Possible difficulty picked. Good luck.]


    "¡­"


    What the HELL?! What kind of fix was this?! The Tower had simply changed the name.


    The clear rate was presently 100%. It was very likely that only Josh had entered it. The data was likely extremely skewed, so why had it done such a drastic change?


    "Hey, system! People will misunderstand if you write it like that! It''s better if-¡­.." Except the Tower Protocol was already gone.


    How ridiculous! This meant that the Tower would now give the Normal, Hard and finally Possible difficulty. That would look so sketchy! Still, the clever ones would notice the problem with one look, thanks to the order.


    There was no point bothering about such a small change. If Climbers couldn''t notice such an obvious detail, then they''d probably get killed anywayter on. What mattered were the red tears in space appearing in the air. Josh was simply sping his amulet, hoping for the worst.


    But when he saw the number of spiders making their way to this dimension, he began cheering. They all looked so damn beautiful! There were so many that they kept colliding with one another. It reminded him of bumper cars. Perhaps he should call it bumper spiders?


    Josh began his killing spree. Of course, before doing so, he didn''t forget to equip some very sweet spider shoes. There were now so many spiders that they could cover the entire sky with their webs.


    It was a good thing that the monsterscked any sense of coordination. In fact, they all kept aiming directly at him whenever they shot their web. This made it so he had ample room to dodge.


    The amulet was working like a charm! On average, it almost doubled the monster spawn. Thatbined with the Impossible, eh Possible difficulty it gave great results. It was a monster fest!


    Now, he simply needed to figure out how long it would take to summon the Boss. Earlier, it had taken him days. This time it only took 3 hours. How magical! The impressive White Dragon-Devouring Spider appeared once more.


    Then ensued an extremely hard fight that ¡­.or not. Josh simply murdered it the same way he had in the past, by using the power of friendship! Yes, using allies as meat shields counted!


    As the Boss fell, Josh couldn''t help but to devoutly pray. "RNGod, please grant this poor Climber the white spider set. Please and thank you!" As he saw four white glows, he felt as much happiness as a child eating cookies.


    <Rank E+ ¨C White Spider Gloves>:


    <Rank E+ ¨C White Spider Bracers>:


    <Rank E+ ¨C White Spider Pants>:


    <Rank E+ ¨C White Spider Boots>:


    Hell yeah! Now he finally had seven- eh, four pieces of the set. As he wore it all, he could feel¡­absolutely nothing. He either needed more pieces, or that was already the limit of this set. Oh well, there would be no use thinking about it. He chucked all the loot inside his weird cocoon.


    "LET''S GO!! Eh, I mean, teleport out!"


    Then Josh entered once more. From now on, it would be rinse and repeat until he managed to get his full set. Or was it? By ying around with the cursed amulet, Josh realized one thing. He figured out how the monster increase worked.


    The effect was active in a medium-sized area around the wearer, and it actually persisted for a little while with a constant refresh. What did this mean? Well, Josh could run to a red glowing portal, and it would start spewing more monsters out for a short while.


    He simply began running everywhere to curse the portals, so they spawned even more monsters. How beautiful! Spiders all around, white stuff flying everywhere, lots of targets.


    After 2 hours, he finally managed to summon the Boss. It appeared as a super Epic Big Daddy spider and died not long after like a bitch. This time Josh prayed for missing pieces. It dropped *Drum Roll* ¡­ Gloves, Bracers, and a Helmet!


    With this, it brought his set pieces to 5! Wow! Josh couldn''t help but smile as he checked his status.


    <White Spider Set Effect (3)>


    Crawling of the White Spider: White and Sticky (5 min) Cooldown 1 hour.


    <White Spider Set Effect (5)>


    Calling of the White Spider: Phantom Ally Cooldown 1 hour.


    So there was a set effect at (5), but there was no duration to the ability itself. Did this mean that Josh would be able to invoke apanion to fight by his side?! He couldn''t wait to test it. He reset the Floor once more.


    He handed the amulet to Navi this time, tying it up around its white floating prism body. "Alright, make a round and make sure to go near as many portals as possible." The fairy would have nodded if it had a head.


    The great thing was that the curse itself didn''t count as an attack at all. This meant that it wouldn''t draw aggro from the spiders.


    As a spider fell in front of him, Josh adopted a fighting stance. "Alright, the moment of truth. Here goes nothing. Activate ability!" He shouted it as if that would change anything.


    He expected a pet to spawn. Nope. The reality was far weirder. On his back appeared a white spider. It was at shoulder level and see-through. It looked to be some kind of phantomatic existence.


    In fact, he now looked like he had 8 spider legs and a spider head popping out of him. It kept twirling its legs in the air for what purpose he ignored. It was weird, but Josh wouldn''t disregard it for such trivialities. "Hey there, what are your abilities, little one?"


    It simply looked at him and then screeched loudly! "REEE!" What?! It kept going too! Josh observed his newpanion. It really didn''t do anything besides that. The worst was that the surrounding spiders did not react to it whatsoever.


    The spiders were still dying just as fast, spawning just as fast, and- actually¡­That is when he noticed something. Whenever he went near a portal, its spawn rate would suddenly skyrocket.


    That''s when he thought of a crazy theory. What if this amulet''s curse affected anyone that had so much as touched it for a while? How great was that?!


    That is when white boots, gloves, and bracers spawned. Well, technically, the Boss did and instantly turned into loot. Sadly all items were repeats of what he already had. Yes, he chucked it all in the cocoon. It had taken 1 hour and a half to beat the boss, and he now had an idea to improve his time.


    He respawned, and he thoroughly rubbed himself with the amulet, trying to make the bad luck stick to his very pores. He did the same for the godly rat and Navi. Both of them couldn''t even protest.


    "Alright! Go forth and spread out across the entire forest! Get all the monsters to me!" Josh dered gusto!


    If the previous scene already looked crazy with the portals spawning spiders in industrial quantities, well, now it had the speed of someone using copy-paste to send well wishes to the distant family at Christmas. Or so he imagined¡­


    He kept going and going. It was a brutal and gory dance realized at the expense of the poor monsters that were just trying to live their lives. But they were simtions either way.


    This time Josh exterminated the Boss while using the Calling of the white spider. It surprisingly didn''t do shit. It just screeched at the Boss, the Boss screeched back, and that was it.


    Josh couldn''t help but imagine that the dialogue had probably gone something like.:


    - Phantom:


    Hello from the other side (of the human).


    I must have screeched a thousand times.


    I''m just stuck here on his spine.


    Sorry for killing you as he Climbs.


    -Boss: Imma murder you bitches.


    Maybe? Josh didn''t know, for he didn''t speak dead spider. But he turned down the ability, for it made him tired somehow.


    Anyway, this time he got something new: <Rank E+ ¨C White Spider Leg>! Hell yeah! There was still no extra set bonus at 6 pieces, but he was also clearly missing the chest piece.


    He exited the tower and reentered it. But this time, not only did he use allies, but he also used spiders to rub bad luck on them before letting them roam free. At this point, even Josh himself wasn''t sure how he was coping with so many of them.


    Actually, it was theirck of coordination that made it possible. Still, it was especially hard, even by his standards. This time it only took him one hour to make the white spider spawn. Josh was smiling rxed, but then he noticed something weird.


    In the distance, he was not seeing 1 White Dragon-Devouring Spider¡­but 10?! What the HELL?! It turned out this curse amulet was very effective! Shit¡­.

 Chapter 88: The Enemies Learned the Power of Friendship?!

    <h4>Chapter 88: The Enemies Learned the Power of Friendship?!</h4>


    In this time of trial, Josh couldn''t help but remember the wisdom of a great sage that once said: "I totally fucked up, now what?!"


    How was he supposed to know that there could be more than one Bosses?! Now, 10 gigantic White Spider were chasing him. After all this time beating up one of them with the power of friendship, it had learned. Was this karma?


    Now, the spider also had gotten his friends to help. Nine of them when only one would have been sufficient! Was this simply the power of a Mass Cmity curse wantonly used? If yes, it truly was OP!


    That cursed amulet hadn''t even been crafted with Tower materials. How strong could it possibly get? Would it be possible to use it to summon true Dragon-Devouring bosses?! Josh shuddered as he pictured getting chased by spiders the size of a mountain. Yes, even for him, it was harsh to picture.


    Now, how was he supposed to get out of this?! The only reason he had been able to kill the Boss was that it was getting swarmed by "fellow humans". It had previously allowed him to do a full-powered charged attack.


    Would the other 9 Bosses just watch him as he tried once more? Hell no! Did he have a way to increase the Fellow humans count? No, they were part of the decor and didn''t actually respawn once they died.


    What if he tried to use them to attack one another? He positioned himself perfectly in order to¡­.almost fucking die! There was no way this was going to happen! These spiders were different from the zombie or even the golems.


    While they weren''t smart enough to realizeplex battle formations (otherwise, he''d already been dead), they knew better than to kill one another. Trying such a stunt just made it so he was closer to their deadly spear-like legs.


    In fact, the weapon he had obtained earlier was a spear too. The Bosses kept mercilessly stabbing toward him. Josh had no desire to be a spider brochette. He kept running, using the experience he had built up all this time.


    Yes, the monsters were far faster than him and had the number advantage too. How was he still fine? Well, by now, he could predict every single of their movements. He was akin to a veteran beginning a new ythrough in a game, already knowing all the secrets.


    As he kept dodging, he couldn''t help but wonder if the system would check up on the fight at some point. Was this a bug? Was this intended? What the fuck was going on?! He missed so dearly the Alter Tower Protocol right now!


    The difference between the two was like Heaven and earth. Hell, if one day he could switch patron Protocol, he''d do it in a heartbeat. Then again, the other one was smarter. It may be more troublesome to manipte.


    He kept going, with legs brushing near him andnding upon various objects. Deadly legs were sinking into the ground deeper than his own height, crushing rocks and vegetation alike and even shattering the bark of the big trees.


    He could feel the cold touch of the grim reaper, and yet all his brain could think of was: "Demolition spiders: Fucking shit up since Floor 12! Satisfaction guaranteed, or we eat you!" with a cool jingle to go with the ad.


    This habit dated back to his early training days. He had been so scared initially, literally shaking in his boxers. Back then, he had embraced the adage of imagining his enemies in ridiculous situations to release the tension. Well, that had stuck.


    How (un)funny was that! A group of demolition spiders that¡­.oh damn! Never mind, it wasn''t funny at all. It was genius. The kind of genius that would be hard to implement but so what?


    The first item of business was to check the sharpness of the tools. Looking intently at the spiders, Josh happily nodded. These things were living machines of destruction after all. ??


    The second order of business was to make sure the area was safe for the personnel. Well, in this case, that would only be him. He did big rounds around the ce to line them up perfectly. ??


    Then he definitely needed a quality wedge. He''d rely on the spider spear he had (mostly for the irony of it). ??


    He made sure to keep an escape path and to visualize where the action would happen. ??


    Then he kept avoiding the crazy strong Bosses using the nearby trees as a foothold. He simply kept going courageously, every spider attack barely missing him and digging into where he had been a second before.


    But Josh was clearly dying the inevitable. Or was he? As far as the spiders were concerned, he was simply an annoyingly fast snack, one that was bound to tire eventually. After all, the energy of any living being would eventually run out.


    Well, they were right on that point. Just that Josh couldst way longer than a usual human. Even the Climbers could survive a long time without eating. Josh had the Gluttony bloodline allowing him to fight an even more nonsensical duration.


    Except, it wasn''t Josh''s stamina that gave up first. No, it was the towering trees all around the area. All this time, he had been using the spiders to weaken their structural integrity. The spider destruction corp had done a wonderful job!


    In fact, it was such an amazing job that plenty of humongous trees were now falling on them, with trunks bigger than elephants. It all produced an earth-shattering sound! BAM! Josh could feel the very ground under his feet trembling from the aftershock.


    The spiders could be seen weakly trying to struggle out from under the massive weight, but all were stuck. Josh felt like some kind of mastermind right now. He even began tough aloud, akin to a madman. "HAHAHAHA! Get wrecked!"


    He had used their own power to cause their demise, all the while using the terrain around them. He himself had not done any damage whatsoever. Now it was time for the fun part. He came near each one and ceased their pitiful existence.


    Well, one did manage to free itself, but even that wasn''t much of an issue. Josh simply went to get help from his "fellow humans" once more. As thest one disappeared, he nced over the shadowy forms.


    "All of you! They tried to Bully us, they tried to Crush us, they even tried to Destroy us! But! Are we humans that easy to Exterminate?! False! There is nothing Greater than Humanity! Together we are Indestructible! Today is a day of Joy! We have Killed all our enemies! For humanity! HUZZAH!"


    As he heard them sing his praises with a tactful "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!", he knew they loved him. Well, that speech was truly a ssic. It was perfect from A to K, and then he had gotten bored.


    After celebrating their victory with appropriate cheers like "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!", came the looting part. Josh approached all the corpses with excitement, a feeling that slowly died as he proceeded, for the elusive chest piece was nowhere to be seen.


    But then, at the 9th spider corpse, there it was. Just lying there beautifully. Like some wonderful piece of antique art. He felt happiness course through his whole body, simr to the rush surviving had just given him.


    <Rank E+ ¨C White Spider Robe>


    Defense +4


    The only stat on it was trash, but it didn''t matter. He had finally gotten the missing piece of the item set. Actually, perhaps there was even a cloak to go with that? Josh shakily equipped it. Now woulde the moment of truth.


    Would it increase the set bonus, or did he need to go back to farming some more? In such a case, he certainly would slow down with the cursed amulet. He had been so focused on the fight that he had lost any notion of time.


    Still, he knew a long while had passed. After all, dodging all the bosses while leading them subtly to dig their own grave had been extremely troublesome. He looked at his trusty internal clock, aka the Fallen curse: <Lifespan: 24 days>. It had taken him about a day to prepare the amulets and for the initial farming.


    This meant he had spent about 5 days scheming against the monsters while running for his life. As he came to this realization, he could feel how tired he actually was. The constant adrenaline and his Climber body had kept him going, but barely¡­


    As Josh equipped all of the set items, this was his status:


    <White Spider Set Effect (3)>


    Crawling of the White Spider: White and Sticky (5 min) Cooldown 1 hour.


    <White Spider Set Effect (5)>


    Calling of the White Spider: Phantom Ally Cooldown 1 hour.


    <White Spider Set Effect (7)>


    Aspect of the White Spider: Temporarily be one with the Phantom Ally. Toggle.


    ~


    He quickly activated the Calling ability as the phantomatic being began screeching "tsk-tsk-tsk."


    He then felt his heart beat faster as he used the Aspect one. Would he morph as a spider directly? Would he gain tons of limbs? Would his hair turn white, perhaps? Thest one would make him look wise for sure!


    He could then feel it. It was the same feeling as when he used the White and Sticky mode. It was exactly the goddamn same! There was no physical change whatsoever to him, and the phantom even disappeared.


    But after 5 minutes, he understood the difference. There was no time limit. As long as he kept it active, it kept going. The only downside was that it took mana. But this system was unlike any other video game he had seen.


    He couldn''t see his mana go down in real-time. Nope, it was only showing the total, 2700. But he could feel it. The more time passed and the more lightheaded he felt. He could probablyst 15 minutes continuously using it before he really felt the strain (estimated).


    He finally had a skill (albeit it was an item set one). This would give him way more versatility when it came to fighting! All in all, these runs had been amazing. What could he have done before with the ability to climb on surfaces?


    The answer was absolutely nothing so far. He had mostly struggled against the crazy zombie, the y golem boss, the rats, and the nature vine beetle. Thetter needed to be attacked melee to shatter its weak point, and the formers were in areas without any terrain to Climb.


    Here it would have worked wonderfully, but the spiders could do the same except without even expending mana. So yeah¡­ Still, Josh was convinced it would one daye in handy else he wouldn''t have worked so hard for it.


    He made sure to pick everything up. Good thing he had that cocoon. His spoils of victory were damn impressive. So impressive that he wondered how so much loot could fit inside the tiny white container. Well, magic or some shit.


    He had in total 4 spider legs (1 sword, 3 spears), 4 Spider Helmets, only 1 robe, 5 pairs of gloves, 6 bracers, 4 pants, and 4 pairs of boots.


    Smiling from ear to ear, he finally dered. "Take care, my fellow humans. See you guys in another life, on another Floor."


    They obviously all wished their hero goodbye and a safe journey with poetic farewells: "THaNk yOu FeLLoW HuMan!"


    Thus josh teleported out. But as soon as he was outside, he could see tons of members of the ck Squad blocking ess to the Tower. They even had a fully functional defense perimeter. One of them sternly shouted at Josh.


    "You there! Going back in the Tower is prohibited! Hurry up and exit the premises!"


    This was the first time Josh actually saw any kind of regtion made toward the Tower. If he didn''t have the backing of Draconic, he would have definitely hurried back inside just to be safe.


    After all, he only had 24 days left to live. He couldn''t afford to stay outside for long. But for now, heplied with the instructions. He wasn''t there to start a war with the humans in any case. He simply desired to Climb.


    But still, what could this be all about?...

 Chapter 89: Legendary Goldfish Maker!

    <h4>Chapter 89: Legendary Goldfish Maker!</h4>


    What could all this fanfare be about?


    The ck squad hadpletely blocked ess to the Tower. They were armed to the teeth with futuristic-looking weapons (at least to Josh) and had ced many movable electric fences. They weren''t kidding.


    Perhaps it would be possible to breach such defenses by rushing ahead, buting out afterward would most likely be suicidal. One would be forced to live in the Tower for pulling such a stunt.


    Honestly, it wouldn''t sound so bad if there was any food to be found. Ah, some Floors actually had ingredients dropping as materials. Ones that apparently needed some professional chefs to process.


    How easy would it be if one could butcher the monstrous creatures found in there and cook them barbecue style? Sadly they all had to disappear in a sh of light. Sure, the equipment dropping was nice, but it wouldn''t fill one''s stomach! (Sword-eaters not included).


    As he observed his surroundings, wondering what this circus was all about, he could see vultures circling near the fences. They were all flocking to the ce, either alone or in small groups.


    Some were colorful: red, blue, purple, orange, etc. Some were loud, but others quieter. Some looked in yet reliable. Some looked somewhat elegant. Some downright shook their bodies, trying to use their sex appeal. A vast majority were showing their white teeth as if actors in a dentifricemercial.


    But one thing for sure was they were all hunting for prey. It just happened that one such vulture set its sight on Josh. As the creature approached, he could sense its eagerness. Thus a vulture, aka a reporter, approached him. Yes, the kind that would exploit the death of others for their own benefit in search of a scoop.


    This specific one was a youngdy in her twenties at best. The poor thing didn''t even know how to wear a shirt properly. All of the buttons on the chest area were unused, revealing the top of her shapely breasts. Josh could see the caption: <Tower~News> on her equipment. She was in the process of delivering a heated speech to a small flying robot holding a camera.


    "I am now in front of the Dimensional Tower where the unspeakable has happened. Many discussion threads have popped up by the hundreds on the Inter-Web about it. Recently Climbers worldwide began reporting strange happenings on Floor 12. Apparently, there would now be a new difficulty option before fighting the Boss¡­."


    She rambled for a little bit, even quoting some random users on the Inte. Journalism 101. Then she turned toward Josh with an expression so serious it didn''t fit the amount of cleavage she was showing.


    "Sir, as a Climber, I would like your opinion. There are already many missing team cases opened for this single Floor. How worried are you about it? Do you fear it could spread to other Floors? What do you think the government should do about it? Is opening some Climber Schools enough? Are you scared of entering the Tower?"


    She had bombarded him with questions and was now valiantly brandishing a microphone in his face. Josh chuckled a bit. This was why it was important to select the individuals to interrogate carefully. He seriously replied to her.


    "Not worried at all. No fear. Nothing needs to be done. Maybe. Nope, not scared one bit. That should be all, right?" He unhurriedly asked her. That is how her interview really fell t.


    She had done all that build-up and had carefully chosen someone that seemed mature yet not too strong to get a tragic story out of him. But all she had gotten was nonchnce. Plus, Josh didn''t even seem to put her in his eyes. Just as she was about to retort, he spoke again.


    "Look, the Tower is constantly evolving. First, you should try to find stories before people die. Second, don''t be a tease. Either go the full slutty way or button that shirt properly. See that sexy cougar right there or that prim and properdy over there? Learn from them."


    On that note, he left. Behind remained apletely shocked news field reporter. Her current expression reminded him of a goldfish: big eyes, open mouth, a little reddish in the face. Talking about red, Josh could see another red being approaching him.


    The same reporter that had helped him make Credits was here. "Hey, how are you, Josh! It''s been a while, hasn''t it? What do you think of all this Tower stuff? Just go straight to the point. No need for all the bullshit that we are usually shoveling."


    The cameraman apanying the man looked shocked: "We''re live, live!"


    The Kool guy¡­that was his name, right? He went: "Meh, whatever. So, Josh. You don''t seem that worried. Why?"


    "Before that, why aren''t you using a camera bot like these other guys? Why is your red suit so damn shy? Are you sure you want to talk to me live?"


    "Because I can. Because it''s cool! I don''t give a crap." He shrugged with a smile, giving Josh a taste of his own medicine. In the back came a muffled yet panicked "We''re live, live!"


    Josh couldn''t help but smile. This guy seemed like aplete failure of a reporter at first nce, but at least he wasn''t putting airs. He slowly enunciated.


    "These new difficulties are called Hard and Possible. It''s not a bad thing. The harder it is, the better the rewards. The Tower is fair." Josh almost wanted to add "and confused" to that list, but he refrained.


    He kept going. "If one can clear normal easily, then hard could possibly be a good option to consider. As for Possible, I fear this one should be extremely hazardous. After all, Possible can very well mean that it''s close to impossible, you see."


    It was easy to appear logical when working backward from the known answer. Yet his interlocutor appeared impressed.


    "Wow! What a great analysis! Now, we just need to cut that part, and we''ll be all ready for¡­Ah, right we''re live. Still, thank you for your time!" He then happily went away, probably to cover the situation with the ck Squad.


    That is when Josh realized that his UW had been shing for a while. He could see that one guy had spammed him over and over. All the messages were from Lucas.


    -Lucas the Lancer: Bro, you fucking killed her! OMG! This is one of the best live interviews in history! Her face was priceless. She looked like a goddamn goldfish! I''m just sad your''s was blurred thanks to that dumb privacyw. I wanted to see your smug face!


    -Lucas the Lancer: I forgot something vital¡­.#NO-HOMO! I just wanted to see your face as a friend.


    -Lucas the Lancer: You''re still giving interviews?! Wait, did that guy really call his own job bullshit?! Wow, this guy is chill! Also, why do I feel like you know more than you are saying? Sus¡­


    -Lucas the Lancer: Oh yeah, I should probably have started with that, but we''re waiting for you at the Guild.


    As expected of him, there was lots of random rambling. Before long, Josh was pushing the doors to the gold member area of Draconic.


    "Sup, everyone!" He called out. "Were you guys really just wasting your time here?"


    Then came a cacophony of greetings and peopleining that he sure took his time. That it had already been half a day since the Tower ban had been established.


    The various members could be seen. The few he was familiar with were all there except Kasha that was noticeably missing. Ronan, Liam, Lucas (of course), Lily, even Dario that promptly began speaking.


    "Josh, let''s cut to the chase. What level are you right now?!" He looked burdened.


    "Eh, level 13, why?"


    "Nice! Okay, here is the situation. Many groups have gone inside the new difficulties. The Hard one has been cleared already and gives items at a higher drop rate. We theorize that it should help in getting rare drops, too."


    Josh simply nodded along.


    "The Possible difficulty was originally mostly ignored, but then people started disappearing en masse. That is when we finally put 2 and 2 together and realized that it is, in fact, a hellish one. No one that entered it so far has survived. The name and how it appears left of Normal are a trap!"


    Wait, it showed: Possible, Normal, Hard?! No wonder people were dying! The Tower really had screwed up on that one. Talk about misleading! But there was one thing puzzling Josh.


    "So, how are you guys getting statistics in the Tower exactly?"


    "We base it on the people that said that they were going to try the Possible difficulty and disappeared right after. All the missing cases will turn into death reports in a few days. Nowes the difficult part. We''ve been asked to clear Floor 12."


    It was obvious where this discussion was going. Still, there was one point that Josh didn''t understand. "Can''t you guys just send our strongest to clear it? The level 40+ should be able to handle it alone, no?"


    Dario gave a heavy sigh. "If only it was that easy. While we can enter any Floor under our level, the specific rewards and challenges cannot be activated. The monsters barely drop evenmon stuff like materials. We can''t even make the Boss spawn on Floor 12."


    Josh finally understood why people only kept Climbing upward. It had most likely been designed in such a way to prevent them from abusing their high levels. Dario''s entire being straightened up as he gazed at Josh with solemnity.


    "Josh, the only way I see us clearing it is with your help. If you agree, I will put you in charge of leading a team of Climbers from other S-ranked guilds. We just need to figure out what such Possible difficulty gives as a reward. I know it''s a lot to ask, but-"


    "Yeah, nope. Not interested¡­" Josh denied him instantly.


    Dario already began to nod understandingly. He truly couldn''t force Josh to go on such a deadly journey. No sane man would ever ept that. But then Josh finished his sentence.


    "¡­I''m done farming it already. As long as they are ready to fight a few hundred to thousands of spiders at a time, it''s not that difficult, really. I can show you some of the drops if you want¡­."


    That is when Josh took out some weird cocoon from his inventory. He didn''t care about the overwhelmed Dario as he started taking out item after item slowly, keeping 3 of each for his own use (Only 1 robe).


    The man waspletely stunned. The impossible task he was worrying about ¡­had already beenpleted?! Solo to boot?! Wait, there was more! Josh had used the term "farm". He hadpleted it not once but many times over and over?!


    The more items Josh took out, and the more fantastic the guild master''s face became. All until Lucas felt the need toment. "Wow! Another goldfish!" Then he began taking pictures of all the members that looked like they were traumatized. "So many goldfishes! Very impressive, mister Josh. This lowly advisor thinks you could open a pet shop."


    But Josh had a question of his own. "Right, where''s Kasha anyway? We literally talked about Floor 12 and item sets a few days ago."


    Liam promptly chimed in. "She''s off fighting some criminal from city H that tried to infiltrate the area of Metropolis C. But, most importantly, did you just say item set?!" His voice was akin to a kid on Christmas eve.


    Liam was the one that had dashed straight to kill the Cerberus Boss in the tutorial while "Nerding" about it. With an incredibly brilliant smile, he slowly began wearing the items covering the Floor.


    That is when Josh turned toward Dario once more. "Guild Leader, there is something way more important than this little Tower trifle."


    Dario had just regained his spirit that he already had to face the somber Josh. Trifle? This "trifle" had already sent the entire world into a frenzy! What could be worse?! He could feel the pressure as he prepared himself mentally. Was there a world cmity iing?!


    He barely heard Josh over the deafening sound of his own heartbeat, every word cutting into his psyche like the sharpest weapon. "Guild leader, what happened to my reward for that school mission?"


    That was it?! Seriously?!


    Needless to say, there were now more Goldfishes. For a different reason this time¡­

 Chapter 90: Random Encounter! Or Is It?

    <h4>Chapter 90: Random Encounter! Or Is It?</h4>


    "Guild leader, what happened to my reward for that school mission?"


    That single sentencepletely shattered the tense atmosphere and had most of the guild members doubting life. The incredible danger they were facing had been nothing to Josh, yet he was concerned about that?!


    Dario could be seen trembling slightly before asking in a discouraged tone. "Are you talking about the equipment or the home decorator?"


    "Right, for the equipment, can you switch it for some set thingies from Floor 40? Also, yes, I still want help with furnishing my cozy home." Josh answered. In the back, he could hear someone whisper something about "cozy" and "sewer" not going well together.


    "Fine, I can give someone I know a call right now. As for the Equipment Holders, we have a few in Storage right about now, so feel free to grab a few. While it''s hard to obtain, they are fairly useless¡­." But then Dario looked at the White Spider Equipment.


    "Actually, it seems it will have some value right now. If one can get skills from equipment¡­Then switching many items at once may just be worth it. I''ll buy some more from other guilds while I''m at it, I guess." Dario finished pensively.


    "Some more, you say?" Josh felt there was an issue with that. He continued. "Buy it all! Soon everyone and their mother will be farming for these sets. We need to strike while everyone else is unaware of the value and¡­."


    But Dario stopped him. "Nope, you are clearly overestimating the general Climbers. The only ones that would try something so dangerous are the A and S rank guilds. It''s not worth it for them. E rank gear is simply not good enough."


    This made a lot of sense. Bummer. Oh well, he''d give up on that money-making scheme. He still had a small gain toe. Josh pointed at the White Spiders items people were trying on. "Dario, I''ll give you a discount and sell all of this gear for 100k credits only."


    Came a voice in the background: "What?! That''s a scam! E+ items with skills only go for 5k Credits!"


    But Dario simply nodded and transferred it before smiling happily. Honestly, Josh had given him a pretty fair price considering all that was going on. This little sale just put the earnings of Josh at the same level as a top-level Ranker, but he was only level 13.


    This was the power of effort and very potent cursed amulets! At this moment, the fate of a certain monk was decided. Josh would have him work hard on enchanting (?) until the man could curse anything in existence.


    How amazing would it be to possess a full set of monster-attracting equipment?! Incredibly so! This farming set would put to shame an industrial A-grade meat grinder in terms of efficiency! What about his subordinate''s wishes? Irrelevant!


    As Josh exited the guild, he could feel the tension in the air. There were many customers of Draconic that walked with heavy footsteps, their back leaning over some screens worriedly.


    "What are you guys watching?" Josh asked.


    One of the closest was an ordinary-looking man wearing a cheap suit that was busy staring at his UW. He offhandedly replied Josh while keeping his eyes glued to the screen.


    "Watching the News. Bad news. The world is in turmoil. Well, it always was, but at least it wasn''t this part of the world. At this rate, a devouring zombie apocalypse wouldn''t surprise me. We are screwed, and so are the Fallens."


    "Concretely, what does that mean?" This piqued Josh''s Curiosity.


    The man sighed. "Apparently, our Rankers repelled some viin from H city. They wrote it as if it was a win, but they only repelled him. He''s fine. He''ll be back, more sneakily next time. Meanwhile, the ck Squad is too busy blocking the Tower and interrogating random people to care about it."


    The man took out a water bottle, drank a bit, and started shaking it, making the content swirl inside.


    "There''s also this goddamn Floor 12 thing. People expect the whole system to be as still as water, but they drown instantly when the first waves appear. Do you know how many people this shit killed?!"


    "Do you?" Josh seriously asked.


    "Of course not! A shitload! Probably a few hundred thousand worldwide. That''s conservatively too! But that''s not all. Look at this stuff!" On the screen appeared some report of some kind of seismic activity.


    "What am I looking at exactly?" Josh inquired.


    "Tremors. Remember the incident in D-23 City? Disaster zone D-23, they call it. They say only one guy managed toe out of there alive, crazy, isn''t it? Well, the tremors are back. Ah, and so is the fucking red sky!"


    As he said that, the man pulled up a meteorological report. It said something about the weather being unpredictable in that area, all thanks to the red hue. It did notice a sharp change in the coloration too.


    "So, what''s your opinion on this?" Josh couldn''t help but ask curiously.


    "Well, I''d say it''s the end of the fucking world, haha-. It has been ever since the Tower appeared. The calm is temporary and is bound to be violently shattered at some point. These are only the first signs of it. This whole thing is but a godly survival game with us as the me that tons of monsters are trying to extinguish."


    This was the most chill apocalyptic prophet Josh had ever seen. He looked convinced of what he foretold, and yet he didn''t appear scared, somehow. Josh questioned him. "This doesn''t terrify you even a little bit?"


    "Even if it terrifies me profoundly, there isn''t much I can do about it. I have the coordination of a brick, so I won''t Climb. Anyway, in the meantime, I''ll just try toe here as much as possible, you know to hug the asses of the bigshots here."


    "Isn''t it supposed to be thighs?" Josh remarked.


    "At this point, I''m going to hug whatever I can, even if it''s the leg of a giant white spider." The man chuckled slightly while scratching his head, eyes closing for an instant.


    At that moment, Josh''s entire aura changed. The casual and friendly air he had about him suddenly became a sharp one. His interlocutor also felt it, opening his eyes wide in surprise.


    "What do you want?"Josh asked him in a very slow and deep tone.


    The man seemed to hesitate, but then he quickly made his mind up. In his eyes, Josh could not see any hint of confidence, but he could discern resolve. The man was ready to get killed for this little stunt of his.


    "I want to be an analyst. One that researches both this world and the others." He dered.


    Most would have stopped at the Tower. Or perhaps this world and the Tower. No, this man had an obvious and burning desire for knowledge. Where would this quest of his lead him? Josh couldn''t help but wonder.


    He gestured to him, "Follow me." Then, both of them entered the elevator that Josh had just left, heading back into the guild. As they exited it, the entirety of the Draconic members present was on high alert.


    The man right next to Josh could be heard gulping loudly. Just the killing intent made his knees weak. That is when Josh pointed to Dario. "He''s the one you want to talk to. Good luck." He then pushed him in the maw of the Dragon. Not literally.


    He couldn''t wait to hear about the man''s performance¡­


    ****


    (POV)


    The man could feel death itself. His entire body was shaking andcking strength. Just staying standing already took all he had. He kept repeating to himself that if he fell, it would be the end.


    If he fell, it would put all his efforts to waste. He had truly guessed it right. Josh Malum was a member of Draconic. That, many had probably guessed too.


    But there was more. He wasn''t any normal man. He seemed ordinary at first nce, even taking a while to Climb, but the man had seen through the facade. He had also made a huge gamble.


    He had gambled that Josh Malum would be his entry point to Draconic. This would be the craziest interview of all time. Getting thrown into an S-Guild directly to meet its master. There he was, a tall and stern man that exuded the aura of a true warrior.


    Seeing him about to piss himself, the guild master finally gestured him to follow him. For the man, this was the most excruciating walk of his life. The curious members were all eyeing him.


    Compared to them, he felt like a worm, a pitiful and weak one. But, having power didn''t matter to an analyst. He just needed brains and resolve¡ªthe resolve not to betray Draconic no matter what, at least. Otherwise, they could never trust him with key information.


    But as he entered the guild master''s office, he understood that this had simply been an appetizer. Now began the real thing. The Dragon addressed him. "How did you get Josh to escort you here personally, and what are you here for?"


    The man dug into his own palms to shake off the pressure he felt, blood slowly dripping to the ground. He then answered in the most confident voice he could muster. "I''m here to be an analyst for Draconic. I approached him and told him about the news."


    Dario couldn''t help but raise a brow: "The news? How is that rted?" Even he couldn''t see the link.


    "We had a regr conversation. I just threw in a few keywords. Fallen, devouring-zombie, ck Squad, D-23, Survival Game, Floor 12 and White Spider."


    Dario looks astonished for a second, but then he beganughing. "You approached fucking Josh Malum with a tale about his own life?! That''s bold! Truly bold! Alright, let''s do a little test. Then we''ll know if you are worthy of joining us."


    The man could barely breathe, but he nodded nheless. His gaze hardened, his limbs that had been jelly somehow became solid once more. Even he had no idea how it had happened. In fact, he hadn''t noticed it either. All he was doing was staring straight at the guild master. He knew he wasn''t ready for what was toe, but he didn''t have a choice.


    Then it started. Suddenly. It was akin to a light switch being turned on. But instead of light came pressure. It was a pressure so intense that the man felt the air leaving his lungs.


    His blood started flowing in reverse, or it felt like it. The man was gone. Instead, there was a dragon in his ce. One that looked down on him. One that made him understand how worthless he really was. One that made him realize his ce.


    He knew he had to bow before this deity. He knew he had to serve it with all he had. He knew¡­but he didn''t. He remained steady. He himself didn''t know where such valiance wasing from.


    He simply needed to seed, or he would forever remain ignorant. He had to... At all cost. At that moment, his heart even stopped beating for a fraction of a second. He did not notice. He needed to remain standing. He needed¡­


    "Good work" Dario''s voice was akin to a chime bringing him out of a dream. His entire body was fully covered in sweat. His clothes were damp from it. He had pissed and shat himself too. He had a sore appearance, but he didn''t care. He had seeded. He could feel his entire being rx following how relieved he was.


    He would learn so many new things he would- but then he suddenly eximed, "I need to thank him!" Somehow that was the first thought he had. Josh had seen through him and had still brought him here. He was truly lucky.


    Dario beganughing loudly. "Hahaha. The young truly are fearless. Truly bold to have approached him. Did you know Josh faced the same test at a simr level too? Can you guess the oue?"


    The man smiled. "He clearly passed it with flying colors. I bet he didn''t even shiver! he probably simply stared back!"


    Dario smiled wryly. "Right, what''s your name?"


    "Tallis, Tallis Frode! A pleasure to meet you. I''m truly d to have this opportunity." This would expand his horizon so much!


    "Weird name. Now, tell me, Tallis. How do you feel right now?"


    "Likeplete crap. I have never seen something as impressive and scary in all the years I''ve been in this world. That I am sure." Somehow he noticed the Dragon''s smile, and he had an omen that he was about to drop a bomb.


    "Well, Tallis. How you feel right now is how I felt when I gazed deep into Josh''s eyes. The Dragon''s Presence didn''t do shit." He chuckled as he said. But Tallis could feel it. He wasn''t kidding.


    How?! The Dragon was one of the strongest Rankers?! This wasn''t possible! Now he, Tallis, had tried using such a man?! Holy shit! Good thing he had been honest about his goal straight away! Otherwise, he would be dead already.


    Tallis felt his entire being grow cold as he shivered violently. That is when he somehow perceived something else too. The guild leader had never once addressed Josh as his subordinate. What did this mean?!


    Tallis had an inkling at that moment. What kind of monster was Josh?! He was no Newbie, far from it! How deep did Josh Malum''s schemes run?!


    In fact, what kind of devious n was he crafting right now?!...

 Chapter 91: ?Embarrassing Training?

    <h4>Chapter 91: ?Embarrassing Training?</h4>


    While many wondered what devious n Josh had in store, he was talking decoration.


    Josh had just paid his rent, paid his electricity bill, and?was discussing with the guy Dario had sent to renovate his room. The poor man kept nodding while listening to Josh''s demands, unsure of how to react.


    "First, I need a door. One that is soundproof and will nicely cover the entrance."


    *Nod"


    That much was a given.


    "Can we get some cool lights in here? Maybe ones that have different settings. You know, normal, dim, ''interrogation room'' and even the ''will blind your dog eyes'' one."


    *Nod*


    The man wondered who exactly Josh was trying to blind and why.


    "What about the bed? Can I get a pretty sturdy one? Perhaps one thates with nice leather straps. You know, to tie the pillows to it."


    *Concerned nod*


    To tie pillows? Coincidentally right after he asked about interrogation grade lighting?! That sounded so sketchy already.


    "For the pillows, I want soft fluffy ones. I want it to allow one to sink his whole face in it easily."


    *Very concerned nod*


    Was he nning to suffocate someone in this very room?!


    "For the nket, I''d like one that is nice and heavy. Then, a fine rug on the floor. As for the color, I''m thinking blood red for both."


    *Couldn''t be more concerned nod* The man was obviously nning to torture people here.


    "I''ll need a fridge and a freezer too. The first one doesn''t have to be that big, but thetter needs the size to amodate about 3 human bodies, I''d say."


    *Actually considering calling the ck Squad Nod*


    But this job had been requested by Dario himself. He didn''t have the guts to go against Draconic for such a trivial situation. Plus, buying all these things wasn''t a crime. The issue was more how Josh was evidently going to use them. That is when the troublesome client spoke again.


    "Right, can you also add some robots for cleaning just my ce? Some cool-looking ones like the killer robots on that one television show, Reality C. Ah, and maybe an electric chair, you know the kind that-"


    "I know! Don''t worry. I''ll take care of it! Can I go now? There is somewhere I need to be soon." For the first time, the man didn''t simply nod. He exuded both confidence and worry. He was probably alreadyte for his meeting.


    "Alright, take care!" Josh waved him goodbye with a smile. Good thing he had remembered to ask for a massage chair too.


    He had expected this to be more troublesome, but he had been pleasantly surprised. He expected the man to ask him plenty of precise questions to understand exactly what he meant, but no.


    It was better this way because decoration-wise, he could have been called Josh Snow, for he knew nothing about it. His usual approach had been to leave the walls in white and call it a day.


    Talking about walls, it was time for some magic. Josh equipped the White Spider set and instantly invoked the spider phantom. It appeared and began making some "tsk-tsk-tsk" sounds and then some "REEE" screeching. How impressive! It was bilingual!


    He then used the aspect of the spider, and it felt like he had a new sensepletely. He began Climbing and then climbed some more. Upward, downward, left, right, a random direction who cares? Josh tried them all.


    Not only did he quickly get used to the power, but he figured something else out. He could use the ability for 30 minutes in total. But after 26 minutes, it would start to impact his fighting capabilities.


    This could seem like Josh simply ying around, especially with the big-ass smile on his face, but it was legit training. He wasn''t only ying a spider man for fun. It would potentially save his lifeter on in the Tower.


    The next task on the agenda was to figure out the items he had just gotten from Draconic.


    3 X Equipment Holder: Check ??


    Old set ced in one Equipment Holder: Check ??


    White Spider Set in another one: Check ??


    Having both in each respective hand: Check ??


    Bing the fastest quick-changer alive : Motherfucking Check ??????


    He simply had to hold the item while wishing to switch. It was almost instantaneous too. Officially, Josh was testing this new loot. Realistically, he was just having a st.


    In the beginning, he feigned seriousness, but it soon degenerated. Josh even went as far as adopting a cute tone, a pose akin to a ? magical girl ? , and then shouting embarrassing lines as if in a transformation sequence:


    "? I am Josh Motherfucking Malum. Defender of Earth, coolest Fallen, top-notch Climber! Be ready for the White and Sticky! In the name of Peace, Friendship and Magic ? ~ I''ll fuck you up." He said the veryst part in the deepest voice he could muster.


    That''s when came a gulping sound, right behind him. Somehow, Josh had been so immersed that he hadn''t realized that someone had snuck behind his back. Theck of evil intent from the individual hadn''t helped.


    How is one supposed to react to such a situation? At this precise moment, both men were asking themselves that very same question.


    The man wore a simple worker''s outfit that covered his entire body properly. In his hands, he had a gun, one that was currently pointed downward to the ground. His face waspletely frozen as he tried to understand the current situation.


    The man hade here in high alert, ready to face any monster, but had seen¡­THAT instead. The sewers were actually constantly monitored by U-Bots in charge of cleaning. Humans couldn''t ess their data, but they received alert signals from time to time.


    For instance, someone in need of assistance would instantly be answered with an instant dispatch. In this case, the U-bots had reported strange sounds and movements. It was theorized that some insect had probably mutated and ended up in the sewers.


    The man was here to investigate. He had been told, "If it sounds like a monster and moves like a monster, then it''s probably a monster." The tense man had courageouslye forward, gun in hand, only to see this abomination.


    Thus both men shared a look, both at a loss. How was Josh supposed to guess that something like that would happen?!


    He was right in his backyard too (kinda)! How was he supposed to exin that? But then he had a sh of insight as he beganughing.


    "You should see your face, man! Oh my god! Priceless! If you look right there. Yes, right there. Hidden camera! Then in that other direction, hidden camera too!" Josh said as he pointed in totally random ces.


    The man suddenly rxed, loosening his grip on his weapon. Suddenly Josh had gone from dangerous or potential creep to some normal guy that was just pranking people. In haste not to seem too slow on the uptake, the man even yed along.


    "Oh, so that''s it! I had my suspicions, but I wasn''t 100% sure you know."


    "Right, of course, no worries¡­." Then Josh began to bullshit him about a fake prank show called Prank''d that hepletely invented on the spot. Ah, the power of bullshit. Not once did the man take the time to wonder why Josh had set up such a thing the sewers.


    Still, all is well that ended well. Josh had some fun. The man left the ce with a tale no one would believe. Josh happily headed to the G district to eat.


    In the Unstoppable Dinner, the chef awaited him with the reproachful eyes of a neglected mistress. "I thought you were dead." he went.


    "I already told you I wouldn''t kick the bucket! Stop worrying, old man. If you were a cute girl, maybe I wouldn''t mind, but ¡­" Josh teased while faking a sigh.


    The man simply nodded before going back to the kitchen to busy himself. Before long, Josh was eating tender salmon cooked to perfection. It had been slowly marinated in a garlic sauce, and it just melted in his mouth. As a side dish, there was carrot puree that surprisingly tasted amazing.


    Josh couldn''t help but marvel at how cheap food was in this world. He had just ordered 70 servings of Salmon and yet could easily afford it. Back on Earth, it would have been a few months of his food budget used in this single meal. Here it had cost 10 credits, with a tip.


    Josh felt like a nouveau riche. Did it matter that there were people out there more wealthy than him? Not at all. He would enjoy himself, and that was sufficient.


    For now, he felt that fancy food providing buffs was a waste of Credits. His fights were either too easy and didn''t require it or too long, and it would expire before seeing any use. He''d just eat here for the amazing taste.


    As he ate, he researched a bit. Floor 13 was apparently known as the first one to host poison. It was rmended to get some antidotes in advance just to be safe. Josh knew how potent poison and difficult to guard against it could be.


    At first, he nned to simply head toward the B district, but then he saw ament on a forum. Apparently, it was possible to get some directly from the source in the C district. His target was now a ce called the Golden Cauldron.


    They were an A-rank guild, the same as Gemini and that other one, the Adamantium wolves. As he arrived there, he couldn''t help but suck in a breath.


    These guys were true to their guild name. Their building was quite literally a giant Golden Cauldron. That would be his first time seeing alchemy at work. Hopefully, he would get a new lifesaving measure...

 Chapter 92: Truly A Golden Cauldron

    <h4>Chapter 92: Truly A Golden Cauldron</h4>


    The Golden Cauldron stood there in all its glory. You''ve probably heard of golden chains and even golden teeth, but ever heard of a golden big-ass pot?


    Well, it was pretty simr to an iron one but with a third less heat resistance. This thought made Josh chuckle, even facing thevish and impressive building. Fun fact, it didn''t even have windows.


    It was gorgeous and immense, but itcked the austere charm of the Draconic Dragon. This showcased some ''in your face'' wealth''. Glowing golden glyphs were swimming on its surface. Somehow it was gold on another shade of gold. Did these mean anything? Did these serve any purpose at all?


    Well, Josh knew that the tourists loved it. Somehow, many humans were taking lots of pictures of it. For a split second, he wondered why these guys didn''t gue Draconic with that attention but then figured it out. Taking pictures of that guild full of madmen was a straight ticket to a Darwin award¡ªor whatever it was called in this world.


    Now, there was one thing puzzling him. That amazing building had no entrance. Was he supposed to somehow scale it and enter through the top? Seeing him looking all around, someone nearby chuckled: "They''ll open the guided tour soon. Just be patient, young man."


    A cordial middle-aged man was wearing Cr0cs, right there. Josh sighed. It seemed that this Cmity had invaded this ce too. Little did the people of this world know how badly Josh felt like holy crusading against these fashion atrocities.


    But then came a sound, a deep gong that went GONG X10. Yes, there was some Echo. It reverberated loudly across the entire area. How had they not been swarmed with noiseints? How were the people inside not deaf yet? The plot was thickening, and a door was opening in the golden wall.


    It simply slid down into the ground, revealing a big entrance and a small man. But he perfectly ovepensated his small height with a long golden robe that even dragged across the floor as he walked. His voice was deep and posed:


    "Wee everyone! Now, as you guys know, this is our holy sanctuary. You guys are blessed to even have the opportunity, dare I say the privilege toy your eyes on this holynd. Whoever wishes to enter will have to pay a small fee of 100 Credits. Now, let us begin¡­"


    He then slowly walked to everyone, collecting money akin to a religious man begging for donations. It was just for a different cause. Josh transferred a month of rent without batting an eye, and so did all the others with smiles on their faces. This was clearly designed for Climbers.


    When one could invest up to 10 000 Credits on a single piece of equipment, what was a small 100? It was but 1% of a single purchase to anyone with a basic grasp of math. But it was a rhetorical question to the others.


    "Alright, follow me and watch your steps. From time to time, there will be beautiful glyphs swimming on the floor. Should you guys step on them, you will¡­" the crowd was holding its breath. Was there any danger? "¡­you will not be able to admire their splendor. You know with your foot in the way."


    Some chuckled, some resisted the temptation to facepalm at this bad joke, and Josh began avoiding them all like the gue. That is when the guide turned toward him and asked concernedly. "What are you doing? I was merely kidding. It ispletely safe."


    Josh shook his head. The man didn''t seem to understand. "Simple, it is a tradition on Earth to avoid the cracks in the sidewalk. This is its golden swimming glyph counterpart. Don''t mind me."


    At that moment, the handsome-looking guide lost hisposure as visitors began snickering. Who hadn''t done such a thing in their youth? The vigers too poor to afford sidewalks would be a good guess, albeit perhaps offensive.


    Thus the tour resumed or began really. The guide soon brought them to what seemed like a control room. The ce had screens, U-bots, a few chairs, and a table¡ª oh, and it was a rapper''s wet dream. Gold everywhere!


    "This is where the magic can be seen. Each of our alchemists has personal rooms. In there, they can ess True-Fire to heat their cauldrons to mix magical ingredients to make potions, salves, and things like that."


    After beating the Vine Beetle, Josh had obtained one such cauldron. It was very peculiar that it used such archaic-looking tools. Then again, this whole thing had been designed as a game, so it was understandable. Josh couldn''t help but raise his hand.


    "Question, here. Are all the rooms the same, or are they different? For instance, do you guys make your alchemistspete in alchemypetitions to determine their ranking and then assigning them a room of varying quality depending on the results?"


    Yes, perhaps Josh had read one too many cultivation novels back in the day. But seeing cauldrons and all, he couldn''t help but interrogate his guide. How did it all work!


    Said guide looked puzzled. "No. Why would we do such a thing? That would be shooting ourselves in the foot. Wouldn''t the alchemist need to keep adapting to a different room every time? Talk about a loss of time and effort!"


    Josh couldn''t help but unconsciously distance himself from the man. Oh god! Were there fans of such literature in the room?! Had the man signed his death sentence?! Apparently not¡­


    Then the guide began fiddling with a flying touch screen before appeared the huge face of a man on the wall. His top was off, and he looked like a total DILF with his graying hair and well-defined muscles.


    So there was eye candy for thedies, or the guy was simply hot. He was operating right next to a burning hot cauldron¡ªalmost as hot as himself, or so Josh heard thedies murmur.


    Ever paid 100 Credits to watch some topless guy stir a pot? Josh would have raised his hand. Well, there was also the long andplex exnation that went along with it. It could be resumed to a few paragraphs.


    Heat the pot. Pour stuff into the pot. Get rid of the impurities while melting it. Mix well. Turn all that stuff into a pill or a potion. Add salt and pepper. Note the steps of your sess cause you''ll need the fucking recipe for next time.


    Of course, this process would fail many times for various mystical reasons. Things like magical ingredients all being unique from one another. Things like atmospheric conditions. Things like fate itself. Things that were all excuses, really.


    The science of it was rtively new, and they weren''t still sure what they were doing. It didn''t help that the more Tower memories they got and the harder it was to get out of the ssic alchemist mold.


    Why didn''t they use robots for the task? They could even use machine learning or something. About that, the profession required the use of mana to process the Tower materials. Otherwise, everything would be wasted.


    This meant that every new discovery had to be slowly humanly made. Ah, there was one advantage, however. They could easily record their entire crafting sessions. This at least made it, so they didn''t have to take many notes.


    It also clearly meant that somehow someone was live-streaming that shit, for sure! Nheless, given how magical it sounded, it really seemed like a guy stirring a pot. There was a camera showing the various ingredients transforming, but even that wasckluster.


    It was sockluster that literally 50% of the group had been staring at the pecs of the artisan instead. Never mind, more than that. A few guys were doing the same, either in jealousy or straight horniness.


    Before long it was over and they finally moved to the gift shop. Usually, that would have been the part that Josh hated, but not here. In total, there were 5 pills avable. Their price depended on the Grade one desired.


    A grade E-Rank pill would work on a Climber of Josh''s level, but Kasha would require a D-Rank one. The more people Climbed and the more difficult it became to produce these pills too. Josh carefully checked the prices [In Credits] and the descriptions.


    - Fasting pills [E-10, D-100]


    Gets rid of Hunger for a day. No side effects. Bubble gum taste.


    - Healing pill [E-150, D-1500]


    Heals the injuries, superficial and medium ones.


    - Antidote [E-200, D-2000]


    Cures from poison¡ªonly effective on generalmon ones.


    - Healing Dan [E-500, D-5000]


    Works like a divine miracle. Heals even serious injuries.


    In doubt, Josh bought 10 of them each for a total cost of 8000. Yes, there was a 7% discount for buying in bulk. Had Josh been swayed by such lowly sale tactic? Well, kinda? The thing is, it was already packed and also came with a small satchel to keep it all.


    With this, Josh was fully prepared to face Floor 13. But then suddenly appeared free food! Why was it part of the alchemy tour? Well, for some obscure reason, these guys were trying to branch into cooking.


    For what purpose? Ah, apparently, cooks had begun using these cauldrons themselves. Now, not to be undone, they had assigned some of their personnel to learn cooking. Pretty petty but understandable.


    Josh had just eaten. It was free food. He ate again. There was meat, and it was delicious. As he listened to the random conversations, he gleaned some information.


    He heard tales of criminals taking refuge in other Metropolises. He heard of small-time bandits and pirates having a st stealing or kidnapping travelers. He heard of viges gettingid to waste entirely. He heard of the unrest caused by the Tower evolving.


    People were on vacation and were profusely talking about all that was wrong with the world. Then again, many were here tobine the agreeable to the useful. They''d have fun visiting the Golden Cauldron and leave happy with their pills to Climb once again.


    This was the life of Climbers. They were incredibly free in the sense that they had power and wealth, but there was a downside. As people climbed, thezy ones would eventually be left in the dust.


    To keep their high position in society, they had to keep Climbing. Credits alone weren''t sufficient at that point. Well, some had more concrete concerns, especially the Fallens. You know, small stuff like the desire to live.


    Then there were the ones like Josh that would Climb regardless. They didn''t care much about showcasing their aplishments to the world. To them, power, wealth, and all that crap were are too simple to serve as a goal.


    Josh finally left the building with way too much gold inside. Fun fact, he hadn''t touched a glyph a single time. Impressive, right?


    Now was the time to Climb. Except there was just one issue. The Tower was still blockaded. Yet Josh could be seen smiling. How many ck Squad members would he have to kill to be let inside? Well, there was only one way to know¡­

 Chapter 93: Floor 12 Has Been Cleared?!

    <h4>Chapter 93: Floor 12 Has Been Cleared?!</h4>


    The soldiers were plenty, the air was heavy, the faces were filled with worry, and the ck Squad members were gripping their weapons nervously. They were all pointing their guns at a lone man that didn''t seem afraid in the least.


    Was he just a fool? Was he a madman having a death wish? He was slowly advancing toward them, one step at a time. He did so nonchntly. One would have expected him to be trembling, sweating, and perhaps even downright panicking. No, he was simply walking.


    Yet, at this very instant, the pressure wasn''t on him but really on the soldiers. They knew they would lose credibility should they let him pass through. However, they also knew they would be in Hell instantly should they decide to stop him. Right at this very moment, Josh Malum was about to render them crazy.


    How had Josh managed such a thing? Well, two points, really.


    The first one was a coincidence. Someone on their side had recognized Josh. How many had driven two investigators to desperation before leaving the ck Squad Headquarters peacefully smiling? Not only that but he had also been escorted out by Ronan of Draconic himself!


    Josh hadn''t missed the man subtly informing hismanding officer about him. That made themander have great reservations about ordering his take-down.


    But really, the second reason was where the dilemma stemmed from. Josh had simply imed something very simple but that they had no way to verify. Josh had learned from Kasha herself that inspecting another''s status was hard to do with precision.


    Thus, Josh had simply mentioned that he was a Fallen about to kick the bucket. Were they to stop him, he would die from the curse. This meant that he had nothing to lose. Of course, it was all a bluff, but would they take the chance?


    This event was covered live by many reporters, after all. Would they "execute" a man in front of the eyes of the entire world? As representatives of the government, they really couldn''t. It would have caused an enormous bacsh from the entire international Fallenmunity.


    Sure, the Fallen were not that numerous, but they were 100% Climbers. This made them powerful. Did this small Metropolis Cmander dare to offend the world itself? Hell no! Then when you counted the possible backing from an S-ss Ranker, this whole thing became a nightmare.


    So how many ck Squad members did one have to kill to ess the Tower? The answer was none, for Josh at least. He even had the leisure to calmly observe his surroundings while walking.


    He gave a thumbs up to that one reporterdy that now wore her shirt properly. What a quick learner she was! She was so happy from this small praise that her entire face flushed red.


    He gave a small nod to that one ck Squad member that had recognized him. This guy''s assist had been truly great.


    In the background, he could hear the crowd heatedly quoting him: "I''m already a dead man, so what if the Tower is dangerous? Today I am going in no matter what."


    How impressionable were they? It wasn''t even a good sentence. He had just improvised that boring line. Oh well, people could be weird.


    That is how Josh swaggered all the way inside Floor 13,pletely unobstructed. He hadn''t suffered a single scratch, and the whole journey had been aplishedpletely rxed.


    For him, it had been easy, but it had marked the minds of the spectators left behind. Unbeknown to him, some had even promptly wanted to reproduce his feat. They stepped up to the soldiers, dered loudly that they were Fallen, and vowed not to be stopped.


    Then they shat themselves. Quite literally at that. All of them. That im was easy to make but hard to go through with. The ck Squad were professionals. They were used to operating in small squads, but they were true elite soldiers.


    Now that they were grouped as a small army, the sheer killing intent they sent their targets was unbearable. All of the bluffing smart-asses not only soiled themselves, but some also fell unconscious, unable to endure.


    It is at that very moment that everyone present unconsciously looked at the Tower. They were all remembering that incredible hero that had not even flinched once. Soon enough, there were messages appearing on forums.


    Some were praising him. Others were praising him. Some more were praising him. Tons of forum posts were created by various men and women offering their services as boyfriends and girlfriends. Many guilds became interested in recruiting the mysterious man, if only for PR.


    Still, so many had witnessed the event. The identity of the Dead Man was very soon uncovered. He turned out to be a Fallen, a low-level one ording to experts, and also ssless.


    At that moment, most threads professing their love to the dashing hero disappeared. Instead appeared countless "professional" analyses. They cleverly spelled the "truth" out. The Dead Man was not one to be envied. He was a Newbie about to kick the bucket. He wasn''t courageous. He was desperate.


    Once that news came out, the few remaining love confessions were finally deleted. Who would want a soon-to-die husband? Actually, many gold-diggers. The problem was that Josh was clearly broke.


    How many would have coughed blood had they known that the low-level Josh had over 100 000 Credits? That was almost enough for a set of Ranker-level equipment. But, only the members of Draconic were in the know, and they weren''t about to share it.


    They obviously realized the trouble this could bring him. After all, he had way more wealth than the average Climber but without the level to go with it.


    So since Josh was considered a broke soon-to-be-dead man, the hype died down quickly. It didn''t help at all that Metropolis C''s MTA released an official statement about Floor 12. This single news was akin to a bomb: Floor 12 Possible had been cleared!


    Instantly, the whole world went crazy. Everywhere there had been countless deaths. Not a single party hade back from attempting it. Yet, the veil of mystery enveloping this new challenge was about to be pierced.


    Many were doubtful. Many even thought this to be a joke at first. They insisted on receiving proof, and various organizations began requesting detailed clear strategies. Their whole argument was that the high number of deaths made it a concern for the world itself.


    Was this all an excuse to request information without paying for it? Oh, yes. Most indubitably. But they weren''t exactly wrong either. How was Metropolis C supposed to handle that?


    Well, they opted for an easy solution. They published an official statement announcing that the deed had been done by Draconic without any help from other guilds. This promptly shut up every of the wannabe lechers. They were ready to pressure an MTA, but not a guild full of crazies.


    After that came the serious inquiries. They were from organizations that knew key information had to be bargained for, not begged. This put the gold members of Draconic in a very peculiar situation.


    They all knew who cleared it, but they didn''t want to antagonize Josh. Plus, they had no fucking clue how he had done it, especially solo.


    He had been so very casual about it. In fact, the way he said it made it sound like a trip in the park. He had said something about fighting a thousand spiders? That was a crazy number of enemies, especially at that level!


    They were offered many good deals, and yet they had to put them all on the back burner simply because Josh was absent. This, in turn, greatly confused the various powers. Why were they stalling?


    Every one of them thought Draconic was trying to y them. Were they waiting for more deaths to increase the value of that knowledge? Were they in the process of negotiating with others? What was their angle exactly?


    Meanwhile, the Draconic members didn''t know whether tough or cry. The MVP of it all didn''t care. At all. He was simply Climbing Floor 13. He was totally ignoring the whole Drama going on.


    Thanks to this single incident, Draconic got some worldwide renown, some potential investors, and some enemies that felt ignored.


    This sparked many discussions online. Why was there so much secrecy on the actual clear? How was the MTA convinced that Draconic was telling the truth? Would the various governments force Draconic to spill the beans? Would another guild manage to clear it too?


    There were so many threads about it but no concrete answers. All people knew was that this new challenge at least really was Possible. This reassured them about the abilities of humans in general and set aside the tense and anguished atmosphere.


    With the MTA''s reminder that it was an optional challenge, people finally calmed down.


    That is how a legend started about Josh, only to die instantly. After all, who had time to dig into a ssless low-level''s life when there was more interesting news out there about Floor 12.


    Actually, there was one thread that popped up about the possibility of Josh being the one that had cleared the Possible challenge. It was written by a certain Hegel. But, it was soon banned forck of research and for starting false rumors.


    Would Josh care about any of that even if he were to know? Most probably not. Either way, he had a Floor to clear. He was currently observing the system message curiously.


    [Mission: Escort the old Campestris back to safety.]


    An escort mission?! That was new¡­

 Chapter 94: Dead or Living Forest?

    <h4>Chapter 94: Dead or Living Forest?</h4>


    As soon as the red light rescinded, Josh found his boots resting in dark soil. There were wafts of old stale air invading his senses with the smell of decrepit nature. It was mixed with the heavy smell of putrid grime.


    Around him were many dead trees. Some were crooked, some were downright fallen, and some were still standing but dead inside. Yes, even deader inside than the usual overworked modern man.


    The whole scene painted a picture of death. Not one that had been violent, but a long and slow process. It seemed like the world itself had given up on this forest. But there was one thing that could be noticed.


    Out of death came life. There were plenty of mushrooms that could be seen growing out of the deadwood. But they, too, were twisted and grotesque-looking. It allcked color. It was as if azy painter had just smeared a lifeless brown on it all before quitting.


    At first nce, this ce looked safe. That''s when the system showed itself.


    [Mission: Escort the old Campestris back to safety.]


    An escort mission? This one objective could prove troublesome. Well, it would mostly depend on the enemies and the protection target. More often than not, thetter would cause issues. As long as it was somewhat smart, Josh would be able to order it to hide.


    "What about the difficulties. What are the options?"


    [Please select: Possible, Normal, Hard.]


    Josh confidently and heroically dered: "Normal." He wasn''t going to pick Possible right off the bat. What if it ended up an impossible mission to clear?


    [Normal selected: Have fun!]


    On that note, it went away. Josh happily began his adventure. A few meterster, he suddenly stopped. He could feel that there was something there somewhere, spying on him. But no matter how he looked, everything was peaceful.


    Nothing but ckish dying trees, ckish dying grass, brownish mushrooms. Right now, he had the Spider Set equipped. Spear in hand, he slowly advanced. It somewhat reminded him of the vine Floor.


    That''s when he started stabbing. He stabbed the vegetation, stabbed the wood, stabbed the shrooms, and even stabbed the ground. He might have looked like a madman, but such an easy check could go a long way.


    But even then, there was no reaction whatsoever. There were not even bugs that should have been scurrying away in fright. It was so quiet. All he could hear was the faint sound of his own footsteps and breathing.


    Yet, he felt it. Somehow creatures were awaiting him nearby. It was a weird feeling, actually. It was as if they were there but not at the same time. His senses were telling him that he was delusional, but he knew better.


    He kept walking. Slowly but surely. How long would he be stuck in a dead forest? At this rate, a long while. But it was fine. Josh could be a patient man. Just his revenge alone had taken a while. That''s when his thoughts were interrupted.


    [Mission Failed: Punishment, half a day in the mirror realm.]


    "Wait, what?! How?! What''s this mirror thingy?¡­. Hello? System?"


    But as usual, it was gone. Instead of an answer, he was confronted with the entire Floor suddenly changing. The air, the ground, everything really began rippling.


    It reminded him of a reflection in ake, one that just had pebble thrown in it. The kind of pebble that would sink straight to the bottom, never to be seen again. For a split instant, Josh had the feeling that the Tower had cast him in that role.


    That is when the whole scenery seemed to transform. Everything began to revitalize itself. The trees were now vibrant, the grass was impably green, and the mushrooms turned a nice white color. But then the same shrooms rose up, from every direction.


    Yes, they stood up, with visibly nothing else but strong will, for these creatures had no limbs. They were nothing but normal-looking 1-meter mushrooms that wriggled upward somehow. Ah, they actually had a small tiny mouth.


    Was it possible that his target to save was one of them? How was he supposed to know which one was the oldest? Perhaps the height or the coloration or even the presence of an essory? The creatures seemed to be looking at him, without eyes.


    That''s when they opened their mouths. Oh god! The tiny mouths somehow opened incredibly wide. That is when appeared a nightmarish vision. In the gaping maws, Josh could discern teeth, so many of them! But it wasn''t the sheer number that made it a sight to behold. No, it was the shape.


    The teeth looked like the ones of deep-sea anglerfishes. Everything itcked in height, it bnced out with sheer intimidation potential just with that smile. That is when they began charging at him, all body and teeth nothing else. They began producing strident screams as they tried to devour him whole.


    X30.


    Without hesitating, Josh dashed while swinging his spear. Extending his arm in a fluid motion, he soon pierced the creature right below the cap at the top of its head. It became lifeless, but it wasn''t over.


    As soon as it perished, somehow, two smaller ones rose in turn from the surroundings. But there was also a purple mist that filled the air. Josh retreated as fast as possible while holding his breath.


    These creatures were more dangerous dead than alive, it seemed. Then began a somewhat lengthy fight, for he had to kill every mushroom thrice in total and run away as soon as the deed was done. He could have done it faster, but he opted for safety.


    Soon thest one fell, leaving behind a single purple cloud as sole proof it had ever existed. That is when Josh resolved himself. As much as he had been careful before, he was nning to try something really stupid now.


    This would have definitely warranted the caption "Do not try at home". He rushed straight into the poison while holding an antidote in his hand and also one in his mouth directly. Should he suddenly be paralyzed, it would slowly trickle down his throat and save him.


    Of course, that was on the basis of trusting the sales pitch at the Golden Cauldron. Apparently, their antidote could easily deal with such toxins. Josh waited, then waited some more. He knew that some poisons only showed effects after hours.


    But nothing happened at all. He even got sent back to the real Floor 13 once more as the world rippled before his very eyes. He had a hypothesis. Perhaps his Climber body had protected him without his knowledge?


    He kept walking randomly in search of his target, but once more, he failed¡­


    [Mission Failed: Punishment, half a day in the mirror realm.]


    As soon as he was back in that other world, he rushed to the fungi andpletely wrecked them. This time he wasn''t careful one bit. Since passing through one cloud didn''t show any effect, he''d try many! He wanted to know exactly how bad it could get.


    He looked like a small child that was stopping by the roadside to smell flowers, but instead, it was all poison.


    Once the creatures were all dead, and the poison was in his system for sure, Josh sat cross-legged on the ground. He then very carefully inspected his own body. But even after waiting a long time, all that happened was him being sent back to the original dead forest realm.


    He even ounted for the possibility that the poison was a very, very slow-acting one and began running around with antidote in his mouth. His cheeks were evenically bulging out.


    What was more impressive, Josh destroying countless evil living fungi or him running around without swallowing or spitting?


    When even then nothing happened, Josh felt pretty confident that it had been his Gluttony Bloodline protecting him, somehow. He had already eaten some very spicy food while gaming, and that could be considered a poison in itself. It was either that or the whole "need antidotes for Floor 13" was a scam entirely. Josh doubted thatst one.


    How insane would it be for a corporation to convince the entire world of the necessity to buy their products based on an imaginary threat? Would they do all this just to make a bit of money?


    Then again, there was the whole beauty industry that did just that. It was all centered on convincing women (mostly) that their natural state wasn''t good enough. It was mostly bullshit.


    There was something else that was truly bullshit. That was the escort mission! Josh was seriously getting tired of it. The whole thing wasn''t as it appeared. It was more of a detective one so far.


    He even asked Navi: the usual clear strategy was to use scouting abilities to find the protection target before the rippling happened. It was easy since it was the only being in that world. Ah, except it could only be revealed with magic. Thus Josh had to find an alternative.


    For two days, Josh kept switching over and over from the normal dead world to the way too lively, vibrant forest. In both, he looked for clues, and in one, he vented his anger on the nightmarish mushrooms.


    To vent even better, he took out his morphing weapon to spice it up. He then could be seen swinging a golf club at living fungi and further bashing them until remained nothing but bits of food and some poison mist that did jack shit.


    It''s in the "dangerous" environment that he finally found a lead. There he noticed something very peculiar with the shrooms. Sometimes there would be groups that were already up.


    At first, he simply ignored it all, believing it to be normal monster behavior. But then he realized something. Before spotting him, they would be standing in a perfect circle. Josh went up to the monsters, killed them, and began waiting right in the middle.


    Later, as the world rippled once more, Josh couldn''t help but cheer. The painful search was finally over. He would finally be able to truly begin the challenge.


    In front of him, there was a mushroom. It looked the same as the enemy ones but without the scary teeth. As it saw Josh, it somehow wriggled in what could only be surprise. It then showed worry as it tried to hide behind a dead tree that was thinner than itself.


    "Alright, I''m supposed to escort you somewhere, lead the way."


    But no matter how long he waited, there was no answer. Oh god, this was going to be a major pain in the ass no matter what.


    Josh tried speech but failed. Josh tried using signs but failed. Josh evenined aloud to the system that it had forgotten to add an interpreter! That one obviously failed.


    How was Josh supposed to handle this? Well, in doubt, he had a solution. He would simply roam the entire ce, annihting everything on his path. He was bound to find the old man''s destination at some point, right? Right?!...

 Chapter 95: Escorting Like a Boss!

    <h4>Chapter 95: Escorting Like a Boss!</h4>


    How does one convince a scaredy-shroom to follow you? Threats? Treats? In this case, the answer was doing nothing at all.


    The scene looked extremely ridiculous. Josh was walking in front, and a few meters behind was a trembling giant shroom that was stalking him very poorly. Whenever Josh turned around, it would back off in fear hiding behind a scrawny tree.


    Yet, it kept following him, not that Josh knew where to go. It was the lost leading the coward. Well, at least it didn''t seem like it would fight of its own volition. They kept going until the world began rippling once more, but it remained the dead-looking one.


    The ripple caused a dozen of the evil mushrooms to appear in a circle. They were only a few paces away from the friendly one. They began screaming loudly at it before charging, maw open first. The poor cowardly shroom was frozen in ce in fear, expecting to die.


    So that''s how it was! The protection target would be peacefully minding its own business and assassins would be sent to kill it. Should one fail to defend it, they would be sent to the mirror realm for a while before being allowed another try.


    This punishment wasn''t too harsh in itself, but it would likely put a heavy strain on a party''s preparations. It was a matter of dodging the poisonous clouds or having brought enough antidotes or even having apetent enough Healer.


    Josh felt it would be easy to clear such a Floor, but doing so while turning a profit might be hard. It would have been the bane of an inexperienced and broke party. Especially that there were roaming enemies in the mirror realm.


    But, all that didn''t matter much. For now, his job was to kill these invaders. Josh turned his weapon into a big knife, and then he dashed right in the pack, using an ultimate killing technique. He called it the Heavenly Mystical Knife of Obliterating Annihtive Extermination And Mushroom Sauteed In Garlic Butter Attack!! (!!, not !)


    His mastery of it was so high that it could have had its own sessful rapping career. In fact, his mastery of it was so sublime that it took him more time to shout the name than it did to aplish it. As Josh heroically posed, he magnanimously dered: "No need to apud, all in a day''s work." The friendly mushroom perfectly followed that directive.


    That is when items spawned. Fun fact, there had not been a single one dropping while in the mirror realm, but it had given XP. Josh proudly grabbed the Sliced Mushroom Material. How very fitting! But then he just threw it on the ground. He couldn''t be bothered to carry it.


    He looked at hispanion, showing a bit of disappointment. It didn''t have arms, so he couldn''t ask it to carry stuff. He did think of tying items around it using the strings he had gotten recently, but he felt it would probably be a waste of a good string.


    They resumed their journey, man and shroom. Somehow, the creature was shaking less than before. This perfectly made sense, right? There was no better way to reassure someone than to slice some of their long-lost cousins into thin pieces right in front of them.


    Oh, there was also the fact that Josh had saved its life. That could have helped a bit with the trust. Still, where was he supposed to go exactly now?


    "Hey, Navi. Any info in the database about the destination?"


    <ording to the database, one needs to return the target to its family. Location randomly generated. One should instantly recognize it upon sight. Good luck.>


    Oh well, at least it wasn''t some kind of hidden easter egg that would only be discovered years afterward (totally no reference intended). Josh happily kept walking while humming a light melody. Every other minute, there would be a short rippling of the air, then more enemies would appear nearby.


    It turned out that the normal difficulty was extremely easy. At least, he had done some poison testing and had figured out how to find the protection target. Actually, was it possible that the enemy mushroom circle was actually them using magic?!


    What if him killing them and staying right in the middle had been hijacking their ride forcefully? So what if it was a dumb method? As long as it worked, everything was good. He felt like this theory actually made sense.


    Now, why in the nine heavens would these creatures try to kill the one he was guarding? Was it simply some dumb setting to be used in the challenge? Was there perhaps a deeper reason why they had to kill it? Because this all seemed like a lot of effort, to mirror realm (?) hop just to kill one guy¡ªone shroom, actually.


    Anyway, ever seen a vegetable blender work? Every time they spawned, the scene would look somewhat simr. Each assault included at maximum a few dozen enemies. This made it pretty boring. Sure, they''d somehow have to be killed three times, but that was only individually.


    The trick was to sh, punch and kick to finish more than one at once. Considering their strongest attack was the poison one and that Josh seemingly was immune to it, he was simply having fun.


    As he kept seeing them try to bite him, he''d go: "You hungry? Here eat a snick¡ªskean" as he plunged the de straight into them. Good times. They kept walking until they arrived at a small clearing.


    This one was as dead as the other areas of the forest but had a peculiarity. Behind it could be seen azy river that flowed softly and a decrepit wooden bridge. Now, this totally screamed BOSS BATTLE! Why? Well, there were plenty of mushrooms growing everywhere and also the generalyout.


    Josh was currently on Floor 13. This meant that this Boss would most likely only be optional. But! Perhaps for him, it wouldn''t. Most parties would have the option of the Tank attracting the enemy''s attention while the others crossed the bridge. For Josh, it wasn''t that easy.


    If only he could havemunicated with hispanion. Anyway, it wasn''t that big of a deal. Josh stepped up and before long reached the very middle of the clearing, with the shroom staying far away in the back.


    Unsurprisingly that''s when the shrooms on the ground began rising up. But instead of a legion, it soon formed one single colossal shroom. It was even taller than a tree! But that was probably because they were all dead.


    It looked simr to the regr ones and had a mouth sorge it could easily fit Josh entirely. In fact, these teeth looked like spears to him. Then came the scream. It was a very primal one that was meant to invoke fear in its target. But Josh just stood waiting for it to be done as he softly remarked. "Okay."


    <Big Fungus The Massive Lv 21??>


    What was with that name? It was only level 21, so in theory, it was weaker than the White Spider. Of course, that was all because of the normal difficulty.


    That is when the creature started straight up spitting. But instead of saliva, it threw up some sort of brown sticky, gooey mass. Itnded with a disgusting SLOSH! It just remained there without doing anything. Taking his spear, Josh stabbed it, but it didn''t seem to aplish anything.


    Thus he turned toward the Boss once more. The big guy was in the process of moving its body toward him. It could be seen mouth wide open in all its disgusting splendor. It then went for the kill!


    Yet, after showing all its sharp teeth, it wasn''t even using them! The monster just tried to crush him directly with its own body weight. Josh quickly dashed away, dodging. Every time it would try that, it would fall to the ground for an instant. Every repetition sent tremors across the ground.


    In turn, this all sent the friendly mushroom panicking even if it was far away from thebat. Josh went for the steady but surely tactic. He kept damaging the Boss, slowly chipping at its HP.


    That''s when it screamed once more, and the brownish goo began to wriggle. Before long, it erupted on the ground sullying the dark soil with its color. The area atop it began rippling, something Josh knew all too well.


    So these things were quite simr to teleporters? That''s when spawned the first squad of poison shrooms. They disregarded Josh and ran toward his protection target. Talk about assholes!


    Josh had to run after them while dodging the big guy''s attacks. But no matter what it did, not only did it not catch him, but Josh also used these efforts to stomp on some of the shrooms. The Boss didn''t even show any kind of remorse whatsoever to crushing its own brethren.


    However, what it did was figure out that its current strategy wasn''t working in the least. That is why it walked near Josh and opened its mouth wide, letting a purple mist escape from it.


    It began filling the entire clearing. At this very moment, it was time to run or use a specific spell to counter it. At least, that''s what most Climbers would do and what the Boss seemed to expect.


    But instead, Josh dived right in it, at the edge at first, but then deeper and deeper as he noticed that it didn''t seem to affect him. He made sure to properly listen to the signals his own body was sending him.


    But honestly, all that Josh detected was the faint smell of honey in the attack itself. He was fine. Seeing the Boss busy spreading the purple mist, Josh finally could approach without fear of bing tter than a pancake.


    He began to violently hack the creature, making it feel pain and confusion. At least, that''s how it all sounded to Josh. It couldn''t seem to understand why the human was still fine. It couldn''t understand why pieces of its body were falling so fast. It really had trouble with the overall situation.


    But understanding or not wouldn''t change the oue. Josh reduced it to scraps. Oh, it did fight back, even trying again to bite him, but that didn''t work. Eventually, the monster fell with a heavy THUD.


    There was loot too. It was a ring that didn''t seem that good. It gave a very specific resistance bonus against shroom-based poisons. The issue was that Josh didn''t seem to need it at all. But, he still kept it, for he''d attempt the Possible difficulty afterward. Who knew if it woulde in handy.


    Josh and the shroom then calmly began crossing the bridge. There it was, the end goal! Josh could see many other shrooms exactly like the one he had been escorting in a circle. There was one spot left open.


    Josh smilingly turned around, for he was done with the mission: Like a Boss! He did so just in time to see the shivering shroom lose its bnce and fall in the river.


    [Mission Failed: Punishment, half a day in the mirror realm.]


    "¡­.Motherfucker!"

 Chapter 96: Possible Difficulty—Or Not...

    <h4>Chapter 96: Possible Difficulty¡ªOr Not...</h4>


    [Mission Failed: Punishment, half a day in the mirror realm.]


    "¡­.Motherfucker! Are you shitting me?!"


    Then Josh was sent back to what felt like a timeout punishment with the enemy shrooms. Fun fact, these little creatures were nicknamed the nightmare shrooms on the Net. The reason for that appetion was indubitably their countless teeth. Well, they had exactly 72, not more, not less.


    How did Josh know? He counted. He yed the tooth fairy with the mushrooms. He rxedly did it to satisfy his curiosity. Let''s just say the scene was very graphic and would have traumatized many.


    All their lives (aka 3 days), the creatures had lived with the instinct to charge at their prey to devour them, sinking their teeth violently into their flesh. But Josh''s victims were now extremely confused.


    What were some toothless small shrooms supposed to do? Ram the enemy? Their whole body was soft. It was not like they were ck dragons that could tackle an enemy to death. Use a weapon? They didn''t have limbs. It turned out that despairing shrooms would literallymit suicide in a poisonous explosion.


    Josh watched it all happen with keen interest. Was this biology or technology? After all, the whole Floor seemed to be some kind of simtion done by the Tower Protocol. But did it really matter? After all, this was his new reality.


    While asking himself that philosophical question, Josh went to sleep. He simplyy in the middle of a defeated evil shrooms circle. His head rested on the soft and vibrant grass, enjoying the atmosphere. He kept slumbering until the mission reset.


    What about the roaming enemies? No, seriously, what about them? He didn''t know, for he hadn''t been disturbed at all.


    That''s how he found himself back to the dead world, in front of the newly revived friendly shroom. It seemed to recoil in fear and¡­ Yep, Josh didn''t care. He grabbed the target and began running. This time he knew perfectly where to go! Right after the trees, right there would be¡­.more trees?!


    That''s when Josh realized that the terrain had alreadypletely changed. Oh well, he kept roaming, and about an hourter, he had found his objective. The Boss appeared in an impressive fashion and died like a bitch. Before long, it was finally all over.


    [Mission sessful: teleport out avable.]


    "Teleport me the fuck out of here! Thank you!"


    A few instants after he came out, Josh could hear a deep voice addressing him. "Oh, it''s you! Are you waiting for your team?" There stood a muscr middle-aged man, one he had seen before. He was that berserker from the tutorial. Then he solemnly uttered, "Thank you for what you did before, all of it¡­."


    All of it, was it? Josh had no recollection of ever helping the man. Would he act humble and refuse the praise? No. In this world of ours, every little action had consequences. Perhaps he had helped him indirectly and unknowingly. He wouldn''t dwell on it.


    Josh smiled slightly. "d to see you''re doing well." He truly meant it. Weird, wasn''t it? Josh wasn''t one to care about irrelevant people. Still, knowing that other fellow earthlings were doing great brought him a small satisfaction.


    Humans always were like that: social animals. Yes, even the loneliest of loners. From time to time, a feeling of belonging was vital. If anything, what Josh cared about the most were his memories back on Earth. Perhaps this was why he couldn''t help but have a soft spot for earthlings?


    The man kept going as he smiled teasingly. "There is someone that has been dying to meet you for a long time now. I think she may even have a crush on you, you know¡ª" only to be interrupted by a voiceing from behind him.


    "This is no time for jokes! Brother, I saw the news! You are about to die, right?! We''ll help you Climb!" Apparently, the young girl from the tutorial was there too. She simply had been hidden behind her giantpanion. Still, it was peculiar that Josh hadn''t noticed her at all.


    She seemed extremely concerned and was looking at him as if an endangered species. That is when the man ruffled her hair gently as a father would do. "Don''t worry. I''m sure he''ll be fine." Then he turned to Josh once more. "But what she says is true. If you need help just ask us. We are part of Immortal now. You can rely on us."


    Was that a renowned guild? Josh shrugged. "Alright, I''ll keep it in mind. For now, I''ll just continue Climbing. I still gotta clear Floor 13."


    The kid kept going worriedly. "Brother, is your team good? You guys have a scout, right? What about antidotes? That Floor can be dangerous without preparations. I''m not going to let my savior die that easily!"


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. Her tiny high-pitched voice didn''t fit the seriousness of her discourse. "Don''t worry. I''ll be fine."


    "That''s what someone unprepared would say! That''s totally a death g!" She retorted sharply.


    "How about this: I promise to survive as new challenges appear in the Tower, I promise to survive as new worlds collide into ours, I promise to survive even the fall of our own universe as I watch it crumble in pieces, and I promise to survive until I''ve had a good "chat" with the gods. Better?


    She was simply watching him in stupefaction. That was a megadeath g! Not only one for himself, but he had somehow dragged the entire universe into it! But just as she wanted to retort some more, he winked at her, nodded at the berserker, and entered the Tower in a sh of red light.


    That''s when she began panicking. He had entered alone! Why?! He was going to die. He could also get stuck in a never-ending loop of trying to clear the mission forever until his life was over. This was a crisis, and¡­¡ª "Don''t worry. He''ll be fine. I have no idea why. I just know he will." The man reassured her¡­


    ****


    "Possible!"


    [After analysis, difficulties have been renamed: Normal, Hard, and Hellish.]


    "¡­"


    [Please select a difficulty.]


    Talk about a fickle system! What was next? Perhaps a ''vote for the name of your difficulty'' poll? Perhaps even a random surprise difficulty? Josh wouldn''t suggest such dumb ideas, for he was worried it would truly be a thing.


    "Hellish."


    [Hellish difficulty selected. Have fun!]


    How wholesome of the Tower it was to gently wish him to enjoy himself. It almost made him forget that its entire purpose was to ughter the various races across the multiverse or something like that.


    Josh simply waited while leisurely walking. Before long came the awaited failure message and the teleportation to the mirror realm. He could already see a big difference. Instead of about 30 evil mushrooms, there were about a hundred awaiting him in ambush.


    Now, there was only one thing that he wondered. Would their skills be more potent? Were their numbers the only thing that had changed? As he kept ying and ying, he came to the conclusion that they were WEAK!


    The creatures barely knew how to fight. As long as one could deal with their AoE ability, they were pretty easy to defeat. Josh felt like he was a high-level yer bullying low-level mobs. After all, their only move was to angrily throw themselves mouths first.


    Actually, this lineup of monsters would have easily caused the demise of many. The main issue was being surrounded by all sides. It made it close to impossible to foresee where the next attack woulde from. Then, there was the issue of the only escape being to step on the creatures directly.


    Attempting such a bold action was, however, extremely risky. As a natural reaction, it seems like they would instantly use their mist attack. It would then weaken (hypothesis) the opponent, making them fall right inside the pack of hungry shrooms. That was game over.


    Was there any way to survive being thrown in there? Short term? Possibly. Long term? Hell no! Even Josh wouldn''t dare remain stationary in their midst. Josh was convinced there would be countless methods to deal with such enemies, but he was quite satisfied with his own hit and run tactic.


    After dispatching all these enemies, Josh managed to find his target. He shattered the peace of a peaceful group of friends that wanted nothing more but to teleport into another realm to kill some guy.


    Then, happened the same scene as before with Josh meeting the scared shroom, him fighting off assassins and all. This time, the difference was that there were three groups of the annoying teleporting bastards.


    One thing for sure was that working as a bodyguard was tough work. Josh had always found it to be a cool-looking job, but it turned out to be pretty shitty in this specific case. He even noted to himself that living shrooms were simply assholes.


    Why was Josh so angry at it? Well, it turned out that he was immune to poison, but not the damn shroom! Guess who willfully threw itself in a poison mist? Yes. Sadly it did. That made this nice message appear once more.


    [Mission Failed: Punishment, trip to mirror realm.]


    Ah, for some reason, the Tower had stopped disying the exact time of the punishment. Had it changed, or had the Tower simply decided to give less information? Oh well, it couldn''t be helped.


    The main issue was that there were so many enemies. Josh wasn''t able to 100% cope with them all while defending his "client". But would such a problem stop him? Oh, no. In fact, Josh already had a new n.


    He simply called it operation PTSD¡­

 Chapter 97: The Legendary Burger-Man!

    <h4>Chapter 97: The Legendary Burger-Man!</h4>


    It was time to begin operation PTSD. What did that imply?


    Well, the main issue that Josh faced was that the friendly mushroom was life-challenged. This shroom seemed to be the incarnation of "when life gives you lemons you choke on them and die". Yes, it was that bad!


    Was it even possible to teach survival skills to an NPC? Josh didn''t know but he would try for sure. It was time to do some Practical Training to See Dangers, PTSD for short. Of course, the act of running away from them was implied. Well, this shroom had the running part figured out, it just had to run in the right direction.


    Now, how would Josh make a vegetable (almost) understand the concept of role-ying for training? He couldn''t evenmunicate with the thing. It would be hard to make it realize what the whole concept was.


    How was he to resolve such a conundrum? Well, he would use a simple but proven tactic: to beat it up till it goddamn learned. He would do so in such a savage manner that back on Earth it would have potentially been the impetus for the creation of ''the People for Ethical Treatment of Shrooms'' (PETS for short).


    Now, at first nce, making your protection target fear you didn''t seem like the smartest idea. Thus, Josh needed a method to make sure the creature wouldn''t confuse roleying Josh with the usual Josh.


    That''s how came into being the wonderful and amazing Burger Man!


    After wearing the cosmetic mask from the Alter Tower, Josh was nowhere to be seen. The item showed as equipped on his status screen but he himself couldn''t see it. Was this a real-life and real-time face filter? Weird, but kinda cool.


    Thus, the Burger-Man (totally not Josh)? began enthusiastically beating the living shit out of the very target he was supposed to protect. While he did so, he even shared his "totally not fake" origin story in a passionate tone. Every word of it was apanied by a kick, a p, a punch, or a chop.


    Burger-Man''s past was marked by two incredible traumas.


    As a young kid, he got stuck in a trash bin at the Golden Arches Burger Joint (M). He had spent an entire day stuck there showered in burger leftovers.


    How could they do that to a child?! Why had no onee to change the garbage bag?! Why were people throwing perfectly good burger leftovers?!


    As hey there crying, his only constion was that the ice cream machine was broken, thus saving him from having that thrown in too.


    His other trauma was almost as scarring. It was the murder of his parents. They had decided to bring him to the opera, but they were broke so they settled for a Kanye Quest concert. As they exited the venue into a dark alley (for some reason), disaster struck.


    There was a robber wearing cheap jeans. He had a gun but wascking a belt. It could be seen by how low his pants were hanging. Sadly the tense situation quickly escted as the man misfired his Glock, 16 times in a row. The murderer then left running, leaving a sad orphan behind.


    He cried and swore he''d bring the man to justice. He did as any orphan would have done. He decided to train in a monastery at the very top of an icy mountain with an old guy that would secretly be the chief of a shadowy league. But that seemed like too much of a pain after further consideration.


    He then went back to the scene of his biggest trauma and learned to fight along with the wild savage seagulls. He had to fight with the mighty creatures for leftovers and thus he attained strength. He then came back as Burger-Man, using his very own fear against his enemies in his quest for justice¡ªor some bullshit like that.


    The shroom was now utterly terrified, so much that it would begin running a soon as Josh equipped the mask. Funny enough, he only had to remove it for the friendly shroom to run back to him. Thus the PTSD n came to fruition, just in time.


    As the assassins appeared, they had the surprise to witness a previously slow target running faster than an Olympic sprint medalist, or so it seemed. Josh simply had fun. Lots of fun.


    Honestly, this would have been so much easier if the shroom didn''t have to avoid the poison. Josh could have simply strapped it on his back and be done with it. Oh well, he was lucky to be immune himself.


    As he kept going, more assassins spawned and Josh dealt with them all. Fun fact, after a while had passed, the enemies started showing adaptability. Yes, their behavior had changed slightly. They changed their priority. They went from chasing the shroom to running away from Josh.


    Was that intentional from the Tower Protocol? In any case, perhaps one day Josh would be able to simply part a sea of monsters just by showing up. He couldn''t help but feel excited at that prospect. How epic would that be? Very!


    Before long, he stood in the clearing ready to face the Boss. Would it be different this time around? The many shrooms rose once more as one colossal deadly-looking monster. But this time it had definitely evolved.


    <Big Fungus The Massive Destroyer Lv 26??>


    The previous basic shroom Boss was nowhere to be seen. Apparently, the Destroyer part meant it now had limbs. Well, two utterly gigantic stumps that it swung around like big hammers. It also seemed to be hopping around faster.


    Josh kept dodging the ms that sent reverberations across the entire surroundings and created craters. Any random hit would have instantly caused his doom for sure. It towered over him, screaming and bashing while Josh kept slowly slicing parts of it.


    So far it seemed way easier than the spider fight, for Josh could damage it easily and it was slower. But he had the feeling it wouldn''t stay that way. Soon, the Boss began invoking helpers through its peculiar projectile based-method.


    This time around, there were two groups instead of one. Josh could handle it and soon had decimated both. That is when the Boss resolved to use its poison attack. I stayed rooted on the spot as it opened its gargantuan mouth.


    Then, the poison began spreading everywhere around. Normally, the friendly shroom would have definitely died. The usual range it spectated the battle wasn''t far enough from it. But this time it actually survived, for Josh was wearing his burger mask. It wasn''t about to go anywhere near this freak!


    Yes, it was more scared of Josh than it was of a giant monstrosity. Josh was apprehensive a bit at first, wondering if the mist would be more potent. But, luckily, it seemed like he had been worried for nothing.


    Josh went in for the kill. He began hacking away the hapless target. He was doing extreme damage, at an unbelievable rate. The fight would soon be over. Just as he was about to finish the creature, Josh felt an insane threat.


    He retreated as fast as he could, as he saw the mouth of the creature transform. The gaping maw suddenly came to life. Each of the 72 teeth inside began wriggling crazily akin to living nightmares before extending.


    It reminded him of sharp tentacles as it all struck as fast as lightning. Of course, Josh dodged¡­or tried. This was even deadlier than the Golem Boss attack. The end result? Josh could feel the stinging of his flesh as many of the teeth sunk into his body. He lost all mobility instantly.


    Should the fight keep going, he would die with certainty. He now had two options. He could try for one final attack using the remainder of his strength. The other option was to retreat, heal and try againter.


    Was the Boss about to die? It looked like it was. Did it have another trump card? Possibly. What would a powerful heroic character do? Remain and fight, obviously!


    That is when the Boss started moving once again. It eyed its now unmoving prey and charged at it. The human had clearly been almost fatally injured and couldn''t move. The Boss happily raised its stump sky high before driving it downward with incredible momentum.


    The small human closed his eyes. He probably could feel that death wasing and couldn''t even face it courageously. Ah, there was one thing weird, however. The human didn''t have the same face as earlier. Still, it wouldn''t care about such detail as it crushed him thoroughly.


    It then went back to its slumber. The annoying human was no more¡­.

 Chapter 98: The Entire World Rippled

    <h4>Chapter 98: The Entire World Rippled</h4>


    Josh could see the shadow of death above his head.


    Quite literally. The enormous arm of the Boss was about to crush himpletely, blocking the sun while at it. Yet, Josh was not worried in the least. He even closed his eyes as he waited for the system message.


    [Mission Failed: Punishment, trip to mirror realm.]


    That is when the world rippled around him and then he was instantly gone. As soon as he had removed the burger mask, the friendly shroom had obviouslye back and died from the poison mist.


    Thus, Josh had failed the mission and that brought him to safety. He quickly swallowed a healing dan while wearing the healing dryad ne. He could feel incredible energy start to course through him as it began to repair his damaged body.


    He would soon be perfectly fine. But there lied the issue, time. Around him were plenty of nightmarish shrooms eying him hungrily. Would they let him rest? Obviously not.


    Josh resolved himself to sacrifice the ring he had gotten from the Evolved Mutated Zombie. Surely, undead soldiers would buy him enough time to at least recover slightly. But then he figured he''d at least try something.


    Had the enemies'' behavior been reset? He equipped the burger mask. How goofy was he looking right now? Probably more than words could ever express. Yet, seeing such a sight, the monsters stopped dead in their tracks.


    Oh my god. This was OP! Josh beganughing in relief. His tensed body rxed as he kept healing by the second. He had no idea why this was happening but he just enjoyed the moment. How many could say they had sessfully intimidated the Tower monsters?


    Before long, he was back on his feet. As they say: what doesn''t kill you¡­gets healed with a healing dan. Talk about 500 credits well invested! So cheap!? Then again that was half the price of an item of his own level. He resolved himself to always have a few on hand from now on. It was that useful.


    His body was now in top shape and his armor had repaired itself with the ambient mana. He began menacingly walking toward the enemies in an attempt to scare them away, but they all jumped him at once.


    It seemed like he was a far way from attaining a Conqueror''s Aura that would prompt all beings to bow before him. At least, their reservations to fight him had saved one of his trump cards.


    Ensued a fight to the death that unsurprisingly ended up with Josh as the sole survivor. He then kept progressing, quickly returning to the other realm where the friendly shroom almost had a heart attack when it saw the Burger-Man spawn in front of it. It jumped in fright and instantly ran away.


    He then returned to the Boss for revenge. He made sure to equip the white spider set then he started fighting once more. He kept dodging, killed a few assassins, waited for the poison, and also prepared himself for the demonic teeth attack.


    As soon as it began, Josh retreated backward. Then he did the unthinkable. Just as the deadly de-looking appendages were almost fully extended, he charged forward!


    This in turn made it so the creature''s teeth began entangling with one another as they all tried veering toward him. Activating the set instantly, he began scaling the gigantic monster directly. As he ran upward on its body, he kept repeatedly stabbing it over and over again.


    Came shrill screams of distress and anger, but he ignored it all. This monster had to die. Its crime was nothing more than to have blocked a tiny decrepit wooden bridge. It stood between Josh and his mission.


    How many stabs does it take to finish off one such creature? Exactly 458. Eventually, it finally fell and stopped moving entirely. Weirdly enough, as soon as the monster disappeared the entire forest began to transform.


    A refreshing wind began softly blowing. The vegetation began to recover. The soil started to sprout life. Even thezy river nearby seemed more alive suddenly. Soon it looked simr to the scene in the alternate realm.


    But that is when the world seemed to ripple violently. Suddenly the entire space became filled with monstrous shrooms. They were everywhere as far as the eye could see. But Josh didn''t despair. He''d keep fighting until they all died. He''d ughter them all to the veryst one!


    But there was something weird about them. They were all standing still, not moving in the least looking at the horizon. It looked as if there was an event about to happen and Josh was the only one that hadn''t been informed.


    That is when the friendly cowardly shroom waddled over. Somehow it seemed changed, but how? Then it spoke. It wasn''t the same dumb shroom it had been. "Thank you." It curtly did so, as if that was the only thing it knew how to say.


    That is when it genuflected its mushroom cap downward as if bowing to express his thankfulness. That is when all the other "assassins" did the same. As they bowed their long and nightmarish teeth suddenly began receding. As if they hadn''t been there in the first ce.


    No wonder the mushrooms all looked simr. They weren''t long-lost cousins. They were the same species. It was just that something had happened to these ones. It looked like a case of corruption.


    It had all seemingly stemmed from that one Boss. Somehow Josh felt there was something very wrong with the situation. What kind ofst Boss''s name was Big Fungus?! Well, to be fair this was only on Floor 13, but still.


    It was nice and all, but Josh suddenly realized an issue. The Boss''s corpse was nowhere to be seen! How was he supposed to loot it?! No matter how he looked around, there was nothing that had dropped. What kind of bullshit was this?!


    He could have just proceeded to Floor 14 after havingpleted the normal difficulty! This was cheating.


    "System! Come out and exin yourself! Where is my victory chest!" That''s when it came.


    [Congrattions on Completing Floor 13 Hellish Mode!]


    [CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS On cOmPlEtInG FlOoR 13 hElLiSh mOdE!]


    [??????????????? ?? ?????????? ????? 13 ??????? ????!]


    What kind of breakdown was it having?


    |~???????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????????~|


    What the hell?!¡­

 Chapter 99: Big Chungus (+Gods, But Who Cares)

    <h4>Chapter 99: Big Chungus (+Gods, But Who Cares)</h4>


    |~???????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????????~|


    Oh? Interesting. Floor 13? Why are there copies of some of my subjects here? This shouldn''t be possible¡­


    A w in the System? A malfunction? Ah, there was a yer requesting a higher difficulty level. While trying to cope with the request, the Tower Protocol made a slight mistake¡­


    Still, how interesting. What kind of creature is it? A human? Weak, almost no ancestral knowledge, and a growth potential close to nil. A fodder race it seems¡­


    How many did he doom with this single request? This will single-handedly change this race''s ying field. A (F) Fodder racepeting against (E) Extremely Weak ones or perhaps even (D) Weak ones? How ludicrous! Then again, it won''t matter in the end.


    This one is an idiot for sure. Hmmm. But it did save these copies from the corruption of that disgusting one. I guess I should reward him. What would be adequate?


    "Hey who are you calling an idiot!"


    A fodder race can barely support blessings in the first ce. This one is especially weak, even by his own species standards. How about I bless his ss with the Greenwood affect? Yes, this would do for a wonderful reward. Ah, he has no ss. Truly a failure¡­.


    "Hey, who are you calling a failure, you dumbass! A few minutes ago you didn''t even know what a human was. Talk about ignorant!"


    I guess I could always give him a seed of growth. It is almost useless but he could change his fate by revering me and sacrificing himself for the forest. Yes, he could obtain incredible power¡­


    "Revering you? Sacrificing myself? How about no!"


    |~???????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????????~|


    I felt it. It is no use trying to hide from us. Hehe, even in a copy world your subjects are being taken over. Their hearts are so weak and their minds so pitiful. It makes sense given their Lord.


    As expected of one with the title of Benevolent. Such a glorified way to call an utter fool. It is to be expected. Lucky for you that a yer saved your useless subjects, isn''t it? Hehe, you will forever be beneath me and you know it.


    Funny how the only victory you have had in forever is in the Tutorial Floor of a Newborn Tower. How very pitiful of you. What will the others say? While the Taint of the World is crushing foe after foe, there you are insulting a mortal haha.


    "Tutorial Floor?! Mister Taint, can you answer a few questions?"


    You want to give him your blessing? I pity the poor guy. As soon as he epts it he will forever be branded by you, always to be disdained by the better deities. Such a shame isn''t it?


    Then again he''s a human, isn''t he? It''s not like he has a future in the first ce. Actually, he seems like the perfect champion for you, doesn''t he? The very best champion a weakling like you could ask for!


    We all know that your previous one died. It did in such a pitiful manner too. You were so confident in him that you went all in without nting any other seed.


    Quite ironic, isn''t it? A forest deity only nting a single seed! HAHAHAHA That''s no forest deity, that''s a potted nt deity at best!


    "Okay, that one was good. But can you guys stop ignoring me?!"


    Go on. Give him your seed. nt it deep inside him. Even then, he won''t be able topete. It''s already toote. Well, toote for a Fodder Rank that is. Any other races could have still hoped for a miracle¡­


    ****


    Josh began frowning in displeasure.


    These guys sure were annoying. Idiot, weakling, failure, fodder and they kept ignoring him. They treated him as nothing but air. Were these supposed to be gods? Perhaps, perhaps not. One had called the other a deity but it could be a title.


    Josh had no way to know for sure. Still, he would remember these keywords: Tutorial, Fodder, Blessing, and Champion. He''d have to slowly research it at some point.


    But now he had a choice to make. In front of him, there was a screen that had appeared.


    [The Greenwood Lord wants to bless you with the seed of growth. Will you ept?]


    It could apparently bring him power, but at what cost? He had to revere a deity and possibly aplish tasks he had no interest toward. It also seemed like this god wasn''t that strong.


    But there was one thing he wondered. If he epted but found himself unable to believe in this god, wouldn''t he instead be selling his soul for nothing?


    There was theck of knowledge, there was the anger at the being''s insults but more importantly, there was a sense of profound difort. This had the potential to make him extremely strong or bring him to ruin.


    Josh didn''t want to serve another. Perhaps this was all a mistake, but Josh hesitated no longer. He refused. That is when he heard the deities'' voices.


    ~He refused, he totally refused! Haha, talk about a p in the face! You have been rejected by a lowly Fodder-Rank mortal. How does it feel, oh great Benevolent Lord?~ The Cavernous One wasughing.


    ~?That is only because he does not realize the opportunity he has. He is young, hence why he is ignorant. But it does not matter. It only requires a little tweak. You can try and taunt me all you want, it is useless. Here, watch!~ The Greenwood Lord dered confidently.


    "How about you stop calling me ignorant and start exining? If you can''t even hear me right now what kind of weak god are you?" Josh ridiculed.


    [The Greenwood Lord wants to bless you with the seed of growth. Increases potential passively. The promise of great power. Compatibility with humans 100%. Will you ept?]


    "No thanks!" Once more Josh refused.


    ~HAHAHAHAHAHA You can''t even sway such a weakling! This was worth sending a strand of consciousness here!~ The Cavernous One uttered again. What was that about a strand of consciousness?


    ~It seems my Benevolence has been mistaken for weakness. Here, with this, he won''t have any choice but to ept. Let me see how he will react to this.~ He seemed extremely confident.


    [The Greenwood Lord wants to bless you with the seed of growth. Should you refuse, you will instead receive the Greenwood Lord''s Curse. Will you ept?]


    ~Going to so much trouble to convince a mere mortal! How ridiculous. Well, now the oue is obvious. No mere mortal will ever dare¡­~ He seemed peeved about this boring oue.


    The oue was obvious, was it? Josh couldn''t help but internally chuckle. These gods really seemed full of themselves, didn''t they? They weren''t even here in person it seemed.


    Josh would be cursed should he refuse? He had always been someone proud. He could be defeated and humiliated, but he wouldn''t ept it.


    So what if it was a god trying to bully him? So what if he could be a powerful ve? So what if he was potentially heading straight to his doom? He was Josh Motherfucking Malum.


    He smiled radiantly. A forest deity, was it? His morphing weapon took the form of a lumberjack axe. Then he started hacking. He hacked at the shrooms, he hacked at the trees, he even hacked at the random vegetation.


    The creatures screamed in horror. They ran to the best of their abilities but kept dying. Without the nightmarish teeth, they were nothing but overgrown mushrooms. He mercilessly cut down the creatures he had just saved. They weren''t real anyway¡­probably.


    Did this serve any purpose besides venting? No, but it was all about sending a message. Humans may not be the strongest but they sure could be petty!


    "Tell me, oh great deity. How does it feel having your subjects cut down like weeds? Does it feel nice?"


    ~HAHAHAHAHAHAHA This human is interesting, should I try and offer him a blessing too? Ah, it seems my time is up¡­~ The Cavernous One was cackling as usual as the sound of his voice faded away.


    ~HOW DARE YOU! Puny and worthless human! You shall perish along with your kind! Of that, I will make sure. You will be the first and they will follow! This is my vow, there shall be no escape from it!¡­~ The Greenwood Lord bellowed so loudly that Josh felt his head ring.


    Then they both disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared. Well, Josh had only heard their voice and had never seen them. He didn''t feel any different but there was one tiny change to his status screen.


    - S Curse of the Greenwood Lord: Active


    Marked to death by the Greenwood Lord himself along with humanity. Your own doom shall be the precursor of humanity''s destruction at the hands of a vengeful god.


    Talk about ominous! That was definitely an "oops" moment. Still, for some reason, instead of being worried, Josh could only think of two things.


    1) At least now his status screen looked less empty


    2) Didn''t that just give him godlike powers?! Bymitting a single suicide he could decide the fate of the entire human species?! Talk about OP!


    That is when a message popped.


    [Congrattions on Completing Floor 13 Hellish Mode!]


    "System, are you seriously going to act like gods didn''t just show up? Alright, whatever. What is the reward?"


    Josh expectantly awaited. He had already received a curse from some bullshit god. He truly hoped it would be worth it.


    [Reward: Big Chungus Ring E+]


    Looking at the item description, Josh didn''t know whether tough or cry. The ring showed no special skill or stats. This probably meant that it was part of a set. That meant he''d have to farm this Floor over and over.


    But seriously, what the hell was a Big Chungus?! He hoped it wasn''t what he was thinking¡­

 Chapter 100: Not Going Home Before Going Big!

    <h4>Chapter 100: Not Going Home Before Going Big!</h4>


    What defines a being as human? Asking two individuals one would get three answers.


    For the Greenwood Lord, it was a race that was weak,cking potential, and missing something called an ancestral heritage. For Josh, it was having all these weaknesses and yet telling the arrogant deity to suck it.


    Was it the most logical choice? Far from it. He should have refused politely and made sure not to burn the bridges. But Josh did something very human. He understood the best logical course of action and still chose to take another path.


    He believed in effort and will. Not in a naive dumb way. No, he knew clearly that the choice he had made could very well be objectively wrong. Yet, he wouldn''t regret it. Even if it condemned himself¡ª and humanity.


    Worst case, he would enjoy his remaining <35 Days> remaining to the fullest. Somehow that value had gone up a lot.


    Josh could be seen whistling happily as he exited the Tower.? There was no trace of guilt on his face, his steps were steady, his back straight, and he even wore a big smile. He felt the warm sunshine on his face and couldn''t help but feel profoundly at peace.


    Well, until screams ruined the moment.


    "We''re all going to die!" There were many panicking people.


    "The end is near, the end is near. Exactly as it has been foretold by the...!" There were false prophets having a st.


    "Do not worry, guys. The MTAs and the S-Rank guilds will find a solution!" There were optimists.


    "Honestly, I wouldn''t trust the S-Rank guilds that much right now. Who do you think managed to get cursed by a god? I''m sure it''s not some low-level dude." There were conspiracy theorists.


    "That''s bullshit. But yeah, it''s going to be hard for the various powers to even see eye to eye." There were also realists.


    Josh fiddled with his UW. People online were taking "the end of the world" way better. Just looking at the thread titles brought back his great mood.


    - Quick! This is thest chance for you to request nudes from your crush! Just do it!


    - The end is near! How near? Bets are open! Blow all your $$$ it''s the end of the [emailprotected]</a> world! It doesn''t matter if you lose!


    - Nooo! I''m still a virgin! Looking for help to cure my condition ASAP! Any girl will do! Actually, any good-looking guy too! Please! I''d rather not settle for a dog¡­ *Begging*


    - I me the vegans for eating all that grass! They''ve done it and infuriated a forest deity! # Eat ass not grass # Save the world


    - ! Warning Graphic Content ! Sending potted nts to space as retribution against the Greenwood Lord. Do not miss it! *Tons of unrted emojis*


    - Totally not a conspiracy theory! Who said anything about the Greenwood Lord being a forest deity?! #Ogre #Massive Erection #Greenwood #QED #Haters will say it''s fake


    Wow just wow. In times like these, Josh truly loved humanity. Yep, they were all madmen. One could argue most were probably scared shitless and just using humor to calm their nerves. So what? Any species making fun of literal evil gods were great in Josh''s book.


    That''s when he saw a lot of messages in the Draconic chat about a guild meeting. This concerned the fate of the world and was clearly important. There was only one thing left for him to do. After all, he had to take responsibility. Taking a deep breath he carefully typed:


    -Josh MF Malum: You guys can figure it out without a low level like me. Good luck! ;) Going back to farming, talkter.


    Then he entered Floor 13 once more. What about the whole Curse thing? It may have been his fault but he would never admit it.


    Honestly,ing clean was the fastest way to end up either locked up or assassinated. In any context, it was always easier to kill than to protect (as proven by Floor 13). There were bound to be a few lunatics out there that would have just loved to see humanity fall.


    Josh would simply keep climbing doing his best not to die. In fact, this didn''t change his ns. It potentially just meant that the path ahead would be more troublesome.


    Anyway, it was time for some farming. It was a matter of applying the strategy he already knew, this would clearly be easy.


    He simply waited for the failure message patiently while twiddling with his new ring. But no matter how he looked, he couldn''t figure it out. It was bronze-looking but there weren''t even any details. It was very in.


    It sure felt longer than usual. Was it perhaps because he didn''t have the same sense of wonder toward what would happen? He even started wondering if he should task Navi with keeping track of time. It probably could, right?


    That''s when he heard a sounding from rtively far away. It seemed to be the hopping of shrooms. Just hearing it made him puzzled but seeing it confused him even more.


    Somehow the assassins were running next to their target. They had made peace?!? All of them were angrily charging at Josh.


    "Wait, do you guys remember yourst life or something?" But then it hit him. ''Marked to death by the Greenwood Lord himself''. These things were apparently copies of his subjects. Was this what marked to death meant?


    Oh my god! What a tragedy! Cursed to have every monster in the area charge at him madly?! Oh no! For some weird reason, Josh simply couldn''t wipe the huge grin off his face. This ''vengeful god'' had seemingly cursed him with attracting forest monsters.


    This meant he would have no respite no matter if it was day or night. He would have to always remain alert. His hands would most likely bear the brunt of it all. Perhaps he would soon need to go to the hospital to treat them. It would y out like this:


    "Doc, I need you to heal my hands." Josh would mutter utterly in pain.


    "What happened?!" A handsome and well-built U-bot doctor would ask him in simted sympathy.


    "My hands are sore from picking all that loot, Doc! So sore!" He wouldin in anguish, with glistering tears in his eyes.? Yes, Josh could clearly see this very usible future.


    He stopped daydreaming and annihted all the nightmarish shrooms, leaving only his protection target that was currently trying to bite him. Yes, the toothless one.


    He then simply began walking with the monster literally glued on him. There was a very good thing about all this. Since the enemies didn''t care about the target, Josh didn''t have to worry about it. He took some string out and tied it up really solidly.


    It was still wriggling its body trying to attack him even whilepletely wrapped. Every time the assassins appeared, Josh simply threw that shroom package a little distance away, far enough so it wouldn''t be poisoned.


    Funny how this curse had actually rendered this Floor extremely easy. Well, it may very well change based on the nature of the mission. For instance, Josh really hoped there wouldn''t be a sneak one.


    Just by spawning, he''d possibly get noticed instantly. He wasn''t sure how this thing worked exactly but chances were this magic could be sensed by these creatures from afar. Perhaps it was simr to the insects that targeted whatever had the stench of their dead brethren.


    In any case, he soon reached the clearing and initiated the Boss fight. When it summoned minions Josh didn''t have to stain his own hand. Before, he had worked hard to kill them as soon as possible so they didn''t cause damage.


    Now, all he needed to do was to move right next to the boss and dodge at the veryst second. Yes, the minions kept getting killed by their ally. It kept rampaging until they were all dead. After that, Josh just needed to repeat the same strategy he had used earlier until the creature finally fell.


    He waited for the revitalization cinematic, but it was nowhere to be seen.? Instead, there was now a small glowing light that soon turned into an earing. It seemed to be another part of the Big Chungus set. Pocketing it, Josh then went to grab his hostage, no, protection target.


    He forcefully dragged it all the way to the other side of the bridge before releasing it. Of course, the creature was hriously still trying to bite him without much sess. That is when it finally came.


    [Congrattions on Completing Floor 13 Hellish Mode!]


    [Feat Aplished, First solo clear of Hellish Floor 13!]


    [Reward Big Fungus Item B¡ª Error Error. Curse of the Greenwood Lord Detected!]


    [Reward Big Chungus item Box!]


    "System? What drug are you on? It seems to be some solid stuff. I already cleared this earlier¡­" Josh remarked teasingly to a Tower Protocol that ignored him. Was this perhaps because of the gods crashing the party? It seemed like it was having issues earlier too.


    At least he had received his reward. Using it, he randomly received a ne. Trying on the set he resolved to farm it for it would help increase his survivability. He then restarted the Floor, doing it over and over.


    The good thing was that he didn''t need to wait for anything, he only needed to find the clearing with the Boss. Other than that, the mission would pretty much clear itself as his target came to him. Before long, Josh stood before a fat pile of loot.


    <E+ Big Chungus Ne>


    <E+ Big Chungus Ne>


    <E+ Big Chungus Ne>


    <E+ Big Chungus Ne>


    But why was it all nes?! Josh couldn''t help but despair at his ungodly luck. He only had one neck! What was he supposed to do with all the extra? Sell it? Who would buy one piece of a set item?!


    Still, Josh persevered. It took him 24 tries total including the previous victories for him to finally manage toplete it. The entire thing took him the whole day, which was pretty fast all things considered. He had gotten 18 nes somehow¡­Still, he couldn''t help but smile as he observed his loot:


    <Big Chungus Set Effect (3)>


    Resolve of the Big Chungus: Increases defense based on size (Passive)


    <Big Chungus Set Effect (5)>


    Calling of the Big Chungus: Chungus Ally Cooldown 1 hour.


    <Big Chungus Set Effect (7)>


    Bloating of the Big Chungus: Be one with the Chungus Ally. Toggle.


    It was finally time to test the abilities. Josh first called the Chungus ally with a bit of reticence. Then appeared a short and fat phantomatic rabbit eating a shroom. It started hopping around him gleefully.


    That is when Josh used the Bloating ability. Instantly the bunny merged into him as his entire physique began growing. It kept going until Josh was about 5 times his usual size. He felt like a giant. He felt powerful!


    Letting out a mighty roar, he approached a tree before violently punching it. That is when the dead tree remained perfectly still. Yes, Josh had barely managed to break a bit of its bark. It seemed as pointless as the toothless shroom attacking him before.


    His size was increased but not his strength. His massive body even recoiled backward a few meters from the force of the blow. He felt like a ball that had rebounded very naturally. He would need to test the defensive buff at some point. Still, that gave him a wonderful idea.


    He tried to get his morphing weapon to be as big as possible. It could take the appearance of a greatsword about double the size of a normal weapon, but that wasn''t enough. His whole idea was to get a really HUGE weapon. Ah, but a fairly light one.


    Why? No matter how great someone was with a knife, how much damage could actually be done to a gigantic dragon with it?? It would be the equivalent of removing a tiny bit of skin from it. Josh felt like one day he would need such power.


    So yes, size mattered. In this specific case at least. It was time to go home. The panic would have diminished a bit, right?!...

 Chapter 101: Home Sweet Home, And Breasts

    <h4>Chapter 101: Home Sweet Home, And Breasts</h4>


    Ah, how pleasant! Fresh air, clear sky, false prophets, and panicking people. Seriously what were they still doing here? Ah, there was even an addition to it.


    There was a group nearby with signs. It was a great cause too: <Nuke the Greenwood Lord>. Somehow they had great cohesiveness, how peculiar. In every manifestation there needed to be at least one troll. Were they breaking such a universal rule?!


    "Brother, can you sign our petition to drop a big fat nuke on that viin''s head?" A protesting guy hollered at him.


    "Sure, but before I sign tell me: Who''s here ironically?" Half raised their hand. Some looked at their colleagues as if they had just been horribly betrayed while the others were clueless and had thought the whole thing a joke.


    Ah, how pleasant! Fresh air, clear sky, protesters busy infighting, U-bots scurrying over to intervene and Josh low-key just entering the sewers minding his own business. Then he made his way to his room and there was... a door?! It even had a note telling him to use his UW to unlock it.


    He could feel something rise from the very depth of his being. It was a feeling that even getting 100k Credits couldn''tpare to. You know you have attained the pinnacle in life when you finally get a door! That''s what she had said back then¡­


    He felt a wave of mncholy hit him as he couldn''t help but see something vividly. He was remembering all the times he had opened his door home back on Earth. How happy he felt every time. How the weariness, the tiredness, and tediousness of living would go away. He would feel as if the weight of his own existence would disappear, the lightness so addictive.


    Every time, he would only feel alive when he came back home. Otherwise, he would be nothing but a lovesick ghost haunting this shitty world. No matter how unfair or dark this Earth got, he had always been able to endure it, all thanks to them.


    As he opened the pitch-ck door with shaky hands, he was confronted by a full room that felt empty. He couldn''t help but murmur a soft and sorrowful "I''m home." Then the light opened automatically. He could distinguish his blurry surroundings through the tears.


    It was all so weird!


    The little one would have loved it for sure. She would have been happily hopping all over, before finally jumping on the bed. He could even picture her smugly remark that the big andfy-looking bed would increase bedtime story-telling efficiency by some made-up percentage. Her big sister would have loved it too, but for a very different reason.


    The bed cover was blood-red with a soft rug at its feet. It came with blood-red pillows too and leather straps. The frame was a sturdy metallic ck. On the side, there were literal chains and what seemed like a medieval made out of heavy metal. Was that the heavy nket he had asked for?!


    Not far away, there was a chair. It looked ratherfortable, but peculiar. On the side, there was a wheel to adjust the desired setting. But why were the options: Light, Medium, Heavy, Deadly, Deadly+, Deadly++ ?! What kind of electric mass¡ª oh!


    There was a built-in fridge in the wall somehow. Except, it really didn''t look like the usual everyday one. No, it was some kind ofboratory fridge. The kind that could clearly be used by a mad scientist to research a deadly virus. Wasn''t this overkill?!


    There was a note about the light settings. Apparently, he could activate it all vocally. There were: Off, Dim, Normal, Bright, Very Bright, and Supernova. Josh carefully mumbled "Supernova." The sh of light that ensued made a sh grenade seem like a small LED. This would really blind anyone''s dog eyes!


    Josh had to wait for a few minutes for his vision toe back. Honestly, he was convinced that he would have turned blind had he not been a Climber. He could distinguish a metallic sphere tucked in a corner.


    Approaching it, there was a small manual attached to it. Josh pressed the power button before it addressed him. <Master registered as Josh Malum> Wow, how neat! It was literally just a rolling sphere that could talk.


    <Master, please designate a target to kill.> Josh looked at it puzzled before lightly answering.


    "I just need you to clean anything that tries to soil this ce. Can you do that?"


    <Orders received!> It looked pretty harmless. Did it have some kind of edgy AI to make it cooler?


    There was just one thing missing. He had asked for freezers. How else was he supposed to store ice cream? Oh well, it wasn''t that bad. But that is when Josh looked at the blood-red walls and noticed something that seemed to be sticking out. Coming closer, he found a handle.


    As he pulled it, Josh realized that there were in fact freezers. It was just that the design was very peculiar. Well, there was an easy way to describe it. Ever seen a morgue? Yes, it looked exactly like thepartments to hold cadavers! When he had asked for a fridge big enough for a few humans to fit inside he didn''t mean it like that!


    They would have loved this ce. They would have made fun of him for not giving proper directives. She would have worked her magic somehow and turned this multi-purpose sleeping/torture room into a cozy home.


    Suddenly, the small metallic ball began morphing. Deadly-looking des came out of it. There were so many spikes that it looked like it could reduce to bloody mush anything that came in contact with it. What?!


    That''s when it bolted toward the door extremely fast, attacking the individual that was there. Josh hadn''t noticed due to theck of killing intent. It aimed its attack at the heart, the brain, and the neck. Josh quickly shouted: "Stand down, no need to clean that one!" But it was already toote.


    It had already reached its target. With a metallic CLANG, Kasha managed to either block or barely dodge all of the attacks, her flesh getting sliced in the process. The robot stood down and came back to rolling around the room.


    "What the hell was that?!" Kasha was obviously infuriated. Had she not reacted in time, she would have died. Even now, blood could be seen trickling down her side and her clothes were utterly ruined.


    "Sorry, I didn''t know it would do that." Josh apologized, relieved that she was fine.


    "Do you think a sorry will be enough for-" But then, she stopped abruptly as she saw him.


    Somehow, he looked different. She had always seen the proud and confident Josh. His face was covered in tears that were slowly drying. His eyes were red. He had a wistful air about him. At that moment she felt that the incident with the killer robot didn''t matter much.


    "What happened? Who dares to bully you? Even if it''s a god I can help. Don''t underestimate the goddamn best scout in Draconic!" She stuck her chest out with exaggerated pride.


    "Oh? You are in the anti-godly bullying business now? You''ll be super busy from now on, won''t you? So, when are you kicking that Greenwood Lord''s divine ass?" Josh teased her. He was already back to his usual self. One could feel down but one couldn''t wallow in sorrow either.


    "Just watch me! I''ll whoop his heavenly ass so hard he won''t dare to curse you again!" She said without breaking eye contact. In her hazel eyes, he could see a great conviction. She meant every word of it. She knew, yet trusted him.


    "I''m afraid I was already nning to do that myself you see. Ah, but I could let you ce in a few kicks with these long legs of yours." He magnanimously offered.


    "It''s a date then. Does Friday work for you? It will be my first time, you know. Beating a god, I mean. What kind of clothes should I wear? Blood-red ones perhaps?" She burst outughing as she looked at the surrounding blood-red decor.


    Josh couldn''t help but smile wryly before pointing at her clothes that were falling apart, revealing her perky breasts. "If you wear that, I feel like we could beat it up while it''s distracted."


    "Oh? You think I could charm a god with these? She lightly shook her upper half while giving him a teasing smile."


    "Probably." As Josh admitted that, she gave a victorious smile. After all, who didn''t like to receivepliments. Still, it felt way too objective to her. It was as if he didn''t mind giving her heartfelt praise but his own heart was unswayable.


    She couldn''t help but nce curiously at the giant mystery that Josh was. As for the partial nudity, she didn''t care about such trifle. How many times had that happened in the Tower as she got injured? Countless. It was fine to show some skin if it was only to her allies.


    She kept going. "All joking aside, the various powers are at a loss. They are all organizing conference calls to talk about the problem but it''s all ending up as a shitshow. Dario even keepsining in the guild chat about it. What are you nning?"


    "Well, I do have a very simple idea that could just work out. We can slowly have someone research curses ande up with a solution. Worst case, it won''t yield any result."


    "The government will be doing that with the Greenwood Lord curse too you know." She added.


    "They''ll be studying an inactive curse? Talk about ridiculous!" Josh couldn''t help but shake his head in disapproval. Then he grinned. "We''ll be studying live curses instead, many of them!"


    She instantly understood what he meant. Nodding, she slowly changed her clothes, taking her sweet time, before following him outside as they headed for the small temple. But once they arrived, both tensed up.


    In there was a bald man wearing shades that clearly looked like the very picture of a mobster.? Did something happen to his new subordinate?!¡­

 Chapter 102: Confession On A Bench!

    <h4>Chapter 102: Confession On A Bench!</h4>


    There stood a man that gave mobster vibes.


    There were many words one could have used to describe him: Bald, shades, well-built, leather gloves, evil-grin¡­. Seriously, his smile was extremely creepy.


    "What are you doing here?" Josh approached him, growling.


    The tension was palpable. Both Draconic members were ready to pounce on the man at any time. Good thing Josh had the perfect ce to interrogate someone too. That is when the man turned toward him, still grinning.


    "Hey, Boss! You''re back!" He greeted Josh happily with the joy of a puppy weing its best friend. What was this all about?!


    But then Josh observed the man more closely. That was the goddamn monk! How could anyone change so much?! First, there were the clothes, essories, and the UW. Just that made him look way more ssy. The haircut and the bath helped a lot too.


    Then, there was the fact that he wasn''t starving anymore. Being a Climber had probably sped up the recovery a lot. There was also the attitude that was different. Before he looked poor and pitiful but now he appeared confident and powerful. Finally, there was that huge grin on his face.


    "You seem pretty happy¡­." Josh couldn''t help but remark.


    He scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, let''s just say that something good happened recently." Under the two''s inquisitive nces he embarrassedly exined further. "Well, I''m not the only cursed one anymore¡­"


    "HAHAHAHA That is amazing!" Kasha burst intoughter.


    Josh smiled wryly. Life truly was strange at times. Who knew that a curse that foretold the annihtion of a race would bring one of its members joy. It was the purest joy there was too. He was simply happy that he wasn''t as isted anymore. There was no malice involved at all. He just couldn''t help it.


    Josh understood him very much, so much in fact. He looked at him solemnly. "That''s why I''m here today in fact. Now that everyone is afflicted with a curse you can be sure a solution is bound to be found soon."


    The monk looked joyful at that revtion. Then josh kept going, uttering akin to amandment. His whole bodynguage spoke volumes. He was serious, he wouldn''t repeat himself and he wouldn''t ept any talking back.


    "Give up on Climbing. Only suffering, misery, and an agony worse than death await you. It is simply wasteful. Remain a great monk instead. Once your curses are removed you will have a simple and peaceful life. I''ve found a recement to your attraction curse anyway. You are useless to me now. Later."


    Josh then simply turned heels and exited the temple calmly. Kasha followed him giving him an inquisitive look. "What was that about?" she asked softly.


    "Exactly as I''ve said. It is definitely the smartest and most logical choice for him to remain a monk." Josh admitted.


    "Then why did wee here in the first ce? What about your whole n?" She raised a brow in confusion.


    "Some things are out of my control, you know." Josh then pointed at an area with benches by the side of the road. "Let''s take a rest there, shall we?" As they sat down, she was observing him with rapt attention. He had his eyes closed, his head tilted, and was enjoying the warm sun.


    "I didn''t take you for the rxing on a bench kind of guy. The others at the guild wouldn''t believe it if I were to tell them." she chuckled.


    "Really? Why not?"


    "Because you''ve been cooped up in the Tower ever sinceing here. I''ve been wondering. Why do you insist on Climbing solo? Perhaps at first, no one wanted you in their party, but it''s not about proving them wrong anymore, am I right?"


    "Every Floor cleared Solo aplishes a Feat. Feats are opportunities. I have no way to know if it will all be worth it down the line, but I''d rather not miss any if I can. Yes, I could be way higher level. Yes, I could make it easier on myself. But I''d rather make sure I have a strong foundation."


    "Completionist, are you? Well, I guess it''s not a bad thing. But it''s lonely, isn''t it? You probably understand that monk more than anyone else. He simply wants to Climb and yet he can''t. Just after giving him hope you pulled it away from him. Well, I don''t think you are wrong either." She sighed softly.


    His eyes still closed, Josh muttered: "Giving? Giving hope to someone is impossible. At best you can be their source of inspiration. That is how hope is. It begins with oneself. Even in the most hellish conditions, one can still hope." He didn''t sound defensive at all. He wasn''t giving excuses but just exining.


    "Is that so?" Her tone was pensive as she pondered upon this simple sentence.


    It wasn''t anythingplex. It was even basic. The kind of thing that anyone could think of. Yet, she realized something too. How impossibly hard would applying this in the real world be? It required an insane mental fortitude! Perhaps, even a tad of craziness too.


    That is when she could see Josh fiddle with his UW. She leaned toward him and peeked at his screen. He was watching a guide on how to use the guild customized VR training. "Who will you ask to teach you?" The way she saw it he was already extremely strong for his level. He just needed levels.


    He replied with a small smile. "It isn''t for me." He then closed it and kept enjoying the nice atmosphere. She was puzzled but she just examined him. He almost looked like a calm old man right now. One that was unaffected by the vicissitudes of life.


    "How long do you want to remain here? It''s quite nice, I like it." It wasn''t anything special. It was just the most basic of benches there were in this city. Yet, she was enjoying the moment for some reason.


    "How long? I am waiting for a heartfelt confession. It shoulde any moment now." He was smiling mysteriously. The kind of smile that made her unsure if he was joking or not. He probably was, right? She wasn''t sure how to feel about it. How was she supposed to react? But that''s when someone came to interrupt abruptly.


    A monk came running. It was one that looked more like a mobster than anyone holy. He was out of breath, but he showed a steady posture. As soon as he spotted Josh on that small bench, his eyes began burning with passion as he charged toward him. That''s when he kneeled right in front of him.


    "Boss, you are perfectly right. I should stop Climbing. I should simply take care of my small temple. I should stop dreaming about what can never be. I should enjoy my peaceful life. I should just give up. But I can''t!"


    Josh still had his eyes closed, peacefully. Meanwhile, Kasha was staring at the monk her eyes bulging. Was this what he had meant by a heartfelt confession?! It was so heartfelt that the monk kept going!


    "I know the consequences. Suffering? I can take it. Misery? I''m used to being miserable. Agony worse than death? A small price to pay to aplish my goals. Even while knowing all that, I still can''t kill this hope of mine. Even if I die it won''t matter. Please show me the path! I''ll thread it to the best of my abilities. No matter what!"


    Josh finally opened his eyes. They were but normal eyes, without anything noticeable. Yet, the two next to him were trying to peer into them to the best of their abilities and felt like they were stars. What kind of wisdom hid behind these?


    "This shall be the first lesson. This is what being human is all about. The ability to be weak and yet to possess a will stronger than anything. One truly perishes only when one''s will dies. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Boss!"


    "Now, let''s go. The second lesson awaits."


    They then headed directly for Draconic before entering the member-only area. Josh was using his clearance level to bring an outsider. Yet, every one of the general members believed it to be Kasha''s doing.


    Josh soon guided them to two machines that had a "reserved" floating text above them. In fact, these two capsules were not often used. They boasted even more realism than the others butcked any skill implementation. This made it only suitable for total Newbies, except that most had issues with the high realism too.


    Kasha couldn''t help but look at the reservation time. I was before the confession! She interiorly thought ''There are some things he doesn''t control my ass!''


    Josh signaled his disciple to enter one, before doing so himself. It was time to begin the Cursed Climber n officially. Hopefully, the monk wouldn''t break or go insane. Anyway, there went nothing¡­

 Chapter 103: What Kind of Training Is This?!

    <h4>Chapter 103: What Kind of Training Is This?!</h4>


    As Josh appeared in the VR world, he couldn''t help but give a nod of approval. This ce was truly barren. It was just a dark and dim area with nothing but a basic rock Floor. The monk was there looking all around in wonder. Not that there even was anything to look at.


    Josh regted their stats to correspond to a level two individual with one hand while adjusting the pain tolerance setting with the other. As soon as he did, a red glowing message appeared in front of both of them. The entire color scheme screamed of danger.


    [A pain setting of 45% is ssified as the maximum eptable number. Anything above that can cause serious physical and mental trauma. Are you sure you wish to set the pain setting to 200%?]


    Of course, Josh was sure! How much longer would this take otherwise? He didn''t have all day. On the other side, the monk seemed to disagree as a shadow of a doubt passed on his face. After epting, came another annoying warning.


    [Last warning this could cause irreversible mental damage, no responsibility shall henceforth be..-]


    "Whatever, skip it. Plus one can log off anytime here." Josh muttered, barely loud enough for it to be heard by a now extremely tense monk. After a few instants of hesitation, his pupil resolutely epted it too.? As soon as he did, Josh smiled brightly at him.


    The monk unconsciously answered in kind, giving an awkward smile while blinking.? That was a mistake. When he opened his eyes once more, Josh was already there in his face.


    Then began a fun ying time for one and all BUT a fun ying time for the other. The poor monk was getting a nice biology lesson on all the ces that were especially sensitive to pain in the human body. It was one that would be very memorable too.


    A violent kick in the groin, followed by a chop to the windpipe and finished by the crushing of the nose. The monk tried fighting back but there was nothing he could do. His eyes were flickering, his body was trembling, his entire body was telling him that he was dying. Meanwhile, his aggressor kept smiling calmly.


    None of this was supposed to be real, but it was! Dying and healing happened in a non-ending cycle. It was all thanks to Josh picking the instant regeneration effect setting. This I turn only prolonged the agony. It was even more unbearable!


    For a second, Josh thought the man would give up, but no. Instead, he looked up and hardened his gaze. He did so valiantly and just in time to get his jaw destroyed, followed by his knee getting exploded, right before receiving onest kick to the nuts for good measure.


    Josh could see the confusion in the man''s eyes. He could see his will wavering. He wanted nothing more than to log off and make this hellish suffering stop. Perhaps death would have been weed at that point. The worst was that he didn''t even know why he was getting savagely beaten.


    All the monk knew was that the time he almost died in the Tower had felt like a heavenly massagepared to this! Yes, getting mauled by tons of Cerberuses felt better! His brain kept telling him to leave and he wanted nothing more than to do it too. But, there had to be a reason for all of this, right?


    He figured this was a test. He figured he just had to endure. He figured that ¡­.His entire being was pain. This wasn''t fighting, it was torture. in and utter torture. One that was dished out with disturbing precision too.


    He had his breath taken away by Josh''s technique. Literally. That was what a solid hit in the sr plexus would do to someone. His entire body was paralyzed by pain, his entire being burned, he felt akin to a small paper boat navigating a sea ofva. How was he even still conscious?!


    But even with all this suffering,? he didn''t give up. He somehow struggled to open his eyes. Logically his body was fine, this was all a simtion after all. Yet, he had trouble recovering. He was about to have aplete mental breakdown. It didn''t help that Josh was now in the process of crushing his fingers and hands.


    Josh understood that the man had reached his limit. Way more than his limit. In fact, it had already been pushed over and over again. He tempted him: "You can always give up, you know? It''s the logical choice really." His voice was akin to the sweet whispers of a devil.


    The monk slowly rose up. He had to use his trembling hands to push himself upward. His entire body felt weak and powerless and yet his eyes told a different story. They spoke volume He wouldn''t give up easily.


    It was a good thing that he was so expressive with his eyes. He had long lost the ability to speak after all. He was trembling too much and had trouble breathing. Josh looked at his state calmly, with no trace ofpassion.


    "Remember this feeling, remember this mental state, etch it into your being and engrave it in your soul. Never forget it. Do you understand?" Josh slowly enunciated.


    The man seemed to be in a state where he could barely hear what Josh was saying. He slowly focused his resolute gaze on his mentor, focusing.


    "This look that you have right now. That''s what you need to Climb the Tower. The will to keep going no matter what. That is all."


    That is when the monk came back to his senses. He had to take a few moments topose himself before uttering "I understand. So all that pain was really just a test of my willpower? It was all necessary to¡­"


    "Test? Necessary? Didn''t I say it at the beginning? You could have logged off at any time. You could have just peacefully meditated too really. All that mattered was reaching that mental state." Josh exined.


    That is when the poor monk''s facepletely changed. He could have achieved it through meditation?! Why had he gone through all this then?! Was there any reason whatsoever?!


    "By the way, if this was a test you would have failed extraordinarily. When an opponent outsses you on all aspects you can''t just keep fighting while expecting a miracle. You gotta fucking run man! Or at leaste up with a winning strategy. Don''t just stand there like an idiot and take the beating¡­" Josh was shaking his head in disappointment.


    The poor monk seriously began questioning life. Why had he done all that?! One could argue Josh had been misleading, but really he had misunderstood everything on his own. He didn''t know whether to cry or cry some more.


    "Well, it''s not all lost. That should be enough for the pain training I guess. Alright, for now, we should take a break. Log off!" Then Josh disappeared in a red light leaving behind a very confused man, but one that soon gave a small smile.


    This new teacher of his was unconventional, but no one else would have taken him under their wings anyway. Plus, him just having the ability to bring an outsider here was proof of his abilities. Well, that and the fact that a proud Ranker followed him around like a puppy.


    For now, he''d just trust the Devil''s judgment. He was the only one he had met that had never been frightened by his curses in the least. Having made this decision, his small smile turned into a bright one.


    As she saw Josh awaken, a curious Kasha asked. "Why are you out while he is still inside? This thing is meant for duels. Did you give him a martial arts routine to practice or something?"


    "Martial arts routine? I''ve never formally learned any sadly. I just picked up a little from everywhere. So no, I couldn''t teach him even if I wanted." Josh shook his head.


    "What?! Seriously?! I would have sworn that you had plenty of experience! How else are you crushing it so much in the Tower? Wait, the other day Liam was saying something about how youpletely dominated the Tutorial. You''re pulling my leg, right?!"


    "Nope, I just know simple stuff like how to kill someone. I''m not good at fancy moves at all. This simple stuff works in the Tower so it''s fine, at least so far." He admitted.


    "Wow, just wow. I''m not sure what''s worse. The fact that this sounds so much like bragging or the fact that I truly believe that wasn''t your goal. Anyway, what do you n to- WHAT THE HELL?!" She interrupted her speech as the monk appeared.


    His entire body was trembling, hisplexion was as pale as a ghost, there was blood oozing out of his mouth and his entire outfit was bloodied too! How the fuck had this happened?!


    "Hey, are you alright?!" Kasha asked, freaking out.


    "Yes, I''m perfectly f¡ª BLARGH!" The monk failed to finish his sentence as he began vomiting blood. It soon all dripped on the floor. Yet, instead of panicking, the man that was somehow clearly injured only gave an embarrassed smile.


    "Sorry about the mess I''ll clean it all¡ª BLARGH!" He then wiped his mouth with his sleeve before acting like he was in top shape, even dering happily. "I feel better now." But that wasn''t the worst.


    On the side, Josh was giving him a thumbs up and a small healing pill. "Don''t worry let it all out. It''s perfectly normal. You''ll feel better soon. Just gotta let your brain realize that you aren''t actually dead. Just stay focused and you''ll be fine."


    "What the fuck is wrong with you two dumbasses?! Let it all out?! This is blood! If he does he''ll die! It''s perfectly normal?! What the fuck happened in there for this to happen?! This is a goddamn simtion, it''s not supposed to be real! Let your brain realize you aren''t dead?! No seriously, what the fuck happened in there?!" Kasha was especially heated.


    Both master and disciple gave a wry smile before answering curtly: "Just normal training." She couldn''t believe what she was seeing and hearing. How were they acting so casual about such an unbelievable situation?!


    That is when she heard Josh mutter something "A shame the maximum pain setting is 200% isn''t it?" That is when she understood. That is also when the monk began trembling violently as he vomited some more blood.


    Still, he was fine. This was but an instinctive body response. "Alright, shall we keep training?" Josh offered with his pupil nodding.


    As the both of them reentered the VR machine, Kasha seriously began worrying. She called in a healer while wondering if she should call the morgue while at it¡­

 Chapter 104: This Man Is A Despot! (1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 104: This Man Is A Despot! (1/2)</h4>


    The teacher and the student stood in a small barren VR world. One was about to share his amazing wisdom with the other.


    That is how a monk could be seen holding his breath, his ears perked, his gaze expectant and his expression extremely serious. That is when the solemn silence was finally broken.


    "You see, the trick to winning any fight is easy¡­" The pupil could be seen leaning forward in rapt attention. "Don''t get hit and beat the shit out of your opponent." Josh delivered that line as if it was divine knowledge, to the stupefaction of his interlocutor.


    "What? That''s it? Where''s the trick?" The poor monk asked uncertainly.


    "That''s it. Don''t try and make it difficult. Just focus on dodging and attacking. Why try and purposely make it difficult? Killing isn''t about shy and fancy moves. Just take out the opponent, that easy."


    "So how do I do that? I''ve learned martial arts but¡­"


    "Simple. You keep practicing until you get good at it. You are missing experience. Here, let me show you. Go on attack me. Come at me with all you got."


    The pupil charged at his teacher mercilessly. He used all the moves he knew and had trained for. He violently began punching and kicking quickly¡­before falling down on his ass. All that Josh had done was tozily deflect it all without moving an inch. Thus began the actual lesson.


    "Too predictable. If you look at my face right before punching it, it''s a dead giveaway."


    *Sounds of panting*


    The pupil nodded in understanding. He had to hide his intent. He tried again. This time, he went for a bluff and gazed at the face before punching the ribs. But the same result happened.


    "To make a bluff really work you need to be able to even fool yourself. If you can''t even do that much then don''t bother."


    *Sounds of exhausted panting"


    What was that even supposed to mean? How could one fool oneself? He figured he''d be even more careful with his intent and charged once more. Again he got thrown to the floor.


    "Your gaze and facial expressions were fine, but your body betrayed you. You switched your center of gravity to attack. Power-wise that''s the best move. Fighting-wise, that''s like having a shy sign telling your opponent where you''ll attack."


    *Sound of very exhausted panting.*


    He nodded once more. This time he figured he''d do better. He attacked ¡­and failed obviously.


    "This time you barely moved your center of gravity. Of course, you''ll end up unstable this way! I barely had to push you for you to fall. That''s just idiotic you know."


    *Sound of extremely heavy panting*


    How was he supposed to clear this?! If he didn''t fake it, he was instantly seen through and countered. If he faked it, hecked power. It seemed like an impossible riddle.


    "Boss, what exactly am I supposed to do?"


    "Well, you simply want to bnce it all for the best of results you know. You can even mix in some fake bodynguage signals in there to confuse the opponent." Josh smilingly said.


    *Sound of a body falling heavily on the floor*


    At some point during the previous sentence, the pupil had been attacked and fell to the ground. But there was something crazy. He didn''t know himself when that had happened! He had blinked and then ¡­.that was it! Seriously, how the fuck was that possible?!


    "That is what you want to do. Very simple stuff, really." Josh concluded.


    Meanwhile, the gaze of the man on the ground changed. He already admired the man but now it became veneration. It was as if a new world had opened before his eyes. Josh''s style of fighting was both incrediblyplex and simple at the same time. He simply used what flowed naturally. How amazing was that?!


    "Boss, I understand! Let''s keep going until-" He said with stars in his eyes as he got up.


    "Do you think I am that free?! How long do you think it will take before you be half-decent? I''m not going to micromanage that bullshit. Alright, let''s go. Log off!"


    As Josh returned to reality he couldn''t help but wonder what was happening. For some reason, there was some guy in heavy-looking steel armor right next to the VR capsule. He seemed to be awaiting their return. The guy didn''t let Josh ce a word as he began admonishing him in a displeased tone.


    "I''ve heard about your little 200% pain-setting stunt. You shouldn''t risk someone''s life with something so stupid. Do you realize your mistake? You can''t just exploit your status for crap like that. You need to take responsibility!" He seemed very motivated for this speech.


    The kid seemed to ooze with the pride of a peacock as he made his sermon. Also, why was Josh getting the feeling that the kid wanted to impress Kasha somehow? Perhaps the way he seemed to be posing to show her his best side-profile.


    "My status?" This point puzzled Josh. If he knew that he was a White Gold Draconic member (kinda) how did he have the balls to talk back to him?


    "No need to hide it. I know that you are the illegitimate son of Dario. I''ve heard others talk about it. You should be ashamed to tarnish a great man''s reputation! But it''s not toote to take your life into your own hands and¡­" He kept rambling.


    This kid was going ces. Not the right ones, but ces for sure. Josh could see Kasha making her best not to erupt inughter. Even now the clown was still going.


    "¡­ But even then, I''ll do my job as a healer. Is this the victim? Don''t worry brother, I''ll heal youpletely!" He was now heading to the monk to heal him. A bright white shter the target went from healthy to healthy. Yep, it had been totally unnecessary. They needed a cleaner instead.


    Now, why was a healer wearing heavy armor? Actually, no. This was a dumb question. Ronan was the strongest healer in Draconic and he fought close range with a staff already. Still, Josh didn''t expect there to be pricks like that guy in this guild. Was it time to clean up a bit?


    Josh looked at him. "Alright, what''s your name? Also, you really should just care about your own business, man. Why don''t you go do something more productive instead?"


    "I am Jack! But I will not leave before you promise not to repeat the previous offense. There is no cause worthier than to defend a brother from the same guild." He turned toward the monk. "You don''t have to suffer through such torture anymore. By the way, how long ago have you joined Draconic? It''s the first time I see you here."


    "?! Joined Draconic? I haven''t. I''m just here for training¡­" Then he turned to Josh afterward. "Alright, Boss. What do we do next? I''m ready for any hardships!"


    That is when this Jack character froze, looking puzzled for a few seconds, but then putting 2 and 2 together. Except that in that expression, he would have obtained 39 as a result.


    "Now this is even worse! I can''t believe you used your status to break a basic guild rule! Outsiders are not allowed in here! It''s not because you were tasked to bring an outsider in recently that you can just do the same on your own!" He condemned.


    Josh turned toward Kasha. "Isn''t this supposed to be an S-Rank guild? What''s with that kind of clown? Ah, whatever¡­.Right, Jack was it? From this point onward you are now kicked out of Draconic."


    The guy shook his head. "This is not how this works. Only the Guild-master himself can kick me from the guild. I will not cower! I am definitely in the right this one time. My principles will not waver. I will always be looking out for the interests of the guild!"


    Oh well, whatever. Josh simply sent a message to Dario real quick.


    - Josh MF Malum: Sup, some Jack the Healer in heavy armor, I kicked him from the guild. He doesn''t believe me. Either you tell him he''s out or I ask Kasha to beat the Hell out of him.


    - Dario the Dragon: Why?! What happened?! He''s probably our most normal healer¡­


    Perhaps Josh should pray for Draconic. Their most normal healer was a dumbass wearing full te armor. Well, he wouldn''t remain in the guild for long...

 Chapter 105: This Man Is A Despot! (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 105: This Man Is A Despot! (2/2)</h4>


    - Dario the Dragon: Why?! What happened?! He''s probably our most normal healer¡­


    - Josh MF Malum: He''s annoying as fuck. He''s bothering me for bringing my new subordinate to train here and all. Right, can we get the pain setting limit on the VR raised above 200%? It''s not gonna cut it for what I have nned.


    - Dario the Dragon: This could already be mortal! Be extremely careful! It could end badly!


    - Josh MF Malum: No worries, he just coughed a bit of blood.


    - Dario the Dragon: ?!? This isn''t supposed to happen! How about apromise? Just make Jack do whatever you want until you are satisfied. That shall be his punishment. Until then, he''s officially out of the guild. Gotta go,ter!


    Well, Dario had a point. Why kick him when he could use him as freebor instead? Yes, this was clearly the superior option. At first, he felt rather ufortable about it, but now that he had the guild master''s approval directly¡­


    That is when Jack the Healer''s UW beeped. As he nced at it, his face lost all color, his eyes bulged in horror and he slowly raised his trembling eyes to stare at Josh in dread. He could be heard muttering. "How is this possible?! This is a nightmare¡­"


    He was now just standing in a cornerpletely shellshocked. In the meantime, Josh''s pupil was patiently waiting by the side.


    Actually, there was a problem. If he only trained with this idiot it wouldn''t end well. Chances were his disciple would gain bad habits. He turned toward Kasha, she was clearly enjoying the show. "What''s the situation of the general Draconic members? I feel like we saw many on our way."


    "We have about 10 regr teams of different rank and power. So about 50 of them. As for today, they are all awaiting the Curse Rted news as the rest of the world is doing I believe. Why?" She had a glint of curiosity in her eyes.


    "Oh, nothing much. If they aren''t busy I''m going to put them to work. That''s all. Wait, do those guys have a general chat too like the gold members or no?"


    "Yep, they have one. In fact, you can ess it too. Just click on the Gold Chat icon and downgrade to general chat." Kasha exined as she awaited what was toe.


    Josh simply typed a very simple and to the point message that sent the scoutughing once more.


    - Josh MF Malum: [emailprotected]</a> To all thezy bums just waiting at the guild for bullshit to happen: get your asses in here ASAP. VR-Room-O!


    - Tanky Barbara: Who the hell are you?!


    - Dimitri the Musician: Isn''t that Dario''s¡­.I''m not saying anything more, I wanna live.


    - Raffa loves Kunais: Are you handing out free kunais? This IS a deal-breaker! I need to know...


    - Joel the Explorer: Too busy exploring howfortable this sofa is. How about no¡­


    - Lucas the Lancer: OMG RIP! You guys fucked up so much! LOL


    - Dimitri the Musician: ?! I didn''t say anything!


    - Joel the Explorer: Don''t try and scare us it won''t work haha.


    - Gorgeous Kasha: [emailprotected]</a> To all thezy bums just waiting at the guild for bullshit to happen: get your asses in here ASAP. VR-Room-O!


    - All of the above: ?! WTF ?!?


    - Josh MF Malum: @Lucas the Lancer, that includes you buddy.


    - Lucas the Lancer: *Sob* Akin to Icarus, I flew too close to the sun and burned my wings¡­.On my way¡­


    Josh gave a thumbs up to Kasha for the assist. He couldn''t help but notice that only a few dumbasses had written a clear refusal in the chat. The others had most likely been waiting to see how it would y out.


    Before long, about 2 dozen Climbers assembled in front of Josh along with Lucas. They were looking at the scene perplexed. There was a mobster none of them knew, one of theirs that looked more dead than alive, the legendary Kasha, and finally Josh himself.


    At that point, they were all visibly wondering what was up with this mysterious Josh. They knew he was a gold member somehow, but they also knew that he wasn''t that strong. Then there was that rumor about him being Dario''s son.


    They were still waiting for an official statement about it. Well, it didn''t seem to being in any case. Now there he was ordering them to gather. Plus he clearly had Kasha''s support. After today, rumors would begin about the nature of the two''s rtionship.


    Josh began his speech. "Now, to all of you waiting for the Greenwood Lord news, there is no need. It''s clear as day how it will all end up. They''ll convey for a while to show that they are taking action but really it will just be a pointless endeavor. Even they know it."


    The crowd seemed unsure.


    "Then, they will reassure the public. They''ll probably dig out a curse expert from somewhere or straight-up create one. Then this new guy will point out the inactive part of it and tell people to stop worrying. He may even im that the whole thing is a ''prank'' or something."


    Many seemed to be wondering what he was talking about but he could see a few nodding along.


    "After that will be the actual actions. They''ll delegate because they have no fucking clue how to deal with this. There will be an official bounty against whoever ''pranked'' humanity. Then, of course, the real bounty will be issued to S-Rank guilds, for them to do something about it somehow. That''s us so you guys will learn of it anyway."


    They seemed to agree that it made sense. Not necessarily that it would happen exactly like that but still. With this, their perception of Josh had changed a bit. They felt he had some substance to him at least. They were now ready to listen to him.


    "Alright people. I''ll have you do something actually productive. Right there is a dueling VR station. You''ll all try it and fight my newest disciple. Rules are simple. 200% pain setting. No breaks. Healing is allowed. Level two stats. Two hours of sleep a day, otherwise keep going. Any question?"


    "You want us all to fight him in session?!"


    "That''s what I just said. Anything that I didn''t already state?"


    "Isn''t 200% pain dangerous?! It can actually cause physical injury from the body reacting to what the brain interprets as happening. No?"


    "That is why there is healing allowed. Don''t worry. The worst that will happen will be a few blood puddles as you guys can see there, there, and there. They all shivered as they gazed at the blood Josh was pointing at.


    "I hope I''m not overstepping but since when do Draconic members have disciples? Is it possible to apply to have some one-on-one coaching? How long have you been teaching him?" the individual that asked seemed so eager!


    "It''s not rted to Draconic, just a pet project of mine. I can''t speak for the others but my criteria are very strict. I started teaching him about an hour ago."


    "Why the level 2? Why not level 1 or higher? I don''t mean any disrespect, just curious."


    "That''s because he''s level 2. There won''t be much learning if you bully him with stats now." Josh could hear gasps of surprise. They had expected the man the be stronger than that.


    "T-that. I''m afraid it will still be one-sided. The average level here is about 30. We have way more experience in the Tower. There is no way he will be able to cope¡­"


    That sure was surprising. The trash of Draconic would have been the strongest in lower-ranked guilds. This sure was an interesting power dynamic. Still, to Josh, it didn''t matter if they were all higher level than him. Now, as for the question at hand¡­


    "Fake monk, can you handle it?"


    "Yes, Boss! For sure!"


    "Good. Alright, anyone that manages to crush his spirit in there will get a rmendation to Dario directly from me." Josh could see their eyes burning with determination, he kept going.


    "Other than that, you guys can use this idiot as much as you want for healing. His guild membership is on the line after all." Josh pointed to Jack. That made all of the attendees tense. Membership on the line?!


    That should be all, right? Josh felt like he was forgetting something. Ah! That was a close call. "Barbara, Dimitri, Raffa, Joel, Lucas, and of course Jack. You guys better work extra hard! You know what I''m talking about, right?" Josh could hear them suck a cold breath.


    "Wait, Josh. I''m a gold member too! You can''t do this to me! We''re friends, right?!" Lucas was pleading, even doing puppy eyes.


    "Nope. This is you apologizing forst time!" Josh didn''t especially remember any such situation but he felt he deserved it anyway.


    Actually, the true reason was that he wanted someone to watch the kids. Lucas would be easygoing enough that he wouldn''t stress them, but he''d be able to correct their mistakes if they made any.


    Now, there was just one thing remaining. "Alright, I''m hungry. Want to go for a bite Kasha?"


    She smiled sweetly: "Sure, but you''re paying!"


    They left behind a group of people that were either confused, despairing, or staring at the monk with extreme curiosity. But as a hardworking student, he instantly prepared himself to enter the VR training.


    There were already a few that wanted to spar with him if nothing else to test his capabilities or simply gossip. After all, both he and his master were extremely mysterious. The monk couldn''t help but chuckle as the first sentence he heard upon entering the VR was: "Is your teacher really ssless?!"


    They soon learned that the monk called his teacher the Devil. This is how another rumor started. Meanwhile, Josh was appreciating the moment. He felt that being tyrannical could actually be useful and pretty nice from time to time.


    It was time for him to start thinking about where to build a headquarter for his own faction¡­


    ****


    [A/N] Checkments for survey lol

 Chapter 106: Why Dont I Buy This?

    <h4>Chapter 106: Why Don''t I Buy This?</h4>


    It was time for him to start thinking about where to build a headquarter for his own faction. But first, time for food.


    Kasha brought him to an amazing-looking ce called <Nature''s Bounty>. The restaurant was green, vibrant, and looked like a painting of a fresh summer garden. Josh raised an eyebrow seeing that it was a vegetarian ce.


    "You surprise me, Kasha. I thought you to be the meat-eater hunter kind of gal." He remarked.


    "Usually yes, but a change of pace is always weed. Plus, look at this." Kasha gestured at the spacious andpletely empty interior, grinning. "This is the power of the apocalypse, everyone is on their cheat day right now!"


    "Nice find! As expected of the amazing scout of Draconic. Praise be her falcon eyes, praise be her falcon ears and her¡ª" Josh theatrically began, only to be shortly cut off.


    "If you say falcon one more time, I''ll beat you up." She teased him as shezily sat at a table. But then rose up and started trying every single seat in the area, akin to a musical chair yer.


    "Oh, legendary scout! Which table suits us best for the meal toe? Which chairs shall we pick to support our weary bodies? Pray tell, know that I hold boundless trust in your infallible judgment!" He grandly dered as she began chuckling, finally choosing a table by the corner.


    "Isn''t this nice? We can enjoy the peace and quiet." She smiled brightly before loudly shouting "Hello! You have customers!" ¡­So much for the quiet.


    A man wearing a neat ck chef outfit came out of the kitchen. He greeted them convivially. "Wee, wee! Please be at ease! We have the best vegetarian food in this street!"


    "Also the only one¡­" Kasha remarked.


    "Exactly!" The man looked so confident!


    "Alright, bring us whatever delicious food you have in great quantity. This is your opportunity to shine. Let this be a meal worthy of being written about!" Josh said. The chef nodded warmly, leaving.


    Kasha looked at? Josh a trace of worry and concern in her eyes. "So, something preupies you. I can discern that much. What is it?" She had guessed about the curse. How much stress must Josh be under! Even if he wasn''t showing it¡­


    His expression was serious as he leaned forward. "How does one buynd in this world? Is there a ministry in charge? Is it traded between individuals? Also, are there any restrictions to what one can build on it?"


    "That''s it?! That''s what''s troubling you?!" She eximed before sighing. People were convinced of their demise, yet the man that bore the brunt of the curse was in a mood to invest. Where was the tension?!


    The chef came back with a green, unctuous, and somehow appealing broli soup (?!). Josh couldn''t help but smile ~ plotting the world''s downfall while eating broli. Getting air was step one.


    "It depends a lot. You need to ask the proper Metropolis in charge of the area. Rule of thumb, anything important is managed by either the MTA or its cousin branch the Ministry of General Affairs (MGA) that handles non-Climbers. What do you n on buying?"


    "Disaster zone D-23."


    "Pffttt¡ª" Kasha spat out her soup, as he promptly dodged it. "How did it go from ''I want to purchase somend'' to ''I want to buy a goddamn disaster zone''?! Seriously?! What do you even want to do with that?!"


    "I like the scenery there." Josh really felt like it was an amazing opportunity.


    D-23''s monsters were too busy sleeping to be any real danger, it was the first disaster zone to appear ever and the system in there was very cooperative. Josh could already picture using the entire Alter Tower as a training ground for recruits. He needed control over the area for that or it would soon backfire.


    Anyone else would have considered it madness, but he felt it was possible. The items could be worth it too. At first nce, it was all junk, but the burger mask had already seen some use. Josh would farm the Tower for normal items and the Alter Tower for cosmetic/special ones.


    There was only the problem of it being a few hours away by flying car. Still, that wouldn''t be much of an issue if Josh organized his time correctly. He could totally afford to spend a few days out if it meant getting new quirky gear.


    Finally, there was onest reason. The slothtrosities had insane potential in his eyes. There were taming emblems out there. If he ever got one, maybe he''d try taming one of them.


    Kasha nced at him curiously. He liked the scenery? Please! "Then you''ll have to discuss this with Metropolis D''s MTA. Good luck with that. They incurred so many losses. If they just sell it now without achieving anything people will riot."


    "I see." She sure had a point.


    Still, right now was perhaps the best time to try and acquire it. Why? Simply because everyone was too busy worrying over the curse to care about that stuff. Plus the tremors had begun once more. It was probably causing sleepless nights to whoever was in charge.


    "So, have you given up?"


    He simply smiled as he kept eating the dishes that the chef was bringing them. It seemed like he had brought his A-game. He had cooked one of each dish on his menu, having realized that they were obviously loaded Climbers.


    He expected them to take a bite of it all and got the shock of his life when it all disappeared in Josh''s stomach yet he kept asking for more. Soon ended a delicious and peaceful lunch.


    "Say, Kasha. Do you have any ns for the afternoon?"


    "Asking me out on a date? How bold of you. Don''t you know how many men would be jealous if I were to ept?" She faked misunderstanding his intentions.


    "Just the ones that enjoy gorgeous women I''m guessing." He jokingly replied in kind. Well, it was true.


    "Please! I know you''re just trying to butter me up for an insane request!" She could see him fiddle with his UW. "What are you doing right now?"


    "Oh, simply checking up on the funds I have avable. Had to ask Dario."


    "You''re asking for a loan? This really seems like a bad idea¡­"


    "Nope. Don''t worry about it. Alright, there is someone else we need and then we can go on a short journey." Kasha just gave him a puzzled nce as he soon brought her to a medium-sized building in the D district. The sign at the entrance read <Top Dwellings>.


    "So, what are we doing at a real estate agency? Actually, never mind. This isn''t going to end well¡­"


    "Don''t be so negative."


    As they entered they could see the same saledy Josh had met the other time.


    "Wee to Top Dwellings. If it''s the end of the world you may as well get that sweet new ce you''ve always wanted and¡­.wait it''s you! Just to be clear we don''t do refunds, no matter what!" She eximed.


    "I''m not here for a refund. I need help from a specialist with acquiring somend. Anyone here that can do that?"


    "Of course! Just tell me what kind of property you are looking for and we''ll do our best to assist you!" She smiled radiantly.


    "This one." Josh showed her an image on his UW.


    "Ah, you probably miss-clicked, Sir. This is a picture of that disaster zone."


    "Yes, it is," Josh confirmed.


    "Wait¡­.that was intentional?! Then thend you want to buy¡­?! How?! Why?! What the Hell?!"


    That is when came the voice of Lilly''s mother from the other room. "Lyrie! How many times do I have to tell you to remain professional in front of our customers!" Then she entered and noticed Josh. "Oh, it''s you! It''s been a while. Say, are you going to bring a new woman every time you visit? How it must be nice to be young!


    Kasha raised an eyebrow "Does hees here that often?" a hint of displeasure in her voice,


    "Yes, yes. He''s a VIP here by now." She giggled as she said that.


    Josh didn''t even bother with the teasing. He interrupted. "So, interested in helping me buy this or not?"


    The middle-ageddy came closer before seeing the picture on the UW. "You! You''re kidding, right?! You want to buy a disaster zone?! How?! Why?! What the Hell?!" but then sheposed herself once more. "Then again, it''s nice to dream big. Alright, Lyrie. Help him with that."


    "How the fuck am I supposed to do that?! This isn''t even in our area of jurisdiction. I can act as a consultant, but there is no way anyone can just buy government property! This should be super expensive too! We can''t just swagger in there and ask them to sell it to us!"


    "Why not?" Josh remarked.


    "Common sense, that''s why!" Lyrie eximed.


    Josh simply, shrugged. "Alright, let''s go. It should be a few hours drive to get there, right? Let''s make the most of our time!"


    Kasha followed, simply because she found the endeavor extremely entertaining. Her only regret was that she couldn''t show off her cool car since it was a two-seater. Many times she proposed they simply stuff the agent in the trunk and take hers, but Josh convinced her otherwise.


    No, they had to rent one instead. It was a simple dark-blue one that seemed ordinary and truly was but it would do the job. Josh even offered to try and drive, but it seemed like this world too was gued by the requirement of a driver''s license.


    It was time for a road trip! Kasha began sting some EDM music, Josh got into it and raised the volume further and the poor Lyrie began seriously wondering if she had made a huge mistake by joining them¡­.

 Chapter 107: Visiting D-23 Real Quick

    <h4>Chapter 107: Visiting D-23 Real Quick</h4>


    In front of an intimidating wall of red fog stood two Climbers and a bumpkin.


    "Wow! This is so damn impressive! It really covers the whole city?! I understand why you like this ce now! If you build a cool castle in the red fog, it will totally look like a mysticalnd! Then you could even start a tourism industry. Actually, why haven''t they done that?" The candid agent was having a st.


    That is when a middle-aged approached. He seemed to have endured too much of life already. He had seen their car align near the fog and how young they all seemed. He had left thefort of a portable camping heater toe warn them.


    "Youngsters, be careful. This ce is not one where the living should be. This beautiful red fog is and of death¡­." The saleswoman began trembling as she unconsciously took a step backward in fright. "¡­Or so that''s what they used to call it. Nowadays, it''s a huge waste of time."


    As if on cue, a group of 4 Climbers exited the Tower. They seemed angry. Their fists were clenched firmly, their brows furrowed, and incessant curses wereing out of their mouths.


    "What''s happening? Did they lose a party member?!" The Lyrie girl asked with shock.


    "Ah, no. They were 4 when they entered. My guess is that they cleared the Alter Tower but didn''t get any decent reward. It took them the whole day too. The Tower inside is the worst. It keeps changing. This means that it is impossible to create a strategy for it as even the best ones quickly be outdated." Kasha nodded gravely.


    "That sounds horrible! Then why are people even entering in the first ce?" Lyrie asked, confused.


    "Well, they try their luck once or twice and then nevere back. Only fools remain here." He looked into the red fog, his eyes unfocused as he seemed to reminisce. "Yes, fools with stupid dreams or fools with memories."


    What was the man trying to see in there? No, who was he trying to see? Loved ones were like that. They would haunt the living even after they were gone. It brought pain, but it also brought bittersweet joy, for one had at least felt alive before.


    "I understand! Thank you for the information, mister. Have a great day." Lyrie uttered before retreating quickly to the car, the others following. Josh couldn''t help but nce at the man onest time.


    That is when he vowed to himself that he''d bring as many climbers'' remains out as possible once this ce became his. Would he do it to help these poor people? No. Josh was selfish. He would do it for himself. He would do it for the little part of him that he could perceive in them.


    Back in the car, the estate agent murmured: "Guess that concludes our mission. If this ce is worthless, it would be madness to even bother with it." That made Kashaugh. "What? Did I say anything funny?"


    Kasha ignored her and turned to Josh. "We are still going to D city''s MTA, right?"


    "Of course."


    "Why?!" the agent asked.


    "Because I quite like the scenery."


    Thus they departed, with the girl in the backseat that kept repeating to herself Josh''s answer. She couldn''tprehend it. This was such a waste! Was he some secretly rich guy?! It was one thing to invest, and another to throw money. She couldn''t help but nce some more at him. If he was loaded, he perfectly hid it behind that cheap grey suit of his.


    Before long, they arrived in the outer region of Metropolis D. It looked simr to Metropolis C, but the biggest difference was perhaps that there was no huge starship hovering above the city.


    "In our region, only Metropolis C has one. D and E have ambassadors on Arcadia instead. Of the three, our metropolis is the leading one. This is? because we have some pretty strong S-Rank guilds, and also the headquarter of Universal Tech is there." Kasha exined.


    "You mean thepany that produces the UW and the HUB, right?" Josh asked.


    "Also a good portion of the U-Bots and many other things. Anyway, we''ll park here and go the rest of the way on foot."


    As they kept walking, Kasha would point out various shops, talking about what one could find in them. Cool clothes, delicious chocte, awful smelling soap, creepy dolls, nice bars. One thing to note was that there didn''t seem to be any clear district separation there. Kasha clearly knew her way around the ce.


    "You''ve been here before?" Josh stated the obvious.


    "Since they are our allies, from time to time, us Rankers will be sent as support. Our job is mostly to oversee operations. Our very presence renders any mission easier just because of our fame."


    "Makes sense. Right, I heard you hunted a criminal recently. What happened?"


    "Tch, don''t remind me about that. We could have caught that gene freak, but he escaped thanks to that bitch from Eclipse. She was too proud and wanted to fight him one versus one."


    "Wow, she sounds horrible. What''s with the gene thing? Is it strong?"


    "Nope, quite the contrary. It''s extremely weak. They take gene strands from various animals and use them to modify the human body. Well, they used to be amazing, but then the Tower appeared. They went from super-soldier to weak freaks."


    "I see. If they are so weak, why couldn''t you guys capture that one guy?"


    "Well, he''s also a Climber. So yeah, not only did he escape, but we don''t even know what he was trying to aplish. He probably was trying to kidnap more test subjects for his gene research. *Sigh*, but now that he retreated back home, we can''t do anything."


    "Let me guess. Bribe?" She simply nodded


    The MTA where the criminal resided was probably giving the excuse that they were trying their best to catch him. Still, test subjects, was it? This world was simr to the old one. People would exploit others any way they could. The Firgone to make ves, the shady contract offers, straight-up kidnapping¡­this was but the tip of the iceberg.


    That is when they stopped before a big official-looking building: <D-City MTA>. Josh simply headed inside straight away.


    "Wait, we''re just going in?! My nerves are not ready yet?!" The real estate agent stated, panicking.


    "No worries, we already talked about it in the car, didn''t we? You just have to check that the contract is in order at the end. Ah, smile and look pretty too, I guess."


    "Wait, I need to rehearse my lines!" Kasha eximed next.


    "What lines? Your only job is to smile and look pretty. Alright, let''s go!"


    ****


    [A/N] Goal = Win-win (Can click on novel page to see event) = Sell Priv chapters = Promotion in App


    3 Tiers of Priv:


    1 coin - 2 chaps


    10 coins - 5 chaps


    100 coins- 8 chaps


    (I''ve been told it''s too cheap by many authors but whatever)

 Chapter 108: Josh, Josh Malum

    <h4>Chapter 108: Josh, Josh Malum</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Ever felt like a nobody? Ever felt like your existence served no purpose? Ever felt like nothing more than a stain on the wall?


    Well, that''s how Markus felt at that moment as he "participated" in the damn conference call. Oh, it wasn''t that hecked self-confidence or that he didn''t have self-worth. No, he had a vital role in Metropolis D.


    He was an A-Rank official. In other words, he was the top dog of the Metropolis. As far as their continent went, there was no higher government rank than this. That was because all Metropolises were all equal, in theory anyway. There was the S-Rank too, but that one was reserved for extraordinary circumstances.


    But, this whole call meeting he was currently in wasplete and utter bullshit. That''s why he hadn''t even bothered going to Arcadia. They had incurred the wrath of a god, one called the Greenwood Lord. They didn''t know how it had happened. They didn''t know what it implied exactly. They knew nothing.


    Some fools were moring about creating a temporary alliance between all Metropolises. Sure, but then what? Were they going to sit on their asses, wanking?! That would just create unnecessary expenditures.


    Some were calling for a general roundup of all the Rankers to interrogate them. All that to potentially figure out who was the main curse bearer that would cause their doom once he died. Well, that would 100% antagonize them, and even if they seeded, it would paint a target on that individual''s back.


    There were even some proposing that they do absolutely nothing and act as if it had never happened. That one sounded stupid and was, but Markus didn''t dislike it too much.


    That''s how he was currently not doing anything worthwhile, even wasting his time. Well, that action would help to reassure the civilians hence why he bothered in the first ce. He really felt like a potted nt could have taken his ce. He was simply smiling and looking pretty.


    Actually, their course of action was already determined. They were simply going to distract the popce and leave the true job to the Rankers. It was just a matter of how and when. Yes, such a simple thing was taking forever too.


    Honestly, that mattered little to him. No, he was in a very different situation, one that was way more urgent. In the area of control of Metropolis-D was a Disaster zone, one that could potentially unleash Hell on this world at any moment. Recently it had shown more activity too.


    At first, Markus had thought this to be a curse as it was a cmity that befell his people. Then, when it was determined to be an instance somehow rted to the Tower, he couldn''t help but have slight hope. Well, that had been shattered because of the death toll in there and shattered once more because it only dropped trash items.


    Well, even on that one, he was stuck. Being careful and monitoring it all was the best he could do, really. Quite like this shitty godly curse. That''s when his UW lit up with a notification. There was a short message.


    "Kasha of Draconic is requesting a meeting. It''s concerning the Disaster zone. What should be done?"


    Markus instantly jumped in surprise, his heart beating extremely fast. The various guild leaders noticed his movement and sent him inquisitive nces. Yes, even the man in charge of Metropolis C, Allistair.


    "It''s nothing troublesome. I just need to correct something for my internal affairs. I''ll excuse myself for a few minutes."


    Now, there was something strange going on. Allistair was a very straightforward man, and it seemed he knew nothing about it. Was Dario the one making a move? But why send Kasha? She abhorred politics. Perhaps secrecy? Perhaps it wasn''t even rted to the guild?


    Over-thinking wouldn''t help. He made his way to the VIP guest waiting room, steadied his breathing, and entered with a confident pace. She was there, sitting on the main sofa and eating cookies. On the sidelines were two individuals. One was a girl that looked extremely anxious, and the other was daydreaming peacefully.


    "Hello there, I came as soon as I heard of your arrival. What can I do for you, Kasha."


    "Hello, Markus. It has been a while. I''ll go straight to the point. I want to getnd ownership of D-23. I''ve heard of how troublesome the Alter Tower is, and I feel it could work quite well for a training-from-Hell course."


    "Is that so? Have you ever checked it out yourself?" He made it sound as casual as possible.


    "I''ve seen the exterior. The red fog looks very interesting." She answered honestly.


    "Oh? Is that so? What did you have in mind exactly? He offhandedly asked as he was barely listening.


    Her answer had sent rm signals inside his head. She wouldn''t buy something like that without doing her proper research. This whole thing was unrted to her. Why was she here then? Even if he agreed to a sale, the real party interested would need toe forward for the signature.


    Or maybe that person trusted her very much, her kin perhaps? Not as far as he knew. What about a lover? Ah, that was more likely. That is when he nced once more at the people in the room. A panickeddy and a young man. One that was still daydreaming.


    At first, Markus had paid him no attention. He wore a cheap grey suit, he didn''t look sharp at all, and he was even somewhat dirty. He could have been very handsome with a little more care. What if he was her lover? Was he using her status as a ranker toplete this transaction?


    Even as Kasha was still talking, Markus slowly walked right in front of Josh. Perhaps he was wrong, but his instinct was telling him this man was the mastermind.


    "Shall we negotiate directly instead?" He asked, looking the man directly in the eyes.


    "W-what?" the man was clearly lost and wondering what the Hell was happening.


    Looking at the man''s current state, Markus felt embarrassed. He had made an error in judgment. The fool in front of him was no mastermind at all. It was just impossible.


    "I''m sorry I¡ª" He couldn''t continue. Not with what he was seeing.


    Markus began sweating. He felt his hair rising. He felt fear. What the Hell?! In front of him, the fool had changed into a devil. There had only been a slight change in his expression. He now had the gaze of a predator toying with its prey.


    Then, a secondter, he was giving a slight and warm smile. It was as if the fool and the savage monster had been nothing but illusions. It took Markus all his self-control to regain his calm appearance.


    "Hello, I''m Markus. How should I address you?"


    "Josh, Josh Malum"¡­.

 Chapter 109: One Suave Man And Two Dead Chicks

    <h4>Chapter 109: One Suave Man And Two Dead Chicks</h4>


    Josh couldn''t help but be impressed by the guy. He wasn''t that easy to fool, or was he? He hade next to him, and straight-up told him that he knew Josh was the one that was really interested in D-23.


    But then Josh had fooled him again by ying the fool. He couldn''t help but enjoy seeing the man''s embarrassed beyond belief expression turn into sheer horror. It seemed to take him all his willpower to just introduce himself as ''Markus''. Good thing he didn''t have aposite name.


    "Sell me D-23."


    Now, that was short and to the point!


    "Y-you''re the one that cleared it the first time, right?!" he had only realized now somehow.


    "Indeed," Josh admitted.


    "You experienced it first-hand, and now you want to own it exclusively? This sends a clear message that there is something valuable in there¡­." Josh shruggedzily, not even bothering to answer. "Give me one good reason to grant your wish."


    "Because your goal isn''t an illusory possibility of a potential profit, but to protect your people. Am I wrong?" Josh asked.


    He could see the man give a wry smile as he seemed to agree with that, but then he turned serious. "Say, if you were me, would you sell it?"


    "In a heartbeat. I''d transform that problem into funding." Josh was smiling. "But if I was the one in your shoes, I''d keep it. Well, I''d quit that government job before that. Too much hassle." He admitted.


    "A matter of having different goals in life, is it? Was the training reason real or just an artifice?" He carefully inquired.


    "Do you know the difference between the Alter Tower and the Tower?" Josh asked.


    Markus shook his head.


    "The Alter Tower is always unpredictable. With the Tower, it only happens for the Rankers. They are the ones to see the Floors for the very first time. Newbies don''t be better Climbers. They just learn to follow guides better. But we''ve seen how that turned out with the Possible difficulty¡­."


    "Tons of deaths. Is this project linked to Draconic in any way?" He nced at Kasha on the side.


    "Nope. It''s a personal pet project of mine. Honestly, I''ll have to wait to develop it anyway. I''m just happy that everyone is busy with that godly curse BS, so they probably won''t dig too much into the Disaster zone sales story." Josh shrugged.


    "I see¡­ I can sell it to you, but I have a few conditions. Whether this deal works or fail will depend entirely on you." Markus had a solemn expression. Then he whispered a few things to Josh.


    ****


    Somewhere in the suburbs of Metropolis C, an ordinary-looking dark-blue flying car could be seen parking. Out of it came one man and two dead-looking women. Well, they were alive¡­but would anyone livingck expression so much?!


    They were so shellshocked that they looked more like ghosts. Approaching one, it was possible to hear her softly and continuously murmur: "A disaster zone. He bought a freaking disaster zone."


    The other one didn''t seem to make much sense either as she was mumbling, "I was seen through instantly. I shouldn''t have epted that bet. My car. My poor car." Needless to say, it looked like both had suffered an incredible trauma.


    Josh couldn''t help but sigh, giving a wry smile. He had a bet with Kasha that she''d instantly be seen through and that he''d manage to buy thend without any issue. She wanted to prove herself so much that she had even put her most prized possession in y.


    "Kasha, you can keep your car. After all, I only managed to seed in the first ce thanks to you."


    "Really?!" She turned her eyes upward, full of hope. She somehow looked so vulnerable right now, very different than usual.


    "Sure. Don''t beat yourself up too much about it. Politics are a different battlefield altogether. It takes practice. Ah, but I may ask you for more lifts in the future. That''s fine, right?"


    "Yep, perfectly fine!" Her smile was so brilliant and contagious that Josh felt its warmth make its way to his very soul. The passersby were unconsciously turning around to gaze at this wholesome-looking scene. Now, there was only one remaining.


    "Lyrie, what''s your bank ount number?"


    "What? Why?" She seemed confused.


    "For yourmission. Why else?"


    "It''s **** **** **** Ah, but I didn''t really do anything. I checked the contract once, and everything was already in order¡­." She admitted.


    "I''m kinda broke right now, but¡­." Josh typed on his UW and came the sound of a notification.


    "Oh my god! I''m rich! HAHAHAHA. This muchmission for looking at one short contract?! This is amazing! Thank you!"


    If every dead-looking person could be resurrected that easily, Josh could have easily be a professional medic. The agentdy went home, leaving the two of them alone.


    "Ah, but what were the conditions he gave you? I''m pretty sure he was using something to block the sound since I didn''t hear anything." Kasha had already returned to her lively and curious self.


    "Perhaps one day I''ll tell you. Perhaps you''ll have to wait for my biography toe out. Perhaps I''ll take this secret to my grave. Who knows." Josh winked at her as he left, slowly walking away.


    "Where are you going?!"


    He simply waved her goodbye.


    "The Tower¡­.Obviously¡­" She realized.


    On his way, Josh checked the news real quick. There was an announcement. It followed pretty much what he had guessed. It also seemed they had decided to go the extra step. How does one distract the masses?


    Bread and games. Food was in abundance thanks to technology. As for the games? Well, there was that ad: "Join the Ultimate VR Tournament Now! LV-1 Status Fights! First edition! Registering Now! Starting soon!¡ª" Soon TM, aka the best unit of time to bullshit.


    Well, they were probably waiting to see how many would join to decide how to organize it. Then depending on the poprity, they''d probably make a show out of it. First editions were always sketchy anyway. Trial and error was the key to sess.


    Well, it was time to Climb!


    [Mission: Annihte the Brown Gnoll Pack.]


    Josh felt like he was forgetting something¡­but it probably wasn''t that important if he didn''t remember it. He couldn''t help but grin. Annihtion was his specialty. Now, it was time to kill some little shits!¡­

 Chapter 110: Following Like A Dog

    <h4>Chapter 110: Following Like A Dog</h4>


    [Mission: Annihte the Brown Gnoll Pack]


    Josh found himself in a in. Everywhere around, he could only perceive yellowish grass with rocky soil. The sky was a beautiful deep blue, quite surprising in the Tower, and there was a calming wind blowing. Where was the usual edginess?


    "I summon you, Navi! Give me some info on this Floor! Just the basics."


    <Kill only the designated gnoll pack and try to hurt the others as little as possible.>


    "Gotcha, so kill them all for something cool to happen?"


    Josh began roaming around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The ce truly was vast, for even after a while there was no sign of life yet. It''s only half an hourter that he spotted something. In front were about 20 human-sized hairy humanoid creatures.


    They reminded him of big dogs, grotesque two-legged ones. Animal ears, long fur, sharp-looking ws, and naked. Their backs were arched toward the front, and in their paws, they clutchedrge bows.


    That''s when they all turned toward him. Right, the wind had carried Josh''s smell to them. Still, he couldn''t help but be surprised at how sharp their senses were. Their muscr arms pulled the bowstrings tout before releasing them. A rain of arrows started flying his way.


    He perfectly knew how to deal with such an attack. He grabbed a spear and smacked the most troublesome projectiles while ignoring the others. He had experience with being shot arrows at. But as he did so, he could feel his entire arm tremble and be numb from the shock. These arrows were so powerful!


    This wouldn''t be a viable solution in the long term. Josh charged as fast as his legs would bring him. But somehow, the gnolls were already done grabbing new arrows. Wait, where did they even get them from?! They didn''t have any quiver. But now was not the time for that.


    Josh quickly equipped the vine amulet. Just as the arrows were about to fall on him, he dashed as far as possible before using the vines in mid-air to propel himself forward once more. Only with these two steps did he manage to evade without getting pierced.


    He repeated the process a few times, except that now the gnolls had learned from their mistake. Instead of sending volleys all at once, they would take turns shooting. This made it so Josh could only progress by mixing evasion and parry as there was never any respite.


    He had noticed something quite fantastical about these monsters. Whenever they shot an arrow, another one would magically materialize in their hands. Was it some kind of storage like the yers? Was it straight-up magic? Looking back, the arrows they had fired had all disappeared. Magic!


    He eventually managed to cover the remaining distance, finally reaching them. He entered the pack of pink gnolls like a bullet and began a massacre. Why the pink? Well, it was just the group appetion. There was nothing pink about them, well maybe their...Before long, all the creatures were down.


    Somehow, the creatures dropped some fur as material. What was he supposed to do with gnoll hair? A rug? A wig? Perhaps a mop? That is when Josh grabbed some of it and rubbed it all over his body. Had he suddenly developed a sudden fury inclination? No, he did so to help cover his smell.


    He kept going. This time, he made sure to walk against the wind. This way, his position wouldn''t be revealed by it. For once, Josh didn''t desire to fight too many gnolls. After all, he was but human. There was a limit to the number of arrows he could block at once.


    In the past, bows had been the weapon of predilection to deal with sword masters for a good reason. The whole trick to fighting one against many was to use the movements of one enemy to deal with one of his colleagues. This just wasn''t possible with arrows.


    Thus began a game of trying to sneak up on alert gnolls. Josh kept failing over and over. There was simply no sneaking on them. He even tried to use Navi and the godly rat as distractions, but the enemies would very quickly lock on him nheless.


    Josh kept hunting and hunting. After the pink gnolls, he killed the orange gnolls, the red ones, the blue ones, and finally the green ones. Right after 5 packs were down, something finally happened.


    The earth began trembling. Barking was heard in the distance. That is when approached a lone gnoll at an incredible speed. If the normal gnolls looked like big dogs, this one truly looked like a monster.


    The first thing Josh noticed was the eyes. Somehow, it had glowing green eyes, the kind that would look likesers in the dark. Then there was the bow. Its weapon was even bigger than Josh himself. It seemed to be made of dark bones. Then there was the fur color. It was pitch ck. This was a true Boss!


    <Gnoll Hunter Piercing Eye Lv 23??>


    Piercing eye, was it? More like Piercing Arrow! It had just shot a huge 2-meter long arrow at Josh. The shaft was incredibly thick, and the head had insane prative power! As he dodged the projectile, he could see it bury itself so deep inside mother earth.


    Were Josh to take such an arrow, he would be a goner. Josh grinned as he intensely fixed the monster. It was time to y! Josh easily evaded the monster''s attack and then went on the offensive! ¡­ Only for the gnoll to flee at full speed.


    That is when Josh realized a huge problem! This monster was way faster than him. This meant that no matter how much he evaded, he wouldn''t be able to defeat it, ever. Simply because he wouldn''t be able to close the distance.


    Quite ridiculous, wasn''t it? Still, Josh had no good method to increase his speed. He was guessing that the usual party would split up to somehow slowly drive it into a corner. Or perhaps were they usually using skills to slow it down? So what was Josh to do then?


    Well, he began hunting for the elusive brown gnolls. Yes, the proper mission. He did so while faithfully followed by a big dog that kept trying to nail him to the ground. At the very least, it was rather easy to evade.


    A few times, Josh tried suddenly switching direction, but the creature always managed to run. Josh simply epted that this was his life now. Soon he managed to find his targets. All the annoyance he felt at the Boss, he vented on the little ones.


    Afterward, he simply raised both middle fingers to the Boss that was still on his ass while shouting: "Teleport out!".


    In Josh''s eyes, one could have seen the burning desire for revenge. He''d be back soon. Real soon¡­.

 Chapter 111: Lick It All, You Dog!

    <h4>Chapter 111: Lick It All, You Dog!</h4>


    What was Josh supposed to do against the gnoll Boss? ording to a random forum, he was supposed to team up with others to hunt it. Plus, it would require ample preparations and great team synergy.


    The main issue was to both have the ability to stop the Boss from fleeing and make sure it wouldn''t snipe the most vulnerable yers. It seemed like many had lost a healer or a mage after one single well-ced arrow. It was that huge.


    That''s when Josh saw a post from some guy with <The-Wise-One> as username. Said post was praising a new free-to-use application to the moon called <Climber>. Their slogan was <A party whenever you want>. Josh felt curious about it and installed it. Appeared a list of settings:


    Select a Floor: 14


    Then right at the second choice, Josh was already stumped. He wanted to be honest¡­but there was no None option. So, he just did as the earthling dating app style: full-on BS.


    Select a ss: Sword Master


    Select a Difficulty: Hell


    Thank you for using Climber! We will notify you as soon as a personalized party has been made for you!


    Alright. Now, Josh would obviously not wait without doing anything productive, so he headed to the G district. There were a few things he wanted to acquire. He even visited a few businesses, asking questions that made many look at him with either worried or disgusted expressions.


    Soon he could be seen leaving the ce happily, for he had aplished his mission. He had almost been kicked out of the district a few times, but he had obviously managed to resolve the situation.


    The whole thing had probably taken him an hour or so. Looking at his UW, the Climber app still hadn''t found him a party. Conveniently there was even a counter that showed the time psed.


    A screenshotter, Josh was already leaving a bad review. Both on the thread and the app page: "Too long, you should change the slogan. Whenever I want, is it? How about an hour ago when I queued in my request?!"


    Josh sighed contently. Venting on the Inte was one of the small pleasures of life.


    Oh, well. Now it was time for revenge!


    Alright, perhaps revenge was a strong word. After all, it was but a simted monster. One that had made a fool out of Josh but only a simted monster nheless. Yeah, he was going to fuck the creature up. So much! Thus, he entered the Tower.


    "System! Activate Hell difficulty!"


    [Mission: Annihte 5 Packs of Gnolls.]


    Talk about sly! In the first run, Josh could have easily ignored the Boss. This updated mission actually forced him to summon the creature. Now, he could already guess that what woulde next. There would be a part 2 with him needing to defeat it.


    Well, this didn''t change his ns in any case. Josh began his exploration journey. Soon, he figured out what had changed with the difficulty increase: the packs were bigger, and their archery skills were even better.


    Josh still quickly managed to locate and destroy 5 packs. Well, he actually left one gnoll alive. He wanted control over when the Boss would spawn, so Josh bounded the gnoll using spider strings.


    Then he began preparing a n that was ridiculously dumb and insane.


    While at it, Josh also prepared a n B, one that made more sense but was less entertaining.


    What was that crazy n? Well, he had gone to the G district and had pestered many chefs there until they sold him the meat he wanted. Yes, Josh had bought meat, nothing else.


    What exined the odd reactions he had gotten? Well, he had spent a long time exining that he wanted the meat to be smelly, to be one that would easily hide his smell and be one that dogs wouldn''t be able to resist.


    Let''s just say many chefs were probably thinking of him as some meat freak. Josh made a pile of juicy-looking raw meat. He had only gotten one type to be able to easily stack it in his material bag.


    Was this going to work? Probably not, but still. Many would have wondered, why the Hell was he doing this? Well, it all stemmed from a single fact. What do you do when you can''t reach the enemy because of his speed? You let the enemye to you!


    Josh equipped his spider set and also his Burger-Man mask. It would fit nicely. What else was better than a burger to dive into a pile of unidentified meat? That is when he finally mercilessly took down thest remaining gnoll.


    [Mission: Kill the Gnoll Hunter! Teleport Out Disabled!] How surprising¡­


    Would this n work? Would this the Boss even care about it? Would he shoot a few arrows at the pile of meat instead? Josh believed that he was safe. After all, it had shown no interest in the rat before. Why would it want to beat the meat?


    The Boss spawned. Josh could hear it. Then it started prowling around the ce before beginning to grab some meat, clearly tempted. Josh could hear the sound of the meat pile being ruffled and of saliva flowing as it began eating. He couldn''t help but grin.


    Josh waited for the Boss to be so very close. That is when he jumped out, stabbing straight at the Boss! Josh could feel his de prate the neck of the creature as it began screaming in pain, bleeding.


    The creature was wounded, but it wouldn''t go down so easily. It tried retreating, but Josh was ready for it this time. He jumped straight atop the monster''s back!


    <Great Gnoll Hunter Piercing Eye Lv 28??>


    The creature screamed in anger while trying to p the annoying human off. But there was no way Josh would give up that easily. He kept his grip solid. He used the white and sticky ability to stick to the monster''s back and maneuvered around it.


    He was akin to a tick holding onto a dog. He was akin to an alcoholic holding on to his drink. He was akin to a teenager holding on to his phone. He was akin to a man of culture holding on to his big titty goth GF.


    All the while, Josh kept stabbing his spear deeper and deeper. So deep in fact that it would have shamed even the most Hardcore of stabbers. He keptughing boisterously as he did so. So what if the creature was fast? He was moving with it! Josh kept at it, all until the creature finally fell.


    [Mission Aplished! First Solo Hell Clear! Increased Rewards!]


    Now was the time for the loot. When Josh saw what it was, he couldn''t help but smile radiantly and be happy from the very bottom of his heart!


    It contained the term Bloodline¡­

 Chapter 112: Plan B, For Bad

    <h4>Chapter 112: n B, For Bad</h4>


    Glowing softly in front of Josh was a gorgeous-looking pearl. It was simr to the one he had seen on Floor 6. Either he had been extremely lucky back then, or it was a reward mostly given for risking one''s life. Josh slowly picked up the item.


    <Rank E+ - Bloodline Pearl of the Great Gnoll Hunter.>


    -Grants a random ability or form belonging to a Great Gnoll.


    Josh clearly felt that his Gluttony bloodline had helped him so far. He couldn''t help but have hopes toward what this new one would bring him. Josh didn''t wait any further as he activated the pearl.


    He felt like a kid opening presents or an adult doing an unboxing. Instantly a surge of mana came toward him, but this time it was different. Last time it had gone toward his entire body, but this time it went toward his eyes only.


    Josh could feel his eyeballs bing numb. Then came an unbearable itching. Yes, this wasn''t a sensation that was supposed to be possible for an eyeball, but that''s how it felt. He felt like his eyes themselves were already in the process of evolution.


    Josh instantly opened his status screen to look at his skills.


    #SKILLS# (28)


    -D Weapon Mastery


    -E Great Gnoll Bloodline: Piercing Eyes


    -U (F) Gluttony Bloodline: Endless Stomach


    Wow. Somehow Josh had raised his Weapon mastery along the way once more. His Gluttony Bloodline was at the same rank that it used to be. However, Josh had noticed that he had been eating more and more recently. Perhaps this was the precursor to a rank-up.


    Now, he needed to figure out what this new ability really meant. Josh tried driving mana to the best of his capabilities toward his eyes, but he failed pitifully. Every skill he had used so far was possible thanks to his equipment.


    Josh felt like his body was akin to a truck with lots of fuel (mana) in it. But, without a driver, it wouldn''t be able to actually move by itself. The set equipment was the one that somehow controlled all the mana to make it do something amazing.


    Josh really wished that he''d be able to see more clearly through this whole mana problem one day. That is when his vision changed! The world became filled with a red hue, a blood-colored one. For a second he questioned his sense before nodding in understanding.


    It seemed like he had unknowingly activated the Piercing Eyes ability. It seemed like wanting to see the world in a new light had been enough to trigger it. As he activated the ability, Josh realized that it barely took any mana. It actually felt about as hard to keep active as it was to breathe.


    There was actually something else at the location of the fallen Boss. There seemed to be a stack of white bones. At first, it confused Josh, but then he guessed that this thing was somehow rted to the giant bone bow the Boss had carried.


    <Bone Fragments>.


    - Assemble them all for a surprise.


    How many were there? Josh would slowly figure it outter. Ah, but now his only priority was to exit the Tower and train this new vision ability of his. Back in the real world, there was something sketchy happening. For some reason, people began staring at him as if he was a freak.


    He somehow still made his way back home without being stopped. That is when he began in-depth testing. He tried the Piercing Eyes with every possible kind of luminosity. It actually gave Josh the ability to see in the dark! Wow! He kept trying it until he gained perfect mastery of it.


    But there was way more to the ability. It wasn''t just utility, no there was also a cosmetic aspect to it!? Whenever he activated it, his eyes would look like bright redsers. Yes, for him, that was the best part of it. He nced in the mirror while giving a devilish grin, his eyes glowing red. Yes, perfect!


    Josh, then decided to instantly return to the Tower. He once more went to fight the Boss Gnoll. He quickly used the samepletely ridiculous strategy to defeat it. Soon a red-glowing-eyed Josh was defeating his green-glowing-eyed nemesis.


    How long would he have to collect bone fragments in order to get a new item? Josh didn''t know, but he felt curious. After killing the Boss there was a one-hour cooldown before he could use the white and sticky ability.


    That is when Josh simply decided to use his n B. This one did not require any sneaking around nor did it involve any specific item.? This is how he began fighting the gnoll Boss head-on. Also, how he ended up getting his ass kicked.


    Josh had the perfect n, or so he thought. He''d somehow use the trash gnolls to fire volleys after volleys at the enemy! Friendly-fire FTW. Then he would move in for the kill. Now, there was a huge issue. The stray gnolls didn''t dare to even raise their weapons at the Boss¡­.This was bad!


    Furthermore, the Boss''s power itself was way higher than Josh had expected. It was so damn strong! The hellish version was actually shooting fast and true! It was akin to fighting someone with an aimbot!


    How could Josh even survive such a situation then? Well, as he kept killing random gnolls while fleeing, he somehow managed to drop a wooden bow. At that point, he still had no ammunition. After killing way more gnolls, Josh finally dropped a few projectiles.


    That is when began some extremely sad-looking archerybat. This fightsted so long that it had Josh questioning life. Well, it was more the fact that any single faux-pas and he''d be dead. Meanwhile, he barely scratched the creature with every attack.? As he kept dodging like a Boss, he finally managed to take down his enemy.


    Let''s just say, the many times that Josh killed the Boss afterward...He used the meat method! He simply waited the hour before attempting it again and again. Somehow the Boss was getting slightly intelligent but still couldn''t resist the smell of food. Josh could even use the waiting time to drop some more normal bows to sell.


    Josh kept going until a new bow stood in front of him.? He couldn''t help but gasp appreciatingly to it. It wasn''t that it seemed that strong. No, there was a super cool ability. Yes, it was the exact same as the gnolls to generate arrows out of nowhere! Actually, it was out of mana but whatever.


    <E+ Bow of The Great Gnoll Hunter.>


    Still, this fight had been an eye-opener. Josh needed to find a way to remedy hisck of skills. Sure, he had a few from the sets¡­but would that be enough for his climb?


    Probably not¡­


    ****


    [A/N] Artwork in Comments ^_^v, fan art

 Chapter 113: Tournament? Who Cares!

    <h4>Chapter 113: Tournament? Who Cares!</h4>


    Josh quickly made his way to a shop, selling all the useless bows he had acquired. Once more, a nice U-bot helped him. It really begged to question why there were even human workers at this point. Perhaps it was in case something unexpected happened?


    This whole city had a weird dynamic. One could easily start Climbing the Tower, and yet many didn''t bother. Were they scared of Climbing? Had they given up after seeing their ss options? Did they prefer living a full life as a wealthymoner to bing weak Climbers?


    That''s when he heard his UW: BEEP! Apparently, Dale had been messaging him a LOT. Just as he replied to his text, he instantly received a video call. Then appeared Dale''s face that was radiating joy.


    "Josh, finally! I thought you were going to live all your life in the Tower!"


    "Well, besides theck of food, it wouldn''t be that bad, really," Josh admitted.


    "...You...Anyway! You''ll join the VR tournament, right? The deadline to sign up is tomorrow! But let''s register right now!" He was so enthusiastic.


    "Why would I even join that?" Joshzily replied, showing a bored expression.


    "There is a reward! They are giving out customs VR machines, the newest there are! That model will even be able to connect to the servers of the uing <Climbers'' World>!"


    "You forgot to say why I should care"


    "Hey, have you been living under a rock?!" Dale seemed both surprised and reproachful.


    "?"


    "Climbers'' World! The amazing game that will revolutionize gaming AND Climbing! The newest MMO that will perfectly replicate the Tower Floors! People will be able to use their real-life data in-game or start a new virtual avatar from scratch. Climbing will make you progress in-game too!" Dale almost seemed like he was doing sponsored advertising.


    "That sounds fun, but it also sounds like they are trying to collect yer-Data." Josh showed cautiousness.


    "Don''t worry, that was something the S-Rank guilds were worried about too. It will all be managed by an independent AI, and no one will have ess to that information. It includes a partnership between the various big techpanies, the MTAs, and the strongest guilds." Dale was patting his chest.


    "Honestly, it sounds nice but can''t I just buy a VR capsule when ites out? If anything, VR-wise, I''m more looking for a way to change the pain setting for training purposes." Josh still didn''t care.


    "Didn''t I mention it before? These VR machines are custom ones. Customs means that one can meet the manufacturer directly and ask for specific requirements. Most people just care about the color but¡ª"


    "I''m in!" Josh instantly cut him off.


    Higher pain setting? That''s exactly what he needed for his own training! Actually, this worked out perfectly. He''d be able to practice keeping his skills active when he got some, no matter the amount of distraction (pain).


    "Nice! With us both, we''ll destroy the tag-team matches!" Dale showed confidence.


    "Oh? I thought it was an individual battle. How does it work exactly?"


    "It''s 2 V 2 matches. The winners progress to the next round. There are various prizes. The top 3 of each league get the custom VR machines. We''ll definitely have an advantage because I''m level 24 at the moment. Talk about lucky!" Dale exined.


    "What does the level have to do with any of it? Aren''t the fights set at level 1 status?"


    "Well, yeah, but that wouldn''t necessarily make it fair either. The higher level the Climbers are and the more they are used to intense fighting. Part because of the level and part because of the experience itself."


    "Fair enough, so what did they do to remedy it?" Josh curiously asked.


    "They separated the people into four leagues. The unawakened, the level 1-9, the level 10-24, and the level 25+."


    "I see, so you are one level frompeting in a stronger league. Quite interesting, but the unawakened one is gonna be a shitshow." Josh predicted.


    "Oh yeah, for sure. There are bound to be some guys from some Climber schools that will utterly destroy everyone else. Well, it''s hard to bnce it perfectly for everyone anyway. At least that one gives a few credits for every victory one obtains."


    "So many will join just to try their luck, eh? Not that it matters. Anything else I need to know?"


    "Pretty sure that''s about it. Alright, let''s meet up at a VR ce!"


    "Wait, can we just meet up at Draconic then?"


    "Yep, this is perfect! Meet you there!"


    Oh wow. Josh couldn''t help but think that it was a bit ironic. As a white-gold member of Draconic, he hadn''t even been aware of such a thing. Well, to be fair, he had been Climbing thest few days. Looking at his lifespan, Josh nodded with satisfaction. He had time: <35 Days>.


    As soon as he arrived, he was confronted with a sea of people that were making a long queue to enter the guild. At this point, would they even be able to register by tomorrow?


    "Josh! Josh!" In the back of the line, Dale called out his name while waving.


    "Hey. Already here? You ran?" Josh could see him catching his breath. How fast did a level 24 have to run to be that exhausted?! Josh had missed an opportunity to film his friend looking like a lunatic.


    "Gotta be fast. Don''t want to miss it because of waiting too much."


    Josh simply shrugged as he left the queue and walked toward the front. Then he gestured to Dale, "Youing or not?" The man followed him awkwardly. Josh was a VIP there. Why would he bother waiting?


    As they pushed their way toward the front, many frowned with displeasure at their conduct. That''s how the two of them finally entered the building. The inside was also utterly filled with people. Every single VR station in sight was upied.


    Josh quickly found the table that was being used for registration. Sitting there was a receptionist. It was a guy Josh knew by face but not by name. Josh kept walking, bringing Dale right at the very front of the queue, not even bothering to exin himself.


    Many seemed pissed, but they still kept their mouth shut. They wisely figured that Josh must have some sort of backing to dare do such a thing. Well, of course, there were always exceptions. A young man quickly hollered at the two of them.


    "OY! What do you think you are doing?!" He shouted at them.


    "Registering for the tournament. I thought this was obvious." Josh shrugged


    "Get the fuck out of here! The back of the line is back there, you buffoon! We''ve been waiting here for hours. No fucking way we''ll tolerate your bullshit!" He was angrily gesticting too.


    "How about you calm down? You are disturbing the peace here." That is when the guy in front was done, and Josh quickly advanced to register. But before he could proceed, the angry man began blocking his way.


    "I won''t repeat myself. Back of the queue! Now, you ill-mannered bastard!" He shouted vehemently.


    Josh sighed: "Just let us pass, will you? This won''t end well for you."


    "Ah! I''ll be damned if I''ll let some rude bastard have his way! I won''t move an inch! As long as I am here, you can forget about registering here, fucker!"


    But the man had only begun his valiant stand that members of the guild were already in the process of throwing him out. They had clearly recognized Josh already. Fun fact, none of them really knew who he truly was. Still, they were aware that he hung out with the gold members. That was enough to take his side.


    As he was getting dragged away forcefully, the man kept screaming. Something about how unfair this was. Something about how he was going to get the media involved. Something about how he was going to get them all fired. Josh couldn''t help butugh as he saw the fool at y.


    "Don''t you feel bad for him just a bit? He was just trying to uphold justice..." Dale hesitantly asked.


    "No way!" Josh turned toward him, looking serious. "A self-righteous man is even worse than an evil bastard. At least thetter has some self-awareness. No need to overthink it. He''s in a better ce now."


    "Brother, why are you saying it like that?! He''s not dead. He was just dragged out!" Dale eximed.


    "Exactly, out of my sigh is a better ce for this annoying guy, for sure." Josh reiterated.


    "..." Dale was speechless. Who other than Josh would use the expression literally?!


    That is how they officially registered for the tournament amidst the screams of some idiot. Next on the agenda was some training. But, there was one ce Josh wanted to visit first.


    It was time to fulfill one of the conditions that came with buying D-23¡­

 Chapter 114: Destitute But Colorful Shop

    <h4>Chapter 114: Destitute But Colorful Shop</h4>


    It was time to fulfill one of the conditions that came with buying D-23. This particr one was the most straight-forward: $$$.


    Was Markus greedy? No, he just wished topensate the families of the dead for their losses. As far as Josh was concerned, the whole gesture was noble but unnecessary. That was especially true considering that that man''s political power was already secure.


    "Where are we going exactly?" Dale asked curiously.


    The two of them had been running toward the suburbs and then some more, exiting the city. It was natural of him to wonder as nothing of interest was supposed to be there, at least for Climbers like them. Were they going to visit a farm, perhaps?


    "I intend to collect a debt," Josh exined.


    "??" Dale showed a confused expression but kept mum.


    Josh simply kept leading the way, following the directions of his navigation app. All until they arrived at their destination. It was a small mount. The way forward was a very in and basic dirt road. It led to crumbling old rock stairs, some even missing.


    "Wow, just by seeing the entrance, I think you may want to forget about that debt," Dale remarked.


    Josh single shook his head as he started Climbing. Funny when how people heard Climbing they would instantly think Tower. How confusing must it be to discuss hiking or mountain climbing in such a world?


    "Have you ever heard of Eons?" Josh asked.


    "Only if you mean the word¡­."


    Josh couldn''t me him. He, too, only knew about it thanks to Dario''s help. Well, technically, that new analyst guy was the one that had done the actual research.


    "What about Neos? Does that ring any bell?"


    "You mean the B-Rank guild? Of course, I know them! They are extremely low-key, but there are rumors that they are actually pretty strong. That''s the weird part, B-Rank guilds are supposed to be very popr. Yet, we almost never hear anything about them, nor do they do any advertisement."


    "Well, Eons is a popr appraisal business, especially in the S-Rank circle. That''s how they funded their branchpany Neos. There is no need for them to sell out, you see."


    "Seriously?! This all sounds like a huge conspiracy theory! So you''re telling me we''ll find Neos''s boss here?! Why is Eons is in such a remote ce?!" Dale was shocked.


    Soon enough, a destitute shop surrounded by trees appeared before them. The wooden exterior was old, with some of the nks crooked. The paint wasing off in ces. The stone pathway leading to it was uneven. There was a half-erased wooden sign that clearly showed they were in the right ce.


    "This has to be a mistake, right?!" Dale looked dumbfounded.


    "No." Josh knew by the gazes he could feel on his back.


    It was simr to that one time with that Amelia girl and her group of followers. There were two teams this time. He could feel it when they pointed their guns at him. He also felt it when they stopped. Chances were they had just received orders to let them through.


    This antique shop had state-of-the-art weaponry for their troops and possibly cameras. Quite ironic, wasn''t it? Still, when were they going to learn? What was the point of perfect camouge if they let their intent out? Then again, some people thought intent to be a myth. Fools.


    As he opened the creaking door, the ringing of a small bell was heard. Inside, it felt like a different world. There was the heavy smell of antiques. It was a deep andforting scent that somehow brought a sense of peaceful calmness to it all.


    Then there was the ambiance. The lights were dim. There were colorful rugs adorning the floor, colorful paintings adorning the walls, and colorful statues adorning various pedestals.


    There were various objects of all kinds strewn around everywhere: some old coins, ancient furniture, once shiny cutlery, big mirrors, hand-mademps,fy-looking chairs. There was stuff everywhere!


    "First time here?" Came a soft and clear voice as a woman came out from behind a bookshelf. She was as colorful as the surroundings, with a fiery head, blue eyes full of vitality, and a bright, resplendent red dress.


    "This ce is amazing!" Dale was looking everywhere with rapt attention. It was so amazing that it took him a while to even pay attention to thedy. But, as he did, he couldn''t help but exim in fan mode, "Wait! You''re from Eclipse¡­.!"


    She gestured him to keep quiet before pointing at the surroundings. What was this, a library? Well, it seemed like thedy was someone renowned, S-Rank too. Josh gave her a slight nod before going around to explore.


    As he inspected the price tags, he couldn''t help but gasp in surprise. The 1000 or even 10 000 were fine, but what about the 100 000 or even millions?! "How is this so expensive?! People buy this?!" This didn''t make any sense.


    The woman''s clearughter quickly came in response. "You are wrong. He''s not selling it for Credits but for money. All of these are extremely cheap." She then turned more serious, even slightly mncholic too.


    "The owner rarely sells these pieces. Otherwise, all would be gone. They are remnants of a time where the world used to be different, of a time before the Tower." She could be seen slightly caressing a sculpture.


    "I see. It''s fine if he won''t sell. I don''t care much about antiques." Josh casually said.


    That is when her entire aura changed. She instantly became cold and took a step away from him. "You should leave then. This ce is a sanctuary for antique lovers. It''s fine if you don''t share that interest, but you shouldn''t sully this ce either."


    "I''m sure he didn''t mean it this way. Right, Josh?" Dale tried to reduce the tension.


    "No. I meant what I said. I''m not disparaging the trade. But, to me, it has no value whatsoever. I''m just here to collect some credits that the old man owes me, and then I''ll be on my way." Josh ruined all of Dale''s efforts without care.


    "You!" She growled. "Let me tell you. For your own good, you should leave right now. The old master is not one anyone can just disrespect. Not him, not his appraisal either. Now hurry up and leave before things get ugly for you. I''m not threatening you. I''m simply warning you."


    Well, she had a point. The man had behind him an army and many S-Rankers that were trying to get in his good graces. Would Draconic cower just because of that? Of course not! But she had no way of knowing that. She was probably assuming that Josh was foolish. No, he was simply bold.


    That is when came the sound of a door opening. From the side entered a kind-looking old man. He was wearing a casual white shirt with ssy-looking ck pants. It was simple but made him look quite dashing. Even with his grey hair, his face showed a touch of vitality that one could see in all Climbers.


    He looked at Josh directly with piercing grey eyes that seemed like he could see through his soul. He calmly uttered: "I heard that. What makes you dislike antiques so much? Go on. I''m listening."


    "I have no interest toward it all. The fact that these old dusty things have history doesn''t matter one bit to me. So what? As far as I''m concerned, what is truly valuable are the ones that are imbued with my own memories. I couldn''t care less otherwise." Josh exined.


    It just so happened that all the things he used to care about had disappeared back on Earth a long time ago.


    "Josh, maybe we should take a step back and¡­." Dale nervously proposed.


    "Oh my god, this kid is so dead!" Thedy screamed.


    "HAHAHAHA. Useless, you say? I''ll prove you otherwise!" The old man showed calm anger.


    Ah, Josh could feel snipers aiming at his head once again. Seriously, when were they going to learn?...

 Chapter 115: Brought To His Knees!

    <h4>Chapter 115: Brought To His Knees!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Old Jones remembered the kid. The youngling had tried ying him for a fool by scamming 100 000 credits out of him. He was now here at Eons.


    The fool antagonized both the father and the daughter. Well, at least Jones was relieved that she had lost interest in him. After all, No father would ever ept his daughter bing infatuated with a man.


    Jones hadn''t stopped the kid from entering. Now, he was spying on him from thefort of what could only be called an underground bunker. Yes, the whole basement had been designed to resist any head-on invasion.


    As for someone attacking him by surprise, he wasn''t worried either. He was at best a sub-par Climber, but he wasn''t helpless either. He trusted his judgment enough. He would never let anyone with malice even enter his sanctuary in the first ce.


    As he observed, he heard it all. The kid was looking down on his trade! Old Jones quickly came out to confront him, but the kid was adamant about his stance.


    "You want to prove me otherwise? I''m really just here for the credits." The kid was showing displeasure.


    "T-that, Josh, if you need credits¡­How about I lend you some?" The friend was trying his best to deescte the situation.


    "Others line up in dove to throw their credits at the old master. They are all unsessful in trying to establish a connection. Yet, here you are, requesting credits! How ridiculous!" thedy by the side scoffed at him.


    "If others want to simp for an old man, they can. A peculiar taste for sure, but it''s not my business. However, don''t expect me to do the same." The kid shrugged.


    Simp? What did that even mean? Old Jones would have to look that up online. It probably wasn''t anything ttering.


    "Please, what kind of trash tries to take advantage of an old man? You should be ashamed of yourself! Doing this just for a few credits, truly lowly!" She seemed to be looking at straight garbage.


    "Well, since I''m broke, I do consider 100 000 credits arge sum." The kid remarked.


    "That''s insane?!" At that very moment, the friend gave up on lending some.


    "What, 100 000?! How is it so much? No, this is still stupid. You should be trying to get in the old master''s good graces. Are credits all that you think about?! Greedy!" She criticized.


    "How idiotic." The kid sighed.


    "What did you say?! I dare you to repeat that, asshole!" Her chest heaved up and down as she shouted that.


    "I said how idiotic! Trying to push your beliefs unto others is ridiculous." The kid repeated confidently.


    Was he perhaps unaware that thisdy was an S-Ranker? No, he knew for sure. Perhaps he trusted he''d be fine because Eclipse had a good reputation? Did he simply trust his backing too much?


    It was time to put an end to this farce. "Young man, you should forget it. I won''t be giving you charity." Old Jones dered.


    "Charity? I remember you agreeing to my request. That makes it a deal." The kid contested.


    "Now, young man. I think you are sorely mistaken about something. I merely humored you back then. Do you really think it meant anything?" Jones shook his head at the youngster''s naivety.


    That''s when the youth pressed a key on his UW. Old Jones could hear the steady sound of his own voice. This was a recording with proof of him agreeing. It didn''t change much, however. He still had a trick up his sleeve.


    "Oh? You have a recording too. How nice. Alright, I''ll pay then¡­." He began, only for the girl toe to his "rescue."


    "Old master, you can''t! He is obviously taking advantage of you! Let me help!" She bravely offered, but he gestured to her that it was fine.


    "I''ll pay it soon. How about in a thousand years?"He smiled mischievously. There had been no deadline agreement.


    "Afraid I can''t wait that long. Look, old man. I understand you weren''t serious, but you still promised. You can afford it too. Why are you being difficult?"


    "Can but won''t. See, kid. I know why you are so confident. I''ve done my research. You''ve befriended some members of Draconic. You''ve been hanging around their HQ too. But it is all false confidence."


    "Am I supposed to praise you for suchcking research?"


    Old Jones felt this kid sure was annoying!


    "Point is, whatever you think you have to pressure me, you don''t. How about you leave before I really get mad?" He loftily advised him.


    "Is it because of the mercenaries? Is it because of Neos? Or is it because of the dumbasses aiming at my head right now?" The kid was grimacing.


    How?! Seriously, how was he finding them?! No, wait. He had friends at Draconic. Perhaps it was an item or even an ability. Well, it wouldn''t change anything. The kid remained a low-level Climber.


    "None of these options. You see, I have very specific skillsets that make me very valuable in our society. Who do you think peoplee to see when they want leads on new materials found in the Tower?"


    "Ah, so you are backed by the various organizations that you work with? Still, the more time goes on, and the more the various crafters will gain experience and insight. Soon, your very existence won''t hold the same value."


    "Eh, as if! Who said an appraiser could only appraise items? We can do so with people too. May it be their deepest secrets or even their hidden potential. We are versatile enough that recing us will be impossible." He proudly dered.


    "Alright, I''ll bite. What do you see in me then?" The kid inquired with obnoxious bravery.


    "I''ll have to touch you for that." He exined.


    On the side, thedy was stomping her feet in jealousy. Her bodynguage spoke her thoughts. How was this annoying bastard allowed a private reading by the master after being so rude?! She could be heard grumbling: "You dare doubt the master!"


    The friend was just happy no one had died from this, smiling in relief.


    That is how Old Jones began to inspect the target. He needed to use his spirit to perceive the individual in front of him somehow. The kid cooperated, and soon Old Jones began feeling it all. He could vaguely figure out many things from these sensations he would get.


    As tough as he tried to look,? the kid was but a young man in the end. Perhaps, Old Jones had even been too harsh on him? Yes, the youngster just needed council.


    It started as normal as it could be.


    The feeling of mundane life. Peaceful day-to-day joy and hardships. The satisfaction and contentment of a job well done. Happiness, peace of mind, and bliss from loved ones.


    This would be a nice reading, or so he thought. Suddenly he felt invaded by something vile that shattered the current rxing experience directly.


    ??????????????


    What the Hell?! The feeling of blood and despair. Sorrow,mentations, suffering, agony, distress, pain. He felt as if his whole being was nothing but tears. Being dead would have been better than this!


    Then came the anger. No, the hatred! Only dark thoughts. Only loathing, rancor, and resentment. He felt his whole soul being corrupted by these venomous feelings.


    Then came the coldness. Every previous feeling felt foreign. The happiness? Gone. The despair? Gone. The anger? Gone. Nothing but cold-blooded unfeeling preparations. Preparations for what?! He didn''t wish to know! He wanted it to stop. But it wouldn''t. It wasn''t over yet.


    That''s when he felt it. All these bottled-up emotions being released at once! It all came pouring out in the worst of ways.


    Massacre, ruin, annihtion, blood¡ªso much goddamn blood! Never-ending violence, destion, ravage, ughter. He could feel the blood. He could taste the blood. He was nothing but blood himself!


    That''s when he saw it. This was supposed just to be feelings, but he saw it. He saw the kid¡ªno, the monster''s eyes. Blood red eyes.? Eyes tinged with so many emotions. Eyes that were looking straight at his soul. Eyes that made his entire being shiver, making him feel vulnerable.


    Then there was the smile. A peaceful slight smile. One that would remain no matter the atrocities the monstermitted. A smile that was a harbinger of death. A smile that made him understand. The monster would smile as he devoured his very soul.


    There stood a monster, a devil, the incarnation of evil itself, yet a peaceful and calm man. An impossibility. A¡­.


    Then it was over. This short glimpse left him trembling. As he came back to the real world, he felt his stomach churn. He couldn''t stop it. He fell to the ground. His legs were so weak! Then, he vomited all across his neat white shirt.


    His dignity was far gone, but he didn''t care. He slowly raised his head. It took him all his self-control to even look upward. To look at that crazy being that was now towering over him.


    The monster had a yful smile: "Tell me, was it a nice sight? My past."


    This was his past?! How?! That''s when he understood. He understood why he felt so much fear. This devil didn''t care what race the opponent belonged to. How was this all possible?


    "W-who a-are you?" He could hear his own cracking voice.


    "Josh, Josh Malum. Shouldn''t you know that, old man? Now, how about these credits?"


    "I''ll pay! Right now, I''ll¡­!" He''d do anything.


    "It''s fine. I trust you will. Later, old man." On that note, he left, peacefully bringing his shellshocked friend with him.


    "How dare he?! What did he do?! I''ll hunt him and¡­."


    "Boss, are you okay?! What the Hell happened there? Should we shoot him? Boss, he''s looking my way!"


    Both thedy and his subordinates were making a ruckus.


    "Wait! All of you!" He sighed before solemnly uttering. "No matter what. Never anger this man. Also, forget everything you have seen or think you saw today."


    "But¡ª!"


    "Boss, what is¡ª?"


    He simply cut them off. This was vital.


    "I''m serious! If you anger him, I fear to even imagine the consequences. No amount of S-Rank guilds could ever protect you. He has done it once. He has killed them all. All of them. To the veryst. All of¡ª!"


    "Old master! What are you talking about?!"


    It took her exmation to bring Old Jones to his sense. He couldn''t help but give a helpless smile.


    "Ah¡­.I''m not sure myself. But I felt it. Thest ones that angered him are no more. The next ones that do, they won''tst long either."


    "That''s impossible! He''s just a low-level Climber, isn''t he?"


    "For now perhaps¡­."


    The soldiers present couldn''t help but shiver. What had just happened? How had he been able to intimidate their Boss so easily? What kind of havoc was he about to wreck on the world?!


    It was time for another bet¡­.

 Chapter 116: Just Experience..... (╯°□°）╯┻�┻

    <h4>Chapter 116: Just Experience..... (¨s¡ã¡õ¡ã£©¨s©ß©¥©ß</h4>


    Two¡ªno, one young man could be seen peacefully walking back to Draconic.


    "What the Hell was that back there?! Seriously?!" Dale shouted.


    "Don''t worry about it. No big deal." Josh shrugged.


    "No big deal?! That guy was hidden Boss level! There was a damn S-Rank licking his feet! How in the Hell is that not a big deal?!"


    "Well, he just got frightened by his own ability backfiring. I didn''t do anything, really." Josh casually exined.


    "Even then, how are you so calm?! Didn''t you see him throwing up?! That doesn''t creep you out?! Also, were there really snipers?! How did you know?!"


    "Experience. Experience. Experience. Anything else?"


    "Brother, I still can''t believe something so insane happened!"


    "Then don''t believe, not like I care." Josh shrugged.


    "I swear, the world could be ending that you''d be just chilling! How are you so easygoing?!"


    "Experien¡ª"


    "Experience, I know! Geez! Anyway, what do we do now?" Dale interrupted him.


    "How about some training? You know, just so you don''t drag me down too much." Josh winked at him.


    "You! As if! I''m a level 24 now! I''m not the weakling I used to be." Dale proudly dered.


    "Yes, yes, you are a strong independent little phoenix." Josh yfully added.


    "Little? Do you want to put it to the test?"


    "Are you proposing or challenging me? I really can''t tell." Josh exaggeratedly showed a pensive expression.


    "You. Me. 1 VS 1, VR match. LV 1 status. Till death." Dale had clear fighting spirit in his eyes.


    "Till death? 1 VS 1 ? Now you''re definitely proposing!"


    As they kept going back and forth, they finally arrived at the guild. Dale didn''t have the mood to joke around anymore as he kept looking everywhere with his eyes bulging.


    "Say¡­can I really be here?! We aren''t trespassing, right?" He worriedly asked.


    "Don''t worry, Dale¡­." Josh began.


    "Alright, I''ll ¡ª"


    "If they do kill you, I will hold a mourning event in your honor. One that will be spectacr. Say, do you prefer your funeral to be ckjack & Hookers style or respectable Opium Den?" Josh acted as if serious.


    "What''s respectable about it? Also, can I just answer both?" Dale now seemed less tense.


    The general members of Draconic were staring at them and yet none made a move. This was rendering Dale ufortable.


    "Loosen up, man. They are just staring at you because they want to beat you up." Josh ''reassured'' him.


    "What?! Why?!" He hadn''t done anything to them, right?!


    As he looked around, this actually seemed to be the case.


    "Well, I''m guessing they are curious. Perhaps they want to train? Maybe they are into gingers too. Hell if I know." Josh shrugged.


    Josh brought a speechless Dale all the way to that one VR training room he had been using. There, a line of general members could be seen waiting.


    A few minutester, an undead could be seen exiting from the VR machine. Well, the monk looked like one in any case.


    He had dark circles under his eyes, his gaze seemed awfully unfocused, his face could be seen repeatedly twitching and he walked unsteadily. He could have looked drunk to someone that was unaware of his condition.


    "Oh my god! Is this guy okay?! What kind of inhumane training could cause such exhaustion! I''ve heard of Draconic being hardcore, but this! This is too much!" Dale was dumbfounded.


    Should Josh just y the fool? Honestly, he kinda forgot about his disciple. He had been really focused on Floor 14, then had been ambushed by Dale''s message. It really wasn''t his fault¡ª almost. But he was instantly busted.


    "Boss, you''re finally back! How many days has it been? Has it been weeks? Months perhaps? I kinda lost track of time but I''ve been diligently training. 200% pain setting, 2 hours sleep a day maximum, and intense fighting!" He was smiling radiantly even in his condition.


    "What?! You''re the one that told him to do that, Josh?! Why does that sound like torture?! Also, why does he call you Boss?!"


    "Meh, don''t worry about it. Now, shall we put your strength to the test?" Josh turned toward Dale.


    "I think this guy needs medical attention first¡­." Dale remarked concerned.


    "Me? No need to worry I can keep going. In fact, I should be continuing. Ah, Boss. Can I watch your fight? Just so I can learn?" The dead-looking monk was now doing puppy eyes.


    "Sure. How do I do that?"


    "Just activate the broadcast feature while inside and select the direct surroundings option." His disciple patiently exined.


    "Gotcha."


    On that note, Josh and Dale quickly entered the VR world. Soon they were confronting each other. That is when Dale followed the ancient and proper fighting etiquette, he began a speech.


    "Good luck in this fight. May the best man win and ¡ª" He would have said more but Josh deeply inserted a trident in his throat. That sent him gargling in quite frankly a horrible pain.


    "Rule number one. No one fucking cares about you talking. Take your speech and shove it¡ª"Josh peacefully taught while he looked at the distress, the agony, and the feeling of injustice he could see in his friend''s eyes.


    *Garbled screams*


    "Rule number two. Once you have the advantage. Keep it." As he said so, he stabbed the man some more for good measure.


    Apparently, getting murdered at 200% pain was pretty damn excruciating. Well, Josh would have to ask Dale. But oh well, he figured the next best thing was to keep going. Eventually, the man logged off, rage-quitting.


    Except, he soon came back for revenge. He appeared, angry and ready for a rematch. Josh dly obliged. This time Dale was ready. There was no way he''d allow another sneak attack. So, instead, he took a trident to the face head-on. How? He wasn''t sure himself.


    "Rule number three. Don''t be so goddamn obvious. Do you know what a feint is? The answer is clearly no. Here, a few stabs to help you remember." Josh kept going for a while until his friend (victim) logged off.


    As he came back, it was a repeat of the same thing over and over. Dale would just get trashed without the ability to resist. Oh, he tried many things. He tried straight-forwards attacks. He tried feints. He even tried fancy footwork.


    But, no matter what, he''d end up stabbed and suffering. At that point, he resolved himself to his defeat. As Josh exited the VR, he could see many individuals that were still watching the now empty VR screen.


    "Boss, that was amazing! How did you beat him so much? What''s the secret?!"


    Everyone perked their ears. They didn''t want to miss this at all. As Josh opened his mouth they held their breaths in anticipation.


    "Well, it''s simple. Experience."


    "Motherfucker! Can you stop saying experience for a single moment? Also, how are you so much stronger than me?! I''m level 24!" Dale couldn''t understand the situation.


    "That''s exactly the kind of thinking that makes you weak. Why is your level supposed to matter? Just "git gud" and you''ll be fine. I can''t believe you bragged about being strong too. Ah, thisck of self-awareness is impressive." Josh "praised".


    Of course, Dale understood he wasn''t the weird one. No, it was Josh. What kind of monster was he?! Still, with every word his shoulders slumped a little bit more. That is when the monk suggested they fight too.


    Never had Josh seen a man agree to a fight so quickly. It was a way for him to vent and escape Josh''s clutches at the same time.


    It soon began and they even projected it to the gallery. A few minutester, Dale was already getting destroyed. But the worst was still toe.


    "Good fight. You are clearly very proficient at this. Ah, by the way, what level are you? If it''s not too personal of course." Dale inquired.


    "Me? Level 2." The monk scratched his head in embarrassment, it was pretty low after all.


    That''s when Dale froze. Getting bullied by Josh was one thing, the man was a freak. But now he was even getting bullied by a level 2?! How?! That is when he started questioning life.


    "That''s easy. You''ve been fighting monsters all this time. What you arecking is simply¡ª" Josh began.


    "Experience! Alright, I got it. I''ll be damned if I won''t improve! Alright, let''s go again!" At least Dale showed motivation.


    That is how the two of them just kept going with the same training regiment. If Dale didn''t improve, Josh would need to fight 1 VS 2. That would probably be impossible. There were bound to be skilled people in such a tournament, right?


    Well, Josh could only hope for the best. He had done what he could. He himself wouldn''t be able to improve too much in the short term either. That was the downside of ''experience''. After a certain point, just repeating the same training wouldn''t yield any result.


    The spectators were still reveling in the previous fight. They kept wondering if they would be able to cope with Josh''s crazy fighting style. The strange part was that all his movements looked natural.


    He didn''t seem t be fighting at all. It was almost like his weapon would somehow find its way to the enemy''s weak points. Even as external observers, they weren''t able to understand it.


    Every time, it really looked like he was just casually stabbing. Under their gazes of admiration, Josh slowly left Draconic.


    The tournament wouldn''t start just yet so he figured he might as well go back to Climbing. Now, how was Floor 15? Apparently real challenging.


    What made it so troublesome? Well, there wasn''t just one Boss...

 Chapter 117: Reaching Ones Limits

    <h4>Chapter 117: Reaching One''s Limits</h4>


    [Wee to Floor 15, Please select an opponent!]


    The environment was very much simr to Floor 5. It was the interior of a broken-looking castle. It had a weird red glowing background light, crumbling stone pirs, no decoration, rocks all over the ce, the usual.


    [Sad Fight ~ No Reward | Cool Fight ~ Some Reward | Very Cool Fight ~ Much Reward]


    [Hidden option: Awesome Fight ~ Awesome Reward.]


    "Can''t I just pick all of them in order to get all rewards? You know, like a gauntlet."


    [Updated Duels, Only the first reward unlocked will be obtained.]


    "Eh, so no practice run avable. The second or third options are definitely safer but do I really wanna settle? Decisions, decisions. Right, counselor Navi, what is your expert opinion?"


    <Request Unclear, Please rify.>


    "What are my chances against the Awesome Fight?"


    <This model does not possess the information. Only the first three options are known. Very Cool Fight should refer to fighting a Gnoll Champion with a Spider mount. Based on previous data, chances of survival are 100% for Master. *Disimer: can be wrong*>


    Gotta love the disimer. Who knew that Climbing a Tower that was designed as a death game could have risks! Wow. Talk about surprising! Anyway, healing pills, check ??. Sets equipped, check ??. Josh was ready to go.


    "Here goes nothing. Launch the Awesome Fight for me. Let''s get this party started!"


    That''s when came a blinding red light. Before long appeared a monstrosity.


    <Gnoll and Spider Lv 24?? ~ Awesome Version>


    "What the fuck is this shit?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"


    Was that an overreaction? Nope. Definitely Not. Okay, so it was supposed to be a gnoll knight with its mount. A very simplebo but very deadly to the unprepared. Instead, what spawned was simply a nightmarish horror.


    It was big, the size of the White Spider Josh had fought in the past. But, it looked even bigger because it was now in an enclosed space, one that Josh was beginning to find too small.


    It had 8 long legs that ended with des. No, not de-like ws. Yes, legit machete-looking feet (whatever that part of the spider was called). Then there were the eyes, shiny green glowing eyes. Oh, and the heads too. On the Spider body, 4 gnoll heads stood out, salivating as they red at Josh, each having their own deadly-looking mandibles set.


    Then there was the hair itself. The spiders had been hairy but it had been short hair. This one''s hair was long, brown, gross-looking. It was as if the creature had taken a mud bath at some point. Josh definitely didn''t want to try and touch it.


    Finally, there was the smell too. Was it supposed to elevate the setting? That shit seemed like an olfactive attack in itself. It was quite like the smell of sewage mixed with blood perhaps? It was bad. Real bad.


    Confronted with this weird-ass chimera, of course, the only answer could only be what the fuck. He only hoped it wouldn''t suddenly talk. As long as it didn''t suddenly say "Edward" at the very least.


    That''s when it screeched loudly, making the walls tremble. Then, it charged. It had phenomenal speed. Josh could barely see it. But, he could hear it clearly. It went CLANG, CLANG, CLANG. Honestly, this ¡­thing could have been called Spidergnoll Scissorhands.


    It reached his side and began its onught. It was one stab after the other. It was even able to dig deep into the rock with every attack as if tofu. Needless to say, Josh would be bisected should a casual swing hit him.


    He would have preferred by far to be outdoor. Here, he felt stuck like a rat. The spider had the ability to walk on walls too. This made it so his own spider set barely gave him an advantage.


    What about the Big Chungus set? Well, going bigger here would only be a death sentence. Dodging would be even harder and he''d die. How the Hell was one supposed toplete this challenge?!


    Then again, this was the goddamn Tower. Looking around, Josh''s gaze rested on the many debris covering the floor. He could use that! How? Good question.


    He tried throwing a big rock at one of the gnoll heads but it simply swallowed it. Not a care in the world. It was akin to a dog that would eat anything it found, without it getting sick, however.


    "Rx, Josh. You''ve killed harder stuff. Even that gnoll hunter was higher level."


    It was time to use the mighty bone bow! Josh took it out, aimed carefully while dodging the crazy attacks.


    "Eat this!"


    The arrow flew fast and true ¡­until the monster just pped it. Its own hands were sharp enough to crush the projectile without a care in the world. It had the speed to do it too. Oh god!


    If this didn''t work, then it was time to use the environment! There were half-crumbling pirs everywhere. Josh backed into them while dodging. Soon one fell directly on the monster¡­.no effect.


    This creature was one tough bastard. So tough that it was in the process of literally devouring the pirs while its spider parts were iling around attacking Josh.


    Ranged attacks, didn''t work. Melee attacks were too risky. Everything around? Dead end. That''s when Josh noticed something. The monstrosity was slowly bing bigger and bigger. How was that even possible?!


    Josh could only give a wry smile. There was a deadline too. To deal with the spiders in the past he had used the trees or the ''fellow humans''. He for sure wasn''t going to die here. No way!


    He slowly lowered his gaze onto a ring he had been wearing all along. Then he steadied his nerves and body. He would only have a single chance most likely. He gripped his spear tighter, then he activated the item. <Rank E ¨C Expendable Ring of Necromancy>


    It was a one-use consumable. It contained incredible power. Would it be enough to defeat the Boss? Probably not. But as a distraction, it would 100% work. He had wanted to save it, but this enemy was too well-rounded for Josh to exploit a weakness.


    He felt his mana being drained, the ring taking care of the spell. Soon, he felt a power call out to the void, or so it seemed. Josh would remember this strange feeling. So this is how summoning worked. How amazing!


    Then, before him appeared 3 skeletons. When he saw their puny numbers, Josh almost despaired. It wouldn''t even block one round of attack from the Boss. But then, he saw their level.


    <Summoned Skeleton Soldier Lv 25>


    What the hell, 25?! For a short instant, his brain almost shut down. He hadn''t expected it to be so powerful. Then, they noticed the screeching Gnollspider and charged at it.


    They were equipped with basic bucklers and hammers and really went to town on the creature. But, even while they out-leveled it and outnumbered it, they weren''t doing much. It was a stalemate.


    At first, it confused Josh, but then he understood why. It was obvious. The difference was but a "??". In fact, if this kept going the skeletons would soon lose. Without their shields, they would have already been destroyed.


    But then, Josh joined the fray. It instantly went from a stalemate to aplete ughter. The helpless spider could only watch as its limbs were perforated one after the other. Finally, Josh managed to bypass its defenses, impaling the heads. The creature fell, dead.


    That''s when the skeletons turned into dust along with the magical ring that had summoned them. Had this trade been worth it? Josh awaited the loot with impatience. As it finally spawned, he couldn''t help but hold his breath.


    <Gathering Book>


    - Allows one to record the information about resources in the Tower.


    <Magical Contract>


    - Allow one to establish a magical contract. Require both signing parties to be willing.


    <E+ Breath of Corruption>


    - Activation causes all beings in a 100 meters radius to be given the Blessing of Corruption E-Rank.


    <E+ Stone of Corruption>


    - Growth item. Gives the Blessing of Corruption to its target.


    The gathering book turned out to go in the cosmetic tab and didn''t take an inventory slot, so that was nice.


    The magical contract was cool but would not always be the better option. For instance, when Josh had bought D-23 it had not been needed. The whole transaction was based on the willingness of both parties to do so, they would be neighbors after all.


    Now, the breath of corruption and the stone of corruption looked rather promising. The only issue was that Josh had no way of knowing what exactly the Blessing of Corruption implied.


    Most likely it was the power that had turned the Spider+Gnoll into a Spidergnoll. Was it a good thing or a bad thing? It could potentially incapacitate enemies but chances were it would just make them stronger.


    "Navi, any info on a Blessing of Corruption?"


    <This model has none.>


    Go figure. Chances were the Tower Protocol had just added this difficulty because of Josh asking for more challenging content over and over. Should he consult a specialist? Then again there wouldn''t be any for sure.


    Ah, well. Josh took the Stone instantly. He figured he didn''t have much to lose right now. Bringing out his pet, he couldn''t but sigh seeing it remain there lifelessly.


    <Godly Pseudo-Pet Rat>


    "Here, eat this."


    What was the worst that could happen?


    The rat transforming into a monstrosity? It would probably be stronger this way.


    The rat attacking him? That would almost be better than its current lifeless status.


    The rat dying? No way something with godly in its name would be so weak, right?


    After pushing the item in the pet''s mouth, Josh waited. Still, there was no reaction from it whatsoever. There was clearly something wrong with it. Where was the receipt so Josh could return it?


    Ah, never mind. There was one thing that changed.


    <Corrupted Godly Pseudo-Pet Rat>


    Was this rat''s superpower to collect titles? Josh chuckled as he pictured the name of the godly rat changing as he climbed. At this rate it would soon be:


    <All-Powerful Fabled Legendary Mythical World-Devouring Godly Pseudo-Pet Rat>


    Or something like that. Josh just needed to find a way to sell the pet and he''d be set for life! Today''s oue? Lost a trump card and gained a dubious corrupting consumable.


    As if to taunt him, the system came out with a victory message. Why had it been dyed?


    [Congrattion! Enjoy these awesome rewards!]


    "Wait! What''s a blessing of corruption?!" Of course, it was already gone¡­


    Thesest two Floors had been somewhat problematic. Would the next one be worse? What about the ones that followed?


    Josh really needed to be stronger, somehow. It was either that or to resolve himself to settle for the easier content.


    But, if he gave up right now, wouldn''t he reach a wall sooner orter anyway? Hegel had warned him, Dario had warned him, the whole world had warned him.


    But so what if the whole world doubted him? He was Josh motherfucking Malum, and it was time to train¡­

 Chapter 118: Focus Group?!

    <h4>Chapter 118: Focus Group?!</h4>


    A man could be seen exiting the Tower, deep in thoughts. In his hands, he was ying with what looked like a small ck button. How much corruption could such a little thing hold? Well, a bit given it was called a breath of corruption.


    He kept pondering about how to get stronger. His main w right now was theck of skills. He couldn''t control his mana one bit. Yet, he was able to make his weapon morph, which was very simr ording to Dario.


    What this needed was a brainstorm. He entered the Draconic general chat.


    -Josh MF Malum: Anyone who''s not busy, meet me at the guild in about 10 minutes. It will be a focus group on how one can be stronger, especially on the topic of skills.


    Hopefully a few would show up, right? He slowly made his way there. As he arrived, he couldn''t help but gasp as tons of members were gathered there. What was happening?


    They were excitingly talking about some amazing new super-secret training. It seemed that Josh had the worst timing. Who''d be interested in a focus group when there was something so cool going on? No one.


    But as someone noticed him, they instantly began moring. "Shhh everyone, he''s here!" Then they all quieted down, staring at Josh with sparkling eyes.


    He couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow perplexed. "What are you guys up to?"


    "Sir, we''re awaiting your wisdom!"


    "Wait, what? My wisdom? I don''t have time for that, I''m busy with something." He figured he''d ask Dale and began heading to the VR room. But with every step he took, they followed.


    There was clearly a misunderstanding somewhere. Opening the chat, he figured out what had happened.


    - Tanky Barbara: Focus group? Why would THE Josh MF Malum be organizing a focus group? *confused*


    - Raffa loves Kunais: Maybe he woke up on the wrong side of the bed?


    - Dimitri the Musician: Guys, guys! This is a test! He wants to see if we''ll participate!


    - Crazy Axe: Guys, guys! I just told his two disciples about it and they will be attending!


    - Joel the Explorer: So why should we care?


    - Crazy Axe: Because these freaks only know to train! Don''t you realize? This is going to somehow be a form of training. I don''t know how but¡­.


    - Li Jet: That actually makes a lot of sense. Thanks, I''ll be attending!


    Josh almost face-palmed when he read that. Of course, they would only train, that''s the very reason he had brought them to Draconic!


    They did other stuff, but they did it outside the guild, obviously. Had they forgotten that the two weren''t members of this guild in the first ce?


    The more Josh scrolled and the more idiots epted that ridiculous idea. Then again, that would be a good lesson.


    "Alright, make sure to follow me if you want to participate in what is nothing else than a focus group!" He even added a wink at the end.


    Instantly smiles blossomed on the followers'' faces as they couldn''t believe their ''luck'' of having this ''golden'' opportunity. This was obviously the ''secret training''. Soon everyone was settled in the VR room, with his disciples joining them.


    There was no table or chair, only people sitting in a circle on the ground. This almost looked like that cool game where werewolves tried to kill vigers. What was it called again?


    Josh took a deep narrator voice. "Now, I will be handing out pens and paper. You will all think of one way to train magical skills. It needs to be unrted to gaining experience in the Tower. Clear enough?"


    They all nodded, some seemingly wondering what was happening. Skills were obviously awarded from leveling up. Could it be that he was testing their ability to think outside the box?


    "Now, every round, the two individuals with the dumbest ideas are going to get eliminated.? Thest one standing wins. Is that understood?"


    "Yes, Sir!" They had the spirit for sure.


    "Now, close your eyes. It is night. Start writing. Remember, it can be anything. It just needs to sound smarter than what your opponents are suggesting." Josh yed the game master.


    Josh could see the tension as many wore serious expressions. Then they began scribbling their heart away. Some were even grimacing, apparently finding the exercise difficult.


    He began walking around checking all the answers. Let''s just say there were many, they varied a lot from one to another too.


    - Sit in a pool until one can use water magic


    - Meditate in a temple until enlightenment is reached


    - Taser one''s balls to develop an affinity for thunder.


    - Sacrifice lives to a dark god in exchange for power.


    - Train blindfolded until a sixth sense is obtained.


    - Endure beatings every day until the body unlocked a resistance skill.


    - Chop wood until the hands be bloody, and an ability is gained.


    - Volunteer at a hospital until a caretaker skill is gained.


    - Pray to the gods for a skill.


    "Alright, everyone. You can now wake up. Whoever had ''beg the gods'' you''re out. We don''t do that here. Same for the guy that suggested tasing your own balls. Like c''mon man!"


    Thus, soon continued the game. So far the consensus was that one needed to repeat an activity long enough that it would somehow magically birth a skill. There was just one issue, how long would that take?


    It seemed no one really cared about that point. They all started having funing up with imaginary training regiments.? At some point appeared in ridiculous stuff too.


    - Bathing inva to develop heat resistance.


    - Transfusing blood from a monster to the host to forcefully gain bloodlines.


    - Dance naked in front of the Tower to assert dominance.


    - Commit a crime and gain skills using the pressure from being on the run.


    - Eat too many carrots. How did that one even work? Who knew...


    At some point, they just started naming torture methods. Josh simply interrupted them all. He confirmed that it didn''t work since he had tried them all repeatedly without any result.


    They all began wondering if Josh meant that he had tried being tortured or if he had done the torturing. Somehow, they really couldn''t tell.


    That is when came the sound of heels on the floor. Before long appeared Serene, a woman Josh had seen before. Her long mboyant hair was still as red and so was her entire dress. She exuded confidence and a tinge of curiosity.


    "What are you guys up to? I heard something about secret training."


    "Here is what we are doing¡­"


    A short exnationter she just burst into sonorousughter. "You guys are wasting your time. There is only one way to gain skills and that is to have perfect control over the resource required to cast it."


    "What do you mean?" Josh asked with rapt interest.


    "Spellcasters need control over mana. Some other sses need control over their life essence instead. Then there are the many hybrids. Honestly, you need a ss to attain that single requirement."


    She looked at Josh wondering how he would react. She had understood that this focus group really was for him to find a solution to his own problems.


    "I see, you may be right," Josh admitted.


    "May? I''m clearly right. Anyway, want to fight a VR round for me to show you?"


    "Of course!" Josh simply followed her as the both of them decided to fight in the VR world.


    That is how many guild members of Draconic now looked like fools. They were just sitting on the ground instead of doing anything else productive. What about the secret training? What about the victor? Was this really just a focus group?


    There went their dreams, but oh well. Josh was in no way responsible, right?! He was preparing himself to fight that crazy powerful woman. What would be the oue of that?!....

 Chapter 119: Serene Brings the Heat!

    <h4>Chapter 119: Serene Brings the Heat!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Serene was the total opposite of her name. Her parents had always wanted a quiet and polite kid. She simply wasn''t. Was it in a bid to create her own identity? She didn''t know.


    Still, because of her explosive temper, people, in general, feared her. Perhaps this was why she was sofortable in this rowdy crazy guild. But, she mostly hung out with the elite members because only they would dare challenge her. She felt epted.


    That day as she arrived at the guild, she noticed something peculiar. The general members were all gone! She didn''t interact with them much, but she would still notice their existence.


    As she investigated, she stumbled upon the weirdest thing. She found them in a focus group that was designed to appear like a weird game. It wasn''t that strange, but why were they all there?!


    Then she realized why. It was all because of the man in the middle, Josh Malum. He wasn''t strong, he wasn''t especially noticeable, but every time one forgot about him, he''de back to aplish some kind of miracle.


    She herself didn''t know his exact role in the guild. Dario had just brought him in one day without saying anything. He didn''t join any guild activity as he was quite the loner.


    From time to time, he''d pop in the chat to remind them of his existence. Often, one would feel that they and Josh Malum weren''t Climbing the same Tower at all! He brought items and pets out that none of them had ever seen.


    The worst was perhaps that he made it all seem like a very normal thing to do. He wasn''t even bragging about his achievements. She couldn''t help but be extremely curious about him.


    Right now, he was apparently trying to find a way to get skills without having a ss. She sighed to herself, for she knew it to be a pointless endeavor. Many would wonder where that knowledge came from.


    She was one of the few that had inherited veryplete memories. For most, it consisted of vague feelings at best, but not her. She remembered some of the past lives of the Crimson Witches that hade before her.


    It was all a knowledge that was the culmination of many mages'' lifetime efforts. She understood that learning magic would normally take centuries. It was far more time than any of them had avable.


    They had the chance to dig into these memories thanks to the Tower. All they had to do was to kill and keep killing for Experience Points.


    She had to somehow make Josh give up this ridiculous undertaking. She admired his spirit, but it was all wasted effort. The sooner he came to terms with it and the sooner he could find an alternative.


    She knew that changing ss was harsh but possible. Then again, the worst was getting used topletely new abilities and getting rid of the old habits ingrained in one''s body. A ssless man wouldn''t have that issue, at least.


    That''s why she challenged him. She''d first show him how deadly skills could be. She''d make him understand how needed they were to survive in this world. Then she''d drop the bomb about how impossible it was to master some with just human effort.


    Was there a better way to do things? Perhaps, but it didn''t fit her temper. As they headed toward the VR machine, the general members were at aplete loss on what to do. But then they became excited at the prospect of watching a legendary duel.


    They started begging to be allowed to spectate it. At first, it confused her. Why did they have such faith in Josh? Then she understood from hearing the whispers. The man''s disciples had been kicking their asses in some training, and they were eager to see the master''s technique.


    "I think it''s better if no one sees. I want to use the full extent of my abilities. I''d rather not traumatize the spectators." So she said. But really, she wanted to spare Josh''s pride. Her n was to crush him over and over again.


    "It''s fine. They can watch." He acquiesced. She tried conveying her intentions through spirited res, but he simply shook his head.


    As they entered the VR world, the man casually set the settings. "Is it fine if I put the regeneration to maximum? I want to know what it feels like to endure skills."


    "Sure." This actually served her purpose. Now, in the fight toe, she would have to be very careful. She wanted to instill a sense of awe in him but not break him.


    "Alright, then let''s begin."


    "Are you really ready for this? I won''t hold back, you know? No matter how much you scream and beg, there will be no¡ª" She stopped as he was already madly dashing toward her.


    But why was he so slow? Wait, he hadn''t even adjusted their stats. A level 49 versus a level 10~20 was far from fair. Yet, he didn''tin.


    She dodged his attack as easily as one would a newborn, and she threw burning hot mes at him. She didn''t show mercy. She covered his entire being in fire. As soon as he started crying in pain, she would stop.


    But that''s when something weird happened. Even while on fire, he kept charging. How was this possible?!


    Logic said it was possible thanks to the extreme regeneration in this duel. Logic also said he should be wriggling to the ground in agony.


    From fireball to straight-up inferno, Serene tried it all. Except, no matter what she threw at him, he would keep going with the same slight smile that almost seemed to be taunting her. No, it was taunting her!


    Did this man think she was a pushover? No, she was Serene brings the motherfucking heat! She was the one that could burn ice and fire alike! She steadied her resolve and used a truly perverted spell. "Let me see you endure this!"


    She sent at him fake true fire. What was so great about it if it was fake? The original was a mythical me that could devour everything in existence. It even had a life of its own and would keep burning until its target was dead.


    As itnded on him, she couldn''t help but grin. How about that! This thing was one of the worst tortures ever. It would crush anyone''s spirit, and ¡­.oh crap! What had she done?! She became livid and tried to stop it.


    But that''s when she noticed something that froze her to her very core. The fire was hellishly hot, but there was something crazier. He was still smiling. It was a warm smile that would have reassured anyone.


    How?! In his ce, she would have been screaming, crying, login off, begging for mercy, not smiling! She fell to her knees as she watched him approach ever so slowly.


    Then she heard his calm and peaceful voice. "Thank you for the demonstration. Now, I''ll have a clearer goal." He seemed lost in thoughts.


    Thank you? Thank you?! He was smiling radiantly. He was thanking her. He was still burning too. For the first time in her life, Serene questioned her abilities.


    Were skills that great if she couldn''t even scare one man with all she had? Had she been mistaken all along? How had he not even flinched? Her confidence was crumbling by the second.


    That''s when they returned to the real world. She exited the VR capsule with wobbly legs. She had shown him her skills. She had tried giving him a wake-up call. Sher had tried scaring him. But now, he was peacefully sitting, trying to consolidate his understanding.


    Now was the time to tell him about how impossible it was for a human to realize such a task. Yet, she couldn''t bring herself to say it. Was he even human? Would her concerns actually matter to him?


    That''s when she heard the gallery''sments.


    "Wow, that was impressive! He went from getting his ass kicked to intimidating her with his sheer resolve! He did it to the awesome Serene too, not some pushover!"


    At least no one was looking down on her for it. Still, she felt strange being used as nothing more than a stepping stone. It felt surreal. Had anyone told her this would happen, she would have scoffed.


    "Did you see that gaze in his eyes?! It was so casual yet so intense. As if he had everything under his control. Can you believe showing such a look in these insane conditions?!"


    He had a point. Serene didn''t think she''d be able to easily do it either. Perhaps with some training, but that would be cheating. Just for that, he deserved to be respected.


    "I shiver just thinking about what we just saw. But remember that''s not the worst. The fight was clearly at 200% pain. I''m sure of it! He''s always using that as the default setting."


    What?! That was clearly impossible. Who''d be crazy enough to do that?! This was obviously a rumor, right?!? That is when she heard a young man begin to chuckle.


    "You guys. Do you want to know a secret?" They all leaned forward. "The very reason he''s participating in the VR tournament is that he wants his custom VR capsule toe with a pain threshold higher than 200%."


    Gasps could be heard as they all looked at each other in shock. That is when Serene couldn''t help but suck in a cold breath. Was this man really human?! For some reason, she felt silly with the whole skills thing. Especially her initial fight speech.


    Feeling all jittery inside, she hurriedly left. Was she the one in the wrong? Would he manage to carve his own path? Would he be crushed by the harsh reality of this world? She couldn''t help but await the results.


    Meanwhile, Josh was on the floor sitting in a crossed-legged posture. He had done so right after the fight for some reason...

 Chapter 120: Hes...Cultivating?! Seriously?!

    <h4>Chapter 120: He''s...Cultivating?! Seriously?!</h4>


    In Draconic, there was a specific VR room that was usually void of any human presence. Yet, it had been frequented so much recently.


    There had been two men training non-stop. There had been a constant stream of challengers fighting. There had been some kind of weird event, and now there was a gallery assembled.


    People woulde and go inplete silence. Yes, the usually boisterous Draconic members were acting as if in a sacred temple. They would all look toward the man that was sitting cross-legged in wonder and reverence.


    Many had initially been wondering what he was doing. That''s when the monk had told them that his master used meditation as a training method. Then, Liam had passed by and taught them some earthly cultivation "knowledge."


    Many were shocked beyond belief upon learning about such an amazing method. It instantly shattered their current understanding of the world. Why did Josh sound more mystical than the Tower itself?!


    Every time a neer heard the specifics, they would exim in awe. There had been some skeptics at first, but they were quickly silenced. They were all trying to learn by observing Josh''s super-secret training method without disrupting him.


    At some point, he started using his item sets abilities. It made so many eyes bulge, and so many mouths hang open. What was that ghostly white spider?! Was that part of the training? How had he done so? Wasn''t he ssless?! Was this immortal cultivation?!


    Some gold members then told them about the Floor 12 item set. But, it only fueled their admiration. This thing was as valuable as a ranker''s set! What kind of amazing disy of wealth was that?! What kind of meditation required such skill activation?


    When the chubby rabbit appeared, they all curiously turned toward the gold members once more, awaiting an exnation. Except, this time, the elite members too were bbergasted. What the hell was that?!


    Josh possessed something that no member of an S-Rank guild could identify?! What was the meaning of this? For them, it was crazy. But Josh didn''t think anything of it, not in his current state.


    That''s how the crowd simply got bigger and bigger, with only Josh having ample breathing room. Even Dario himself came to observe it all. At this point, many were considering dropping to their knees in veneration while begging Josh to teach them.


    All of this fueled many discussions, with every participant whispering, in fear of breaking the sanctity of the moment.


    "What do you think this meditative power-up technique is called? I bet it has a name so powerful that just saying it would suffice to intimidate enemies. What about Dragon Transcending the Nine Heavens Cultivation technique?"


    "Look at how contemtive he is! Even with his eyes closed, I get the feeling he can see the truths of the world. Is this the state of enlightenment that Liam talked about? This is amazing!"


    "I need to learn this so badly. I''ve memorized his exact posture. I''ve also remembered every little way he has swayed his head since the beginning. I''d be trying it right now if this ce wasn''t so crowded. Then again, I guess it''s the same for all of you guys."


    "Have you guys noticed that he sat right after the fight? I''ve heard of this. It''s called a breakthrough through adversity. It''s when you are confronted with a life and death battle, and you suddenly get a sh of genius!"


    "You''re totally right! Some would argue that the fight only happened in VR, but with a 200% pain setting, it would feel even more real than reality! He would have died many times over in that inferno too."


    "Guys, he''s definitely cultivating. He''s been training for more than a day without any kind of food. I guess he really has a connection to Heaven right now. That''s the only exnation!"


    As for Josh, he wasn''t even conscious of this all. He had decided to randomly sit so he could gather his thoughts. That was all.


    His deep contemtive state? It was called thinking.


    His very specific posture? It was the mostfortable.


    Breakthrough through adversity? He had gotten simr insight while on the toilet, coincidence.


    A connection with Heaven? Gluttony Bloodline, enough said.


    As for the cool Spider and Big Chungus effects, well he was doing that to get a better feel on mana. He hadn''t been trying to look cool. He figured the mana control was the issue.


    With an item skill, control was given to the item. With a skill, control belonged to him. He just had to stop relying entirely on external power and train his internal power instead. As for bloodlines, it was something different based more onpatibility than control.


    Using item skills was akin to cheating for an exam. It could work very well, but you''d be better off just learning about it for real.


    He needed a method to stimte that inner power of his, and he had an inkling of how to proceed. It was such an insane method too. Was it even possible? Would it even work? He wasn''t sure, but he''d try.


    He finally opened his eyes, eyes that were now extremely clear. He couldn''t help but be startled when he saw the room utterly full of people. What were they all still doing here? Actually, there were even more of them than before.


    "How bored are you guys? Don''t you have anything better to do than to watch me think?" Josh felt perplexed at this scene. What was with all these expressions of expectation?!


    They had all expected him to share some mind-blowing insights. They thought he would have discovered some fundamental secret of the universe.


    It turns out he had been¡­thinking?! Hadn''t he been cultivating? That wasn''t any super-secret training technique?


    Many left while dragging their feet because they had misunderstood him. But, the vast majority left while dragging their feet because he was ''politely refusing'' to teach them.


    Many were wondering how to be his disciple. But when they remembered the hardcore non-stop 200% pain training, they shivered a bit. Still, many resolved to ask the current students on the best tactic to apply.


    Back in the room, a stern Dario could be seen facing a puzzled Josh.


    "What was that bunny?" He asked extremely seriously.


    "Nothing much, just an item set," Josh admitted.


    "How? You are wearing the spider one at the moment."


    "This, this, and this. It''s an essory set." Josh pointed to his ring, earrings, and ne.


    "This is huge! This means one can have 2 item sets equipped at the same time!"


    "Yes, it''s pretty neat."


    "So, what does it do?!" Dario''s eyes were full of curiosity.


    "It makes one increase in size and boosts defense a bit. Nothing else."


    "This would be insane on a vanguard! That would mean being able to body-block even attacks withrge effect! We need this!" Dario was getting heated.


    "You guys need an E+-Rank set?" Josh showed doubt.


    "Right, it''s just E-Rank. I can''t believe you are dropping so much cool stuff! I wish we had ess to such a difficulty¡­." Dario sighed.


    Were they unaware that it was possible tomunicate with the Tower? Was it possible that no one but him had tried such a simple tactic?


    "¡­.Just ask the Tower to unlock it for you."


    "Nice joke." Dario beganughing heartily before continuing.


    "So far it seems up to Floor 17 has the hellish difficulty avable. Yet, the only ones that have been cleared are Floor 1 and 6, and yours. The first because it''s the easiest and the sixth because it''s the same exact strategy but with more Bosses to hunt."


    "Oh? That''s cool!" It was nice to learn that the Tower was taking the initiative to update itself.


    "The Cerberus Set gives the ability to create a doppelganger head of oneself." Dario kept exining.


    "Is that useful?" Josh was doubtful.


    "It increases the field of vision, screws with the human perception, and leaves one sick beyond belief. It''s the worst."


    "The other?"


    "The Devouring Set. It gives the devouring ability. It allows one to steal a bit of power from a dead target. The issue is that it takes a while to aplish, and the buff doesn''tst long. This one is actually giving us a headache."


    "Why is that?"


    "It works on humans. It''s such a useless power and not worth killing for, but ites with a certain feeling of satisfaction." Dario was sighing.


    "Afraid that this one set would give serial killers wings? Let me guess: it would make anyone invincible in a civilian area void of Climbers? That would be an easy way to cause public unrest."


    "Exactly. Anyway, where did you get that rabbit set?"


    "Floor 13 hellish. I think it can drop more than one set, however. After I got that one, the system said something about me not being eligible for the other."


    Of course, the real reason was the curse, but no one had to know. Josh kept going, taking out the Gnoll Hunter''s bow.


    "As for Floor 14, it drops this thing." Josh let Dario examine it.


    "Automatic arrow generation?! I swear, all these effects are so damn worth it. Right now, most of the S-Rank guilds have decided to slow down their Climbing progress. We''ll slowly prepare to clear the hellish difficulties when they be avable."


    "I see. Oh yeah, remember that analyst I sent you? What happened to him?"


    "He''s been hard at work. He''s actually the one that gave us that report on the potential Devouring set danger. Oh yeah, also congrattions on acquiring D-23. As long as Draconic can enter that Alter Tower from time to time, we can use guild resources to help you develop it." Dario grinned.


    "That''s nice. For now, I''m just waiting to see what will actually happen with it. You know, with the tremors happening and all. Anyway, I need to meet that guy to ask him a few things. Any idea where he is?"


    "Last door, at the end of that corridor. I gave him his own small office. He''s pretty much always there."


    "Alright, thanks. Talkter. I have some things to n." Josh waved at Dario while leaving.


    He couldn''t help but feel restless. He would soon know if his new theoretical skills acquiring method was achievable...

 Chapter 121: No Biggie, Just Human Extinction

    <h4>Chapter 121: No Biggie, Just Human Extinction</h4>


    The sharp de could be seen prating the man''s skull from side to side. Behind the hilt of the sword, one could see a huge smile. The grin was asrge as a rogue having learned that he wasn''t the father.


    "I finally did it! I finally seeded. I''ve finally had my revenge. All these days of suffering endlessly at your hand, but now look at you. Cold and lifeless, youy there as ¡ª"


    "You done yet?" The victim was already back alive. The monk was showing an exasperated expression.? "You barely just managed to defeat me, why are you so goddamn happy?"


    Dale understood it logically. This victory wasn''t much in the grand scheme of things. But, it felt so damn good! He had been toyed with by the monk all this time. It was both a matter of salvaging his wounded pride and the clear proof that he had in fact been improving.


    "Alright, let''s go again." The monk wouldn''t ept such an oue.


    Dale nodded as they resumed their duel. Every time, they kept switching weapons randomly. They did this to be able to use anything that dropped from the Tower.


    Both of them were now evenly matched. Dale had finally learned how to deal with the monk''s crazy feints. Their fighting style was extremely lively. They kept using true and fake strikes alike, slowly grinding down their opponent.


    The intensity at which they were fighting was actually very impressive. The monk had been following Josh''s ridiculous training n. Then, Dale had somehow done the same not to be outdone.


    Their goal was high and lofty. They both couldn''t stop dreaming about eventually being able to resist Josh''s serious attacks. Yes, that much was almost unreachable.


    It wasn''t that he was that strong in terms of raw power. No, he was simply unreadable and unfoble. He would exploit every single tiny mistake. They didn''t know how, but he did.


    Right now, he was doing some kind of training. He seemed to be in a meditative stance. After that current duel ended, they exited briefly to check on him. Was he ready for the tournament yet?


    "Ah, I feel quite satisfied by today''s training so far." Dale was happily smiling.


    "You should really wipe that silly grin off your face, you know?" The monk was frowning.


    "Why?" He seemed to be taunting his trainingpanion.


    "Because you''re level 24 and I''m only level 2. You managing to barely match me¡­" The monk stated the obvious.


    Oh shit! Dale had been seeing him as an equal and rival recently. He hadpletely forgotten that detail. How crazy strong would this monk be as soon as he leveled up? Actually, why wasn''t he climbing?


    But they soon stopped bickering. The previouslypletely full room was now empty. What the Hell? Where was everyone?! Where was Josh?


    They began wandering outside trying to find him. They couldn''t help but smile wryly at each other. They were just hanging around Draconic without any supervision whatsoever. Had people forgotten they weren''t actual members? Was this fine?


    Before long, they found his location. He was talking with some analyst? They quickly made their way toward him, knocked, and entered.


    The room was rtively small but filled to the brim with electronic equipment. There were charts and live data showing on the screens, updating in real-time. What was all this? It looked extremelyplex.


    Josh and a man wearing a cheap suit were busy talking. Both neers naturally stood by the side, trying not to be disruptive. But, the more they listened the weirder their expressions became.


    "Are you sure you really want to try this?" The analyst looked extremely serious.


    "Yep, why not?" In contrast, Josh sounded so casual, as if he was discussing tonight''s meal.


    "Well, it could work but¡­" The analyst showed hesitation.


    "So we''re all good then."


    "Let me put it this way. This n of yours feels almost as insane as entering an active volcano to train one''s heat resistance."


    Entering an active volcano? Who would do such a deranged thing? But of course, soon came Josh''s answer¡­


    "Oh yeah, I''ve done that in the past. Gotta be careful not to go down too far. Just the air itself is enough to cook a human being and¡ª"


    "Okay, bad example. Let me say it straight. Anyone else in this world would consider this n insane. There is a high chance you''ll die. Then it will be my ass on the line, won''t it?" He cautioned Josh.


    Die?! A high chance of death?! What were they nning?!


    "I''m pretty sure it will be fine. I shouldn''t perish instantly if we y our cards right. Then there are also ns B and C."


    How many steps were there to this thing? So many contingencies and yet it remained so risky?! Dale''s face was shocked and filled with worry.


    "You do realize how much chaos n C would bring to Metropolis-C, no the world, right? Actually, human extinction could very well happen too. Maybe not directly, but¡­" The analyst began exining.


    "Oh yeah, no biggie. I''ll be awaiting the good news." Josh offhandedly replied.


    Bringing chaos to the world? Human extinction?! What?! How was that not a big deal?! Josh would just be awaiting some good news. How could he say that with a straight face in such a situation?!


    "Fine. You better hold your end of the deal. This is vital! Otherwise, I wouldn''t even risk it! Also, you know that this will take a while, right?"


    What kind of deal was worth risking humanity itself?! Why was the monk by the side just nodding as if this was expected? Wait, had he been serious when calling Josh the devil himself?! Dale began questioning life.


    "Of course, I''m aware. In the meantime, I''ll try Climbing. Also, I''m a man of my word. You know I once promised death to some people andter¡ª" Josh''s story sounded so ominous.


    "I get it! I can imagine very well what happened." That''s when the analyst turned toward the two spectators. "Any need to silence these two?"


    Oh fuck. Was Dale dead? He would have left long ago if he knew this would happen. He wasn''t even sure what he had heard. What kind of madness was this all? He was shellshocked.


    "Naw, no need. It''s not like they actually know any of the details." Joshzily answered. Instantly, Dale couldn''t help but rx a bit. It looked like he would survive.


    "Yes! I don''t know anything!" Dale happily chimed in, before shutting up real quick. The analyst just nodded as Josh brought them outside.


    Dale couldn''t help but nce at the other two that somehow lookedpletely serene. Like master, like disciple indeed.


    He hesitated a bit before finally opening his mouth. "Say, Josh. Do you need help with anything? I''m not that strong but there are some things even I can do." He was extremely solemn.


    "No worries. Back there he was just exaggerating. More like he was only talking about possibilities. Say, do you know about the butterfly effect?" Josh mysteriously asked.


    "Is that a new item set ability?" Dale hesitantly said.


    "God no, haha." Josh beganughing. "It goes like this. A butterfly just pping its wings could somehow cause a chain reaction that would generate a tornado somece far away."


    "Oh! You mean the turtle effect! They say that a rolling turtle could provoke disasters that way. So you are saying that¡­" Dale''s tone showed relief.


    "Yes, his assessment of the danger goes way beyond what one could realistically expect. So, don''t worry, I''ll be fine." Josh reassured.


    "I understand. Sorry about earlier, I didn''t mean to eavesdrop. It''s just¡ª"


    "I know, don''t worry. Anyway, what''s up with you both? I? thought you guys were training." Josh couldn''t help but wonder what brought them here. Honestly, he had expected them to quit way before.


    "Ah, right! We wanted to check on the result of your cool training earlier. Well, that and participate in thepetition too." Dale informed him.


    "What cool training? I was just pondering over something. Anyway, when is it starting?"


    "It has begun actually."


    "Already?!" Josh thought it would have taken longer.


    "Well, the preliminaries."


    "Alright, let''s go! Right, did you train to a half-decent level at least?"


    Dale could be seen fidgeting. He still vividly remembered how he barely matched someone that was fighting a whole league under him.


    "I wouldn''t get my hopes up too much, Boss. He''s struggling so much against a level 2." The monk could be seen chuckling on the side.


    "You! Why are you backstabbing me like that?!" Then Dale Sighed. "Well, he''s right. Hopefully, the true geniuses don''t register. I''m pretty confident in fights at the A-Rank level."


    "Guess we can just participate and hope for the best now. So, how does the whole thing even work?"


    "Well, remember when we registered, they gave us identifiers. We just have to connect to the duelingwork using it. That should put us in the preliminaries. Then, we''ll fight whatever opponent is avable, sorted by leagues of course." Dale patiently exined.


    "All of the matchups are random and based on luck?"


    "Luck?!" The monk showed a horrified expression for a second.


    "Yes and no. Overall it should rtively be fair because there are many contestants." Dale reassured.


    "A bell curve, right? Well, for us it doesn''t matter. We''ll have to fight the champions either way. The stronger the opponent we fight now, the better. Hopefully, we get a feel for our enemies. Well, there is only so much thatst-minute training can aplish anyway."


    The three could be seen making their way to an unupied VR room. Good thing Donic didn''tck VR capsules, a perk of an elite guild.


    As Josh logged in, he couldn''t help but be speechless. He had agreed to let Dale decide the name of their team. He really hadn''t expected that. Also, what was up with this weird intro cinematic?...

 Chapter 122: Loud Moaning Intensifies!

    <h4>Chapter 122: Loud Moaning Intensifies!</h4>


    As soon as Josh keyed in his special login information, he found himself in the sky. All he could see was endless soothing blue and a heavenly light shining on his being.


    Then, appeared a short cinematic, yes in the sky. A beautiful woman and a handsome man were thanking the participants for joining, the sponsors for investing, and the spectators for attending this wonderful event.


    It was such an awesome cinematic that Josh kept looking for the skip button. There was none. Yep, bad design. Josh would have rated this message B, for Boring AF.


    The cute girl saying she''d even give a hug to the winners, why should Josh care? Same for the host inviting them to get a beer with him afterward. They were some kind of celebrities it seemed, but whatever. That''s when came a system message.


    [Begin special tournament avatar customization now or postpone and head to the party waiting room?]


    "Party waiting room it shall be."


    Instantly the clear scene changed as it rippled. This new one was ass, quite literately. It still rippled, and it still looked heavenly. In front of Josh''s face was an S-Ranked thick booty. On the side, Dale wasughing as he made it rain.


    "Hey, Josh! You''re finally here! Alright, hurry up and modify your avatar. Then we can startbat."


    Josh couldn''t help but look in awe at the surrounding scenery. There was cool rhythmic music, lights all over that shone on a stage, some fog giving it all an ethereal air, the chrome poles, and finally, the girls and dudes (?!) seductively dancing.


    "What''s with the mixed strip club?" Josh raised an eyebrow.


    "That? It''s apparently one of the sponsors for the tournament. See the ad there. Yes, right in the background: Try the life of an S-Ranker. Plot twist, there is a very small chance it''s your life, and they find themselves in a sewer."


    "That would honestly be hrious. Then they would get killed by the killer robot for trespassing." Josh added.


    "Nice joke, haha. Wait, do you really have one?! Aren''t these things military-grade and not sold to the general public?!" He showed disbelief.


    "I honestly have no clue. I just asked for a killer-robot-like cleaner from my designer and he brought me one. It almost diced Kasha so I guess it''s pretty good for defense." Josh shrugged.


    "Wow! This is just ridiculous. Anyway, that''s our party name. Great, isn''t it?" Dale was smiling so much all his teeth were showing.


    He pressed something, and suddenly, this showed up above both of their heads: <Your Daughter Calls Me Daddy Too>. Josh wasn''t sure whether tough or cry. But he knew he definitely needed to hide his original appearance now.


    Fun fact, this avatar editor allowed lots of freedom. So much freedom that the whole skin and clothes colors could be changed, plus the face randomized. That is how a zebra-looking stranger soon appeared in Josh''s ce. It was time for some fun.


    "What the fuck is that?" Dale jumped when he saw it.


    "I came here to show off my stripes and to kill bitches, and I''m already done with the first one," Josh uttered in the deepest voice he could muster.


    "This is really messed up, even for me. What kind of psycho would do such a thing?!" But Dale was clearly in the process of modifying his too.


    He soon took on the appearance of a tiger proudly disying the shiest orange in existence.


    "Now, we show proper party cohesion. The stripes shall rule the world!" Dale theatrically eximed!


    "Actually, it seems popr with the chicks too." Josh pointed at the AI stripper that was praising how handsome they both were. Well, perhaps that was mainly because Dale was still making it rain even now.


    "Alright, so what''s our battle strategy?" He seriously asked.


    "Our battle strategy is that we have no battle strategy. You adapt, and you kill. Simple and easy. You got that?" Josh showed confidence.


    "Remembering won''t be hard. I''ll do my best too. Hopefully, it will be enough."


    "I sure hope so. Otherwise, I''ll have no choice but to sell your organs to afford a custom VR capsule." Josh shrugged.


    "As if! I''ll start smoking and doing hard drugs right about now. This way, my organs will be 100% unsalvageable!"


    "That sounds like a bigmitment. Anyway, time to queue up. How do we do that?" Josh was looking around.


    "Ready up!" As Dale said that, a big-ass green checkmark ?? appeared above his head.


    "Ready up!" Josh copied him.


    "You gotta shout louder, I think."


    "READY UP!" Joshplied, then saw his colleague''s teasing smile.


    "Nice, but seriously you just need to raise your hand in the air slightly."


    "¡­.."


    That''s when they were teleported on top of a circr tform. At the edge, there was a deep abyss that would for sure cause one''s demise. The radius was about 50 meters, plenty to fight.


    "Now we just wait for the enemies to show up, I guess," Dalemented.


    There were many spectator seats in the distance. There were shouts of excitement and even fans hoisting signs in the air and waving them agitatedly.


    The best one had to be an old dad-looking guy holding a sign that said: "Go <Your Daughter Calls Me Daddy Too>!" There was a young woman next to him that looked like his daughter too.


    "What''s up with the spectator stands? Can''t people just spectate from anywhere?" This was a virtual event. Surely the camera would be more flexible.


    "Oh, don''t misunderstand. They are all bots. All that cheering is fake. It''s just to add to the ambiance. Ah, but I did hear that real spectators will be able to send real-time voice messages."


    "That sounds like it will get out of hand real fast. Then again, we aren''t helping either." Josh chuckled as he gestured at both of them.


    "No, no. We are entertaining people. They should give us a medal for sure. Should I start an online petition to add an ''audience''s choice'' category? I''m sure we would win." Dale proposed.


    "HUB, HUB on the wall, who''s the coolest of them all. I don''t know about you, but our team is wild, yo!"


    "You. Did. Not. Wild wow. I''m posting this online." Dale began seemingly typing on a fake copy of his UW.


    "So we still have ess to the Net even here? Won''t there be any issues?


    "I guess not. Hey, there are even bets going on. Who knew!"


    "Oh, nice! Where is it? I''ll bet 100k on us." Josh instantly became interested.


    "Wow! Rx, I meant small private bets, not public ones. 100k credits? Do you want to drown them in credits?"


    "No, but I wouldn''t mind if it happened to me."


    That''s when a sh of light brought another team to the other side of the arena. The two new contestants looked mean and kept ring at them both. Well, their bodies were entirely red, and they looked like devils.


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. It seems they weren''t the only ones that had fun with the avatar customization. Their team name was <Your Worst Nightmare>.


    But as Josh saw them, he couldn''t help but be surprised. They were either genius actors orplete beginners. Their n was extremely obvious. Their gaze changed slightly whenever it reached Josh.


    He was going to be their first target. Why? Probably because they could see his nonchnce and they had confused it with ack of vignce.


    No matter how fast or strong they were, it was wasted if they couldn''t hide their intent. Josh would easily be able to use their own strength against them. They wouldn''t even count as a warm-up. Ah, plus everyone''s power was capped here.


    "Our worst nightmare, is it? I''ll take the guy on the left and you take the guy on the right. What do you think?" Dale showed a great fighting spirit.


    "They seem weak. You take care of them both." Josh hadn''t bothered lowering his volume.


    The opponents could hear him looking down on them. They were now clearly incensed. It''s at that moment that they decided they really would crush this dumb Zebra-looking guy no matter what.


    "Both? That''s a bit¡­." Dale showed hesitation.


    "If you can''t even do that, I may as well fight 1 v 2 from now on." Josh gave him an ultimatum.


    "Alright, alright. But don''t be too surprised if I lose." Dale sighed.


    [Wee everyone to this phenomenal-looking match! Are you ready for an amazing show?!]


    *Fake hype of the fake crowd*


    *Fake cheers*


    -Hunterz77: "Show that cocky Zebra who''s boss! Finish him!"


    "It seems you are already popr, Josh." Dale chuckled. Their first real message was a hater.


    [3¡­2¡­1¡­.Start!]


    The enemies sent malevolent gazes at Josh as they charged toward him. But soon, Dale stood in their way to intercept them. He showed clear nervousness, but he remained firm nheless.


    As the first one came close to him, Dale sent a strike to test the waters. He would then adapt to the man''s next move and¡­.


    [Contestant eliminated!]


    "Why didn''t he block or dodge?!" Dale looked in utter shock at the enemy disappearing in a sh of light. Then, he stared at the weapon in his hand.


    "You killed my partner! Take this!" The other guy roared in a fury before shing madly at him.


    Dale couldn''t help but be taken back. Once more, he showed extreme confusion. That much was a given. There was such a sh between these guys'' confidence and actual skills.


    A few well-ced counterster, Dale was plunging his weapon into the opponent''s head making him disappear too.


    "Wow. That was surprising. How weak!" Dale eximed before looking at Josh, pondering how he had known.


    Josh felt that Dale''s skills were actually pretty good. Honestly, he hadn''t expected such an improvement. It had been way faster than him back then. How strong was the monk then?


    [An incredible victory for team <Your Daughter Calls Me Daddy Too>. Amazing!]


    * Fake cheers*


    * Few real cheers*


    - BallsDeep69: "Nice Victory. I came up with a theme song for your team ??*Sound ying*??: Oh, oh, oh, Fuck Yeah, Daddy. Keep Going, Daddy. Oh fuck. Destroy my little p¡ª"


    It had abruptly stopped. Guess this user had just been banned. Would he be able toe back with a VPN or something? Who knew. That is when another guy took it upon himself to celebrate his fellowrade''s sacrifice.


    - TheMusicGuy: "Here is a hymn to a fallen soldier¡­Thrash metal and bass-boosted version." ??*Questionable PG13 music began ying*??


    "Pffft, this is crazy. This is our life now. See? We are representing the people. We are giving them hope! We are¡­" Dale was getting heated.


    "Yes, yes, whatever. So do we just keep fighting or?"


    "We have the option to take a break, but it''s really not needed, right?"


    "Yep, let''s just queue the next fight. If it''s buffoons again, you take care of them."


    Before long appeared another team. What the Hell was this? Their team name was: <Your Worstest Nightmare>... They, too, tried looking dangerous. They tried because they failed horribly.


    "Wow, just wow. This is getting out of hand." Josh simply sprawled on the ground, lookingfortable. Of course, that provoked various reactions.


    "Are you admitting defeat already? Hahahaha!" The enemies guffawed without realizing what this really meant...


    Creator''s Thought


    Funny enough, this whole Zebra and Daddy thing would grow way bigger than any of us could have imagined. Sometimes, something done on aplete whim will be analyzed and overanalyzed by others. Then, after a few iterations, it slowly transforms and gets an entirely new meaning, one that would impact the world so much in this case. Oh, the chaos!

 Chapter 123: Insane Zebra! Oh My God!

    <h4>Chapter 123: Insane Zebra! Oh My God!</h4>


    "Are you admitting defeat already? Hahahaha!" The enemies guffawed without realizing what this really meant.


    - DavidBeckahmIsMyNigga: "Wow! The mad disrespect! This Zebra is crazy!"


    - Cheering-squad *-^_^/* : "Poor Tiger. Ganbatte, Tiger!"


    It''s only when Dale alone stepped forward to face them that the opponents understood what was really going on. As soon as the match started, they sandwiched the lone man.


    But not long after, their faces were showing clear shock. No matter what they did, it felt as if the man could predict their every move. At one point, they even hit each other, trying to outmaneuver him.


    They disappeared in a very sad fashion, not havingnded a single hit. Well, they could only me their bad luck for meeting a true monster. All this time, Josh had only been watching peacefully.


    "Did you see that?" Dale came swaggering back, as proud as a peacock.


    "Yep, youmitted lots of mistakes. Your bodynguage says where you will attack, still. Be sure to practice hard."


    Dale sucked in a cold breath. He had been extremely confident just a second ago. Was Josh trying to keep his pride in check? No, he seemed serious, oh god! Was he that unskilled?!


    He felt like a young kid being reprimanded by his dad. That sure was a peculiar feeling for a grown man to have. Oh well, it couldn''t be helped. One couldn''t understand Josh Malum withmon sense anyway.


    [Congrattion on this hard-earned victory! How awesome!]


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    - BruhMoment: "Bruh. Only one of them fought. Hard-earned?! They were going easy."


    "Well, let''s keep going, I guess. We have about ten fights to finish before we can get a ranking. After that, there will be the final section." Dale exined.


    "I''m fine with that. Alright,unch another ''challenging'' battle whenever. I''m ready." Joshzily answered.


    "Ready, my ass! You''re just sitting there! Ah, whatever." Dale sighed.


    Let''s just say the fights that followed were both extremely boring and extremely entertaining. There were more and more spectators that were getting more and more hyped.


    They kept watching in rapt interest, wondering when the Zebra would finally have to make a move. There were all kinds of theories about him.


    - Master__Detective: "I bet he''s the young master of a noble family. Tiger is obviously his handsome and tall butler."


    - MaidsAreBestWaifus: "Get out of here with your fantasies! Tiger is obviously a tall and gorgeous maid."


    - MartialArtist2: "What if Zebra is Tiger''s master, and this is all but basic training? That would exin why he''s not participating."


    - SimpForZebra: "Zebra is aloof and wondrous. Have you seen how perfect his stripes are? Have you seen how he remains calm no matter the situation?"


    - OnyxRecruiter: "Team Your Daughter Calls Me Daddy Too: Onyx is recruiting! If you want to join a cool guild that¡ª"


    - MorningWood: "Talk about shameless! Team Your Daughter Calls Me Daddy Too: Morning Wood is recruiting! There are cute girls in our midst that would like nothing more than to¡ª"


    [~Any Recruitment is henceforth bannable! + There could be IRL repercussions!~]


    Then from time to time, there would be the ssic BallsDeep69 showing up and getting banned. Every time, it was a different ount somehow: BallsDeep69+, [emailprotected]</a>, BallsDeep69$, etc.


    After the obvious porn, TheMusicGuy would appear with his weird music. (Not bannable)


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle at all this circus. Thispetition was getting extremely lively in its own way. Meanwhile, Dale kept fighting. Eventually, their current opponents fell too.


    "This is kinda crazy, all you''ve done is sit there, and yet you have fans. How?!" Dale couldn''t help butment.


    "Ah, it''s the stripes: the ssic look of white and ck mixed in perfection. Itbines light and darkness in one exquisite¡ª" Josh began to bullshit yfully.


    "No, seriously?!" Dale insisted.


    "It''s because you are showing your cards upfront. I, on the other hand, add mystery to it. It''s more fun to talk about what is hidden rather than the obvious." Josh enlightened him.


    "I guess it''s like people discussing conspiracy theories. Such a waste of time."


    "You think? I'' don''t agree with that. See, I too believe in some conspiracy theories." Josh admitted.


    "You do?!" Dale raised his voice in surprise.


    "Yep, I believe in that one that says sses are optional and just a shortcut to power." Josh winked at him.


    Dale could be seen pondering. It had already been proven that Josh was able to Climb solo. This alone was a crazy achievement. But he was right. Anyone else would have considered it madness.


    That is when appeared the new enemies. This time there was something different about them. One of them red at Josh with clear hostility. This was a first.


    "You''re that damn Zebra, aren''t you?! Trash that only knows how to hide behind another, do you dare to fight me!" The enemy shouted.


    That''s at that point that the spectators became crazy with excitement. Someone was finally challenging Zebra directly!


    There had been opponents that had heard of them, but they had made sure only to attack the Tiger. If they couldn''t even defeat the guard, there was no point even attacking the other with unconfirmed strength.


    This guy had a different approach. Just looking at his taunting smile, Josh could figure out his thoughts. He was convinced that he had remained on the side because he was weak.


    What would beating Josh bring them? That much was easy to guess. They were going for fame. They seemed to be showing their real appearance too.


    Fame was mostly pointless, but it also had very tangible benefits. For instance, they would be able to get a contract with a nice guild easily. If anything, they could be a mascot.


    Dale was looking inquisitively at him while the dumbass was running his mouth. Seeing Josh hesitate, he just added: "They may not give you your victory prize if you don''t fight at all¡­."


    Josh sprung to his feet instantly. Was Dale just trying to incense him? Perhaps, but he wasn''t necessarily wrong either. Maybe they would give him better customer service if he impressed them, another concrete benefit of fame.


    As Josh rose, the crowd erupted in thundering cheers, all real this time. On the other side, the opponent advanced with a sadistic grin and coldness in his eyes.


    "I am Frodo Bagging! Let us fight! I''ll fuck you up so much, you leeching piece of shit!", Howled the disturbingly tall, muscr, and angry man.


    If Josh didn''t have that much reason to hate the man before, he now had. This name on an angry muscle builder dude?! What a travesty!


    "You should change your name. It doesn''t fit you." Josh calmly stated.


    "How dare you! I''ll show you!" He growled before charging at him.


    That is how the fight started amidst the crowd''s acmations. Many were calling for an ass-kicking. It was just the target that changed.


    The man was fast and knew how to move to enhance his strength further perfectly. This was a man that had plenty ofbat experience. Frodo was a name that meant wise with experience. Well, this man had some of thetter at least, but probably just against monsters.


    "Why. Can''t. I. Hit. You! You''re cheating!" The man grunted after every strike that kept missing Josh.


    "Idiot." Josh didn''t even bother exining. In fact, he couldn''t help but wonder about how magical it was that killing intent could be felt in such a virtual world.


    That''s when Josh closed his eyes. Meanwhile, the opponent kept hacking and hacking at him. The man''s face was slowly bing gloomier.


    "What the fuck is this?! How are you doing this?!" The man shouted with desperation in his voice.


    - PenguinLover: "Am I dreaming? From now on I will worship Zebras. What kind of crazy skill is this?!"


    - FactChecker: "This is all obviously fake. C''mon. They somehow rehearsed this beforehand. I mean, just look at it! A human cannot be that OP!"


    - GreatListener: "Nope. I''m a psychologist and I can assure you this is not fake. Their appearances are changed, but I can still read their emotions. Their enemies are seriously despairing right now. Even his teammate is shocked."


    - MovieLover: "I don''t care if it''s fake or not. I just want to know if this Zebra is a godlike warrior or if they are all godlike actors. I''m good with both! I want to see Zebra in a movie!"


    - BallsDeep6969: "Show them your might Zebra! Ah, also: Oh, oh, oh, Fuck Yeah, Daddy¡ª"


    How was thatst guy alwaysing back? He probably was some kind of hacker with clearly too much time on his hands. What kind of efforts had he spent on this silly prank? Then there was the weird music that followed.


    That''s when Josh finally opened his eyes. He looked at the man that showed no hint of being apologetic for his earlier taunts. In fact, he was even trying to kill him, seemingly having forgotten that this was just a VR match.


    "You should call yourself fodder instead, you know." Josh inly stated. Was this overkill? The man would probably have to live with this nickname from now on. But, so what?


    "I''ll kill you! I''ll murder you! I''ll¡ª" The man never got to finish his sentence.


    Josh lightly tripped him. It looked like the most casual attack ever. In fact, it was the first time he was going on the offensive.


    At first, people beganughing, but then they abruptly stopped. The man had fallen, but not just in any random manner. The man had fallen in a way worthy of a <Finality Destination> Movie.


    His own sword had somehow hit the floor at just the right angle. Then his heart had been impaled by it. That is how he disappeared in a sh of light, defeated by his own weapon.


    The entire area became silent. The AI cheers had long been disabled to let the real spectatorsment. All of them were glued in front of their screen, looking at this ''impossible'' development.


    What kind of madness was this?! He had made a single attack and caused a guy at least level 10 to kill himself in one single movement. Some feared the insane luck that had been required for this. Others were terrified that it wasn''t luck.


    What kind of perfect control over the flow of battle was required to¡­?! For Josh, it wasn''t anything special. It was normal for a man that didn''t know any feint to go down that easily. He turned to the remaining enemy.


    "Your turn now?" He calmly asked.


    "I-I surrender! This is impossible, impossible¡­." He was shaking even as he left the arena.


    [Congrattion on this great victory!]


    That''s when the crowd erupted in ovations. Many were talking about how insane this all was. Every expert had affirmed that the most fascinating fights would happen in the 25+ category. What BS!


    That''s when Josh began hearing many conversationsparing him to another contestant. This other one was called The Devil''s Apostle. Talk about edgy!


    That guy was not only fighting solo but was also decimating every and all opposition. Their team still had three more fights to go. Josh couldn''t help but grin, thinking about possibly meeting a worthy opponent.


    That''s how he got back to the side of a bbergasted Dale.


    "Hopefully, the next fight will be more entertaining." He casually whispered under his breath.


    Dale almost choked as he heard that. That hadn''t been entertaining?! What kind of absurd prowess would he show next?! Could his heart even take it?...


    Creator''s Thought


    It was quite ironic in a way. The Climbers focused so much on pursuing power itself, that most forgot about learning how to use it. This tournament was a clear example of it. They kept attacking and attacking, but without any sess whatsoever. Well, it wasn''t a wrong choice in itself, they just needed to focus more on the technical aspect for a while. Crazy how much this ''distraction event'' would fundamentally bring changes to society.

 Chapter 124: Dales Poor Heart!

    <h4>Chapter 124: Dale''s Poor Heart!</h4>


    Thest performance had been phenomenal. All around, there were echoes of heated discussions about it. This ''wild'' team was ready for the next round.


    Everyone held their breath, ready to see some more insane fights. That''s when the next opponents appeared amidst a glorious light. These two neers looked powerful and valiant. In fact, just the way they stood implied they were good fighters.


    They instantly noticed Josh by the side. But, instead of cowering, they nodded at him with a bright smile. There was no nervousness or gloominess whatsoever present on their faces.


    They looked so confident! Their backs were straight, and their shoulders squared. They began walking steadily toward the middle of the arena. That is when one of them pointed toward Josh.


    Instantly, the crowd became restless. Who had the guts to do such a thing? Instantly, theymitted the challengers'' appearances to mind.


    - HypeIsReal: "Oh my god. I can''t wait to see this. I''m so d I''m here watching this, right now.!"


    - HellYeahBrother: "I pity the fools that are gone to the bathroom or to get more popcorn. This is gonna be EPIC! I''m not missing this!"


    The tension was palpable. Dale could be seen shifting his weight to prepare to go on the offensive. Yet, Josh remained unmoving and calm.


    That is when the guy pointing dered in a powerful voice: "Zebra! You''re fucking awesome, and we''re goddamn surrendering!"


    That is when they disappeared, as confidently as they came. Behind, they left a dazed crowd. That was it? Where was the earth-shattering fight? Where was the sh of the titans? Not there.


    That''s when one spectator summarized it well, with the eloquence of a true poet.


    - BruhMoment: "Bruh!"


    Yes, that was it. But, for a very short instant, this was the only word that could perfectly describe how they all felt.


    Part of them was extremely disappointed, but part of them couldn''t help but admire the surrendering team. They had at least the judgment necessary to recognize that they were outssed.


    Dale couldn''t help but sigh. "I guess no one will dare challenge us now. You scared them all with that earlier disy. Because it finished so fast, we''ll have to wait a bit too."


    "Oh, I see. Wake me up when you''re done dealing with them then." Josh simplyy on the floor once more, closing his eyes.


    But he could still hear the shouts of the crowd.


    Some were trying to figure out what martial art had been disyed earlier. Martial art? What was that? Josh didn''t know.


    Some were wondering if the earlier performance had tired him. Why? He had only been dodging an imbecile''s attacks. He had seen worse.


    Some were trying to pierce the secret behind Josh''s identity. They were searching for a level 20+ in the S-Rank guilds. He wasn''t even an official Draconic member.


    Some were arguing over who would be top and bottom between the Zebra and the Tiger. How ridiculous! Zebra was always on top¡­wait¡­no, abort!


    It''s at that moment that he decided to shut his earring, not be bothered anymore. Slowly he fell into a peaceful and rxed slumber. Meanwhile, the others were definitely going crazy.


    - NotAStalker: "Did this man just start sleeping in the middle of a tournament while waiting for the next opponent?"


    - LetMeLickYourBerries: "The shocking fact is that I''m pretty sure he can just sleep, and they''ll still win. Remember how Tiger went 1 V 2 before? This is amazing!"


    Dale remained there shaking his head. What was he supposed to do if a strong opponent showed up? Well, obviously wake Josh up¡­but would he dare?!


    Somehow, he couldn''t help but find himself stumped by this question. That''s when the new opponents finally arrived.


    They nced at the arena and instantly began sobbing softly. This would be the end of their tournament path. But then they noticed Josh.


    "Wait¡­Is he sleeping?!" A tinge of optimism could be sensed in their voices. Their eyes glowed with the light of hope.


    "Yes. Yes, he is. How about we agree not to fight in that general area?" Dale gestured toward the sleeping man.


    "Yes! Oh, yeah! We agree! HAHAHA, The Zebra won''t fight us! We are so lucky!" They started cheering happily.


    "Do you guys think I''m not enough to take care of you?" Dale growled at them.


    "Ah, no. But against you, even if we lose, we will go out proudly as warriors! We really want to avoid the same fate as¡­."


    Dale then understood. This was truly rtable. Was there greater shame than to die from getting tripped? Probably, but it still was pretty bad, especially live.


    That is how three men politely greeted each other before they began violently shing. To cope with the two, Dale was ying it safe and slowly getting used to their movements.


    Soon, they were driven to a corner. That''s when he exploited a misstep from one to kill the other. After that, it became easy. Even in defeat, they were satisfied and smiling, for they had kept their dignity.


    That is when came cheers once more.


    - Ggrefyeh: "Tiger, you''re amazing! You beat them up all by yourself!"


    - SellingBathWater: "Zebra, I''ll give you some bathwater for free if you want! Heck, you can even join me inside, and I''ll wash your big ck stripes all over."


    - CuteLilia: "Zebra, you''re the best! Sweet dreams, my prince! May you forever have peace and serenity?"


    - BottomOfBikini: "Zebra, you''re cool AF! You F-ing rock! How very daring of him!"


    - BallsDeep69v69: "Here is a luby for you, Zebra! Oh, oh, oh,¡ª"


    Of course, thest guy got instantly banned and the music guy showed up afterward.


    Right now Dale was almost about to lose his mind. Why the Hell were they all fawning over Josh?! It wasn''t that he was jealous, but¡ª okay, that was a big fucking lie!


    How was it that he paled inparison to a man that was not doing a single thing? He lookedpletely dead on the floor! Sure, he had shown amazing skills in the previous fights. But¡­but!


    Dale spent the next minutes pondering about life while sighing. What did he truly want in life? Why was thisck of recognition getting to him?


    He wasn''t sure, but it would soon be all over as thest challengers were there. They saw Josh, were extremely understanding, and instantly moved to the side of the arena.


    It seems like words were now unnecessary. They would let the beast slumber as they would fight to the death. Fight, they did. Except that, they were pretty bad at it. Instantly, Dale got the upper hand.


    They outnumbered him, and yet they were the ones on the defensive. It looked quite ridiculous, but no one made fun of them. At least they were proudly showing their moves.


    This fight was so easy that Dale barely could even pay attention to what the crowd was saying.


    - GoldfishForever(1month): "Go Tiger! Show them! Go, Tiger! Maul them to death and scoop their entrails out before slowly devouring them alive as they watch and¡ª"


    - StrategistForFun: "That''s weird. These guyspletely demolished theirst opponents. Why are they so weak suddenly? Oh no!¡­"


    Wait, what?! As soon as Dale heard that, he began taking some distance. That''s when they struck! Suddenly, their sluggish attacks became lightning fast.


    But Dale had somehow managed to defend himself urgently. That''s how both of them missed, and he couldn''t help but grin. But, the smile soon left his face. He had never been their target.


    They rushed past him and headed straight for the sleeping Josh! Oh god, no! He was going to be so mad!


    Dale ran after them, but it was already toote. Their stats were capped. There was no way he could physically possibly catch up. He silently did a prayer, wondering if he should hide to escape Josh''s wrath.


    They finally reached him, went straight for the vitals of the sleeping man, and¡­tripped, impaling themselves on their own weapons. It''s in great regret that they disappeared. But before they did, they heard Josh berating them.


    "You miscreants! No one, and I really mean no one, bullies this kid on my watch. Take your stinky asses away, and don''te back. Next time I see you, I''ll suspend you on a pole by your scrotum and let you rot until you beg for the sweet embrace of death. But, it will nevere for¡ª"


    No one heard the rest as Josh just went back to sleep. What the actual fuck?! Had he been seeping-walking? What had he seen in that dream of his? So many unanswered questions.


    - Noice: "Did you guys see how fast these dumbasses charged to their death? Wow, impressive! But seriously, whatever that was: Zebra Powaaaa!"


    - JustAStick: "I''m not sure which is worse. Him killing people in his sleep or the way he did it¡­Yeah, the second."


    Dale just stood there, bbergasted once more. Somehow, his heart had survived the blow, but hismon sense had not.


    Was this real life, or was this fantasy? The enemies had been ''easye, easy go.'' Now, they were both dead.


    Right, this was VR. Still, what was up with this situation? Dale would just have to carry on and carry on, for nothing really mattered.


    He suddenly became serene as he gentlyughed from the bottom of his heart. He''d just stop overthinking everything.


    Dale turned toward the audience and began bowing. He did it wlessly, akin to a professional actor that had just delivered the goddamn best performance of his career.


    That is when everyone rose up, or so he pictured as the ovations were heard. So what if most were meant for Josh? It didn''t matter one bit.


    But that''s when everyone heard a loud exmation.


    - TheProphet: "Oh my god, guys! Look at the current petition online! It''s all from current tournament participants for Metropolis-C! This is insane!"


    What was it now?


    Creator''s Thought


    I only learnedter that there were assholes that tried disrupting my sleep. Talk about rude, am I right? Somehow it''s the one point that impressed so many of them. In fact, it''s really the same as everything else: a matter of experience. I remember when I first trained that. Let''s just say I had lots of help, both from small and big creatures.

 Chapter 125: The Empresss Knight

    <h4>Chapter 125: The Empress''s Knight</h4>


    - TheProphet: "Oh my god, guys! Look at the current petition online! It''s all from current tournament participants for Metropolis-C! This is insane!"


    Dale touched his simted UW with trembling fingers. He soon found what they were talking about. Who had even started such a thing?


    On the front page of the event''s forum, one could read:


    - Petition to take Student, The Devil''s Apostle, Zebra & Tiger, and One sh Samurai out of thepetition.


    The whole post was describing the situation in detail. These five contestants were destroying everything. They were akin to bulldozers destroying sandcastles made by kids. It was that bad.


    The oue was a given whenever they were included in a fight. It was apletely one-sided massacre. There were even small clips to prove this point:


    The ''student'' was showing the poise of a Ranker at an unranked level. It was pretty painful to watch the Newbies get crushed instantly.


    The Devil guy kept shouting at his opponents that they wouldn''t even be able to clear Floor 1 with their lousy skills. As he kept repeating that, he was slowly cutting them into pieces.


    For Josh and Dale, there was a scene of Dale fighting 1 V 2 then of Josh killing people in his sleep. Somehow, they were the only one in a team on that list.


    Finally, that Samurai guy ended all his fights with one sh. It was extremely impressive considering he was facing two enemies at the same time. He would carefully set it all up before delivering a deadly finishing (and first) blow.


    By participating, they made the wholepetition look like a joke and were probably creating lots of PTSD cases. The whole tournament became a matter of luck. Encountering them meant game over, no matter the skill level.


    The solution proposed was simple: to let these five secure the first ce without any further fighting. Then, people in the top 4 would be able to challenge them afterward, but they would have to put their own ranking on the line to do so.


    Dale chuckled as he realized how ridiculous this post was. There was no way the powerful contestants would just make way for them. How crazy. But that''s when came a BEEP and a message.


    [Please check this link. Do you agree with this special proposal?]


    A screen had just appeared with a voting panel. They were voting for that above suggestion?! Where they serious?! Then a few minutester, the results came out.


    [New rankings updated!]


    Many contestants sighed in relief, and many spectators gasped in astonishment. It had been voted yes at 99% and adopted. This somehow meant that <Your Daughter Calls Me Daddy Too> was currently #1 in its league (regional).


    This all felt so unreal. Dale couldn''t help but nce at Josh that was still sound asleep. What kind of madness was this?


    - CuteMascot: "Oh my god! Guys! Did Zebra just sleep his way to victory?!"


    There was a short moment of silence as people realized how true that was. Then appeared the poet himself.


    - BruhMoment: "Bruh!"


    - GossipLover: "''I''m starting a thread about it, right now!"


    - GGez: "Congrattion to you guys! Tiger for holding the fort and Zebra for clinching victory with that intimidation tactic! OP!!"


    Dale soon saw the new thread they were talking about. It was titled: Just Zebra things. It went like this. People had toplete this sentence: Zebra once ¡­.. while sleeping. Amazing, isn''t it!


    Some of the answers were:


    - Won a tournament.


    - Cleared a Floor in the Tower.


    - Escaped a maximum-security prison


    - Cuddled with monsters


    - Made love to a beautiful woman


    - Taught Rankers


    Of course, all of these were so exaggerated! It was already a miracle that the first one was true. For all the others, it was obviously pushing it.


    That''s when Dale approached Josh, gently shaking him. As his eyes fluttered open, he came back to his senses, stretching calmly.


    "Ah, that felt nice! So, are the preliminaries over? When do we have toe back for the finals?" Josh innocently inquired.


    Dale had almost expected him to know magically. Of course, that expectation didn''t make sense. How was he supposed to break the news to him?


    "What''s up?" Josh could see Dale''s hesitation.


    "Well, we kinda won."


    "Yes, that''s not too surprising, is it?" Josh raised an eyebrow.


    "Well, we won the wholepetition, not just the preliminaries." Dale gave a wry smile.


    "Wait, what?! How long was I asleep?!" For a second, worry appeared on Josh''s face as he checked his lifespan. But then he rxed.


    "Here, look at this." Dale simply showed him the threads about it. Josh''s face became more and more peculiar as he kept reading.


    "So, what happens now?"


    "I''m guessing we wait?"


    Turns out Dale was right for a few minutester appeared:


    [Congrattion to our victors! Tu-du! Are you ready to proceed to the Champions'' room?]


    "What''s that even supposed to be?"


    "I think it''s some sort of after-fight interview lounge?" Dale suggested.


    "If we can get our rewards, then let''s go right now! Go on, beam me up!" Josh shouted at the sky.


    [Get ready for teleportation ¡­3 ¡­2¡­1¡­]


    The scene in front of Josh changed drastically. The arena was instantly reced by some very vibrant red, there was red everywhere!


    He found himself on a regal-looking red carpet in what looked to be a luxurious dressing room. There were many mannequins wearing tuxedos. On each was written: <Touch me>.


    One tap would instantly change his outfit to mimic it. Josh just picked a ssic ck one randomly. Still, he looked pretty crazy as he looked like a living barcode.


    Then there were essories. It went from modest nes to heavy-looking gold chains. There was no way Josh would even bother with all of this. He just skipped it all, well, at first.


    He couldn''t help but stop when he noticed a scepter. It was a mix of an essory and a walking cane, really. It was the kind that looked extremely ridiculous and over the top, the kind that kids loved: a golden snake with ruby eyes.


    He slowly approached it. Then went to pick it up. His hands were shaking as he did so. Yes, a man that had the nerve to sleep during a fight was shaking while picking up a flimsy tiny scepter.


    He held it in his hands, a shadow of a smile appearing on his face. One truth about humans is that their brain works by association. It was all about associating feelings, to memories, to objects and ces. This specific scepter packed a lot of feels.


    He could see it vividly, himing back from work. The little one stood in front of the old TV, a cheap snake-looking scepter in her hands.


    "What''s with the scepter, and where did you even find that?" Josh inquired.


    "It was a gift. I was telling old Shane about our school''s red carpet event." She proudly showcased it while grinning. "With this, I''ll look like a perfect empress!"


    "Pfft, isn''t a red carpet supposed to be for actors and actresses?" Josh remarked.


    "That''s where you''re wrong, Josh! Think about it! An empress would be the perfect actress. It takes serious acting skills not to act bored in meetings with advisors and foreign powers!" She looked proud of her analysis.


    "I like how you just brought foreign powers into a red carpet discussion right off the bat. What is this, a spy movie?"


    "Regretfully, I wouldn''t be a good spy." She shrugged.


    "Why not? You sure know how to improvise."


    "Won''t it be hard to act low-key with all eyes instantly turning toward me whenever I enter a room? After all, such is the curse of a gorgeous empress." She faked sighing.


    "Oh! I see. What will you be wearing then? I''m sure your sister can find you something. She''s surprisingly reliable on these things."


    "I know, right! How is it that she can''t even cook rice but can create such miracles! It has to be magic!" Her tone showed her amazement.


    "Yep, for sure."


    "But in all seriousness, a simple dress will be perfect. The scepter will showcase my dignity, my demeanor will show my elegance, and the simple clothes my modesty. This will make themoners love me." She nodded with satisfaction.


    "Spoken like a true empress." Definitely not like a kid, however. Seriously, where did she find these monologues? Probably her sister, actually. She loved to roley too.


    "Of course!" She showed a smug expression.


    "What should I wear then?" Josh yed along.


    "Oh, you''re working that day. Plus, parents aren''t invited."


    Parents, eh? This felt bittersweet. She still had a living dad, if that could be called living. What was Josh to her exactly? An older brother-like figure? A parental figure? He didn''t even know himself.


    She kept happily chippering.


    "But! The day I truly make it to a real red carpet event, I will request your presence." She had a glimmer in her eyes just picturing it.


    "Oh?"


    "Yes, and I will expect nothing but the utmost stylishness from you!" She showed a serious expression.


    "What does that even imply?"


    "First of all, a white suit because that much is expected of a white knight!" She had her arms raised up in excitement.


    "Have I just been promoted to a knight?" Josh yfully asked.


    "Of course, that will depend on your future performance. Then some jewelry. A gold chain ne with huge gems to show the world that I pay my people well."


    "Are we talking silent protector or hired bodyguard here?" Josh kept ying along.


    "Both? Then you will have to wear sneakers. This is for the mobility in case wee under enemy fire." She furrowed her brows, earnestly instructing.


    "Are we still at a red carpet event? Why would there be shooting?" Josh faked a panicked expression.


    "Of course! You never know when kidnappers will jump at us. They are the fodder that appears in any good story." She exined conscientiously.


    "Any?"


    "Indeed! But let''s skip the irrelevant details. Finally, we''ll bring a Siberian tiger with us." She smiled as she added that detail.


    "I''m pretty sure they won''t let us in then." He was shaking his head slightly.


    "Nonsense, no one refuses an empress." How long had she waited to use that line?


    "So, what''s the tiger even for?" Josh curiously asked.


    "What else but to skip the small talk. It totally works. That''s the same tactic my sister uses when she brings you ces."


    "Are you saying I''m a tiger?!" He appeared shocked.


    "And that''s apliment!" She confidently nodded while giving him a thumbs up.


    "Ah, alright, whatever. I will remember it, miss empress of ¡­."


    "Empress of the World!" She said with her tiny arms akimbo on her hips.


    "Empress of the world it is¡­." Heughingly replied.


    Yes, he had remembered it, somehow. Empress of the world, was it? Turns out there were many such worlds. Josh slowly backtracked in the dressing room.


    He found a white suit. He picked the one that seemed the most refined.


    He found a ne with a huge jewel on it. It was a blood-red ruby, just the perfect color.


    He wore mboyant red sneakers, perfect for speed and matching with the rest.


    Then, he yed with the scepter giving a small smile. Life could be strange at times, truly strange. If anyone had told him back then that he''d find himself crying as he dressed up¡­


    He wiped the rain on his cheeks and slowly headed to what was the obvious exit,posing himself.


    After all, he was representing an empress. He had to showcase dignity, elegance, and modesty after all¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    This may sound stupid to some. Why would a grown man y dress up like that? The thing is, I don''t give a fuck. No, seriously. What we each value is different. Try seeing the world through my eyes and perhaps you''d understand. I would have given anything for another normal day with them anytime. Power? Wealth? Fame? Rubbish. Utter rubbish. All of it.

 Chapter 126: Dimensional Legion!

    <h4>Chapter 126: Dimensional Legion!</h4>


    A lone man entered the well-lit room. There were soft-looking red sofas, a low table, a few nts, and a bright blue background with shiny letters on top: <Celebrity-Teatime>.


    Where was the tea? There didn''t seem to be any. But many individuals were sitting. There were the two hosts from the cinematic and also all of the noteworthy contestants. Josh could guess a few things.


    Student was probably the man with sses that weirdly obscured his facepletely. The guy looked like he came straight out of a censored Japanese AV.


    The Devil''s Apostle looked rtively ordinary. He had probably chosen a random appearance and just rolled with it without changing anything.


    The Samurai had a topknot and a long white robe. He looked like a character from a cartoon, the kind that would fight a shapeshifter master of darkness.


    As soon as they saw Josh, they all turned toward him. They showed various expressions, mostly of surprise. Student and the woman were especially staring. That is when the host stood up in excitement.


    Man: "Hey, brother! We match!" He pointed at his red necktie that was sticking out of his ssic ck suit.


    Woman: "Ah, that is what took you so long! It''s very unique... Do you want me to give you some fashion advice so you can look your best? This will all be broadcasted, after all. You don''t want to look like a kid chose your outfit, right?"


    Josh: "No need. I''m good." A kid really had picked it, but he wouldn''t trade it for anything.


    "Anyway, brother Zebra! I''ve kept you a seat right here!" The woman patted her thighs as she winked yfully. She had a cute voice that didn''t fit her forward gesture.


    "Sorry, but I''ll sit with my striped friend," Josh answered in kind as he headed toward Dale that was sitting alone on a big couch.


    As he walked toward the tiger, he couldn''t help but slowly enjoy the feel of his soles digging into the soft red carpet.


    "Oh no! I''ve been rejected. Let me drown my sadness in tea. Shall we get started?" She pped. This was the cue for tons of cute maids and elegant butlers to appear carrying teapots and cups.


    "Wee everyone to this special edition of Celebrity-Teatime. Today we are surprisingly filming from the VR tournament itself! Have you guys heard the news? Something crazy happened. Here is how it all went down¡­!"


    Josh just zoned out. In fact, all did. Most were busy observing the others. Student was checking out the room, and the host guy was busy making gang signs behind the woman''s back. Ah, never mind, that was a rabbit.


    She finally turned back toward them, her introduction done. All had their beverage, and she was ready for the interrogation.


    Woman: "First of all, congrattions. This is an amazing achievement. Regional champions are so great! This means that all of you will receive a custom VR capsule. I''m jealous! What do you guys think about the tournament having a second part organized eventually?"


    Student: "I think this will soon be an organizational nightmare and I''m curious how it will all end." He grinned as he said that with the woman shivering.


    The Devil''s Apostle: "I think that they need to let uspete in other leagues. Back there, there wasn''t any challenge. It was pathetic." He sounded harsh, but also honest.


    The Samurai: "It can be entertaining, but it doesn''t beat Climbing. Maybe I''ll participate, maybe not." Talk about reminding people about reality.


    Dale: "We already obtained what we came here to get. We''re satisfied."


    Woman: "Haha, do you mean the fame? Indeed¡ª"


    Dale: "No, the VR capsules."


    Woman: "¡­., What about you, Zebra?"


    Josh: "I''d rmend it for sure. I''d rate thispetition 9/10¡­."


    The woman showed relief. Finally, there was a positive and normal answer. The others wanted to either quit,in about thepetition or watch it fail.


    Josh: "¡­It''s almost as good as my old science teacher to facilitate sleep." Josh wholeheartedly praised.


    She gave a stiff smile while her colleague was forcing himself not tough. How had the excitingpetition be something so boring in their eyes? She thenposed herself and kept going.


    Woman: "If we were to organize apetition with skills involved, which sses would you want to see participate? How do you think it should be organized?"


    Student: "All sses, the more the merrier. Just make them all duel. This will be entertaining. There is bound to be lots of friction over the rules." Once more it was another disturbing proposition.


    Woman: "What about you guys? What would you suggest?"


    The Devil''s Apostle: "Exactly what he said. Duels work." All of them could be seen nodding along.


    Woman: "What about support sses like the healers?"


    The Samurai: "What about them?"


    Woman: "Won''t it be impossible for them to fight other people?!"


    Josh: "Why would it be impossible? Healers can fight too¡­"


    Woman: "Name one healer that¡ª"


    Dale: "You mean like Ronan from Draconic? He really wouldn''t agree."


    She gasped as she couldn''t help but admit that he wasn''t wrong. She wanted to say that this crazy man was an exception, but then she saw the others nodding in agreement. What was wrong with all of them?!


    She took a deep breath and figured she''d try her luck at getting to know more about them. They had been rtively honest so far.


    Woman: "If you guys had to choose a favorite weapon, ss, and guild, what would it all be?"


    Man: "Oh! I know, I would go for the fist. The ss would be super massage guy! As for the guild, it would obviously be Eclipse." He was grinning from ear to ear as he said it.


    Woman: "Viin, you finally reveal your true colors! How long have you been eying the girls of Eclipse?!"


    Man: "Not long, only since their guild creation. Anyway, what about you guys?"


    Student: "Weapon: Knowledge. ss: Anything rted to studying. Guild: Ouroboros for sure." How was one supposed to use knowledge as a weapon concretely?! This was a true student!


    Would Josh simply go along with this poor attempt at information gathering? He''d have some fun instead. He began talking while pointing at Dale.


    Josh: "Weapon: Tiger. ss: Empress'' Divine Knight. Guild: Dimensional Legion." He chuckled inwardly, thinking of how many would search these terms now.


    That''s when the others answered in quick session too.


    Dale: "Weapon: Anything. ss: Divine Knight. Guild: Dimensional Legion." He bullshitted with a straight face without any issue.


    The Devil''s Apostle: "Weapon: Anything. ss: Heaven''s Chosen. Guild: Dimensional Legion." He joined the bandwagon gleefully.


    The Samurai: "Weapon: Katana. ss: Divine Samurai. Guild: Dimensional Legion." He was fine with anything as long as he could remain a samurai.


    The woman couldn''t believe her ears. Four out of five of these powerful experts were talking about a certain ''Dimensional Legion''. What was that?! How had she never heard of it?"


    No matter what, she had to get to the bottom of it. She had to have this storye out on HER show! Notter for sure!


    Woman: "If I may ask, what exactly is ''Dimensional Legion''?"


    Josh: "You may not." He answered with a yful smile.


    She couldn''t believe how much she was getting shut down. She even nced at her boobs to make sure they were still there. Yep.


    If Zebra didn''t talk, she would have to rely on someone else. She pitifully nced at the others, expecting that one of them would be kind enough to throw her a bone. But, she was confronted with silence.


    They kept looking at Zebra as if awaiting hismands. What if she changed the subject? "Then, what is it like to possess a divine ss?" She made sure to sound as innocent as possible.


    But they kept looking at their obvious leader. Except, she didn''t know that this was all a joke, and they just didn''t know where Josh was going with it.


    Man: "Wait, help a brother out, guys. You are alling out at once, naming the same dream guild. This is like a next-level conspiracy theory thing. I''m pretty sure there is no guild that goes by that name. Does that mean it''s a hidden guild?! This is so damn cool!"


    Meanwhile, Student was bbergasted at the side too. Who knew these weirdos were all together. Well, that was pretty much the reaction of the entire Metropolis-C.


    But seriously who were they?!


    Creator''s Thought


    Did I just create a faction on a whim? Yes,pletely. I was convinced it would soon be forgotten and revealed as fake. Turns out I underestimated how much people could be gullible. It soon became way more than just a small prank. I still remember the first time that....

 Chapter 127: New Training Regiment! (Totally Normal)

    <h4>Chapter 127: New Training Regiment! (Totally Normal)</h4>


    On the arena stood four incrediblebatants. On each side were two rankers from Immortal and Devouring Panda, respectively. The crowd was going ballistic as these two guilds rarely exhibited their might.


    After all, both were often in the Tower either in search of information or cooking ingredients. Finally, the people would see them in action today. Sure, this tournament didn''t include any skills, but it was better than nothing.


    The four of them gave wry smiles as they heard the cheers of the crowd. They prepared themselves to do the goddamn best show they could. This fight had low-key been nned by the organizers to be the highlight of this tournament.


    They had both joined the queue at the exact same time and had ''luckily'' encountered each other. Every region would have a few of these coincidental match-ups appearing early to keep things interesting.


    Then again, it seemed like contestants themselves were getting in the way of entertainment. They had almost all voted to make a few strong people progress straight to the finals. Of course, these Rankers had voted no, but the vote had till passed.


    It seemed like the guys that votes yes really didn''t want to be defeated by randoms. They didn''t mind the rankers at all. It was probably a matter of pride. They were fine with losing to renowned fighters instead. It was ridiculous.


    Anyway, the fight began, and the Rankers showed their amazing capabilities. The Immortal members were using katanas while the guys from Devouring Panda wielded kitchen knives. Before long, the collision started.


    At first, they made sure to sh theatrically a few times to sell the fight, but then they simply got into the mood. They were all of a simr level and had plenty of experience in the Tower.


    They were soon trading blows after blows. A magnificent and elegant dance of death appeared as they shed repeatedly. A single misstep would mean demise. In the background, they could hear the gasps and exmations of the crowd.


    All eyes were on their performance and¡­.


    - RandomDude1234: "Wow, this Dimensional Legion sounds awesome as fuck! How do I join?!"


    - AverageNetizen: "I know, right?! Can you believe all the sses they are naming! Why do I feel like that''s their current sses?!"


    - BirchPlease: "Of course it''s their current sses! These guys are clearly from a hidden S+Rank guild. I just wonder if there are others simr to Dimensional Legion out there."


    - SpeaksTruth: "This is such a waste. Why did these guys have to vote them out of thepetition?! I agree they all deserve the top 1, but let us see some more of their fights. So what if it''s one-sided!"


    - NoWorryMan: "No worry, man. Just watch their rey as I''m doing right now. You have to watch that Zebra guy. He''s low-key the leader of that group. He''s probably a promising rookie in their guild."


    On the arena stood four amazing but incredibly dumbfoundedbatants. The crowd was going ballistic, but it seemed like no one was actually watching their fight.


    They even stopped fighting, and no one noticed. At that very moment, they had only one thought. Who the Hell was this Dimensional Legion?! They had stolen their spotlight!


    Meanwhile, other fights were suffering from the same problem. Suddenly the audience stopped paying attention. They were all surfing the watching reys, yes, even those that had seen the original fights.


    The previously tense atmosphere was nowhere to be seen. What was the point of contestants giving their all now?! Some began to regret signing that dumb petition.


    As for the guy that had started it, he was currently checking out how much it would cost to change his face and name legally while crying. He had made a mistake, to use his real appearance¡­


    ****


    Back in Draconic, Josh woke up in time to see Dale doing a victory dance.


    "You seem happy."


    "Of course! I''m not sure if you''ve forgotten, but only recently I was a guildless nobody. Now, I''m a guildless hidden bigshot! The incredible Tiger from Dimensional Legion!" He was even posing heroically.


    "Oh? So what are you going to do? Wait until I create it for real?"


    "What?! You will?!" He showed expectation.


    "Of course, I n on buying a small farm and call it <Dimensional Legion>!"


    "I''m not sure if that''s really funny or in evil. Part of me really wants to see how long you can fake being a hidden expert, kinda like that appraiser guy." Dale added.


    "Should we bet on whether I can aplish it?" Josh yfully offered.


    "Hell no! I know perfectly you have more than 100k credits. I''m sure you can buy one epic-looking farm with that."


    "Well, just the farm may not be enough."


    "Please! You have that simple but crazy training regiment that even impressed the members of Draconic. If you verify your ount as Zebra and use that fame, you''re set!"


    "Actually, these funds are already gone." Josh shrugged.


    "How did you blow it up so quickly?!"


    "Mortgage."


    "Alright, give me a second¡­now, tell me what you bought." Dale sat on the ground, apparently afraid to fall in shock.


    "D-23."


    "ARG. My heart! Quick I need CPR from a cute girl!" Dale threw himself on the ground faking cardiac arrest with his tongue out. It looked incredibly silly.


    That''s when the monk came nearby. Liam followed him.


    "Oh? Don''t worry, everyone. This humble monk can aplish funeral rites." He was grinning.


    "No need! I''m good!" Dale quickly got up, faking fright.


    "Guys, I have a suggestion. We will get the custom capsules soon with ess to <Climbers'' World>. Why don''t we start a guild in-game? You can be the guild leader Josh, or should I say stripes master?" Liam chuckled.


    "Good idea, but what the Hell is up with the Samurai nickname in the tournament! What happened to the low-key?!" Dale pointed out.


    "A samurai never lets go of his pride for¡­." Liam began.


    All of them were happily reveling in the sense of victory and the atmosphere. They had all enjoyed teasing that tea-time girl with fake info without really saying anything concrete.


    "All of you. Just remember that this tournament doesn''t mean anything. We all have plenty to learn. All of you need to train your fighting sense a lot more. Well, I too have many things to work on too." Josh reminded them.


    "Like what?! You''ve been crushing the Tower! I''ve heard about all the hellish difficulties you''re clearing solo!" Dale interjected.


    "Well, for instance, I still don''t have a single skill." Josh gave a self-deprecating smile.


    That''s when they all sucked in a cold breath. They often forgot that Josh was ssless. More like they knew but had forgotten all the disadvantages it brought. Initially, a few of them had been worried for him, but¡­


    They couldn''t help but painfully grimace as they imagine themselves climbing without any fire spells for Dale and without any mana-improved attacks for Liam.


    The monk on the side was pensive. At first nce, his own ss seemed even worse than being ssless, but Josh was also a fallen. What was impressive wasn''t that he had kept Climbing but that he had done so solo even while he had easier options.


    While training, they had often wondered why Josh was threading such a hard path. The way he looked now showed a tiny hint of what he had to face. Yet, he was always so confident. It had never felt like arrogance or naivety either.


    "Remember that you guys have been training fighting without skills while the others probably just winged it. The smart ones will notice their shorings and improve. If you aren''t ready for hard work, you''ll be left in the dust." Josh dered solemnly.


    They all nodded seriously. Still, that didn''t wipe the huge smile off their faces.


    "Alright, I''ll go back to training!" The monk seemed to be heading back to a VR capsule.


    "Honestly, you should be strong enough to clear floor two now, right?" Josh asked.


    "Yes, but the problem is my luck. It will take me an eternity to clear the collection mission." He sighed.


    "Then take an eternity and use this time to train too. Here are some credits. Go buy a hundred fasting pills and try it." Josh ordered.


    By the side, the two others couldn''t believe their ears. Was he really sending him to the Tower for more than three months?! Who the Hell would ept such ¡­


    "Alright! Thank you so much, Boss! As for the training, what should I focus on?" The monk asked with sparkles in his eyes.


    "This. Try attacking me. I''ll show you." Josh nonchntly closed his eyes.


    The monk trusted himpletely and swung his fist, but Josh easily evaded it. In no way did he seem blind at all.


    "Ah, I see! I need to use the sound and the flow of air to figure out the dangers!" He said as if enlightened.


    "Nope. You shouldn''t even need that. Whenever a creature decides to attack, there is killing intent generated. Sense that instead. Do you understand?" Josh patiently guided.


    "Yes, Boss!" He thumped his chest in assurance. He would work hard until he figured it out.


    On the side, Liam was whispering to Dale something about how Josh was clearly a real-life cultivator. The other couldn''t help but nod in agreement.


    "Say, Josh. How do you think I should improve?" Dale asked expectantly. Would there be another mystical-sounding training suggestion?


    "You can use fire, right? Skills are apparently super strong. Try to incorporate some into your usual routine. But, your goal should be efficiency above all else. Well, that''s just a wild guess on my part." Josh admitted.


    "It makes sense. That''s what I''ll be working on too. The hard part is using skills without slowing down at all." Liam was nodding in agreement.


    "Alright, good luck all. See you guyster." Josh turned around, waving them goodbye.


    "Let me guess. You''ll be Climbing?" Dale stated the obvious.


    "Of course¡­" Josh murmured.


    He left to prepare a few things. He was giving advice, yet he wasn''t sure if he''d even be able to clear the next Floor. Quite ironic. It was and of death, after all.


    He wasn''t exactly going in blind this time around. He had discussed it plenty with the analyst guy. In theory, it was possible to clear it. In practice, however...


    Creator''s Thought


    Did I just send the monk to train for 100 days on Floor 2? Yep. Regret? None. Lucky for him he wasn''t a Fallen. Otherwise, that would have been a death sentence. I can''t help but chuckle whenever I picture the Monk of Cmity just killing weak beetles for ages with that serious training gaze of his.

 Chapter 128: Knock-Knock! Whos There? GRRR!

    <h4>Chapter 128: Knock-Knock! Who''s There? GRRR!</h4>


    Ever felt like life wasn''t exactly what you expected it to be? Sometimes you''re just doing a job and wondering how you got to this point. Well, this was how Josh felt at this instant:


    [Mission: Steal the Golden Femur.]


    What kind of crazy guy would steal a femur? Actually, what kind of nut-job would have a golden femur in the first ce? But that wasn''t the worst.


    [New Tower Policy: Rewards diminished if Floor has been cleared on any other lower difficulty beforehand.]


    That really sucked. The only saving grace was the information avable online about the normal and hard difficulties. It wasn''t actually that surprising. The Tower had done it for the duels already. Josh hesitated for a few seconds before resolutely selecting Hellish.


    [Hellish difficulty selected. Have fun!]


    That''s when the surroundings changed. It all became even gloomier. It onlycked Boss music for the perfect ''Get ready to die'' ambiance.


    Everything seemed to suddenly take a purplish poisonous-looking hue. The barren earth began to crack. Evil-looking but tiny centipedes crawled out of the ground. They had tons of legs, sharp mandibles and seemed extremely venomous.


    The wind began blowing, but it was cold and unnatural. That''s when Josh realized why. It didn''t make his clothes flutter at all. It was as if an illusion or perhaps a promise of death.


    He began wandering aimlessly. He could hear the insects scurrying around, but that was all. From time to time, one would sneakily approach him and go for a bite.


    How regretful would it be to perish from a centipede''s attack? It would be extremely easy to miss one sneakily approaching in an intense fight. That would prove especially true for support sses that usuallycked mobility.


    Soon enough, Josh found a weird dark rectangr human-sized structure sticking out of the earth. As he approached, he could see a small inscription on it: <Here we lie, not because we are sleepy, but because we are bored.>.


    This thing was the entrance of a crypt, one that was the first step required to progress in this realm.


    "Navi, what do you suggest here?"


    <Split up and coordinate to clear the three crypt''s sections at once.>


    That was the official clear strategy. It was a test of teamwork. One needed to wipe out three specific monsters at the same time for it to work. Otherwise, Hell would be unleashed.


    Was it Game Over if one failed this phase? Not necessarily; it just made the uing Boss-Fight close to impossible. Oh, and that was just on Hard. One could only imagine how insane it would be on Hellish.


    On this Floor, there was a saying: You sessfully clear the crypt part, or you''ll need one yourself. That was because the Boss-Fight was the only way out, for it possessed the golden femur.


    Josh took a deep breath to calm his madly beating heart. Even he realized how crazy this n was. The analyst had evene up with a new saying after hearing it:


    "There is a fine line between a genius and madman, but both will agree that Josh Malum is utterly insane."


    It was time for some fun.


    "Knock-Knock!" Josh heavily hit the crypt''s entrance.


    A deep sound reverberated. It traveled underground, being amplified many times over, sounding like the deep roar of a gargantuan beast. A few seconds of silence ensued, but then it started.


    "That''s where someone would say: who''s there?" Josh remarked.


    He could hear the sound a rain droplet would make upon crashing on a window. Except, there was a motherfucking storm iing. It did sound like one too, but it was the distant sound of footsteps.


    It became louder and louder as Josh waited. There were a few centipedes that tried biting him, but he crushed them without even looking. That''s when came the sound of an explosion.


    *BAM*


    The crypt door got flung away, shattering in pieces that flew everywhere. Josh tilted his head slightly, dodging debris and avoiding death calmly.


    "Now, this would be the end of the Knock-Knock joke."


    Out of the dark tunnel, the creatures were exiting! The neers were tons of blemished ghouls. They formed a steady and smelly white stream.


    <Withering Ghoul Lv 20>


    These undeads were simr to zombies but way deadlier. Where a Zombie was rtively slow and rotting, these creatures'' corpses were fully intact.


    They were tall, skinny, had long limbs and small glowing ck eyes. But behind their skinny frame resided incredible power.


    They had long purplish-dark sharp ws. A hit would likely tear through the flesh as if paper. A scratch would likely poison one to death too. They had a maw filled with devilishly pointy teeth. They would devour anything with ease.


    They kept screeching as they charged at him. They were quick, deadly, and hungry. Oh, and also seemingly endless. For every one that Josh killed, a dozen exited the crypt. Just this sight alone was despair-inducing.


    It got worse. Having a single crypt wake up meant that sneak attacking any other would be impossible. Well, not that Josh had nned to in the first ce. It was because of these guys:


    <Withering Ghoul Chieftain Lv 20>


    There were three per crypt, and they had already sent a warning signal across the entire realm. This meant that the ghouls in the other crypts would be slumbering no more.


    Right, there was onest characteristic that wasn''t well-known about these ghouls. They loved gold. Why? No one really knew. But, they didn''t care about the mortal gold. It had to be a golden item from the Tower itself. Bunch of vain bastards.


    "I''ll be counting on you, Navi."


    It''s at that very moment that the poor Fairy became live bait. It began flying to the best of its abilities, a golden watch hanging onto it. Who knew that a cosmetic item from the Alter Tower would see some use again.


    The ghouls were watching it with keen interest. That didn''t mean that they stopped attacking. Far from it even. But, it did reduce the fervor of the onught against Josh. The ones that were farther would just stare at the flying Fairy.


    Thus began a long fight. Josh had to evade attacks from tons of ghoulsing from all directions. He was especially wary of the poison. It was a very perverse one that he wasn''t confident in taking head-on. He''d have to test it first.


    The whole scene reminded Josh of ¡­Never mind, these were white. He was doing something that many would have felt was suicidal. He engaged in what looked like an endurance fight with undeads, slowly chipping away at their numbers.


    About 300 ghouls and a dayter, Josh could finally put his weapon down. He also had to put his foot down to squash some centipedes that relentlessly tried to bite him.


    He approached a dead ghoul, getting himself scratched right before it could disappear. That''s when came the pain, unbelievable pain. Well, that was actually tolerable. But, the numbness that came along wasn''t. It would have slowed him down.


    "Great work Navi. You totally deserve a promotion. Is there anything you want?"


    But it remained silent. Funny how Josh was low-key jealous of Dario''s pet. He had gotten himself a lizardman that was at least responsive. Meanwhile, Josh had azy AF rat.


    "Ah, whatever, let''s keep going, I guess¡­."


    Josh kept walking until he encountered another crypt. Except that this time all the undead were gathered around the entrance in a huge circle. They seemed perplexed as to why they weren''t sleeping.


    As soon as they noticed Josh, they began screeching while raising their arms in the air. Then they saw Navi with the flying golden watch, and many became distracted. That left a few small squads charging at him.


    This time the fight was shorter. Josh had gotten used to their attack patterns. Swipe and bite were their default moves. The tricky part was guessing their movements.


    After they were all dead (for real), Josh headed to the next target, repeating the same. Defeating a group took time, but at least he could rtively easily aplish it alone.


    As the third group fell, the ground began rumbling. It was as if the Floor itself was announcing what was toe. The Boss had spawned. The world was suddenly filled with a golden light that slowly gathered toward one point.


    That is when the symbol of a golden femur appeared in the sky on the horizon. Josh red at it for a second before he began walking toward it. Well, he had onest thing to do¡­


    This golden light acted as a beacon. It was akin to an exodus. All the ghouls in the entire realm were leaving their crypts and following that mark.


    Soon, thousands of ghouls could be seen migrating in packs. From the sky, it would have looked like a huge patch of white in movement.


    If one looked extremely carefully, a single ck dot could be seen. Countless ghouls surrounded one lone man.


    Josh could sense everything around him. He could see the countless ghouls dragging their feet forward. He could smell the scent of death. He could hear the asional screeches and the many grunts. He could sense how easily they would all overwhelm him.


    How was he so calm? Well, there was one peculiar thing about the current him. He smelled like death too. His whole body was wrapped in Zombie skin. That''s how he was journeying alongside thousands of enemies.


    Still, this did not mean he was invincible. Should he show any hostility, he would die. The ghouls were dumb but not that dumb. How marvelous it would have been otherwise. It would have been like activating god mode.


    How many would have thought of such a strategy? Many, but there was a difference between theory and practice. It was hard to exin, but Josh could feel the auraing out of them. It was extremely vile.


    This aura didn''t bode well with the human instinct. Josh could feel in him the strong urge to either run away or attack them in a mad rampage. It wasn''t logical, and he could control himself, but it was not easy.


    That''s how Josh slowly advanced all the way until he saw a scene that would have scared shitless any human being.


    In the distance, there was a sea of ghouls. It had been one thing with rats, but it was another with these creatures. However, there was something even worse. All of the monsters were assembled in a vast circle.


    Josh knew what awaited him in the middle. It was right underneath the golden femur projection. Now would be the decisive moment.


    The uing fight would determine if Josh''s n was genius or madness...


    Creator''s Thought


    This is something everyone should experience at least once. There is nothing like being surrounded by a legion of flesh-eating undead to remember how precious life is. Make sure you try it on the early floors becauseter it''s way harder to do so without dying. Mostly because they get smarter...

 Chapter 129: Weak Human Versus Powerful Ghoul

    <h4>Chapter 129: Weak Human Versus Powerful Ghoul</h4>


    The entire area was fully packed with ghouls. To proceed, Josh had to push his way forward. Every time he touched one, he had to refrain from wincing in disgust.


    He could feel his palm sink slightly into their wrinkled skin, and the smell was atrocious. The sheer proximity of all these creatures somehow made their auras even stronger. It felt like it became liquid anguish, and he was almost drowning in it.


    Josh could feel his hands tremble as he kept getting the urge to kill them all. But, he kept lightly pushing them aside as if afraid to hurt them. Well, he kinda was.


    As he finally exited the pack, he was weed by a golden light that slowly drifted toward the middle of the circle. It then entered the Boss that was standing there, eyes closed.


    <Withered Devouring Ghoul King Lv 26??>


    The Boss was a 3 meters tall ghoul. It had long and sharp ws that one could have mistaken as weapons. Its right leg was softly glowing gold. This probably was the mission''s objective.


    As he approached, he could see it start sniffing the air. It was salivating while it did so. It then slowly turned its head toward Josh while it slowly stretched, its bones creaking.


    That''s when the world seemed toe to a halt. The Boss stopped moving, and so did the thousand ghouls in the surrounding. The wind halted, and the centipedes stayed in ce. It was freakish!


    [Lone yer Detected in the Dueling Ring. Would you like to Challenge the Ghoul King?]


    "What does that even imply?" but the system didn''t bother to answer.


    Josh hesitated only for a moment. IF he was right about his n, chances were it would work with a slightly higher difficulty too.


    "Activate the challenge!"


    As soon as Josh epted, the world returned to its normal state. That is when the Ghoul King slowly opened its eyes. In these, there was something frightening: a tinge of intelligence.


    <Awakened Withered Devouring Ghoul King Lv 30??>


    It had gained four levels just like that?! No, the worst was the new affix. Awakened? It really was. The creature could be seen giving a wide ugly smile. Then it gestured at Josh to bring it on.


    He carefully approached it. That''s when it suddenly darted toward him. It was fast! But not fast enough. Well, it was more that its intent was too obvious. Josh sidestepped it, dodging the sharp ws.


    The creatureposed itself and sprung back toward him. There was no downtime at all. It was simply an endless onught of shes. Josh waited a while until he had the opportunity to counter-attack.


    He swung his scimitar (morphing weapon) at the creature as hard as he could. CLANG! He had expected the creature''s skin to be thick, but he couldn''t help but be startled by how hard it was.


    Feeling itself taking very slight damage, the monster turned even more serious. That is when it began using feints! It would seemingly attack right but swipe left or pretend to swipe and bite instead.


    A monster showing technique was a Climber''s nightmare. A straight dash could be noticed from miles away, but not a subtle change in the trajectory of an attack.


    As monsters were generally stronger than Climbers, one would need to either dodge or block. Feints were feared because it was arduous to get the timing right. A mistake meant death.


    At that moment, Josh''s face was a mask of fear. It seemed obvious that he was extremely nervous and about to have a nervous breakdown at any moment. The ghoul wasughing to itself.


    But, he was seemingly very lucky. Yes, he would awkwardly dodge every attack. After every exchange, he would sigh aloud in relief for having survived another sh. This luck of his also made it so he keptnding hits after hits.


    Of course, the ghoul didn''t care about all that. After all, it just needed a single hit to win the fight entirely. Thus slowly kept going a fight in which the human was slowly losing steam.


    But, little by little, the damage did umte. Eventually, the skin began rupturing, and the flesh of the creature began to show. Josh''s face lit up because of this, clearly happy about having a chance at survival.


    But that''s when the Ghoul King grinned before growling loudly. GRRR! Instantly, a dozen ghouls broke away from the surrounding circle heading inside. Their eyes werecking the glow they usually had.


    They seemed almost hypnotized as they were sleep-walking closer. The nearest of these approached the Boss. That''s when it came maw forward to devour it. This was what made this Boss extremely troublesome.


    This ability was called Devouring by the Climbers. By devouring its own subordinates, the Boss could heal all the damage it had taken in an instant. This was also why sneakily clearing the crypts beforehand was vital.


    With no ghoul out, the Boss wouldn''t have a single subordinate to sacrifice. But it was already toote. Anyone would have agreed that all Josh could do now was to kill the dozen of them before it was toote.


    Was Josh able to do that alone? No. Hecked the attack power to do so. Was it time to despair yet? Close, but not yet. He kept following the Ghoul King as closely as possible as if he wanted to be its shadow.


    Then it opened its maw wide, ready to chomp and regenerate. The creature exuded exaltation. It couldn''t wait to witness the face of the human once he saw it healpletely. Then it would slowly toy with him until it became boring.


    *CHOMP*


    *CLANG*


    But, something went wrong. As it bit hard, it could feel its teethe into contact with something foreign and very sturdy. Josh had waited for the perfect timing to make his move.


    That''s how the Boss was now munching on an anvil while Josh was busy running around killing the regr ghouls. Funny how these were considered useless in the Tower itself but were incredibly resistant.


    Normally obtaining a simr result would be extremely challenging. Monsters wouldn''t just go along with it. One would need to be at close range and activate the item literally in front of the creature''s maw.


    This was close to impossible in normal circumstances, but this Boss was an exception. Even then, it would need a melee fighter with impable battle sense. Plus, a single mistake and the target would recover all its health. It just wasn''t viable for most.


    That''s how Josh managed to pass the first devouring phase. The creature somehow got rid of the anvil, then resumed some more ''lucky'' dodges and shes. At times the creature seemed to suspect that something was wrong, but it forgot about it when it finally managed to draw blood.


    Josh''s bright red blood just reinvigorated its spirit. It kept attacking over and over. The more feints it did, and the more Josh would subtly cut himself to make it believe it was achieving something.


    Of course, he avoided the ws since there was poison on them. He couldn''t afford any numbness right now. As for the creature''s attack patterns, he knew them by heart at that point.


    Eventually, even the flesh became wounded thanks to Josh''s relentless assault. That''s when the Boss growled again. This time there were two dozens of ghouls. It took Josh longer, but he did manage. Well, he had to use three anvils this time around, and he only had a few left.


    The fight once again resumed. Now, the Boss was seriously considering changing its strategy. But then it saw the human''s face. He was clearly at the end of his rope. He was panting, dragging his feet, and his strikescked power.


    The Ghoul King was about to win, so it just kept going. In fact, it kept fighting long enough until its very bones became chipped and its condition precarious. Without waiting any longer, it did the strongest Growl it could.


    This time around, there were three dozens of ghouls. Josh seriously felt like this was torture. He had to run all over the ce and put anvils in the Boss''s mouth while dodging plenty of attacks.


    Anyone else would have probably given up already, but not Josh. He kept cing and recing anvils until hepletely ran out. That''s when he really started to be nervous.


    The fight resumed once more. Josh gave up the charade and just went all out. He didn''t even bother to try and make the Boss believe that its attacks were working.


    The next time the Boss tried devouring would be Josh''s demise.


    He hacked at it, and he hacked again, and he hacked some more. But, it was still barely hanging on to its un-life. Josh couldn''t believe how resistant that bastard was.


    That''s when it seemed to change its stance entirely and dashed toward the ghoul sea outside.


    He needed to stop it! Now! Driven by instinct, Josh made his godly rat appear before throwing it right in the way of the Boss, trying to trip him.


    That''s when he realized he had fucked up. The Boss picked up the rat and tried munching it. But, nothing happened. I was almost as expected of that weird pet.


    With the Boss busy, Josh used all his power to deliver blow after blow until it finally stopped moving and toppled over. That''s when all the ghouls began running away in fright.


    There was something weird. The Godly rat was perfectly intact. No bite mark whatsoever. Josh couldn''t help but sigh in relief.


    This fight had been pretty tumultuous. First, Josh had freaked out with the level increase. Then he had cheered when the Boss had tried using feints before spending the rest of the fight acting meek. Then there was that finish.


    He couldn''t help but smile to himself. That is when he got a system prompt that not only startled him but made him delighted.


    [Congrattion on First Clear! Gluttony Bloodline Detected. Optional Reward Avable!]


    That sounded nice!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    A feint seen through is just wasted movement. That''s why raw power and speed transcend all techniques at times. I won, but honestly, I got really lucky on that Floor. I also honestly screwed up. I shouldn''t have thrown the rat. It turned out well but...

 Chapter 130: LOOOOTTTT! (And Ghoul I guess...)

    <h4>Chapter 130: LOOOOTTTT! (And Ghoul I guess...)</h4>


    [Congrattion on First Clear! Gluttony Bloodline Detected. Optional Reward Avable!]


    "Optional, how so?"


    [Please Select one Reward!]


    This was probably for having killed the Awakened version of the Boss. The Tower rewarded the hardworking for sure!


    [ ss Item Box | Floor 16 Item Box++ | (+) Bloodline Pearl of Gluttony ]


    Talk about a hard choice...or not!


    ss item box would be apletely random reward once more. Josh could picture himself getting another godly rat. If he repeated that a few times, he could look like the Pied Piper soon enough. Talk about ridiculous.


    Floor 16 item box seemed like a decent option. But would the ++ afterward mean an increased loot quantity or quality? In any case, he would probably outlevel it fast anyway.


    Naturally, he picked the Pearl option. In a sh of red light, it appeared in his hands. It was small andpletely blood-red. Without even waiting, Josh instantly used it.


    That''s when he felt a warm current enter his stomach. Then, it slowly propagated across his entire body in waves. The fatigue that he felt and the few cuts he had all slowly disappeared. Ah, this was the Boss''s ability! Holy cow!


    "Hahahaha, this is amazing!"


    Take the feeling of being freed from all worries. Combine it with the most rxing activity you can imagine. That''s how he felt. It felt as good as resting under the covers on a cold, peaceful winter morning.


    Josh simply stood there, enjoying that sensation. It''s only a whileter that he came back to his senses. He now had a new addition to his Status.


    #SKILLS# (34)


    -D Weapon Mastery


    -E Great Gnoll Bloodline: Piercing Eyes


    -U (E) Gluttony Bloodline: Endless Stomach, Devouring


    His bloodline had ranked up, but most importantly, it now had a straightforward use. He would regenerate as long as he had energy. This was a great survival ability for sure!


    There was also the great-looking golden femur that dropped. Josh grabbed it, backtracked to get his zombie skin, wore hisfortable gray suit, and grabbed a few ghoul ws. Then, he happily teleported out.


    The Tower za was surprisingly full. There were people waiting around the premises, careful not to block the way but there to stay.


    "Is there an event of some sort?" Josh asked a random Climber that seemed to be waiting for his party.


    "Oh, them? They are all hunting for a unicorn. Ah, actually, maybe unicorns are real now¡­." He said while shrugging.


    "What are they here for exactly?"


    "They are hunting for ''Dimensional Legion.''"


    "?!?" Josh couldn''t help but wonder what had led them here. They didn''t seem to recognize him in any case.


    "You know about the VR tournament? Well, the victors were almost all from a hidden guild. The MTA tried to contact them, but it seems they failed for some reason." He began his exnation.


    That reason would most likely be because it was fake in the first ce. Josh thought to himself.


    "Now, everyone and their mother are hunting for their members. They are searching for anyone leaving the Tower with awesome and unknown-looking gear. There is a rumor going around that Hellish dropspletely different gear."


    "Seriously?!" Josh faked extreme surprise.


    "I know, it''s hard to believe, but it seems to be the truth too."


    "So why are they looking for these Dimensio¡­." Josh made it sound like he had already forgotten the name.


    "Dimensional Legion. Well, for some, it''s to join a strong guild. Others are just after the information bounty. It goes up to 50 000 credits for their leader, Zebra. Crazy, am I right?!" He seemed impressed.


    "Seems like a waste of time to me." Josh honestly answered.


    "Yes and no. It may open the door to opportunities. Have you ever watched Zebra fight?"


    "Nope." He had mostly slept. What was there to watch?


    "Then that''s why. Ah, my party members are here. Gotta go, take care!" He waved him goodbye too.


    Josh couldn''t help but internally chuckle as he passed next to all these people, none the wiser. Good thing he had Equipment Holders to carry his stuff around. Otherwise, he would have been busted easily.


    He sold the ws and grabbed a bite¡­okay, many bites before returning to his room. That''s where he observed the Godly Rat intensely. It was still lifeless, but it was alsopletely intact.


    There was no sign at all of any injury, and even its fur was totally fine. How crazy was that?! It may have been for only a few seconds, but it had taken the brunt of the Boss''s devouring ability head-on.


    Was it time for a durability test? How would one usually do this? Sadly, Josh didn''t have ess to a Hydraulic press. He would have to forego Earth tradition and improvise.


    Still, he changed his morphing weapon into a hammer and carefully started hitting the rat. Very gently at first, but he progressively increased the power until he was using all his strength. Even then, the pet was intact!


    This was probably the godly effect at work. It was both extremely impressive and also rtively useless at the same time.


    It could be used as a shield, but it would be tiring, and it wouldn''t block the actual power behind the attacks.


    It could be used to throw in the mouth of a monster, but the effect would be limited. Any monster that was big or had other means of attack wouldn''t care.


    Technically even the Ghoul King barely relied on its bite attack. For once, Josh rejoiced about possessing this pet. How strong would it be if he managed to give it a consciousness?


    That''s how he went back to the Tower, skipping in joy. Many looked at him weirdly, but so what. Entering Floor 16 once more, he kept going with the intention to farm the heck out of it.


    He disrupted the peace of the ghouls, eradicated the poption of three crypts, participated in the exodus, and finally arrived in front of the Boss once more.


    There it stood: ws as ck as ebony, lips as red as ros¡ªblood, skin as white as snow. It was sleeping, awaiting a prince charming to awaken it with a kiss¡ª a scimitar in the head.


    "Ghoul King, I havee to challenge you. Awaken for me!"


    Apparently, dering it theatrically in advance worked too. Thus began an epic battle between the undead creature and the deadly Josh. They were madly exchanging blows.


    Soon enough came the first devouring phase. Ever heard the French expression to have a cat in one''s throat? Well, right now, there was a rat in that Boss''s mouth.


    No matter how it kept trying to get rid of it, the rat was nicely stuck. Its presence singlehandedly disabled that fearsome devouring ability.


    That is how the rest of the fight just progressed without the enemy being able to heal. That made it a simple endurance fight. Josh kept shing until the creature finally fell.


    Then, in a sh, it turned into particles of light, the rat finally being freed. Any creature would have been traumatized by such an experience, but not this lifeless one.


    Atst, Josh Received an Item Box. It looked like it was made of skin and smelled ghoulish enough to assure one of its material. As Josh opened it, two items came out.


    The first one was a ghoul w fragment and the other a ghoul leg. Josh pocketed it all but then realized an issue. The initial part was taking too long. He needed to somehow optimize it.


    Wait, how did it all work again? One needed to exterminate three crypts and then¡­.He felt like trying something.


    Josh runched the Floor. There was a way to win this all by sneaking. What if he just needed to kill the three chieftains to summon the Boss?


    It was a stretch, but perhaps that would work. He knocked on a crypt, killed the chieftains, then ran away, chased by close to 300 ghouls. Good thing they had a simr speed.


    Then, he repeated that two times. The hardest was to locate his targets somehow. Soon enough, a golden mark appeared in the sky. Now, remained only onest step.


    Josh had to somehow run through thousands of ghouls. He smiled as he activated the big Chungus Set ability. That''s when his entire body became bigger. Then, some amazing parkour disy began.


    Josh was jumping from ghoul to ghoul, somehow dodging all their attacks. Well, that was only possible thanks to Navi distracting them. The ones further in front were busy watching the flying golden watch.


    Then when they would realize that Josh was passing through, it would already be toote for them to catch up. Eventually, he reached the vast dueling circle, entering it with the speed of aet.


    He couldn''t help but sigh in relief as he saw that the ghouls truly weren''t following inside. How awesome! Then he turned toward the Boss.


    "You, me, 1 V 1. Winner gets all the lunch money!"


    That is how their epic duel began once again. He tried using a very questionable line and it worked.? That is how Josh kept going over and over. Every time he woulde up with a new ridiculous sentence.


    "May I interest you in a duel, Sire White Ghoul King?"


    "Fight me, u Lil'' bitch. I''ll destroy your white ass. #No homo."


    "Wanna dance?"


    "Bruh, fight me."


    "PVP?"


    "You, me, Potato."


    "Your ce or my ce? Your dueling arena it is¡­."


    "It''s time to d-d-d-d-duellll!"


    "Let''s cook! On today''s menu: Sliced Ghoul King with a side of ass-whooping."


    "Leave a line in chapterments if you want it added ;)"


    After too many repetitions to count, Josh finally obtained a weapon:


    <E+ Ghoul w>


    - Applies ghoulish poison to the target. The higher the target''s vitality, the more effective the poison.


    And also the full <White Ghoul Item Set>:


    <White Ghoul Set Effect (3)>


    Metabolism of the White Ghoul: Reduced chance of food poisoning (passive)


    <White Ghoul Set Effect (5)>


    Whitening of the White Ghoul: White ghoul skin. Cooldown 1 hour.


    <White Ghoul Set Effect (7)>


    Aspect of the White Ghoul: Embrace the ghoul lifestyle and start eating. (Cost/Healing)


    Now, there was only one issue. How was he supposed to get all that loot out of the Tower without getting noticed?


    "Navi, is there any other set in the database that looks simr to this one?"


    <None.>


    Goddammit! Did he really have to leave all of this behind? Right now wasn''t the best time to get famous. After all, it could interfere with his n to learn skills. It was vital!


    He couldn''t help but feel a pinch to his heart looking at how valuable all this seemed. He would need to test it to know for sure about the potency of the effect.


    That''s when Josh suddenly started smiling. He had just thought of something that could potentially work. It was time for an Oscar-worthy performance!...


    Creator''s Thought


    That moment when someone is just telling you about how amazing your own fake persona is. Still, sometimes the people get hyped about the weirdest things. Sure, 50 000 credits were a lot to some but didn''t they realize that collecting it meant making an enemy out of us? As for the others, why would a strong guild want people wasting their time so much?

 Chapter 131: Sneaking In Broad Daylight

    <h4>Chapter 131: Sneaking In Broad Daylight</h4>


    Quiz time! What did people think of the Dimensional Legion?? They would agree it was an OP faction, full of badass Climbers.


    Now, Josh needed to escape the Tower without anyone figuring him out.? It was pretty much as difficult asmitting a crime in broad daylight without anyone noticing. How would he aplish that? Well, his n was simple.


    Since people expected the Dimensional Legion to be powerful and mighty, Josh would appear the opposite. He messed himself up as much as possible.


    He cut himself over and over while letting the blood drip all over him. Then, he voluntarily messed up his hair, stood buck naked, and rubbed some dirt on his skin.


    Very soon, he looked so handsome that a vagrant would have looked like prince charming inparison. Actually, even a zombie would have seemed more dashing.


    Now, all that loot would still get him busted. Luckily he had a lot of zombie skin left. He wrapped it around the items, making a bundle out of it. It wouldn''t stop careful scrutiny, but it would at least appear as normal zombie skin on the outside.


    He was just missing a way to make sure no one would want to touch him or his bag. How was he supposed to aplish that?


    It was time to bring to life the character of a poor Climber. This one''s backstory was that he adventured on Floor 6 along with his four friends. They challenged it bravely with hopes in their hearts and the strength of their bonds to support them.


    Then, they all died except him (obviously). He was left alone, the sole survivor of a team wipe. Would he im that? Nope. He would let others figure it out. They would ''perspicaciously'' guess it with one look at him.


    What would he do? He would cling to that bundle of zombie skin. He would cling to it like it was the most beautiful thing in the world. He would disregard the rotten smell because this bundle was the Credits he would bring to the families of the deceased.


    If anyone came closer, he would shout at them to get away. He would loudly call them robbers. He''d repeat that it was for their families, nothing more. There was bound to be at least one nice guy in the crowd to defend him.


    Most people likely wouldn''t care. Youngsters died all the time in the Tower. It wasn''t anything new, especially with the new difficulties.


    Some would care but would understand his trauma and leave him alone. Perhaps some would follow him in hopes of helping. For that, he would just have to get a friend toe ad pick him up, both physically and emotionally.


    Josh only needed to be wary of any "good guy" that would try to help him forcefully. As long as he acted perfectly, he should be able to keep them at bay. It was now show-time.


    Was this n foolproof? Not really, but what truly was in this world anyway?


    ****


    At the Tower za, many were assembled. They were wasting time, talking to their friends, browsing memes, watching movies, anything really. Many took this event as an excuse to procrastinate. Many were just minding their business when shouts began to echo.


    "Oh my god!"


    "Is that a human?!"


    "Why is there so much blood!?"


    "I want to know what he''s carrying."


    "It seems like a big ball of ¡­zombie skin for some reason?"


    "That means he''sing from Floor 6?"


    "We should check his sack to see if it doesn''t hide loot!"


    "Are you crazy?! People don''t go into Floor 6 alone ande out like that. The guy obviously lost all his friends!"


    "Hey, kid. Are you alright?!"


    But, the bloodied and unrecognizable man kept mumbling like a broken record: "I gotta bring this to their families. They died for these materials. I have to bring this¡ª"


    "Poor, kid. All his friends died. Someone help him and¡ª"


    That''s when he suddenly became aggressive! "GO AWAY! It''s theirs! Leave me alone! I won''t let you rob! I¡ª"


    "It''s fine, kid! It''s fine!"


    People backed off in a hurry. They didn''t want to appear insensitive, not in front of everyone. The poor man kept going forward unsteadily. People unconsciously moved out of his way.


    They could feel his sadness, his despair, but most importantly, his determination. He would rather die than allow anyone to touch the sack that obviously contained Zombie skin. It smelled so bad after all!


    "I feel like we should chip in and start a fundraiser to help¡­."


    "That''s very noble of you, but do you know how many others die daily?"


    Soon, the bloodied man was out of sight as he left the za heading toward the D-district, probably heading home.


    "I still feel we should have stopped him. Who knows if he''ll be fine?"


    "Hopefully, he will. Now, keep your eyes open. We need to make sure we don''t miss anyone leaving the Tower!"


    "Of course, I remember. I hope we see someone from Dimensional Legion. It would be awesome!"


    "I know. I especially want to meet Zebra. He''s the ultimate best!"


    "I can only agree to that. If Zebra were here, I''d suck his dick. I''m not even gay!"


    "Watch yournguage! But, honestly¡­.same!"


    How would they have reacted had they known that the bloodied pitiful being that had just passed was really this Zebra that they idolized?


    ****


    Josh kept walking, slowly dragging his big bundle along.


    Behind, there was a man following him. He was making sure to stay a distance away and made it so the sound of his footsteps would merge in the bustle of the passerby.


    However, Josh perfectly knew where he was. Now, there was something weird about this individual. He didn''t emanate any evil intent. It was as if he was ying guardian angel. But since he was alone, Josh could easily deal with it.


    After turning a corner, Josh raised a manhole cover and slipped in the sewers as fast as possible. Then he headed for his home, making sure to take a detour to get there and not to leave any bloody trace.


    He gave a satisfied sigh once he reached his destination. He quickly essed his UW and sent a message to Dale toe to meet him while bringing lots of food and a shower. But he wasn''t there¡­


    Was it better to ask a member of Draconic? As Josh checked the chat he realized that they too were under surveince from random people. Well, at least they didn''t dare disturb the guild''s operations.


    Now what? That is when he heard a sound at the door.


    *Knock Knock*


    "Hello, have you seen a young man covered in blood?" This was clearly the young individual that had been following him.


    "Why are you looking for him?" Josh tentatively asked in a deep voice.


    "I just want to help. He just lost his friends in the Tower, and he seems to have hit rock bottom. I''m just worried about him." He sounded truthful.


    "How do I know that you are telling the truth?"


    "You''ve seen him?! I swear on my life that I do not have any bad intention."


    Actually, Josh needed an errand boy. He didn''t think that this guy was extremely strong either. His killer robot would most likely be enough to dispatch him in case of trouble.


    He ordered his robot to let the man in and to close the door behind him. As he entered the room, the neer couldn''t help but stare at the weird decor.


    "Hello, I¡­.¡ª It''s you?!" He was shocked.


    *CLANG*


    "Yep, here I got a little something for you."


    Josh pushed toward him the magical contract he had gotten in the Tower. On it, the terms of an agreement were already written.


    There was a non-disclosure use, a use not to voluntarily do anything to harm Josh''s interests, and finally, a use for the guy to be Josh''s subordinate for a day (nothing going against the user''s morals).


    As the man saw the grinning and bloodied Josh, he couldn''t help but show some confusion before suddenly looking stern. He wasn''t sure what was happening, but there was clearly something extremely wrong with the whole situation.


    At first, he was very tense. But he then read the contract and figured that he didn''t have much to lose from it. Plus he was curious as to who Josh was. He signed it under the bloodied man''s watchful gaze.


    The magical contract then disappeared in a puff of smoke that seemed to enter the man''s body. Wow.


    "Who are you exactly?" Curiosity seemed to ovee any fear he had.


    "Before that, I have a task for you. I need you to get me a shower, clothes, food, and ice cream. Can you do that? Perhaps I''ll answer some questions afterward." Josh negotiated.


    Then Josh waited alongside his robot. Honestly, this thing was really well-made. How disastrous would it have been if it couldn''t recognize him because of all the blood? He also made sure that the contract was reliable through quick research.


    The man soon returned, aplishing his task like a champ with Josh promptly cleaning himself, wearing his usual gray suit. As he came out feeling refreshed, the man pointed at him, surprised.


    "It''s you!" He eximed.


    "Do we know each other?" Josh asked, unsure.


    "Yes! We met at the za before! I was telling people about the changes in the Tower, and no one wanted to believe me but you! I''m Jayce, by the way! Ah, but why all this charade?!"


    "Oh, I just wanted to leave the blockade without getting stopped." Josh shrugged¡­


    ¨‘_¨‘ (Jayce''s face: Holy Shit!)


    Creator''s Thought


    One needs to know that people act differently in public than in private. The ones that had slight doubts about me initially wouldn''t have hesitated to use force to verify their theory. But, they wouldn''t risk public outrage for such a small detail. They quickly forgot about me.

 Chapter 132: Meeting Zebra?!

    <h4>Chapter 132: Meeting Zebra?!</h4>


    "Oh, I just wanted to leave the blockade without getting stopped." Josh shrugged.


    "You chose to do it in such a shy way?!"


    "Pretty effective, don''t you think?" Josh smiled.


    "This is so goddamn crazy! Then, you didn''t lose any party members in the Tower?"


    "Nope, I was soloing. It''s easier like that. Plus, it gives better rewards."


    "It does?! It''s the first time I hear that!" He seemed mind-blown.


    "Eh, you gotta be the first one to clear it solo, for that. But since no one really bothers trying¡­."


    "Holy shit, that''s insane! Wait, why would you think you''d be stopped in the first ce? The people out there are looking for Climbers clearing Hellish difficulty. No way that''s Soloable!"


    "About that¡­."


    "No¡­..No!" He slowly realized what Josh implied.


    Josh simply shrugged as the man red at the mass of zombie skin in the corner. Was he trying to develop an X-ray vision from his sheer will?


    "What''s in that bag?!"


    "Just some gear. I felt bad leaving it behind. Alright, time to test it."


    Josh went and grabbed a set of the Ghoul King armor. When the man saw it, he couldn''t help but gulp loudly. He seemed afraid to even blink as he stared at the white leather-looking set.


    Josh wore it before slightly cutting his palm. Under the amazed eyes of his spectator, Josh''s palm began healing at a visible rate. It only took a few seconds.


    Then, he tried it again, but this time while chewing on some burgers Jayce had brought. This time around, the healing was instantaneous.


    Josh couldn''t help but frown before cutting his arms way deeper and trying again. It took a few seconds to heal once more. Satisfied, Josh repeated the same process but this time he activated the set''s ability.


    He could feel his mana being consumed. It was working! Then he tested the healing it provided as he ate. But, somehow, it wasn''t any faster. That''s when he came to a realization. This set was useless!


    Well, for a normal individual, it could be very useful. The food poisoning resistance would be great for everyday life when tasting new dishes made with magical ingredients. Then the healing could be nice too.


    But Josh sadly already possessed all these abilities. On the side, Jayce was watching all of it happen with his mouth opened wide. He wasn''t sure what the self-muttion was about, but he couldn''t help but be impressed by that healing ability!


    "Want to try?" Josh yfully offered.


    "Try what?" He seemed puzzled.


    "Here." Josh threw him a whole set.


    He came to the realization. He understood that he had to wear it. Then as he did, he eximed loudly:


    "This is insane! Item set bonus?! There is such a thing?!" He was looking at the equipment in wonder.


    "Yep, try it."


    Josh observed as the man cut himself slightly before healing when he began eating. Ah, but the regeneration seemed actually a notch slower than in Josh''s case. Conclusion: this set truly was useless to him.


    "This is so damn cool! But I need to know. How?! Hellish is close to impossible with a team already!" He showed extreme curiosity.


    "It''s not that hard, really. Many are extremely simr to their normal and hard counterparts, but just harder. You simply need to have a good strategy."


    "What Floor is this from?"


    "Floor 16. From the White Ghoul King."


    "Wait, isn''t that one impossible to clear without a team?! It requires three individuals at least!" He was bbergasted.


    "Nope, you just have to find a way to stop the Boss from eating. Blocking its mouth with anything sturdy works wonder. It works with anvils easily, but it gets pretty expensive."


    That''s when Jayce seemed to gather his courage before asking in a resolute tone.


    "Are you in Dimensional Legion? They are the only ones I know that could aplish such a thing. I''ve already signed the contract. I don''t mind other restrictive spells, either. I''m just curious."


    Josh had a rtively good impression of the young man. He was the kind that was rtivelypassionate to others but wasn''t unreasonable either.


    "The Dimensional Legion? It''s fake." Josh dropped that bomb.


    "What do you mean it''s fake?!"


    "It was said as a joke," Josh admitted.


    "How can you be sure?¡­. Oh my god!"


    Josh simply remained silent, smiling. He then proceeded to grab some ice cream and blissfully began eating.


    "You''re telling me you know these four legendary warriors?!"


    Legendary warriors? What kind of thing was that?


    "The Devil''s Apostle, The Samurai, Tiger, and finally the legendary Zebra!"


    He took Josh''s silence for an agreement.


    "Wait. Are you one of them?! Floor 16... Does that mean you''re either Tiger or Zebra?! Am I dreaming?"


    He was so shocked that he had somehow cut himself with a ghoul w (poisonless version) and was bleeding all over.


    "Not sure about dreaming, but you''re bleeding." Josh chuckled.


    That''s when he came back to his senses and ate a bite, healing. Then, threw himself on the ground, kneeling. He seemed extremely driven.


    "I want to join Dimensional Legion! Please allow me to! I''ll do my best to¡­."


    "I already told you it''s fake." Josh reiterated.


    "It doesn''t matter! Even if it''s fake! That strength is impressive nheless. I don''t care if there is no real guild behind it. I''m just trying to learn about the Tower!" He was almost doing puppy eyes.


    Well, he sure was motivated. Josh felt like some hidden expert. The kind that people would go on a journey to ask wisdom of. Then again, they were in the sewers right now. It did fit. He grinned as he looked at Jayce right in the eyes.


    "What can you offer?" Josh slowly asked.


    "That¡­.I can offer my services and those of my followers." He offered.


    "Oh? You have followers. How many?" Josh was genuinely curious.


    "Only about a dozen, but they are extremely hard working and diligent." He felt like he was making a deal with some bigshot.


    "You would dly offer them as a sacrifice?" Josh questioned.


    "No way! We can work for you but we won''t be anyone''s ves!"


    His body was extremely straight as he said that. In his clear green eyes, Josh could see an unyielding spirit. He wouldn''tpromise on that point no matter what.


    "Fine. I can teach you. I hope you will not make me regret this choice." He slowly uttered


    The most innocent and bright smile ever blossomed on Jayce''s face. Chances were it would remain there for a while.


    "Alright, before that. Let''s sell this junk, shall we?" Josh pointed at the item set.


    "Junk?!" The equipment that he considered a treasure was junk?!


    Josh essed the Draconic Chat:


    - Josh MF Malum: Hey all! I''m selling the White Ghoul item set! E+ Rank! The three pieces effect prevents food poisoning (4x owned) while the seven pieces effect heals by eating food (2x), all from Floor 16. Serious offers only!


    - Dragon Daddy: This seems cool! But it doesn''t beat dragons. Do you know how amazing dragons are ¡ª (It kept going)


    Josh was really about to block this guy. He would always write novels in the chat about dragons and ignore the topic at hand.


    - Emsee Hammer: I''ll take them all! Tell me where to meet for the trade!


    - Lucas the Lancer: Don''t be fooled, Josh! He just wants to sell them and make a profit!


    - Josh MF Malum: I''m getting 95% of the total sales, and we have a deal. Meet in the sewers.


    - Emsee Hammer: Gotcha, on my way!


    - Lucas the Lancer: (¨i©n¨i) Why must you hurt me so? I''m not as rich!


    -Josh MF Malum: Then don''t buy¡­.


    He then happily went back to his new follower (kind of).


    "Now, you want to learn about the Tower, right? First, most of the information avable about it is BS. That''s because it keeps evolving, as you know." Josh exined.


    "Yes! How should one Climb then?" He was showing an ardent desire to learn.


    "You can analyze the strategy of others all you want but you need toe up with your own. That is the mark of a sessful Climber, his ability to adapt to anything." Josh then pointed at the man''s raised hand for a question.


    "What would you give as advice to someone having a default ss instead of a divine one like you guys?" He asked earnestly.


    "Like us guys? HAHAHA. What do you think my ss is?" Josh couldn''t help butugh.


    "The legendary Divine Knight, right? That is how you can Solo Hellish difficulty, right?"


    "I''m ssless. Is that legendary enough?" Josh pointed at himself nonchntly.


    "WHAT?! This is impossible?!" Jayce seemed to begin to question life itself.


    That is when came a knocking sound. Josh ordered the robot to open the door, and a man entered. He was wearing a leather coat with leather jeans and also huge ck shades. That was Emsee Hammer.


    "There you are, Josh. It was a paining here from Draconic. These guys are everywhere. Oh yeah, I saw a video of youing out of the Tower. I can''t believe they let you pass through HAHAHA. Don''t worry, I''ll get great prices for all that gear. I''ll work for hard my 5%mission!"


    Jayce couldn''t help but freeze. He knew that this guy was one of Draconic''s elites. How the Hell was Dimensional Legion fake when it could call S-Rankers to sell its loot?! Was there anything more extravagant than this?!


    "Hehe, I''m like Santa, you know. Red, a huge sack of goodies and magical." Josh winked at him.


    "HAHA, That''s enough to cheer me up!" He guffawed.


    "You can grab the entire bag. But you know, now that I think about it...Should we y a little prank on all these stalkers above?" Josh looked mischievous.


    y a little prank? Only Zebra would act like this! Instead of running, he was already nning on counter-attacking.? All this was an amazing level of crazy. What would happen to the ones hunting Dimensional Legion?


    Jayce began praying for their safety...


    Creator''s Thought


    Sometimes life is strange. For me, he was but a passing figure. But then we met and somehow I decided to start teaching him on a whim. Neither he nor I knew how much this would affect both our future. Sometimes I wonder if fate is real or if it is just us humans deluding ourselves in seeing order in the chaos.

 Chapter 133: Party Time!

    <h4>Chapter 133: Party Time!</h4>


    All this was an amazing level of crazy. What would happen to the ones hunting Dimensional Legion?


    "What kind of prank are you thinking?" Emsee asked with interest.


    "How about we give these people what they are hoping for? We''ll start recruiting for Dimensional Legion." Josh added, smirking.


    "Oh? How so? Are you nning on revealing yourself?"


    "Not exactly. They only know how to search for us using the gear, right? All we need is a boatload of epic-looking unknown gear and we''ll be set, right?"


    "If you are thinking of faking it, forget it. We need real items otherwise, we won''t be able to convince anyone. Do you want to use these two White Ghoul sets to try and fool people? I''m doubtful that it would work."


    Emcee Hammer was staring at the pile of gear with a frown. To put it inly¡­it looked shabby. That was expected of gear made out of withered ghoul skin. It would be hard to fool anyone using it. They would need to start showcasing the set abilities to impress people.


    "Hehe, no need to worry about that. I just happen to know a cool guy that can definitely help us with that. We just need to assemble a team of 5 Climbers." Josh reassured.


    Josh could already think of a n he thought could work. Was doing so even worth the effort? Not only would he potentially get rid of an annoying issue but it would also allow him to test some things. Oh, and it would be he fun!


    "Any Climbers? What about the levels?" Emsee inquired.


    "Around the same level as you would be pretty neat, but it doesn''t really matter much. Ah, but we need a way to leave the Metropolis without too much amotion, however." Josh instructed.


    "I can arrange that. Should I call some friends over?"


    "That would be great. Oh yeah, we''ll need a vehicle too for a short road trip." Josh requested.


    "Roger that."


    "Hey, about that. Wouldn''t all these people leave soon enough anyway? They will probably get bored in a week maximum, right?" Jayce hesitantly proposed.


    "Now, where would the fun be in that, am I right?" Josh grinned.


    "For sure."


    That''s when Emcee sent a few messages on his UW before giving a thumbs up and shing a smile. "It has been handled. Now, we wait."


    The two of them began eating ice cream, enjoying themselves. Meanwhile, Jayce kept ncing at them, not sure how to react. How could they act so casually after talking about screwing over so many people?


    That''s when came a knock. Then entered a man Josh had talked to before, albeit only shortly. It was Peaceful Joe.


    He still had his ssy red suit, his red shoes, and his red hair. As he entered, he stared at Josh curiously. "So? Does that mean your world domination n is starting?" He even winked as he said so.


    "World domination? Of course not! That wille a little bitter." Josh shrugged.


    "No, no. This is a fun n. We''ll be messing with the people surrounding our guild like hyenas." Emsee added.


    "I see..." He awaited an exnation but was only handed some ice cream. Then they kept waiting for the others.


    "Another Ranker from Draconic?!" Jayce was murmuring, surprised. For him, Rankers were untouchable beings out of his league.


    "Why are you acting surprised? This guy here is our Boss, haha." Emsee replied Jayce as he patted Josh''s shoulder in a friendly manner.


    "?!?" Jayce was speechless, unsure if that had been a joke or not. Was Zebra from Draconic too?!


    The next member to arrive was a muscr man in a tank top. He looked like a bodybuilder with his hair neatlybed toward the back. He had tanned skin and was wearing jeans. He greeted amicably:


    "Hey, Emsee! I got your message! What''s that about a special mission?" Then he rested his gaze on Josh for a while, wondering what was happening.


    "Hey there, AIYA. You''ll know soon enough. We are waiting for 1 more." Emsee chuckled.


    "One more? Usain or Minor?" AIYA asked.


    "Obviously Minor. Usain is still solo running in the Tower. Officially he''s working on his ''monster train'' skill, but we all know he''s just having fun." Emsee shrugged.


    "Well, yeah."


    "Here, ice cream." Josh shoved some in his hand. No one could refuse ice cream. In fact, Climbing had cured the world''s poption ofctose intolerance and the likes. #Totally worth dying for!


    Then, thest member arrived. This time it was a handsome young man that was wearing an old school azure robe. Normally anyone wearing that in the modern days would have looked weird. Not him!


    "Minor, I''m guessing?" Josh weed him.


    "Yes, but don''t be fooled. He''s older than me!" AIYA answered. Oh wow.


    "Greetings, all of you. What are we doing on this beautiful afternoon?" His voice somehow sounded deep yet flowery.


    "Does he always talk like that?" Josh couldn''t help but remark.


    "Only when he''s in public. His usual voice is quite funny, to be honest." AIYA mercilessly betrayed him.


    "Oh, I see¡­."


    "Cough. Cough. Can we go back to the topic at hand, gentlemen? What are we nning today?" Minor brought back the discussion on track. They all turned toward Josh, awaiting his directives.


    "Alright, we need to head to Metropolis-D. Who wants to drive us there?"


    "I can bring us there with my own private vessel." Emcee added.


    "Cool, that''s settled then." Josh rejoiced.


    "So, why exactly do we all need toe?" Minor inquired,.


    "We''re gonna get cool custom-made gear for all of us." They raised an eyebrow but were tempted.


    "So, are we going to meet a craftsman?" Joe inquired.


    "You could say that. He is a very conscientious and friendly craftsman. The best of the best. He''s so awesome his creations are undifferentiable from the ones of the Tower itself!" Josh bragged.


    "Seriously?!


    "Is this true?!"


    "That''s a Ranker-level craftsman! "


    "Well, of course, if you guys are too busy for it¡­I don''t mind going alone." Josh teased them.


    "I''m so free right now! I have way too much time on my hands!" Joe assured him!


    "Only a fool would miss such an opportunity!" Emsee added.


    "I''m going no matter what!" AIYA too wanted in with Minor nodding along.


    They looked at him in marvel. They trusted he was speaking the truth. They couldn''t believe their luck for they would meet a hidden master! Making connections was extremely important! Who knew what the future would be like!"


    "Alright, team, roll out!" Josh confidently led the way before suddenly stopping.


    "What is it?" Joe asked worriedly.


    "Eh, I don''t really know the way?" Josh admitted nervously.


    "Pfff. Follow me. I got this." Emsee chuckled.


    Before long, they had walked sneakily to some hangar where Emsee took out a literal flying ship. It was silver in color, aerodynamic, and about the size of a small bus.


    The interior was cozy, circr, well-lit, and purple sofas surrounded a table in the middle. It reminded Josh of a luxurious break room.


    Josh instantly plopped on a sofa,ying his head on a soft cushion. "Ah, this is bliss. Man, how much did this thing even cost?"


    Emsee began driving as they exited the City, but he soon switched everything to auto-pilot. It was extremelyfortable, with no movement even being felt at all.


    "Oh, you don''t want to know how much this thing costs." AIYA chimed in.


    "Isn''t that only because you''re broke?" Joe teased him.


    "Well, it is expensive, but also worth it. Then again, for us it is enough to hitch a ride haha." Minormented.


    Meanwhile, Jayce really didn''t know what to do with his body. Rankers surrounded him in an extremely expensive vessel. In fact, he had no clue why he was there in the first ce. He had gone from errand boy to decorative bystander.


    "Hopefully, we won''t get stopped by pirates this time around," Josh remarked.


    "Haha. Please! I hope there are pirates. I''d like to see who dares stop us." AIYAughed.


    "Yes, this type of vessel is enough to fight any run-of-the-mill pirates." Minor added.


    "In the old days, there weren''t that many guilds with flying vessels. Pirates would stop us, and we''d end up being the ones robbing them. The trick is to sound scared on themunication channels." ''Peaceful Joe'' shared.


    "Yep, good old days. Remember that time AIYA took them down by shooting at them?" Emsee chuckled.


    "I remember their faces after the crash. They didn''t think a bow could be that strong." Joepleted.


    Jayce on the side almost choked. Shooting down a flying vessel ¡­with a bow?! Not an energy cannon?! What kind of power was that?!


    "So, you guys are usually Climbing together?" Josh asked.


    "Yes, that''s our normal team. We''re just missing Usain, our scout." Emsee answered.


    "Yes, cause he''s running as usual," AIYA remarked.


    "Right, what is everyone''s specialty?" Josh inquired.


    "I''m the vanguard with my barrier magic, AIYA is our archer, Emsee is our support as a bard, and Joe is our local mad berserker." Minor exined.


    Surprisingly, the only guy wearing robes was the vanguard. Where was the heavy armor?! Barrier magic sounded pretty nice. Josh couldn''t wait to see it at work. Quite ironic that Peaceful Joe was a mad berserker.


    "I''m curious. What''s do you think your role would be in a party, Josh?" Minor asked.


    "Let me see. Probably scout, evasion vanguard, or damage dealer? I''m not sure. Since I''m always Solo, I don''t really have a specific role I excel at." Josh admitted.


    "Wow. That''s really peculiar yet impressive. I do get the feeling you''re downying it a lot, to be honest." Hemented.


    The rest of the ride was mostly filled with mindless chatter. Time flew by as fast as their vessel. Until:


    "Alright, we''ll be at Metropolis-D soon," Emsee announced.


    "Perfect, but you''ll want to veer toward D-23. That''s our destination." Josh instructed.


    "D-23? The Disaster zone?" He showed surprise.


    "Yep, that''s exactly it." Josh couldn''t help but grin thinking about what was toe...


    Creator''s Thought


    It was my first time actually adventuring with members of Draconic. This would also be my first time partying up. It was a nice change of pace for sure. I was waiting to see their reaction when they would see what I had in store for them haha. Oh, by the side Jayce was already shellshocked. Good thing he had signed that magical NDA agreement.

 Chapter 134: Meeting Joshs Friend! (?!$%/&*)

    <h4>Chapter 134: Meeting Josh''s Friend! (?!$%/&*)</h4>


    An utterly confused party stood in front of an eerie-looking gigantic red foggy wall.


    Most of the members were ncing at Josh, wondering if this was all a joke. As for Jayce, he had been left behind to babysit the ship.


    "Wee all to D-23! I will be your guide today!" Josh happily called out.


    Thest time he hade here, there had been a few people, but now it waspletely dested. All the guilds had seemingly given up, and no one even bothered hoping for anything from thisnd.


    Ah, actually, there seemed to be one guy camping there in a tiny tent. If Josh wasn''t mistaken, it was that old guy that had warned them thest time. How stubborn!


    "I''m going to state the obvious and ask. What the Hell are we doing here?!" AIYA asked, confused.


    "No worries, you''ll see soon enough. Alright, shall we head in?" On that note, Josh touched the barrier.


    [Wee to Slothtrosity Land! Lots of Fun Inside!]


    [Level 17-51]


    [Participants 5]


    [Would you like to enter?]


    Would you look at that?! Somehow, the name Josh had created for the creatures had stuck. Wait, did this mean that he had named an entire race?! Awesome! He couldn''t help but feel proud of himself.


    "Enter!" He called out.


    The others nced at each other hesitantly. They didn''t understand what was happening. Was Josh trying to use them to clear an instance? This didn''t make much sense. After all, this ce''s difficulty varied with one''s level, or so they had heard.


    "¡­.Enter, I guess." Emsee uttered after sighing. He didn''t think Josh had any reason to harm them, whatever he was nning.


    A red glow enveloped them, and then they were in. The wet and disgusting pond with the rotten egg smell felt nostalgic. Then there were the vibrant trees with a hint of red. In the middle, there was a slothtrosity resting.


    [Calcting Difficulty Level, Please Stand By!]


    [Difficulty Set to Impossible! Enjoy Your Stay!]


    [Mission: Complete a Floor Without Any Casualty!]


    "Tch. Are you kidding me? Impossible?!" Joe uttered.


    "Complete a Floor? What is this?! We''ll have to enter that Alter Tower, won''t we?! Plus, we somehow have to protect your ass! Josh, you have some exining to do!" Emsee said.


    "No worries. The difficulty rating is a joke here. Also, here is a fun fact: Impossible difficulty became known as Possible and then Hellish difficulty. We just gotta clear it a few times, and it will change, I''m sure." Josh shrugged, unfazed.


    "Guys! There is a monster in the middle of this pond. Let''s kill it real quick and¡ª " AIYA started speaking but was interrupted by Josh.


    "Fight it if you want to die. Alright, let''s go." He began walking, making sshing sounds while progressing through the shallow pond. He showed apletely rxed attitude.


    "That''s it? Do we just walk? Let me go first as the vanguard." Minor valiantly offered.


    "Don''t worry too much about formation here. Against the Slothtrosities, your defense is useless, and so are your attacks. Whenever you see a gross piece of fur, mud, and blood... It''s better to let it slumber peacefully." Josh exined.


    He could feel their fighting intent. They really desired to test their capabilities against this new enemy, but they showed great self-control.


    They followed him all the way toward the very center of this realm. When they saw the vegetation-covered Alter Tower, they couldn''t help but gasp. It had such a mysterious atmosphere to it. It felt special!


    "It looks so different than the real Tower. So this is an instance, eh? Does it work differently?" Minor was curiously circling it.


    "It looks so broken and unused. Do we have to clear this? Will it even work properly?" Joe was looking at it as if an antique.


    "Don''t misunderstand. This Tower is definitely real. It isn''t frequented as much, that''s all. But that''s what makesing here worth it." Josh exined.


    "Let me guess. We are here for the item sets that no one has seen before? Thest I heard, this ce was pretty worthless in terms of rewards." Emsee shared. He had done his research.


    "So this whole crafter friend was a lie, right? Why did you even bother with the charade?" AIYA showed suspicion. He couldn''t wrap his head around why Josh would do such a thing. Lying would just sour their rtionship.


    Josh simply shook his head without exining, sighing slightly. What was the meaning of this? There seemed to be disappointment in that sigh. There was something he wasn''t telling them for sure!


    "Time to work." Josh confidently selected the only Floor option avable: Floor 50."


    That is when the others got the pop-up inquiring if they wanted to Join this Floor alongside Josh. They couldn''t help but suck in a cold breath. There was no way that bringing a level 17 to Floor 50 was wise!


    Actually, how was he so calm?! He looked like he was about to go on a rxing vacation. Well, for him, it kinda was. He couldn''t help but be curious about all the new features that the Alter Tower would have gotten since hisst visit.


    How much would it have grown? Would it still remember him? It probably would, right? He felt like a young parent that had dropped his kid at school, wondering how knowledgeable the child had be at the end of the day.


    Was it crazy? Perhaps. One needed a bit of craziness in life to make it interesting anyway.


    They all hardened their hearts, steadied their resolve, and epted with a solemn expression. That is when the scene changed, and they found themselves in a huge shopping mall.


    It had upgraded from a local shopping mall to a shopping mall worthy of figuring in legends. It had a huge dome-like ceiling that seemed to reach Heaven itself. There was a sea of people heading from shop to shop. Everything was magnificent too.


    "What the heck is this?!" They couldn''t help but exim as it all was far too strange for them. Around were... humans?! They were just going about their business too.


    "Where are all the monsters?!" AIYA cried in shock, looking everywhere in stupefaction.


    "Are we really in a Tower?!" Minor was gawking at it all too.


    "Don''t tell me¡­there are humans from other worlds living here?! Is this some secret dimension?! Were we simply fools all this time, thinking our world the main human battlefield?!" Joe cried out.


    "Wait¡­don''t tell me Dimensional Legion is actually real and is a faction that is based here!?!" Emsee somehow misunderstood it all.


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. These were Ranker, and yet they werepletely getting duped by the scene. Was it perhaps because of the difference between what they were used to and this? Did the surprise make them lose IQ?


    That is the moment it decided to reveal itself.


    [Wee to Eden! ^_^]


    "Wow, talk about a friendly system!" Emseemented.


    [??? Shall we have some fun? ???]


    It''s at this very moment that the system screen seemed to start bleeding. The face of Josh''spanions instantly changed for the worst. They immediately went intobat mode and ¡ª


    "Don''t summon any equipment. Just wait." Josh''s calm voice sounded so foreign in such a setting. How was he staying calm even while seeing such an ominous thing?!


    [You are now Harbingers of chaos. (¨Ž_¨�)]


    [Kill 20 innocent human beings and deal with the aftermath.]


    Their faces instantly changed. They were supposed to kill fellow humans?! They hadn''t be Climbers for that! It was one thing to kill enemies, but innocents?! What kind of perverse Tower was this?!


    "Hey, it''s been a while. How have you been?" Just as they were profoundly shaken, Josh was making small talk? Who was he talking to? Had he gone insane?!


    [Oh shit! It''s Josh MF Malum! ^_^]


    [You know the usual¡­(; ?_?) Pretty lonely...]


    "What about all the climbers that wereing here a while ago? Are they all gone, or do they swing by from time to time?" Josh inquired in a casual tone.


    On the side, the others were just watching this exchange happen inplete disbelief. How was this all possible?! They were speechless as they couldn''t help but question their senses. Was this real life?!


    [All gone -_- They disliked the rewards but wanted less difficulty, nothing I can do about that¡­]


    "Yes, for sure. Well, most people arezy and entitled. Anyway, I''ll need a custom reward this time around. I''m thinking OP-looking and feeling equipment. I want a cosmetic set that people will mistake for being a super-strong item set." Josh patiently exined.


    [This is troublesome. I can''t give so much as a reward.]


    "How about you make it a quest chain then?


    [Quest chain?]


    "Yep, a series of quests that ultimately lead up to one big reward."


    [Oh! Smart! Yep, that should be allowed. Maybe if I had done that, people would still be visiting *Sigh*]


    "Oh yeah, don''t worry about it. I bought thend around your Tower in my world. I''ll bring people here to y sooner orter."


    [Nice! Nice! Nice! Nice!]


    "Haha. Alright, shall we start this?"


    [Yep, whenever you are ready =). Same first mission as earlier.]


    "Perfect, it sounds good to me!"


    That''s when Josh finally turned toward the others. Now that all the details were settled, all that remained was to clear the Floor. Yet, for some reason, hispanions'' faces seemed frozen. Josh waved in front of them a few times before they eventually came back to their spirits.


    "What the fuck was that?!" AIYA eximed.


    "You talked with the Tower, how?!" Joe couldn''t understand it.


    "How were you negotiating with the Tower?!" Minor also didn''t understand.


    "Don''t tell me the friend we came to visit is the Tower itself?!" Emsee suddenly remembered that detail.


    "This is insane, pure insanity. This doesn''t make any sense. What the Hell?!" They were stillpletely shaken by this development.


    "Are you guys okay? You''ve never talked to a Tower Protocol before?" Josh asked, puzzled as if it was a natural thing to do.


    "?!$%/&*" They felt like cursing, ashamed of theirck of knowledge, and bbergasted. What kind of impossibility was Josh''s existence?!


    Also, what the Hell was this mission? Did they really have to be murderers?!...


    Creator''s Thought


    Apparently, talking to your Tower Protocol is weird. When you think about it, they are simr to multiverse referees. Sure, they can get annoying at times when they give you a red card. But, it is still possible to interact with them normally. They don''t bite really. Or that''s what I thought back then...

 Chapter 135: They Are Human!?!

    <h4>Chapter 135: They Are Human!?!</h4>


    In the Alter Tower, a party could be seen. While one member was casually observing his surroundings, the others appeared extremely shellshocked. There was surprise and confusion.


    "How does one be a Tower whisperer?!" Minor eximed


    "How is this Tower so talkative?! This doesn''t make any sense!" Emsee interjected.


    But there was also worry as some could be seen frowning and trembling. It was mostly because of the mission.


    [Kill 20 innocent human beings and deal with the aftermath.]


    "There is no way we will do that! Look at them! Everyone here is human?! I won''t kill any innocent!" Joe righteously affirmed.


    "Deal with the aftermath? What kind of sadistic Tower is this?! Kill our brethren and suffer for it?!" AIYA remarked, showing disgust.


    "It''s worse than that. Look at how real they are! This here is not a game. It''s a true world for sure." Minor''s eyes shook as he said that.


    They couldn''t really be med for it. The various NPCs were extremely vivid and numerous. Each had their own personality, habits,nguage patterns, and even their physique looked real. They seemed to be moving either with a sense of purpose or just strolling having fun. Some even appeared worried, lost in thoughts, or had other various expressions.


    Then there were the shops too. They were extremely colorful, huge, detailed, and were frequented by many customers. It was far from a ceholder normally used as a Floor setting. No, everything was clearly real. For instance, there was even small print on the promotional adverts.


    The entire scene was serene and the very definition of peace.?The ce showed pure and heartwarming natural lighting that fell from big ss panes on the ceiling. Smiles could be seen, andugher could be heard from time to time. Were they supposed to shatter all this?!


    "Josh, what kind of crazy ce is this?" Emsee solemnly inquired. His face was tense, and he couldn''t believe all that he was seeing. The sh between the usual Tower and this was making them all be on edge.


    "Here? It''s the Alter Tower. Also a shopping mall. Looks pretty good, doesn''t it?" Josh rxedly stated the obvious.


    But the others were simply staring at him, unsure how to react. They couldn''t wrap their heads around this whole ce.


    "Alright, any suggestion on the best ces tomit a subtle murder in such a ce? I''m listening!" Josh calmly asked.


    "You mean this is the only way out?!" Emsee''s tone was panicked.


    "Indeed. It''s not that bad. One just needs to be careful not to be seen, that is all." Josh shrugged.


    "But these are humans!¡­." Joe said while frowning.


    "Aww. You guys are cute. Getting worried for NPCs?" Josh teased them.


    "NPC?! This can''t be! Look at how they are acting! They are real for sure!" Joe kept arguing.


    "HAHAHA. You guys are overthinking all this. This is only a simtion." Josh told them the secret.


    "Simtion?! That''s impossible! These are all 100% real!"


    "Nope. Pretty cool, am I right?" Josh winked.


    "How is this possible?!" Joe still couldn''t believe it.


    "How? Well, normally, a Tower Protocol has to generate tons of Floors for all Climbers. Here we are the only ones, we get VIP treatment ;)" Josh exined, with the Tower itself chiming in.


    [Technically that slothtrosity is still sleeping on Floor 1.]


    "There you have it. He''s attentively watching all that happens and improving the experience in real-time. He''s a very conscientious Tower Protocol." Josh praised the system, which acted all shy.


    [ (>//w//<) A Stop it you~?! ]


    It took them all a while toe to terms with this new reality. They kept sneaking nces at the NPCs trying to notice ws, but without sess. As these guys did so, Josh casually wandered the ce, finding an information booth.


    At the booth with the ?? symbol stood a bored-looking girl ying some kind of candy-crushing mobile game. She seemed youthful and would do a small cheer every time she passed a level or grumbled whenever she lost a round.


    "Grrr, my luck with this one is really bad¡ª Ah! Hello,dies and gentlemen, can I help you find anything?" She was shing them a radiant smile as bright as summer.


    Minor advanced: "Hello youngdy, what is this ce exactly?"


    Upon seeing the young man''s peculiar but handsome appearance, she could be seen blushing furiously. Was he an actor?! She kept wondering but began talking about the mall''s features. A few instantster, she was somehow already spilling her gut to him.


    He learned about her passion for K-pop, her studies, her family, her insecurities, and even her deepest desires in life. All until he left, returning to the group to her disappointment.


    That is when his otherwise sunny face turned into a grimace. His eyes began showing sadness and doubt. He overall appeared highly distressed. He was trying to understand what they were expected to do.


    "Josh, this ce is Hell. These are no AIs. These guys are all human. They feel alive! I''ve talked more with that girl than some guild members. How is this possible. TELL ME!" As he screamed thest part, bystanders turned around, shocked and curious.


    All of their expressions were grave as they realized the difficulty of this ce. The Tower had always been a simple game of clearing monsters. But, there were none here, only people. These people were so very alive! They had to fight their own morals.


    Minor could already be seen crumbling emotionally. Meanwhile, the others didn''t know how to react. They truly didn''t. Were they to kill anyone here, they would probably forever be haunted by their ghost. They would lose sleep and slowly fall into insanity.


    They could feel it, all because of the realism! The Alter Tower that appeared extremely peaceful, far from dangerous and calm, suddenly turned into a nightmare in their eyes. They could all be seen shaking.


    "W-what now?" Joe asked.


    "Right now, we hunt. While Minor was talking to that girl, I thoroughly checked this ce''s n. Don''t worry. This will be over soon. Follow me." Josh gave them a reassuring smile.


    The first step was to find an area without surveince. He first swung by the bathrooms, but there were cameras, as expected. There was a sign that even announced it. It was to prevent crime.


    "Why are we here?" Emsee asked.


    "Eh, apparently for a wasted trip. There are security guards constantly checking the mall''s surveince cameras. They will sound the rm should we start killing, or so I assume." Josh exined.


    "So what do we do? Do you just want to go for the shy but fast way?" As he proposed, he could be seen wincing.


    "Nope. There is a reason ''aftermath'' is written in the mission. I''d rather not fight anyone with guns. We can expect that much at least."


    "How do you know?"


    Josh didn''t even bother answering as he just pointed at the environment. It was a given with such a setting. How ridiculous would it be if the cops showed up with knives?!


    Instead, he led them all the way to a chain clothing store. It was one that was rtively vast and even had many floors essible via small esctors.


    "Now what?" Emsee asked once more.


    "Now this." Josh picked up some random pants then headed to a fitting room to try it all.


    There was a man in charge of it. He was polite, wearing a clean uniform, and weed them all without any suspicion. He was standing right at the only entrance of it. The design made it so the interior was away from the gazes of others.


    The main point was that the interior was camera-free. Josh called the man over for his opinion on his jeans. As the man did, Josh smiled at him before he twisted the man''s neck in one straight movement CRACK. Then he chucked the body in a stall.


    "What the Hell did you just do?!" Minor eximed, shaking.


    "Only 19 more to go." Josh simply murmured, not bothering to exin himself.


    The other members of the team were shellshocked as they watched Josh undress the man and wear his work outfit. Then he stood at the entrance of the changing rooms, smiling at customers.


    Every time someone woulde to try a piece of clothing, he would politely usher them in. But none woulde out. If one had opened the veryst stall, one would have found a pile of dead bodies. All until¡­.


    [Mission aplished 1/4¡­.as unconventional as usual!]


    The scene in front of their eyes changed with a sh of red light, and they were back at the starting area. THUD. The tough party members could be seen on their knees, a few threatening to be sick.


    Josh''s killing had been efficient, quick, and bloodless. The targets had been happily living, and then it had been over, just like that. Some nced at the calm Josh. Had he just taken the lives of humans so easily?!


    Josh could see the doubt, the despair, and the shame in their eyes. They were disgusted by his actions, and yet they knew that they couldn''t just stay here forever either. They knew, but they still felt their stomachs churn.


    [Mission! Kill 20 innocent human beings and deal with the aftermath.]


    "Why?! Didn''t we just do that?! What kind of perverse agenda does this thing have?!" Minor screamed, making others stare once more.


    Josh couldn''t help but sigh. What agenda did it have? "Knowledge." Then Josh stared at the sky. "As long as one will be able to differentiate real humans from these simtions, the work won''t be over, am I right?"


    [Correct. Others are easy to fool, but¡­]


    "How do you know he''s not just an unfeeling killing machine?!" Minor suddenly screamed at the air before looking despondent. "Ah, sorry. I didn''t mean it like that ¡­I ¡­"


    [Because this is the world he longs for more than anything¡­]


    "?!?"


    "Shall we keep going?" Josh began leading them again.


    "Wait, why aren''t we heading to the same ce as before?"


    Josh chuckled. "Let me show you then."


    He brought them to one changing room after another, but every single one showed that it was closed. It was always watched by bystanders too.


    "Does that answer your question?" Josh chuckled.


    "What?! But we just¡­." Minor showed extreme confusion.


    "The Tower adapts. All of them do. It''s just that the Alter Tower does it at a faster rate." Josh shrugged. He could see them pensive. He could see a hint of worry sh in their eyes.


    This time, he guided them to a cinema. Needless to say, the task was aplished even more easily. In the darkness, one could now see tons of people "sleeping" slumped on their chairs.


    Josh left as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Hispanions were already in a turmoil of conflicting emotions, and yet this was but the beginning. That is when came the third mission.


    [Find the murderer roaming and take care of him however you see fit!]


    What?! It was still an assassination mission, but one for justice this time around?! Wait, they didn''t even have to kill the target, right?! Hope could be seen igniting their expression again.


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder. Was this the Alter Tower being considerate?...


    Creator''s Thought


    I could understand them. They were not ready yet. It wasn''t really my ce to tell them how to live their lives either. They had to be the ones to make the decision tomit murder. While it is indeed a lowly and disgusting act, it can sometimes be necessary, if anything in a bit to protect.

 Chapter 136: Cute Ness

    <h4>Chapter 136: Cute Ness</h4>


    When the mission to kill a murderer appeared, the party members instantly heaved a sigh of relief. It was as if a heavy burden had been released from their shoulders. But then came another directive:


    [Note: Josh is not allowed to hurt the target in any way.]


    When they saw that, they couldn''t help but give an embarrassed smile. They had been entirely reliant on him so far after all. The system wouldn''t stand for such obvious carry anymore.


    They felt like apologizing, but they weren''t exactly sure why. Was it for freaking out? Was it for not helping one bit? Was it for thinking that Josh could be evil for a second?


    "Alright, shall we begin exploring the ce?" Josh said.


    "Let''s split up and¡ª"AIYA suggested, only to get pped behind the head hard by Joe.


    SLAP!


    "Is this a joke to you?! We are in unknown territory! Stop spewing bullshit and focus!"


    "Yeah, but there hasn''t been any danger so far and¡ª" AIYA protested.


    "So far! Exactly! Now shut up, or I''ll insert these arrows of yours very deeply in your¡ª"


    "I get it. I get it!" AIYA instantly answered while shuddering. The rest of the party could only wryly smile as they saw their antics.


    Was the archer stupid? Josh didn''t think so. This ridiculous suggestion of his had gotten rid of the party''s tension while reminding them of the possible dangers. Rankers were human too. They feared, and they doubted.


    "How are we even supposed to find a murderer? Should we wait for a murder to happen?" Joe proposed hesitantly.


    "I''m guessing either it will be a crazy guy starting a shooting or perhaps some insane one attacking lone victims in hard-to-notice ces like¡­." That''s when Minor stopped talking, flustered.


    "Bathrooms, changing rooms, and cinemas?" Joshpleted with a teasing smile.


    "I didn''t mean it like that." He gave an apologetic expression.


    "Don''t worry. You''ll be fine as long as you never go anywhere alone." Josh smiled at him,ughing internally as the man turned white.


    "Don''t worry, my friend. I will DJ at your funerals." Emsee gave a thumbs up.


    "Don''t worry, my friend. I will bring some fireworks!" Joe added gleefully.


    "Don''t worry, my friend. I will bring my cute girlfriend so she can dance!" AIYA concluded.


    "Why does it sound like you guys will be celebrating instead of mourning?!" Minor didn''t know whether tough or cry.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be Climbing." Josh reassured him.


    "?!?" Was his death not even worth crying over?! How sad!


    They kept walking while chatting. For an instant, they almost forgot that they were in the Alter Tower. They kept observing the surroundings, but they weren''t sure where to begin.


    Everything was just too peaceful. There were couples on dates, friends hanging out, families going about their businesses, and singles exploring.


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle, noticing the absence of the thieving youngsters. Had the Tower protocol deemed them too much of a fodder?


    That''s when they noticed something out of the ordinary. Next to a fountain, a little girl was crying. She had short blond hair, delicate features and was holding a white stuffed bunny tightly. She was wearing a shirt with an arrow that pointed to her right with the caption world''s coolest mother. Did she get separated from her parent?


    That''s when Josh approached and startedforting the child to the utter stupefaction of the group. They couldn''t believe their eyes. Was that the same man that had been stacking corpses recently?!


    "Oh wow! When did they install this small fountain?" Josh faked an extreme surprise as he referred to the crying little girl as a fountain.


    At first, she turned her head all around, trying to figure out what he was talking about, but then she realized.


    "Sob. I''m not a fountain, Mister! I''m just sad!" she uttered between sobs.


    "What?! You''re sad?! Tell me what happened!" He had so much intensity, yet his tone sounded so goofy that she even stopped crying in surprise.


    "That¡­"


    "If you want, I can help you find your mother. Ah, but I don''t work for free! I''ll ask for candies as a reward! Hmm, or perhaps chocte?" Josh seemed in a profound dilemma.


    "You''re weird, Mister! Who asks for candies for¡ª" the little girl began chuckling.


    "What?! Don''t tell me you hate candies?!" Josh''s face showed great horror.


    "Of course not!" She protested, all trace of sadness gone.


    "Ah, you had me worried sick for a second there." Josh faked extreme relief.


    "Mister, please help me find my mom." She was politely making a praying motion with her hands.


    "Alright, follow me. We''ll find her in no time! Otherwise, my name isn''t Captain Awesome Sauce, Protector of the Innocent, Handsome and Dashing¡ª"


    "Pfft! That''s clearly not your name!!" She eruptedughing.


    "If that''s too long, you can call me Josh." He softly said.


    "Alright, Josh! Ah, I''m Ness! Josh. Josh." Was she trying to memorize it?


    In the distance, he could see the others whispering softly to each other. What good was murmuring if they didn''t hide their lips?


    "Am I dreaming? Can Josh really be that kind?" Joe said.


    "No, more importantly, how is he so good with kids?! I don''t see him as the dad type." Emsee added.


    "Maybe he''s used to kidnapping them." The others gave AIYA death res. "I was kidding!"


    That is how both of them reached the group and began searching for clues together. They tried calling the mother via the mall''s inte, but it failed.


    They tried meeting the security guards, but they were only avable for emergencies (apparently, this didn''t count). Everyone was getting tired and annoyed by theck of results.


    "We should probably take a break. The kid is probably tired too." Minor proposed.


    "No! I can keep going!" Ness adamantly refused while clenching her dainty little fists.


    "Perhaps you''re fine, but I''m tired!" Josh gave an exaggerated weary sigh. "Let''s grab a coffee!"


    That is how they all went to a Nebbucks. It was pretty much like any coffee shop, but they sold sugary liquid deserts instead of real coffee. Oh yeah, everything was really expensive too. Then it was time to pay, except none had money.


    "Minor. I''ll let you take care of this one. Here, grab this gray fedora. Now, I want you to go near that fountain and sing. You already have the perfect outfit to perform too. Come back when you have enough funds." Josh happily smiled at him while patting his shoulder.


    On the side, the incredulous shop attendant couldn''t help but start snickering. These guys were definitely the oddest he had ever seen!


    "Why should I?!" Minor eximed.


    "Because the smile of a little girl rests on your shoulders. Fighting!" Josh then grabbed the drinks and brought them all to a table.


    Meanwhile, the people nearby began approaching. They''d have a fun story to tell afterward: about a guy looking like a model singing to buy coffee.


    "Alright, any idea what we could have missed?" Joe seriously asked.


    "No clue, but we have to find her mother as soon as possible. It''s like she vanishedpletely. Then again, this ce is so vast!" AIYA sighed.


    That''s when Minor came back grimacing and mmed the hat on the table. It made a nking sound. "There should be enough in there!" Before plopping on a chair. "Right, guys, I may have a lead!"


    Josh went to pay while the others were all leaning forward, ears perked in expectation.


    "There is actually a basement to this ce. It acts as a temporary bunker in case of a natural catastrophe!" Minor exined extremely seriously.


    "That''s it! That''s the missing part of the puzzle!" Joe eximed in joy, but then he seemed to realize how ominous a dark basement sounded.


    That''s when Josh came back. "Here is a keepsake. In the future, you will remember that one time you used your body and mouth to pay for drinks." He grinned as he handed Minor the bill.


    "Hey, I was singing and standing in ce! Watch your phrasing!" But then, when he read the actual thing, he couldn''t help but show an incredibly shocked expression. "That''s impossible!"


    "Expensive, am I right? But, it tasted good, wouldn''t you admit?" Josh chuckled.


    "Yes! It was super delicious!" Ness cheerfully backed him up by the side. Just seeing her innocent smile made all of it worth it.


    "Alright! Let''s go and check out that basement!" Emsee said.


    That is how the happy bunch made their way across the mall, this time in search of metallic trapdoors. Finding one, they opened it as quickly as possible, scurrying inside. To go down, there was an old-looking metaldder.


    They all made their way downward, soon reaching the ground. It was dry, and a whiff of an iron smell could be detected. The basement was dark and vast. Every footstep sent echoes reverberating.


    "Wow! Ness, you are really brave!" Joemented as they walked. She was bravely following along. She looked calm, besides the fact that she was clenching her stuffed bunny really hard.


    "Indeed, here. Let me make some light." AIYA took a huge arrow out of nowhere. The tip of it then began to radiate a golden light that illuminated the surroundings. "A simple signal arrow. Useless in a fight, but pretty neat." He exined.


    That''s how they kept going forward. All until they turned the corner and couldn''t help but stop suddenly. On the ground, there were bloodstains. It looked as if someone had dragged a human body on it.


    "Ah!!!" As soon as she saw this, Ness screamed. She then ran toward the nearby AIYA before burying her face in his chest.


    "It''s alright. Everything is going to be alright. You don''t have to worry. We will¡ª"


    He was about to say more, but then a silver dagger reached his throat and took his breath away. The little girl holding it was grinning, showing her full teeth.


    On the ground, one could see a discarded stuffed bunny. It had hosted a sharp dagger all along¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Ness was such a sweet girl. Well, until she wasn''t. What kills the most in the Tower is false confidence. That is how Climbers die. It looks all so easy so they lower their guard. That is the exact moment they perish. There is no do-over. The only regret for the ones that remain alive.

 Chapter 137: Good Thing Josh Was Prepared! (Kinda?)

    <h4>Chapter 137: Good Thing Josh Was Prepared! (Kinda?)</h4>


    AIYA had always pictured himself dying from a woman''s wrath. But a kid?! Somehow he felt incredibly disappointed. He tried retreating, but the silver dagger quickly reached his throat.


    SLICE!


    KASHA!


    SPLURT!


    A few meters away, AIYA''s neck was spewing blood like a fountain. But, he was still clutching to dear life. He had already popped a healing dan in his mouth. He tried saying "Cover me" (probably), but only a garble and blood came out.


    The exchange had been so fast that Josh had barely seen it. The cute Ness had sneak-attacked AIYA. Just as he was about to die, a shining golden barrier had appeared and blocked most of the hit before loudly shattering.


    The girl could be seen grinning. Her smile was one that was void of any warmth. It was full of malice, yfulness, and expectation for the fun that she would have. The point was, she would have fitted perfectly in a horror movie.


    By now, every team member was fully geared and in a defensive formation around the wounded. The entire reorganization had taken them 1 second. Josh had to agree that it was pretty good.


    "Thanks for the save, Minor. Without your barrier, I''d be dead." AIYA was finally able to speak.


    "You should be thanking Josh. He''s the one that told me about it. I didn''t believe it at first but¡­." Minor admitted with slight fear in his voice.


    "It doesn''t matter. Let''s clear this, shall we!" Emsee confidently dered.


    That''s when they went silent, and the atmosphere became oppressive. Before, they had been in a defensive state, but not anymore.


    AIYA signaled the beginning of the fight. He readied his bow, which looked more like a ballista. It felt especially weird as a small human was carrying it. AIYA explosively sent an enormous 2-meter long arrow toward Ness.


    But, a tilt of the head was all it took to dodge it. She perhaps looked like a child, but theposure in these eyes of hers gave her away. Well, another good hint was her eyes turning a glowing beast-like yellow.


    That''s when the charging Joe reached her and angrily screamed: "DIE YOU BITCH!"


    He was loud! So damn loud! Actually¡­what the Hell was that weapon?! In his hands, he had what one could only describe as a steel beam! He swung it around so madly that it generated wind currents!


    It felt as if he had abandoned all technique whatsoever and was just randomly swinging. He looked to be on a mad rampage. But then Josh realized something. Joe was only attacking at first nce, but he was defending the path leading to his allies.


    Then Emsee came in reinforcement. In his hands, he had two red metallic rods. What were these for? He instantly attacked the target violently, but once more, she dodged with minimal effort.


    As his weapons collided with the ground, a deep GONG sound came out of them. Were these things hollowed inside? Wouldn''t there be lots of power lost this way? He kept attacking over and over without sess. Wait, wasn''t this guy a bard?


    Ah, that''s what it was! As he kept "missing", a deep melody began reverberating. Josh could suddenly feel his whole body heat up slightly. It was as if he had just gotten an energy rush. It also seemed like the girl was slowing down too.


    That''s when she charged at Emsee. Yet, he didn''t show any fear at all. He still kept attacking and producing his weird music. He even did it as she stood right in front of him. Her dagger could be seen tracing an arc toward him until¡­


    WHOOSH!


    Joe''s beam came crashing down toward her head. He had been waiting all long for her to be in this perfect spot. But so had she. She instantly changed her center of gravity and darted toward Joe, rapidly closing the distance.


    His arm was extended fully, leaving his body vulnerable. She plunged her dagger toward him, and just as it seemed that she would seed, another golden barrier appeared to thwart her ns.


    Minor had given perfectly timed defensive assistance. What were the limitations to his barrier magic? Could he apply it to anyone? What about using it offensively? Was that possible?


    CLANG


    She retreated because Joe''s attack was already heading her way. AIYA took this opportunity to shoot a few arrows. Somehow he managed to shoot five at once! All stayed true to their path and reached the girl.


    But she yed with her thin knife, sending all of them flying. It collided with a support beam nearby. Even the thing that was made of metal got pierced like tofu. How much power was behind these?! No, how much power was in these thin arms of hers?!


    It was the first time in the fight that she blocked rather than dodged. They had thought shecked raw strength, but that was obviously wrong! The party couldn''t help but furrow their brows.


    What would Josh do in her ce? Emsee was applying a debuff over time and needed to be stopped. But, he was protected by Joe, who in turn was protected by Minor.


    The girl would need to target the backline, but it was just a question of time at this rate.


    She decided to dash all the way toward Minor. She raised her small de high up before shing at him. How long would he survive in such an intense fight?! Just as Josh was wondering, something amazing happened!


    Minor began showing his real value. Yes, he could protect allies. Yes, he could increase the defense of anyone drastically and save lives. But, it was nothingpared to his own self-buff.


    He began glowing golden. A golden radiant armor covered his entire body. What was this?! Sparks were created as the enemy''s dagger collided with it, but he did not move a single step.


    He even counter-attacked, trying to grab her head with his gauntlet-like magical-looking arm. She did a backflip to avoid the grab, dodging the arrows that were flying her way at the same time. But, that melody in the background was only getting stronger.


    That''s when she resolutely charged at AIYA. An archer in close range could only be a sitting duck. She grinned as she tried unleashed Hell upon him. For some reason, he was extremely mobile and had had no issue shooting right next to himself. How?!


    Thus the fight kept going. It wasn''t even that they were that strong. No, what made them great was that they were conscious of their weaknesses and had worked on them.


    The all-attacking berserker had a full attack style showing defensive properties.


    The bard''s attacks couldn''t be avoided and would help either directly or indirectly.


    The Vanguard was near imprable yet had learned to share his power with others.


    Finally, the archer was fighting close-ranged.


    Josh couldn''t help but be d that he had the prescience to prepare ordingly. Yes, he wasn''t just watching this happen. He was also eating delicious brownies in the meantime! It perhaps wasn''t popcorn, but it would do the trick nheless.


    Yes, while Josh was blissfully enjoying himself, the rest of the team was fighting for their lives. It seemed like they had the upper hand with all that fantastic teamwork, but it was but an illusion. Josh knew it.


    All this while she had coped with every new technique in the same way. Either a slight dodge or straight-up blocking. Chances were, the enemy had received directives from the Tower itself to collect data on their fighting style.


    What was Josh going to do then? Absolutely nothing. They were moving with extreme speed, using magical abilities left and right. It wasn''t his ce to enter such a battlefield.


    Sure enough, soon it began. After a few minutes of no new techniques appearing, she revealed her true power. She began gaining the upper hand. She was slowly pushing them to their limits. The whole time she felt incredibly slippery to catch.


    The party could be seen panting and exchanging worried nces. How were they supposed to win this?!


    "You guys are pretty much a failure, eh? You can''t even defeat one little girl. Pretty shameful." Josh snickered on the sides.


    It''s only then that they remembered that he was there. Somehow they had forgotten about him. How was this possible?! They wouldn''tmit such an easy mistake usually!


    "You guys are acting like you are fighting against a monster. That''s why you are losing. If you aren''t ready to improvise a bit and surprise the opponent, then you might as well quit now¡­." He casually uttered. As if they would gain anything from it, he didn''t know.


    He just resumed eating and watching. When the girl stared at him, he simply shrugged. He gave her a look that said: ''If you attack me, I won''t show mercy, you know.'' Well, she was incredibly stronger than him.


    They seemed to be racking their brains toe up with a strategy. Surprisingly it''s the berserker that came with a solution. It was possibly the crudest strategy of all time. He changed his attitude.


    Instead of going for defense, he went full-on attack with the intention to go for a Pyrrhic victory. This wouldn''t work on a monster that was bigger and had extreme vitality. But, this time, they were dealing with an enemy with human characteristics.


    Would just this win? Nope. Ness just scoffed as she managed tond a hit due to his recklessness. But just as she was about to finish him for good came something weird.


    On a flying arrow, a golden silhouette could be seen. Of course, she initiated a dodge, but then the melody hit a crescendo and slowed her movements. The now fallen to the ground Joe also grabbed her heels.


    That''s how Minor managed to bear-hug her solidly. Once she got restrained, this fight turned into a one-sided massacre. Soon enough, her gory remains stained their bodies and the floor alike. It was everywhere.


    That''s when they fell to the side and began vomiting. Even if she was clearly a monster, they had just killed a little girl, a human one. They could be seen livid and despairing. The madness of thebat was leaving them as they began trembling.


    That''s when Minor slowly got back to his feet. He looked at the calmly eating Josh, dumbfounded. "How?! How did you know and since when?!"


    "How did I know? It was obvious. I knew from the very beginning. There were signs, but you probably disregarded them unconsciously. Am I right? You didn''t wish for this oue."


    "Why did you only tell Minor about it? You did so with that Nebbucks bill, right?" AIYA added.


    "Why? Would you have believed it if I had told you? As for Minor, It didn''t matter how much disbelief he had. He would still protect you guys because that''s what a vanguard does. Am I wrong?" Josh exined.


    "This is so crazy! We still have one more task mission even now¡­." Joe sighed.


    "Indeed!" Josh was grinning. For some reason, his smile seemed scarier than the grin of the previous enemy.


    As they all watched the bloody mess on the ground, they couldn''t help but wonder. What kind of madness woulde next?¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    The Alter Tower had always been very curious. It just happened that it had an interest in seeing their reactions to the murder of a young girl. It didn''t really change anything that she was obviously an enemy. The unconscious would still be screaming about how wrong the whole killing was the whole time.

 Chapter 138: Sleepover In The Tower!

    <h4>Chapter 138: Sleepover In The Tower!</h4>


    In the mall''s basement, the air was heavy.


    The party members still felt sick from the earlier events. Their gaze shifted between the defeated little girl and their own shaking hands. It felt too real.


    [Congrattions on defeating the murderer! Was it fun?]


    The group sent murderous res at the system message. Josh could only shrug. They would get used to it.


    That''s when they came back to the same spot as every iteration beforehand. It felt quite like a nightmare where no matter how far you run it is all pointless.


    [This is thest Mission! Find and defeat the enemies! Good luck!]


    "What?! He''s gone just like that?! I still want toin about thest mission!" AIYA grumbled.


    Josh couldn''t help but smile, but then his expression froze. He had sensed something headache-inducing. The other team members were chatting, without a care in the world. How would they react if they knew?


    That''s when he shared a look with Minor. The man had been observing him. The way Josh had cracked the mystery so easily before had left an impression on him. He approached and softly murmured.


    "What should we do?"


    "If you had to fight many enemies armed with guns, where would you want it to happen?" Josh whispered.


    "The underground basement. We can use the darkness and the support columns as cover. Plus, we have plenty of room to move. Our team does badly in small enclosed spaces." Minor replied.


    "What if they are numerous enough to watch every entry leading to it and lie in wait?"


    "We have ways to draw them in, no worries."


    Josh nodded before peacefully following the others. He seemed to be merely strolling. As for finding the enemies? Josh didn''t seem to care. At some point, they just happened to walk near a metal trapdoor leading to the basement.


    "Right, guys. There is something I want to check out real quick." He opened it with a creaking sound. This made all the bystanders turn their way.


    They were all so different. There were women, men, children, elders. Some appeared to be rich, poor, middle-ss. There was lots of diversity there. But they all stared at the party intensely as the group headed to the basement.


    They began showing clear animosity and grinned slightly, the same grin Ness had shown before. Then, they slipped their hands in their clothes and brought out guns.


    "Holy shit!" Joe shouted! "Quick, go inside!"


    RA-TA-TA-TA-TA! That is when began a rain of death. Bullets started flying toward them. There was the sound of gunfire but also of barriers breaking.


    They regrouped in the darkness below. Their faces showed unease, and Emsee''s body was bleeding all over as he had been thest one to enter. He was riddled with bullet holes but was quickly recuperating.


    "Another life saved! Good Job, Minor!" AIYAmented.


    "What the Hell was that?!" Joe shouted.


    "I''m afraid we have found the enemies. More urately, the enemies have found us. Josh, how many are there?" Minor looked at him seriously.


    "All of them. Hundreds, thousands perhaps." He stated the obvious.


    "These guys up there had pistols, right?! How could they break your defensive magic with such small calibers?!" Emsee asked perplexed.


    "Their bullets are enchanted. It''s doubtful how many hits even my golden armor can take. We can''t let ourselves be surrounded." Minor replied.


    "They can''t have that many enchanted bullets, right?! These things are such a pain to manufacture!" Emsee argued.


    "Don''t delude yourself. This is a Tower. Anything can happen. Logic is irrelevant here." Minor reminded.


    "Fine! Goddamnit! This feels bad. Now we have to run from such archaic weapons too?!" Joeined.? Josh couldn''t help but feel weird hearing the term archaic for guns.


    Josh''s usual tactic would be to swagger up there and use enemy bodies to block bullets, but that wouldn''t work. Against these magical means, a corpse wouldn''t offer much cover.


    Before they could n more, there were already invaders. That''s when AIYA shined. He shot in quick session, and then grunts could be heard as lifeless bodies fell down thedder. But there were way more.


    "Let me do this real quick then." Emsee took a step forward and began ying some weird music.


    First, it seemed to originate a distance away from his current position. How? Then, it clearly affected the enemies. It was confusing them as some threw themselves down the hole, breaking their necks.


    "What is that?" Josh couldn''t help but show curiosity.


    "It''s a melody to mess with the brain''s reactions. Honestly, I''m surprised this works that well. This means that the actual level of the enemies is low. Usually, it just causes slight sluggishness." Emsee exined.


    "Slight sluggishness near a danger hazard can do the trick perfectly," Joe added.


    "What''s the n then?" Josh asked.


    "We hold this position. If we go out, we''ll look like swiss cheese in no time." Minormented.


    "I dislike swiss cheese. Too many holes, the more cheese you have and the more empty it looks¡­."AIYA chimed in.


    "Great input. This is definitely going to help in a life-or-death situation." Joe sarcastically replied.


    "Isn''t it possible to temporarily have AIYA exit and shoot some of them down before retreating? With Minor''s defense and Emsee''s support." Josh proposed.


    "It''s too dangerous. It just takes one bullet to the head, and it will be game over. We got lucky earlier. If multiple projectiles make contact at once, my barrier may as well not exist." Minor denied.


    "Alright. Defense perimeter it is. I''ll get us some Eternal Chimes going. Joe, check how many possible pathways the enemies cane from. AIYA, you kill these guys if they trying in. Minor, make sure no one dies. Josh, ....where did you get brownies from?! Ah, never mind." Emsee assigned tasks.


    "So, what exactly is an Eternal Chime?" Josh asked.


    "It''s a magical ability that allows putting a melody on repeat in a set location. In that case, he''ll mostly set up rms and some traps. It will tell us how many enemies areing from which direction." Minor shared his knowledge.


    "That''s neat!" Josh replied enthusiastically. It seemed that Minor was in teaching mode as he kept going.


    "It''s just a shame that Usain isn''t here. If anyone can run faster than bullets, it''s him. He''s probably the only scout in existence that doesn''t care about being sneaky. He''s the legendary triple F hero after all."


    "Oh?"


    "His ss is Fleet-Footed Fantasm. He''s either in ''speed is power'' mode or in ''invincible speedster'' mode. In either case, he''s running."


    "Invincible?"


    "He has a skill that renders him very hard to kill and lowers his aggro. Combined with his insane speed, it makes monsters generally give up on chasing him."


    "So he scouts by rushing to the enemies, not hiding whatsoever, then he simply runs away?" Josh couldn''t help but be impressed.


    That''s when the two others came back. Apparently, there were two main pathways plus the entrance above them. Each basement room was gigantic, so they had ample room to maneuver.


    "Alright, guess we''ll set camp here for the night. The best situation for us is them invading. We can either shoot them down as they climb thedder here or have them fall into the traps that are set up." Emsee suggested.


    Josh couldn''t help but smile. Talk about a wholesome moment. A sleepover with friends. What else could he ask for? Of course, the answer was ice cream, duh.


    That''s how he rested on the cold floor, using his fedora as a pillow and the party''s discussion as a luby.


    "Let''s separate the night-watch in two teams. Me and Joe are taking first, then AIYA and Minor afterward. As for Josh, we can let him sleep." Emsee proposed, with everyone nodding in agreement.


    "This feels so weird. Sleeping in the Tower is weird, but especially this ce. I can''t believe we are chased by humans too. They just seemed so real earlier ..it''s just¡­I don''t know." Minor sighed.


    "Eh, it''s not the first time we encounter human-like monsters. Remember the subi? AIYA would still be there if we hadn''t dragged him out." Joe chuckled.


    "Please! I can''t be med on that one! Don''t you guys remember how round their asses, and how plump their breasts were?! If they weren''t trying to kill humans, you bet I''d still be there!" AIYA righteously shouted.


    "Pffft, you would have died from ack of food!" Minor reminded.


    "So what?! It is a worthy end!" AIYA argued.


    "That, my friend, is why you are still single. You can''t be that desperate. Sure, a subus is nice, but it''s not worth it. There are plenty of cute Rankers around." Joe wisely advised.


    "Oh, he definitely tried that. But he just can''t seem to seed. I think it''s because, toward the middle of the date, they realize he''s actually AIYA and not some other cool Draconic member." Minor teasingly dissed him.


    "You?! How dare you spew such hurtful truths!" AIYA jokinglymented.


    "Actually, I''m more wondering about Josh. What is up with you and Kasha?" Joe put him under the spotlight.


    Of course, Josh was still awake. This felt nostalgic. Just a group of friends talking about all and nothing. How long had it been? An eternity. He could have easily pretended to sleep to avoid the question, but he did not.


    "She''s great, but there is already an absolutely phenomenal woman in my heart. She helped me when I was at my lowest and forged the man I''ve be."


    "Wow! Who is she? Is she a Ranker? How is she?" AIYA excitedly asked, the others sending him reproachful gazes but listening intently nheless.


    "How is she? Gorgeous yet innocent-looking. Smart yet so optimistic. Serious but mischievous at times. Kind, but with thorns. Out of this world yet down to Earth. So loving and¡ª"


    "Who is she?! Now I definitely want to know! Do we know her?!" AIYA cut him off while the others chuckled.


    "No, you don''t know her. In fact, she never came into this world either. She''s been dead way before the Tower even appeared, the little one too¡­." Josh showed a bittersweet smile.


    "Ah, sorry! I didn''t know." AIYA couldn''t help but feel bad.


    "No worries. But let me tell you something. I''ve heard them talk about your failures dating, but don''t worry. I was living in a garbage bin when I met my soulmate. Don''t stress it too much. Just live your life." Josh advised.


    The others couldn''t help but stare. A garbage bin?! What the Hell was the story behind that?! He had been describing a perfect goddess too! What kind of talent was needed to pick up chicks in such a situation?! Some were considering asking Josh to teach themter on.


    But, for now, they would rest. Emsee and Joe took the first guard and watched the surroundings with extreme caution. The lives of their teammates depended on them, so they were 100% focused.


    That''s when they both heard a very slight noise and jumped warily! They sighed in relief, noticing that it was Josh getting up. But that''s when he spoke.


    "Everyone, wake up. They''reing, all of them."


    What?!...


    Creator''s Thought


    Note to self: talking about your dead lover at a sleepover somehow kills the mood. A shame really with how they were having fun talking about subi and whatnot. These monsters were surprisingly effective against all genders. But, if you are curious about them I really suggest VR. They are not worth dying!

 Chapter 139: Make It Stop!! Please!

    <h4>Chapter 139: Make It Stop!! Please!</h4>


    "Everyone, wake up. They''reing, all of them." Josh warned.


    "What?! How do you know?!"


    "Can''t you guys feel the killing intent? Normally it wouldn''t be detectable from that far, but there are just way too many of them!"


    They showed puzzled expressions but then rposed themselves. There was no time to waste. That''s when Emsee grunted:


    "They just triggered my farthest rms. At this rate, we won''t be able to fight all fronts at the same time. Joe, that tunnel on that side¡­wanna reduce it to rubble?"


    "On it! I''ll give them a good surprise!" He happily left with his steel beam in hand. Before long, loud noises could be heard CLANG CLANG CLANG. Whatever he was doing, he was hard at work.


    "If you guys destroy thedder, we''ll have one side to fight. We can always use abilities to exit the ce in case of emergency." Josh suggested.


    "That''s fair enough," Emsee admitted as he struck thedder over and over. Every hit sent a peculiar vibration in the object until it crumbled to dust somehow. Wow!


    RA-TA¡ªTA-TA-TA, BAM, CRASH!


    It seemed like Joe had just finished his task. How many foes had he buried alive along with the destruction? Good thing they were all NPCs anyway. They deserved to be ttened.


    As for the missingdder, it wouldn''t make the enemies above give up. Some began jumping toward the group, using ropes to go down slowly.


    They looked like special ops soldiersing down from a rooftop. But, AIYA targeted the ropes, cutting many with every arrow and making them crash.


    Josh moved forward to finish them. He could at least do that. That is when the sound of footsteps could be heard in the only entrance that was still fully opened.


    "We could destroy that one, but then we would be trapped in here too. It''s better if we have an escape route avable in case of emergency." Emsee sighed. "Go ahead, you guys. I''ll take care of things here."


    The rest of the party proceeded forward. There was a long tunnel with tons of enemies in it. Peaking from the corner of the wall, AIYA began shooting at them. That triggered their retribution, but Minor was there to help defend.


    Meanwhile, Josh was on the side watching all the bullets that had flown right next to their faces. This was quite crazy, and the scene was magical, quite literally. Purplish glowing shots lit up the darkness. At this rate, they would soon get overwhelmed.


    That''s when Josh noticed something. There seemed to be amander in their midst, in the very far back in fact. But did they have a way to even get there?


    They could try and exit through the trapdoor and make the whole detour. It would fail for sure. Braving the bullet rain was not a viable solution either.


    That''s when Emsee appeared. What was he doing there?!


    "Joe reced me. He should be fine alone somehow. Now, I have a few traps that will utterly confuse them for a few seconds. We''ll have to kill as many as we can when it happens." Emsee exined.


    "Wait, I may have an idea. I''ll count on you to cover for me as Ie back. Get ready to use your traps when I''m fleeing. I''m going for an assassination." Josh whispered.


    "Are you crazy?!" Emsee shouted, only to realize that Josh was already gone. He looked around but couldn''t find him at all. How?! Wasn''t he low level?!


    "What''s happening?" Minor inquired.


    "I lost Josh."


    "What do you mean, you lost Josh?!"


    "He was here, and now he''s not! He talked about an assassination!"


    "What the fuck?!"


    That''s when AIYA chimed in: "What are you guys mumbling about?"


    "We''re searching for Josh because¡­..oh my god!" Minor was the one to shout, bbergasted, but the others soon followed.


    "This is insane!"


    "Are you kidding me?!"


    They could see a human shadow fall from the ceiling. That''s when it dropped directly on the enemymander, and blood spurted all over. There was a moment of pure panic in the enemy ranks.


    Josh ughtered many in the next seconds. AIYA made sure to capitalize on it as he killed heaps with every shot. Minor targeted Josh, giving him the strongest shield he could. But, would that be enough? No way!


    Just when the enemies began turning toward Josh, Emsee activated his traps. Instantly a loud, powerful, and vibrant melody resonated. It instantly made them all stop. But, there was an issue. Josh was in the targeted area, and this skill could hit allies.


    "I''m going in to rescue him! Hopefully, I will make it in¡­.what the fuck?!" Emsee eximed as he saw Josh begin to run. How was he not affected by the magic?!


    He was, in fact, so steady and in control of his actions that he kept gutting the fodder on his way back. The rest of the party couldn''t help but gawk at him, their eyes bulging. Josh soon rejoined the group.


    "Alright, that went well. Now, they should have less cohesion and be more prone to fear!" He announced. As Josh said so, death kept iming the enemies.


    That''s when the sea of shooters began to retreat. They had suffered countless casualties and lost their leader. Were they guided by thoughts or perhaps instinct? It would be hard to know for sure. Soon enough, peace returned to the underground.


    "Holy crap, Josh! How did you do that earlier?!" Emsee still couldn''t calm down.


    "Approach them sneakily, you mean? I used the White spider Set to Climb on the ceiling, pretty straightforward." Josh admitted.


    "How did none of us even notice you? It''s illogical!" Emsee asked further.


    "Well, nothing too strange. I moved when no one was looking. That''s all." Josh exined.


    Was that even an exnation? The party members couldn''t help but nce at each other in confusion. Then again, it wasing from a man that had somehow sensed the enemies'' arrival way before any rm could.


    "I wonder about something. The mission said to find and defeat, not to kill. Is it possible to push them to surrender? What is even motivating them to fight us? If we can find this, perhaps we can leave this ce." Emsee theorized.


    "So, what now?" Joe asked.


    "There are still too many of them out there. Perhaps we should hold on until their numbers are thin enough for us to try and exit. Then, we''ll be able to try and negotiate. What do you guys think?" Minor proposed.


    "Sounds legit." Joe agreed.


    "Now we wait once more, I guess." AIYA too.


    That''s how resumed a peaceful night in the Alter Tower with Emsee recing all the traps. Not only did they not get attacked, but they even managed to rest up. They got back on their feet, feeling refreshed, but there was bad news.


    "These guys seem to be camping. If we exit now, we''ll die. Emcee, you have a way to lure them in, right?" Josh confirmed.


    "Pease don''t!" was the unanimous shout.


    "If it can save us...." Josh said.


    That''s when they all grimaced. At first, Josh didn''t understand, but it soon became obvious. Emsee began ying some very discordant and annoying noise. It was so bad that it made an ear-rape sound like an ASMR!


    It was akin to nails on a ckboard, but the hellish version. It would continuously y to annoy the enemy to death. This sound was perhaps actually worth dying for to make it stop! It filled the entire mall too!


    This rxing time soon becameplete torture. The party members could be seen trying to filter out the sound by blocking their ears without sess. It would still be heard no matter what. For once, Josh almost wished he was deaf. It was that bad.


    At least, they saw an effect on the opposition. With every passing day, Josh could feel their killing intent rise in a very chaotic manner. Sometimes they seemed to forget about the partypletely as a few began killing each other.


    Quickly, a few days passed. Everyone was affected by sleep deprivation, both allies, and enemies. One just couldn''t sleep with that goddamn tune! It took all their willpower not to kill Emsee themselves to make it stop.


    Then, they slowly went back to the surface. Aboveground, it was mayhem. The song had been so discordant that they had all gone crazy listening to it. Josh couldn''t help but gulp in fear. What the Hell?!


    As for what happened next? Well, the enemies were in no way to fight at all. It soon became a one-sided ughter. Before long, the entire mall was tainted with a beautiful red. They couldn''t help but feel proud, for they had outdone themselves.


    As for killing humans? Meh, they were in no state to care about such a thing. At all! In the future, they would be more careful with such strategies.


    [Congrattion on this ...unorthodox victory.]


    [I really wasn''t expecting you guys to drive the enemies crazy. Well yed!]


    [Are you ready for your reward?]


    "No, I don''t care about that! Make the sound stop!" Joe could be heard shouting.


    "Yes, hurry up and stop your spell already!" Minor screamed at Emsee.


    "I can''t take it anymore. I''m going to be sick. I''m that close to going crazy!" AIYA eximed.


    "Guys¡­it''s already been off for a while now¡­." Emsee didn''t know how to react. He could still hear it too.


    "What?!" They showed expressions of horror!


    "I can still hear it! How''s this possible?!"


    It was akin to a nightmare from which they could never wake up.


    That''s when Josh slowly calmly uttered: "Since when can Tower Protocols add background music?" while raising an eyebrow.


    What?! That''s when they realized what was happening.


    [Alright, I''ll turn it off.]


    With the sound gone, their sanity came back.


    "Josh, how does one murder a Tower Protocol?! I''m asking for a friend." Joe asked. Then came a series of acknowledgments.


    "+1 I am a friend."


    "+2 I, too, am a friend."


    "+3 Count me in also."


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. "Alright, stop ying and give us our rewards already." ...


    Creator''s Thought


    The Alter Tower felt to me like a curious kid with new toys. It would always try to reproduce any ability the people used on its Floor. The thing is, it often ended up making pranks. It just so happens that some of these pranks would be considered deadly. I still can''t believe how many Rankers went insane in it. Fun times...

 Chapter 140: Amazing Armors!

    <h4>Chapter 140: Amazing Armors!</h4>


    [Gratz onpleting the chain quest! Issuing reward!]


    "Can my reward be to beat this system instead? I just want it to cough a bit of blood!" AIYA couldn''t help but remark, making the others smile.


    [Haha, nice joke xD]


    That''s when Josh could see his cosmetic tab start shing purple. Clicking on it, there was a new addition:


    <Bloodstained Apparel.>


    - Cosmetic set with cool bloody special effects, powered by the souls of the innocent you have killed in the previous rounds. Great for intimidation! Unique to Josh Malum. ^_^v


    That''s when the whole party began excitingly wearing their new items. Their faces lit up in amazement and sheer joy as they inspected it all carefully.


    "Oh my god! Look at how stylish this is! I forgive you, system!" AIYA had received a ranger-looking leather outfit. Somehow it was ssy enough that it wouldn''t lose out to any modern clothing.


    "HAHA, this is wonderful! Look at this, guys!" Emsee began drumming on the Floor. Every hit made his whole outfit pulse with light.


    "Wait, won''t that give away your position easily?" Joe remarked.


    "Nope. I can turn it off whenever. Plus, it might not have an actual magical effect, but it should enhance my magic if I use it adequately." Emsee looked extremely pleased.


    "You guys want to see something crazy? Watch this." Minor murmured, grinning from ear to ear. That''s when he summoned his golden barrier armor.


    "Yes? What about your barrier? It looks exactly the same as usual¡­" Emseemented, puzzled.


    "That''s the thing. This isn''t my barrier. It''s the cosmetic set." Minor revealed.


    "Holy shit!" They knew how huge this was. With this, he could easily fake a perfect defense. The enemy would have no way to know when he was vulnerable at all! This was hands down the best one!


    "What about you, Joe?" Emsee asked.


    "I got a copy of the outfit I currently have. It can also change into a construction outfit.? It allows me to, and I quote: ''Demolish to my heart''s content," Joe shyly exined as he rubbed his head awkwardly.


    "HAHAHA! This is priceless! A demolition outfit!" AIYA was on the ground, rolling inughter.


    "What about you, Josh?" Joe tried deflecting.


    "I got this. How is it?" Josh smiled as he wore his outfit. Compared to this, any horror costume felt cute.


    There was a sinister aura to it that reminded one of death. It was brownish and looked faded (tainted?) as if it had been through too much wear, the gory battlefield kind. Bloodstains gave it some color.


    Then there was the blood. It was dripping and forming small puddles on the ground. Yet, when they looked again, it wasn''t there anymore. He looked like a real-life vengeful ghost.


    They all turned ghastly pale and silent. Josh could hear them nervously gulp as they stared at him. Every second they were gazing at him, they felt their souls leave their bodies. Yet, they couldn''t avoid it.


    "L-let me put it this way. If I saw you on the side of the road at night in Metropolis-C, I''d definitely change Metropolis. He''ll I''d move as far as possible!" Emsee exined.


    "Please, haha, as if." Josh chuckled, but they just kept nodding. They were serious. That''s when he decided to try something. He condensed as much killing intent as he could and sent it their way.


    "What the Hell?!" A secondter, they were all in fighting position, hiding behind Minor.


    "This is crazy! What kind of OP armor ability is that?! You got the best one by far! I guess it''s probably because you cleared the first two rounds alone." Joemented.


    Armor ability? Not really, but Josh just left it at that. Chances were they''d eventually figure out how to handle killing intent the more they fought. It had taken Josh a long time back then too.


    Sometimes he forgot that the Tower had only appeared a few months back. This meant that most of the renowned Rankers were powerful but hadn''t necessarily been fighting for a long time.


    "Alright, shall we go? System, talkter." Josh waved.


    [Bye Bye!]


    Thus ended this rxing expedition, full of fun times: Drinking fake coffee, eating brownies, having a sleepover, ughtering innocents, killing a little girl and wrecking bystanders in a mall, and most importantly getting gifts!


    As they teleported out, an extremely relieved Jayce came running. "You guys are finally out! I thought you were all dead!" He had had a somewhat sickly expression, and his eyes were red too. Why did the guy watching the car outside looked the worst?!


    "Why would we be?" Josh inquired.


    "It''s that crazy guy''s fault! He kept saying that a clear usually takes less than a day. Well, he''s pitiful too." He pointed to the tent nearby.


    The same old guy as the previous time could be seen popping his head out and giving a thumbs up. He looked relieved, probably because he didn''t want anyone to live the same distressing experience as him.


    "He may be crazy and pitiful, but he also impresses me," Josh admitted.


    "Why?" Jayce asked, confounded.


    "He understands rationally that his loved ones died in the Disaster Zone. He knows that his efforts are probably wasted. Yet, he still does it on the one off-chance that they are alive. He somehow manages to keep hope without running from reality." Josh exined.


    "That is both beautiful and extremely sad." Emsee chimed in.


    "Indeed." Minor agreed pensively.


    "Alright, enough mopping around! Shall we leave? I''m famished!" Joe shouted enthusiastically, shattering the heavy atmosphere with his jovial personality.


    "There is something I still do not understand." Minor took a heavy tone as they boarded the flying vessel. "Josh, where did you get all these brownies back then?!"


    "I used the money you gave me, but I do have a counter-question. How did you make a few hundred $$$ in a few minutes of dancing and singing?!" Josh eximed.


    "Ah, the power of a pretty boy. I would be jealous, but I just receive the perfect outfit to go on dates with, so I''m not even mad." AIYAforted himself.


    "If we are talking outfit, I bet Josh could get money super easily with these bloody clothes of his. He''d just have to walk to people, and they would run away, leaving all their possessions behind!" Minor teased.


    "I agree with that!"


    "+2"


    "+3"


    They then began chuckling at Josh''s expense. Honestly, he was pretty happy about the item he had gotten. At least it was memorable.


    Meanwhile, Jayce waspletely lost. Brownies? Dancing and singing? Outfits? Rankers fearing Josh? It was better just to ignore it all.


    That''s how they peacefully returned to Metropolis-C. But then, they suddenly remembered why they had done all this in the first ce.


    "Right¡­.We wanted to do that¡­ Are these guys still stalking?" Joe inquired.


    "Indeed, there are fewer of them, but still enough to be a pain in the ass. Their search for Dimensional Legion continues." Emsee answered while looking at his UW.


    "Then, how about we ''reveal'' ourselves to them? I have something in mind that would be really fun," Josh said that while grinning.


    The others couldn''t help but share a nce. Yep, these bored people were all royally screwed. No one would die, right?


    ****


    The Tower za was still full of life. There were the usual Climbers, but there were also lots of spectators chasing after Dimensional Legion. One could see various reporters interrogating people that clearly didn''t have anything interesting to say to fill air time.


    That''s how a gray-looking man with a gray-looking suit and gray-looking hair was holding a microphone in front of a young bystander. On his shirt, one could read Daily-Scoop. Except, it was a stretch to call this event a scoop or a daily one.


    "Tell me. How long have you been standing here? Do you still have hope to meet Dimensional Legion?" The reporter asked.


    "I''ve beening and going, you know. Like earlier this morning, I went home, and I made myself a PB and jelly, and then I walked a bit, and I¡­.¡ª"The young man''s chattering was incessant.


    "What about the second question?" The reporter cut him off.


    "EH? Oh right! Gotta have hope brotha. Without hope, what are we? Just snails wandering the vast world in search of anotha shell, you get me? Yeah, you get me brotha" He ''wisely'' said.


    "Yes, of course!" As the man was recording that footage, he couldn''t help but curse the editor who had sent him here. Now he was stuck talking to dumbasses that mistook snails for hermit crabs! This day was the worst!


    Oh well, it came with the job. These were the woes of living in a Climber''s city as a normal man, always getting pushed around.


    He had to repeat his usual mantra mentally. ''C''mon Luis. You can do this. Just gotta endure this shit for a few years, then it''s back to the vige with enough savings tost a few lifetimes!''


    He heaved a sigh as he found his inner peace for a short instant. But, very soon, it would crumble. At that moment, four individuals came out of the Tower. That happened often. What was peculiar was the gear that they were wearing.


    One had a golden resplendent full-bodied armor glistering in the sun.


    One wore a magnificent leather one with a hood hiding his face mysteriously.


    One had a dark outfit that seemed pretty simple but would rhythmically sh with every footstep.


    One guy was wearing some kind of magical-looking construction outfit. What was up with that?!


    That''s when the entire za erupted in shouts and cheers. Who were these mystical men?! At this point, the people would do anything to try their luck.


    Luis couldn''t help but thank his good work ethics that had made him stay. Now, this was a scoop! A real one! That''s when the golden champion said something that sent the crowd into a frenzy.


    "Hello, everyone. We''ve heard that some of you are interested in joining Dimensional Legion." His tone was calm, reassuring, and music to their ears. They all held their breath, waiting for him to continue.


    "Well, I will be going on a walk. Anyone is free to follow. Perhaps this shall bring opportunities."


    It''s at this very moment that Metropolis-C turned crazy!...


    Creator''s Thought


    This n was just done on a whim. Honestly, how was I supposed to know how much turmoil it would create? Then again, one had to admit that these cosmetic armors were just so goddamn badass! We all felt like main characters in the world of nd NPCs. It was the best!

 Chapter 141: Who Wants To Join? (No Pay, Serious Applications Only)

    <h4>Chapter 141: Who Wants To Join? (No Pay, Serious Applications Only)</h4>


    ****(POV)


    A Metropolis was nothing more than an overgrown city full of selfish people with diverse goals. Somehow, all of these self-centered people would interact with one another under the guise of society.


    Then, once in a blue moon, something, somewhere, somehow would bring all of these self-involved bastards together. Luis had seen it happen a couple of times, but he sure was surprised by today''s developments.


    That is how he began following the Dimensional Legion members. At first, he did it from far away. There were plenty of people trying to push. But then came a warning. The ones that didn''t behave would be left behind.


    This simple directive was akin to a divine order. It instantly settled the rowdy crowd. Luis couldn''t help but wonder for a second if this was a miracle. But then came the incessant babbling of the reporters to break the sanctity of the moment.


    Right, he was a journalist too. He should have been in the front, harassing people. That''s what journalists did nowadays. He still remembered a time when it was more about finding stories that were worth telling rather than mindless sensationalism.


    That''s why his own family called him a pure and honest soul. But really, he was well aware that in the eyes of the world, he was an idiot. That''s how he had gotten the job to cover this ''waiting event.''


    But, he had a job to do and would aplish it or try. He walked toward the front, stopped in front of the four individuals leading the march, and handed them his business card.


    "If you want someone to tell your story honestly, without artifices, I''m the best." The card had only his name and contact info, nothing else. He then politely stepped back and began walking behind.


    Luis could instantly hear the low scoffs and see the journalists'' faces as they found him risible. But, that was his style, and he would rather lose his job thanpromise. He was actually doing this for the pay, but he had principles.


    But soon, they stopped chuckling in derision as they were asked to go far away and to stop their ruckus. They tried rebutting, but it was toote. That''s when the man with the golden armor pointed at Luis, gesturing him toe closer.


    He nervously advanced, yet the four remained silent. Thus, he kept quiet. He would wait until they were ready. Still, he couldn''t help but nce at their armors. If he had any doubt about their legitimacy before, he was now convinced. These guys were the real deal. He could feel it by their aura.


    As they walked, Luis checked what the people of Metropolis-C thought of it all. This way, he could adapt his potential questions to the popce ones.


    "Did you hear?! They say Dimensional Legion has appeared."


    "There''s no way! Why now?"


    "You should have seen how awesome they looked!"


    "What if they''re fake?"


    "Fake? Would someone really have the balls to y so many people? LOL !"


    "I want a selfie with them!"


    "Where are they now? I''m omw!"


    "How does one join?! What are the requirements?!"


    "They just said to follow them for an opportunity. Holy shit. This is insane!"


    "Etc¡­."


    There were so many threads everywhere dedicated to that single topic. It was as if letting the whole subject marinate for close to a week had only intensified it.


    People wanted to forget the threat of the curse and had thrown themselves wholeheartedly into the tournament, and then D.L. Who could me them. Humanity loved heroes hiding in the shadows¡ªsilent protectors watching over the world.


    They just wanted to forget their worries and a pir to rely upon. This myth about the legendary guild had be way more in their eyes.


    Luis understood all that. He could feel it too. They seemed to be basking in an aura of reverence. Even he that was so close to them didn''t have anything to do with it. What were they really? Just normal humans, heroes?


    He felt his blood pump faster as he thought about their existence. That is when a sonorous shout destroyed the calm of the march.


    "Holy shit! They say guilds areing!!!"


    In the distance, he could see them iing. The crowd parted on their passage, showing them respect. There were unranked guilds, ranked guilds, and even the top-notch giants. Yet, for some reason, they all unconsciously remained a distance away from the four.


    Luis couldn''t help but begin to grin. He was right next to them, but the guilds were in the back. There were so many big names: Ouroboros, Immortal, Eclipse, Devouring Panda, Hydra, Gemini, Titanic Legion, Magical, Golden Cauldron, Adamantium Wolves, and those were just the S and A-ranked ones.


    When had theyste together without fighting over one thing or another?! Hell, even the ck Squad was there! They stayed in the background, ready to intervene should anything go wrong.


    It felt like the entire Metropolis was on a journey toward the future. What future remained to be seen. Luis could somehow picture them all charging into the Tower and tearing through the Floors.


    What would happen next? The crowd was huge, but there were barely any whispers. They just kept going. On the way, many businesses showed Closed signs as their owners too joined the procession.


    That''s when Luis saw them type on their UW. They seemed to be receiving instructions from someone else. The four extremely strong-looking guys were only underlings?! Then again, a usual Climber team had five individuals.


    Thus they kept going. They kept going as they left the center of the city. They kept going as they left the suburbs. They kept going as they exited Metropolis-C. They kept going until they arrived at a big farm.


    There was a sign inscribed with <Very Happy Farms>. The four led them inside. The confusion could be felt in the air. What was happening? Did they have a secretir under the farm, perhaps?


    Some clever people instantly realized the core of the issue. They had probably bought a vastnd for secret training purposes. This was obviously all part of a master n to weed out the unqualified individuals out of the lot.


    That is when they kept going until they arrived in front of an old man. His hair and beard were white, but his skin had a nice tan. He was sitting on an old-school rocking chair, dozing off with some music ying in the background.


    The golden knight approached him. "Master Welner, we will need your help." His tone was so polite!


    The spectators couldn''t help but show shock. Who was that old man?! How did hemand such recognition from a legendary figure from D.L?! Was he some kind of hidden Boss character?! The more they tried to appraise him and the less they saw. He looked so ordinary!


    His eyelids slowly fluttered open. What kind of wisdom would reside in these eyes of his? Then, he saw them. He showed panic. He started having trouble breathing. All his limbs were trembling. That''s when he shouted.


    "W-what the Hell is happening?!" He kept rubbing his eyes and pinching himself, thinking this was all a dream. He then nked. In front of him were thousands and thousands of climbers.


    To put things into perspective, it was quite simr to how thousands and thousands of cars could pass daily on a nearby road. One wouldn''t even bat an eye. Now, if these all appeared in one''s driveway at home it would be another story...That''s how the man felt¡­


    It didn''t help either that every single one of them had their gaze fixed on his being, trying to figure him out. He almost got a heart attack from all this stimtion. Thankfully, the golden champion turned around once more as he addressed the crowd.


    "I''ll repeat what I stated earlier. Anyone was free to follow for potential opportunities. Now, here we are. Who wants to be a farmer?" He asked them all with such confidence that they didn''t know how to react.


    That is when the hesitant old man, obviously a farmer, spoke. "Eh, actually, there are enough U-Bots to tend to the farm. I''m afraid you''d make a loss if you actually hire humans¡­."


    It was so silent that the vast majority of the people assembled could hear him. The golden knight seemed to smile at the man (no way to know with the helmet) before replying:


    "Don''t worry about it. They won''t actually be paid, and our goal is not profit in the first ce. A friend just asked us to do this. Just teach them all that you know, and that will be sufficient."


    "Alright, you can count on me! I will make sure to teach whoever how to grow big and hard cucumbers perfectly!" Welner patted his back confidently.


    That is when they all couldn''t help but wonder what the Hell was going on?! Were they really brought here to be farmers?! This didn''t make any sense! They would have to be idiots to waste their time like that! That is when the golden knight spoke once more.


    "Just to make one thing clear. I never imed to be part of Dimensional Legion. Now, this is private property. If anyone wants to learn to farm,e forward. Anyone that wants to leave instead is encouraged to. No pay! Serious applicants only!"


    How outrageous! He had clearly imed to¡­.actually not. But how was he still so confident?! Anyone else would have been shitting themselves after pranking so many powerhouses!


    Was it real or fake?! Somehow, they didn''t want to leave. After all, what if¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    Welner was an old man that wanted nothing more than to retire, livefortably, and appreciate life. He sold the farm to spend quality time with his grandson instead. Yearster he would brag about this moment. The day that thousands of Rankers stood before him humbly. Well, Welner was a legend in his own very peculiar way.

 Chapter 142: The Simple (?) Farm!

    <h4>Chapter 142: The Simple (?) Farm!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    The zing sun shined so brightly that it felt as if the humans were getting cooked alive. As they mainly were Climbers, they could take it. But somehow, there were civilians in there that seriously looked like they were about to kick the bucket.


    Luis couldn''t help but watch the happenings in a daze. There was a long line of Climbers that were waiting to register. The firsts had been so eager to tell the four all about their strengths! Nope, they were handed a little metal pin with a worker number on it, and that was it.


    At one point, a man proceeded forward full of confidence. He received his own pin but then kept lingering. "You guys should really note that I''m a Ranker, soon I''ll reaching Floor 50 and¡­." He bragged.


    "I see." The golden knight nodded seriously to the man that was as proud as a peacock. Without saying anything else, he took back the pin he had just given him. Then, he shooed him away.


    It''s at that moment that the entire line became restless! Oh my god! Could D.L. be any more high profile?! Rejecting someone that strong was one thing, but they did so without even hesitating!


    "Wait, wait! I didn''t mean anything by that. I just¡­" He tried apologizing. Surely they would forgive him. This was meant to show strength, but even they wouldn''t p a smiling face, right? ¡­.Wrong! He had to leave dispirited.


    People couldn''t help but look at each other. Some began biting their nails in stress. Others just began smiling extremely brightly. Rankers were getting rejected too! They resolved to join this farm no matter the cost.


    After exactly 500 hundred pins were distributed, another message came. "Thank you for the interest you guys have all shown in our farm. Recruitment is now closed!"


    Luis expected shouts of protest. There were none. They had been waiting in the blistering heat for so long for nothing, yet no one dared toin. After a long moment of silence, a man finally got the courage to ask what everybody was wondering.


    "Is there any chance for the people not selected to apply again sometime in the future?" He looked akin to a small kid that was asking for pocket money from a strict parent.


    "There are 500 numbered pins in total. If someone quits, naturally, another can take their ce. Firste, first served. If you guys want to wait, you can do so outside thisnd."


    Upon hearing that, the crowd couldn''t help but re at the 500 pin holders, thetter clutching the metallic item akin to a treasure. Then, they were ordered to follow the old man Welner for instruction.


    Luis was allowed to follow them to report on the happenings inside. He figured they knew the information would be leaked either way. They would rather it be urate. He couldn''t help but be surprised by the man guiding them. He really seemed to be only a farmer.


    At first, the old man was extremely intimidated. But then, he somehow regained his cool. He was going to show them his trade to the best of his abilities, that was all. They were so polite that he progressively forgot all about their social status.


    What about the interview that he had been waiting for? There was no such thing. They were brought to the field, then put to work instantly. As theybored, they couldn''t help but whisper to one another.


    "What do you guys think will happen?"


    "This ought to be a test of will, right?"


    "How long do you guys think we''ll be doing such a mindless task?"


    "If nothing happens after a day, I''m out of here!"


    "What if it''s not a test? What if we are really here to plow, nt, and stuff?"


    "No way!"


    "You guys can leave if you want. I''ll stay."


    "What if there is some deep meaning behind this? You know, they will be teaching us farming at first nce, but really we''ll be learning some profound battle technique by doing so."


    "Now that''s just bullshit."


    "Yeah, man. What do you want to learn exactly on a farm? HAHAHA"


    The old man just happened to pass by as the man said that. His face instantly turned ghastly white, and the others quickly distanced themselves from him. Was he about to get kicked out?


    The old man showed a slight smile without any trace of anger whatsoever. "Farming teaches determination, humbleness, patience, the value of hard work, simplicity, responsibility, and how to enjoy life itself."


    Then he walked away peacefully. Sometimes, he would crouch next to a Climber and show them a trick or two about the job. They were all taken aback.


    "Perhaps there is more to it."


    "The feel of the soil, the smell of the earth, the vibrancy of the vegetable nts...Okay, I have no clue."


    "Guys, it could be worse. What if we were one of these unlucky guys that couldn''t even get in. They have to be waiting outside with no guarantee to even get in."


    Luis couldn''t help but suck in a cold breath. He had just realized how simple and amazing this whole operation was.


    No one knew what they were doing here. It was an incredible mystery that made everyone''s imagination run wild. Their true personalities were bound to resurface. This would be the perfect opportunity to evaluate new candidates.


    Then there was that phenomenal yet simple entrance. They hadn''t promised anything either. This made people believe in their lofty status as a hidden guild. It made people fear to challenge them, for they were the unknown.


    Then, there was the whole way it was designed. By making the ces limited, they ensured that everything would run smoothly. It also gave value to working there. People were free to leave but not toe back. This raised the stakes.


    All of this had been carefully designed! How crazy was that? He couldn''t help but wonder which genius hade up with such a n. It was easy to think of, but who would dare to? It''s at that exact moment that they heard amotion outside.


    Flying vessels could be seennding a distance away from the farm, one after the other. Each exuded wealth, power, and dominance. The bystanders who were waiting kept eximing in awe as they recognized the symbols on them.


    "That''s the snake of Ouroboros. They probably want to convince D.L. to let them handle the sales of their excess loot."


    "This one is the Ankh from Immortal. I bet they want them to approve their newest clear strategies."


    "Herees the fat panda! Eh, now I''m hungry. Could you picture them cooking the produce that''s harvested directly? That would be so delicious."


    "Oh! There ites! Oh my god! Eclipse is there! I can''t believe I''m going to see these goddesses. I don''t care if it''s from a distance. Wait, what if they end up joining the farm?! Wouldn''t one be able to work alongside them this way?!"


    Eclipse was so popr that people almost missed the following ship marked with a very simple white ''????''. The vessel actually looked even simpler than the others and was all ck. But, it represented the highest authority in Metropolitans-C, the government leader himself.


    All of the neers had their features hidden and looked low-key. It was as if they had arrived in full force with their vessels but showed humbleness as they went toward the actual farm.


    All this procession could only mean one thing. This was an official visit. Would Dimensional Legion dare hide anything in front of such a force? Of course not!


    Would this be the rise of a new S-Rank guild? Would the mysterious D.L get a special rank assigned to it? S+ perhaps?


    The people were excited and couldn''t wait to know all about it. Whatever would happen would change Metropolis-C forever. They could feel it.


    Luis could hear his beating heart so loudly, and he felt that his life had been worth it just to witness this single moment. There were five representatives in total, one for each of the S-Rank guilds and the government.


    Actually, Draconic was missing. This felt extremely fishy. There was no way they would miss such an event, right?! Then again, it wouldn''t be surprising if Draconic challenged them to a fight instead.


    That is how the various leaders respectfully entered the premises. Then they tried finding the members of Dimensional Legion, but they were gone. It had been easy for them to slip out considering how strong they were and that people only knew their masked appearance.


    That is when the old farmer approached the group. "Hello, everyone. The current owners are currently absent. You shoulde back another day if you want to meet them. As for working here, you guys will have to go outside and wait for your turn," He smilingly said.


    Oh my god! Did he just say that?! Luis scurried over to him, whispering: "These are the bigshots of Metropolis-C. I think you should definitely call them over. We aren''t qualified enough to deal with them."


    That''s when the old man suddenly showed an understanding expression. Good, he would call them and¡ª


    "Here, take this. They warned me this might happen. You are a professional reporter, so you should be eloquent enough. They told me to have you read this." He handed some paper over before stepping back calmly.


    Luis lightly skimmed it, but then he felt his entire body be cold. No way! There was no way he could say any of that!


    "What does it say?" The government representative asked.


    "I''m afraid there must be a mistake for¡ª" Luis wanted to exin.


    "Just read it. We know these aren''t your words."


    Luis nodded before he began:


    "If anyone wants to know more, this ce is only a farm and nothing else. We are non-profit, but we do ept donations. If some VIP level character shows up, please point them to where the others are waiting!"


    Now, what was crazier: the speech or the fact that the leaders were leaving without a fuss?! Why?! Had they figured something out?! When the 500 workers saw that they couldn''t help but thank their lucky star!


    But seriously, who was the crazy mastermind behind all this?!


    Creator''s Thought


    They say it is easy for a lie to be seen through given enough time. That is why I decided to be 100% honest with them. So what if they realized that this really was just a normal farm? It was as advertised! What can I say, sometimes the world doubts honest individuals like yours truly. A shame, isn''t it? Why can''t people have a little more faith?

 Chapter 143: The Most Epic Horsie!

    <h4>Chapter 143: The Most Epic Horsie!</h4>


    Josh couldn''t help but smile as he fiddled with his UW. He was getting updates on the situation in real-time. He was home, in the dark, grinning¡ªno spookiness intended.


    He had recently learned about Draconic''s team system. The gold-ranked had the privilege to be the single numeral teams.


    There was team 1 headed by Dario, team 2 headed by Lilly (the newbies), and team 7 headed by Emsee. Why 7? Obviously, for the luck!


    Josh was now browsing Team 7''s chat:


    - Golden Knight: The deed is done. We have vanished like smoke in a gray fog. The 500 spots have been filled instantly, with many waiting to take their spot. Welner should be fine if no one causes trouble. Mission aplished!


    - Evil Mastermind: Good Job! I''m proud of you guys. The turnover was better than I expected. With this, they should be busy enough not to bother Climbers anymore. Also, what''s with this nickname you gave me?!


    - Arrow Guy: This is so much overkill! I can''t believe you pulled that trick on S-Ranks! Haha, this nickname fits so well!


    - Music guy: So, how long will we keep the scam going?


    - Construction guy: You''re not the only one with a weird nickname. Also, it''s not a scam! We told them it''s just a farm, you know.


    - Evil Mastermind: Let me share some wisdom. It is not about how long we should keep it going, but how long we CAN keep it going. Do you get my drift?


    That''s when the chat was spammed with "Evil Mastermind" over and over again until Josh finally decided to close it entirely.


    Now that he could ess the Tower without worry, it was time to n the next step: Floor 17! What did it actually entail? Well, in this case, he would need to visit a ranch.


    That is how he looked for one in the vicinity. As fate would have it, there was one nearby the farm he had just acquired. Well, technically, Emsee had temporarily paid for it until the Ghoul sets were sold.


    Josh actually hollered a taxi to drive him there. Was it weird that somehow he just couldn''t wrap his head around orange taxis? On Earth, there had been so many yellow taxis (especially New York) and even red taxis in Hong Kong, but orange?! Not that he knew of!


    "Wee aboard. I am Armin! If¡­." Hey, it was that cool driver! Refreshments, snacks, HUB, ents, and tour guide options were all avable. God, this guy was the best! (no contest)


    "I''m going there!" Josh just showed him his destination and let the magic happen. So great!


    On the HUB, there was a news show ying called Daily Scoop. It was about a¡­.wait a minute! Josh couldn''t help butugh out loud! It was portraying <Very Happy Farms> as some kind of enlightened and VIP area that everyone wanted to get in.


    "I am d you are having fun, Sir!" Armin remarked.


    "He started listing all the amazing knowledge this farm will bring people. I just can''t believe the exaggeration!" Josh exined


    "Sir, I really feel there may be life lessons to be learned from an activity such as farming. For instance, I have learned many things even while being a lowly cab driver."


    "I disagree with that very much."


    "Of course, Sir. For a Climber, this must really feel¡ª"


    "I disagree about the lowly part. There are no jobs in this world that are lowly. By definition, a job is something that someone is ready to pay to have done. Lowly? No way!"


    "You tter me, Sir! This is the first time someone shows such kindness." Tears began to fall from the corner of his eyes. How was he getting so emotional? Then again, a little validation could go a long way.


    "tter? No. I mean it. You can navigate this City better than me, for instance. I''m also convinced you are better at customer service, amongst other things. I would have killed so many customers already. Anyway, how is life here?" Josh asked.


    That is how a teary Armin began talking about his life experiences. The ces he had visited in his past, how he had moved to Metropolis-C as the Tower appeared, everything. The man had even witnessed the ce bing a Climber''s haven too. How amazing was that?!


    Josh told him a bit about Earth. He told him about how he had lived in ces with cars and yellow taxis everywhere and how he had trouble adapting to that bright orange color, which made Armin chuckle madly.


    Eventually, they reached Josh''s destination. "Sir, thank you for using my services. It makes me feel useful, really. Was the ride enjoyable?"


    "It was awesome." What else but a thumbs-up could one give such a driver? He watched the vehicle depart before turning toward the ranch that was called <Horsing Around>.


    Back on Earth, Josh barely had any contact with horses. The reason was simple. They were hard to find in the city.


    Of course, some touristic ces used some to drag along wonderful carriages. Josh remembered how popr such activities had been with tourists and recently married couples (at the beginning when passion was still there.).


    Fun fact, even back on Earth, it was easier and cheaper to buy a horse than to care for it in most cases. Such was a universal truth that even he knew. As he followed the trail, Josh soon arrived before an old-looking wooden house.


    He knocked using the horseshoe that was hanging on the door before entering. He couldn''t help but notice the pleasant atmosphere. It felt old-school with various stable items used as decoration. It was a sh with the modern world.


    "Wee! We got ourselves some city folks! Ah, just one city folk, actually. What brings you here today? You can call me Linda." A woman appeared.


    "Hello!" Josh replied.


    She was blond, with blue eyes and cute freckles. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she was wearing leather boots, jeans, and a leather jacket that looked extremely natural on her. She sized up Josh from head to toe.


    "You look young, youe from the city, you seem to have a sense of purpose, and you are not even staring at my puppies¡ª and I know I''m rocking this jacket." She slowly analyzed. Still, by all ounts, these were too big to be called puppies, right?


    "Let me guess: you want to bring your girlfriend on a romantic ride. You''d wrap your manly arms around her slender waist, whisper sweet promises in her ears, fondle a breast from time to time, then eventually do something ''wild'' and ''totally unnned'' in the bushes." She winked at him.


    Josh couldn''t help but smile slightly. Then he uttered: "You know, she would have been the one bringing me instead. She once organized us an alligator ride. I still don''t know the why or how to this day. But, I do remember her excitement and smile. It was so beautiful."


    "Wow! I take it you''re a Climber to dare ride an alligator!" She had noticed the past tense.


    "This was way before the Tower. Anyway, I''m here because I want to learn about horses. I want to observe them and get used to their movement patterns." Josh exined.


    She slowly guided him toward the stable in the back. That''s when light of understanding showed in her eyes. Just from how she talked about her horses, her babies, he knew how much she cared about them.


    She then started showing them off one by one. She talked about their age, temperaments, how long she had them for, and all sorts of random information.


    Josh couldn''t help but think that, ironically, the normalmon-folks may prove more interesting than the Climbers to talk with. How many Climbers were truly passionate about climbing itself and weren''t just seeing it as a job?


    It was really all about passion. When Climbers talked about Floors, their eyes wouldn''t sparkle in the same way hers did every time she looked at a horse. He found himself murmuring:


    "I like your eyes, especially the way they shine." He didn''t mean anything by that and she didn''t take it the wrong way either. She just smiled, understanding him.


    "Now, which friend would you like to y with? Dash the handsome brown yful horse, ckie the proud stallion, or perhaps Horsie, the donkey that''s totally convinced he''s a horse?" She asked with enthusiasm.


    "A valiant man like me can only have a heroic mount! I choose Horsie!" That''s when the donkey turned its head to stare at him while Lindaughed, holding her sides.


    Wasn''t there something truly heroic about a donkey mingling with horses without a care in the world? Apparently, it wouldpete with the others that were much bigger even when its defeat was definitely assured.


    That is how they exited the stable. The donkey followed carefully behind Josh as it observed him curiously. Were donkeys supposed to be that smart? Then again, he had known the story of that one talking donkey that fucked a dragon, so¡­


    Outside was a t grassy in with a few roads to tread on. That''s how Josh officially began''s horse-riding (donkey riding) lessons. Overall it was pretty simple. He just needed to use his legs to steer it in the right direction and apply a bit of pressure to speed up.


    Then when it came to stopping, it was as simple as pulling the reins. But, as soon as he got the hang of it, Josh actually jumped down and began observing the actual movements.


    "Actually, can we get the three of them out here? I want to observe them all at once." Josh asked, and before long, he was observing Dash, ckie, and Horsie yfully gallop together.


    Their bodynguage, especially the ears, would often betray their next action. He kept watching until he felt like he could predict their movements as well as he did with humans.


    That''s when Linda added: "There is actually a girl that came here with herpetition-grade horse if you want to observe that one too. She should be back from her tour around the ranch soon enough.


    A few minutester, Josh could hear the sound of galloping. That''s when a peerless jade beauty appeared on the horizon. Josh couldn''t help but gasp in admiration. So beautiful!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Evil-Mastermind? Please! What kind of evil mastermind would roll around in normal taxis and visit a ranch? Evil mastermind, nowing with an extra donkey on the side! How would all this help me in the Tower? Well, it''s one of these things that seem simple but can be the difference between life and death really.

 Chapter 144: Devil Says Sleep!...

    <h4>Chapter 144: Devil Says Sleep!...</h4>


    A few minutester, Josh could hear the sound of galloping. That''s when a peerless jade beauty appeared on the horizon. She was so beautiful! He couldn''t help but gasp in admiration.


    If she dared call herself number two in terms of grace and good looks, no one would have dared to im number one. She was so elegant with her prating and intelligent eyes, her cute braided hairstyle, and her well-defined figure with curves in all the right ces.


    She looked like a princess straight out of a fairytale. She had a white coat, a pure aura, a white mane, four powerful legs, and a long face. This horse was so white that it would have never figured in a Neetflix adaptation!


    "Stunning, isn''t she?" Linda murmured.


    "Yes, very," Josh admitted.


    "She''s a member of the B-Rank Basilisk."


    "Are we both talking about the horse here?"


    Apparently not. There was a moment of awkward silence. Josh could understand where the confusion came from.


    The rider had pretty dark hair, delicate features, and she too looked like a princess somewhat. But, Josh quickly disregarded her. She was stylish but also had an air of arrogance to her. He could feel it.


    Thus, he simply kept observing the horse with a glint in his eyes. This one was so much harder to read than the others. Perhaps because it had donepetitions? This creature oozed elegance and discipline!


    That''s how he began to stare heatedly, very obviously. He felt like he was confronted with an alluring mystery, one that he was about to solve.


    That''s when the horse finally came to a halt. He couldn''t help but advance toward it. Just as he was a few meters away, a cold voice tinged with anger was heard.


    "Have you no shame, you disgusting man! Do you think I''m blind? I saw you stare at my ass all this while! Leave this ce right now! Otherwise, I''ll send you back home crawling with your teeth in your hands."


    Josh smiled slightly, but his eyes remained cold. "They say pretty roses have thorns. I have to say it''s pretty refreshing to see you get away from that stereotype. You''d be a ''Gastrodia Agnicellus'' with thorns instead."


    "What are you bbing about?!"


    That''s when Linda jogged over, trying to stop the pointless conflict.


    "Lydia, wait for a second! I''m pretty sure he was staring at Izabe rather than you. It''s a misunderstanding. He''s been observing the other horses too, see!" She pointed at the animals that were now curiously watching them.


    "Tch, he should still apologize for causing a misunderstanding in the first ce." She pouted before continuing. "Right, what flower did you call me before? Gastrodia Agni¡ªsomething." She happily looked it up.


    No prettydy disliked beingpared to a flower, especially if thepliment was personally tailored to them ording to symbolism. Except, as she pulled a picture of it, she couldn''t help but retch as it was simply way too disgusting!


    Before she could ovee her shock and disgust, Josh smilingly added:


    "Yes, It''s a misunderstanding. There is no way I would show any interest in such a self-absorbed, arrogant, and blind woman such as yourself." He then turned around, heading to y with the cute donkey.


    As far as Josh was concerned, he had already aplished his objective here. He didn''t want to be a horse expert, but just to brush up his equestrian bodynguage reading. That''s when came a shrill scream behind him.


    "How dare you, asshole! I''ll beat you up!" That''s when she guided her horse to charge forward while fiercely summoning a spear.


    Josh could feel the oppressive aura she emanated and a tinge of killing intent.


    She seemed way higher level than him. Could Josh defeat her? Perhaps, but it would not be an easy fight.


    There was one good point. She was riding a mortal horse, no matter how strong she was as a Climber. From an outsider''s point of view, the scene that followed would have seemed like an illusion or a nightmarish one.


    Josh first activated his Piercing Eyes skill to render his eyes glowing red. Then, he summoned his bloodstained outfit. He began dripping with blood, reminding one of the scariest horror movies. Finally, he released lots of killing intent.


    The most important remained the timing. He activated all three just long enough to appear like a mirage or even a trick of the mind. "Go to sleep." Suddenly, the horse neighed as it reared, throwing its rider straight to the ground.


    THUD!


    Her ass crashed on the ground making a heavy sound. Her shocked expression was priceless. What had happened?! She didn''t know. She saw a red sh, she saw blood, and she felt death.


    She began shivering. Somehow, facing that man felt like being in the Tower again. In her dismay, she remained on the floor.


    That''s when her horse became unsteady on its feet. It took a single step backward in fright before copsing. Its eyes were rolled up, it had foam at the mouth, its tongue was out, and that''s when it fell on its mistress, almost impaling itself unto her spear.


    "What''s wrong, Izabe?! No! C''mon, get up! You can do it! Open your eyes! Don''t go! Noooo!" She began half screaming and half crying.


    What the Hell?! Was the horse going to be fine? He had barely shown his killing intent for a fraction of a second. Surely it wasn''t that effective, right?! Was it the bloodstained outfit?!


    Linda rushed next to the horse, showing a worried expression. "She''s still alive. It''s weird. It''s almost as if she''s in a a?! How did that happen?!"


    "I charged at him and¡­Ah! We need to call an ambnce first!" Josh saw her steady herself. She was evidently struggling to do so, but she did. About 10 minutester, there was a flying shipnding right next to them.


    A medic hurriedly shouted directives: "Quick! Get the horse in here!" Josh naturallyplied. As much as he disliked the girl, he had just possibly killed her horse. He would at least make this small effort.


    Before long, they were at the general hospital. Why had theye here with a horse as a patient? What had happened to veterinarians? Whatever there would be another time for that.


    They actually put the big horse on a rolling cart, bringing it all the way to a white table with lots of tools to operate, or so it seems in a small private room.


    That is when a doctor took a huge tube with a needle in front. Then he inserted it very deeply in the equine patient. They all awaited the rest of the operation. That''s when the doctor began leaving.


    "Where are you going?! Is she going to be fine?" The girl asked the doctor.


    "Honestly, it''s impossible to know. On all ounts, this horse is healthy. We are giving it a solution to take care of its body, but it''s not doing anything. This must be hard for you. Eh, stay strong."


    Josh was already in the process of leaving the ce. What could he do better than a doctor? Would he remaining there help in any way? Definitely not. That''s when the doors nged violently as thedy entered the corridor, spotting Josh.


    She stepped forward with haste. Was she going to assault Josh right there?! This was a public space!


    He expected her to scream in rage. He expected her to attack! He expected her to do anything, but what followed. She dropped to the ground, kneeling.


    "I don''t know what you did, and I don''t care! Please save her! Would you please save Izabe? I won''t ever try to take revenge. You can do whatever you want with me! You can have my money! I''ll serve you! I''ll give you my body! I''ll¡ª"


    "I''m not even sure what happened myself. You charged at me, I took a fighting stance and¡ª"


    "I don''t care! Please try! Just try!" She howled inmentation. The snobbish and arrogant girl was nowhere to be seen. She was just a loving girl that wanted her friend back¡ªnothing else.


    Nodding, Josh headed toward the room where the horse rested. It appeared to be sleeping peacefully. But at this rate, it would perish like this. How was he supposed to do anything?


    He couldn''t help but give a self-deprecating smile. No matter how much he racked his brain, it was all useless. He came closer and slightly caressed the creature. There was one thing he could do, to apologize.


    "Sorry, I''m sorry." He felt like shit. He didn''t mind killing, but he hated killing a target involuntarily. It left a bad aftertaste inside his mouth.


    That is when Josh suddenly had a thought. It did not make sense at all. It was incredibly ridiculous. The horse had gone into aa when he had told it to sleep, right? He summoned his outfit, killing intent and Piercing eyes.


    The atmosphere in the room became intolerable. It was akin to hell on earth, or that''s how it felt.


    He then simply approached the creature: "Enough sleeping, it''s time to wake up." He murmured. As if that was going to work!


    That''s when the horse opened its eyes. They were clear, without any shadow. Had it just been awaiting the permission to wake up all this time?! What would have happened to it if Josh had just left?


    That is when Josh heard a cry. Then a delicate body threw itself his way. He was sandwiched between the girl and the horse.


    "Thank you! Thank you so much! Thank You!.." She kept repeating that over and over. Still, her hug was so very warm and her sincerity touching. It was 100% pure relief and emotions.


    As Josh was ''prisoner'' of the woman''s embrace, he left his thoughts to wander toward the Tower. It was really time for him to Climb...


    ****


    [A/N] Golden Ticket Update: these will probably have an awesome effect on the novel. If you have any please throw a few this way! =) As for Goals we''ll see, maybe art? Thoughts? (PS: Trying to increase efficiency to 3/day atm, while keeping the same word count, haven''t forgotten)


    Creator''s Thought


    Sometimes I would tell this story to some acquaintances. For some reason, they always had the same reaction. It went : - When the Devil tells you to sleep, you fucking sleep. - When the Devil asks you to wake up, you fucking wake up. - If you have to pick between the literal Devil and Josh Malum to disappoint = Devil 100%.

 Chapter 145: Lydia Lionheart

    <h4>Chapter 145: Lydia Lionheart</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Lydia Lionheart had always found her name unfitting. It meant both ''beautiful one'' and ''brave''. She tried to be both of these things but had only managed to put a facade at best.


    In her guild, she was now renowned as a hardworking but difficult to approach girl. She had always been the shy kind, with her mother encouraging her toe out of her shell.


    She would yfully say cheesy stuff like: "The world is bright and beautiful¡ªand a little bit more every time you smile. So, why don''t you go out and have fun? This life is too amazing to be frowning all the time."


    Lydia wasn''t brave, far from it. Her mother was way braver. She neverined and always smiled even as she lost her hair, as her organs slowly decayed, and as she saw her lifeing to an end.


    Lydia wasn''t beautiful either. She had to put tons of foundation to hide the traces of all the sleepless nights. She wasn''t even the sick one, but she couldn''t help it. She couldn''t picture her life without her mom.


    Actually, no. She could, and it scared her so much. Lydia was selfish. She wanted her to remain in this world for her sake. She wanted her to remain by her side. But, fate had other ns.


    Eventually came the day she had to face her mother''s lifeless body. Even then, the woman looked peaceful and beautiful, not a trace of worry in the world.


    That day, Lydia cried. Her mask of a strong daughter came off. She was nothing but a mess both in body and spirit. She had her mother cremated and carefully kept her ashes in a small and cheap urn.


    That very day she took her mother''s remains, climbed the tallest building in the city, and she moved toward the edge. As she stood next to the abyss, she couldn''t help but want to jump. It would end all the pain.


    But that wasn''t her purpose. She had to keep living, and she had to keep smiling. On top of that building, she scattered the ashes. "I hope your spirit brings a smile to all. Thank you for all you''ve done. I''ll always love you, mother. I''ll miss you."


    She almost felt the world turn a little more lively after she was done with that. At first, she thought she just imagined it, but then she realized that firetruck sirens were ring and people down there were pointing at her.


    That''s when the door to the rooftop opened as a negotiator came in and starting telling her about how beautiful life was and how it was worth living. Ah! She somehow had been misunderstood as a jumper!


    She startedughing while crying in front of a puzzled man. She could picture herself telling her mom this story as she howled,ughing. She showed the man the urn embarrassedly, exining. As he smiled, she couldn''t help but agree that it did make the world a brighter ce.


    Her mother was the best. Even as nothing but a pile of ashes, she could still bring happiness to the world. Then they slowly walked down the building, taking the stairs. On the way, shepletely abused the poor man''s kindness.


    She unburdened all of her emotions onto him. How lost she felt, how weak she felt, how she didn''t know what to do with her life or how to deal with an empty urn. She evenined about always getting more Blue M''&''M''s for some reason!


    She was talking for the sake of talking. She didn''t expect a dialogue or even an answer. No, she just unloaded it all on him. When they finally reached ground level, she somehow felt better. It must have felt like an eternity for him.


    As she left, she even proudly showcased her mother''s urn to everyone. She nodded at them, made eye contact, shook their hands, and thanked them for attending the funeral. It was so awkward that it made people smile.


    As she didn''t know what to do with her person, she received a call. It was from a kind and remarkable woman called Linda. Somehow, she had known her mother way back. She wanted to invite her to her ranch to talk about her memory.


    Lydia saw it as a way to turn the page. She felt it was indeed a fantastic coincidence. Well, of course, it wasn''t. Her mother had been nning this for months. She knew how hard her daughter found it to cope with her sickness.


    Instead of worrying about herself, she had used the little time she had left to make a few ns. One of these was for Lydia to go on a ranch to change her mind. But, she knew she would never abandon her, so she had made postmortem arrangements instead.


    It took time, but Lydia began smiling again. No, she had been smiling all along, but it slowly became genuine. Her new horse helped her so much in the process. She called her Izabe, her mother''s name. It was very fitting because when she was with Izabe, she kept smiling.


    Then, the whole Tower thing happened. She somehow tried her luck and managed to Climb at a rtively good pace. As for financing, it happened due to chance too. She had entered a sculpture shop, the smiles of the statues calling to her.


    One thing led to another, and she joined Basilisk. Nowadays, she was rtively happy. There was still bittersweet sadness, but it was definitely bearable.


    Eventually, that incident happened. She was peacefully enjoying her quality time with Izabe when he intruded. Usually, she wouldn''t have cared much about a perverted nce, but this was her sacred moment.


    Sheshed out without even realizing it. She lost her temper so much that she turned into a real bitch. Then she went to teach the rogue a lesson, but it ended up with Izabe falling.


    She couldn''t lose her, not again! In her eyes, the horse ovepped with her mother. She got flooded with emotions she had buried deep in her heart.


    That''s when she begged the man. She wasn''t thinking straight. She just wanted to save her. She felt the same helplessness as back then. It was the worst! He agreed to help and stood next to her.


    She wasn''t in the mood to carefully analyze what was happening, but she felt it. He transformed into another being. That''s when she realized that he was the Grim Reaper. He would save her horse in exchange for her own life.


    When Izabe opened her eyes, Lydia couldn''t help but throw herself at her. She even embraced mister Grim Reaper in the process but didn''t care. It''s only a little whileter that she came back to her senses.


    He clearly was only a man. She had made a fool out of herself, yet she couldn''t help but chuckle. That''s when she shyly stepped backward.


    It was as if spring hade to her face. Her cold and aloof expression was no more. She nced at the man. He was extremely mysterious. He wore a very normal gray suit yet had a way to conduct himself that made it seem like his presence was natural.


    She politely bowed. "Thank you very much!" She was ready to proceed with whatever payment he desired, but he simply dismissively told her it was fine. That''s when he waved goodbye and left, leaving a stunned trio in the room.


    That is when Linda finally came back to her senses. As she wasn''t a Climber, his earlier disy had shaken her even more.


    "Lydia, you forgot something important!" she said in a grave tone.


    "What?!" Lydia couldn''t help but be slightly worried.


    "You didn''t get his number! I can''t believe you wouldmit such a rookie mistake! You had a golden opportunity too! You could have thanked him with a meal!" She sounded extremely serious.


    Lydia couldn''t help but chuckle, relieved. If that was the only issue, then it wasn''t much of a problem.


    "You worry too much, aunty. He''s probably a Climber in Metropolis-C. It shouldn''t be that hard to find him. I''ll have to thank him properly."


    "Do you want me to show you some techniques to properly ''thank him"?" She said that as she winked and pointed at her own breasts.


    "No need!" Lydia shyly answered, making the experienceddy guffaw.


    Still, she was so d. He could have easily walked away from this. Killing a horse in self-defense was in no way a crime, especially if it was done in such a mystical way.


    She slowly began the walk back home with Izabe, sending Linda back in a taxi. As they trotted, she couldn''t help but recall his appearance, the Grim Reaper one. How could he change so drastically in so little time?


    But then she had a sh of insight. The answer was obvious: it was either a skill or an incredibly mighty item. Either way, it showed great means. As she passed by the <Very Happy Farms>, she couldn''t help but smile.


    Somehow she felt that this mystery man was part of Dimensional Legion. Why? It was only a gut feeling, her instinct. Still, who else would show such capabilities and be utterly unknown to her?


    She felt curious about it for sure, but she put the idea aside for now. She had to find a way to repay him. For the first time in her life, shemented hercking charm. This would have been so much easier if he had truly been staring at her ass back then.


    As she arrived at Horsing Around, she felt at peace once more. She still didn''t know how to proceed, but she''d figure it out.


    "Are you alright? You''re all red!" Linda teased her on the side.


    "YES!" She cried out.


    That woman''s suggestion had poisoned her mind for sure! There were plenty of other ways to repay someone. Anyway, what were the chances he had already forgotten about her?¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Lydia Braveheart would often be forgotten. More so, her other identity made such an impression that no one remembered the cute and timid youngdy that she had been. Well, it couldn''t be helped really: ''Bloody Smilling Angel'' was definitely more memorable. On our first meeting, I messed with her horse and insulted her. Talk about leaving a bad first impression.

 Chapter 146: Nightmare on Floor 17

    <h4>Chapter 146: Nightmare on Floor 17</h4>


    As Josh arrived at the Tower za, he couldn''t help but smile, seeing how spacious it was. There were no more stalkers that¡ª never mind. Actually, there were still a few.


    They were now ogling him and the way too many spears he was carrying. Can''t a man bring a few dozen spears on a casual walk in the Tower! Anyway, he happily teleported in.


    His first thought upon seeing the interior was ''beach episode'', for he could feel the soft sand under his feet. But, the surroundings were pretty bare and consisted mostly of an empty track surrounded by very tall dark brick walls.


    [Mission: Summon The Prime Nightmare!]


    "So, what''s this about? Prime Nightmare, eh? Let me try this¡­.2,3,5,7,11,13 ¡­.so how many do I have to list for the nightmarish version to appear?" But only silence answered him.


    "Alright, alright. I guess not all Tower Protocols can be as cool as the Alter one. For now,unch hellish as usual." He felt like a kidining about one parent being more strict than the other.


    He slowly observed his surroundings carefully. It was open-air, but there seemed to be some kind of scary-looking purple fog filling the sky. Why scary? It seemed alive as if it was filled with damned souls that wanted nothing more than to devour the living.


    But, one had to agree it made for a pretty interesting sight. Josh chuckled as he pictured hosting a barbecue here.


    Want a campfire? Just build one on the sand, no risk of burning everything. As for fuel? Well, one could always ask the Tower to create a custom firewood rewarding quest or something.


    Are you worried about it being too chilly or hot? There are walls to protect one from the wind and a purple fog to protect one from the sun.


    Then there was that stunning night sky. Why have lifeless stars that are light-years away from you when you can have ghosts right there doing acrobatics right above your head for your viewing pleasure?


    "Navi, what are the chances that I will die if I go hug one of the ''whatever-those-things-are'' up there?"


    <This model highly discourages Master from such foolish endeavor. It is suggested not to go anywhere near these creatures without a proficient cleric or exorcist.>


    "A shame."


    He began walking around the area. The ce looked like a huge funnel and somewhat reminded him of a pizza slice. He wasn''t even hungry, but he found some sort of satisfaction imagining this death game as things that were fun and casual.


    On the wall of the ''entrance'' (therger part), were two closed metal gates that he had a feeling would soon be spitting tons of monsters. Then, on the opposite side, there was a wide golden gate that looked absolutely stunning.


    There was onest detail worth noting. He could see thin stick-looking stone thingies sticking out of the sand. That was new. As far as he was aware, this Floor was all about surviving until the Boss spawned and then surviving some more.


    But, this was hellish. He already expected the unexpected. Suddenly, he felt the air change as a deep chime resounded


    ?DING! ?


    Josh happily replied: "To whoever is ringing the bell, do you know an Emsee Hammer, by any chance? He does chimes too."


    The nging sound of chains being rolled up and a metallic gate being opened came as a reply. That is when charged in two living Nightmares, and Josh wasn''t even exaggerating.


    <Nightmare Lv 17 >


    They were basically horses. Well, they had the shape, at least. They were shadowy-looking, seemed almost incorporeal at times, and there was a me in the wind effect to it all, which was weird given the absence of wind.


    The creatures'' eyes were inexistent, but they were obviously fixing him, somehow. He could sense it. He could also sense that they were looking at him as if he was a tasty meal.


    Now, what truly made these monsters odd-looking was the teeth. It had sharp teeth in its mouth. It had sharp teeth on its side. It had sharp teeth on its back. It had sharp teeth on its hooves.


    Yes, it didn''t make sense., not one bit. But, nightmares rarely did.? It would repeatedly open and close its various mouths located all around its body as if salivating.


    Then, they reached him. On a scale of 1 to 10, their speed was: so goddamn fucking fast!


    It was time for the ultimate technique: an awkward belly-down slide, followed by a graceful roll dodge. It was mostly the sand cloud getting flung everywhere that was graceful.


    Usually, getting to the ground near horses was the most idiotic idea ever. But, it worked in this case. The hard part was dodging the hooves¡ª maws (whatever). Wait, was it possible for the abomination to die from sand indigestion? Probably not.


    Josh took the time needed to get used to their movements. It felt stupid, but they somehow acted like real horses, bodynguage-wise. The only difference was the body parts showing teeth mid-way, but no biggie.


    When he felt confident enough, he struck! His attack was fast, powerful, urate, and quite frankly useless. So, here was the situation. A nightmare wasn''tpletely a physical creature.


    In fact, the consensus out there was that magic was necessary to kill one. Without that prerequisite, one would die: chased by fast horsies and devoured. Now, why was he here then?


    Well, he had happened to stumble on a forum while researching the Floor. He had then seen a wise man share some mostly unknown fact. These things could be hurt with weapons¡­but only when they were trying to eat.


    One could see them as phantoms that merely turned corporeal for the sake of eating. Honestly, he could understand that. He wouldn''t mind some risk for a tasty snack.


    Josh had barely chatted with the wise man that he had been kicked. Sadly, he hadpletely lost contact with the user called: <Masochistic Fury UwU>. How could a name disgust so much in so few words?


    Josh had, of course, fact-checked that knowledge with Draconic, and it turned out to be true but considered useless. So that''s why Josh was currently throwing himself everywhere, trying to get the timing right.


    It was very much like ying the ''spoon is an airne'' game with a baby. But, recing the target with a Nightmare and the tool with a spear. Oh yeah, he had a shit-ton of spears.


    Did that sound hard? That wasn''t all! Yes, it got worse..or better? Since he didn''t have monstrous raw strength, he used their own charges against them. He would ce the spears at a perfect angle on the ground to somehow screw them over.


    So it boiled down to:


    1. Predict the movements


    2. Predict which mouth will try to bite


    3 Predict the timing


    4. Just wish for the best and try over and over¡­and over¡­and¡­


    Was it the smartest tactic? Of course, not! He could have waited for his other ns to flourish,e backter, and potentially steamroll this challenge. But, why do tomorrow what one can do today?


    Josh felt like he was clearing a level in a game that had been designed to be impossible. Yet, there he was. Actually, that''s exactly what it was.


    He smirked a bit, imagining himself in front of all these guys that kept banning him on forums: "They said my strategies are impossible. Yet, here I fucking am. Hellish, Solo, ssless, I rest my case! Good day, and go fuck yourselves."


    He was having fun and this was all that mattered. It took a while but he managed to skewer his first Nightmare and afterward to take it down. The XP was pitiful but felt so sweet! But, just as he was cheering, another respawned. What the Hell?!


    Ah, but where the horse had died, there was now a few items:


    <Horse Meat>


    C''mon! Couldn''t the Tower call it Nightmare meat? Talk aboutziness!


    <Flickering me>


    -me that is about to disappear. It needs a home.


    There it was! Josh smiled as he had cracked the code! He just had to work hard! Now, there were exactly six torches in this vast area.


    The scene must have looked quite ridiculous from the ceiling ghosts'' perspective. There was a human getting chased around by horse-looking monsters. All he did was lunge away, fleeing, and at some point, his pursuers would die.


    Eventually, he had gotten all the mes in position. He was ready for the Prime Nightmare to appear!


    First came the chimes: ?DING! ??DING! ?


    Then, a monstrous rumble was heard. That is when a wall on one side crashed to the ground violently!!


    CRASH! RUMBLE! NEIGH!


    It seemed like behind the wall. There was another area exactly like the one he had been in. With it appeared six new torches and three new Nightmares. There wasn''t any sign of any Boss just yet.


    Josh checked all around him. Judging by the ''pizza slices'' size, he would have a few areas to clear still. Oh well, he was used to troublesome tasks.


    "Come, all of you horsies! Hurry it up! Let''s skip the opening act! I only care to see the mane event!"


    Josh wanted to finish it all up quickly. He got to work, impaling one horse after the other all until 12 flickering mes had dropped. A little whileter, he was finally cing thest one with satisfaction.


    Now would open the¡­.nothing was happening. What?! Why?! That''s when he realized something. The mes in the torches had disappeared!


    "What happened to my mes! My mmmesss!!" Seriously, what was that? He could feel a headacheing¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    Once more I needed to find a clear strategy. Just when I thought I had figured it out, I realized I didn''t. Honestly, I had forgotten something pretty obvious this one time. I couldn''t remember seeing anyone actually discuss that issue, but then I realized that they ended up attaining a simr result while trying to dop something else.

 Chapter 147: Puzzle...and Stuff

    <h4>Chapter 147: Puzzle...and Stuff</h4>


    That''s when Josh realized something. The mes in the torches had all disappeared! He stared incredulously at it all. Meanwhile, the Nightmares were still having a st chasing him.


    They didn''t seem to mind that he kept killing their brethren. They wanted to eat! Whenever one died, another took its ce, and the game continued.


    As he was running, Josh checked the torches. At first nce, they were all identical. But he then noticed something. On each, there was a symbol that was so faded it was barely discernible.


    In fact, there were two of them. One seemed to be a rock, while the other was a raindrop. Was it time for a puzzle?


    The first step was to acquire a few Flickering mes gently. It was pretty fun to extract and even PG 13! It wasn''t even gory as the nightmares didn''t actually bleed.


    Oh, but there were screams of hunger before, screams of agony during, and a lingering dark resentment afterward. It would go away after a little while, so it was pretty neat overall.


    Then, it was time to try variousbinations until something worked. While that didn''t sound that smart, it was. Science had always progressed with random trial and error to this day. Well, for this world, there was that one D alien ship too¡­


    After a while of bashing his head against it, Josh finally figured it out. The solution was to alternate between cing light in a rock torch and a water torch. Two of the same in a row would extinguish them all.


    However, the real difficulty was to keep track of the surroundings. Hell, just reading the signs was harsh. Fun fact, there was lots of horse meat all around, literally! His barbecue ns wereing along fine, minus the nightmare infestation.


    With the ''puzzle'' solved, the same process repeated itself.


    CRASH! RUMBLE! NEIGH!


    Before, he had been facing five horses simultaneously, but now it was ten. There was also one more symbol, how surprising! Would Josh be stumped by the small addition of a me symbol? Of course not!


    He quickly ced the Earth, Water, and Firebination and raised his head proudly, realizing afterward that it was wrong. Then, he confidently tried Fire, Earth, and Water as it failed once more.


    A tryter, he had cleared it like a Boss! Then it was the same thing over and over, but with more symbols and nightmares:


    "2 horsies, 5 horsies, 10 horsies, 17 horsies, 28 horsies, way too many fucking horsies!"


    "Ugly rock, ugly raindrop, ugly me, ugly breeze, and ugly dark hole! Oh my God!" Josh was about to go crazy.


    Every time, he picked the wrong initial order and had to start over again slowly. It was extremely slow, considering all the four-legged distractions. Eventually, he reached the final stage!


    He had finally done it! In front of him, there was a circr vast sandy courtyard. I had evolved from a pizza slice to a full pizza! (Audience losing their shit!)


    That is when began a staredown between Josh and 41 nightmares. He was even multitasking as he was flipping the middle finger to the sun symbol that had appeared on six torches.


    Yes, it wasn''t that manybinations to try. But! It really was a huge pain in the ass! Oh well, it would soon be over. A little whileter, he had cracked the code once more.


    The final order was: Dark hole, Rock, me, Sun, Raindrop, and Breeze! What was the logic behind it? He wasn''t sure. He felt it was either some obscure philosophy or a wordy.


    The fight that followed was intense. It was world toppling. It was amazefuckingreat! But, it especially wasing to an end, finally! Just as he was cing the 20th Flickering me, it suddenly happened. All the torches lost their light.


    At first, he also thought he had made a mistake. Did he misread a symbol? Did he skip one by mistake? He vowed to be more careful and started anew.


    This time, at the fifth stone, it was already failing! Why?! He was sure he hadn''tmitted a blunder this time around! He knew that he wasn''t to me. Josh tried oncest time, being even more vignt.


    When he saw it, he couldn''t help but startughing. There was a serious problem, but it was so unexpected!


    Josh hadn''t noticed before for 41 obvious reasons. Well, the problem was exactly that 41st one. In the back, there was one Nightmare that had just given up on eating Josh. After all, what was the point? He''d dodge somehow.


    Nope, it was in the process of swallowing some Flickering mes. Josh somehow felt its emotions. It was so happy and proud of its genius idea.


    "You in the back! Stop eating that! That''s mine! Plus, that''s cannibalism" Well, it clearly didn''t care about such trivialities.


    That is how Josh, who had been running away all this time, began chasing. But the Nightmare just kept fleeing at full speed. Actually, no. It was running toward the other mes.


    Not only was it fast, but it was avoiding confrontation. That was really bad, considering Josh had been using their own charges to kill them.


    How was he supposed to deal with that? Oh! He knew! He took out the cursed amulet the monk had crafted him! Ta-da-da! It would taunt the horse toward him. That was genius! But then he noticed that none seemed affected.


    Rip, it seemed that ability had been nerfed or possibly patched. As he kept thinking, he had to dodge over and over to avoid death.


    "Can''t you guys give me a second to think?!" But the answer was obviously no. They kept trying to rip his whole body apart. But, he had a n.


    "Good luck following me there!" He grinned as he went toward the outer walls. Then, he started climbing it using his spider set ability. The 41 nightmares would be left behind and he would have a moment of peace and quiet!


    They looked so lost and confused right now! It was so damn satisfying. They all kept looking at him, wondering how he had done that. But they were bound to never know for¡ª never mind, he spoke too soon!


    One of them broke into a mad gallop and started running on the wall?! What?! How?! This was bullshit! Since when could horses ignore gravity?!


    That''s how 41¡­no 40 Nightmares went after him. In the back, that one cheeky horse was still eating mes. This Tower really needed a pause button when one got tired. Then again, the goal was to kill humans.


    Actually, the objective seemed to be more to train them. The only question remained: for what purpose? Was it to take over their souls as Hegel had said, or was it just a matter of entertainment? Probably just for the show to be honest.


    Anyway, how was he supposed to do this? He felt like he needed to keep a gluttonous kid away from candies. On the plus side, no one wouldin if he murdered that Nightmare, but it had tons of brethren in the way.


    Josh just needed to find a method to disturb its eating. That was all. What did people find annoying when having a meal? Besides their food being gross, probably loud noises and disgusting scenes?


    Was it possible to make the Flickering mes less appealing? He tried something. Josh began making rounds, visiting every torch.


    Then he pped some zombie skin on it! How was this! It would now be the most disgusting thing in existence! No one would ever want to eat that and¡­.never mind.


    The creature didn''t care. It even gave a satisfied smile (actually many). Chances were, this monster didn''t have a sense of smell. That was the only exnation.


    Well, if that didn''t work, there was still one thing left to do. Intimidation! It was time for the bloodstained outfit toe into y! Then Josh stood in front of the annoying Nightmare.


    "Listen here, you little shit! You can''t eat these! Now, find something else to do!"


    Josh was expecting it to fail, but unexpectedly it worked. He couldn''t help but be d that it was now charging at him. But then he realized that it was aiming for the Flickering me in his hands!


    Josh just killed it in annoyance. Every now and then, there would be one horse that would just randomly begin to eat mes.


    But that''s when Josh decided to try something. It was time for the return of the slightly terrifying Burger-Man! As he equipped the burger head, the gluttonous horse finally turned his way. It then began trying to eat his face.


    Finally! Incredible sess! With deep relief, Josh went and busied himself with the torches. This time around, there was no creature that got in the way. Well, excluding the ones trying to kill him.


    Still, he could manage these. He just kept jumping over their backs, skipping from one creature to the other. It was extremely risky, but he could manage somehow-.


    Eventually, it was finally over. The 36 torches were lit. At that moment, the nightmares began neighing, all of them. It sounded really bad, akin to a moring from Hell.


    That''s when they all began galloping crazily in a big circle. They kept following the exterior walls. With every rotation they did, the ce seemed to grow darker and dimer.


    There was some flickering too. Then the Flickering mes began vanishing from the torches, a deep chime resounding every time. ?DING! ?


    That''s when the ground began rumbling, and even the walls shook. Whatever wasing was going to be big! (Or had spent way too much on marketing budget).


    That''s when a ck portal appeared. It was crackling with energy and out of it came something that one could have only qualified as a Nightmare!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    As all this happened, remember that the normal version of this Floor was simply to survive under an assault of relentless Nightmares. Nome puzzle, no cheeky horse, nothing of the sort. What a disappointing and sad end it must be to die from failing a puzzle! Well, we eventually learned of it when Dead Men''s Whispers became a thing...

 Chapter 148: Stop Eating My White Stuff!

    <h4>Chapter 148: Stop Eating My White Stuff!</h4>


    The ck portal was crackling with so much mana. It was overwhelming and felt as if the entire air was cold and heavy. The galloping sound of the Nightmares and the chimes served as a harbinger to the Boss''s arrival.


    It was an imposing scene for sure. Yet, Josh found it funny. These Tower Protocols were just discovering music it seemed. How long before orchestras began ying when a monster showed up? He couldn''t wait.


    In the meantime, the portal rippled as a monster emerged from it. It had an imposing appearance. Horse features, but way too big. There was a peculiar thing, it only had one mouth. It did look both scary and deadly, however.


    If anything, the entire creature looked more corporeal than the little ones. Would it be easier to hurt it because of that fact? Chances were not. It still looked shadowy, magical, and powerful.


    What was up with the untamed part? Oh my fucking god! Did that mean that it could be tamed?! This was Hellish, so there wouldn''t be any information about it. Yep, people were pretty much all toozy or too fearful to explore it.


    "Tower! I have a question! It is vital. Please answer! Can I tame this horse or not?!"


    But it didn''t reply. The only one paying attention to Josh was the Boss. It was looking at him intensely. Fun fact, this one had eyes. They were bluish, ming, and quite intimidating. As if they could set one''s whole soul aze. Then, it charged at him!


    Now, the best way to avoid a quadrupedal is to get out of their waypletely. But, this one was humongous and crazy fast! It was already on him! Its maw was trying to tear him to pieces. As it did so, it extended its neck. Josh jumped and managed to slide on it, soon reaching the creature''s back.


    He was now in a perfect spot. In front of his face, there was the creature''s long mane that swayed, but without actually following the creature''s movements. This would have been the perfect hair for a shampoomercial! Josh almost expected it toe alive.


    That''s when he could feel his entire body tremble. It was an instinctive reaction: there was killing intent! Without thinking, he threw himself toward the Nightmare''s tail.


    Right where he had been before, he could see the dark skin split apart, revealing a gaping maw. Then, it seemed to realize that Josh wasn''t there anymore as it slowly returned to its default state. There was not even a hint revealing the true nature of it.


    It could even move the maw and control where it opened. How crazy was that?! It would have sent anyone seeing it up close scurrying away for sure. Instead, Josh kept dodging the maw with a grin on his face. He even leaned next to it.


    "Let me see: lots of teeth, very hungry anding out of nowhere¡­I''m gonna call you Jaws'' from now on."


    Josh didn''t know if it hated its new nickname or just how elusive he was, but the creature began neighing angrily. That''s when he figured out that it was time to prepare himself for the ride of his life.


    "Kids, always remember to buckle up! Some would say there are no seatbelts on a horse. Not yet!"


    It was time for spider threads! He threw some all over the ce. These weren''t sticky but were rtively solid nheless. He tied some to the mane, some to the neck, some to the tail, all while dodging Jaws''.


    That''s when the Nightmare decided to evacuate his frustration by running. Great choice! Running provoked the release of endorphins, which would definitely make it feel better. Well, perhaps it was different in Nightmare biology.


    Josh had a hand firmly on a thread that he was using to help himself navigate the back of the creature. That''s when the turbulences started. Yes, the monster began rearing and sometimes stopping abruptly.


    "Seatbelts are OP motherfucker HAHA!"


    He could picture himself making a safety video. It would be way more entertaining than the boring ones he had seen on Earth. Perhaps he would have to tone down the swearing a bit. Ah! But what if it motivated the kids to try monster rodeo by mistake?


    At first, the creature was confused. It didn''t seem to understand how Josh was evading its maw at all. It also had expected the tiny but pesky thing to fall off a while ago. That''s when it noticed what was happening.


    It gave up on eating Josh and instead moved the mouth toward the threads. It then began snapping one after the other mercilessly. What about all the hard work Josh had put into it?! Talk about bullying!


    Josh found himself screaming something he never thought he would:


    "Stop eating my white stuff!" But not only did the creature not listen, it also swallowed. Josh felt himself tear up. There went a bit of his threads collection.


    As soon as it was done, it happily began running everywhere again, trying to throw Josh off its back. It did onep, then another one, and finally onest. But no matter what, Josh remained standing.


    This feat was possible thanks to his perfect bnce, but mostly the spider set ability. He was now on a timer. He could feel the mana in his body getting depleted. He had 30~ minutes to end this fight, or he''d be on foot.


    Josh took out his weapon, swung it a bit, but ultimately decided to be magnanimous like the obvious pacifist he was. He unsummoned the weapon and decided to use patience to deal with the Nightmare. The fact that he couldn''t hurt it did influence him a tiny bit on his decision.


    Sadly, it didn''t know how to appreciate his good intentions as it adopted a new deadly tactic. It started rolling on its side! Okay, that didn''t sound deadly, but it was. Just the weight would be enough to crush him into paste!


    Soon enough, he could be seen looking like a log rolling champion. Well, Nightmare rolling in this case. It looked so ridiculous, but it kept him alive.


    That peculiar-looking scene kept going for about a dozen minutes. The Boss kept ncing at Josh, annoyed. They were supposed to fight! Eventually, the creature understood that this tactic, too, wouldn''t work.


    The man was like a tick! He just wouldn''t let go! It was impossible to take him by surprise, and it was impossible to make him fall off. It pondered for a little while, but it eventually found a solution.


    That''s how the creature just kept galloping around peacefully. Had it given up? Not at all. It figured that the human would eventually tire out. Surely a man of flesh and blood wouldn''t be as resilient as it.


    Well, it was right. Josh had about 20 more minutes left to the ability. He felt he would be able to sustain it slightly longer. Probably from the level-ups. But, the creature would oust him for sure.


    It was time to chug mana pots!¡­ Is what he''d have said if he had any. Was that even a thing? If not, the first one toe up with that would be rich!


    Josh felt quite helpless. It seemed he would have to get off soon and fight it from the ground. The only issue was that the creature showed adaptability. That would make it even harder to kill.


    He''d have to be careful not to slip on the Horse Meat strewn everywhere. Actually, could he perhaps make the creature have an ident thanks to it? Quite like the famed banana peel, but less evident.


    But that''s when he got another idea. This sounded crazy, but perhaps it would work? He had a devouring ability. He knew it gave HP, but was it all? He had to try it!


    Now, how to acquire horse meat from where he was? He turned his morphing weapon into a fishing rod. Then he tried hooking some-. It was so damn difficult! The fact that he was in motion didn''t help.


    But perseverance was key, perhaps luck a bit even. He victoriously caught a piece. There was no mention of his sess whatsoever.


    If it had been the alter Tower, he would have had a message like: "Ta-da-da Gratz on the raw meat! Are you really going to eat this?" The answer would have been yes too. Josh greedily devoured it.


    That is when he felt his mana recover very slightly. It wasn''t at a level where it would normally be useful in battle. But, right now was an exception. He felt like he was ying a riding simtor.


    This discovery would allow him to remain in the white and sticky mode for so long! He had spent so long killing Nightmares before the Boss that there was ''food'' everywhere.


    It was the first time that his Gluttony bloodline was being useful in an obvious way. It felt amazing. He kept eating, and the horse kept running. That is when he began entertaining the possibility of trying to tame this horse for real.


    He refused to believe the ''Untamed'' was there just as vor text! He could remember a scene from a movie where the viin did the exact same thing to make horses submit. He would ride them until they gave up.


    Riding till surrender...That made him remember some¡­no! He had to focus! This would be one hell of a fight. Right now, he had a n, but it was an incredibly hard one. It would require mad skills. Lucky that he was Josh...


    Creator''s Thought


    There was one amazing advantage at possessing a Gluttony bloodline. It made the stomach stronger. This might not sound like much but it was the truth. It singlehandedly turned the 5 seconds rule into a whatever how many seconds you want rule. Ah, but raw meat...

 Chapter 149: Nightmares Nightmare, Please Make it Stop!

    <h4>Chapter 149: Nightmare''s Nightmare, Please Make it Stop!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Everything around the creature was dark and cramped. It could deal with the darkness just fine, for it was made of it, but not thetter. It longed for more. It wished to gallop freely across thend.


    It knew that it needed to wait, but for how long? It would be able toe out when the summoning ritual would be over. Its job was to destroy the ones that would intrude upon the Tower.


    One could have wondered how it knew all this, especially that it was born a mere 5 minutes ago. It was all thanks to the Creator who had shown it generosity. It went like this.


    [Generating


    Sess!]


    [Adding Basic Nightmare Knowledge. Sess!]


    [Adding Basic Tower Knowledge. Sess!]


    [Adding Basic Combat Knowledge. Sess!]


    [Adding Basic Human Knowledge. Sess!]


    [Awaiting Summoning, Current Status: Standby!]


    That moment was life-defining for the young Nightmare. It had learned about its identity, about the world surrounding it, and had found its life purpose in one go.


    Learning all of this at once made it feel something, but it didn''t have the knowledge to know what it was exactly. It did not bother itself with it, for it was probably a waste of time. It needed to prepare itself for its mission.


    It couldn''t wait for it would serve the all-powerful Tower and be able to run freely. How amazing would that be! It was a bit envious of its brethren that were already out there having fun.


    But it would wait patiently. It would have plenty of time to runter. If anything, it could even voluntarily make the fightst longer to enjoy running. One was allowed such a thing to induce despair into the yers.


    Ah, but it was important to take the job seriously. A good option was to kill 3-4 out of the team of 5 to assure no reversal could happen. Afterward, it was fine to y. Such were the rules of the Tower.


    That''s when came the sound of chimes:


    ?DING! ?


    This noise was heavenly and filled its very soul with so much joy. It was the sound of freedom! Then it heard its brethren calling him. It was time. A dark portal appeared, and it crossed it resolutely and expectantly.


    On the other side, there was a human. Yes, a single human. He didn''t look particrly strong and had evidently lost its whole party! It also meant that it would be able to toy with the target for a while. But first, it would maul him until he couldn''t walk.


    It could hear the human saying something about taming. Perhaps it was shocked about the name? It was probably shaken from the loss. Humans would act weirdly when theirpanions died in front of them.


    It charged at the human without wasting a second. That''s when he jumped on its back! For the young Nightmare, it was a time of surprise, shock, and crisis!


    Surprise because the human didn''t seem as devastated as he should have been. He had jumped on its back so swiftly, and he had even luckily evaded when it tried to eat him.


    Shock because it turned out not to be luck, but skills. Somehow, the man could predict every movement it would make. There was also the whole ''setting up threads'' part that had been super annoying.


    Crisis because, no matter what it did, there was no way of getting rid of the human. None! It had tried sudden eleration, sudden deceleration, sudden rearing, and sudden rolling! But it all failed.


    That is when the Nightmare decided to take a break. Well, it kept running, but it stopped fighting. Instead, it decided to wait for the human to get tired. These soft fleshy creatures were so vulnerable on that point!


    Anyway, that''s how it went from walking, to trotting, to cantering, to galloping, and finally to going full speed ahead. It could feel its hooves burrowing slightly in the sand, it could feel its legs moving in unison, and it could hear the sound of freedom once more.


    It now went CLIP CLOP! CLIP CLOP!


    It was so beautiful! Nightmares were meant to be roaming, not to be confined in a small dark cage. It was so delighted that it stopped paying attention to the human. In any case, he was too weak to pierce its defenses.


    It''s only after having lots of fun that it finally observed its passenger. It had stopped moving altogether. What was it doing? It was standing up, eyes closed, and had a small smile on his face. It was sleeping in this position?!


    This didn''t fit its knowledge. Humans were supposed to establish defense perimeters. Then they would let their weak and vulnerable members sleep in the middle. This man couldn''t do that since he had lost his herd. But! Why wasn''t he lying down?!


    Was there an issue with the information the Tower had provided? No! Such a thing was obviously impossible. Had he used some skill to be able to do that? It was so damn puzzling!


    The human would be in for a rude awakening! That is how the Nightmare increased the pace! It ran faster, stopped abruptly, even bashed itself against the outer walls. Surely this would have done the trick! But no!


    Somehow it seemed like the human was able to bnce himself to remain standing. How?! Who knew. But then, it noticed something that sent its very soul in disarray. He wasn''t just doing that! No, he was eating too!


    He would grab some of its brethren''s meat with some kind of weird weapon. The memories the Tower had given it didn''t include this either.


    It felt at aplete loss. What was happening?! It was confused, but it did realize one thing. People ate to gain energy and strength. Humans especially were forced to eat regrly.


    What did this mean? It just had to stop it from eating, and it would eventually fall! Well, maybe. After all, this one was a freak! That is how it figured what it would do.


    Instead of running aimlessly, it began running toward the flesh of its brethren. It would swallow it before the human could! It dashed and ate one, and It felt so good!


    It wasn''t a creature that usually ate physical food. So the food was wasted on it, but the feeling of victory was the best. For once, it had won over the seemingly invincible human! How sad it was, but it didn''t care at that moment.


    It felt drunk on this feeling of pleasure as it dashed toward the next target and chomped on it¡­only to bite air. Then it could see something thin and long right in front of him, bringing the meat along.


    No! It was so close! Thus began a food snatching fight. The Nightmare began losing big time! It felt like crying, but nightmares didn''t have tear ducts, so it couldn''t. It could see the other nightmares in the distance looking at it puzzled.


    It was supposed to be the chosen one, The Prime Nightmare! It was the one that was supposed to terrorize humans.


    It would use its great speed to charges at the backline and ughter everyone.


    It would use its resilience to take head-on the many attacks that would go its way.


    It would use its cunning to outmaneuver the enemy. It was smarter than most monsters residing in the Tower around that Floor.


    But what was it supposed to do now?! This was madness! Pure and utter madness! That is when it had a sh of genius! The human was sleeping, right? It would use its aura as a Nightmare to give him ¡­well, nightmares.


    Would that even work? It didn''t have anything to lose, that was for sure. It gathered its spirit. After a few minutes, it was finally ready. It unleashed it all toward the human. There was no way he was going to be fine.


    This technique was one that only monsters could use. It was impossible for humans, for they were ''civilized beings''. This just meant that they had be weak and pitiful. How would the human react? Would he finally fall off?


    But that''s when it felt it. The human was doing the same. How?! Wait, no. It was something else. It wasn''t a monstrous technique at all. It was worse! What the hell?! Suddenly, the world around the Nightmare went dark.


    The Nightmare was back in its small cramped waiting room. But this time it knew, it would be there forever. It tried freeing itself, but no matter what, it couldn''t. It felt invisible bindings around its body.


    It couldn''t breathe! Nightmares didn''t breathe. Why was it suffocating then?! But then it understood. Above its head, there were red glowing eyes. They were the ones making it suffocate.


    What was it supposed to do against that?! It felt naked. It was too! Ah, that too was normal for a Nightmare.


    It felt as if its very soul was getting crushed and ripped apart. It couldn''t exin it. But then, as easily as it started, it was over.


    The human was still in the same posture, still on its back. He wasn''t moving and hadn''t done anything either. That''s when it realized it. This whole thing had just been a bacsh. Had it not tried the intimidation, it would never have happened.


    What the hell was happening? It didn''t know anymore. It just felt like lying down and sleeping. Nightmares didn''t sleep, never. But it did feel like it.


    That''s when the human moved an arm and threw something out. It scared it at first, but then it realized that it was a rat. Just a rat,? It was lying there lifelessly too, not moving an inch.


    It wouldn''t approach it. No way! Who knew if it wouldn''t turn into a dragon suddenly?! That is when one of the brethren approached it. They weren''t supposed to intervene in the fight, but¡­this was fine.


    It then chomped hard on the creature, only to Neigh in pain as the creature was incredibly sturdy. It sure had dodged a bullet there! It would only calmly stay here ann enjoy itself. But just as it thought that it saw the human suddenly start moving on its back.


    Oh god, no! This Nightmare didn''t want to fight anymore!! But its prayers remained unanswered, for the human was crawling toward its head. Nooooo!...


    Creator''s Thought


    Sometimes I would wonder how I would have reacted in its ce. To be created for the sole purpose of defending a Floor and being smart enough to understand perfectly the concept of very. I like to think that I would have struggled and broken free, but I cannot be sure. No one can be, at all.

 Chapter 150: Josh The Yoga Master!

    <h4>Chapter 150: Josh The Yoga Master!</h4>


    *Warning: Graphic Heartwarming Slice of Life.*


    ****


    "Wake up, youzy bum! It''s time for school!" Early in the morning, a sonorous shout echoed in the tiny apartment.


    Josh had just woken up himself. He had dreamt of fighting a big horse, but the memory of it was already hazy. He busied himself getting breakfast ready.


    A tiny girl could be seen exiting her tiny ''room'', rubbing her eyes with a slight smile. She dragged her duck slippers on the ground before finally stopping at the small table. As she took her seat, she raised an eyebrow, amused.


    "Josh, you sure are energetic this morning."


    While she said so, she sneakily attacked the chocte milk on the table, taking a sip. She then gave a sigh of satisfaction as she looked like a mischievous imp. Josh lightly protested.


    "Hey, that''s mine! Anyway, hurry up and get dressed. We have to leave soon." He pointed at her current outfit, a duck pajama. She had a few of those animal ones.


    "Hm, but this outfit is the peak of human wisdom! Itbines the fierceness of ducks with a cute design that none can disregard! It adds +33 to Comfy Sleep and +66 to Style!" She argued.


    "Oh? Is that so? Then I suggest you put on your school clothes that will add +34 to Comfy Studying and +67 to Smartness!" Heughingly replied as he handed her his specialty: breakfast sandwich¡ªlots of delicious stuff with enough hot peppers to kill (or close).


    She happily began devouring it before she paused for a second to ask him a question. "Josh, I had a friend at school that was saying I was weird for eating hot peppers at breakfast. Why is it that some people hate such things?"


    "I''d say a mix of social construct and personal preferences. Breakfast itself and what it should consist of is just cultural. We as a society determine what is appropriate and not to eat, but frankly, you should think about it yourself."


    "I should determine what to eat for breakfast, you mean? Of course, since I have an amazing taste in food!"


    "I meant it in general. In life, you''lle across many things that you and everyone will just take for granted. It''s fine to go with the flow, but only if you think it is right. So what if eating cool food makes people think of you as weird? Does it hurt anyone? Nope!"


    "Then why are there people that never eat spicy food?"


    "Well, you know how it makes you feel the burn? Well, everyone feels that. It''s just that some people enjoy it and some don''t. I''ve read that it''s both mental and a matter of habits, the more used you are to eating it, the easier. Apparently, it also releases endorphins."


    "That''s the drug of happiness, right?"


    "Exactly. Alright, enough chitchat. Your sister left me in charge while she''s helping her friend! I will aplish my duty and¡ª" That''s when he stopped for the little one was giggling so hard she made her chair tremble.


    "There is no school today. It''s a national Holiday! You know what day it is too?!" There were stars in her eyes. He took a few instants to think.


    "The day that dog rescuedy told you we coulde to visit, right?" Josh finally remembered.


    "Yes, exactly! I know you need to leave soon! Don''t worry about me. I''ll be fine. There is Mister Igloo on the other side if there is an issue. Plus, I''m super smart, beautiful, and amazing." She showed such a smug expression! Soon, he was done getting ready.


    "Alright, I''ll be backter! Take care!" He crossed the door and waited until she locked it behind him. Now, he just needed to knock on the door of Mister Igloo to ask him if he could leave her in his care.


    He was lucky to have a caring neighbor who would watch over the little one whenever they needed a babysitter (which didn''t happen often).


    The man had a heart of gold but was a bit of an entric. He even had a collection of pr bear plushies and figurines. He was obsessed with them!


    Professionally he fixed various household appliances. But, he mostly took care of fridges and air conditioners at work, hence the nickname. He was the one that had volunteered to help them.


    Josh raised his hand about to knock on the man''s door but stopped. This scene felt so right, but it wasn''t real. He understood it from that feeling of bittersweet happiness deep inside him. He took a moment topose himself. Since this was but a figment of his imagination, he wouldn''t even bother going to work.


    He pictured himself hitting the ''Pass Time'' option in an RPG. You know, the kind that often failed because there were enemies nearby. Then he observed the window at the end of the hallway. From it shined a bit of light.


    That is when he had the feeling that the entire Earth flipped over. The light became brighter and brighter until it began to dim. Soon enough, it waste in the afternoon. Josh turned around and reopened their door.


    There she stood. Motionless, right in front of the entrance and akin to a ghost haunting the living. But, her eyes were sparkling. How long had she stood there? She did a salute and eximed excitedly:


    "Dog Loving Princess reporting for duty! Let us inspect that one dog shelter. It''s to make sure everything is in order, of course!" She tried looking serious, but her smile was bigger than that of a shark.


    She extended her hand akin to a princess while giggling. Coarse skin met very delicate skin, as Josh swore to himself it would remain like this. He wouldn''t let her go through too much adversity. That is how they went for a walk. On the way, he could hear her hum.


    People would look at them walk on the street. Some smiled, seeing how cute and cheerful she was. Some disapprovingly shook their heads. He could hear them whisper things like:


    "A father at such a young age, what a shame." An old woman sighed.


    "Talk about poor! These are all cheap second-hand clothes. That pink color on that hoody is even fading." A haughty middle-aged woman scoffed.


    "Tch, he has a kid? I wonder how ugly his broad is. Probably He, looking at his face!" A young man sneered.


    Josh just kept walking peacefully and nced at the little one. She was smirking. That''s when she added without lowering her voice, "These people really are dumb, aren''t they? This is why dogs are better. They''re smarter."


    The young man heard it, and his face became quite spectacr. A little more, and it would have taken all the colors of the rainbow! He then widened his shoulders, he slightly brought his chest out, and he began to angrily power walk to them.


    "Hey, kid! Watch your damn mouth. This isn''t¡ª Eeek!" All it took was one look from Josh to shatter his momentum. Then he slowly crumpled to the floor, crying and shaking.


    The little one was looking at Josh, her mouth wide open and her eyes even shinier. It was as if she had discovered that he was a real-life superhero. "How did you do that?!"


    Josh took a mysterious air as if it was an unspeakable secret. Then he faked to be torn internally about whether to tell her or not. After a few seconds of obviously painful hesitation, he slowly approached her, whispering in her ear.


    "It''s ssified information, but I''ve been doing yoga in secret. You definitely can''t tell a soul! You''ll even have to bring this key information to your grave in a few thousand years!" He gravely looked at her.


    "A few thousand years?! Anyway, don''t try to fool me! How is yoga even rted? Also, you just stood there, no yoga involved!"


    "That''s where you''re wrong! I was showing a perfect mountain pose right there! He knew that if he angered me, I would take out the big guns!" He had always wondered why standing straight was called a pose.


    "What big guns?!"


    "You know, scary stuff: Downward Facing Dog Split, Cat Cow Stretch, Cobra Pose, Happy Baby Pose, Orange Mouse Running In A Green Pasture Under aThe Vast Blue Sky pose. You know, that kind of stuff." He shrugged.


    "HAHAHA! What''s with these names?!" She couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Why are youughing? This is serious!" Josh reiterated.


    "Of course! I believe you." She nodded with all the seriousness she could muster.


    "Alright, shall we go?"...


    Creator''s Thought


    Fun fact, there were people with the <Yoga Master> ss. Let that sink in. It was simr to a dancer that would captivate its audience through a rhythmic and well-borated performance, except...stretching. Still, it was pretty impressive how it could actually work in the Tower, there was one girl especially that became the face of the movement. Well, people could recognize her ass more easily than her face...

 Chapter 151: Dog, Dog Lady, Little Girl, Horse, Rat, Steak, Potatoes....

    <h4>Chapter 151: Dog, Dog Lady, Little Girl, Horse, Rat, Steak, Potatoes....</h4>


    "Alright, shall we go?"


    She nodded happily, and they resumed their journey, leaving behind a man that was about to piss himself. Why had he been scared of such a clown?! He didn''t know himself, but he also didn''t want to figure it out.


    That is how they kept going until they finally arrived at their destination. It was a rtively small blue building with arge backyard. There were a few empty dog houses and toys all over the ce that were visible.


    As they reached the front gate, she was almost jumping out of her sneakers in excitement. As she rushed to knock on the door, it opened by itself. There stood a woman smiling brightly. She was a calm beauty that had decided to dedicate her life to the poor strays of this town.


    If he remembered correctly, she and his girlfriend had never gotten along. He had never known why either, as both seemed to share a simrly yful personality at times.


    "Hey kid, how have you been? Not too bored?" She greeted, also nodding at Josh.


    "Of course not! I''ve spent the day researching the ancient canine knowledge of our predecessors! I have scoured countless video pages and vlogs and seen lots of pictures!" She grandly dered. She was very good at phrasing "wasting time on the Inte" eloquently.


    "Ah, then if you''ve seen so many dogs already, then I guess you must be tired of watching them, right?" She teased her.


    "No! It''s not the same! I want to see real dogs!"


    That is when the two-headed inside quickly, Josh slowly following behind. He could already hear exmations of happiness. The little one was showing all of her knowledge as she enumerated all the different species.


    "That''s a bulldog. This one is a terrier, a pit bull, a boxer, a dachshund, a german shepherd, a beagle, abrador retriever, and finally a loud-mouthed devil dog!"


    "Pff, By devil dog, you mean a chihuahua, right? This specific one indeed loves to bark a lot. You got all the others right. Very good, youngdy." She ruffled her hair as she said that.


    "Of course! I have the best teacher at home!" She looked toward Josh in the back, but it really just was the Inte to thank in this case.


    That''s when Josh fully entered the room. There were so many of them. They were hairy, rtively big, had four paws, long sharp front teeth, and long tails.


    In front of him, there were rats, nothing but rats. The two were now ruffling them gently as if dogs. But the scene looked so weird with the lifeless rats!


    That is when the little one turned toward him with puppy eyes. "Can we bring one home? I''ll talk to my sister! I''ll convince her for sure, or my name isn''t ¡ª!"


    "Sure, you can get one. Make sure you pick carefully." Josh interrupted her. There was no need to hesitate in a dream.


    She had been ready to fight tooth and nail for her case, yet she had won so easily?! She couldn''t believe her ears. She even wondered if he was sick. That''s why she hurried up and chose one before he changed his mind.


    In the back, the woman could be seen giggling at the enthusiasm the little girl was showing. She then began to instruct her on how to take care of it. It included things like walking it often. Please, a roadkill would have walked more than that one!


    Before long, they were leaving, with Josh exchanging cellphone numbers with the woman in case they had any questions. The little one could be seen carrying the fat giant rat in her arms as if a little puppy.


    Just as they were walking, Josh heard the beeping of his cell. Just as he checked his new message, he almost had a heart attack. There was a picture of a beautiful woman in very thin blue lingerie on the screen. Yes, the dogdy they had just left.


    The caption under the picture could read: "If she leaves you, my specialty is taking care of single dogs. Very good care~ ;)."


    Now that he thought about it, something simr had really happened. He had exchanged numbers with her, had gone home without any dog, andter there had been pillow talk suggesting that he should stay far away from the dogdy.


    They finally returned home and ate supper. It was high-end gastronomy: some juicy Wagyu beef with mashed potatoes. Back then, he couldn''t afford something so fancy, but he''d just enjoy the moment, even if fake.


    The tender meat melted in his mouth as he greedily devoured it. Then the mashed potatoes may not have been very fancy, but it was traditional food that just spoke of home. It was a blissful moment, a very blissful one. But, as it was often the case, it soon came crumbling.


    CRASH! RUMBLE! NEIGH!


    Out of nowhere, the wall of their small apartment got obliterated. There were pieces of wood, brick, and plywood flying everywhere. Josh quickly went to cover the only valuable in the room.


    "What the Hell is that, Josh?!" She cried out.


    The head of a horse came out of the hole. Its mouth was so full of so many teeth that it could only be an abomination. Yet, she didn''t scream or cry. She just clenched his hand, finding safety in his presence.


    Josh instantly got into action. He grabbed the nearby rat and threw it next to the creature. It kept it busy for a good 5 seconds. Then it flung it all across the room. But, he was already in front of the monster.


    Josh jumped on the creature''s back before bashing its head repeatedly while shouting: "Surrender already, or it will end badly!" At the same time, he sent as much killing intent as he could. Then, he grabbed its mane and forcefully guided it toward the hallway.


    "Be right back! You can visit Mister Igloo in the meantime. Soon we''ll have a rat¡ª I mean a dog and a horse!" He reassured her.


    "Are you going to be fine?!" She showed a trace of worry.


    "Please, you think a murderous Nightmare is dangerous? Have you forgotten? I know yoga, and I''m not afraid to use it!"


    Seeing how confident yet silly he looked, she couldn''t help butughingly nod. It was as expected of him. She even added: "Hmm, it''s true you should be fine taming this thing. After all, you already tamed my sister!"


    He almost choked on that one. He wanted to berate the cheeky girl, but that''s when the Nightmare began galloping again. He kept riding it for a while until...


    [Tamed


    ]


    [Congrattion on taming¡ªError! Error! Error!]


    [No taming emblem found but taming confirmed!]


    [Verifying integrity of Tower Protocol. Verified.]


    [Searching for any anomaly. One found: Josh Motherfucking Malum!]


    [Fixing of the anomaly. Error, error, error!]


    [Entity is a yer. Actions non-dictated by the Tower. Added exception!]


    [Lack of Bnce detected.]


    [Sealing Pet Until Conditions are Met!]


    [Feat achieved: First to Tame without a taming Emblem.]


    [Increased chance of humans obtaining the Tamer ss!]


    What the fuck was all this?! This is the exact moment that Josh woke up. In front of him, he could see a creature kneeling in front of him.


    . He couldn''t help butugh out loud!


    It was so majestic! It looked powerful too! So what if it was sealed? This always happened in games. The Boss version was always stronger than the pet version for obvious reasons. Josh raised his hand and patted the creature''s head.


    He needed a name for it. He thought for a few moments before grandly dering."From now on, you will be known as...Nightmare!" Did he imagine things, or did the creature try to facepalm?...


    Creator''s Thought


    As they say, an exploit a day brings the Tower in [Error, Error, Error]. No, seriously this was a bit ridiculous. This Tower Protocol was pretty bad at nning. It kept making rules that would inevitably get broken. A single moment of thinking outside the box and it was already crashing. Also, why call it Untamed if taming wasn''t expected?! That''s justmon sense!

 Chapter 152: Kicked Out!?

    <h4>Chapter 152: Kicked Out!?</h4>


    Josh had a serious problem right now. It was a problem with his face. The smile on it just wasn''t going away! He was suffering from acute happiness. In front of him was the kneeling Boss.


    How had all this happened? He actually wasn''t sure as he had been sleeping. But, as soon as he woke up, the situation was like this with the Tower Protocol chiming in too.


    [Mission: Summon the Prime Nightmare. Completed!]


    [Subsequent Mission: Defeat the Nightmare. Failed.]


    [Added Hidden Mission: Tame the Nightmare. Sess!]


    [Reward: Added Guardian to pet window.]


    Josh now kept looking at his pet window. It was glorious! He wouldn''t mind doing only puzzles for days if it meant more pets.


    #Pets#


    <Corrupted Godly Pseudo-Pet Rat>


    ???


    Guardian of Floor 17 ~ ?! Untameable ?! Power reduced without the support of the Tower. Power close to Nil outside the Tower.


    He couldn''t help but chuckle as he looked at the window. Both pets had question marks in their descriptions. The Tower Protocol was still as confused. Well, ws were normal. How hard must it be to create a world?


    One had to note that his pet was the size of a regr horse. The scary appearance had been toned down too. It still had a shadowy appearance, but it could easily be mistaken for a real live animal without careful observation.


    Now, it was time for some testing. First, Josh began to use the summoning function. It was pretty much instant, but there was a spawn time. Nightmare would appear, crossing a very illusory dark portal. It was so flimsy-looking that holograms looked more tangible.


    Then Josh tested its exit. Somehow it would just disappear in a puff of smoke. Couldn''t it just do the same for the entrance? Apparently not. To be certain of how it worked, he tried it a few times while snapping his fingers exaggeratedly.


    It''s only when Nightmare started swishing its tail in annoyance that he gave it a rest. "Alright, let''s try and see how fast you can go, shall we?" Josh climbed atop its back and signaled it to run, and run it did!


    They instantly covered a big distance, bringing them toward the other Nightmares in the process. Josh couldn''t help but raise a brow in surprise. They had been carefully observing the lifeless rat before, but now they were ying with it.


    Have you ever seen beach volleyball? Well, that''s what they were doing, and the rat was the ball. They would yfully push it with their muzzle and sometimes kick it to high Heaven. It made arcs in the air, with others catching it with their maws or bumping it right back with their heads.


    They would even pass the ball around. He dismounted and came near them. How amazing this was! He had no clue why, but they weren''t hostile. This sure was a heartwarming scene. It felt fresh and peaceful.


    The group of creatures would part to let him through. Was this a single-time bug? Was there hope for arger, not as ck and white world in thetter Floors? He couldn''t help but picture the possibilities of making NPC friends. Nightmare kept running.


    "I told you I''d tame it. I''ll walk it in your stead for now. But, as soon as I revive you, it will be your job." Josh couldn''t help but murmur. He had only promised her in a dream but still. Knowing her, she would likely take on this duty. She''d even do so with stars in her eyes.


    CLIP CLOP! CLIP CLOP!


    "Alright, let''s leave." Josh unsummoned Nightmare and teleported out. He imagined how big of a reaction people would have if he just appeared on a horse. Right now, pretty much only Rankers had pets, and he hadn''t seen any.


    The za seemed tranquil, and as usual, it was filled with tons of random people. Just as he was leaving, a man blocked his way. He was well-dressed, clean, and seemed eloquent. There were two men behind him.


    "Hey, brother. You''ve heard about the Very Happy Farms, right? I jokingly suggested that there was an infinitesimally small possibility that the whole endeavor is one big practical joke. Would you agree that it would be possible in theory?"


    "Of course! It''s very possible." Josh replied honestly. That made hispanion sigh as they transferred some credits to their friend. Why bet on such useless stuff? One guy evenined.


    "Hey, that''s cheating! Of course, if you say it like that, he''ll agree! No one can 100% deny anything about such a mysterious topic. I could even argue that there is an extremely small chance that these guys are from D.L, undercover." He pointed at random people.


    "I wouldn''t believe that one bit," Josh admitted honestly.


    "Why not?!" The man seemed at a loss.


    "Why would I?"


    "Here, look at this! Straight from Very Happy Farms" He excitingly pulled a video on his UW. Josh was getting curious.


    It was a very short interview with the old farmer and that one journalist. All Welner did was talk about farming itself while profusely repeating that he was only a humble farmer.


    Every time there was a question about Dimensional Legion itself, he would either change the subject, or straight-up admit that he had no idea. He was getting called ''Humble Welner'' and was hailed as a secret expert in thements.


    "There you have it! Even experts agree that he is not simple. No regr farmer would dare order so many Climbers around. Who are we to say that there couldn''t be any other humble members hiding in in sight?" He argued.


    How would he react if Josh were to spill everything he knew? He probably wouldn''t believe him. That''s when Josh''s UW Beeped.


    It was Dario wanting to meet. Talk about awesome timing! This would allow Josh to connect with the people of Draconic (show off). While Nightmare was probably weakpared to higher Floor pets, it remained an amazing mount!


    As he entered the guild facilities, a team ambushed him. He remembered these guys vaguely. They were the ones that had reacted to his initial post back when he was looking for training partners for his disciple.


    "Sir! I''ll say it straight. Please have mercy!" He pitifully bowed as he asked that with the others copying.


    "What is this all about?" Josh raised an eyebrow. But, just as they were about to reply, Dario hollered at him.


    "Hey, Josh! Wee back. We need to discuss something real quick." He guided him back to his office, where awaited Jack the Healer. Ah, so it was about that! Dario continued.


    "As you know, you previously asked to have him kicked out of the guild. Is it fine with you if he joins back, or is there something else he needed to do to convince you of his value? I feel like today is a good day to bury the hatchet." Dario tentatively asked.


    Jack was doing puppy eyes by the side. Except he didn''t look cute at all. Oh well. Josh would handle this like a proper adult. He wouldpromise. "Alright, I''ll forgive you with one condition."


    "What is it?" His tone was hopeful.


    "I''ll give you a simple task. You cane back to us when it''s done. Just get my disciple to personally testify that you helped him train." Josh grinned as he said that.


    "That''s impossible! He''s in the Tower! He went there with 100 days worth of food too! Am I supposed to wait that long?!" There was both helplessness and anger in Jack''s voice.


    "If you can''t even do that, then do you truly want to be in Draconic?" On that note, he shooed him away.


    "You! There is no way that¡ª !" He began shouting, only to be interrupted by Dario.


    "Leave us alone for now." The manmanded obedience. Jack left dragging his feet, dejected.


    As soon as they were alone, Dario sighed. "What is this really about? He barely talked back to you once, right?"


    "I just dislike his overall vibe. He went from begging to anger too fast. Thest time he was berating us both for abuse of power too. Me for bringing visitors and you for letting me get away with it."


    "Yes, but such is the folly of youth." Dario sighed once more.


    "Which is exactly why he needs a break to get his head straight. It''s not just about pissing me off and more about his childishness." Josh exined.


    "I see. There is also something else. I heard that you were all training for the VRpetition. Tell me, what is your n with Dimensional Legion and the farm? That''s rted to you, right?"


    "What am I nning? Absolutely nothing. It''s just a farm. Boring, simple, but especially peaceful. It serves as a great retreat to get out from the woes of life."


    "That''s it?! There is no grand scheme? What about all the people working there as we speak?"


    "What about them?"


    "What do you n on doing once they all learn about this? I''m not going to leak your identity, but what if ites out?"


    "It''s going to be fine. We never imed to be D.L in the first ce. All we did was pick it as a dream guild. Anyway, I want to talk about something else. How many pets can one possess?"


    "One each since we get taming emblems from the first clear of Floor 45."


    "I mean, there are alternate ways to get pets. I got one in a Tower Item Box, and then the other I just tamed somehow, no emblem. Here look." That''s when Josh summoned both the rat and Nightmare.


    "What?! That''s impossible! How did you do it?!"


    "I rode its back untill it decided to capitte."


    "Actually, there is something weird. Nightmares usually be smaller and weaker when captured. I heard someonein about his looking like a poney. Yours somehow avoided that fate. How lucky!"


    "Oh, no. This one is the Boss. That''s why it''s bigger." Josh replied very naturally.


    Dario couldn''t believe his ears. What did this mean?! This was insane! He took a cold breath.


    "Others are scared shitless of Hellish, and here you are taming bosses! Josh fucking Malum, the one and only!" He seemed to ponder for a second before continuing.


    "So, you n on raising an army of pets? I''ll look into it on my side. As for D.L. I''ll trust you but be careful."


    "No worries. I''m always careful." Josh gave a thumbs up.


    Dario couldn''t help but stare as Josh left. Careful, him?! What crazy stunt would he pull next?...


    Creator''s Thought


    Picture this. First is a man, a Ranker struggling to clear Floor 45 at a high difficulty for that sweet taming emblem. Then he happily goes to Floor 17 to use it on a Nightmare. After all, they do look great and noble. Then, he only gets a poney. How embarrassing!

 Chapter 153: Tiny Paper As Heavy As The World

    <h4>Chapter 153: Tiny Paper As Heavy As The World</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Jack was a simple ordinary man with grand dreams. He knew very well that he wasn''t a genius. All that he had now had been obtained through hard work, discipline, and luck. Yet, he had somehow managed to join Draconic.


    He was living the dream. It didn''t matter to him that he was only a cog in a bigger machine. He just wanted to do his part the best he could. He wanted to contribute and to know that he was actively building something.


    But as with every good dream, it shattered when morning came. In this case, it happened because of a man: Josh Motherfucking Malum. Who was he, and where did hee from? He had juste out of nowhere and had started ordering people at the guild as if in charge.


    Jack had faith in the management of Draconic. Back when the world was despairing with the Tower appearing, Dario had instead been reassuring people. He was the reason Jack had joined Draconic in the first ce.


    He still remembered one speech this legend had made. People mostly forgot about it, only caring about thetest trends, but Dario had been one of the very first to show humanity hope. That the Tower was not only and of danger but also one of opportunity.


    Yet, this fearless and wise leader now had his name and guild tarnished by an arrogant asshole. He went as far as bringing outsiders in! Jack thought he''d call him out, and the man would realize the error of his ways, but no.


    Instead, it escted. Josh had him suspended from the guild temporarily. Jack would be required to help the man''s disciple with training for a chance at redemption. That''s when he realized Josh''s real identity, or so he thought.


    The man had amazing de skills. He could only be one of these purists. They were known for going all into one single ability.


    In this case, it seemed to be swordsmanship. Purists might not have tremendous explosive strength, but they were a force to be reckoned with. Each of their regr strikes showed the power of half-skills.


    But, Josh Malum was also ssless. This probably was why he was ostracized from the purist group. Chances were his kin were Rankers, probably from another Metropolis. This is why he was a loner. Well, that was fine, but his attitude was problematic for sure.


    Eventually, Dario stepped up to alleviate the situation. Josh then suggested Jack do one thing for him. But the duration of that task was a problem.


    Jack felt indignant but mostly devastated. This was killing his Climber''s career!. If he couldn''t Climb with his Draconic party for months, he would be left behind forever.


    As he came out, he saw their eyes glimmering with hope. They had told him not to worry, that everything would be sorted out soon. But when they saw his expression, they understood. It was as if he had just been told he had cancer. Well, nowadays, normal cancer was curable as long as it wasn''t a magical one.


    It''s with a heavy heart and a knot in his stomach that he faced them onest time: "Barbara, Dimitri, Raffa, and Joel. Thank you for all the good times we have had Climbing. It''s been fun."


    On that note, he left. They wanted to protest, but he shook his head sideways. He wasn''t sure why, but Dario must have a reason to give in to Josh''s demands. He wasn''t the kind of man to be ckmailed, but perhaps he needed to do this for the sake of the guild.


    He felt lost. Jack, the Healer of Draconic, would just be Jack now. He dragged his feet toward the exit, but then a man stood in his way. He looked ordinary and was wearing a gray suit. This annoyed him as it looked just like that guy.


    "Hey there, Jack. How has it been?" The man that was called Tallis asked him cheerfully. He knew him to be an analyst.


    "I''m not in the guild anymore. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I have some training to get to." Jack sighed as he went around the man. Except the man moved at thest second, making both of them collide.


    That is when he slipped a piece of folded paper into his hand. He had done so in a way that would be close to impossible to notice for an outsider. Afterward, he left without saying anything.


    Jack felt his breathing hasten, he felt his skin getting colder, and he felt a sense of difort. He called this the healer''s instinct. He would usually feel like this when a catastrophe was about to happen.


    He knew to get ready for lives would be in peril. How was he even feeling this from a piece of paper?! This didn''t make any sense, but so did his current predicament anyway. The usual Dario wouldn''t kick a loyal member that easily.


    He hurried back home, soon reaching it. It was a cozy, familial home in the D-District. As soon as he entered, the voice of his mother could be heard.


    "Are you already back, sweety?" she came out of the kitchen. She was a full-time cooking streamer. She didn''t have to work for her son was in Draconic, but she kept at it for its fun.


    "Hey, mum."


    "Something is wrong, isn''t it? You seem angry and unsettled." She somehow instantly saw through him. He couldn''t help but shake his head wryly.


    She had always been that good at reading people. In fact, her cooking stream was more of a life advice channel. She was renowned for being so bad of a cook that she could even burn water. How? It was one of the profound mysteries of life.


    "Don''t worry, mum. Something happened at the guild, but it all will be sorted soon. No one died or anything."


    "I see. I may not be as wealthy as you, but I can definitely keep us afloat easily! Also, you don''t have to worry. In the worst case, it''s fine if you take a vacation and rx for a while." She reassured him.


    That''s when she came closer and hugged him. Somehow, all the worry he had about his future, about the guild, about that mysterious paper he was holding all vanished. He could feel the warmth and¡­the scent of burnt eggs.


    Finally, she released her grip and smiled, seeing that he had calmed down. "Alright, I''ll go back to my live stream. She happily went back to the kitchen to prepare another disaster jokingly.


    Jack went to his room. He couldn''t help but smile as he slowly unfolded the piece of paperzily. He was so peaceful right now that he wouldn''t get fazed by whatever was on it. He slowly read what was it on.


    What The Fuck?! How was this possible?! This had to be a joke, right?! Right?!


    No, why?! Dario would see iting, right?! But it sounded right. Could it have been an error?! This man was a member of Draconic too. Was he trustworthy?!


    Jack didn''t know! He was pulling his hair in dismay. Seriously what was that?!


    That''s when he stopped himself forcefully. He threw himself on his bed and began to breathe deeply. He needed calm to process all this. But it was pure madness!!!


    Steady the body, steady the mind, steady¡ª no, this wasn''t working. He slowly got up. He could feel his legs and hands trembling as he unsteadily headed for the kitchen.


    In there, his mother was talking to a camera. Without even hesitating, he dashed in her embrace, hugging her tight. She couldn''t help but be shocked seeing his current state. She didn''t say anything and just remained there.


    People on the live stream were going crazy. Some were wondering when their beloved streamer had turned into a cougar. Others berated the idiots, reminding them that he was her son. Finally, some showed concern. He was a tough member of Draconic. What kind of tragedy had made him like this?!


    After a few minutes of silence broken asionally by the gift notifications, they finally separated. Jack felt better. His mother pointed at the screenughingly. "Look how popr you are."


    All the gifts came with messages saying stuff like:


    - Cheer up, dude.


    - You are a proud Draconic member! You got this!


    - Are you single? I have a granddaughter that loves hugging too.


    - I came here to watch some cooking!


    - User above, you came to the wrong ce for the host doesn''t know how to cook. xD


    Jack then went back to his room, leaving his mum, that was faking being angry about her culinary skills being questioned. Then, he once again read the very normal paper with extremely disturbing content.


    The message consisted of a few paragraphs. But, let''s just say there were a few keywords that scared the living Hell out of him:


    ???????????????? ????????????????????


    ???????????????????? ????????????????????????????????


    ???????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????


    ????????????????????''???? ???????????????????? ????????????????????


    ???????????? ???????? ????????????????????????????????


    ???????????? ???????? ???????????? ????????????????????


    The font akin to one from a love letter was as distressing as the content was rming. Josh wasn''t who he imed to be. He had gotten close to Dario to exploit him and possibly ruin the entire guild. But that wasn''t the worst.


    No, somehow, it seemed that his nefarious ns could potentially end the world itself. Crazy, right?! The worst was that it somehow sounded believable as he kept reading.


    Josh had first visited Tallis to n with him, but thetter had only faked agreeing to help him. Instead, he had taken this all to Dario. But he wouldn''t believe him. After all, Josh turned out to have the support of one of Dario''s friends at Metropolis D, Markus.


    There were the details of Josh''s n in there. He was a man that was evidently batshit insane. Plus, he had Dario, Kasha, and a few other gold members on his side.


    People in the guild wouldn''t believe such a story. People outside of it would believe it even less. To save the world, they had to do one thing. Josh needed to disappear.


    But for that, he''d have to get in touch with someone that wouldn''t be afraid of Draconic one bit. There needed to be bait. Apparently, that would be his job in Tallis'' n.


    It was time to save the world¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    It''s at that specific point that everything turned into motion. Before, the world outside the Tower had been at a standstill. The Tower had brought all humans under the banner of survival. But, the more time passed and the less afraid people felt. Without being worried about their lives, they became greedy again...

 Chapter 154: Routine Inspection With Wolves Gone Bad

    <h4>Chapter 154: Routine Inspection With Wolves Gone Bad</h4>


    ****(POV)


    In argeplex in District-H, an rm was currently resounding loudly. Men and women could be seen dashing through the ce as if it was about to blow up. In fact, they would have been calmer had been calmer.


    Shouts could be heard as people ran toward the main courtyard for the gold division. Some were already there, as straight as poles.


    "Hurry up! Someone from the adamantium division ising!"


    "Look sharp, people! If your uniforms are even a bit crumpled, there will be Hell to pay!"


    "You want to make a good impression at all cost!"


    "It''s fine. I have a n. I will be on my best behavior! Well, best depending on who they send, of course!"


    "Remember, people, if it''s Holy Pdin Josef, you want to do everything by the book. If it''s Daryl the Bored Mercenary, you want to do as little as possible not to get singled out. Then if it''s Joey, look pretty and shake your ass."


    This was the reality of the world. There were two easy ways to go up in the societal hierarchy. The first one was uncontested power, and the second was to be a godlike ass-kisser.


    One of these mercenaries was Brad. He looked handsome, young, full of life, and very bothered. He was currently in the process of straightening out his outfit. He couldn''t help but grumble about such horrible timing. Just as he had arranged for a few call girls to meet him nearby, this shit had started.


    Ever since his encounter with that bitch from Draconic and the two idiots, he had been extremely unlucky. He still couldn''t understand why she had intervened in that silly altercation.


    She probably didn''t know them in the first ce. He had checked out their info and one guy was a loser from an unranked guild called ming Phoenix (Talk about cheesy!) As for the other, he was ssless.


    That''s why he hated meddlesome Rankers. They would impose their wills unto others, but most wouldn''t even have the decency to remain honest, and they would find excuses.


    But even that wouldn''t be as annoying as the uing inspection. The wolves were one big family. One so big in fact that their superiors, the A-Rank guild, would visit from time to time to remind them who they were under.


    There were the Adamantium Wolves, the Golden Wolves, the Silver Wolves, and even the Iron Wolves. Sometimes people would joke around that they didn''t have an S-Rank section because they didn''t know of a metal better than adamantium. On the opposite, some wanted the creation of a cardboard division.


    Whenever someone showed promise, he would be bumped to the division above and be a nobody again. Well, inside the mercenary group. The status outside would rise a lot.


    Every neer would observe their surroundings carefully as they came before rxing. They were in time, and Daryl wasn''t anywhere to be seen. The man had once surprised them by sleeping in a tree at the edge of the training courtyard.


    Then, when two poor blokes had tried leaving, they were spotted and fired from the guild for leaving the troop''s inspection without permission. Since then, they all took very good care not to mess up.


    That is when the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard. Josef was evidently the oneing, with his full te armor. Instantly, the courtyard became silent as the faces of everyone hardened. As long as they didn''t make a bad impression, they''d be fine.


    He could have easily hidden the sound he made, but he let it resonate as a warning-. Judging by the people gulping and sweating, it was working. Ah, but he wasn''t alone this time. There seemed to be two others with him.


    Was it possible that all three hade?! They all wanted to check badly, but they kept looking forward. That is when came a deep voice.


    "Is he here?" Josef uttered.


    "Yes, Sir." Came the mellow voice of a woman. Somehow, Brad had a bad feeling about this. That''s when his superior continued.


    "Everyone from Golden Wolves. I have an announcement to make. Ah, actually, perhaps I should introduce myself before. You there! You are new, right? Who do you think I am?" He questioned a new recruit that was trembling from head to toes.


    "Sir! You are the valiant magnificent, and powerful Sir Josef of Adamantium Wolves! You are my idol, Sir!" Brad had to agree. The powerful reply and the ass-kissing were on point. The kid would have a bright future.


    "Alright, then I''ll go straight to the point! It turns out that someone here has hired escorts to meet him at the door. Can you believe it? Here of all ces!" Josef shouted.


    Oh shit! Oh shit! Brad knew at this moment that he had fucked up. But why were they here?! He had given them Rendez-Vous a few blocks away! Wait, no. Surely they weren''t the ones that he had¡­.Fuck! They totally were!


    He couldn''t believe his bad luck. That''s when Josef spoke gain. "Alright, girls. Point the offender out." As they extended their hands toward the group Brad could hear his heart beating so damn fast!


    But then, they pointed at someone else! Oh my god! This was amazing! He almost felt likeughing out loud¡ªpoor guy. The escorts had probably remembered that he was a VIP client of theirs. It was their fault they were even on the premises after all.


    "What?! It''s not me, I swear!" The bloke was trying to save himself. But he was obviously fucked. He kept arguing for a good thirty seconds before Josef spoke again.


    "Don''t worry, I know it''s not you. Brad, step forward." What?! God, these bitches! They had totally sold him out. It was their fault too! He advanced and stood in front of the pdin, awaiting what would follow.


    "How dare you hire hookers!"


    "Sir, I can assure you I have never called any lowly hooker in this sacred ce." Brad stood firm. If he admitted any wrongdoing here he''d be royally screwed.


    "They have just singled you out of an entire crowd. Do you think this is a joke?!"


    "No, Sir! I know these two are lying!" He really hadn''t asked them to meet here.


    "Let us test it with the light of truth. You two, is it true that he asked you both to join him here?" He then waved his hand, and a light white glow emanated from it.


    "Yes! I swear that to be the case!" They both answered.


    Yet, there wasn''t any lie being detected, how?! Was he cheating?! Ah¡­what if they answered the question as ''here'' being Metropolis-C?! Fuck!


    "There you have it!" Josef said smugly.


    "Sir, I''m afraid they are confused, that is all. A deeper analysis will reveal that I am innocent!"


    "Alright, follow me." As soon as they were farther away, he resumed speaking. "I perfectly know what you did and didn''t do. You''ve been a stain on this guild since forever. You used to be spared because you kept climbing the ranks. But, it seems like B-Rank is your limit."


    "Spared?!" Brad couldn''t help but cry in shock.


    "Simply put, you disgust me, and I''m kicking you out of the guild. You know, I''ll really have to thank Draconic. You having a conflict with the powerful Kasha is enough to tip the bnce and not in your favor." Josef chuckled.


    That''s when Brad understood. It was a set-up. He had forced the escorts to single him out. Of course, they wouldn''t anger an A-Rank to protect a B-Rank even if he was their customer.


    "Effective immediately, we are freezing your guild savings ount and seizing all your possessions as per article 34-B of the guild membership contract!" Josef smugly said.


    Brad felt like he was in a nightmare. Why was this happening to him?! What had he done to deserve this? This guy was just horrible! Brad handed out all his items as he pictured himself piercing the man''s throat. But he knew he wouldn''t be able to.


    "Why?" Brad could only utter softly.


    "Why? Because three years ago, you drove my sister to kill herself after she learned that you cheated on her. I''d kill you myself, but I''m one of the good guys. I''ll let you live in poverty from now on." As he said that, Brad became confused. Josef kept going:


    "Whenever you try to Climb in society, I will be there to crush you. I''ll make sure no guild under A-Rank dares to recruit you. As for A-rank and S-Rank, we both know you don''t have what it takes." He chuckled as he left.


    Brad was left behind, stunned. Cheated on his sister, was it? He did know a girl that had died three years ago, but it wasn''t by suicide. She had been hit by a truck while crossing the road. He hadn''t cheated on her either.


    He had loved her too much, way too much for that. He could remember her smile and ¡ª No, she was gone already. He had to forget her!


    He had been devastated back then. In fact, it had taken him a while to get out. He had done so with some escorts that a friend had hired to bring him out of his miserable state. Since then, he had troublemitting to one girl, for he was afraid he''d lose her again and would feel the same despair.


    Anyway, that was all in the past. Why should he care about it? Josef was her brother, eh? It seemed like that guy was delusional.


    He kept sighing as he slowly exited the guild. All his work had just crumbled instantly. He wouldn''t just give up, but right now, he just couldn''t deal with this. He headed for the bar that he often frequented, often enough to have his own tab there.


    Good thing because he was broke and really needed a drink right now...


    Creator''s Thought


    Some cherish their memories like the most precious of treasures while others do everything in their power to forget. Is there one that is better than the other? No, we all have our own way to deal with loss. The cook was bottling it all up, this one was going into excess.

 Chapter 155: Joshs True Identity Revealed

    <h4>Chapter 155: Josh''s True Identity Revealed</h4>


    ****(POV)


    In a rtively cheap-looking bar, many patrons could be seen enjoying themselves. There was one man at the counter that was apparently trying to kill himself from alcohol poisoning. Sadly Brad was a Climber, so he was bound to fail.


    Life was shit, wasn''t it? Yes, it was. He felt like his life was akin to his ss: empty and pitiful. "Barman, another one! The strong kind meant for Climbers!" Tonight he would let loose.


    Thenky, handsome man on the other side was about toply when he received a call. The more he listened, and the darker his expression became. After hanging up, he turned toward Brad: "I''ll ask you to leave. We don''t want your kind here."


    "Is that so? I''ll ask you to shut your trap and keep pouring. I''m in a bad mood today." His kind? What did that even mean?


    "How is your bad mood my problem? Get out and¡ª" the barman was interrupted.


    "You can get out. You''re fired." A deep voice resounded.


    The neer was an old gentleman that looked too fancy for the ce. This man wore a ck suit wherever he went, and today was no exception. He gestured for Brad to remain seated.


    "Sir, why?! I was just ¡ª" He tried protesting.


    "Just driving my most devoted customer away, right? Driving the man that saved my life twice away? Because some A-Rank shithead asked you to? You can go work for him instead. Now, get the fuck out of my sight!" He powerfully dered.


    Hearing this tirade almost made Brad forget that he was depressed. He couldn''t help but smile lightly. The old man sat next to him. Grabbing a bottle of scotch, he poured both of them some before asking:


    "What''s your n now? Random Parties? There is that one application called <Climber>. You could always use that. Other than that, I''m guessing you''ll have to run away."


    "Not possible. This shit only works until D-Rank at best. Any decent Climber above level 30 finds himself a guild. This is how things work. I just have to find one that will ept me. As for running, I kinda like this city. It would be easier if I still had my gear..."


    "Yep, I always told you the Golden Wolves contract is shady as Hell! Repossession of all the gear upon leaving, that''s bullshit! Actually¡­you''re pretty much homeless now, right? You can sleep here in the meantime."


    "Thanks, old man. Here is a toast to new beginnings!" Brad raised his cup high up.


    That is when they heard someoneing their way. He looked rtively young, had short brown hair, and an air of naivety to him. As he called out to them, he seemed slightly intoxicated. He spoke clearly but fast and with a changing tone.


    "You guys are so loud! I heard everything. So you got kicked out of Golden Wolves, eh?"


    "This is my bar. I''ll be as loud as I want, young man. Now, I''ll act as if you hadn''t said anything and¡ª"


    "No, that''s not what I meant, like at all! You see I, Jack, just got kicked out of my guild too. Well, technically, I''m suspended for an undetermined duration that can be up to 3 months. You guys know how long 3 months are for a Climber?!"


    "I feel you, brother. Here." Both men nodded, with the old man pouring the youngster a ss. He smiled as he kept rambling.


    "At first, I was devastated, but then it got worse. Now, it turns out that this guy that caused my suspension could very well be a" he approached and whispered "a spy!"


    "I think you drank a bit too much, friend." Brad gave a slight smile.


    "No, I''m serious. I have an informant and proof¡ª A full mailbox full of proof! Who uses mail nowadays anyway?" Jack mumbled thest part.


    "Oh? What guild is getting plotted against then?" He yed along.


    "My old guild¡­oh, you mean the name! Draconic."


    That made Brad instantly sober up. Was the man really from Draconic?


    Without the public altercation with Kasha, Josef could have never kicked him out no matter his pull at Adamantium Wolves. Could he perhaps use this man''s connection to have her forgive him?


    He had said something about a spy in the guild too. Was that real or false? Was he just rambling because of the alcohol? Could there really be a spy at Draconic? If yes, who knew?


    "Tell me more about this spy." Brad made it sound casual, but he had already gestured to the owner to subtly evacuate the remaining clients.


    "Josh, Josh Malum. He came out of nowhere. He has the trust of the guild master and is using it to slowly use guild resources for his own ns. Even his own identity seems to be falsified."


    "What do you mean?"


    "He''s supposed to be a Fallen, but there are records of him being in this world long before the Tower appeared. His picture appears in the records of an asylum, delusional disorder or something."


    "That''s impossible! People would have noticed his absence in the Tutorial." Brad stated the obvious.


    "I thought so too. He can fake everything, but not that, right? You know how there are random drops in the Tower from time to time? One is a Floor ess ticket. It allows one to bypass the usual 3 level difference between party members."


    "What does that have to do with anything?"


    "It''s possible for a low-level Climber to ess the Tutorial with it if there is an instance going on. Just that no one does it since it''s rare to get one and a waste."


    "Why would he have gone through all that trouble? It doesn''t make any sense. This is clearly a conspiracy theory! What would even be his goal?"


    "Destruction of this world," Jack uttered with a cold face.


    "Pfft. HAHAHA, Nice one!¡­. Wait, you weren''t kidding?!" Brad couldn''t believe this man.


    "Draconic has ess to some of thetest information. Right now, he seems to be looking for the one cursed by the Greenwood Lord."


    "Why are you telling me all this?"


    "You just lost your guild, and I need help figuring out how to make him talk or get rid of him directly. This is fate, I''m telling you!" Ensued a very long and ufortable moment of silence.


    "You said you had proof, right? Show me!"


    They slowly left the bar, the shing <Gentleman''s Bar> sign seeing them go. Jack brought the man all the way to his ce, where a mountain of documents awaited.


    As Brad browsed through it, he couldn''t help but feel his blood freeze. Somehow this seemed too far stretched but the more he read and the more convinced he became. This Josh fellow was not ordinary.


    When he saw the man''s picture, he couldn''t help but gasp in surprise. That was the man from the altercation, the one that had kept ordering dishes while ignoring him!


    Was this fate, all part of Jack''s n, or was a mastermind pulling strings in the background? This informant was definitely suspicious.


    As long as he was careful, he could help sniff out one of their enemies. Then he could use this merit to perhaps get a grunt position in Draconic. That would actually be better than his old B-Ranked guild elite position. He had made his decision.


    In fact, Brad already had an excellent n. He had an old acquaintance that could help. He normally wouldn''t bother, but there was something in Josh''s file to motivate him this time.


    "I''ll help, but we do things my way. I do not want him killed. We will interrogate him and learn if he has any aplices. Is that clear? Plus, I''ll need some funds for traveling and other expenses."


    "So you have an idea? That''s wonderful! I knew our meeting was fate! Sure, here I''ll transfer you enough for a trip to¡­where are you going?" He was still drunk, wasn''t he?


    That is how Brad excused himself after exchanging contact information. He brought a copy of all the information with him before leaving for Metropolis-H.


    He did so in a bus full of people. At least they had their individual tiny pods inside therge flying vessel. Still, thefort was minimal. The trip would take days, but hopefully, it would be worth it in the end.


    Now, he already knew how to convince the guy to kidnap and torture information out of Josh. The only issue was to make sure he could get out if he was legit. After all, he was going to ask a criminal.


    Well, he just had to make especially sure that they signed a magical contract. Otherwise, he wouldn''t trust enough to bring him. How catastrophic it would be otherwise!


    ****


    After a day, he did reach his destination: the MTA of Metropolis-H-.


    Every time he saw a report about how they failed to catch the members of Gene Corp, he couldn''t help butugh. It was an open secret that they were connected, but without proof, what could anyone do?


    As for trying to rat on them, that was 100% insane. Brad slowly went inside and went toward the reception desk. It was massive and hid almostpletely the woman behind it.


    "Hello, Sir. What can we do for you today?" she smiled brightly.


    "Hey there, I''d like to schedule a meeting with the Janitor. As soon as possible, it''s an emergency." Brad replied.


    "Pfft. That''s funny! We do have many janitors, but I''m afraid they are all in meetings already."


    "That''s a shame. Alright, have a great day."


    "Wait, you were serious about that?!" She eximed in shock.


    Had the code changed? Had his old acquaintance given him the wrong one as a joke? He felt quite stupid. Hey, at least this could be considered a vacation at someone else''s expense.


    He ate a very basic pasta meal and went for a walk across the city. Honestly, he could just nevere back to Metropolis-C. He could Climb here too. His family and his fianc¨¦e would be disappointed, but so what?


    Yes, that sounded like a good n. Just as he was smiling to himself, he felt his entire world turn upside down. People came out of nowhere, blindfolded, and gagged him. He felt like a potato bag.


    Well, it seemed like the secret code did work after all¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    How would you react if a stranger brought out proof that your whole life has been nothing but a lie? Would you doubt? Would you be angry? Would youugh? I guess it depends on the quantity, quality, and reliability of the research.

 Chapter 156: Josh: Fastest Man Alive!—Not Always ;)

    <h4>Chapter 156: Josh: Fastest Man Alive!¡ªNot Always ;)</h4>


    Josh could be seenzily walking to the Tower. As usual, he could hear whispers of discussions. For once, people weren''t talking about D.L.


    "Man, Cutest Magical Ladies will being to town soon! Can you believe it? They will have a dance battle with some people from Eclipse!"


    "That''s so awesome! I really need to buy tickets right now."


    "Yes, it''s either buy them now or despairter. It''s in times like these that I''m so jealous of the Rankers. They get reserved ces as long as they ask."


    Cute Magical Ladies? So, sexy magical girls? t -> 3D! That''s how Josh imagined them in any case. Now was clearly the perfect time to ask these fans about the event!¡­or just head into the Tower. He did thetter.


    He soon appeared on Floor 17. As usual, the system was there to wee him.


    [Mission: Summon The Prime Nightmare!]


    "Alright! Nightmare, I choose you!" He even faked throwing a white and red ball as he did the summon. (It was useless)


    His pet appeared in all its glory. It instantly started to gallop around happily. It remained in Josh''s sight, but that was about it.


    [Missionpleted!]


    [Feat Aplished: Fastest Clear Time: 8 seconds!]


    [Error! Error! Error!]


    [Verifying Integrity.]


    [Exception Detected ID: Josh-Motherfucking-Malum]


    [Clear Reward Issued!]


    Wow, just wow! This was so ridiculous, but it was true that the Prime Nightmare had been summoned somewhat. Still, normally Boss and Pet Boss would be ssified way differently.


    This was clearly a bug!


    There appeared a single glowing dark light. <Fragment of Nightmare Cloak 1/25>.


    Oh! He needed 25 to get an item?! How troublesome would this normally be to get for a party! Was that 125 Clears as a party of 5 or just the basic 25? Either way, that was a lot of work.


    Josh did the only natural thing to do upon finding a bug: Exploit the Heck out of it! That is how yed a very peculiar scene on the Tower za and in the Tower itself.


    "Teleport out!"


    "Floor 17!"


    [Missionpleted!]


    [Feat Aplished: Fastest Clear Time: 2 seconds!]


    "Teleport out!"


    "Floor 17!"


    Etc¡­


    Before long, Josh hadpletely gotten all the fragments he required. One had to know that normally summoning the Boss would be rewarded with either straight-up death or a long and arduous fight. The reward was at the height of the difficulty.


    <Nightmare Cloak>


    Gives an otherworldly feeling to the wearer. Style +44 (Not a real Stat).


    Adds the Daily Skill: Shadow Merging. Makes one harder to kill for a short duration (Based on Lv).


    Hell yeah! This thing was amazing! It allowed one to have a shadowy appearance! Oh, and the limited invincibility was a nice add-on too. Of course, it would obviously have a limit, but for the current Josh, it was perfect!


    Well, there was one slight issue. He couldn''t wear this item with the White Spider set. The saving grace was that he had a few Equipment Holders to make the switching process easier.


    That is how Josh did a round on Nightmare''s back. They looked like a duo straight out of a Halloween movie. You know, the ghost rider kind. Josh even tried to cackle madly in different intonations. That is how the poor horse had to suffer his master''s antics.


    "Hahahaha!"


    "Muhahaha!"


    "Huehuehue!"


    Unbeknown to him, a smallmotion was happening outside.


    "The best one is clearly Pink Magic! I mean, C''mon!"


    "Naw, Ocean Magic is superior on all degrees! You agree, right Frank?"


    Except their friend had been spacing outpletely. Hispanions couldn''t help but be surprised. He would usually join the Waifu War. Was he sick? They waved their hands in front of his face a few times until he finally came back to his senses.


    "Are you okay, man?" One asked with concern. Frank even looked a bit pale. That is when he finally replied while shaking.


    "Guys, look there!" They turned just in time to see Josh exit the Tower ande back in.


    "What''s up? A guy is soloing. They are rare but not inexistent."


    "Just watch!" He showed so much enthusiast, they couldn''t believe it.


    But then they saw it too. A few seconds after entering the Tower, the man was already out. Then he went in again. Even now, he kept going! It''s only after about 20 times that he finally stopped appearing.


    To leave a Floor, one needed toplete the mission. How was it possible toplete a mission in a few seconds?! They kept racking their brains, but they found themselves at a loss.


    Perhaps Floor 1? The enemies there were the easiest to kill. But even then, that was impossible, even for the strongest of Rankers.


    Perhaps Floor 3? A steal mission would allow one to just run toward the finish line. No, just the travel time would be too much.


    The only option really was a Duel Floor. These had the objective in the same room as the yer. But! This, too, didn''t make sense! A few seconds to kill the enemy was possible once by using one''s trump cards. But repeatedly?! Bullshit!


    They vowed that they weren''t going home before he left the Tower. They would politely ask him for enlightenment. In the worst case, they would wait extremely long, and he wouldn''t even pay them attention.


    Well, they were prepared for that. Such was the life of an idol fan. Support, cheer, and stand in ce like a dumbass, hoping to be seen. Many would have looked down on them for that, but one shouldn''t underestimate their tenacity!


    Inside, Josh was still riding his horse but eventually got tired and decided to exit.


    He was surprised for a second as outside there was an ambush! That was the group that had been talking about the idol concert, right? Their eyes were shining so brightly as they gazed at him.


    "Can I help you guys?" Josh tentatively asked.


    "First, don''t worry. Your secret is safe with us. Second, how did you do that?!" Somehow, only they had really paid attention to his presence. But, if they stayed near the entrance, they would definitely get weird looks.


    "Alright, follow me." Josh brought them to a nearby park. Well, a park was a big word. It was mostly grass, a few trees, and benches. He plopped down on one, listening to them.


    "We are just impressed! We don''t have any bad intentions at all. Ah, how should we prove it? Do you want us to sign magical contracts?" One of them proposed.


    In his mind, Josh had already named them Idol Fan A to E. He couldn''t feel any malice from them, just pure curiosity.


    "I won''t tell you precisely" They looked dejected. "But I can give you guys a hint." They instantly cheered up as they listened intently.


    "The Tower assign missions considering how the Climbers will act in general. What you want to do is think outside the box. You want to try something that no Climber has done before. Then if you are lucky, there is an exploit you can use for a little bit before it gets patched." Josh exined.


    "What?!" They all looked at each other in consternation.


    People considered the Tower a world with clear rules. Some feared it, others looked forward to the challenge, but most were trying to increase their own power and didn''t think about it much.


    But for him?! He had a slight smile as he suggested this. He talked about ying the Tower itself! There would be a time before the Tower adapted? How many times had he done this?!


    That is when one seemed to gather his courage before asking: "Could I perhaps have an autograph?"


    Josh couldn''t help but look surprised. "I''m not some celebrity, you know? Far from it. I''m just a normal dude."


    That''s when they all chuckled except that one guy showing an embarrassed expression. But then one said: "Frank over here has an amazing ir for people who will aplish great things. We financed our Climb with the Credits gained from investing following his lead."


    "It was just luck, guys!" He humbly admitted.


    "On that note. Do you have a business on the side or anything like that? We aren''t wealthy, but we''ll definitely pitch in!"


    Josh had met people like that in the past. Some knew how to read Fate, even back on Earth. Oh, not divination but more instinct. Honestly, he wouldn''t have called it mystical either.


    Chances were, this gift was the ability to unconsciously collect and analyze information. Most of the poption would miss many signals, but they would perceive them loud and clear.


    These people were great at finding talent with promising futures. Josh was the opposite. His specialty was finding people with bleak fates that would overturn everything to attain their goals.


    For instance, Dale with bing powerful, the monk with getting rid of his curses, and the analyst in his quest for knowledge.


    Josh began seriously considering recruiting this guy in front of him. Humble, possible ir for talent, most probably cheap to recruit, and an admiration toward him for some reason.


    Meanwhile, they were awaiting his answer. The ambiance was started to be awkward with Josh just ring at him. Yet, he wasn''t avoiding his scrutiny. He was still holding a pen and paper expectantly.


    The others weren''t sure what was happening and were getting confused. Usually, people epted or refused quickly. What was with the stand-off?!


    "What do you do for a living? Climb?" Josh inquired.


    "Yes! I''m currently on Floor 30."


    "How many times did you clear Hellish?"


    "Never. I''m just a normal Climber." They all choked at once. Who talked about clearing Hellish that casually?!


    "I still have a recruiter position opened for a guild I''m thinking of starting. Interested? Your sry shall be an autograph." Josh yfully added.


    "What?! A single autograph as sry?! This is madness!" all the friends eximed.


    "Alright, I ept. When do I start?" Frank excitedly asked to the dismay of the others.


    "What?! You can''t be serious!" They were all losing their mind.


    "Alright, here''s your autograph." Josh quickly signed the simple paper for him.


    When Frank received it, his hands started shaking. His breathing became increasingly faster, same for his heartbeat. Then an incredibly huge smile blossomed on his face. He could read:


    -???????????????????????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????, ???????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????- ????''


    That''s when Josh spoke once more.


    "For your first task, I''ll send you to scour the farms to search for potential talent. Remember, I want the incredible ones only. Also, loyalty and personality are both extremely important. Is that fine with you?"


    "This is the perfect job for me, Boss! I won''t disappoint you!" The others werepletely bbergasted on the side. What was written on that paper to make him like that?! But they wouldn''t pry.


    Frank couldn''t believe his luck. Honestly, he understood it. If Josh really was who he thought he was, then hiring him had definitely been on a whim. He had to prove himself!


    Now he was going to <Very Happy Farms> for sure. How crazy amazing! He couldn''t wait ¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    All in all, this was extremely productive. I farmed the Hell out of Floor 17 and got a recruiter. Later on, so many would try to convince me to fire him. After all, he was totally unqualified. His only real experience came from studying Idols for fun. How does one even judge qualification anyway?

 Chapter 157: Amazing Training Session!

    <h4>Chapter 157: Amazing Training Session!</h4>


    Josh had never seen someone so happy to head to a farm. There had been that whole hype about D.L., but this time it was different: The man had been officially recruited.


    He expected Frank to ask for more details and to be slightly suspicious. Nope! He took his stuff and began walking toward the Very Happy Farms, leaving his puzzled friends behind. Still, no matter how much of a crook Josh seemed, it was the reality that he had cleared a Floor in a few seconds.


    They then dispersed, talking about the Idol concert and how amazing it would be. Josh checked his lifespan: 33 Days. Sometimes he wondered why this was even a thing. Was it a method for the Tower to make sure the people summoned would pass through it?


    Or maybe, was it rted to a defect of the system? At that moment, Josh couldn''t help but freeze. He looked at his Pet Window. "Power reduced without the support of the Tower. Power close to Nil outside the Tower." What if Fallens were the same as Nightmare?


    What if, by being summoned to this ce, they had changed and had be part of the system itself? What if they were bound to the Tower? Perhaps, it was a power loss for the monsters and a lifespan loss for the humans.


    This train of thought had the potential to send anyone in a state of existential crisis with their whole sense of self spiraling into chaos¡­Not Josh. He was hungry and decided to find a pizzeria. Specting would only be a waste of time anyway.


    In District G, he found a small restaurant called <The Pizza ce>. As he entered, he was assaulted by the warmth and the incredible pizza smell. People were lining up and enthusiastically chatting.


    "It smells so good! They should make a perfume with that scent." Surprisingly it was a woman that had proposed this.


    "Pizza perfume? Are you crazy! People would always be hungry." Her boyfriend rebutted jokingly.


    "With the smell of pizza, you''d be begging to eat me daily!" She triumphantly said.


    Was there anything better than a hot slice straight out of the oven? With the crust so damn tender, the sweetness of the tomato sauce, the perfect cheesy goodness melted to perfection, and the assorted toppings offering a world of possibilities!


    Soon, it was Josh''s turn to order. "I''ll take two number 9, a number 9rge, a number 6 with extra dip, a number 7, two number 45, one with cheese and..actually can you give me that order ten times? Thanks!"


    Many couldn''t help but be startled upon hearing such a bizarre request. These guys were clearly not Fallens, or they would have been cheering for sure! This was normal, considering there had been around 100 Earthlings in Josh''s batch. Plus, some had definitely died. They weren''t many city-wide.


    The man at the counter seemed very polite, hardworking, and was trying to determine if this customer was trolling him. Josh was probably ordering for some guild, he thought. Without further ado, he made him pay.


    "Just to be sure. Do you want to have the totality of your order prepared now?" Seeing Josh''s confident nod, he busied himself again.


    Josh found an unupied table, but soon enough, the entire shop became filled to the brim. Finding a ce to sit proved to be challenging. That is when a couple approached: "Hey, brother. Can we sit with you?"


    Josh naturally allowed it. Both of them seemed the happy-go-lucky type. He humored them with his godly small talk talents! Josh used the secret technique: state the obvious to fuel the conversation!


    "This ce seems popr, eh?" He nailed it!


    "Of course! The head chef here has the skills to work at Devouring Panda! Everything he cooks is divine. It''s even better than sex!" The woman eximed loudly, with her boyfriend turning red in embarrassment.


    Josh couldn''t help but look around, puzzled. The head cook had the ability to handle magical food, yet all pizzas were as normal as could be. At least the smell was heavenly, but how did that make any sense? Seeing his confusion, the man chimed in:


    "It''s because there are no tomatoes as ingredients in the Tower. The chef here doesn''t want to sacrifice taste for a magical effect. He believes in the sanctity of his art above all else." Josh could respect that very much.


    That''s when their food came out. How was it ready so soon?! Magic!¡­or technology. As soon as he ate a slice, Josh felt happy. He took an instant to feel joy and nothing else as his taste buds enjoyed this delicious treat.


    At first, the couple spoke a lot, but the more time passed, the less they did. In fact, they even forgot to eat. Their mouths were open wide in stupefaction as they watched him gobble one slice after the other.


    "A-are you human?! Where does it all fit?!"


    This time, Josh pointed the obvious: his belly. Exining the Gluttony Bloodline would take too long for sure, but they respected his privacy. That is how they ended a peaceful lunch with the both of them so stunned they forgot to talk.


    Josh couldn''t help but think about the tomato scarcity. Should he try and influence one of the Towers to produce some? He was thinking about that while actually owning a farm. How ironic!


    But that would be forter. Josh actually had an issue. He wasn''t sure how to go through the next Floor. For the Nightmares, he had brought spears and used their own attacks against them. This wouldn''t work against the uing enemy.


    No, on Floor 18 were Iron Golems. As far as he knew, their only characteristic was to be sturdy. Damaging their heavy exterior would be close to impossible. How could he remedy this?


    He thought about trying to erode their armor with some alchemical consumables. He even found some information about a kind of acid that could do the trick. But, for it to show its full potential, it would require an alchemist to handle it. Why? The ss bonus (just Tower stuff).


    He thought about enhancing his attack power somehow. As much as he wished for it, he couldn''t use anything simr to Qi. His only option was to efficiently apply the force he had at one point over and over. But, would this be enough?


    There were always the item set skills. But, it wasn''t like climbing a wall or growing slightly bigger would really change anything. No, he needed something else entirely, real skills! He needed help, hence why he connected to the Draconic guild chat.


    - Josh MF Malum: Hey all! I need someone to show me some weapon skills. Is there anyone avable?


    - Lilly of the Frontline: Oh, hey Josh!


    - Lucas the Lancer: Josh, how dare you! *Sigh* Why are you always asking me for favors? I am but a single man no matter how handsome I am. Plus, I''m busy at the moment!


    - Liam the Ultimate Samurai: I think your face would be even more ''handsome'' with a katana inside it. What do you think?


    - Friendly Terry: I''m here to heal him¡­


    - Lucas the Lancer: Thank you!!!


    - Friendly Terry: ¡­I''ll heal him, then you can stab him again and again. *Smiling Devil*


    - Lilly of the Frontline: Actually, we are busy waiting outside of the Very Happy Farms.


    - Josh MF Malum: Why?!


    He couldn''t help but be perplexed for an instant. Liam knew perfectly that it was all fake, and so did Dario.


    - Lucas the Lancer: We are blending in. Wouldn''t it be too weird if we didn''t have any Draconic members here at all?


    - Josh MF Malum: It shouldn''t matter that much even if Draconic doesn''t participate, no? I don''t think people see the guild as the farming type anyway.


    -Friendly Terry: Actually, Welner allowed some street vendors to set shop near the farm for a % of the revenues. It somehow created a cool party.


    - Liam the Ultimate Samurai: I''lle and help if you want. Let''s meet at Draconic!


    Wow. Yep, Climbers knew how to have fun! Oh well, it wouldn''t affect him in any case. Soon, Josh could be found in a private training room with Liam. Josh couldn''t help but note that he somehow looked more mature nowadays.


    From him, he felt the feeling of an unsheathed de. He seemed to possess the power and steadiness of a warrior but also the liveliness of youth. He grabbed his katana as if a close friend. It looked like a custom one, probably D-Rank.


    "Alright, observe."


    Suddenly, light began gathering all over his de. Then, with a swift motion, he shed! It felt as if the very air where the de had passed through was filled with death. It was very subtle, but Josh could sense it.


    That is how he diligently watched Liam perform the skill over and over. After about 30 times, he was already getting tired. But then he saw Josh''s piercing gaze and his desire to learn.


    He could rte to that. He remembered how ecstatic he had been once he had first used his first skill. It was as if a new world of possibilities had opened to him suddenly. He had felt even better than the time he had yed his first video game!


    He wouldn''t disappoint his friend! That is how Liam kept pushing himself! He kept using mana sh over and over. He barely took any time to rest. Every repetition, Josh would diligently copy all the movements.


    Liam felt proud to teach someone so diligent. At that instant, there was only the desire to share knowledge. It was pure and beautiful.


    That is how they kept going all day long. It was intense, sweaty, raw, panting, and grunting could be heard. It was simple but harsh training!


    That''s how Liam ended up at the hospital from mana exhaustion. He fell during training and would have had his skull shatter from hitting the ground wrong if his body hadn''t been sturdy.


    At his sickbed, Josh took his hand and murmured to him with confidence. "Don''t worry, my friend. Your sacrifice hasn''t been for nothing." Right afterward, Josh headed for the Tower. It was time for Floor 18!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    That moment was a decisive one where I truly figured out something amazing. Still, I never knew why Liam pushed himself so much during such casual training. It wasn''t as if working till exhaustion was efficient, right?! Oh boy, would Liam disprove that one! He did so bying up with the weirdest training routine possible...

 Chapter 158: Fighting Iron Men! In Your Face!

    <h4>Chapter 158: Fighting Iron Men! In Your Face!</h4>


    Josh had promised Liam that his sacrifice had served a purpose. His gains had been phenomenal! He had sessfully¡­given up on learning this troublesome skill. At least, he had some inspiration during the training.


    He was now on Floor 18, equipped with a brand new D-Rank club that he had borrowed from Draconic. Whether it would be sufficient to destroy his enemies would remain to be seen, especially on Hellish.


    [Mission: Destroy 30 Iron Golems!]


    On any other Floor, this would be the easiest mission. Here, it would be rtively harsh. Just the atmosphere was a straight giveaway at how peculiar this ce was. The t ground was a dull gray, and so was the sky.


    It felt as if the Tower had been extrazy on that one. In the distance, he could see a mound, nothing else. He cautiously approached it, knowing full well what was toe. When he was about 10 meters away from it, the thing rose up.


    <Sturdy Iron Golem Lv 18> Its name was blue! This was an elite enemy!


    The 10 meters tall creature looked like a big lump of iron andcked any refinement. It reminded him of an elemental. The monster didn''t waste any time and angrily mmed its arm, trying to squash him!


    Okay, to be fair, it was hard to confirm whether it was angry or not. The monster had no face, wasn''t producing any sound whatsoever and its bodynguage was less expressive than a rock.


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    Yes, that''s how the fight went! Josh was dodging and the creature kept relentlessly hammering, trying to take him down. The thing was rtively fast, but its repertoire of moves was slightlycking. It included m, m, and m¡ª Yes, that was it!


    It also had a ground shock wave ability, but it was useless as a simple jump would bring one to safety.


    Anyway, it was time to bring the pain¡ª not that it could feel any. Josh readied himself. He avoided the arm of the creature with the agility of a dolphin and counterattacked heavily! BAM!


    It was a given for the enemy to shatter in a thousand pieces, only rubble remaining of its broken body¡­Or not. Not only did the creature not show any sign of damage, but it swung its other arm too!


    Thus resumed a game of Wack-A-Josh with the poor golem having lots of trouble. No matter how hard it tried, it couldn''t seem to hit him. Still, the D-Ranked Club had failed himpletely. What now?


    Josh couldn''t help but look at the ground in disappointment. Normally he would have been able to use the enemy to create a hole in the ground. This way, he could have somehow managed to immobilize the opponentpletely. Sadly, with the floor being iron-hard, this seemed impossible.


    What is one supposed to do against a seemingly invincible enemy? Normally that would be to beg for forgiveness, but there would be none here. Josh had somehow predicted it would end up like this. Raw attack power was his current weakness.


    It was time to bring out the big guns! He waited for the creature to m its fist downward to invoke his secret weapon.


    "All-Powerful Fabled Legendary Mythical World-Devouring Godly Pseudo-Pet Rat I choose you! Show it our wrath!"


    It spawned and received the impact head-on, yet it remained fine. This new n required exact positioning. He waited for the enemy to attack again and turned the rat onto its back.


    Then happened a scene that would have deserved to be rendered in slow motion for sure. Josh got out of the way and watched it all happen. The fist of the creature collided perfectly with the teeth of the rat. Bam!


    One would have expected the teeth to explode, but instead, it''s the fist that chipped. There was only one slight issue. The area of damage was so small! How long would it take for the monster to fall?!


    That, too, was disappointing. The creature didn''t even notice that it was ''hurt.'' Still, Josh wouldn''t give up that easily. He picked up the rat then he started using it as an instrument of doom.


    He made sure to stick to the creature''s back and sides as he relentlessly mmed the rat teeth first onto its metallic body. It went a little bit like this:


    ng! ng! ng!


    CLANG!


    ng! ng! ng!


    CLANG!


    ng! ng! ng!


    He couldn''t help but chuckle to himself imagining this fight as an audiobook: Him just screaming the name of his attack like a dumbass, then only nging sounds. Well, all until it finally stopped with a big CLANG as the monster toppled over.


    That took him so long that he had lost track of time. But probably near a day. At least, now it was time for the rewards! +25 XP¡­.Yes, that was it. How sad! He still had 29 Golems to kill too.


    It would be amazing if he could increase the pet''s size to deal more damage at once. Sadly, the rat couldn''t use the Big Chungus set. Josh still had onest measure. He kept roaming until he found an enemy and another.


    He got both to follow him and made it so they would hit each other while trying to kill him. He even shouted explosively as if a sports announcer to make the ambiance right.


    "On the left, we have Big Iron the Chunky! Weighs a shitload, is fast, aggressive, and handsome! On the right, we have The Literal Iron Man! Look at this toned body without any fat! Please cheer for the fighters! May the best golem win!"


    Thus started an exemry match. Of course, they kept trying to hit the referee, but it couldn''t be helped. They were clearly beginners, after all. Before long, punches started flying very violently.


    CLANG!


    "Oh! Chunky Boynds a direct hit on Literal Iron Man! Who would have expected such a clean punch?! But, has it had any effect on the opponent? Sadly, the answer seems to be no!"


    Literal Iron Man didn''t seem to be angry in the least about being attacked. Josh kept making them hit one another, but there was no result whatsoever. How regrettable! In simple terms, their actual damage was great, but their resistance was over 9000!


    It just so happened that a human was a weak sack of flesh that could get wrecked way too easily. For a usual party, it wouldn''t be that bad. The enemies were easy to aggro, and it was all about having enough firepower to pierce their armors.


    Since that n too had failed, there was onest thing that Josh wanted to try! He summoned his noble steed that appeared along with the mysterious ck portal effect.


    "Alright, go beat them up!" Josh ordered.


    The poor Nightmare had no choice but to head to the battlefield¡­where it proved to be totally useless. To be fair, one couldn''t expect a horse to win a fight against a heavyweight metal golem.


    "Alright,e back. We will ride to battle instead!" Nightmare hurriedly retreated with relief. Yet, it began showing an expression of doubt (it was a long face). Why was its master holding a rat like that?!


    Josh hopped onto its back with the spider set equipped. "Alright, we go in, I strike, and then we run away. Hit and run, got it?" Nightmare neighed in agreement.


    "CHARRGEEE!" Josh grandly shouted.


    Nightmare began galloping as fast as it could, akin to a flying shadow. They approached their target with incredible momentum. That''s when Josh''s body was propelled in the air right unto the golem''s faceless head, sticking to it.


    Whoosh!


    CLANG!


    CRACK!


    It was a performance worthy of a show! There was part of the golem that was falling apart! It had been damaged enough to be noticeable! Sadly, it was only a fist-size hole in the iron surface. It was aughable result.


    The two of them kept repeating the same maneuver until finally, both golems fell down. It took so long that it wasn''t viable for he would run out of lifespan.


    His solo Climb of the Tower would stop now. It was over, all over. It was time to give up. If he couldn''t get a skill soon it would really be over.? It was time to retreat his tail behind between his legs.


    Josh took out his Dimensional Belt. Would it work here? He willed to use it. That is when appeared a status message in front of him.


    [Would you like to use the Dimensional Belt to escape this realm? The item will be unusable for a while.]


    "Hell yeah!"


    He for sure wouldn''t try to fight the Boss here. It would be so troublesome and time-consuming. Who knew how long it would take? He''d rathere back with a party in the worst-case scenario.


    That is how he disappeared from the Tower in a sh of purple light. As he appeared, a young man nearby couldn''t help but rub his eyes stupefied. He kept looking at Josh and at the Tower. He pointed at him, uttering:


    "Hey, that light was purple, right?!"


    "What light? The teleportation one is red. Are you alright?" Josh confidently answered. That sent the man wondering about his own physical well-being. Was he tired? Was he sick?


    Josh left happily, knowing he had probably convinced someone to go to the doctor for a checkup. This couldn''t be wrong, right? That is when his UW started beeping. It was someone calling him on his NakamaPower App, but it was an unknown ID.


    At first, he ignored it, but then the caller seemed extremely insistent. Josh reluctantly answered. Worst case, he could always take revenge afterward. Was torture too much a punishment for a telemarketer?


    "Hello, who''s this." Josh tentatively asked.


    "You need to hurry up ande to Metropolis-D! There is an issue with D-23! The tremors are getting worse and worse! I''ll be waiting for you at the MTA!" On that note, a panicked Markus (?) hung up.


    Oh well. Josh navigated his contact list and clicked on EDM Taxi. Ring! Ring! Ring! But, there was no answer. Josh could only sigh. Kasha was probably in the Tower or something¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Thest time I had been stopped so abruptly from Climbing was against the rats. But, this time what I had to learn was more tricky. Well, I wouldn''t have much time to ponder about it with the events about to happen. But worse of all: my personal taxi was busy!

 Chapter 159: Fast but not Furious

    <h4>Chapter 159: Fast but not Furious</h4>


    Whatever was happening to D-23, it sounded serious. Was there even a need for further consideration? Josh headed instantly toward the suburbs.


    Well, he did send a quick guild message just in case:


    -Josh MF Malum: There may be some shit going down at D-23 soon. No details yet, but feel free to head there if you''re bored.


    Just as he was looking for a transportation method, he noticed something bright yellow out of the corner of his eye. It was a taxi. Yes, a yellow one! Not orange! He hollered at it while waving.


    Wait, did this mean that a fellow earthling was driving a taxi? What about the curse of the Fallen?! Oh well, he''d be able to ask once inside. The driver aligned next to him, and he climbed aboard.


    "Wee. Where are we heading today?" A smiling Armin weed him.


    "It''s you. Metropolis-D! I need to meet someone at the MTA there." Armin nodded and stepped on the gas (or whatever powered these things?).


    "Actually, since when is your taxi yellow?" Josh couldn''t help but ask.


    "Hehe. I needed a new paint job anyway. I figured I might as well select a color that would remind you of home." He smiled and winked as he said that.


    For a second, Josh didn''t know how to react. He was more stunned by this than when he had allied with Draconic or even managed to buy D-23. Objectively, a paint job wasn''t anything remarkable, but somehow it made him feel something.


    What was this feeling? It was happiness tinged with nostalgia and a sense offort somehow. That was strange, wasn''t it? He had barely cared about leaving Earth, and yet¡­


    He felt a huge smile blossom on his face while Armin nodded at him in understanding. He choked for a few seconds before he finally uttered a low: "Thank you." Then he couldn''t help but chuckle: "I have to say, this is some crazy customer service! Thank you!"


    "Hehe, only the best for my clients! But, there is no need to thank me, Sir. Actually, can I be forthright?" Arming looked at Josh, who nodded. He continued.


    "I should be the one to thank you instead. You are the only customer I have that truly SEES me. For all the others, I am nothing but the taxi driver. It''s almost as if they take me for a soulless being."


    Was there anything worse than to feel abandoned and ignored? Josh had felt abandoned when his parents had died, but at least he knew why: they were fucking dead! The real tragedy was to be ignored by the living as if you were dead.


    "You are the goddamn best taxi driver I''ve ever seen and a great man, Armin. Tell me, are you satisfied with your job? Is there anything else you''d like to be doing?" He somehow felt like this genuinely caring man deserved better.


    "To be frank, Sir. I have enough credits to live a few lifetimes, but I truly enjoy driving around chatting with customers. I was beginning to lose hope, but you''ve reignited this me in me."


    "You can call me Josh. Plenty of credits for a few lifetimes? Did you take intion into ount? There is bound to be a massive one as we unlock higher qualities of gear."


    "Don''t worry about me. I have enough from a job I did back in the day. I don''t need much to be happy either." He truthfully and mysteriously answered. "Right, Si¡ª Josh. What are your ns in Metropolis-D?"


    "The Disaster Zone seems to be more and more active. Something big could happen very soon." Was that confidential information? Well, whatever.


    "Ah! Isn''t this an emergency then?! I''ll drive faster! Don''t worry, we''ll be there in no time!" They elerated at an insane speed. Was this a taxi or a racing car?!


    But they had barely left the city that a ck flying vessel could be seen chasing them! They kept going, leaving the sight of Metropolis-C. At this rate, it would soon catch them. A voice was heard: "Align on the side, or you will be shot down!" Were they going too fast or something?


    "This is shady. A ck squad vehicle wouldn''t try and meddle with us. I''m travel redited, after all." Armin clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    "Do you think it''s an error, or is this guy an enemy somehow?" Josh asked.


    "Hard to say, but don''t worry, we''ll be fine." He winked as he said so.


    They soonnded, their pursuer doing the same. They then exited the taxi with their hands in the air. The guy that had been following them came out wearing the usual ck full-bodied outfit and pointed arge silver canon at them. How powerful was that thing?


    "You guys fucking screwed up big time. You are hereby under arrest for stealing and vandalizing a taxi belonging to the Transport Division of the MTA. You shall be judged ording to thews rtive to¡ª" He seemed ready to continue forever.


    That''s when Josh noticed his friend murmur. "Stun target."


    It all happened in an instant. A metallic panel slid on the side of Armin''s taxi andrge canons came out. Then, there was a sh of light and the man fell on the ground paralyzed.


    "Pretty nice, right?" Armin looked so smug right now.


    "More than nice! Alright, what do we do with the body? Do we cut it in pieces and get rid of it?" Josh enthusiastically asked. Ah, apparently, the man could still hear their conversations as he somehow began trembling all over.


    "There is something wrong with this guy for sure. He didn''t ask any relevant questions like my driver''s number and directly started spewing this crap. He''s probably a fake ck squad member too." Armin exined


    "So, what do you suggest?"


    "We can hurry for your thing. We can even bring him with us. I have an anti-tracker in the trunk of my car. We''ll be fine."


    They removed all the equipment on the guy, dropped it to the floor, had him enter the trunk, and gave him another dose of the paralysant for good measure. During the whole process, the eyes of the man showed despair. He had shown so much confidence before only to end up in this embarrassing state.


    Afterward, they resumed their journey, going as fast as possible. Josh couldn''t help but nce at Armin. He had a custom taxi full of defensive technology. How awesome was that!


    "Right, what is that travel redited thing you mentioned before?" Josh clearly remembered Kasha just speeding away every time without any issue.


    "Normally, arriving and leaving a Tower city requires to be registered with it. This is to ensure there are enough Rankers and general guild members in the city at all times. The guilds are thest line of defense in case the ck squad gets overrun."


    "So it detects when these powerful people''s cars leave? Isn''t that too controlling? Won''t the Rankers object to that?" Josh eximed.


    "No one can ess that data. It''s sent to an AI that sorts it out, and issues request should the defenses of the Metropolis be deemed low. Then they would ask the local guilds to stay here or invite friendly guilds from neighboring Metropolis for a visit." Armin exined.


    "What do they fear exactly?"


    "They fear someone taking over the Tower. They''d be able to recapture it fairly easily, but the whole Credit taxation system on it would take a lot of effort to reinstate. Well, that and they want to avoid anyone hurting the civilians. That''d be bad for PR."


    "Was there such an issue in the past?" Josh curiously asked.


    "Yes, not here. It was Metropolis-X, I reckon. Since then, it''s been a policy for all the MTAs."


    Thus they kept flying all until they reached Metropolis-D andnded in the suburbs. Josh grabbed the naked guy before turning to Armin. "Thanks for the ride! Let me transfer some credits to you and ¡­."


    "You can do that afterward. I''lle with you in case you need a lift. It''s D-23 that''s acting up, right?" Then he pped his taxi and somehow it drove away by itself!


    "What?!" Josh couldn''t help but stare at it speeding away.


    "Oh, it''s going to dops around the city and be ready for us whenever we need it. It''s faster this way."


    Josh had seen autopilot before, but did this mean this taxi was sentient?! He almost let the curiosity get the better of him but remembered why they came here. They headed to the MTA, Armin not intimidated in the least by all the government personnel.


    As they walked in with a naked guy on Josh''s shoulder, they instantly attracted many gazes. Some seemed to think the man was hurt. Others realized the fear in his eyes and understood that this was a kidnapping.


    But, just as Josh wanted to introduce himself, Markus came running out.


    "You''re here! That''s great, just in time! Wait, who''s the naked man?"


    "Some loser that was faking the identity of a ck squad member back home. He tried to apprehend us without just cause." Josh exined briefly, handing the guy to a building security member.


    "Let''s hurry to the scene. I''ve coordinated as much help as I could. The rest will be up to us to deal with." Markus eximed.


    "What kind of support are we talking about?" Josh inquired.


    "Sadly, not much. There are local guilds that have agreed to remain on standby in case of emergency. As for our allies, there are representatives from Metropolis-C and Metropolis-E that should being in soon."


    "I feel the buting," Josh remarked.


    "Yeah, we have no idea what danger ising. They''ll help as much as they can, but they won''t put their lives at risk. Most guilds have been buyingrge transport ships to move their headquarters if we can''t handle it." Markus sighed.


    "So we have soldiers, but their loyalty is pretty low, eh? Whatever happens, we''ll figure it out together." Josh stated.


    It was time to head to D-23. Hopefully, nothing bad would happen¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    At the time I didn''t realize what exactly made Armin so special. The weird part was that he really felt like a normal taxi driver. But, how could a taxi driver have all these gadgets or how could he be so fearless? He had not hesitated a second before stunning that fake! Yet, he was the very definition of a nice guy. A man of mystery...

 Chapter 160: The Wind of Change!

    <h4>Chapter 160: The Wind of Change!</h4>


    A bright yellow taxi could be seen entering the area of D-23. About a dozen individuals were assembled there. Many heads turned toward the vehicle as people wondered who the Hell woulde to a restricted area in such a shy way.


    Some Climbers summoned their weapons cautiously while others nervouslyughed at what they assumed to be a stupid tourist. As the trio of Markus, Josh, and Armin appeared, they couldn''t help but be puzzled. The confusion only increased as the two remained at his side.


    The atmosphere felt oppressive. The red fog looked even more vivid but also showed instability. It was as if the wall could burst at any moment, releasing whatever atrocity it contained. It reminded him of the Blood Moon event in that one game with the entire world turning a bloody hue.


    It all felt surreal and rendered the dozen of climbers present on edge. Then again, who could me them? There was no way that such a small troop could do anything but sound the rm. Apparently, they were all representatives for S-Rank or A-rank guilds. Markus stepped up.


    "Hello everyone, and thank you foring. What is the situation so far?" He inquired.


    "Nothing''s happening at all. It''s all been looking like this for a while now. From time to time, there is a tremor happening and ¡ª" A handsome man wearing a T-Shirt with the caption


    answered, only to be interrupted.


    *TREMBLE!*


    The ground trembled with a low rumbling sound. A regr human would have lost his bnce. In fact, an old man fell along with Armin as people sent curious nces at the taxi driver. A minuteter, everything returned to normal.


    Josh gestured to the valiant driver that he could go back after paying his fare. He didn''t need to risk his life here. He seemed to hesitate for a few moments but then resolved not to be a disturbance.


    "How often are the tremors?" Josh asked, with Markus signaling them to answer.


    "It used to be every hour, but now it''s every quarter of an hour. ording to my calctions, in 2h19 there will be a constant earthquake going on." A man with a metallic airne-shaped ne replied.


    "Anything else?" Josh asked.


    "Naw, bro. That''s all we know. There is one thing I want to know, though. Who are you?" A man wearing huge shades asked. A woman with a toolbelt stepped forward.


    "We can go by elimination. Looking around, everyone that agreed to join from Metropolis D and E is here. Destructoid, Sris, Aeris, No-Disturbance, Cutting Edge, Foundation, Volcanic, Dominion, Tornado, Aqua, Erebus, Tortoise, and Artisan. He''s obviously from Metropolis-C!"


    What was the point of naming them all? Was he even supposed to bother remembering that? No way!


    "If you want to answer, do it right. You didn''t even point out theck of guild insignia or that fact that Markus is letting him speak in his stead." A man wearing headphones chastised her.


    "So, who is he?!" A man equipped with massive ming gauntlets almost shouted.


    "Pfft. That''s why I''m saying that you''re too hot-headed. You didn''t even bother researching this mission, did you? This guy is the only survivor of the first batch of Climbers that went in. He''s probably the one that knows this ce the best." A delicate woman wearing a blue dress chuckled.


    "Oh? Interesting! Also, why would I need to research when you can do it for me." He winked as he said so, making her blush.


    "Mister only survivor, do you have any tip for us?" A very ordinary-looking man with a steel beam drawing on his shirt asked humbly.


    Josh almost chuckled, picturing how well this guy would go with Joe that used that as a weapon. He then solemnly advised:


    "Don''t fight the slothtrosities and run as far as you can if you see one about to yawn."


    "Yawn, is it? Why?" He was as curious as humble.


    "That''s how they cast an immobilizing AoE invisible attack. It''s possible to get rid of the effect, but it takes time. Before you know it, you''ll end up in their stomach."


    "What about the Tower inside?!"


    "The Alter Tower shouldn''t be an issue. Well, that is as long as everyone is cautious. Just remember that in that disaster zone, all of you are weak. Is that clear?" Josh looked at them all as he said that.


    "Weak?! I am the first knight of the Dominion guild, the strongest guild in the entire Metropolis-E. I suggest you keep your assumptions for yourself both for¡ª" A man in armor shouted before Josh cut him off.


    "Holy shit! No fucking way! Either you agree that you are weakpared to the creatures inside, or you need to leave now. I guarantee your pride will lose to their sloth power and you''ll screw us over!" He had to make things very clear.


    "Impudent, cutting my speech like that! Markus, Dominion sent me out of good faith. I won''t make things too troublesome for you. As long as that guy kneels in apology and leaves, I''ll remain to help." He somehow seemed serious too!


    "Go away. We don''t need people like you here." Josh confirmed. The man was just about to rage when Markus intervened.


    "It seems we won''t need your services. Thank you foring, and please send my regards to the guild master of Dominion."


    "How deplorable! Metropolis-D is doomed. It is such a shame, really." The idiot left, sighing and shaking his head from side to side.


    "Are you aware that he is a powerful S-Ranker? Shouldn''t you have acted with more tact? Do you want me to deliver an apology message for youter?" The breeze knight kindly offered.


    "Fool. He clearly wanted to leave and was only looking for an excuse. These Dominion guys are like that. They won''t do anything that doesn''t advantage them. Well, it''s true that you should have minded your position." A man carrying a literal pickaxe said.


    "Actually, I''ll take you up on your offer. Would you mind telling him that he is not weed in D-23 or Metropolis-C in the future? If he does visit, we''ll guild war his ass." Josh threw this term he remembered hearing once.


    Could he even do that? He wasn''t sure, but Draconic loved fighting. Chances were they would follow him. Kasha had sounded really happy about the prospect of exercising too.


    "HAHAHA, I totally agree! I like you! There is no need to give any face to that arrogant asshole! So what if he''s a ranker? It''s not about power! It''s about character!" The gauntlets guy boisterously agreed, giving him a thumbs up.


    That''s when the airne guy involuntarily changed the topic while deep in thought.


    "I can''t help but be restless about this whole thing. What will happen? Will the disaster zone expand? Will it disappear? Will there be an entirely new change?" He was gazing at the red fog.


    "Change? Any change in the Tower is always for the worse! Like that added difficulty, it''s just stupid even to select the option!" The toolbelt womanined.


    "What?! Item sets are the best! Have you seen how amazing these skills are! One needs to remember that anyone can use them too. It adds so much versatility!" A guy with a turtle shirt replied.


    "Please! Don''t even get me started on this. It''s only good as a decoration! Only the low-level Floors have been cleared in Hellish for a reason! It requires way better gear than what it rewards for attempting it!" She argued.


    "But it will be awesome for Newbies! When the next summoning happens, it will be super useful!"


    "So what? They can catch up quickly anyway. It''s a waste of time!"


    "We just need to find a way to clear Hellish at our level."


    "That''s clearly impossible!"


    Hellish impossible? A new summoning? Ah, whatever. Josh left them to bicker as he went to see the old guy, the one that he kept meeting every time he came. How had he not been driven away?


    How amazing would it be if that guy had been a spy all along for a rival Metropolis? There was no way, but Josh couldn''t help but picture it: codename 007¨¥. He was now opening a bag of marshmallows rxedly.


    "Aren''t you afraid in the least of what is toe?" Josh asked.


    "At my age, one can kick the bucket any number of ways. Honestly, dying here beats doing so alone in a bed, pissing and shitting myself. Want one?" He offered as he brandished a marshmallow.


    "Sure. Shall we start a fire?"


    They both smiled at each other before nodding. That''s how they slowly began roasting delicious snacks with the various conversations happening in the background.


    Sad to say, but this was all they could do as preparation. During the ride here, he had talked with Markus about potentially mobilizing the regional army or gettingbat robots to help. The issue was that it would be too costly. Plus, there was too much information missing here.


    The next two hours were spent peacefully. There were often tremors, but everyone was doing their business.


    The guy from Erebus had gotten a sleeping pod out for a nap. The Cutting Edge one had begun carving wood with a dagger. The Sris guy kept chilling under the sun. Thedy from Artisan was working on some kind of tiny magical robot. The others mostly talked.


    All until the decisive moment came. They all felt it yet there were no tremors.


    The entire world became silent. In fact, besides them, any lifeform had long run away. A heavy wind began blowing, and with it, the fog slowly disappeared.


    Through the holes in the red wall, they could already see whaty behind. Josh recognized it: this was the interior of the instance! That''s when he understood.


    This wasn''t an instance anymore. From now on, the monsters would belong to the real world. They could feel the wind of change. It made them all stand still in utter shock, even Josh.


    This wind contained mana!...


    Creator''s Thought


    It''s weird how historians would refer to this moment as the turning point. Well, one of the turning points. First, there was the Tower appearing and then this. They would make our presence there sound glorious but really our group was doing whatever with some even bickering. About what happened next¡ª Noment!

 Chapter 161: Ruckus In D-23!

    <h4>Chapter 161: Ruckus In D-23!</h4>


    This wind contained mana! Gasps of astonishment could be heard with other Climbers remaining silent. Did they not realize the implications?!


    Mana was the very essence of magic, aka what Josh had so much trouble manipting. The human world had been void of it until the Tower. Even then, there remained a clear separation between both.


    Now mana would be all around? How would it impact the world? How would it impact humans? How would it impact the animal species?


    Perhaps learning skills would be easier? Would it be possible to obtain a ss IRL directly? Josh didn''t know but sses were memories. Chances were, only the Tower could assign them.


    Josh closed his eyes for a minute and felt the breeze. So many different theories swirled inside his head all at once. He didn''t know if this was a good thing or not, but it would make things livelier for sure.


    This mana wind made him feel as if all his cells were invigorated. He felt younger, stronger, and alive! He could almost spend the rest of his existence here happily. It was a very peculiar feeling.


    Yet, the others seemed unfazed by it. Was it because they were higher level and were used to more concentrated mana? Josh didn''t know, but they were now all looking at him, wondering what to do next.


    "Shall we explore a bit? Remember, do not show any hostility whatsoever!" Josh reiterated once more.


    The group headed toward D-23. It seemed to be the instance. That begged to question: where was the original town from before the disaster? Probably in the homeworld of the slothtrosities.


    How much despair must they have felt upon being teleported to a deadly world? Did they perish instantly? Maybe they had somehow survived? It would have been great if the sloths could talk.


    As they passed through the remnants of the red fog, the party members showed clear disgust. The rotten and stagnant water smells were powerful. Back then, everything had been unmoving, but now the wind carried this atrocious scent all over.


    "God, this ce is horrible. It smells like death." The tool belt girl was pinching her nose.


    "That''s what it is," Josh replied.


    They all nodded gravely. They knew that many had perished here. As they kept moving, they finally saw a sloth. It was still as disgusting with its wet sticky fur full of unrecognizable trash as it slept there.


    But, there was one thing that seemed different. It wasn''t wholly unmoving. No, it kept turning and twisting, sometimes even scratching itself with its long deadly-looking ws.


    Josh could hear a few nervously gulp as they watched it. The creature didn''t have any level, and none could see through it. It felt harmless, but they knew it was all a facade.


    "Alright, let''s let it have its beauty sleep. We''ll stick together and survey the area. We need to figure out if there are any changes whatsoever." Josh took the lead.


    They kept journeying mostly in silence, with all the sloths they encountered acting like the initial one.


    "Do you guys think it''s the tremors that almost woke them up?" The headphones guy asked.


    "Maybe they can instinctively feel that something is wrong with their surroundings." The Aeris one spected.


    "It''s probably the mana in the air getting thinner. They probably unconsciously feel it. Hopefully, they''ll get used to it and go back to sleep." Josh replied.


    "What if they start to hunt for sustenance once the mana bes scarcer?" The Breeze Knight said.


    "I really hope it won''te down to this, but it would make sense. If they do leave this ce, we''ll have to evacuate. We can''t fight them." Josh admitted.


    "We are humans. We can show them the power of science!" The Aeris fellow eximed.


    "Perhaps, but even a level 40 wouldn''t be able to leave a scratch on these guys. I wouldn''t count too much on it." Josh reminded.


    "Fair enough. It''s hard to know since technology doesn''t work in the Tower. We never had the chance to test it." The man with the knife agreed.


    "Honestly, if they remain here and sleep forever, I''d rather we leave them alone. What do you guys think?" The guy from Foundation stated.


    "Yes, letting them sleep only sounds fair." The man from Erebus instantly agreed.


    They soon managed to finish surveying it all. Besides the sloths acting slightly weird, everything was in order. The Alter Tower wasn''t covered by as much vegetation, but that didn''t matter. The creatures seemed to be progressively calming down too.


    "It shouldn''t pose too much danger as long as we leave it alone," Josh concluded.


    They soon exited, all of them relieved. That is when they saw the old man by the campfire. He was still roasting marshmallows, calmly waiting for their return. As he saw them, he nodded gravely before asking:


    "Did you explore it all?"


    But the old man could already guess the answer. Josh truthfully nodded. That is when the tears began falling on the old man''s face. He had known it for a long time already: his rtives were dead. Even then, he genuinely smiled:


    "I''m d you all came back well. Anyone want a marshmallow?"


    Josh dly epted it as he sat next to him. They shared a look of understanding, one that meant that everything would be alright somehow. But this touching scene was interrupted by the sound of flying metal.


    There were buses, five of them! These long metallic flying vessels could each hold about 50 people. What was this all about?!


    They all took their weapons out and readied themselves. Out of the vehicles exited tons of Climbers that were fully geared and seemed extremely enthusiastic.


    "Tch, that''s some B, C, and D guilds from Metropolis-D. What are they doing here? I have a bad feeling about this." The toolbeltdy remarked.


    A tall and charismatic-looking man heard her.


    "Of course, we are here to y the beast! This is the best opportunity for new drops! Now that this ridiculous instance is down, we will all be able to cooperate with our brothers and demolish one of them. This will be a historic moment! Right, everyone?!"


    "YEAH!!!!" Tumultuous cheers came from the sea of Climbers that were all disembarking.


    "If you guys want to join us, you are wee but bear in mind that I am the one leading this party. You guys will have to obey my orders." He radiantly smiled as he offered. He was obviously trying to stroke his ego by having Rankers follow him.


    "I''d rather fucking die." The volcano guy snorted.


    "Suit yourselves. While you guys are cowering here, we will seize the day and we will be victorious!"


    "Believe me, you all will die if you head in there," Josh warned him.


    "Did you hear that, you all? He wants us to retreat! How ridiculous!"


    "HAHAHA!" Raucousughter came from the wannabe army.


    Markus stepped forward.


    "You should recognize me, yes? I am in charge of the MTA of Metropolis-D. I formally prohibit anyone from entering D-23. Is that clear?" He took the harshest tone he could.


    "Did you hear that, you all? Sir Markus here believes that he has the right to order us? Isn''t that rich?" Once more, he gestured to his minions while taking a step closer toward safety.


    "We heard!" Shouts of disapproval thundered.


    Usually, these guys would have acted coy in the presence of Rankers, but their numbers emboldened them. Perhaps the dozen of them could fight the 250 Climbers, but winning unharmed was another story.


    Plus, such confrontation would be hard to hide and could socially kill all of them. It simply wasn''t worth it. They could only grind their teeth in anger as they watched them slowly head for D-23.


    The old man even tried standing in their way:


    "Youngsters believe me. Do not go there! I''ve lost my only family to these creatures. You still have all the rest of your lives to¡ª"


    "Shut up, grandpa! We are heroes. We aren''t as dumb as whoever you lost in there. Now, get out of the way." He growled.


    The old man slowly came back toward Josh''s party.


    "This will end badly. There must be a method to stop them¡­." Markus eximed.


    "Oh yeah, this will suck. But there is only one thing we can do." Josh deplored as he shouted at the idiot leading the braindead.


    "If you head right this way, you should encounter a lone slothtrosity near the entrance! This should be your best bet!"


    The man gave a thumbs up, probably picturing their glorious return already. At least, they would only disturb one of the creatures this way.


    "They will all die." Markus somberly said.


    "Actually, I only fear that they will live." Josh sighed.


    This statement made the others ufortable. Some perfectly understood what he meant. Others seemed to think that he was only uttering this out of anger.


    What followed was a period of waiting. Josh talked with a few before patiently letting time pass. It took about 30 minutes for everything to be over. They could see about 40 humans exiting the forest hurriedly.


    Their faces were masks of terror as they ran for their lives. Just as they sighed in relief, it happened. They all suddenly fell as if puppets with the strings cut.


    A sloth was slowly walking over, yawning. It was entirely red, full of fresh blood with pieces of flesh and organs stuck to its fur, none recognizable. Even they could feel their hearts tremble from the attack, even with the massive distance.


    Needless to say, it was a massacre. It slowly approached the 40 of them and devoured them all in theziest way possible. There was more human mess entering its fur than its mouth.


    Soon, only the once handsome leader was left. He had been the one the farthest away frombat, yet he had pissed and shat himself running. He oozed with relief as he saw the Rankers in the distance. He would soon reach them and escape while they fought the monster.


    Josh could feel it. The Sloth wanted this insolent human dead. He had disturbed the creature''s sleep, and he had to pay.


    "Do it." Josh coldly ordered.


    That is when the woman nearby generated a water bullet. It was highly pressurized, with its content rotating at high speed. Then she fired it. The blue sphere flew with great velocity until it collided with the man''s legs.


    KACHA!


    "ARGG, My fucking legs! Why did you do that?! Bitch! Quick hurry up and save me!" Hurry¡ª"


    But his cries for help soon came to an end. The slothtrosity grabbed the man casually, and it just happened that its ws passed through his throat. It then looked at Josh''s party, seemingly in a deep dilemma.


    It looked at the distance it would have to cover to kill them. Then, it looked at the distance it would have to walk back. Finally, it decided that it would be too much of a bother and returned toward itsir with the humans heaving a sigh of relief.


    "What happens now?" Josh asked.


    "It''s time for a meeting. We have lots of stuff to cover." Markus sighed.


    Josh couldn''t help but nce at D-23. This wouldn''t be the end for sure¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Forces: 250 Level 30-45 Climbers. Target: 1 Slothtrosity of unknown power. Result: Total annihtion. Their leader: "Shut up, grandpa! We are heroes. We aren''t as dumb as whoever you lost in there. Now, get out of the way." -_-"

 Chapter 162: Meeting at Arcadia

    <h4>Chapter 162: Meeting at Arcadia</h4>


    When all was said and done, two good things came out of the idiotsmitting suicide in D-23:


    1- They would serve as a warning to others


    2- Free buses, yo!


    As for the area itself, they had made makeshift signs warning people of the danger and dispatched some ck squad members there. Realistically they would only act as a deterrence, but it was better than nothing.


    That is how they flew back to Metropolis-D, bringing the vehicles back to a random bus hangar in the suburbs. As luck would have it, there were already people waiting there. They seemed to be cheering happily with colorful banners in their hands.


    |Wee Back, Heroes!|


    |Show D-23 Who''s Boss!|


    |The Sloth Conquerors!|


    Oof, oh god!


    This was an incredible tragedy. Not only were these guys crazy, but their families had supported them in their madness?! This instance was even renowned for its trash loot. What kind of logic had motivated this?!


    As theynded, the cheers only got louder. When they exited, a few showed unease at the unknown faces. Then this turned into silence andmentations as the truth dawned on them.


    "They''re all gone." Markus somberly dered.


    Tears began flowing as cries of despairs resounded. For some, that sorrow turned into anger as they began shouting at the Rankers: "Why are you guys still alive and unharmed! Why didn''t you save them?!" Many began echoing that cry.


    That''s when a journalist came out of nowhere to capture this "touching" scene of normal people grieving their loved ones.


    Instantly the focus was on Markus, with the man holding his mic to his face. "How are there so many victims? Can you exin where and why you failed your duties toward Metropolis-D?"


    Josh felt his blood boil. He knew first-hand the sacrifices Markus had made. He had sold thend to help support his citizens that had lost family members. That was back when the danger was still unknown. He had also assembled a team of Rankers to help. He could have ignored it all!


    No, instead, his care was repaid with hate and criticism by assholes hiding in safety. They were disgusting, all of them. Josh couldn''t help but retort: "Why weren''t you on the scene to report it all?"


    The man scoffed before answering: "That obviously is because there had been directives to stay clear from it. I''m aw-abiding citizen!" He looked so smug.


    "Navi, can you please rey the footage of Markus ordering them not to enter the area?" As it yed out, the face of the journalist changed quickly and vividly.


    "Now, tell me. What could YOU have done better to save them? It seems like you knew of this little stunt even when the MTA wasn''t sent the memo." Josh criticized him before addressing the crowd.


    "All of you! This tragedy could have easily been avoided. For the love of God, please just follow Markus''s directives! He''s literally trying to save you people!" Some looked downward in shame. Some were still angry. Some had nk looks.


    That is when Markus spoke, his voice tinged with sadness.


    "All of you. I understand your anguish profoundly because I feel it too. They were good people. I wish they were still here with us. They were too valiant and hot-blooded for their own good. Know that they did not retreat or cower! But please, let their sacrifice be thest! I beg of you¡­."


    He seemed so sincere that the crowd could only agree as they slowly dispersed downheartedly. The air was charged with remorse as people felt loss. They were too shocked to mourn.


    The reporter could be heard atoning and repeatedly encouraging people at home to stay far away from D-23.


    That''s when Josh and Markus left the city aboard a very ordinary car. They headed to Metropolis-C on official business, yet there was no luxury or decorum.


    As Markus drove, he took out a silver sk with a pickaxe design. He drank and refilled it. The smell of the strong alcohol filled the interior of their car. He kept sighing before he eventually spoke:


    "You know, that''s what I fucking hate about politics. People sometimes assume that you''re trying to control them. Well, when the Tower appeared, it was like that. But there were reasons for that goddammit! I didn''t want to!"


    "Should you be drinking at such a time?" Josh asked, concerned.


    "Hehe, now is the perfect time to be drinking before we arrive. Don''t worry about me. My alcohol tolerance is off the charts. Anyway, want some?"


    He handed the sk over with Josh taking a big swig of it. It was awesome! He felt as if a literal fire was going down his throat and belly. Then it warmed him from the inside giving a pleasant sensation. Actually, it felt like a liquid version of these spicy chips from the arcade.


    "Hehe, you sure can drink!" Markus gave him a big thumbs up.


    "So, where are we going exactly?" Josh inquired.


    "Arcadia, the Ship of Hope. Well, that''s how they used to call it. Now, it''s just one fat and expensive umbre covering Metropolis-C." Markus joked.


    "Anything I need to know before the meeting?"


    "Nope. Not here at least, but it''s different elsewhere. Hell, Metropolis-T is governed by a monarchy. Etiquette is vital there. No, for us, just stay respectful and don''t bullshit."


    Before long, they were in front of the Metropolis-C''s MTA. The ce was streamlined and futuristic looking likest time. Plenty of people, Climbers, and regr folks were running about their businesses, not that Josh knew what it was.


    Markus guided them all the way to a corner before entering a wall. What?! Was this Harry Otter?! What awaited them inside was a portal shaped like an arch with the interior glowing red.? It made a faint buzzing sound too.


    "This here is the only direct ess to Arcadia. It teleports people up there somehow. All I know is it works thanks to things we harvest from the dryads. Be careful about your stomach. This thing is hard to get used to. See you up there." He then disappeared inside.


    Now there was teleportation?! Why didn''t they just use that to move from one Metropolis to another? Probably the cost or technical limitations. Josh followed his lead, his vision was filled with red before a new scene, and a smiling Markus revealed themselves to him.


    They were inside what felt like an old schoolpletely golden cruise ship. Art was everywhere: intricate pirs, amazing sculptures, white marble floor, and even relief in the walls. Most of it seemed to represent creatures one could find on the early Floors of the Tower.


    "This is a ship?!" Josh couldn''t help but exim. This felt extravagant yet so very cozy. A few people were present and they chuckled at his loss ofposure.


    A man even called out to him: "Rejoice for you have had the chance to visit Arcadia. Doesn''t it smell of Power?" Did it? If anything, it smelled like citrus, maybe? Probably the cleaning product they used or something.


    "Alright, let''s go. I''ve already called for a meeting. Hopefully, we can get out of there soon." Markus guided him in a corridor that led to a majestic-looking staircase. At the top, there were double doors that were slightly opened. Both were engraved too.


    Inside was a circr room with a circr table and circr throne-looking chairs. There were many Climbers assembled, and? Josh did as a duckling following its mama duck. He remained behind shyly.


    A few curious nces gathered on him, but he ignored it all. Markus went to sit and began exining: "All 11 S-Rank guilds will send a representative as well as the 3 MTAs. Us 14 will decide, and it takes ten votes for something major to go through. This is our goal."


    Josh nodded, observing around. He could see small ques with guild names written on them.


    |Draconic|


    |Eclipse|


    |Immortal|


    |Ouroboros|


    Etc¡­.


    Soon a small crowd had assembled, with the only one Josh recognized being Dario. Ah, actually, never mind. There were also people from A-Rank guilds that could attend the meeting, but only as spectators.


    There were quite a lot of people, especially that a few came apanied. This was the case for a man that Josh recognized clearly. He had a stylish blue vest, brown hair, silver sses. He didn''t look asposed and confident asst time, however. Yes, the recruiter from Gemini.


    Behind the irksome man walked Lana. Their reactions upon seeing Josh were drastically opposite. She gently smiled as he furrowed his brows. Neither understood how he hade here in the first ce.


    Josh could clearly remember the disdain that idiot had shown him. He whispered in Markus''s ear, who promptly kicked the guy out. The face he made upon being escorted out was priceless. The man he had recently looked down upon was ostracizing him from an official meeting.


    That is when Markus began speaking. He rted what they had seen, the losses the foolish group had suffered, and asked for a vote in order to make entry into D-23pletely illegal without a special permit.


    Now came the hard part, the negotiations. No one knew what this newnd contained, but they were afraid of missing out on new sources of wealth. Markus had to convince them somehow to give up.


    Josh thought the discussion would continue forever when suddenly something happened. Someone pushed the double doors in a hurry while shouting: "I have a vital piece of information!"


    What could be more important than D-23 opening up and monsters possibly escaping it? They all wondered the same thing, but the messenger''s next sentence brought an end to the debate.


    "We''ve received some news! The Gene Corp is making a move on D-23. Their targets are the Slothtrosities!"


    "WHAT?!" Everyone in the room shouted at once showing traces of panic.


    This didn''t bode well for sure!...


    Creator''s Thought


    My first look at Arcadia felt rtively nd. Sure, it wasvish and all but I was picturing more of a battleship. Instead, there was luxury all over the ce and it seemed too casual. Then, I could barely savor the joy of messing with that one guy that life threw a curveball at me.

 Chapter 163: Preparations!

    <h4>Chapter 163: Preparations!</h4>


    "WHAT?!" Everyone in the room shouted at once, showing traces of panic. The whole scene was madness as many people showed unease. How big of a threat was this Gene Corp?!


    "Fuck! Quick, someone call the ck Legion and have them stop their training. They need to head to D-23 right fucking now. If they get their hands on these sloths, we are screwed!" A man from Devouring Panda urgently ordered.


    The ck Legion was the regional army, right? The representative from Tornado then spoke:


    "That''s not going to be enough! We need to defend the Metropolises too. This could all be a massive diversion. Do you remember thest time they kidnapped some of our people and¡ª"


    "Of course we remember! What about surveince? We need to get Universal Tech on the line right about now. We need to know their position in real-time!" Someone from Immortal replied.


    "But!¡ª" Someone from Destructoid tried objecting but was dismissed with a wave.


    A man that represented Metropolis-C took a solemn expression as he addressed the whole room:


    "Needless to say, this is all confidential information! A-Rank representatives, please go back and await further instructions. Get your guilds ready forbat!"


    The only random still in the room was Josh. He gave a small smile as he gently waved: "Hello." His carefree attitude didn''t fit the atmosphere at all. Some people wondered where the heck he hade from! Markus gestured that he was with him and something else distracted them.


    A huge pink hologram appeared in the middle of the table. It was a youthful girl wearing a long, intricate dress. She surveyed the room with a yful nce, most avoiding eye contact with her. Her gaze stopped on Josh, for he was staring at her.


    The yfulness in her eyes seemed to change for a determined one. Then started a staring contest between the two with Markus on the side facepalming. That wasn''t why he had brought him!! He tentatively asked: "Can we talk about Protocol EVE?"


    But she ignored them all as she kept staring at Josh. Hearing hispanion cough lightly by the side, he forced himself to divert his eyes away, faking a disappointed expression. That is when the hologramdy gave a slight grin as she began emanating a dignified aura.


    "It seems you guys need my help. Since I''m in a good mood, I''ll help in exchange for a few materials from the Tower." As she said that, many winced. How much was this ''few'' worth?


    She then grandly raised her arm before dering: "Let us activate Protocol EVE. We will know everything there needs to be known and more! The target is the Gene Corp guys, correct?" A red button appeared, and she theatrically pushed it.


    Josh raised his hand: "Is the red button an aesthetic choice, or does it really serve a purpose? I mean, this Protocol sounds like a big deal. Wouldn''t you usually have the button locked somehow?" He inquired.


    The people in the room almost had a heart attack. Who the Hell was this guy?! Why was he asking such a dumb question at a time like this?! The woman furrowed her brows as she opened her mouth:


    "You dare question me?!" She sounded like an empress that had her majesty questioned.


    "Yes." Why wouldn''t he dare? He was genuinely curious.


    "Totally for style! It''s pretty cool, right?!" She was beaming with joy, doing a cute pose and a V-sign. Josh just gave her a big thumbs up.


    Somehow, that exchange bergasted the others. What was so surprising? Obviously, no one overly serious would start staring contests.


    "Is it done?" The representative from Metropolis-E awkwardly coughed as he asked.


    "Indeed! From now on, any stranger moving about will be gged as a potential enemy. Then our AI system will use the data to determine if they are from Gene Corp or not. Of course, this doesn''t include any carrying a Jammer." She affirmed.


    "What''s this Jammer thing?" Josh asked.


    "There are technological ones and magical based ones, but all protect from technology at various degrees. For instance, anyone with a Jammer would be invisible to the AI or even tobat robots." The hologramdy exined patiently.


    "That''s pretty cool." Josh already resolved to find one for himself. How useful would that thing be!


    "Oh yeah, one more thing. Do keep in mind that this operation will use most of ourpany''s processing power. Well, the basic scan is easy, but we''ll analyze it many times over to make sure there is no incident this time. Anyway, the U-bots will be down for a short while." She added before disappearing.


    No incident this time? What kind of disaster did these simple words refer to? Then there was the freezing of the U-bots. This meant that the EVE protocol would bring high economic losses. That would exin that one guy objecting. It shouldn''t be used on a whim.


    "We understand. Still, it''s definitely worth it to catch these slimy bastards. They always hide in the shadows, but this time they won''t be able to ignore the slothtrosities. It''s their ticket to an instanteback as a powerful faction." A man representing Sris said.


    "Wouldn''t it be funny if we started some gene research ourselves? With the sloths, we would definitely make progress way faster than they ever did working on normal animals or pets. After all, a real magical creature should be in a league of its own." An Aeris representative chuckled.


    "About the pet part, I don''t think it works that well. Only their fourmanders seem to have genes from pets, and it''s their own. There is probably a limitation with the taming emblem. They definitely need those sloths," Dario exined.


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. They seemed more talkative ever since the hologramdy had left.


    "It remains that whoever gets these creatures under control will have an advantage research-wise. It would allow a group to be the leading gene experts in one go. It''s that big of a deal!"


    "Actually, what about the manaing out of D-23? What if animals start evolving because of it? What if we end up evolving?"


    "Maybe, but how long would such a process take? They need the sloths for sure for the short term. We know for sure this information isn''t a bluff. They will 100% send most of their troops there. There will be a confrontation!"


    "It''s fine. This time we''ll kick their asses! Especially their bastard leader!" A representative from Eclipses confidently dered. They were the ones that had failed that very task before, right?


    "Perfect! The Nightmare is extremely dangerous. Make sure you call for reinforcement if you encounter him. He cannot be tackled alone, is that understood?" The guy from Immortal added.


    The representative from Metropolis-C addressed them all.


    "Alright, everyone! So, the guilds will be defending the Metropolises and remaining on standby in case anywhere needs reinforcements. The ck Legion will protect D-23, and the ck squad will oversee the civilians. We will rely on Universal Tech for information. End of meeting!"


    They all powerfully moved out. As much as they were panicked at the beginning, people were now fired up. They couldn''t help but be eager to destroy these Gene Corp bastards. Markus brought him out of Arcadia.


    "What do we do now?" Josh asked.


    "I''ll go back to Metropolis-D. They are my people, and I have to protect them. This is one huge farce. I wasn''t expecting them to make a move this quickly. It''s good that we''ve managed to get the information in time. I wonder how many spies died for it." Markus sighed.


    "There is one thing I don''t understand. There were so many at the meeting. Won''t our opponents somehow learn about it all?"


    "Oh, they will, for sure. But it won''t change anything. They''ll need to mobilize tons of troops if they want to aplish their objective. Even if they wanted to be sneaky and hide, it wouldn''t be possible."


    "What if they send a few elite warriors instead?"


    "That''s the thing. They can''t. Their experts are both extremely annoying to fight yet weak. They seldom exit Metropolis-H, and even when they do, they survive. Their whole area of expertise is mass-producing foot soldiers by changing their DNA." Markus exined.


    "Are they that resilient?" Josh asked.


    "Their leader is the scariest one, codename: Nightmare. He is a typical warrior except for his ability to incapacitate anyone with a touch. His ability uses the target''s own mana to generate an illusion that makes them relive their worst nightmare over and over."


    "Let me guess, that is not that great in the actual Tower but overpowered against humans?"


    "Exactly. Then the others are just a whole bunch of undying annoyances. One has extremely sturdy scales that are extremely hard to prate. One can emit poison around himself, making approaching him difficult. Another has an insane regenerative ability. Thest one is a literal slime mutant. One need to destroy his core to kill him, but it''s always in movement."


    "That sounds like a pain. I can''t imagine what would happen if they do manage to get the genes of the sloths. Would they be godlike, or would they just sleep all the time?" Josh curiously asked.


    "I''d rather not find out. We''ve historically been their enemies for a long while now. Even before the MTAs became a thing. If they do attain great power, the first ones they will attack will be us." Markus somberly dered.


    "Did they swear to take revenge against this ce or something?" Josh questioned.


    "Nothing of the sort. It''s just that their research always causes deaths left and right. They need human test subjects, and they are using the old enmity as justification to target us, that''s all."


    "That sounds both very logical and shitty."


    "Indeed, very shitty. What about you? Are youing back with me or not?"


    "I definitely won''t miss it!" Josh couldn''t help but grin.


    This would be his first big fight IRL, right? He could already feel his blood boil in excitement as he pictured what was toe. Actually, was he sick or something?


    That was probably the result of hanging with the Draconic peeps...


    Creator''s Thought


    Ah, I was young and innocent. I didn''t realize how scary the owner of Universal Teach was. Then again, is there anything more harmless-looking than a pink yful hologram? It''s onlyter that I realized why the others were so tense around her.

 Chapter 164: Black Legion!

    <h4>Chapter 164: ck Legion!</h4>


    That''s how they returned to Metropolis-D at full speed. Both of them drinking during the ride, but none even flushed.


    The poor Markus even got his entire stash wiped out by Josh, who showed no sign of even being tipsy. Wait, was he condemned to live the rest of his life 100% sober thanks to his Gluttony bloodline?!


    As this dawned on him, he was stunned while Markus was in shock too. From that day onward, he would not brag about his incredible alcohol tolerance. Both remained deep in thought all the way back.


    D-23 had gone through aplete upheaval. Before, there had been a few pitiful-looking signs with ck Squad members patrolling. Now there were troops everywhere! Really every-fucking where! There were about 300 of them.


    One shouldn''t underestimate that number. It was only slightly higher than the ragtag group of Climbers that had died here, but they werepletely different. They had discipline, they were true soldiers, and they looked awesome!


    Their ck outfit, their stern faces, and their ck shades made them look He cool! On their chest, they had ???????????? written in silver lettering. Each was carrying a silver gun that looked to be a standard futuristic assault rifle model. Which one? Josh had no clue.


    As their flying car entered the area, they almost got shot down. The soldiers all pointed their weapons at them, and bigger turrets even locked on them. Funny how all this investment was all in order to defeat Gene Corp.


    Markus identified himself and a stern and tall man weed them. "It''s a pleasure to have you here, Sir. I''m general Roderick. Please inform me if you have any requests." He had an air of authority about him, or perhaps was it his bushy brows?


    Meanwhile, most of the soldiers returned to their business. They seemed to beying some kind of metal tes on the ground, making a perimeter. What could these things even be?


    "How''s the situation? Are you guys properly receiving the EVE data?" Markus inquired.


    "Yes, Sir!" The man pointed to a small tablet that showed red markers all over. These were slowly congregating and making their way toward them.


    "So, why exactly can''t we just drop a bomb on their asses and be done with it?" Josh asked, puzzled. That sent everyone aroundughing.


    "I really wish we could do that. Well, we could, but it would doom us. It would vite the international treaty on weapons of mass destruction. Anything that causes indiscriminate destruction is banned."


    "It wouldn''t be indiscriminate. It would be right on top of our enemies!" Josh retorted.


    "Anything that remotely has the potential to kill innocents along with the target is out of the question. It wasn''t like that before but let''s just say there have been too many incidents. That''s why people began researching gene alteration and building mechas in the first ce."


    "I see. That exins it. Let me guess. This is to prevent humanity from killing itself?"Josh sighed.


    "Of course! Well, with the advent of the Tower, it''s just easier to have an army of Climbers armed with this." He brandished his weapon as he said that.


    "What about killer robots? Couldn''t they be used as an army?"


    "Yes, but it''s really hard to code a perfect AI that will work in all situations. It''s extremely dangerous to let them loose in case they somehow decide to murder a bunch of civilians. They are best suited for jobs like security guards." Roderick patiently exined.


    "Makes sense, somehow. But will our enemy respect that treaty in the first ce?"


    "Yes, because they need support for their research. It''s an open secret that they have shady deals with Metropolis-H. If they go too far, they''ll lose all their funding. We are dealing with evil bastards, but rational evil bastards." He said.


    Was that supposed to make it better? Well, in a sense, but that also meant that they would have the ability to scheme. How would this y out, he wondered.


    "Gotcha. How long do we have before the invasion begins?" Josh inquired.


    "About a day. In the meantime, we''ll make sure to set up defenses around the ce properly. We should be done with setting the energy walls soon. Afterward, we''ll have the mobile covers set up." Roderick replied.


    "Good job! Alright, I''ll go back to Metropolis-D to begin an evacuation ''drill''. Hopefully, this will suffice. Alright, Josh here will be acting as my eyes." Markus weaved them goodbye, leaving him behind.


    "So, who are you exactly?" Themander asked him, puzzled. He seemed more rxed now.


    "I''m the dumbass that bought thend here. If I knew it would turn into a warzone, I would have bought a small farm instead." Josh chuckled.


    "Okay, seriously, who are you?" Roderich reiterated, perplexed.


    "I''m here to help. Right, I''ll need a weapon and a quick demonstration of how all this stuff works. Other than that, just tell me where I should cover, and I''ll do my best." Josh smiled at him.


    "You''re here to fight?! Aren''t you a Climber? Weren''t you left here as an advisor?!"He seemed shocked.


    "Aren''t you guys Climbers too?" Josh raised an eyebrow.


    "Eh, we''re soldiers above all else. No way in Hell regr Climbers would evere here, same for Rankers. What if they die a shameful death because of a stray shot!" Roderick eximed.


    Oh, so that''s how it was. Rankers were the celebrities of this world, and they Climbed mostly for their own benefit. It made sense that they wouldn''t overly risk their lives on the battlefield. Josh couldn''t help but have respect for these valiant soldiers.


    "Well, that''s them, and I''m me. I just have to make sure I don''t die, isn''t that right?" Josh grinned while shrugging.


    "HAHAHA. Perfect! Just perfect. Alright, follow me!" the man soon chucked in his hands a gun before showing him how to use it.


    "There are three modes, safety, non-lethal and lethal. Ah, but the non-lethal can be lethal with more than a few hits." Overall it seemed pretty easy to use.


    "This is neat." Josh couldn''t help but smile as he manipted the gun. Not only was it light, but it seemed pretty sturdy.


    "These things are harder than they seem to use. I wouldn''t count on¡ª" He began only to see Josh shooting wildly in the air in full lethal mode!


    PEW PEW


    "This is fun." He chuckled. Somehow there was no recoil either.


    PEW PEW PEW!


    "What do you think you''re doing?!" He seemed incensed.


    "Shooting?" Josh looked at him inquisitively. Wasn''t that obvious? Ah, somehow his wild shooting had alerted the entire base that was nowing over with resolute looks that soon turned to confusion.


    "Goddamnit! Everyone return to your post. It''s a false rm!" He shouted before turning to Josh. "You clearly are inexperienced. You''ll stay in the back instead." He looked adamant.


    But just as he was shaking his head, a mboyant red vessel could be seen entering the area. It was a car Josh recognized instantly: the EDM-mobile!


    "Don''t worry. This is a friend. By the way, can''t use guys just use flying vessels to fight? Wouldn''t that work perfectly?" Josh said.


    "Once again, there are ¡ª"


    "Treaties against that? What can you guys do?!" Josh felt there was something wrong with their warring.


    "Actually, no. This one isn''t much a treaty asmon sense. If you use your ships to annihte an army, chances are their supporters will send ships to destroy your city in retaliation."


    "This sucks¡­"


    "Well, we do use them against external enemies¡­." Roderick reassured. Wait, external? As in not from the Metropolises, right?!


    Kasha''s carnded right in the middle of the ce. She didn''t care about the surroundings or the many soldiers pointing their weapons at her. She headed straight for Josh while shouting:


    "How dare you!" Hearing her, Roderick sighed in relief. She would take this eager man off his hands. This way, Roderick wouldn''t be med for him dying like a fool. But then she finished her sentence.


    "How dare you have fun without me!" She was smiling brightly as the poor Roderick realizEd he had not one but two crazies on his hands now!


    "I was sure you''d be able to join eventually. Plus, I tried calling you as soon as I heard about D-23, but you didn''t pick up. What was I supposed to do?" Josh gave a helpless shrug.


    "You were supposed to wait for me, obviously! Alright, what do we have here? Also, where''s my ster?" She looked around everywhere excitedly with themander about to facepalm. How was he supposed to react to that?


    "I think it''s better if you guys leave this ce to us and¡ª" He tried reasoning with her.


    "No way! We''ll help defend it. We have our reasons too!"


    "It''s cool. I already told him that I bought thend here." Josh added.


    "Oh, then that makes it easy. I''m just here to help a friend." Kasha happily exined.


    Roderick could only be seen standing frozen in ce. His air of authority was gonepletely as all that remained of him was bewilderment. It''s at that moment that he understood that Josh had been serious. But how?! Also, why?!


    Who would want to buy such dangerousnd?! For the sloths perhaps? No, the government would do whatever they wanted with them, using regional safety as an excuse. As for the Alter Tower? That one was a waste of time to Climb! It had casualties registered but not one good reward!


    What was up with this?! Was this why Markus had left the man to oversee the operations? Now the neer was happily ying around with the ster, sending a few shots in the air and disturbing the entire army once again.


    That''s when Roderick resolved to make them give up. For that purpose, he had a fantastic and quite straightforward idea too. There was enough time for it to be carried out while they waited.


    "You both. I don''t mind you guys staying and fighting with us, but you''ll have to prove yourselves. Either you guys participate in a friendly shooting challenge, or you can leave right away."


    He could see their eyes twinkling in excitement, but that was fine. He''d make sure they lost and soon he would be rid of them...


    Creator''s Thought


    How they conducted warfare was extremely stupid. Of course, they had their reasons. The Metropolises Alliance was an extremely frightening enemy to have. In retrospect, we should have brought the big guns out. Everything would be a chaotic mess anyway. But, we did the best we could with the information we had.

 Chapter 165: Challenge! (1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 165: Challenge! (1/2)</h4>


    Roderick had given them an ultimatum. Either they seeded in the challenge, or they would have to leave the battlefield. The man still couldn''t understand why they wanted to risk their lives. Were they crazy?!


    "What are we doing?" Josh asked expectantly.


    "Oh, you''ll see!" Themander looked mischievous. He then turned toward the army.


    "Everyone! There will be a Trial of the Combatants! You know the drill, we need 20 volunteers. Everyone else keeps setting up the defense perimeter!" He quickly instructed, and tons of soldiers raised their hands excitedly.


    Soon, a small toon assembled before them. They instantly got to work. They began setting up some more metallic tes in a rectangr shape. What happened next surprised Josh.


    It all got activated with a Psshhew sound as orange energy walls rose from the ground. It created a big shy building that would have made the ultimate rave house. There was a small entrance, but the interior couldn''t be seen as it directly turned.


    "The rules are simple. Your goal is to go from one side to the other without using skills. There will be ten hunters trying to stop you, five allies held hostage and five bystanders that you shouldn''t touch. Is that clear?" Roderick exined.


    "I wanna go first! Should we bet¡ª Actually, never mind!" Kasha happily went forward.


    "Is there anything else to know?" Josh questioned.


    "There is a point system based on the time used to go through it, the number of hostages rescued, and the number of enemies defeated. For now, just focus on winning. People usually fail the first time." Roderick said.


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. More enemies defeated meant more points? How discriminatory! Josh knew many people that would disagree with such a ruling. Take that one guy Sam Fischer for instance!


    Kasha was given a special gun with only the stun mode unlocked. As it began, she rushed inside like a small tornado. Josh and themander were left alone at the entrance. They could only wait from that point onward.


    "How long does this usually take?" Josh inquired.


    "To go from one side to the other, it only takes about 15 minutes. But, of course, things aren''t that easy. It''s abyrinth filled with obstacles and enemies lurking in the shadows. Turn a corner too quickly, and BAM!"


    "I''m pretty sure that''s not the sound a ster makes. Well, maybe if they are using it as a club? These things are pretty light, though." Josh pointed out.


    "You know what I meant! Anyway, the rule of thumb is 30 minutes at the earliest and an hour maximum. Longer than that, and it''s usually a failure as people''s nerves start to give out." Roderick exined.


    That''s how they both patiently waited for Kasha to be out. Josh was almost expecting her toplete it in a record time, given that she was a scout. But, she seemed to be struggling. To be fair, she was obviously out of herfort zone:


    1) Guns didn''t work in the Tower. Given her job as a Ranker, it was a given that her training time would be spent elsewhere.


    2) She had to save people. She was used to Climbing with members of Draconic. She had been with them enough to recognize them instantly. Now, she would have to be careful not to take down an ally.


    "I''m pretty sure she''ll fail." Roderick seemed confident in his analysis.


    "Wanna bet on it?" Josh wouldn''t miss such an opportunity for sure.


    "Oh? What shall we bet?" He humored him casually.


    Any Draconic member would have agreed: the ignorants were fearless.


    "If you win, I''ll help you with something. If I win, I want my own personal weapon that I can take home. Who knows, it would work wonder if I ever get invaded by rats." Josh said.


    "Alright, that''s a bet! But, why would you have vermin at your ce? Aren''t you loaded?" Roderick seemed confused.


    "I live in a sewer," Josh admitted without exining further.


    Themander couldn''t help but be shocked. A sewer?! Was it out of context? Perhaps it was some kind of secret base? Would he ever know? Actually, did he want to know?


    A whileter, Kasha appeared showing a despondent expression. She sighed: "It took me 45 minutes to clear it. This is so bad!" but then her face lit up as she showed fighting spirit. "Afterward, I want to try again!"


    "Well, you just won that bet. I''ll get you your own personal gun. But, you still need to pass the Trial yourself if you want to use it on this battlefield. I wouldn''t count on it that easily." Roderick remarked.


    "Wanna bet on it? If I do clear it, you''ll have to help me with something. If I lose, it''s the same as before. Does that sound good?" Josh proposed.


    "Alright, I agree." As soon as Roderick said it, Kasha ced her hand on his shoulder, seemingly tofort him in advance.


    "Well, see you guys soon." Josh stepped inside.


    He felt like in another world, one that reminded him ofser tag. There were guns, the darkness, and the neon glowing colors. Weirdly, the glow of these walls barely affected the surroundings.


    Josh slowly approached his hand toward it. It seemed to be a mass of raw energy, yet it was physical to the touch and opaque. He ran his fingers across its surface, and it felt like an actual wall. He took his sweet time enjoying these new sensations.


    After a while, he decided to turn the corner before pressing the triggerzily. He shot the man that had been lying there in wait all this time, without even looking. The man fell with Thud as his face showed confusion.


    "How did you react so quickly?!" He asked.


    "Please! It was so obvious you''d do that." Josh retorted. Well, the real reason was that he had felt it.


    This meant that only 9 enemies were remaining. This would be so dam easy! He kept going at his slow pace, enjoying himself.


    The ce really was abyrinth. There were low walls of many sizes that could provide cover or hide enemies. Then, there were so many pathways that it would require magical powers to navigate here easily, abilities that he clearly didn''t possess.


    But, there was one thing that he was able to do, and that was sensing intent. The enemies were somehow looking in his general direction right at this moment and couldn''t be more obvious.


    The only question was how? Did they have cameras or trackers? No, otherwise, they would know his exact position. That''s when he finally noticed something. For a little while, he kept alternating between walking forward and backward.


    That''s when he understood the trick. Somehow, the color of the walls themselves was changing based on his progress. The deeper he walked and the richer the orange was, but even that was very subtle.


    If they knew theyout of the ce, then they could guess his exact progress. Chances were, these guys had a ton of experience here. Well, it did seem like an amazing and fun training exercise.


    Anyway, knowing the direction of the enemies or the color trick didn''t really help. Well, not directly, but he could at least proceed at his normal walking pace. He was probably the most rxed contestant to ever participate.


    On his way, he kept encountering small rooms that all looked the same. They all had simr boring low walls and no enemy in it whatsoever. This was obviously to lower the target''s vignce and/or let them be on edge.


    Oh yeah, he also soon saw a bystander. The guy was trying his best to look angry and aggressive but didn''t even have a weapon. Someone really stressed could have easily mistaken him for an enemy.


    Josh just smiled at him, going: "Hey there!" He didn''t bother acting cautiously. The man was shocked at how unguarded Josh was.


    Eventually, he did encounter another hunter. He was sneakily hiding behind one of the obstacles. The man was showing a grin as he couldn''t wait for Josh to pass through so he could shoot him in the back.


    Josh didn''t even walk near him. He just peeked over his cover and shot him in the head. Meanwhile, the man never saw himing, only realizing when it was toote. There remained only 8 enemies.


    "How?!" The man asked bewildered.


    "That''s one bad hiding spot," Josh told him.


    It had just started that they were already falling like flies. Poor soldiers trying their best...


    Creator''s Thought


    This whole challenge was really well-built. It''s impressive how fast they could assemble it. Plot twist: all of them used to be professionalbyrinth designers, but then the Tower appeared. How horrible must it be to lose one''s job to the Tower?!

 Chapter 166: Challenge! (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 166: Challenge! (2/2)</h4>


    It had just started that they were already falling like flies. Poor soldiers trying their best!


    As Josh entered another room, there was a bystander in the middle. This time it was all a diversion. as there was an enemy hiding in the shadows!


    A man was holding on to the ceiling akin to Sp*der-Man. He was internallyughing until his target raised his gun backward above his shoulder and shot him down without even looking: 7 left.


    "How?!"


    "Your friend, the bystander, gave you away with that slight smile." (No, he hadn''t.)


    At some point, he encountered a bright orange wall very simr to all the others, but this one had a man on it. He was wearing a full outfit that was the exact same shy color, gun too. His camouge was pretty amazing. But the intent was still obvious: 6 left.


    "How?!"


    "You call that camouge? Do you think I''m blind?!" The man then left to change.


    There were two that didn''t hide at all. Well, they remained behind a cover and 2 bystanders as they kept sting him over and over. Josh, actually struggled with them as he wasn''t used to shooting with these things.


    His only saving grace was knowing exactly where they intended to shoot. Quite ironic, but it would have been more troublesome for him had they been bad shots. It ended up with him waiting a few minutes and hitting them the instant they made a mistake: 4 left.


    "How?! Do you have an aimbot or something?!"


    "Just luck." Josh shrugged. Theymented how sad their ending was.


    Later on, he reached a room that one bad guy guarded. Josh quickly got rid of him : 3 left. Then he entered, finding something peculiar this time around.


    It was filled with cells made out of orange materials too. It was bare and small. There were 5 allies and 1 bystander in there. He got the key from the defeated man, grabbed their stuff lying in a corner, and freed them all. Oh, this one guard didn''t ask ''How'' for a change.


    The rescued people yed their role perfectly (albeit a little scripted): "Thank you for saving us! We will be forever in your debt. Now please escort us toward the exit!"


    "First, gear up. All of you!" Most of them obediently did it, all except one.


    "I''m actually a bystander. I don''t know how to use a gun." A man pointed to himself hesitantly.


    "Grab this and look the fucking part! My squad ain''t going to look shabby, is that clear?!" Josh shouted at him.


    "Y-yes, alright." He awkwardly took it.


    Another one added: "Actually, I have bad news. There is only a small distance left to freedom, but it will be extremely challenging!" He looked so grim.


    "So, let me get this straight. There are 7 of us versus 3 of them. Why the Hell are we supposed to run? What do we have to fear exactly?" Josh couldn''t hp but raise an eyebrow.


    "Three? Did you take care of all the others? That''s amazing! Still, it doesn''t change anything. They will be in a fortress atop of a slope. It''s close to imprable. Well, we know a method, but we can''t tell you." One said.


    "Why not?" Josh asked.


    "Psst, stay in character, asshole! Sorry, we really don''t know anything!" Another apologized.


    "What if I torture it out of you guys? How many fingers should I break to¡ª" Josh said.


    "Nonono! We really can''t tell you! This is part of the challenge. Otherwise, you''d lose! It would be way too easy, right?!" One answered, panicking.


    "Fair enough. Guess no one will be forced to eat their own dick today." Josh sighed, full of regret.


    "What the fuck?!" They all eximed at once while taking a step back. Fear could be seen in their eyes.


    "Don''t worry. I''m mostly joking." Josh reassured them before leaving.


    "What the fuck do you mean by mostly?!" One remarked.


    "I mean that if you y the annoying NPC, I''ll make you eat your dick. Youing or not?" Josh yfully teased him.


    "Y-yes!" A frightened soldier followed.


    A few minutester, he could finally see what they meant. There was a big ramp with no cover whatsoever. On the other side, there were 3 small holes in the wall with gun muzzles appearing.


    These guys warmly weed Josh''s party with a rain of stunning energy bullets. At first nce, it seemed like an impossible game, but it wasn''t.


    First of all, they couldn''t seem to move their weapons too much. This pretty much made it a 1 v 1 shooter versus runner. As long as he didn''t sway too much, that was.


    Second, there was ample room to dodge, given how empty it was. Of course, that would mean a non-stop battle and having to predict every single shot in advance.


    Third, these guys also didn''t know how to hide their intent. Coupled with their great marksmanship, he could ignore any prediction shot and remain unmoving instead.


    "Boss, what''s the n of attack?" A fake NPC asked.


    "You shut up, and I''m going alone," Josh replied.


    That is how he slowly began climbing upward, dodging the projectiles Like a BOSS! But, halfway through his ascension, he realized that there was something slightly wrong with his tactic. The NPCs were just watching him in the background.


    He retreated as his teammates began encouraging him. They were so damn supportive: it was beautiful.


    "You can do this!"


    "I believe in your leadership!"


    "You are the best! Please have my babies! #Nohomo¡­. What?! I''m kidding!"


    That''s when Josh smiled at them and shot them all, even the bystander guy. As they were convulsing on the ground, they seemed shocked beyond belief.


    "Why?!" One uttered weakly.


    "C''mon, it''s part of the game. You guys were going to betray me. Otherwise, it would be too easy, am I right?" Josh winked.


    "So you knew all along?" Oneforted himself.


    "Nope, you guys just suck at acting. Also, no one was even shooting at you. Who are you trying to fool?!"


    "¡­" They all remained silent and slightly ashamed of their performance.


    In fact, all this time, they had been waiting to backstab him at thest second. That was the whole secret behind this exercise. There was a huge trap in it as there were no allies, only enemies.


    The scenario was that the five really used to be allies but had been turned into enemies through brainwashing. It reminded one to never take anything for granted and always to be alert. Well, their intent had betrayed them so easily.


    They were now all chatting happily.


    "This is crazy. Neers always fall for that one. You guys are awesome! That crazy strongdy faked being defenseless to draw us out. You didn''t even give us the chance to fight back. You just started sting without rhyme or reason!"


    "At least with her, we managed to aplish something. She did beat us, but we stalled her under suppressive fire for a while."


    "You guys definitely need to work on your shooting skills. Being beaten even by Kasha. Does she even know how to use a gun?" Josh remarked.


    "What?! She''s a pro marksman! We only managed to stall because we outnumbered her, and she was afraid to make the first move in case we were innocent!" One cried out.


    "Wow. The more you know." Josh never knew that side of her. "Anyway, shall we end this game? I''ming!" Josh shouted toward the guys in the bunkers.


    He ran up while cackling madly. The people in there nearly had a heart attack. He was akin to the Reaper itself!


    They kept gunning him down, but he miraculously avoided all. Sometimes he would side-step, sometimes tilt his head, and sometimes even remain perfectly still. The shooters were going crazy!


    As they all exited, they brought the 25-minutes footage of the run to Roderick. As he watched it, he went from surprised to showing a stern and cold expression. He then red at Josh:


    "We said no skills! Since you cheated, this naturally counts as your loss."


    Gasps could be heard as people around began showing disapproving expressions. Most shook their heads from side to side, but a few found the situation strange and looked at Josh expectantly.


    "Do you really dare to nder me?" Josh smiled peacefully. He looked so very weak at that very moment.


    "This isn''t nder but a fact. Only a skill can aplish what you did back there. No matter the excuses you give. You should act like a man and¡ª" But he stopped as the nearby soldiers were making a ruckus.


    "Commandant Roderick! You need to see this!" A man ran next to him, showing him some footage.


    That''s when themandant raised his eyes that were wide opened in stupefaction. "Y-you. You''re ssless?! Then the skills?! That''s impossible!"


    "None of that matters. The only question is are you going to renege on our bet?" Josh simply kept smiling at him, yet he felt¡­threatened?! This was the calm smile of someone that had everything under his control.


    At that very moment, Roderick felt that angering this man would cause his doom. Yes, even surrounded by his army. It didn''t make sense! How?! Why?! He didn''t know. But for now, he simply answered:


    "Of course not, sorry. I was mistaken."


    Kasha could be heard giggling: "That is why one shouldn''t bet with Josh Malum."


    Only a few soldiers had witnessed this scene. The others were still building the required defenses. But, the few that did see it couldn''t wait to show the footage to all of their friends.


    They felt like these two helpers were a good omen. Gene Corp would soon be at their door, and they would be ready to wee them! They would eradicate them all¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Quote of the day: "How?!" The obvious answer, when asked, is to Bullshit. It was so dammed fun to take them out before they even had the chance to react. It felt like ying a shooter game with a wall-hack cheat, but legit.

 Chapter 167: The Doctor

    <h4>Chapter 167: The Doctor</h4>


    ****(POV)


    In a small and extremely dark basement, two men could be seen sitting at a table. They were as different as night and day.


    One was handsome with light brown hair that was neatly trimmed. He wore a whiteb coat that he never stained and light blue sses that he didn''t need. People knew him as the Doctor.


    "Hey Doc, you finally changed your mind? That''s great!" His interlocutor happily said.


    This man didn''t seem to know what shaving or even washing meant. He was nothing more than a vulgar foot soldier. He looked and smelled like a beggar. His sharp teeth were crooked, and his glowing red eyes revealed his true nature.


    He had long stopped being human. He was an experimental failure, a trashy one at that. He wasn''t qualified enough to handle the Doctor''s miraculous products.


    Normally he would never sell to those freaks at Gene Corp. He had standards, after all. This time, however, he had to ignore his own rules. He urgently needed money and couldn''t afford to wait.


    That''s why he was reluctantly selling the fruit of one of his side-projects. This organization had been pestering him for so long about it, and they paid well.


    "Here, hurry up and take it. I have better things to do. Now scram!" This idiot was nothing but a mule tasked with retrieving the package.


    "Is this stuff as good as they say? It''s such a small box too! How much is it even worth?" The beast babbled mindlessly. It didn''t seem to realize that this small box was worth more than its entire existence.


    How short of manpower were they to send this dumbass? This product would improve the efficiency of gene therapy by about 12%. It wasn''t that much, and it was consumable, but it was worth it¡ªespecially when it was time to operate on the higher-ups.


    The Doctor got ready to leave. He was done with this.


    "I say, now that you are here, Doctor... Why don''t I just bring you back to the base as one of our ves? Don''t worry. You would live a happy life: being able to research all the time until you drop dead!" He raucouslyughed as he evilly grinned.


    Truly an imbecile! As a professional teacher, the Doctor was used to idiots, but this one was phenomenally dumb! He could make this creature disappear as he had done with that one unruly student of his, but that would cause frictions with Gene Corp. Instead, he warned:


    "Get out of my sight while you still can." The Doctor uttered lowly, controlling his temper.


    "Fool! We of Gene Corp are resistant to drugs. There is nothing you can do to¡ª" THUD!


    The Doctor slowly approached the fallen man, taking out a scalpel from his chest pocket. It was a cold-looking one with engravings of hearts on it to represent passion or something.


    "It seems your tiny pea-brain cannot fathom the difference between resistant and immune. Immune wouldn''t have you paralyzed on the ground at my mercy. Now, let''s cut off some weight, shall we?" He grinned.


    He slowly approached the man and had some fun. He truly enjoyed the look of terror in his eyes as he slowly cut his tongue, removed an eyeball, severed his thumbs, and cut an arm¡ªnothing like a magical scalpel to cut through even bone easily.


    He then applied some healing drug that would save that target''s life and make it impossible for any regeneration of the lost parts. Finally, he felt better as he walked away whistling.


    Now, he had lots of things to n. It had all started in his office when he had gotten an offer from Gene Corp to buy his materials at a higher price than usual. They were going to war and needed to restock.


    Well, that obviously wasn''t the true reason. He had heard about the sloths. These were mighty and possibly invincible creatures. They wanted the creatures'' blood and his products to try and create the strongest freak ever.


    Their leader would most probably be the one attempting the operation this time. The Doctor knew about it. The man had received lots of modifications, but all were partial onespatible with pretty much anything.


    This time he was going all out. Well, that wasn''t his concern. No, he was more interested in their military operations. They would attack D-23. That would mean a perfect diversion.


    He had asked one of his pupils to take over his ss while he would go to Metropolis-C on vacation. He had a brother that used to live there. In fact, the Doctor had always hated his brother.


    The pitiful bastardcked in brains and even more in ambition. He was content living his life a the bottom of the food chain. A shame, really. That''s why he had left to that joke of a city.


    Well, to be fair, they had Universal Tech, but half the world had their products too. What good was a technologicalpany with the advent of the Tower? His drugs worked in the Tower and outside of it too.


    With every new Floor climbed, he only got stronger and stronger. Meanwhile, new ways to disable technology kept appearing. Yes, his way of life was the ultimate one.


    Anyway, this dumb brother of his had only ever lived by using petty and useless drugs like basic Firgone. Lenny had also gotten himself killed by some random guy. Some bloke called Josh Malum.


    This time he would visit him and enjoy dissecting him from head to toe. Actually, he would probably use his body as teaching material for his inner circle of pupils. He would cut him open, gouge the insides out, then close it up and heal him.


    He had the perfect drug for it. It allowed to regenerate even organs, and that part was especially painful. It was very fun to watch.


    As for how he would do it, he had nned the best homage of all times. Yes, he would make his move with Firgone. Well, one could call it Firgone+ or even Firgone+++. He had gone through so many versions already.


    Usual Firgone removed the fear and most of the other emotions along the way. The one he would use would instead remove all emotions but one.


    This would soon be so beautiful. He couldn''t wait, he truly couldn''t wait!


    Creator''s Thought


    The Doctor was as interesting as frankly scary. He was a madman that would willfully throw drugs all over the ce. How he even managed to resist his own creations was frankly a miracle given that he appeared human. Well, that was the thing: he only appeared human.

 Chapter 168: The Pirates

    <h4>Chapter 168: The Pirates</h4>


    ****(POV)


    "Ah¡­This world is boring." A deep sigh resounded in the vi. Well, calling it a vi was making it sound better than it was.


    The ce was big, luxurious, colorful, full of art and various golden treasures, yet all that was worthless. Even the beautifully engraved red and golden throne that the man was sitting on was meaningless.


    He had an appearance that screamed of strength: heroic brows, angr jaw, piercing gaze, short hair that was perfect for fighting, bulging muscles, etc. He also possessed a tyrannical aura that rendered people speechless. Yet, he was weak. Well, of strength, not of character.


    Back in the days, theirir had been a cradle of wealth. Now, the price ofnd was extremely cheap everywhere except the Metropolises. People wanted to Climb, be near Climbers and even breathe the same air as them! It was all about the Tower.


    "For sure, Boss! This world is boring. That''s why we are here to make it more lively!" An overenthusiastic youth eximed fanatically. It was only the two of them in the huge room.


    The man snorted with the kid retreating silently, not daring to make another peep.? How long had the kid been here? About a year perhaps. He had promised him a future, yet it had all crumbled in front of their eyes.


    But the man didn''t take offense to it. He was in a monologuing mood and just kept talking. "I remember back when the Metropolises didn''t exist. People always say that the Tower appearing is a miracle." He took a sip of a nearby wine gourd.


    "If you ask me, the real miracle is how fast the world changed. They all went crazy! They monopolized the Tower and built huge cities around every ess point. Everyone then banded together against this otherworldly menace, and we became obsolete."


    The man sighed once more as they were stuck here in the wild.


    "What is the fucking point of being renowned bandits in such a world, eh?! At first, it was fine. The truly rich were the ones with the credits. They were easy prey. But now it all changed. The world isn''t about wealth anymore. It''s about power and only power!"


    The problem was that theycked this power. In the old world, they were kings, now they were nothing more than regr bandits. No, vagrants would be more urate.


    "But it''s so goddamn unfair! The rich send their kids to Climber schools nowadays. Can you fucking believe it?! It''s been what, six months? They''ve already figured it out! Then they y dress-up and cover their children with extravagant and powerful artifacts from head to toe."


    Meanwhile, most here didn''t even know what an artifact looked like. At least they still had flying vessels.


    "They got all the training, gear, and knowledge they could possibly need. Oh, and they can even fucking hire people to power-level them! I swear if there wasn''t that 3 levels limit gap, the whole fucking world would have been power-leveled by now!"


    He just hoped that they could level eventually, but nope they were wanted.


    "So yeah, for them Climbing is as easy as drinking, pissing, or shitting. It''s harder for them to wipe their fucking ass after taking a huge dump on all of us than to Climb! Naw, who am I kidding? They have people for that too!"


    "Wanna bet there is someone waiting right below their shitter to lick their asses clean or something?" He chuckled.


    "You know, I''ve always dreamed of a world ruled only by the powerful. Not by any conglomerates, armies, or even tech magnates. Nope, by raw and true power! But I never wanted this!"


    "This shit is the fucking worst. Everyone is at peace. These same bastards are hogging all the resources and bing more powerful day by day. That''s not it! I want blood, I want destruction, I want warlords ruling thend and chaos!"


    He was shouting, standing excitingly at the end. For a second, a trace of the old him resurfaced. But then he fell back on his throne weakly like a puppet having its strings cut.


    "That''s not what I wanted at all. All I have now is this empty throne...well, and you guys. But let''s face it. This is the end of an era, and we don''t belong in it at all." He murmured as a whisper.


    That''s when a middle-aged man came running inside. He had a tablet in hand, and he was beaming. The leader was about to reprimand him, but he became extremely curious when he saw his state.


    "Boss! Some new info! There will be a war! Isn''t that great?! I''m sure we can find a few marks to attack in confusion. Maybe we can get enough funds to change our faces so we can Climb temporarily!"


    He looked over it all carefully. He was a man that loved to swear and was very ''raw'', but he wasn''t dumb either. What he saw in there was way more than a few easy marks. Gene Corp attacking D-23 was a golden opportunity.


    It was the opportunity of a lifetime! Actually, perhaps not. There would be more toe as this would be a precursor to many others. That''s the feeling he had anyway, but he would be damned if he was going to miss the party!


    That''s when he powerfully rose from his throne. He was back, the old him that they had all decided to follow. As they looked at him, they felt like he would go on to conquer the world. He shouted loudly enough to reach the few training outside.


    "Everyone. The Tyrant Squad is officially back in business. Boys, this time, we are going big. To Climb efficiently, we need Credits for gear and to bribe people so we can enter the Metropolis. We''ll get all we need in one go!"


    "While everyone is busy obsessing over the event at D-23, we''ll be attacking Metropolis-C. This is going to be so much fun. Quick prepare all our warships!


    "Boss, what about the city''s defense system? What about the radars? The only reason they are leaving us alone is that we are too small to pursue." His right hand objected.


    "Hehe, you''re right about that. Either we remain small or we go big. Contact every pirate in the area. We are all starving while the Metropolises be fatter and fatter. They consider us weaklings and pests. We''ll show them how frightening we can be!"


    "Boss, what do we promise them to have them join?" He curiously asked.


    "Promise them death and destruction. They just need to choose their camp. The oue won''t change."


    "Yes, Boss!" He happily ran away to send some messages.


    This would be fun. The pirates were too insignificant to even to enter the radar of the Cities. This would be their undoing.


    Short-term, there would be no betrayals because pirates, in general, were very angry about the whole status quo.


    As for the long term, they would have to slowly gain enough power to keep controlling all of these trashes.


    "I need someone to get us Metropolis-H uniforms. It just needs to be realistic enough to fuel their hate for their old rival. We''ll ride Gene Corp''s tailcoat. As long as they are alive, they will be too busy to deal with us. That''s our scapegoat."


    "They won''t attack us. We should have enough ships tounch a suicide attack on Metropolis-C too if they push us into a corner. This is going to work, I guarantee it! This is gonna be so great! HAHAHAHA"


    "This peace has been too long already. Whatever the cost, we''ll drive a wedge in their alliances. Then, we''ll be there to pick up the pieces."


    Was he crazy? Perhaps but they would rather be crazy and dead than alive and cowards slowly dying away.


    Creator''s Thought


    Most people became pirates because of desperation or for their destructive pulsions. He was slightly different. Warmonger would fit him more. For him, heading a and of pirates was but a mean to an end. His means would end up as nightmare fuel for the others.

 Chapter 169: Make the World a Better Place!

    <h4>Chapter 169: Make the World a Better ce!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    "There are rumors of something big happening near Metropolis-C! We have received an anonymous tip concerning a possible invasion of D-23 by Gene Corp! How does it make you feel?" A reporter could be seen brandishing a mic in the face of a bystander.


    "Afraid! I''m afraid that something bad will happen! These people are bad, real bad. We need to do something about them: they''re all inhuman freaks. Why can''t they just be happy with living as normal humans, eh?!" Some random guy said.


    "Tchh¡ª"


    That''s when the man closed the device, instantly plunging the room back in darkness. Had anyone seen his features, they would have agreed he looked too young to be in charge of anything, and yet there he was.


    Creak!


    That''s when she entered. She was ssy and gorgeous to the point that it was unbelievable. But it wasn''t even her beauty that had attracted him. If anything, it was how vindicative she was. He smiled at her: "Hey, Mika."


    "Sitting in the dark alone, leader. What about the celebration right outside? There are so many of our brothers and sisters here." She nudged him gently.


    "I''m just pensive, that''s all." He sighed.


    "Are you having second thoughts? Many will die because of us. I''ve always known you to be a kind soul." She gave him a sympathetic look. She understood him more than anyone else.


    "You know, I came into this room doubting myself once more, as usual. There was this small voice inside my head reminding me over and over that this isn''t right. But, I''ve just realized how necessary this all is." He replied.


    "You did? That''s great! I''m 100% with you on this n!" She encouraged him.


    "You know, there was a man on the television. He was a random guy interviewed about his opinion of Gene Corp. He said: "Why can''t they just be happy with living as normal humans". Laughable isn''t it? That option isn''t avable to us. I''d pay so much to still be on Andromeda! Everyfuckingthing!"


    She unconsciously recoiled a bit.


    "I''d bring you with me, of course. You''de and visit my home, right? It''s beautiful!" He fervently said.


    "YES!" She couldn''t help but beam. As long as she was with him, she''d be happy.


    "These people are all selfish. Every time they hit Floor 25, they happily p that summon button. It''s so easy, after all. There is no one to see them. There is no one to criticize them, no one to judge them either. So what if many die? They justify it all for themon good!"


    "Themon good, is it? At what cost?! How many worlds will they destroy in their quest?" She sighed.


    "I know, and that''s why they need to be stopped. I''m not even sure if any of what we are doing will even change anything, Mika. But, we will try."


    "Yes, but as long as we save one world, it will be worth it." She added.


    "You''re right, Mika, as always."


    How many souls were sacrificed every time there came a summoning? Too many! There was no way to know how many actually survived either. The MTAs had started tracking it all, but only recently. Plus, what about the area beyond the alliance!?


    Back then he had to adapt to this new world, leaving everything behind. He was a huge mess but had found sce in the Tower. He would Climb during the day, and he would wander the city at night. The nightmares were keeping him awake. Well, it was a blessing in disguise.


    That''s when he had found her. Drunk punks were harassing her. He had hurried up to save her. That night he had felt particrly helpless. Beating the hooligans until they were unrecognizable had given him a sense of control.


    It turns out that she had never needed help. He still remembered her grin as she had turned toward him.


    "Ah, I can''t believe you''ve done that. I was about to have fun with them, and you beat me to it! You''ll have topensate me for that, won''t you? ;)" She had winked at him.


    Well, that night, he did help her to have lots of fun. He had followed her home, where he had helped her evacuate some stress over the kitchen table, the living room''s rug, the sofa, the bed, and even in the shower.


    For once, he felt alive. He had always thought that there had been no purpose to his life, all until she entered it. Truth to be told, this had been nothing more than a one-night stand. Yet, fate wanted otherwise. They somehow kept meeting coincidentally.


    Oftentimes it involved beating pricks until their blood flowed and sweating bucket afterward via rigorous exercise. There was that one thing, especially where she would arch her back and¡­


    They slowly opened up to one another. She felt like her world was going crazy ever since the Tower and he wasn''t even sure if his still existed! Actually, maybe it still did. They had no way to know what was happening to Andromeda, the blue.


    It wasn''t just talking. They discussed, debated, and even argued at times. They felt like there was something horribly wrong with the world, but they had no idea how to fix it or where even to start.


    Should they address the rampant greed and general power cravings? This problem was as old as humanity itself, everyday stuff.


    Should they address the inequalities in the social castes? At least even the poor were eating rtively well, and the world was at peace.


    They talked and talked, but like many young people, they felt lost. They wanted to make a difference, but one that mattered too. That''s around the time their rtionship became serious.


    She brought him to meet her parents. They were rtively well-off and had a very nice vi where they received him openly, warmly weing him. For the first time in forever, he felt like he belonged.


    Well, for a little while. It ended very badly with her father screaming at him: "Stay away from my daughter, you worthless Fallen piece of shit! You''re already a dead man!" Yes, it was that bad.


    She told him they didn''t know any better. They were probably worried he would leave her a widow. They knew next to nothing about the Tower. The need to continuously Climb to survive was the biggest burden, but she didn''t mind. Why would she?


    That''s when he understood. There would always be something wrong with the world. Andromeda had been far from perfect, and this world was the same. BUT, that didn''t give those people the right to screw other worlds too.


    He had said with conviction: "Mika, I''ve decided. I''ll somehow end this curse. I''ll make sure there are no new Fallen created."


    She had looked at him sadly while saying that it was fate that brought him to her. Just as he was about to apologize, she eruptedughing. She agreed. They had been lucky. How many had lost their soulmate to this joke of a summon instead?


    That''s when they had begun this whole thing. At first, they had tried lobbying to raise Fallen awareness. They tried to tell people that the Fallen were exactly like them. That had failed so much.


    People considered them less than human. What were they doing there instead of being busy in the Tower! That''s how most reacted. Of course, there were a few sympathetic ones, but that wasn''t enough.


    The summons would keep happening over and over until someone put an end to it. He figured he should be the one to do it. It was his cross to bear, yet she would stand at his side every step of the way.


    They had slowly assembled a group of like-minded people. It seemed like they tended to gravitate toward him. Every stranger he met randomly was part of the few that thought differently, that hoped for a better future.


    Their rtionship proved that Fallen and non-Fallen could live in harmony, but that would always remain an illusion of happiness. He''d remain a ve to the Tower. Well, it was fine for him, but what about the weaker ones?


    How many had died from their fears ofbat? How many had died trying to protect their loved ones? In that damn tutorial, there had been so many valiant people picking the group option only to save their loved ones, sometimes not making it themselves, oftentimes a vain sacrifice.


    The whole system was bound to breed despair, only a bit of hope appearing. They would mess it all up. They would turn this system upside down. They would convince the Climbers to ignore that bright red button that promised help.


    They would do something...


    "You''re in reminiscing mode again, aren''t you?" She teased him as she gently approached, stealing his lips while gazing deeply into his soul.


    "I really don''t know what I would do without you." He softly murmured, gently kissing her once more.


    "Pfft, I bet you''d be saving the world some other way. Probably in a very reckless manner, might I add!" She teasingly said, but she wasn''t wrong.


    Right now, he was careful because he wasn''t the only one at stake here. In the other room, they were all counting on him to make things right.


    "Shall we head to the party? After all, soon will be the grand reveal. We will be so busy that we will barely have time to breathe." She gently proposed.


    "You''re right about that. I guess we just have to make the most of it, don''t we?" That''s when he pounced on her, violently ripping her clothing off. This was the calm before the storm, but he just wanted to forget all his worries for now.


    Soon, the world would know of their existence. Soon, things would escte so much. But it was fine, for they were ready. Entire worlds were counting on them, worlds that didn''t even know they existed...


    Creator''s Thought


    Ironic how sometimes it''s the kindest people that will hurt others the most. This man would be called by many names, but I personally called him "shadow" because he was always the mastermind in the shadows. In his own way he desired to help, but how much destruction would he cause!

 Chapter 170: Peacefully Relaxing Until...

    <h4>Chapter 170: Peacefully Rxing Until...</h4>


    The soon-to-be battlefield was very still. The soldiers could be seen lying in wait, preparing for what woulde. They were all brave men ready to give their lives for the people, but that didn''t eradicate the fear. No, they had simply learned to live with it.


    Some could be seen scribbling their will on their UW, some were munching on rations trying to calm their nerves, some whistled catchy tunes, and some joked around to forget that death was around the corner. Simr conversations could be heard all around the camp:


    "You recently joined from the ck Squad, didn''t you? How do you feel about your first war?"


    "Insignificant. That''s how I feel. I look at those energy walls set up everywhere, knowing even it will all fall,? and I can''t help but tremble. I hope I make it back alive, but I''ve already given up. Honestly, I''m terrified." A recruit admitted.


    "Don''t worry about it. We all feel the same. There is not a single soul that feels different on the battlefield. There are only two emotions, fear, and bloodlust. It''s just a bncing game between both. Too much of either, and you are worthless as a soldier." A veteran exined.


    "What about these guys?" The young soldier pointed to a pair that clearly stood out in the rtively austere and glum surroundings.


    "¡ª I have no clue! At all!" He could only shake his head. Why were the both of them so rxed?!


    Josh and Kasha could be seen roasting marshmallows on a small campfire, slowly boiling water in a small metallic kettle. The spectators had so many questions.


    1) Was here really the ce for hot cocoa and snacks?! What about the looming shadow of death approaching them all?!


    2) Why were they boiling the water the old-school style instead of using an instant boiler like anyone normal? Were they here to sightsee and have fun?


    3) Were they allowed to set up a campfire in the first ce?! Sure, the war preparations were all done, but seriously?! Wasn''t this a little over the top?


    4) Why was their ownmander standing on the side respectfully?! He had always been so harsh with new recruits and never yed favorites! What had changed?!


    5) Why were there so many people pointing at them with a radiant glow?! They almost seemed to be worshiping them. Were they celebrities? Most didn''t recognize them.


    Then, they would investigate quickly in the army''s general chat. While they''d never discuss important matters in there, many were referring to THE video. This prompted a holy quest in search of answers.


    Very soon, people realized that a device was being passed around with footage of the two''s training. Every single soldier that watched it ended up staring at them impressed. It made the others'' expectations so goddamn high! Yet, they too were impressed when they watched it!


    How were these guys any beginners?! They were evidently professionals! The way that girl handled her gun and how she dashed from cover to cover was phenomenal. She was so unpredictable and bold that they felt she was a veteran of a thousand battles.


    Then, there was the man. From his posture, he looked like aplete amateur. But he wasn''t! He clearly wasn''t. How else could he so nonchntly hit enemies that they themselves could barely see even with cameras showing all angles!


    Had they not known this was an arduous Trial, they would have believed this to be a pleasant afternoon stroll. What kind of mastery did one need to realize such a feat?! They couldn''t even fathom the realm he was in.


    After watching the two''s performance, many couldn''t help but sigh bbergasted:


    "These two are inhuman. I''m so d they''re on our side!"


    "What is this feeling? My heart is beating faster, I feel like I have butterflies in my stomach, and I can''t help but smile. I think I''m in love." To which another replied.


    "She''s out of your league, brother. You have to know your own limits." A friend patted his back in sympathy.


    "She?" He asked, puzzled, while his friend was sighing.


    "It''s nice to dream, but he''s even more out of your league."


    "Pfft." That''s when Kasha spat some hot-coco, looking shocked. She had heard the earlier conversation. How was she worse than Josh?!


    Ever since meeting him, she found the world to be a strange ce. He somehow was higher than her in the Draconic food chain. He resisted all her teasing without even being flustered, and now this?!


    "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.


    "A-all good. There was a leaf in my drink." She awkwardly replied.


    She looked at him pensively. The whole reason she was here was to protect him. But did he even need her help? He was the ultimate paradox: he was low level, but she couldn''t see his limits.


    "I''m not sure how I feel about all this," Josh murmured as he looked toward the people that were staring at them. How many of them would die?


    "Are you worried? If ites down to it, I''ll bring you away as I escape. Don''t worry." She reassured him.


    "Oh, It won''t be my first time fighting an army, but it will be a first to have allies." He smiled wryly.


    She froze for an instant. That meant he had fought a war alone?! Had it been anyone else saying that she would have considered them to be joking or lying. Yet, she believed him.


    Meanwhile, it had taken her months of constant life, and death struggles to reach the point she was at right now.


    How did he have such a calm temperament in such a situation?! He was recently summoned too! How was he so rxedly sipping his drink? Roderick and all the soldiers were actually wondering the same. Their thoughts were interrupted.


    "They''reing." Josh slowly rose, gesturing for Kasha to tidy up all their stuff. She grumbled but did it.


    Everyone gazed in the direction he was turning. They could see the vast in through the orange tint of the barriers. Roderick shook his head.


    "It''s too early for this, way too early. We still have a few hours before the enemy evenes close. Sounding the rm now would prove fatal. The stress would sap away both our energy and morale."


    He even showed the EVE protocol feed as proof. The red dots really were a good distance away still. Plus, they were evidently on foot for some weird reason.


    What was the point of technology if no one used it? Then again, as long as it prevented a nuclear fallout¡­


    Josh slowly made his way toward a turret. He still didn''t know how these AoE machines of destruction were allowed. Probably because they there handled by qualified operators to reduce unnecessary casualties?


    "I-it''s you! You''re Josh, right?!" The soldier in there looked at him like he saw a miracle. He even opened the turret cockpit.


    "Do you mind helping me with something?" He politely asked.


    "Anything! Just say the word, Sir!" He instantly agreed, then he remembered that this was totally breaking the chain ofmand. Good thing Roderick just nodded in approval.


    Josh entered and settled right behind the man''s seat. He then pointed at his screen, showing a spot on the horizon. "Do you see this spot right there?"


    "Yes, Sir! What should I do?" He eagerly asked.


    "I need you to shoot right there."


    "B-but, there is nothing there at all, Sir?!" He was confused. Was this a prank or even a test? Either way, as he felt Josh''s encouraging nce behind him, he resolved himself just to shoot. Worst case, he''d lose his job.


    ZOOM!


    The big canon produced a peculiar sound as it charged up. Usually, it would barely be heard, but at that moment, everyone was holding their breath. Josh''s random firing request was so bizarre that they didn''t know what to make of it.


    Then a big ball of energy shot out! It whooshed through the air with momentum. Every single soul in the military camp watched it fly straight and true. This soldier had great aim. It was about to collide with the ground.


    The oue was obvious. There would be a big hole in the soil as it would dissipate. But, contrary to their expectations, it disappeared in mid-air. It was as if it had never been there in the first ce: no sound at all and no clear exnation.


    There was a moment of silence before the world resumed its course with Roderick shouting.


    "GET READY! They''re here! Fuck their camouge up!"


    ZOOM!


    ZOOM!


    ZOOM!


    ZOOM!


    Josh could hear the cacophony of all the turrets charging one after the other. Then began an onught. They kept shooting and shooting. The first projectiles disappeared, but soon something began appearing.


    What was once invisible began violently rippling as it showed itself. There was a barrier that was about to crumble apart and an army. But a secondter, said barrier turned a bright and deep blue.


    If before the turrets seemed to have any effect, it all seemedpletely useless now. That''s when they slowly reduced their firing rate, seeing how useless it all was.


    "What''s happening now?" Josh asked.


    "You see that protective screen that they have? It automatically adjusts to the vibration of the attack, counters it, and renders it useless. At this point, we have to reduce the firing rate and the deadliness of the projectiles." He seemed shaken but logically and patiently exined.


    "What will that even do?" Josh was perplexed. Wasn''t more power better?


    "It''s harder to detect and analyze a lower output. From now on, we''ll only be able to provide cover fire. We''ll also watch out for any war machine." He exined.


    "I see. Good luck with that then!" Josh gave him a thumbs up, turning around.


    "Wait! How did you know?! They somehow fooled EVE and even had invisibility camouge!"


    "Instinct." On that note, he left to meet with Roderick.


    "That instinct just saved all our lives..." Came a whisper behind him.


    It was time for the war to begin, for real. Somehow, Josh had the feeling this would be messy really quickly...


    Creator''s Thought


    What would have happened had I not been there? GAME OVER! They say information wins wars. That''s true, but "information" also loses them. For instance, overconfidence from relying on failed data can easily cause catastrophes. Roderick was actually experienced and careful, yet he would have fallen into that trap.

 Chapter 171: Pew Pew! Pew Pew Pew!

    <h4>Chapter 171: Pew Pew! Pew Pew Pew!</h4>


    Right outside the D-23 area, 300 men and women were hurriedly rushing into position. They did it orderly, but the urgency could be felt as they shouted.


    "Hurry up and get behind cover! They outnumber us! Make sure you are safe!"


    "All turrets need to keep the suppressive fire going!"


    "Their Anti-Energy shield is going strong. We''ll need to shoot them ourselves!"


    "What about the mines installed in the area?!"


    "They seem to have somehow found the first ones easily. We suspect there is a freak in their midst able to detect underground energy signatures."


    "Fuck! It took a while to ce those. This is so unfair."


    "What about the energy integrity?"


    "All is full, we should be ready to resist for a very long time!"


    Josh couldn''t help but perk his ears, listening to all their conversations. There had been mines?! At the horizon, he could distinguish about a thousand enemies. They were all assembled under that blue dome, moving along with it.


    They reminded him of a giant mythological turtle that hid in its shell. Their teamwork was especially remarkable.


    "Want to see?" Kasha handed him some binocrs.


    As he observed them, he couldn''t help but be shocked. They looked like humans for sure, but that was only at first nce. Every one of them was wearing a dark cloak and a ck robe that made them look like rogues.


    But, plenty of twisted members could be seen poking out of their clothes. Some had scales, some had fur, some seemed to be gooey, and some even had tentacles in ce of arms!


    How crazy was that?! Josh couldn''t help but sigh. Why were the tentacle guys even soldiers?! This was such a huge waste of talent. They should have been actors instead, obviously.


    They seemed to carry with them blue round smaller energy shields that would cover their whole body too. Apparently, these ones would be to counter normal-fire. They had been truly well prepared.


    What were they even nning with their earlier invisible surprise attack? Had they nned to sneak inside D-23 and get their samples directly? Perhaps their goal from the start had been to kill the entire ck Legion.


    Josh noticed a weird detail. No matter how he looked, he couldn''t find any leader. Yet, all the foot soldiers seemed to know what they were doing. Was it previous instructions or was someone hiding while pulling the strings in real-time?


    Maybe they were even hiding in that army somehow and acting like normal grunts. Perhaps they really weren''t here either and were nning a covert operation somewhere else.


    There was one thing Josh was curious about: "How did they even fool EVE? Do they have the technology to do that?"


    "That''s not my area of expertise at all, but we should be significantly more advanced on that front than them. It''s worrying for sure. Either they found a trick or they are receiving help from some Metropolis other than the H one." Roderick grumbled.


    They had thwarted their sneak attack n and Gene Corp bigshots seemed absent. Yet, their army still remained extremely impressive if only because of their numbers. They slowly but steadily approached.


    The soldiers all around could be seen trembling. This was especially true for the new recruits. As they saw this imposing force, they felt tiny and their stomachs began twisting in anguish.


    "What''s happening now?" Kasha asked concerned.


    "Every fight, there is a lull before the massacre starts. Fear tends to spread and I can''t stress how vital this part is to morale. This moment of waiting is close to unbearable for many." Roderick stated.


    "So, pretty much, we have nothing more to do than to wait for them to get closer so we can kill each other?" Josh asked curiously.


    "Exactly. Now, we need to reassure the troops and¡ª" Roderick was rudely interrupted by the sound ofughter. ,


    "HAHAHAHA!" People were shocked as Josh eruptedughing.


    Somehow his voice was heard all across the 300 of them, with all their gazes being transfixed on him. They were all puzzled. What had happened?


    That''s when Josh spoke, monologuing with one of the silliest voices they had ever heard. He was copying an automated phone voice.


    "Hello and thank you for calling My-Battlefield Help Call Center! How may we help you today? Please select one of our frequent troubleshooting options!"


    1. Holy shit I''m dying! No one told me this could happen on a battlefield. I may perhaps need a medic or at the very least a hug. #Hugs


    2. I''m not sure who or where my enemies are. In fact, I''m not sure if I even have enemies. (Swiss, Kiwi, Canadian, etc.) Please send help! #Need Answers


    3. I woke upte and today is my first war. It''s kinda embarrassing and I don''t want my enemies to think I stood them up. What should I do?! #War Virgin #Advice


    4. I''m fine. Both the enemies and I are here. But, they are just so slow, even slower than Inte Exploring! Please tell them to hurry up! #Slow AF


    That''s when he looked at the stupefied Kasha. She couldn''t believe it. What the Hell was he doing?! She hesitantly uttered: "4!" It resounded in their midst, everyone listening with rapt attention.


    "Thank you for your patience. You have selected the option: my enemies are slower than buttered octogenarians with ankle weights. Here is a song that should help! It is titled: waiting for some dumbasses!"


    He then began softly and calmly singing without a care in the world:


    (~£þ¨Œ£þ)~


    ????


    Here I serenely lie in wait


    Questioning my very life


    Why are they all sote?


    To this date with the afterlife


    ????


    I just want to help, really!


    A kind soul showing mercy


    Ready to cure them of the crazy


    I even came especially early


    ????


    Eager to truly do my best


    But to my utmost distress


    Goddamn, they are so slow!


    Should I make them kotow?


    ????


    Surely this deserves an apology


    Then again can I me them?


    How stressful being my enemy


    Do I have the right to condemn?


    ????


    Guess I''ll simply be patient


    Waiting for these dumbasses


    That soon will be only ashes


    And I''ll be grinning adjacent


    ????


    Here I serenely lie in wait


    So slow a song I could create.


    This would normally be over


    But guess we''ll do a do-over¡­


    ????


    Josh then repeated this silly tune over and over. It was the kind of song that would invade one''s mind. Soon, the soldiers found themselves humming along. All of their previous worries were all gone. Many couldn''t help but remark:


    "This tune is magical! We''re just waiting for dumbasses. What is there to fear?!"


    "A date with the afterlife, that''s so poetic!"


    "He''s not wrong. Death does cure craziness!"


    "So what if they outnumber us? They''ll soon be ashes anyway!"


    "He''s literallyposing songs. Pfft, talk about them not being intimidating!"


    Roderick couldn''t believe it. What kind of sorcery was this?! A war song was supposed to include lots of screaming and anger. This one seemed more like a luby! Also, how was it so damn effective!


    They kept singing as their enemies progressively covered more ground. All until they were finally in range of their guns. Everyone began shooting with tons of Pew Pew sounds echoing across the battlefield.


    This scene reminded Josh so much of a sci-fi game. He felt this urge to run straight into the enemies with a sma sword. Of course, even he would die from this. There were only so many projectiles that a body could block.


    In fact, stunts like that mostly worked in games. One should never underestimate the power of desperate enemies. One could very well decide to give a free hug while clutching a grenade (or the equivalent).


    No, he would obediently remain right behind cover, near Kasha. In case something turned wrong, he would ride her and leave as fast as the wind. Honestly, he had no idea how this whole fight would y out.


    Many said that war never changed. While this was true, he felt foreign to this straightforward method of waging it. He felt sopletely out of his element.


    He would have preferred to somehow fight them in the forest, using the sloths to kill them. Was that even possible?


    It seemed like this whole thing was a game of patience. Every ster shot pierced the orange/blue big barriers and colliding with the smaller shields. They kept trying to hit the other side as they hid behind cover.


    But the allied soldiers showed amazing teamwork. As the enemies moved, their personal defenses were losing some power. Instantly the ck Legion would focus on one cover, utterly shattering it and evaporate the enemy behind it.


    This in turn made Gene Corp try to counterattack, thus causing a few deaths. It was just volley after volley of bullets, each side trying to exploit the weaknesses of the other. But no matter what the enemies slowly progressed.


    That''s when Josh noticed something.


    "Hey, they seem to be forming groups. Yes, look at that! They are splitting up into 5 parties. What do you guys think they are doing? Should we worry?" He whispered thest part.


    "I can see it. It seems to be some sort of canister, It''s pretty big and there is a triangle with a big X on it. Any idea what this could be?" She asked puzzled.


    That''s when Roderick''s face changedpletely and suddenly.


    "We need to stop this! That''s a goddamn EMP! It will only affect our stuff too! If this thing goes off we''re dead. No, more than dead. We''ll end up as nothing more thanb patients. We can''t allow them to get to these sloths!"


    They were all in agreement on that one.


    "How does that thing even work?"


    "They''ll have to nt it near the main barrier. We''ll have to exit this ce and do a lightning-speed operation!"


    This shit sounded really bad...


    Creator''s Thought


    From time to time singing can be fun. Apparently, my singing left a deep impression on people. I guess I was just that good. Turns out that some guy was so interested in them that he made aption of all of the best ones. It was titled: "Songs for Crazy People." Me, crazy?! Why?!

 Chapter 172: Target: EMP!

    <h4>Chapter 172: Target: EMP!</h4>


    Current objective: deal with the EMP canisters, whatever those things were called.


    For that, they would have to brave the constant rain of energy projectiles. The only saving grace was that Gene Corp had to split their own troops as they sent some along the perimeter of the energy wall.


    "How do we do this?" Josh asked.


    "We''ll have to send our own guys. toons 2-3-4, set off!¡­wait, where are you going?!" Roderick shouted.


    Instantly, a third of the army set off without any hesitation. It was as if this was but a routine urrence. Josh joined them, with Kasha following.


    "What are we doing here? This isn''t something we can really help with!" She couldn''t help but grumble.


    "This is all a game of timing. We keep going forward until they start shooting." Josh then turned to the nearby captain in charge. "Moving as they shoot is what kills us, right?"


    "Yes, but it''s not like we can predict where they will attack¡­."But then he stopped suddenly recalling the Trial footage.


    "Let''s assign our troops numbers from left to right. I''ll see what I can do." Josh said. He for once devoted all his energy to sensing the flowing killing intent on the battlefield.


    He had to act fast as they were losing soldiers by the second. He could sense Gene Corp''s anger and rage. They wanted nothing more than to kill. Somehow their killing intent felt primal, inhuman.


    "26-47- 50," Josh muttered, with the captain reacting quickly, calling the names of these soldiers for them to stop.


    As soon as they came to a halt, their shield stabilized itself just in time to be battered by tons of projectiles. As a result, they all survived. At first, no one noticed. But from that moment onward, the allied casualties had stopped in the vanguard.


    At some point, the enemies realized that something was wrong. Whoever they shot at would be in a defensive position, and those they ignored would move forward. This whole thing was a huge mind game.


    Gene Corp tried making their shooting more random, so none could analyze the pattern. This did make it harder, but Josh would warn the would-be victims every time.


    "12-16-65-87-95 Defensive position. Everyone else should focus around 71 and 134 on their side," Josh kept calling out.


    At this point, they were about to reach one of the 200 men parties. Every man could be seen clenching their weapons hard, sweating, knowing the challenge toe.


    "What''s the n once we make contact?" Kasha worriedly asked as Josh kept shouting numbers.


    "Hehe. Don''t worry about that part. As long as we manage to make contact, we''ll be fine." The captain reassured.


    It turned out he was right too. A few minutester, they finally reached their opponents.


    The members of the ck Legion could be seen spreading out like insets all around the ce. They didn''t care in the least that the enemies had twice their numbers.


    They walked straight into the shielded area as it just protected against energy projectiles. Then began a massacre. They used their enemies as cover while they killed the others. They were akin to wolves released on a group of chickens.


    They all seemed to go their own way but were following hit-and-run formations, moving in unison. After every strike, they would fall back behind cover and repeat once again.


    To make matters worse, Josh kept supporting them, whispering to them where most of the enemy fire would be focused. Kasha went even wilder. She ran from one side to the other, using twin daggers, slicing throats happily.


    So this was the power of an army with members that were also Climbers! Inparison, the enemies were more numerous, had gic modification, but their base specs were just that much lower, and so was their speed.


    As they stood in the remains of their enemies, Josh couldn''t help but give a wry smile. They had managed to stop one party of 200. The rest of Gene Corp was happily busy setting the EMP devices.


    Their allies had tried their best to slow them down, but there was only so much they could do. A man could be seen fiddling with the EMP device, disabling it.


    "Did this remotely change anything?" Josh sighed.


    "Yes, we should be able to save at least a good chunk of our defenses. It should be enough for us to hold on for a while. We better hurry back before we are left stranded here, however." The captain reminded.


    They made their way back rtively uneventfully as the enemies finished setting up everything. Then it happened. The four EMP canisters still left went off at once.


    There seemed to be an invisible shock wave as energy wall after energy wall went down. There only remained a few working that Roderick quickly reorganized to make a small bastion.


    But, there was an issue. Now, the path to D-23 waspletely open. They kept shooting and shooting as Gene Corp slowly trickled on the sides, avoiding them entirely. They could only slow down their progression.


    They discussed the problem with tons of Pew Pew Pew in the background:


    "This is the worst! We are still outnumbered. If we try and exit this, we''ll instantly get killed. If we remain here, they will soon reach their objective. Fuck!" Roderick eximed.


    "How long until reinforcementse?" Kasha asked.


    "They should already be here. I don''t know what''s happening, but we haven''t spotted the Nightmare at all or his fourmanders. This is bad news," He grumbled.


    "Could they have struck anywhere else? Maybe this is just one of the battlefields," Josh said.


    "I have no idea. Long-distancemunication seems to be disabled. Then there is EVE still showing them a distance away. There is something wrong here for sure." Roderickined.


    "Maybe the problem is on our side. They probably blocked the entire area''smunication with the outside world somehow. I''m guessing that screen shows us thest report EVE sent us. Maybe it''s working fine, but we just can''t receive the info." Kasha hypothesized.


    "Makes sense. What''s the n now?" Josh inquired.


    "Either we die causing the most damage possible, or we have to give up the mission." Roderick sighed.


    "Actually, I have a better idea. If they want the sloths, they can have them." Josh mischievously smiled.


    They shared a look as they kept looking at Gene Corp invading D-23. This would hopefully be their enemies'' final resting ce...


    Creator''s Thought


    At this point, we had already failed the mission. But, there was only so much we could do while being outnumbered. Keep in mind that this all happened in a time of peace. Large scales conflicts were banned. Regtions, quite funny that people still followed those back then.

 Chapter 173: Something is Wrong!

    <h4>Chapter 173: Something is Wrong!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    The man in charge of Metropolis-C, Allistair, could be seen sitting in the most basic conference room at the MTA.


    He was a serious man that always wore his ck metallic armor. Yet, he never seemed out of ce anywhere. He could be going to the beach in a full te, and no one would find it peculiar. He had long ck hair, a piercing green gaze, and a very carefully trimmed beard.


    At his side, his assistant Lowell could be seen wearing the regr ck Squad outfit and yet looking ssy in it. Both were Climbers and were currently discussing the happenings in Metropolis-C.


    "What''s the ck Legion''s current status?" Allistair inquired.


    "No idea, Sir. There is no way to make contact with them. They should have just engaged the enemy. There is still no news from them. Shall we send them reinforcements already?"


    "What is the status of their Stones of Promise?"


    "All intact, Sir!" The assistant replied with relief in his voice.


    It seemed like theirmunications were proving ineffective for some reason. At least, the stones being intact proved that all the leading members in the army were still well. The Tower artifacts were rtively reliable.


    "We''ll sit on standby for now. I have this bad feeling that they won''t simply attack D-23. I guess it''s an instinct from dealing with sneaky criminals all these years." Allistair sighed pensively.


    Even he wasn''t sure of the best n of action. But there was one thing they knew, none of the Gene Corp leaders had been detected along with their army. Either they were hiding well, or they had entirely different objectives.


    "Sir, what shall we¡ª" The assistant started only to be interrupted by a loud rm.


    EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!


    "What''s happening?!" Allistair furrowed his brows.


    "Sir, it''s a report from the ck Squad! There are some troublemakers going around rampaging. They suddenly started trashing everything around them. Here!" The assistant quickly brought the footage up.


    Very angry people could be seen swearing on the screen as they ran everywhere, causing wanton destruction. Some had baseball bats, hammers, stun guns, and some even ran around with swords.


    "This is weird. This should be a low-level danger. Any random Climber can handle these guys. Why did it trigger the emergency rm? It seems to have been an automatic activation too."


    "No, look. This is extremely dangerous. Pay attention to the scale of the issue and the people that are rampaging." Allistair brought out a 3D model of Metropolis-C with very light red showing up everywhere.


    "You mean?!"


    "Yes, these aren''t enemies, but our civilians. Something definitely happened. Dammit, this is why I had that bad feeling! Quick, find out why they are acting like this. A skill or a drug more likely caused this. I want aplete analysis ASAP!"


    "Yes, Sir! I''ll contact the ck Squad and request they bring some back to our base for testing." Lowell eximed.


    After all the instructions were sent, they couldn''t help but share an uneasy look. Then a few minutester, they finally had their answer. Beep!


    "Sir, it seems to be a weird variation of Firgone. It''s like it magically appeared. It''s spreading all across the city in an invisible gaseous form, and we have no idea where it''sing from! Our people are investigating it at the moment, but there is something worse." The assistant was shocked.


    "Go on."


    "It seems like the concentration of it is slowly increasing. Right now, it only stimtes the destructive impulses of the targets, but this could soon turn into murdering impulses." He worriedly added.


    "Fuck. Assign all the guilds below A-Rank to handle the problem. Tell them to knock the civilians unconscious and to tie them up, so their movements are restricted. With a little luck, these symptoms are just temporary."


    "Yes, Sir! What about the A and S ranks?"


    "Leave them on standby for now. There is no way this will be all. The bigshots from Gene Corp haven''t shown up yet. This is unsettling. For now, we''ll wait and observe the developments. I feel like they''ll strike once wemit."


    "We''ve begun ring the ''head to the nearby shelter'' alert, but people are too incensed to follow these simple instructions. We can still use them to store the unconscious civilians." The assistant suggested.


    "Yes, make sure people are defending it too. We want to avoid any kidnapping." Allistair added while nodding.


    How would they capitalize on such an event? The goal was obviously to confuse. There was no way this was the end of it. What was their true objective? Steal? Kidnap? Assassinate? Destroy? D-23?


    "I need to know the status of anything remotely important. Ambassadors, government buildings, prisons, S-Rank guilds, families of VIPs, everything!" Allistair ordered.


    "That''s the weird part. Besides the civilians acting out, there really is nothing else. It''s like this whole thing is nothing but a prank meant to keep us busy." Lowell said, perplexed.


    "What about outside the city? What''s the status of EVE?"


    "It''s still observing everything and ¡­ Ah! There are tons of ships waiting in a nearby area!"


    "Are they making their way toward us? Another Metropolis? Are they about to breach the nonaggression pact?" He frowned as this could escte easily.


    "That''s the weird part, Sir. All are unmoving. It seems like they''ve been on the ground for a while. Plus, from the size, it''s clear that all are different models."


    "Armies are standardized. This means these guys are most likely pirates. I thought they were hiding in a corner to die somewhere. They are probably either making their way here as we speak or are already waiting in the shadows."


    "What shall we do about it, Sir?"


    "Send the A-Rank guilds along with the description of the most infamous ones."


    "Isn''t that overkill, Sir?! Also, won''t they have changed their appearance if they dare toe here?"


    "It''s fine. We still have the S-ranked guilds. We can reassign manpower with a slight dy in the worst case. But yes, they probably changed their faces. I''m afraid they''ll probably try to steal someone''s identity."


    "What shall we do?"


    "For now, warn the low-level Climbers that people are targeting them. Also, warn the merchants to oversee their shops. They''ll probably try and attack a few in passing. It''s in their nature."


    Allistair could only sigh. Why was it always so troublesome? The criminals would struggle to the best of their abilities and cause innumerable problems only to spend the rest of their lives in jail or working as ves.


    Was any of this worth it? Why were all these bastards causing so much trouble? Couldn''t they just Climb like anyone sane?


    Gene Corp could have just patiently waited for stronger pets to experiment on. The pirates could have signed magical contracts with guilds. Sure, it would have been a disadvantaging contract, but this was retribution for their wretched way of life.


    All of them were too proud to admit their wrongdoings and kept struggling. Now, they were the ones that had to deal with the aftermath. This was such a pain. Just as he was lost in thoughts, the sound of explosions was heard outside.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    "What the Hell was that?!" Allistair eximed.


    Then soon afterward came the sound of something big and heavy crashing along with tremors. It felt like an earthquake, but this wouldn''t be as simple for sure.


    CRASH!


    TREMBLE!


    His assistant was livid and shaking as he answered him.


    "Sir, it''s horrible! It''s Arcadia!"


    "What happened?!" Allistair was already expecting the worst.


    "I-it f-fell! Arcadia exploded!"


    "WHAT?!" ¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    The fall of Arcadia is when things went to Hell. I barely had the chance to visit it once and it was already down. Of course, I would only learn of the event afterward. I was too busy trying to deal with Gene Corp as we all wondered where the reinforcements were. Answer: in fucking Metropolis-C going crazy!

 Chapter 174: Heist Preparations

    <h4>Chapter 174: Heist Preparations</h4>


    ****(POV)


    How long had it been since he hade here? The Pirate Conqueror could be seen slowly strolling the streets of Metropolis-C.


    This old nickname had followed him for so long. He wanted nothing more than to be worthy of it again. For that goal, he was scouting the area.


    He could feel the itchiness of the skin mask he was wearing. It was an incredibly primitive method, but it would work for now. Of course, he''d be busted if he went near any facility with higher security.


    He could feel the tension in the air. Nothing looked out of the ordinary but there were barely any people on the street. It should have been full considering this was District B. They had probably heard about Gene Corp and were staying home safe.


    But then, a few civilians came swaggering toward him. There was something awfully peculiar about the way they were moving. Their shoulders bounced from side to side as they took extremely quick steps.


    They were carrying tools too: shovels, hammers, metal bars, and even sticks. Then, one of them approached a U-Bot that seemed to be turned off for some reason before swinging heavily.


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    Why would these guys hit a U-bot? The answer should have been obvious, for fun. But there was something terribly wrong with this scene. There was no trace of joy to be seen in their dull and lifeless eyes.


    The U-Bot suddenly came back to life as it began fighting back. Sadly, there seemed to be a problem with it as it didn''t activate itsbat mode and only did light ps.


    Civilians kept getting thrown in the air but barely suffered any damage and eventually defeated the bot. Ity on the ground, nothing more than a piece of scrap metal. He almost expected them to charge at him, but they dashed toward a nearby shop instead and began ransacking it.


    ALARM! ALARM!


    The sound of an intruder rm could be heard. Then another and another. In the distance, he could hear the low ring noises merging to create this irritating background cacophony. How was this not the only incident?!


    Yes, everywhere on this street and the others too, people could be seen power-walking to various objects to beat them up. Some were even punching metal walls while unarmed. How desperate were they?!


    Perhaps people had gone crazy, no, perhaps the world itself? Great! This was fucking amazing! He couldn''t wait to go back and tell the good news to his boys. Surprisingly there were many pirates that had made their way over here.


    There were about 200 of them. This was almost as much as the number of soldiers in the ck Legion. Of course, the quality was world''s apart too. At least, they had somehow managed to avoid being recognized.


    Just as he was celebrating internally, it happened.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The sky lit up akin to fireworks on a festival. He couldn''t help but nkly stare as he watched Arcadia in the distance be engulfed in mes. The propulsion units had been reduced to charcoal as the ship slowly began losing altitude.


    Then it glided straight toward the Tower. Somehow he could hear the screams even from his position. Climbers did have powerful voices.


    CRASH!


    TREMBLE!


    The ground trembled, and an intense screeching of metal on stone was heard. Even then, the civilians just kept vandalizing. There was definitely something wrong with them.


    "Oh my god." It was so beautiful. He couldn''t thank enough whoever or whatever had caused this. But he would soon learn of their identity.


    The various hologram projectors on the street all activated at once, even the previously inactive ones. A silhouette appeared, one that was nothing more than a shadow. It then spoke with a deep robotic voice that was obviously the result of a voice changer.


    "It is time for a change!"


    "This world that we are in, Atarxia, is getting weaker by the second. Our courage is what made us strong! We used to be proud, and we used to be masters of our own destiny. When did this all change?"


    "The Climber world is decaying. Only the rich can afford to Climb easily. What''s the point of having Climber schools if the only good ones cost credits? These were initially supposed to be free. What happened?"


    "Proof of this downfall is the harder Tower difficulties. Many fear hard while all are scared beyond belief of Hellish. What happened to humanity conquering challenge after challenge valiantly?"


    "The worst is the increased rate of summoning of the Fallens. As long as we keep sacrificing the humans of other worlds for our benefit, we will remain weak. There is no honor in cowering behind someone else''s back!"


    "This is a revolution. Wake up and take control of your own destinies! It is time to Climb. It is time to protect this world. This will cause a period of upheaval and turmoil, but it is necessary. Look at the screen for a list of our demands:"


    1. We want measures to be taken by the MTA: make the resources for Climbing avable for Neers and abolish the many extra private Climber schools.


    2. We want the discourse on Hell mode to change. We request the information on this difficulty be made readily avable to the public. Rewards should be given to whoever brings in new valid information about it.


    3. We request the immediate abolishment of Fallen summoning. From now on, we demand summoning others to be deemed illegal and punishable byw.


    "As long as the people of our world are stillzy and relying on others for survival, we will never progress. Think carefully before pushing that button on Floor 25. For every Fallen summon, we will cause destruction. Should the MTA fail toply with our demands, we will unleash Hell."


    "This is non-negotiable. We will be watching. Arcadia was only the beginning."


    That is when the holograms went down, leaving anyone nearby either in shock or in the same mindless, violent state they were in before. What kind of craziness was happening here?!


    "HAHAHA!" Heughed heartily. This was great, so great!


    The pirate quickly went back to district-H, where his crew members awaited in an emptymercial building. Since opening a business here had lots of regtions, these tended to remain unupied for a while.


    He could already hear them bicker with the other pirate groups as he pushed the door open. They were all getting restless as they were in enemy territory. As he appeared, the quarrels stopped instantly.


    He was impressive enough that just his presence was enough to shut them up. To be fair, he used to be a legend in the circle. His Tyrannic Legion had been true to their name for a very long time.


    All the ones that had tried to overthrow him had ended up dead. He even had a bounty on his head for a while. Yet even the assassin board had been too scared to choose him as their mark.


    Actually, what was up with the league of assassins? Were they dead? They had temporarily closed for restructuring when the Tower appeared. Naturally, the pirates had never gotten the news of it opening back or not.


    Then again, did it really matter? They had fallen from grace. They weren''t worth having a bounty anymore and definitely couldn''t afford to post one. That''s when he spoke up.


    "Get ready for operation Revival. The entire city is in chaos. If we y our cards right, barely anyone will restrict us. We have to be lightning fast. If the guilds get involved, it''s game over. Is that clear?" He stared at each and every one of them authoritatively.


    "YES, BOSS!" All the members of the Tyrannic Legion answered energetically.


    "Fine, but we aren''t staying if things turn to shit." said one random allied pirate.


    "If it turns to shit, you''ll be dead. Idiot." Scoffed one of his men.


    That''s when the Pirate Conqueror grinned happily before announcing: "Our target today will be Ouroboros, the auction house in the Business District!"


    Instantly the entire room choked as they became silent. They all stared at him as if he was a madman.


    "That''s crazy! They are a goddamn Rank-S guild!" one shouted.


    "Exactly, their defenses are clearly extremely strong. But they''ve never been the target of a full-scale attack either. This is bound to brewcency. Right now is the only chance we''ll get." The Boss uttered.


    "What if they aren''t?! What if we get there and they are ready for us?!" another random shouted in concern.


    "Watch your mouth!" One of his crewmembers defended him.


    "No worries. Now is perfect the timing. After today''s events, their guard will be up for sure. The whole Metropolis is already burning. There''s been a terrorist attack. If you guys don''t want to participate, we''ll go alone. It''s fine."


    His own men all rose up instantly, ready for action. On their faces that were flushed red with excitement, small smiles could be seen.


    The others all looked at him perplexed. He was ready to proceed with the 40 men that were loyal to him?! Was he an idiot or just that confident? They hesitated only a second before they remembered the old him. They would believe.


    He turned around to depart, quickly followed by 200 of them. Well, they did separate into smaller groups.


    "Remember, if anyone asks what you guys are up to, we are heading to the B district to help public order!" Everyone nodded.


    They all made their way to their destination with eyes as big as saucers. There were rms. There were shouts. There were even random fires. No wonder their leader was that fearless!


    Seriously, what the Hell was happening to this ce?!


    Soon, they made their way to Ouroboros. The swimming serpent weed them. In it, they could see their future, one filled with wealth and new beginnings.


    "Alright, let''s do this! It''s time for a heist!"


    Creator''s Thought


    Sometimes I wonder who the Hell thought it was a good idea to take down Arcadia. If you ask me they should have stolen it instead. Their goals were somewhat worthy, but their means were definitely questionable. This was officially the first public appearance of Shadow. We would soon get sick of seeing him.

 Chapter 175: Staying Out Of Trouble!

    <h4>Chapter 175: Staying Out Of Trouble!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    "OMG, this is crazy as fuck! Send help! We need people here!"


    Cries of distress could be heard. Some poor Climber was trying his best to get the situation under control.


    Civilians could be seen trashing everything to the best of their capabilities. They were akin to rabid monkeys. The drugs made them gopletely crazy.


    That one guy was especially struggling, trying to restrain a man without hurting him. Both were near the entrance of a grocery store: ''We Sell Food''. The incensed party was iling his limbs in all directions while grunting and even trying to bite him.


    But that''s when appeared a group of saviors¡ª self-proimed ones at least. All of them were young men that seemed extremely energetic, even skipping over. AI-driven cameras were hovering at their side, apparently recording.


    "Fear not for we are here!" One man wearing a bright yellow outfit dered loudly.


    "Bro, you gotta be specific. We have to give out our identity to reassure them. Ahem! FEAR NOT FOR WE¡ª" but the young man was quickly pped in the back of his head. SMACK! His blue bandanna that matched with his bright blue outfit vibrated from the force.


    "Why are you shouting so obnoxiously for?! You can do it like this! See?! Anyway, Impish''s Crew is here to save the day! Do not worry, for knocking people unconscious is our specialty!" The yellow youth bragged.


    "Why you gotta say it like that?! We are entertainers, not some kidnappers. Please don''t give us such a bad rep. Don''t be a DYLAN!" cried out the man in blue.


    "Fuck that guy!" (x2) the two of them uttered in sync.


    "PLEASE do something!" The poor guy shouted, exasperated.


    "Fine, fine! We''ll take care of this guy. Now, to all our viewers, this is how you take care of a jun¡ª actually, doesn''t this guy look a bit like a zombie?" The man in yellow said.


    "Kinda?" His partner replied.


    "Do something!!" exasperation became desperation.


    "Alright, alright! First, you want to take a non-lethal stun gun and¡ª" But he couldn''t finish his sentence as a man came flying toward the target, rope in hand. In a second, he had the target tied up in a bondage knot.


    "This is how we fucking do it at reality C, baby! Hell yeah! Ah, this brings back memories. It wasst Thursday, and we had one of our participants shoot herself with way too much¡ª" The neer had a huge C on the back of his red and blue shirt.


    "Hey! We were here way before! See the cameras? We totally got this! Don''t be a DYLAN."


    "Fuck that guy!" (x3). They chuckled as they all nced at each other. They were all in the entertainment industry. They all knew that one ''character''.


    "Thank you so much! Now we need to escort him to the nearby shelter and¡ª"


    "You do that. I''ll go inside to save the others. How poetic is that? I will be saving them from themselves" the reality C guy deeply sighed while showing his best side profile to the camera.


    "No way. We''ll save them first. We outnumber you, and we''re in a C-ranked guild, unlike your D-Ranked guild." Scoffed blue outfit.


    "Wow, don''t look down on the D! I''m a director at Reality-C! You think I care about a few measly Floors?"


    "Ah, I''m sure your wife would appreciate it if you went a few ''Floors'' deeper." Yellowjacket exaggeratedly sighed while rolling his eyes.


    "Reality-C being a D guild. Was the irony voluntary?" Bluejacket innocently inquired.


    "Screw you jackasses!" The reality show director dashed forward. They giggled before following closely.


    "Let''s see who can catch the most of them. Let the game begins!" Yellowjacket shouted.


    This quickly became a ridiculous endeavor. Inside there were about a dozen rampaging people. Needless to say, they were quickly apprehended and handled. The way they did it showed how much they enjoyed this.


    They were brightly smiling at the camera, using diverse props, and even making a show out of it. All three of them were really here for stream footage, so while they did help¡­it could have been way more efficient.


    The final count was five angry dudes neutralized by the solo man and eight by the pair. But when they met back up topared results, the director couldn''t help but admit defeat. Their showmanship was on point! He could only sigh:


    "As expected of some of the best pranksters. That cucumber neutralization was especially impressive. Gross, but impressive. I mean, a cucumber really shouldn''t go there." He grimaced as he said it.


    "Yes, guess we get people to bring them somewhere safe now or something?" Bluejacket proposed.


    That''s when the front door opened. A man slowly walked in. He wore a cheap shy red suit. He slowly wandered the aisles before finally grabbing a few chocte bars, cigarettes, and a few beers.


    "Psst. That''s Kool reporter. What is he doing here?" Yellow shirt whispered, in fangirl mode.


    "Bro, you know we literally are way more popr than his news show, right? Then again, it''s true that somehow it''s impressive how he hasn''t been fired from his job." Blue Jacket replied.


    "Hey, show a little respect, don''t be a DYLAN." The reality-C guy chastised.


    "Fuck that guy!" (x4) That''s when Kool turned toward them.


    "I''m surprised to see you idiots here. I''d expect you all to be somewhere with more actual action. You know, like the residential D district." He was leaving the store peacefully.


    "Oh shit! We ought to do that instead! I can''t believe we''ve been so dumb. The producers are going to chew us out. Fuck!" Yellow shirt screamed.


    They all ran outside like small kids that feared getting a spanking, the cameras still filming. They began sprinting toward their new destination.


    "We could also head to the fallen Arcadia¡­." Yellow shirt began.


    "Hell no!" (X2). The other two objected instantly.


    "That''s how you get mixed up in a criminal investigation. Then all your footage bes evidence, and you can''t use it! I also really dislike that shadow guy."


    It really didn''t make much sense. That''s why they would stick to stuff like citizens going out of control. They had official permission from the MTA to participate after all. But that''s when it happened.


    BOOM!


    BOOM!


    BOOM!


    Motherfucking explosions again!


    They all shared a look. FUCK! What the Hell was that?! They had gone far away from Arcadia! Was this another terrorist attack?! That''s when they turned their eyes toward the source.


    Many Climbers were rushing inside a luxurious-looking building. It had ss on the exterior with a holographic serpent that was flickering, about to disappear. Smoke wasing from the inside, a huge pang of the wall was missing and in its ce was a fire.


    The bombs had gone off right there. The repulsive odor of burnt flesh attacked their senses. There had been security guards where the bomb had went out. In fact, there were many paralyzed on the sides too. Useless U-botspleted the picture.


    "Fuck. Now our footage will definitely be seized for investigation." Yellowjacket murmured, mouth open in shock.


    "Shh, time to back away. I''m not fighting these guys. No way!" Blue outfit replied.


    The three quickly backed off until they were a few blocks away. They plopped on the ground, sighing in relief.


    "We fucking survived! I thought they''d follow to silence us!" The director was thanking his lucky star.


    "Hey, you know what to do now, right?" Yellowjacket asked.


    They all nodded at once, firmly. That''s when they sent the cameras in manually controlled drone mode. Slowly, they brought them back to the scene of the crime. One shouldn''t underestimate their piloting abilities!


    The rough Climbers were happily piging Ouroboros. One would have expected the security to be tighter, but it wasn''t. In a time of peace, there were only so many troops that they could realistically hire.


    Any more, and it would have looked like they were creating their own private army. This would have gained opposition from many parties. In regr circumstances, their defenses were imprable because they just had to stall enough time for reinforcements.


    They recorded some snippet of conversations¡ª well, the little they could without being noticed.


    "This is the start of a new golden age for pirates." One was excited.


    "? Rich, rich, rich. We''re going to be rich! ?" One was believing himself a bard.


    "Praise be Metropolis-H! Without them, none of this would have been possible." One was grateful.


    "Mom, I told you I''d aplish something in my life. We robbed Ouroboros! You would be so proud right now, I''m sure." One was crying emotionally.


    "Focus! We need to be out ASAP!" One screamed urgently.


    As if on cue, Climbers from Ouroboros began appearing down the street. They were fully armed and ready to fight. Normally they would have been warned by the U-bots, but there was too much shit going on.


    The 20 of them entered the shop while screaming in anger. This was the very blood of their guild, after all. Why wasn''t there anyone else?! That''s when the idiot trio remembered that they had forgotten to call anyone to help.


    Fighting the 100 or so enemies armed with a ster each was madness!¡­ Or not. The Rankers began throwing tons of spells inside. Before long, there was not a single movement inside the building.


    The Ouroboros shop could now be seen about to fall into pieces. Its shape reminded them of an apocalyptic movie wreckage prop. They had defeated all the enemies in only 15 minutes, but at what cost?!


    The trio of idiots could only watch, obsessed with the scene of death they were seeing. All their cameras except the few that had been outside the building had been destroyed. Even those were now going in sleep mode from the shock waves.


    "That was crazy!" (x3). They all looked at each other stunned.


    "Oh my god. These guys were pirates, right?!" Yellowjacket eximed!


    "Yes, pretty sure they were. But they said something about Metropolis-H." Bluejacket replied.


    "Oh no! Does that mean there will be a war?! This would be horrible!" Yellowjacket seemed to be doing the math on how this would impact their streaming activities. He sucked at it, but even he realized it was bad.


    "I don''t know, we can only hope not." The Reality-C director sighed.


    They could be seen pensively thinking about the future. That''s when they all jumped out as a voice interrupted their reflection. It was a man good-looking man wearing light blue sses and a spotless whiteb coat.


    "Hello, I''m the doctor, and I''m searching for my friend that is very sick. Can you help me look for him? Here is a picture of him."


    It was a young man that looked rtively ordinary. They raised their eyes as they tried recalling if they had ever met him. They were all pranksters, but they would obviously help the nice man!


    "I think I did...Yes! He appeared on Kool''s program once, I''m sure of it! He''s the insane Floor 6 guy, right?" Yellowjacket eximed.


    He couldn''t help but get excited. After all the shit that happened that day, it wouldn''t hurt to generate a bit of good karma.


    "He''s called Josh. Josh Malum"¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Have you ever dreaded making a medical appointment? Fear not! The Doctor is the greatest kind of health specialist for he even does home visits. How dedicated does one have to be to visit a patient going from Metropolis-H all the way to Metropolis-C?! Now, that''s just amazing!

 Chapter 176: Playing With A Sloth

    <h4>Chapter 176: ying With A Sloth</h4>


    ****(POV)


    In a forest that smelled of sewage, a rtivelyrge group of soldiers were steadily progressing. Their faces twisted in disgust, but noneined.


    Max was one of them, just Max. For him, it was even worse. He had vomited on the side as soon as they had entered, and even now, he felt like dying. That was all because of the gene therapy he had received. He had the nose and ears of a fucking dog, not literally, just the abilities.


    It was even worse because he was the one at the very front, the magical wind colliding with his skin and propagating the stench. He was their current guide, for he had a great quality: he was disposable.


    "Where are they?" A colleague asked.


    He took a deep sniff and followed the musky smell of the wet fur. His instincts were telling him not to approach the sloths, but he fought it and progressed. His feet felt as heavy as bricks at the moment.


    "It should be right there around that big tree," Max replied.


    A few instantster, they could see the creature that was peacefully slumbering right in the middle of the pond. There were tons of human bones everywhere. It was as if a small army had breathed theirst here.


    "How disgusting." Someone grunted.


    "Hurry and do it. We''ll be covering you." A superior pped a big syringe in his hand.


    Max knew what was expected of him. He feared and abhorred it, but he didn''t have much choice. Without any gene stabilizer, he would die anyway. Either he obeyed, or he perished. He was but a small fry, but he would cling to life. He had done so ever since the orphanage.


    He unsteadily moved forward. He could feel his heart beating so fast as sweat obscured his vision. The creature was lightly snoring. Its chest was heaving up and down, sending foul air his way.


    He resolutely steadied his shaking hand before plunging the syringe in the creature!


    CLANG!


    What?! He could only watch in stupefaction as the needle failed even to prate the skin. How?! This was impossible! He tried once more, but it failedmentably. He stabbed and stabbed and stabbed some more, without any result.


    "I need help!" Max lowly cried out.


    "Just stab the damn thing!" A man replied.


    "I can''t! Fuck!" He had a bad feeling about this.


    "Just do it!" He shouted again as if that would help.


    "I ¡ªOh god, please have mercy on us." Max could only say as he heard something familiar.


    ZOOM!


    It was the peculiar sound of an energy cannon charging. It''s at that moment he understood they were fucked. The cannon would wake the creature. It would rampage in anger and most probably invade the human world in retaliation.


    He couldn''t believe it. What kind of madman would do such a crazy thing?! There was only one thing left for him to do. Max fought the fear and dived into the pond, making himself as tiny as possible. He even used the monster itself as cover against the attack.


    BOOM!


    TREMBLE!


    That''s when the world trembled, and the sloth woke up. That''s also when Max realized how foolish they had been ever to join this expedition.


    A few secondster came the subtle sound of a yawn. He was mostly underwater, but he could hear it. It was... What was the word again? Ah, whatever, who cared.


    This pond sure felt nice. It was refreshing, watery, and the best ce to sleep at really. It was sofortable. There was a bit of pungent water that entered his lungs, but that was a detail.


    He was so tired after all. He''d maybe cough it out when he woke up. No, he''d just enjoy sleeping. Yeah, it was time to sleep.


    *Darkness*


    ****


    There was a nice breeze flowing toward the Dark Legion. Sure, it smelled like death, but what else could one expect from a battlefield? It also carried the screams of more than 700 Gene Corp soldiers.


    Josh could be seen happily listening to that melody as he peacefully munched on some random rations. He was even reading thebels enthusiastically. "Oh wow, dried mushroom pasta stick. This sounds exotic."


    "Josh, are you really sure this is going to be fine? What if all the sloths wake up from this and go after us?" Roderick asked worriedly.


    "Everything should be fine. You worry too much, old man. At this rate, you''ll go bald, you know." Kasha replied by the side.


    "I''m confident it will definitely probably be fine, unless it isn''t, of course." Josh shrugged.


    "Probably?! What does that mean?!" Roderick eximed.


    He quickly ate thest bite of his exotic food before pping his hands. "Alright, they should be done dying by now. Let''s go!"


    The ck Legion all looked at him happily go, whistling the ''slow enemies'' tune. Was he not worried at all?! There were deadly slothtrosities and tons of enemies in there! Apparently not¡­


    "Say, how many times have you been on a battlefield before?" Kasha came next to him and asked curiously.


    "Not many times, to be honest. I spent most of my life in the city." He admitted.


    "You don''t feel any fear or stress or anything of the genre?" She looked at him as if trying to guess his secrets.


    "No, I may be outwardly easygoing, but I''m not fine. Don''t tell the others, but I can feel my stomach twist in¡ª"


    "What! Even the great Josh Malum can feel like that?!" She eximed in triumph.


    "¡ªTwist in hunger. I''m human, you know." Josh heavily sighed.


    "¡­." That wasn''t the confession she expected at all.


    They resumed walking in silence as Josh led them. He soon noticed the blood and theck of killing intent. There was so much BLOOD! The sloth was there, having a meal. It turned its gaze toward them and half-yawned.


    That''s when their entire group stopped, falling to the ground. All of them but Josh, for he remained standing with his back straight.


    "Wake up, youzy asses." He scoffed at them.


    Instantly, expressions of fright appeared on everyone''s faces. They had beenpletely helpless. That''s when they truly understood the danger of D-23 and why it was such a big deal for their enemies.


    But then, they couldn''t help but stare at Josh. He could see invisible enemies. He could predict the future. He could resist the sloths. Was there anything he couldn''t do?! At that exact moment, many decided that they''d name all their sons after him. Yes, ALL of them!


    "There is someone in the pond. He''s drowning!" Kasha said with shock.


    "Then he can drown for all we care. It''s not worth it to¡­."


    The sloth had just used its special ability. It wouldn''t reuse it right now. Josh turned toward her. "Can you get him?"


    She nodded before bolting off. She could be seen leaving green light in her wake as she finally reached the creature. Itzily waved a paw in the air, separating her torso from her legs as a fountain of blood fell in the water.


    "No!!!" Roderick screamed as the creature kept eating as if nothing had happened.


    "Don''t worry. Everything will be fine." Josh calmly patted his shoulder.


    "How the Hell can everything be fine?! She just fucking died and¡ª"


    "Stop having a panic attack, or you''ll really go bald." Kasha''s voice was heard behind them as she threw her package on the ground, someone taking care of saving his life.


    THUD!


    "But seriously, how did you see through my skill? It usually works pretty well." She seemed puzzled.


    "See through it? I didn''t. Still, do you really think I''d believe such an obvious illusion?" Josh scoffed while Roderick stood awkwardly in the back.


    Then they did a rough count. Out of the 700 enemy soldiers, about 200 had died here. This meant that there were still 500 happily roaming about. Well, happily, terrified, same thing really.


    Josh turned toward their new prisoner. The man had a baby face, seemed at peace, and mumbled about his many siblings in his sleep. Josh gently awoke him in a quick and efficient method.


    SLAP!


    SPLASH!


    SLAP!


    SPLASH!


    "I''m awake. I''m awake!" He cried out, opening his eyes in a hurry. The bloodied water and the ps were working well.


    SLAP!


    SPLASH!


    "I''m awake, I said!" He pitifully cried out.


    "I know. I just don''t care." Josh shrugged, not bothered in the least.


    SLAP!


    SPLASH!


    "Stop I ¡ª" But it wasn''t over.


    SLAP!


    SPLASH!


    "Perhaps we should stop this?" Kasha proposed.


    "Thank you!" The prisoner eximed, but he knew this was a good cop bad cop routine to get him to talk.


    "I suggest kicks in the nuts and some burning instead." She kept going.


    What?! The man didn''t believe his ears. What the Hell was this? Bad cop, worse cop?! Not that it would change anything.


    In fact, he was already resolved for death. If he talked, he would die from ack of medicine. It wasn''t the kind that anyone could supply. He needed the one specific to his gic profile. Only Gene corp had ess to the information required to manufacture it.


    "Alright, enough! You, talk!" Roderick stopped the crazy duo.


    "I''d rather die a hero than a coward. Go ahead, torture me. I won''t say a word." He said resolutely.


    In his eyes, he had some light. It was clear that he wouldn''t change his mind. He feared torture, and he would scream the whole time, but he wouldn''t talk. Not willingly, at least, and they had no one with mind skills with them.


    Roderick understood it was a vain effort. Just as he was sighing, he felt something. He felt himself shake. He almost pissed himself. He saw something he would never forget. Josh had used a skill that made him look like a bloodied reaper, and he stared at the prisoner.


    That was enough for him to start confessing. His name was Max, he was an orphan, he had joined Gene Corp to assure a better life to his siblings, and he was but a small fry. But there was one thing that he somehow had learned by mistake because of his heightened senses.


    There was another objective besides D-23. There was another mission that was even more secret. The bigshots of Gene Corps were actually here, in this ce, but not for the Sloths.


    That''s when Josh turned toward the Alter Tower¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Say what you will about Gene Corp, they did know how to instill loyalty in their cannon fodder¡ª eh, subordinates. 1. Promise of wealth and power2. Keeping track of all the loved ones of their soldiers. 3. Medicine only they can provide that causes death if not taken regrly. I was lowkey thinking about copying their model.

 Chapter 177: Dont Die!

    <h4>Chapter 177: Don''t Die!</h4>


    That''s when Josh turned toward the Alter Tower. There had been a sudden surge of killing intenting from that direction. How nice of their enemies to reveal themselves!


    "They''re right there." He graciously pointed while grinning.


    "Move out!" Roderick didn''t lose any time. The faster they defeated them, the less potential damage they would cause for sure.


    As they reached the Alter Tower, Josh showed slight confusion. The area around it waspletely empty. The Tower looked exactly the same as it did thest time too.


    "False rm?" Roderick asked.


    That''s when Kasha began carefully inspecting the ground. "No, there were three people here for sure. They just removed most of their traces."


    Had they entered the Alter Tower? Were theyying in ambush nearby? What was happening? What was¡ª that''s when Josh felt that something was wrong.


    "RUN!" He screamed as he began running toward the exit.


    In theory, the only one that could order such a retreat was Roderick. But, all the soldiers down to the veryst one went in motion instantly. There was no hesitation at all. They ran fast but orderly.


    That''s when something big was sent flying their way. It was something alive, and that had been napping. Someone hurled a goddamn sloth at them! It dropped right behind them, angry at the rude awakening.


    The culprit could be seen exiting a state of invisibility nearby. It was an ugly-looking bald man with big tusks in his mouth. He could be seenughing, mouth fully opened, showing them his yellowed teeth.


    "We''re retreating! Let''s get out of this forest!" Roderick shouted, finally giving the order.


    They were trying to put the most distance between the creature and them. But that''s when the sloth behind them began yawning. The enemy covered his ears and readied himself while smiling. Meanwhile, most werepletely panicking.


    There was one that kept her cool during the whole event. Kasha began making hand signs for some reason before throwing up blood and falling to her knees. Tons of green lights escaped her fingertips and flew right next to the creature.


    That''s when a shocking scene appeared as multiple Kashas appeared one after the other. These were all doppelgangers! Each appeared so real that it probably wasn''t an illusion. With the sloth''s yawn, everyone flopped on the ground unmoving, including Josh.


    The rest could only rely on their luck. Thankfully the sloth began munching on these fakes. It did so happily initially but soon realized that something was wrong with them, for they didn''t taste anything. It even increased its pace.


    The creature was about to kill thest one, but they could feel themselves being freed from the influence of the spell.


    But that''s when the man disgustingly smiling arrived by their side. How could he already move?! His target was Josh! He went toward him, bypassing the kneeling Kasha, but that turned out to be a painful mistake.


    SLASH!


    Kasha''s dagger entered deeply in the man''s back, lodging itself in his heart. She began smiling fully but then frowned as she tried retreating. The man turned around, grabbed her, and mmed her heavily on the ground.


    BAM!


    CRACK!


    The sound of her broken bones was heard. Without even checking her condition, her assant turned toward Josh as he chuckled. "Good intuition, kid, but you fucked up. Hehe." He had a sadistic smile.


    That''s when Josh could feel himself getting picked up akin to a kitten. He made eye contact with Roderick, and they exchanged a small nod. Josh struggled like an acrobat, getting out of the grasp of his opponent.


    With a flip, he was behind the man''s wide back. It was time for some revenge! It went:


    Pew Pew Pew Pew! So many energy bullets collided with his body, him grunting in pain with every one of them. His body became riddled with holes as his blood flowed like a fountain.


    That is when the enemy fell, defeated. He was already a dead man with injuries like these, but the ck Legion wouldn''t take any chance. They gave him another serving of projectiles. Pew Pew Pew Pew!


    The oue was supposed to be obvious, but then another guy appeared. He ran at full speed and threw himself right between his copsing colleague and the onught. So what? They''d just kill this one and finish the other afterward. Easy, really.


    Pew pew pew pew!


    All of their attacks connected, but the man didn''t have a single scratch. How?! He was even in the process of picking up his ally. How could anyone be that resistant?!


    "Oh god, I think he''s immune against energy attacks!" An ally screamed in disbelief.


    "Wait, this guy is that slimy bastard from Gene Corp!" One eximed in realization.


    "Oh no, look behind him." Another said despairingly.


    The man riddled with holes had healedpletely. That was way too fast! One second he was on death''s door, and the other he lookedpletely fine! He grabbed Josh with an iron grip and began running, staying behind the cover of his friend.


    "Stop that bastard!" Roderick called in anger.


    "Chase him!" one added.


    "We''ll get him back no matter what!" One shouted as if a warcry.


    They almost reached the slime bastard when the sloth finally appeared. It began attacking them, forcing them to a halt. For some reason, it was ignoring the guy right next to it. Why?!


    "You dumb sloth! He''s the one that threw you here." One screamed in anger.


    "It''s no use. Evade it and keep running!" Another pragmatic one replied.


    "Yes, just pass next to it and¡ª" A man that underestimated the creature was cleaved in half.


    "Make a big circle around it. This thing is overpowered!" One screamed.


    That''s how began an intense pursuit, with the enemies having the lead because of that dumb monster. Josh nodded onest time at Roderick before he disappeared from their vision.


    Just as they were about to catch up, the enemies gave victorious smiles. That''s when the entire area between them lit up before exploding. There was the light, the sound, and then the burning smell.


    BOOM!


    Fire rained down, and all Hell broke loose. It was akin to a nightmare with sloths rising from the soil and the vegetation. They had been slumbering for so long that they had almost begun fusing with thendscape.


    "How the fuck are we supposed to pass that?!" One cried out in despair.


    It was already toote. Right now, the creatures were still groggy, but in a few seconds, they would die. They could barely deal with one of these monsters! A single yawn would be enough to send them all to the afterlife with VIP ess.


    "Fuck! Retreat!" Roderick gave the order.


    He would normally never leave a man behind, but he would sacrifice all the brave soldiers behind him if he continued. He bit his lip in anger but still brought them toward safety.


    All instantly obeyed except Kasha. No, she began slowly limping toward the sloths fearlessly. She had a nk look in her eyes, and she kept her gaze fixed toward the horizon where Josh had disappeared.


    "We need to leave now!" Roderick forcefully grabbed her.


    "I can''t abandon him! No way I will¡ª!" She pleaded only to be interrupted.


    "HELL NO! Josh made me promise to bring you to safety should anything happen to him. I will honor my word. You need to be alive to save him! You''re in no condition to fight!" He screamed at her before exining.


    As he forcefully dragged the now screaming Kasha, he felt his heart ache. Had circumstances been different, he would have been the first to rush forward, but he couldn''t. He had to consider all of their lives.


    At first, she struggled. She iled her limbs around, trying to free herself in her weak state, but Roderick remained firm. She could only scream in desperation until her voice turned hoarse. Afterward, she began sobbing softly.


    Their return to base was a depressing one. They entered the energy walls they had left there, their head low and their shoulders even lower.


    They had run away, and they had lost the man that had be the soul of their army. The enemies were still atrge, and they had probably obtained the sloths'' blood a long time ago. This was a colossal failure.


    Then came a voice tinged with surprise and hope:


    "Ah! Themunications are working again! We can get reinforcements!" One soldier shouted.


    That Made Kasha''s eyes lit up as she rushed to listen to Roderick calling the MTA for help. He spoke loud and clear in his transmitter: "We need reinforcements ASAP! The enemies have breached our defenses and kidnapped one of ours! Send¡ª"


    "Not possible!" Came a stressed voice at the other end.


    "What?! Why?! What the heck are the guilds doing?! I''ll call Draconic and sort this out myself!" Kasha screamed without missing a beat.


    "Exin yourself! The matter here is vital!" Roderick shouted too. But then he froze as the reply came. Every sentence was delivered with the intensity and speed of a machine gun.


    "Arcadia has been sabotaged by terrorists and fell down. Ouroboros has been robbed and torched. The whole Metropolis is under the effect of violence-inducing drugs. Now even fucking low-level Climbers are trying to kill everyone they see. Everything is on fire, and Metropolis-H may be attacking us at any moment now! I gotta go!"


    What the heck was happening?! As they heard that, the ck Legion members were shellshocked. The enemies were too strong for them, and no reinforcement at all woulde. They could only remain cooped inside their defenses and hope for a miracle.


    How long before either Gene Corp or an army of angry sloths came out of the forest?


    "I''ll find him," Kasha uttered in a disturbingly cold tone.


    "Fine, but don''t get caught no matter what, and don''t die. I don''t know what they want with him, but they won''t kill him just yet. We''ll need you for the rescue n." Roderick hammered in that she couldn''t be reckless no matter what.


    She nodded. Her gaze was iron, and her steps were way too steady for someone in her condition. How much pain was she ignoring right now?


    *Sigh* What was up with the world nowadays?


    Creator''s Thought


    Even I have to admit that the vitality of the Gene Corp officials was simply perverse. The slime guy could literally take on any energy attack without damage while the other could regenerate even limbs. The only saving grace was that their offensive power was rtively bad. Still, they could use 100% of it without bothering about defense.

 Chapter 178: Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 178: Nightmare</h4>


    Josh could feel the body heat of the mountain of a man that was carrying him close to his chest.


    He felt like kicking him in the nuts, but it would be counterproductive. He knew that he couldn''t escape, not now.


    He finally had the time to observe the slime guy. He didn''t look anything special except for one tiny detail: his skin sometimes seemed to be partially liquid. Josh decided to have some fun with them since he was bored.


    "I was thinking. Can''t you use that regenerative ability to sell organs or semen? Why are you even bothering joining the battlefield if you can easily earn your keep that way?" Then again, they probably had mastered cloning organs by now.


    "If you''re part slime, does that mean that you are flexible enough to suck your own dick?" The slime guy shot him a disgusted re.


    "You guys ever thought about joining a circus? You know, one with a freak exhibition." All he got as an answer was grunting.


    "What about this: between the two of you, who''s top and who''s bottom?" He chuckled.


    "Shut up already, or I''ll kill you!" Shouted the ugly guy.


    "That would seriously be dumb considering all the enemies you''ve already made by capturing me." Josh shrugged.


    "HAHA. Enemies, he says. Gene Corp doesn''t fear anyone at all. It''s us versus the world and ¡ª"


    "Now, THAT is seriously dumb! The world is plenty vast. I''ve heard that outside of the Metropolises Alliance, there are other nations. You guys are going to fight them all by yourselves?" He raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    "If that''s what it takes! Now, let''s shut you up." His captor couldn''t take it anymore. He brought some tape out and had fun sealing his mouth. Then, he locked him in shiny blue handcuffs. Josh could only be puzzled. What was that supposed to do?


    "Hehe. The naive thing doesn''t even realize how deep in trouble he is. You should be despairing right now. This little toy right here is a product of Metropolis-S, you see. It pretty much blocks all Climber-rted abilities, neat, right?" He gloated.


    Josh tried to summon his equipment, but it failedmentably. Well, that exined how people dealt with prisoners in this world.


    "It works even for Ranker-level skills. Are you despairing yet?" He showed such a smug face too. Oh no! What was Josh supposed to do without his skills?! Anyway¡­


    Before long, they had entered a small flying ship. Were they just extracting without their army? Apparently yes. Not taking any chance, they blindfolded him too. Then they departed with a ZOOM sound. It was probably the same source of energy as the cannons.


    During the travel, he could hear them remark many times that they couldn''t wait to finish this job to celebrate. Was he nothing more than a human-size delivery package?


    It took them about a day to reach what he assumed to be Metropolis-H. Visiting the ce would have to wait a bit for now. He once again was grabbed violently under the man''s arm as they went on a journey.


    Josh could hear the sound of tons of footsteps, the ambient chattering mixed with mostly informal speech with some formal from time to time. Where were they? It reminded him of a school.


    What kind of evil resided in a school?! Somehow, he could picture Gene Corp being headed by a group of youngsters part of the student council. How crazy would that be?


    A bitter, all sounds suddenly stopped. It was as if they had stepped into another world. He realized theplete absence of wind or any smell. This was a controlled environment, a secretboratory perhaps?


    Then he felt his limbs being forcefully tied to a chair as they gave him back his sight and the ability to speak. He was in a room that was way too big for the single piece of furniture in it: the ck chair he was on. The two kidnappers seemed to be waiting for something.


    That''s when a smiling man appeared in his field of vision. He emanated a gentle, schrly vibe. He was so damn calm too! But he seemed to be a bad guy seeing the expression of reverence of the other 2.


    "Here you are, good! You see, I''ve meant to meet you for a while. Did you perhaps think that staying with the ck Legion would be safe? Did you not know about being targeted?" That''s when he snapped his fingers.


    From a side door, two tied-up individuals were thrown in. One of them he recognized instantly. It was Jack, the small fry (healer) from Draconic. The other was a dumbass he had had an altercation with before.


    "Jack?!" That is when the mask of calmness of Josh Malum went down. He seemed extraordinarily shocked and confused.


    "It seems someone really doesn''t like you back in Metropolis-C. They used this idiot to sell you to me, you see. How does it feel? Do you feel betrayed, angry, or perhaps even sad?"


    "S-sell?! Who would do such a thing?!" Josh cried out.


    "Yes, yes. No need to worry too much about it. I just need your help with something." He gently removed the handcuffs. "Show it to me." Hemanded.


    "I-I really don''t swing that way!" Josh uttered, quickly panicking and flushed.


    "Tch¡ª stop ying the fool. Hurry up and summon your pet. I''ve heard about your godly rat." Josh hesitated a few seconds beforeplying.


    The furry creature was as lifeless as usual. Yet, that was enough to make the manugh in happiness. "Finally. Do you know the value of such a specimen? The godly part alone makes it worth testing on."


    He then put the handcuffs back. Somehow the rat was still there with no way to recall it.


    "Now, do you know what will happen to you? At first, the n was to give you a nice cell and call it a day. But, from the report I''ve gotten, you seem like the feisty kid. Don''t worry. I''ll just put you in a small timeout. I''ll get you back once you are thoroughly broken, maybe."


    "What are you talking about?!"


    "I have this nice ability. It''s called a nightmare. Now kid, are you ready to face your worst nightmare?" He was grinning from ear to ear.


    Josh showed fright. Only now had he seemingly realized the situation he was in. But it was already toote. "I''ll have you sleep for a while. All until we are done with our research. Just know that your contribution will be dly appreciated. Probably postmortem, however Hehe. "


    "Alright, time to sleep."


    That''s when his hand magnified in Josh''s face, looking gigantic.


    ****


    All around, there was blood. The road, the skyscrapers, and even Heaven itself were bloodied.


    He knew this ce, but it wasn''t any good memory. He was about to choke. The air was leaving his lungs. He knew that none of this was real. But, he felt it all nheless. In the air, there was an iron smell that permeated the entire city.


    He walked forward unsteadily as he knew exactly where to go. He kept going until he found her as lifeless as that time. The blood pool on the pavement seemed bigger than her slender body. Her corpse still showed the abuse with her bones crushed, her skincerated and turning purple from the poison.


    He knew that up there, there was a trashed room missing a window. Given the alternatives, she had run to it gleefully. God only knows how wronged she had been. How much was caused by the fall, and how much had been done prior?


    He had no clue. A few dozen meters away, there was another broken corpse. No, this one was closer to mush. He had been one of the culprits, the only one he hadn''t personally killed. At that moment, he couldn''t resist chuckling. He could picture her going: "Hmmph, you should have seen the other guy!"


    "I''ll keep youpany for a while," He murmured while kneeling next to her. The smell of putrefaction entered his nostrils, but he didn''t care. That''s when it happened.


    It started with a small twitch of the fingers before turning into a slight movement of an arm. Then, the hands made w motions as they clutched the hem of his clothes. It was an iron and deathly cold grip. Yet, he remained unmoving.


    The legs began twisting, and the corpse''s back slowly rose. Even then, he didn''t move. Bloodthirsty demonic eyes turned toward him as a gaping maw opened full of rotten teeth, and her ck tongue could be seen wriggling inside.


    At that moment, he understood why the Nightmare was so feared. Even when knowing that it was fake, it all felt real. Way too real! This dream, he had seen it many times before. Every fucking night the days following the tragedy.


    Funny how, after a while, he had found a semnce of inner peace, and he hadn''t seen it anymore. Yet, he had missed it. He had missed her, no matter the state she was in. He missed her so much! It was as if a piece of his heart was missing. Life had been dull ever since.


    That is when her ravenous corpse went toward him, trying to devour him. Anyone else would have freaked out. He remained still, not escaping in the least. He extended his arms and brought her into his embrace.


    Then, he went for a kiss. Anyone watching this scene would have long been vomiting. He didn''t care. He slowly caressed her cheek lovingly without caring about her current appearance. He then murmured longingly:


    "Don''t worry. I''ll get you back. I''ll get both of you back. That I promise."


    The nightmare was nothing more than a nightmare. A spell that was feared across thend provedpletely ineffective against him. This one was using his own mana to sustain it. There were very few skills able to do such a thing.


    He sat in his rotting lover''s embrace as he focused on feeling his own mana circting. He''d stay here as long as necessary. Well, Lifespan: 30 Days...


    Creator''s Thought


    From the intelligence we gathered, the Nightmare was a selfish individual. He would never voluntarily help someone without them putting their lives in his hands. Torture, however, was something he was ready to dispense for free. All that was needed was bait and a way to ry the information his way.

 Chapter 179: Aftermath

    <h4>Chapter 179: Aftermath</h4>


    ****(POV)


    An exhausted man could be seen slumped over his chair. The always valiant and reliable Dario felt a headacheing.


    In fact, it was the same for the rest of Draconic. It had been such a pain to take care of the entire poption of Metropolis-C. The ordinary civilians had been contained in the shelters or straight up evacuated outside the city.


    They had directed the at-risk weaker Climbers to leave or hide in the Tower for as long as they could. It had taken the whole day. During that time, there had been many fights with even some deaths too.


    The drugs had been way too potent! Any reason had sufficed to warrant a duel to the death in the eyes of the drugged people. It included stuff like "You slept with my wife" or "You ate my sandwich," and even "You looked at me, asshole!"


    There was a video of one guy circting on the Net.? Having lost his mind, he kept shouting at the Heavens and challenged them to a fight. Sadly, it fell t when he lost grip over the wall of the skyscraper he was climbing.


    Dario could only sigh to himself. That''s when a small knock was heard as a man in a cheap suit entered. At this point, Dario was convinced that Tallis and Josh didn''t know about something called shopping.


    "Any News?" Dario inquired.


    "Of course, I have plenty of news! Do you want the good ones or the bad ones?"


    "Let''s start with the good ones."


    "...." Tallis remained silent.


    "The bad ones then?"


    "Well, this whole thing is a mess. The pirates are confirmed to have been led by the Pirate Conqueror. Out of the approximately 200 that participated in the heist, 40 survived along with their leader. There are many saying that Metropolis-H may have been involved."


    "The MTA and Ouroboros are still analyzing the situation and trying to figure it out. I bet you''ve already reached a conclusion, right?"


    "The pirates were wearing Metropolis-H clothes. I''m pretty sure they would never be that high key. Still, all these attacks all happening at once coincidentally is close to impossible. It''s most likely that part of Metropolis-H''s MTA is involved if not all."


    "What about the hijacking of the holograms and Arcadia?"


    "Both had the same cause: hacking. U-bots did the maintenance on the propulsion engine. There was a w in their system that could be exploited. This was especially true with their processing power used for project EVE." Tallis exined.


    "How is the tracking for the culprit going? Ah, actually, never mind. Only they would know."


    "It''s a dead end. I have a source that is convinced they will never find the hacker this time. We were not ready at all. It really seems that terrorists, pirates, and Gene Corp have all vanished in thin air."


    "I guess if we want to be optimistic, we at least survived. Then, there is also Josh being away on this mad n. Honestly, what were you guys thinking?! He could have just joined a damn team!" Dario eximed.


    "Oh, I kept repeating that the idea was bad, but he wouldn''t listen. Then again, in his eyes joining a team would be akin to being sick and treating the symptoms rather than the cause. He''d Climb for a while but then what?"


    "I still can''t understand him. We can easily bring him to Floor 33 for him to gain a ss change token. Then he''d be fine afterward! I''m sure the Tower would give him great options too." Darioined.


    "As they say, you can lead a wild Josh MF Malum to the Tower, but you can''t make him pick a ss," Tallis added, acting as a wise sage.


    "Pretty sure that''s supposed to be about a horse and drinking¡­."


    "Nope, making a horse drink is easy. You deprive it of any water for a while, and then it will drink for sure. Anyway, we are supposed to wait 20 days before we rescue him. This will be horribly difficult." Tallis sighed.


    "Of course it will be! We''ll have to venture into enemy territory, Draconic alone, and aplish a lightning-fast rescue mission before they can react. Still, I''m convinced we can aplish it somehow."


    "Oh, the rescue will be challenging, but I was actually talking about waiting." Tallis shrugged as if that was obvious.


    "Why are you saying¡ª" He stopped as the office door was mmed open.


    SLAM!


    A green tornado could be seen entering the room, obviously incensed. Why was Kasha using her movements abilities in the guild? She mmed a piece of paper on Dario''s desk.


    BAM!


    "Right here is a petition from all the guild members. They all think the same. It''s time to get Josh! If the guild shareholders disagree, I''ll bash their head in! Tell everyone to get ready!" Her tone was authoritative. She didn''t care one bit that he was the guild master.


    He slowly inspected the petition.


    The signatures on it came with small messages. Some showed their unconditional support for the cause. Some were rtively neutral but wrote they''d follow. Some had jotted stuff like, "I''m signing so that Kasha doesn''t beat me up."


    Dario could only raise an eyebrow in surprise. How many had she threatened? Also, since when were Josh and her that close?


    He turned to Tallis to leave the convincing to him only to realize he was gone. How cocky he had be! He was still young and easily impressionable not long ago, but ever since his long talk with Josh, he had be fearless!


    "Kasha, listen to me attentively. I already told you that we will save him and that everything is under control. Don''t worry. We have reason to believe they are trying to research his godly rat. That will take a while, and they won''t harm him during the process."


    "We''ll just let them do their research and be even more powerful?! They won''t have time to harm him if we save him right now!" Kasha argued.


    She had a point. Their current n sounded incredibly dumb inparison. But, he had been told this was the best way to assure the Nightmare''s cooperation. It would have made things so much easier if they could capture him, but he was just too damn slippery!


    "Ask Tallis about the details! I''ve already tasked him to n the uing operation." Dario felt proud of himself. This was how to redirect the fire sessfully!


    "Don''t even try! He''s already told me that he''s given you aplete report on the situation and is waiting for your input!" She kept pushing.


    That backstabber! There was only one thing left to do.


    "I, Dario Ignas, solemnly swear that I am already nning to rescue Josh Malum. We will move when the timing is the best to save him. What do you think will happen if we fail the rescue once? They''ll go into hiding forever!"


    She turned silent for a few moments, processing it all. "You swear?" She stared at him right in the eyes.


    "I do."


    That''s when she finally gave up and left. At this moment, Dario felt that he wouldn''t want to be in Gene Corp''s position right now. He wouldn''t be able to sleep if he knew Kasha wasing for his head.


    Then again, was there really a need to worry about Josh MF Malum?


    He closed his eyes, left alone with his thoughts. He could finally rx a bit. There was still so much to be done, but they would have to collect more information before anything concrete could be done.


    Part of him was excited at the prospect of fighting, but he feared how it would turn out. He almost missed the good old times when Draconic stayed far away from wars. They used to be duelists that fought for pleasure and nothing else.


    Nowadays, they were part of the system instead. As an S-Ranked guild, they had ties with the MTA and obligations. This had all been unavoidable as otherwise, they wouldn''t have been able to Climb that easily.


    Funny how many schemed for power in order to further push their goals. For Draconic, power had always been the end goal. The money, the fame, and the rest didn''t matter. Perhaps he was getting old. Being nostalgic was one of the most telling signs, right?


    He felt himself drifting into sleep¡ª RING RING RING!


    "MOTHERFUCKER!" He couldn''t help but swear. Who was calling him at such a time?


    He took a second topose himself. "Dario here, who''s this?"


    "It''s me. We have a huge problem." Allistair, the man in charge of the whole Metropolis-C, was saying it! What was it now?!


    "What happened?"


    "The Gene Corp Bastards bombed the whole D-23 forest. Slothtrosities are wandering outside. They are moving slowly, but at this rate they will reach Metropolis-D in a few hours. Markus needs your help."


    "I doubt we even have the power to do anything about it. Did you guys call for the evacuation of the city?" This was such a pain!


    "Of course we did, but we''d want you to head there along with other Rankers to bait them away. We are hoping that your Dragon''s Presence will be able to counter the effect of their yawn."


    This would be risky for sure, but it had potential.


    "Alright, you can count on me," Dario muttered before hanging up.


    It seems like this painfully long day wouldn''t be over just yet. Also, didn''t Josh buy thisnd? Why the Hell did they have to deal with it while he was taking his sweet time training?


    Yes, he definitely missed the Dojo from back then. He felt like punching the old him that had naively believed a guild would be an upgrade from it. Bullshit!


    That''s how the Draconic guild could see their leader tiredly leave for the battlefield once more. Many wanted to help, but it was his burden to bear.


    Still, as he looked at the determination in their eyes, he felt that perhaps a guild wasn''t that bad. At least, he could be proud of this one. His back somehow straitened by itself as he began smiling.


    It was time for Sloth versus Dragon to happen!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    There are many things to consider in a fight involving a Sloth and a Dragon. There are many types of dragons and most will leave a sloth be as there are absolutely no benefits to disrupting its sleep. But if a fight does happen, the winner will depend on the dragon''s resistance and the Sloth''s slothfulness.

 Chapter 180: Very Happy Farms No More

    <h4>Chapter 180: Very Happy Farms No More</h4>


    ****(POV)


    An old man with a head of white and a tan could be seen sitting. He was basking in the sun peacefully, his trusty cushion bringingfort to his old bones. Welner truly appreciated his life at the moment!


    Now retired, he barely needed anything to live. A few credits would be plenty for him, but the same couldn''t be said for his grandson. He had been worried. In the future, perhaps Climbing would be required even for people that just wanted to live a simple life.


    At least, the mysterious people that bought the farm had assured him that they''d give his grandson slight help when he''d be ready to start his Climber career. This didn''t mean much to these bigshots, but it meant everything to him.


    He had never told the kid about it because he didn''t want to spoil him. That''s why he always treated him like any usual worker. The different surnames helped keep it a secret too. Still, he wanted him to have all the tools for his sess, whatever these were.


    Honestly, he felt left behind as the world kept evolving. He especially realized it with the many Climbers squatting at the farm. Recently he had tried joining a bet between the Climbers for fun. When he had called a thousand Atarx in a dice game, they had all looked at him puzzled.


    How had they never heard about the official currency of this region?!? The Metropolis really seemed like an entirely different world. With that failed bet he had also discovered that there were actually Fallen wasting their time here. Was this possible recruitment worth using up their lifespan?


    Most actually passed the employee token around between their Climbing party. They treated this as a timeshare! While other people went to other cities for their vacations, these guys went to work on a farm!


    As a Fallen walked next to him, he couldn''t help but warn him.


    "You know, there is no guarantee that Dimensional Legion will recruit anyone here. You could be Climbing or just rxing. It''s important to take breaks too." Welner reminded.


    "I am taking a break. Why else would I be enjoying this wonderful sunny day? Gardening is fun. It helps remind me that life isn''t all about killing monsters, but also about growth and patience." He showed a smile as bright as the sun.


    Welner knew about such simple pleasure way too well: slowly digging the soil, nting seeds, and taking care of it all as it grew. He figured he may as well encourage the youngster.


    "Alright, I believe in you to grow hard and long cucumbers! They will be so great that hungry men and horny housewives will buy them all in a heartbeat." Welner nodded to the man that was now as red as a tomato.


    He found it funny how the Climbers either loved to work on the farm or became visibly annoyed. Only these two extremes. With every passing day, some became irritable and left but there would always be neers to take their ce.


    In fact, there was permanently a queue at the door. People were allowed to trade tokens with others, but they had to do it at the farm. This was to prevent counterfeits from circting.


    This led to professional queue standers appearing. They would hurry up and sell their token to the highest bidder. How amazing it was to see rich menpeting on the right to ve on a farm!


    Then there were the food vendors that had set shop nearby. The scent of their cooking would drift all the way to the field on windy days. Then, everyone would salivate, some even eating random stuff that wasn''t edible.


    Some others had brought mobile homes that people could rent. Hell, there were even rumors of somedies andds selling their services at night to the upants!


    He would never have believed it if anyone had told him that his simple farm would be a miniature town one day. There were even toilets and running water to it!


    This had be even more exaggerated with the recent events in Metropolis-C. Many had taken refuge right at the property line.


    At every hour of the day, there would be people making a bow of respect toward what they believed was one of the bastions of Dimensional Legion. They felt safe. A farm was giving them hope for the future! How crazy was that?!


    He could only chuckle as he watched them work. His grandson could be seen waving at him happily from the field. He truly was lucky for¡ª but that''s when amotion happened.


    "MOVE BITCH!" An angry shout was heard.


    "Who the heck are you guys?! Eeek, go ahead. I don''t want to die!" The only protest was quickly drowned.


    Welner understood what was happening, and so did his grandson. He rose in panic and dashed this way, but Welner shook his head, indicating him to hide.


    "Gramps, I¡ª"


    "Leave. They know my face, I won''t be able to, but you can. Hurry up. Otherwise, whoever ising may take you hostage. Go." He said sternly.


    The kid was smart, and he realized that staying here would only be a liability. Tears of helplessness could be seen running on his face.


    Welner closed his eyes and waited. He could hear the sound of footstepsing his way as well as low exmations. Before long, he was surrounded. He could feel many presences right next to him, staring. There were probably about 30 or 40.


    That''s when a cold metallic object made contact with his temple. This was either a ster or a cold pipe. He''d bet on the former.


    "Do you think that I''ll believe you are sleeping, old coot?" Do you want to sleep forever?!" A smug voice resounded.


    Welner was only an old man. He had indeed no way to do anything about this situation. A possible option was to beg and hope to look pitiful enough to be spared. But he disliked that very much.


    "Move. You''re blocking the sun." Welner calmly dered.


    Giggles were heard before their leader spoke again: "You think yourself great, don''t you? You''re nothing more than a shitty geezer!" He shouted.


    "This shitty geezer would like you to stop blocking the sun." Welner instantly replied without missing a beat.


    "He thinks he''s funny. Let''s see how you like that!" The man forcefully opened the old man''s eyes.


    Welner could see this rude man for the first time. In normal circumstances, he would have looked like a gentleman. He was neatly shaved, had a heroic face and a determined gaze. He was also wearing full armor.


    "How does that feel?" He slowly opened the old man''s mouth as he fit the tip of the gun in it. Just the tip was enough to overwhelm most people, but he remained calm.


    The man snorted, gesturing his colleagues to grab the man as they began to evacuate. That''s when someone protested.


    "How about you let him go?" One of the temporary farmers stood valiantly.


    "You want to stop us alone? There is a difference between being brave and an idiot."


    "What do you mean? There are almost a hundred of us here!" He confidently looked at the people that were in this specific area but most averted their gaze. What was happening?!


    "Idiot. Most of the people here are low-level, and they have no reason to risk their lives. It''s far better to wait for Dimensional Legion to appear. Hell, you guys should probably be starting to wonder if the whole thing is even true, am I right!" He chuckled lowly.


    That is how they kidnapped the old man and left. At the farm''s entrance, about a hundred more people blocked their way.


    "You guys went far enough already. Put him down and get the Hell out of here!" One gave them an ultimatum.


    "Is that so?" The man leading the kidnapers showed no sign of cowering.


    It seemed like it would turn into a bloodbath for a few seconds, but then came many notification sounds. Beep! Beep! Everyone who checked their UW moved away, some frowning and some clicking their tongues in anger.


    Many guilds had spoken. They were to stay put and wait for what would follow. They, too, wanted to pierce the mystery of this ce. As for the guildless members and the refuges? Well, they were the weaker ones, and no one really cared about them.


    That''s how they swaggered outside. Soon, they had taken the poor old man to a temporary mobile home. They tied Welner to a chair and took out a camera capturing the old man''s face. Then, their leader pointed his gun once more as they began streaming.


    "Hello, all of you! I am your host, a humble seeker of truth. It hase to my attention that recently, there have been lots of rumors about Dimensional Legion. Well, right now, it is time for answers." He paused slightly for dramatic effect.


    "Now, old man. Can you tell me: where exactly has D.L been? They proudly paraded in town a while back and brought everyone to a farm for some obscure reason but then disappeared. Normally it would be fine, but they didn''t even bother to help Metropolis-C in these troublesome events that just happened."


    But Welner remained silent as he could only sigh inwardly. He neither could nor wanted to tell them anything. Would he die today? At least the man had promised to help his grandson. Hopefully, they would honor that promise.


    "Oy, gramps! Did you forget how to speak? Where were they?! Why did they ruthlessly abandon everyone? Were they afraid of suffering casualties? Are the lives of the people of Metropolis-C beneath their notice?"


    Silence once more. The wannabe interrogator didn''t take it well this time.


    SLAP!


    SLAP!


    SLAP!


    Welner''s face now showed clear signs of being battered. Blood was even trickling from his lips, but even then he didn''t make a peep.


    "Oh? We got a tough one on our hand. This is all very suspicious. There is no way a real guild, even a hidden one, would have allowed us to enter into theirnd and kidnap someone!"


    That''s when he took something out. It was a small blue serum that had been very popr before the Tower. This was a miracle truth serum. It wasn''t potent enough to work on Climbers, but it would definitely work on the old man.


    At that moment, Welner struggled for the first time. He could already picture how this would y out. The drug would make him ramble a LOT.


    These guys hadn''t captured his grandson yet. It seemed that they hadn''t properly researched him. That meant that should he start speaking, he would probably remind them of this detail.


    No way in Hell he''d let that happen! He bit his own tongue. He wasn''t even sure how. He somehow did so, even with his mind protesting. That''s when they injected him.


    "Now, tell us everything!" The man had a victorious smile.


    "Weeeaaa yooouuuu eeeeeeee" Blood spurted out of his mouth as he tried confessing to a lot of things, but only a garbled mess came out.


    "Fuck! Heal him, someone!" They quickly managed to shove a healing pill in his mouth, but it also boosted his body''s regeneration just enough to clear the poison.


    The kidnapper could only sigh. Why the heck was an ordinary old man being so troublesome?! But it was fine. They had plenty of time¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    This is why people did not fear attacking Metropolis-C. The guilds seemed powerful and coordinated, but it was all a shitshow. Why else would they so easily look the other way while someone attacked a farm? All because some of them had suffered losses and they wanted to vent.

 Chapter 181: Draconic On A Walk

    <h4>Chapter 181: Draconic On A Walk</h4>


    ****(POV)


    "SCREECH!" That was all that Dale heard. The non-stop shrieking was as endless as the monsters that kept flying toward him.


    This ce was the perfect Floor for the spell-casters but a nightmare to the warriors. The entire sky was dark with shadowy ethereal silhouettes that quickly glided everywhere. These were wraiths.


    They sounded evil with their soul-piercing shrieks, looked evil with their edgy cloak-looking body, and were annoying with their relentless attacks. They were trying to rip him apart with their sharp ws.


    Dale kept dodging but shivered every time one of the creatures flew next to him. He was used to their attack patterns by now. He could know exactly the angle they would attack from simply by the degree of their eleration or deceleration.


    Ever since he had left Josh, he had been here training. This was usually considered insane. Floor 26 wasn''t a ce anyone would wander alone, even a mage. This was because they excelled at wide AoE attacks that would take out swarms of enemies at once.


    It wasn''t possible against these flying bastards! They would scatter at the first sign of anything remotely AoE. They were like a bunch of mischievous kids that would harass travelers to no end¡­until death.


    This meant that he had spent a while practicing his basic fireball technique. He wasn''t exactly sure how, but he was now able to cast it as easily as breathing. He would feel the cold on his nape, and "BAM!" he''d throw a fireball in a wraith''s ghostly face.


    The hard part was to dodge while waiting for his mana to regenerate. It was a slow but worthwhile process. He felt that it had helped him be more conscious of his surroundings and develop more precise control.


    Dale made most of the wraiths disappear, burning them unalive. He only kept exactly 10 of them. They would prove helpful for what woulde next.


    He then slowly closed his eyes. He still remembered the first time he had done so. He hade here with a random party. They had begun screaming in fright while watching him try to feel what Josh called killing intent.


    To this day, he still had no clue how that worked. But, he did figure out how to avoid death somehow. After fighting relentlessly, he could now feel his ass on fire whenever a monster was about to sink its fangs into him.


    That did sound like a normal Mexican Monday, but it was more literal! He had already resolved never to reveal it. What kind of power was that?! He wasn''t even sure if it was rted to his ss as a Pyro Mage or not.


    This specific training went like this.


    "Dodge!"


    "Dodge!"


    "Dodge! Oh god, it''s hot."


    " Dod¡ªouch! Goddammit. Motherfucker!"


    Good thing that no one was there to see his sorry state. Recently, he felt he had hit a wall. No matter how he tried, he''d get scratched eventually. It was nothing serious, but it did irk him.


    Oh well, it was time to use his trump card! It was a tactic as old as time: to beg. If he asked nicely, Josh would teach him, right? Probably.


    Dale left the Tower, tried messaging him, and headed to Draconic. He could wait for Josh there and perhaps use the opportunity to bully and train with other members.


    He was confident that as long as they yed the low-level dueling game, he''d perform well. This time he would be able to perceive feints better for sure.


    "Hey there! Can you tell the peeps down there that Dale is visiting?" He said to a cute receptionist that promptly nodded.


    "Oh, it''s you." A voice came from his back.


    As he turned around, he got the shock of his life. So many Draconic members had appeared while he was distracted. One, two, three¡­there were almost 50 of them! What the heck was happening?! He could only stare, mouth opened wide.


    "What are you guys all doing here?!"


    "You''re just in time. We''re going to have some fun." They could be seen grinning with a tinge of savageness in their eyes. Kasha looked especially hyper in their midst.


    "What kind of fun?"


    "Oh, you know, the usual. Going on a walk, maybe break a few teeth or spines." Lucas added, glossing over it.


    He could only watch in shock as the procession left the building akin to conquerors heading to the battlefield.


    "Don''t mind them. They are all a bit on edge ever since Gene Corp has kidnaped Josh. Anyway, time to go." Liam exined gently.


    "Josh has been what?!"


    How the hell had this happened? Actually, what had he missed while he was training? He hastily followed the group as he checked the news. So much had happened.


    As they passed through the city, he could see faint traces of destruction. The U-Bots that could be seen dutifully scurrying around had done a miracle. That''s when he realized that the buildings might be repaired, but these events would still mark the people.


    There was an air of gloominess to be felt spreading all over. Somehow, it reminded him of when the Tower had appeared. People were stressed and many couldn''t cope with such sudden changes.


    He soon understood where they were going. There were a few people having kidnapped a poor farmer in order to learn about¡ª Dimensional Legion! He almost choked when he saw this. Holy shit! Those guys had chosen the worst timing possible to act rampantly.


    Dale followed along until they reached their destination. It was arge mobile home with many curious spectators encircling it. Somehow, none were raising a finger to help as they watched the interrogation''s stream.


    How dared they?! The old man could be seen, his face full of tears, snot, and blood. He was resisting the best he could, but he was only an old man. His skin was wrinkly, his flesh weak, and his endurance nothing to write home about.


    "Get out of the fucking way, you assholes." He found himself growling.


    "HA! What the fuck?!" Someone screamed in panic.


    "There is a madman! Quick, someone, restrain him." Another wisely delegated what he felt was a dangerous task.


    The entire crowd was pulling away in fear. A very small man revealed himself as he headed toward him angrily with a huge hammer. "Did you just call me an asshole? Only my wife can call me that. Apologize right now, you bastard, or I swear I''ll beat you to a pulp!"


    Dale was about to retort, but he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. It was a man reassuringly smiling at him. He looked friendly and wore the tightest leather outfit he had ever seen. "It''s fine. You can extinguish this."


    Extinguish what? But then he realized that his entire upper half was somehow burning. He had trained his reaction speed so much recently that he had used a skill without even noticing. He''d have to be he careful with nightmares from now on.


    "You said something about beating someone to a pulp, right? Do you mean like this?" He said it very casually but what followed was anything but casual.


    He dashed so fast that Dale could barely see his shadow. But he could definitely hear him. He was so loud! In a split second, he was already in front of the angry man as he pped him, violently sending his small body flying along with his teeth.


    The crowd panicked as they quickly left. That is when the people inside noticed themotion. They could be seen peeking through the blinds as they became more and more agitated.


    But then there was a sudden change in mood as they began smiling in anticipation. Many small groups could be seening in their direction. Most had only from 1 to 5 individuals with all adorning clear guild emblems.


    Dale could identify them all. They were mostly rank A and B guilds, with some subordinate guilds following. The S-Ranked ones probably yed a hand here too. It was a clear show of force.


    A handsome man from Hydra slowly advanced toward them, smiling. "Friends, do you perhaps know the gentleman inside? We negotiated with the kidnappers earlier, and they promised to release him once they are done interrogating him."


    "You call that interrogation? I call that torture!" Dale couldn''t help but shout.


    "Young man, you''re on fire again. Anyway,pared to what we all endure daily in the Tower, there is nothing excessive happening here. They have already agreed to release him once he answers their questions." The Hydra guy replied.


    "How about we skip the part where we fight to your death, and you let us through?" Kasha butted in. She almost seemed to be anticipating a fight to break out.


    "Please! Are you going to fight all of us just to rescue a stranger?" He scoffed loudly. "Or is there something you aren''t telling us?" He turned triumphantly toward them only to see their radiant smiles.


    That''s when the man froze. He had been saying all this tirade knowing that it would be madness for any guild to fight all the others. But, he now remembered that this guild was Draconic.


    They were now summoning their gear and slowly equipping it while making small talk about how far they could take it, iming legitimate defense. Some were even ''wisely'' suggesting that if they silenced everyone, they could go as far as they wanted.


    When the man decided that he wanted to live and moved to the side, sighs of disappointment could be heard from their group. That is how he knew he had made the right decision.


    Now, there remained only the arduous rescue mission left for them. How would they go about it? Dale would do his best to help, even if his mes were more suited toward destruction.


    "What is the n exactly?" He asked curiously.


    "This." A red-headeddy repliedughingly.


    What did that even mean? Just as he was wondering, the man in tight leather dashed as fast as lightning and as loudly as thunder. When he returned to his senses, he was back with an old man in a princess carry.


    What the Hell?! That was it?! What had happened to the n to design a well-thought-out rescue?! The people inside began cursing in fright and anger. The people outside began cursing in shock and awe. The Draconic members began cursing in joy.


    Then it began. In a few seconds, dozens of skills were used to bombard the mobile home. The most impressive was probably a red-haireddy throwing fire everywhere. She was so beautiful, with her gentle face yet that absolutely destructive power, and ¡ª no, that was beside the point.


    He came back to his senses. There only remained charcoal, ashes, and random shes of magical light. Enemies? None. Fucks given? None. These guys evidently were the bane of home insurers.


    Now, he had so many questions. For instance, where the fuck was Josh, and when were they going to save him?


    [Status!]


    Dale Faren


    Pyro Mage Lv 27


    #STATS# (0)


    HP: 7300


    Mana: 8200


    Magic Ability: 770


    Strength: 300


    Agility: 690


    Defense: 37


    Magic Resist: 40


    #SKILLS#


    -D Weapon Mastery


    -D me Maniption


    -D Fireball


    -E Fire Volley


    -E Fire Shower


    -B Let It Burn (Passive)


    Creator''s Thought


    Rule number one of fighting Draconic: do not fight Draconic! This was serious advice to remain out of trouble. Well, it would take a while before they obtained such a reputation. But, the kidnapped old man incident did remind the popce about that golden rule.

 Chapter 182: The Doctor: Infiltration

    <h4>Chapter 182: The Doctor: Infiltration</h4>


    ****(POV)


    "FUCK!" The man in the whiteb coat flipped the entire table, sending documents flying all over the ce. He hade back from aplete goose chase two weeks ago, and now this!


    That''s when came a small knock at the door with a student shyly entering. It was a young woman that was trying her best to get close to him recently. She understood his genius and wanted nothing more than to be like him.


    But when she saw the current state of the room, she turnedpletely livid. What had happened?! It wouldn''t have been such a big deal for anyone else, but it was different for The Doctor.


    Ever since she had been here, she had never seen him have a mood swing. Even when he was doing a live dissection, he was as calm as ice.


    "Sorry that you''ve had to see this, Sophia. Now, did you need help with something?" He murmured gently, no trace of his previous anger.


    "Teacher, I just brought you some coffee. I also have more information on Gene Corp. It seems they have a new prisoner and¡ª"


    "I''m already aware. Still, good job. It seems I will need to head on another field trip."


    She shuddered as he said that but couldn''t help but show slight expectation. She knew what he meant by a field trip. Thest one had caused a disaster in Metropolis-C. Every time she heard about it, her body would heat up in tion.


    "Teacher, do you need me to prepare anything?" She asked, her eyes shining in trepidation.


    He nodded, slowly scribbling a list of ingredients. She happily grabbed it: This would be another one to add to her collection. She would aplish her task to perfection for sure!


    Left alone in the room, he began to collect the scattered notes. He could see one that contained the very thing that had caused his fury. Josh Malum was right there in Metropolis-H, and Gene Corp was intent on keeping him alive.


    On the one hand, they were torturing him with a nightmare. On the other, he would rather not count on someone else for his revenge. What if they didn''t kill him in the end? It would be toote then.


    The future would be such a hassle. He was a researcher at heart and also a teacher. This meant that he was a man that lived in the light. Oh, he was more than capable of scheming in the dark, but he had to keep a facade at least.


    Now, he would have to go directly against Gene Corp. Therey the issue. Their members were numerous and hard to neutralize with drugs. They were the bane of a man like him.


    Still, this didn''t mean that he was helpless. No, he could easily raid theirir. He would need to fake his own death afterward. He could still teach too. He just needed to get himself a dummy.


    He could already feel the headachesing with securing funding. Most of his investors would have reservations about dealing with a dead man. He''d have to improvise in due time.


    He finished his day as he normally did: Some tutoring, some research, and getting rid of a few annoying people. When Sophia returned, he got to work, creating the specific drugs he would need for this operation.


    She followed him akin to a small puppy watching his every move with rapt attention. Truly she should have graduated years ago. She officially had a lowly teacher''s assistant post. She was qualified enough to head her own research team but found more value in staying at his side.


    From time to time, he would let her do some of the maniptions. At times she showed even more brains than he did, but her upbringing hindered her. Her mind had been poisoned since young, and she had trouble oveing it: silly things about human lives having value and the need to do good.


    Luckily she had changed a lot since meeting him. He still remembered fondly the first time she had experimented on a live cat. She found it hard, but she did not cry or show any remorse¡ª even when the creature exploded with bits of it sttering all over her face.


    He couldn''t help but show a slight smile reminiscing and an even bigger smile when they were done with all the preparations.


    "Teacher, should I apany you?" She asked but already knew the answer.


    "Maybe next time."


    He left, slowly walking outside. Many entrances were leading to hisir, all of them part of the campus. The headmaster of the university had given him the green light to do whatever he wanted, for he knew the sess of his university depended on it.


    The man knew perfectly of his methods but would have denied it were someone to ask him. Well, this was how the world worked. Everyone expected others to put on a facade. People would always lie:


    How was your day? The expected answer was good. Hey, this is a picture of my kids. They are cute, right? The expected answer was yes. You wouldn''t be experimenting on living people, right? The expected answer was no.


    He finally arrived at his destination. It was a huge building that sold costumes of all kinds for parties.


    While many would love to buy werewolf costumes to mess with their friends, it didn''t warrant the high rent in Metropolis-H, nor was it one supported by the MTA. It was obviously a failing business.


    Freaks could be seen there daily, some looking VERY realistic. They were hiding in in light, even using the rumors about Gene Corp for their advertisement. Most people were convinced they were nothing but wannabes.


    To be fair, the MTA had ''raided'' this ce many times without any findings. He pushed the door open, disregarded everything, and headed to the back store.


    "Hey, this area is off-limit!" Growled a man that was so hairy that he could have easily made a career out of selling hair growth serum.


    "Hey there. Don''t worry. I''m just passing by real quick." As he spoke, he released an invisible gas that quickly made its way toward its target. He used it casually, but it was a marvel in itself.


    "Wait, you''re The Doctor! I''ll ¡ª" but the man froze. Talk about a useless guard dog. He happily went forward.


    He knew about their defense protocols, he knew about how to get in, and he could daze low-level members for as long as his drugs stocksted. He took out a small box from his chest pocket. It would allow him to get himself an ess card.


    Gene Corp used imnts to recognize their members'' identities. Normally this was extremely secure. Removing one from its host would render it useless. But, the item he had brought out was a small machine he had created that would simte the target''s vital signs.


    A bit of flesh diggingter, he was good to go. The rest of the process was a walk in an enemy base. He waltzed through with his head held high. He had recently sold them some valuable drugs, and he was The Doctor.


    None of theckeys even questioned his presence there. He even had the gall to ask for directions, "You there! Yes, ferret-looking man. I''m here to check on a patient. He''s a guy called Josh Malum. He was taken prisoner in D-23."


    The man quickly pointed him in the right direction. The Doctor hurried there, for it was only a matter of time until someone sent word to the Nightmare. His only saving grace was that their security system was rtively shitty against hijacked imnts.


    He soon reached theb where his target was restrained. This was the key step of his n, but he was prepared. The only ones that could stop him were the fourmanders. He''d be done with this and out before they even heard of his visit.


    He swaggered inside, and there he was. The man tied up on the chair trembling was the one that had killed his shitty brother. Some IV drip was keeping him alive. He slowly approached, disgusted with how low the man had fallen.


    He was sweating, had blood all over himself, and he sometimes mumbled pitifully about getting ''her'' back. He was but a scared little man confronted with his fears. That spoke volumes of how much of a failure Lenny had been to perish at his hand.


    He took out a syringe and approached it from the IV bag. He always loved this style of execution. It was the power to transform the elixir of life into the elixir of death. It made him feel like a reaper, and he truly enjoyed it.


    SLASH!


    Spurt!


    Just as he approached the needle, an axe drew a powerful arc before slicing his arm. Anyone else would have screamed in pain and terror, but The Doctor just clicked his tongue in displeasure.


    "It ssseems we have a little rat here." A weird voice was heard next to him.


    Godamnit! This guy was amander! He reached into his pocket, taking out his trusty magical scalpel while throwing some powder that made a small fog appear.


    He retreated, putting some distance between them. He had to buy enough time for his enemy to fall. Sadly, this one wasn''t dumb. The monster followed right on his heels. What were his chances of winning in a straightforward fight? Zero.


    He quickly calcted his many possibilities. Then he came to the conclusion that he would be unable to avoid his enemy''s attacks. There was only one thing he could do. He fought valiantly, pushing his body beyond its limits to dodge.


    All until he took an arm to the chest. It went from one side to the other, leaving a gaping hole. But, that also made the two of them get stuck together for an instant.


    "Doessss it hurt?" The opponent sadistically asked.


    But the Doctor wouldn''t give up so easily. Without missing a beat, he drove his scalpel straight in the throat of his enemy, but only leaving a shallow wound.


    He retreated hastily, with a life-threatening injury. The Doctor quickly consumed a healing item with his enemy drinking an antidote.


    "You bitch! I''ll fucking kill you!" The lizard screamed.


    He grabbed him by the throat, tore his remaining arm, and began beating him with it as he bled everywhere. Then, he just threw it away.


    "Anyst words?" The scaly growled.


    "3¡­2¡­1¡­¡ª" The doctor counted with a bloodied smile.


    With a thud, the lizardman fell to the ground, only his eyes still able to move. The Doctor was gravely injured, but he''d be able to recover. Getting his arms back would be another story, but he''d deal with this in due time.


    "You seem confused. Do you really think an antidote works on my serious creations?"


    Now, where the hell was his scalpel? His eyes ran across the room, finally noticing it. It had flown all the way to Josh''s side. Good, he''d grab it with his mouth and finish the man real quick.


    He had to hurry before things turned sour. He really couldn''t afford any otherplications¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    I always wondered how the lizard felt at that exact moment. Was it despair? Was it regret? Perhaps he still thought he had a chance? Quite ironic how he saved me from The Doctor. Would I be dead had he not done so? Well, perhaps I am already. After all, I have lost my body.

 Chapter 183: The Stream of Blood

    <h4>Chapter 183: The Stream of Blood</h4>


    There were many things that Josh had always taken for granted: his heart thumping rhythmically, his lungs drawing in the air around him, but most especially everything that happened on the microscopic level in his body.


    After all, people would go insane if they were to feel their nails growing, their skin dying, or even their white cells struggling to protect them. Doctors were able to exin every process in exquisite detail, but knowing was different than controlling.


    This control was what Josh was aiming for. He had to master formless mana that humans weren''t meant to sense. So many times, he felt his struggles were only leading to a dead end. But every time he looked at her, his resolve strengthened.


    Well, what remained of her. She was nothing more than a gory and depressing mirage. Still, it gave him the courage to keep trying to break through his limits.


    He needed to do so because he knew how harsh the future could be. The gods conversing back on Floor 13 had hinted so. He couldn''t becent even if everything had been smooth sailing so far.


    "If only there was a clear path to thread." He sighed aloud.


    That''s when she slowly rose up, turning her heels around and gently gesturing him to follow. Each of her steps left wet bloody footprints. They walked in silence until he began hearing a rumbling sound.


    It sounded as if a thousand horses were galloping through a in or perhaps a dragon roaring. Soon they found the source of it. He couldn''t help but be taken aback as there were rapids made of blood. The smell felt nostalgic. She gestured him to head inside as she pointed upstream.


    "You want me to get up there?" Seeing her nod, he slowly began walking, only to be stopped.


    She was pointing at the tumultuous blood with insistence.


    "I should enter here and swim the rest of the way?" She nodded happily.


    Anyone would have agreed that following the directive of a ghost in a nightmare was a horrible idea. But, this was HIS nightmare. Not an ounce of him believed she would actually harm him.


    He removed his clothes, with her phantom appreciatingly looking at his body. She was just missing the little rating cards that she used to sh him yfully. They were ones that judges used in officialpetitions.


    As he immersed himself, he felt a strong current, deeply breathed in the foul scent, and could even taste the iron. He quickly got into a butterfly stroke position and began swimming, with her cheering on the sidelines.


    The more he progressed and the stronger the current was getting. He now understood why she had guided him here. He would have possibly drowned had he tried entering further up. Here, he could slowly temper his resistance.


    Of course, he knew this whole river wasn''t real. It was most likely a representation of his struggles, but it didn''t matter. He was convinced this would truly allow him to reach his goal. He kept training like a madman.


    Right now, he felt that he could have given a run for his money to an Olympic swimmer. Then again, it was doubtful if such an individual would even enter a sea of blood. As he kept going, sometimes the outside world woulde and try to distract him.


    Chances were that his unconscious was picking up some IRL information and rying some that it believed was worthwhile. It came like shes of knowledge that he could discern swimming alongside him akin to little goldfishes.


    There were bright neon lights. There was the cold touch of metal on his naked torso. Tight leather straps were digging slightly into his flesh, holding him in ce.


    There were the low sighs of boredom of the guard assigned to him. This guy was a lizardman, albeit not a real one. He was technically human, but people wouldn''t believe it because of his rough and sturdy scales. Josh could hear theints too:


    "Goddamnit! He''s convulsing again!"


    "Why the fuck do I have to be the one babysitting?!"


    "Now he''s coughing blood?! What the fuck does he see in there?"


    "Tch, it will be a pain if he kicks the bucket. It would unsummon the rat."


    "Whatever, there''s healing stuff in the IV drip. It''s not my fucking job to clean him up."


    Josh was nothing but a tool to them, a very precious tool that would eventually be discarded and end up in the trash. But, they wouldn''t be wasteful and would use him for all he was worth.


    Josh was perfectly fine with that. He was doing the same, after all. Truth be told, the old despairing him back on Earth would have loved to remain in that dream realm forever. Days quickly passed, with his blood swimming ability increasing exponentially.


    The closer he got to the source, the more he understood that this whole stream represented mana itself. His senses were now sharper, and he could feel the energy coursing alongside him as he swam.


    He was so damn close! But, it was beginning to feel like an impossible challenge. At first, the power of the waves had steadily but slowly increased. Now, every centimeter of progress felt like a new difficulty level. It was that drastic!


    What awaited him felt like an entirely new world. He could already sense the massive energy that awaited him on the other side. It was mesmerizing and addictive. Would he ever reach it?


    But he didn''t despair. She was still rooting for him. It didn''t matter that her rotten arms and eyeballs kept falling as she shouted encouragements. Even when he began to lose his sense of time, space, and even self, he kept going. By now, he was ignoring the external world too.


    He didn''t waver in the face of hardships. He didn''t waver when people outside began fighting, and he didn''t waver when a drug cloud engulfed him. He didn''t waver, but suddenly he lost all control.


    "Nooo! Not now! I''m almost there!" He screamed indignantly.


    But, the drugs had entered his bloodstream and were now affecting him. What the heck was that?! It made the world spin. The entire realm became blurry. Even her appearance on the side became fuzzy. He had trouble coordinating his movements.


    "No! I won''t ept this!" He shouted to no one in particr.


    He fought hard and bravely, but there was no winning anymore. He was instantly pushed backward. He was losing all his progress during the past days or weeks! This was his best opportunity as he couldn''t remain too long in the Nightmare''s grasp.


    He couldn''t overly risk his life. This n was already cutting it way too close. His life didn''t only belong to himself after all. Knowing it was all over, he watched his own tears disappear in the bloody waters. He could only sigh despondently.


    He would have to find another way. Failure was part of life. This didn''t mean that he would give up his true goal either. He rxed and felt himself drift, enveloped by the blood. At this moment, he even became blood itself.


    He smiled sadly, and for a second, he stopped being human. He was but a small fish enjoying thest moments of his failure. At least, the thrill of whooshing quickly from upstream to downstream felt exciting.


    He just went with the flow, not caring about anything anymore. He reached where he had initially entered the stream and kept drifting. Somehow, he was still going as fast. How? The river had been so peaceful there before!


    Eventually, he could see a cliff leading with a waterfall cascading down and leading to an abyss. Somehow, Josh didn''t feel any threat from it. It was as if this was but a natural urrence. He soon felt himself falling, some wind and blood vapor battering his face.


    Was this the end for him? Where was she? Would he see her again soon? Was it time to end the nightmare? He had obviously failed this training. He kept his eyes closed and enjoyed the sensation. He''d end it all as soon as he sensed danger.


    Eventually, he felt something under him that was approaching fast. No, he was the one approaching it. SPLASH! He entered the river down there, sending blood sttering all over. But that''s when he suddenly jerked up in shock.


    What the hell was happening?! He could feel the same energy as earlier. It wasn''t simr. It was the exact same! How?! He had fallen downstream, and now he was upstream. No, it was both?!


    That''s when he came to a realization. He had always visualized mana as water that was contained in the bucket that was the human body. But he had been wrong. Mana was the whole damn stream!


    It was a flow, one that was always continuous. Akin to a river, it would have many states. During a drought, the water level would be more shallow, and it would get deeper during inundations. It was not about dominating this power but living in harmony with it. Well, that was his way.


    He focused and willed his body to float until he reached her. She was changing. The nightmarish mirage transformed into the real her. She was as beautiful as the day he firstid eyes on her. Then again, his memories were beautified by his love for sure.


    He understood that the nightmare was over. By taking control of his mana stream, he had ended it. It was slowly dissipating.


    "Wait for me. We''ll meet again." He softly murmured before kissing her deeply.


    A crystalline "I love you" echoed as she vanishedpletely. It was time to head out for he had so many things to aplish now...


    Creator''s Thought


    Sometimes I wonder. Was it fate that The Doctor ended up involuntarilying to my rescue and helping me breakthrough? Was it simply a coincidence? I''d like to believe it''s my determination that allowed me to reach this point. After all, none of this would have happened had I let myself be overwhelmed by despair back on Earth.

 Chapter 184: Four Commanders!

    <h4>Chapter 184: Four Commanders!</h4>


    As he slowly regained consciousness, Josh felt the cold touch of a metallic item. Right next to him was a scalpel that was sinking into the metallic chair he was on. How weird!


    Nearby, a man in a bloodied once white coat was slowly walking over, and further away, a lizardman was paralyzed on the ground. The Gene Corp guy''s eyes were swimming as it was the only part he could move.


    Josh quickly freed himself from his restraints with the scalpel cutting through them like butter. He was akin to a bird that had gotten its wings back. He could feel blood and mana circte all over his body, filling it with power.


    As he rose up, both individuals opened their eyes wide in shock. Never had someone escaped the nightmare from their knowledge. Their entiremon sense was flipped over its head at this very moment.


    "Y-you! How are you awake?!" The bloodied man uttered.


    "The trick is not to be asleep," Josh replied.


    For now, he hurried to the lizard''s side. Scalpel in hand, he slowly approached it toward the man''s neck. His eyes showed shock, but then he showed a small grin as his scales somehow began glowing.


    "Ah fuck! That''s his armored state. This is extremely perverse, and we''ll need a strong attack skill to break that!" The bystander cried out.


    "Strong skill, is it?" Josh mused before the scalpel in his hand began glowing with purple energy. Then, he made it sink deep into the opponent, beheading him somehow with a single strike.


    "What the fuck?! What skill was that?!"


    Josh looked at his own hand in stupefaction. Holy shit, he had just meant to barely cut the enemy to scare him into talking! He felt like a man that had mistaken his chainsaw for a butter knife!


    "Doesn''t matter. We have to leave," Josh replied.


    "Alright, let''s do¡ª" He was interrupted by the sound of a door.


    CLANG!


    "Haha! Your savior is here! No more babysitting for you!" A man happily walked into the room.


    He seemed both lean and fat, and he looked squishy somehow. As he saw the scene, he jumped, realizing that his friend was not in a state ever to babysit any prisoner ever again.


    "YOU!" There was nothing else.


    The fight began with that single word. The man activated some kind of ability, and the room was instantly filled with green fog. It was akin to releasing a green smoke bomb in a small closet.


    Escaping it was impossible as the man was blocking the only exit. They all began coughing. The mist had an insufferable smell of rotting mushrooms. Josh could quickly hear a THUD, the armless guy falling to the ground.


    Was this sleeping gas?! He circted his mana inside his body and somehow felt his bloodline activating as it devoured the very air that was entering his mouth. He felt like vomiting as he dropped to the ground, immobile.


    Meanwhile, the enemy was slowly approaching while mumbling to himself.


    "Kill them or bring them alive?"


    "We need the rat, but he killed brother scaly."


    "I guess I can start by tearing all his limbs off."


    "That should wor¡ª" He probably had more to say, but Josh had struck him with a fatal blow. Opening his chest and destroying his heart.


    Iprehension filled his beady eyes as he breathed hisst. Josh couldn''t help but feel that this was too easy. How had he not felt any danger?! Then the other had been defeated by the third party that was now sleeping on the ground.


    There was one thing that was very weird about that guy. Josh usually felt confident about reading people, but that one was in weird. He had shown dissatisfaction when Josh had freed himself but hadn''t shown any killing intent ever since he had woken up.


    He felt like he was missing part of the picture to figure it out. That''s when he saw something out of the corner of his eyes. This was the only other item noteworthy in the room. He slowly picked up the small intricate gray box.


    From it came the sound of a beating heart. Inside, there was some kind of imnt?! What was up with that? Just as he was about to try and figure it out happened another disruption.


    CLANG!


    Two men that he knew well appeared in his sigh. They were his kidnappers.


    "I''m telling you! It''s the motherfucking Doctor! We have to stop him before he c¡ªWtf!" The slime guy cried out.


    "Seems The Doctor isn''t the main issue here. Two of us are dead. The Doctor is out ofmission. That one is about to fall down too. Let''s finish him first." Growled the ugly guy.


    "Can''t we discuss instead of fight?" Josh asked with abored breath.


    They didn''t bother replying as they charged straight at him! He could only brace himself and try his best to read their movements. That''s when he realized something. These guys wereplete amateurs!


    They were strong, they were fast, and they were definitely insanely resistant. But, there was something very wrong with their movements. They showed clear intent of everywhere they would attack!


    He had the feeling of ying an extremely hard Guitarist Hero song. Sure everything was going very fast, but he could see every single uing note. He simply needed to press the right keys at the right time.


    In this case, he had to move slightly in order to dodge the deadly attacks. But there was an issue. Dodging was really the best he could do. He quickly found himself overwhelmed by their intensity.


    They showed no sign of slowing down. That''s when he decided to use the same tactic The Doctor had evidently just used. He would sacrifice his body to win the fight. That''s how he took a punch directly to his shoulder, shattering it.


    The ugly guy showed a victorious smile, disregarding the w Josh had managed to stick into his chest. He didn''t even bother taking it out as he smiled brightly.


    "Did you forget my abilities? You lost your shoulder absolutely for no reason. Now, you only have one arm to fight us. How about you cripple yourself now, and we might just keep you alive?" Heughed.


    Meanwhile, the slime guy could be seen making a call. "Boss, we need you with the rat prisoner. He''s tried to escape. Two of us are dead."


    "You know, asking me to cripple myself is such a cliche viin move. But there is one thing I want to know." Josh slowly asked.


    "Oh?"


    "Why did you guys even bring me here? This rat I possess is quite useless. All it does is breathe and stand in ce, nothing else." Josh remarked.


    "Hahaha, how small-minded you are! It will be the first step to us ruling the world. We haven''t managed to get the sloth bloodline, but this will be a great first step!" He sounded like a fanatic.


    "I can''t wait until our defense is as strong at it. I can already picture it! We could be standing immobile with the whole world trying to kill us, and it wouldn''t matter." The slime said excitedly.


    Then began a monologue on how Gene Corp would soon rule the world and lots of bullshit that didn''t seem to make practical sense. Well, brainwashing wasmon in any well-established evil organization.


    In fact, they talked just enough for the ghoul poison to kick in. The one that was stronger the higher the enemy''s vitality was. That perverse one was definitely weak in all situations but this one.


    THUD!


    As the big guy fell, the slime one realized he had fucked up. Still, he didn''t seem that worried as he began moving backward. Josh chased, not giving him the opportunity to retreat.


    "I don''t know what trick you used, but you won''t ever find my weakness! I''ll kill you myself, I swear!"


    "By weakness, you mean that very small core that keeps bouncing all over the ce in your body, right?" Josh shed it as the slime showed pure terror.


    "How?!" He asked with hisst breath.


    "You have too much anger in your heart." He replied, smiling.


    The enemy kicked the bucket outraged by such a patronizing, self-righteous, bullshit philosophy statement. His face was a mask of regret. Well, Josh had been truthful. How the guy had killing intent in his core was beyond him!


    CLANG!


    "Motherfucker!"


    There the Nightmare was, evidently angry seeing all hismanders lying on the floor dead. To be fair, they had made it so easy! He would have never stood a chance had they actually polished their fighting skills.


    "Sup!" Josh calmly greeted the man.


    Surprisingly, even with his taunts, he regained his calm. He now still looked as gentle and schrly as before, albeit with a hint of savagery in his eyes. This one would be trouble.


    He didn''t reply and charged at him. A few secondster, he had already managed to trade hits with Josh. He touched him, activating his nightmare ability while Josh managed to cut a long cut in his chest.


    Sadly, the wound was too shallow. The man had been extremely careful for he had guessed that his skill would be useless. He showed a calctive smile as he began buying time instead of trying to beat him.


    That was bad for Josh! Really bad!


    "Aren''t you angry that I killed your men? Aren''t you going to avenge them?" Josh tried angering him again.


    "Of course, but I''ll wait for my troops to get here. It won''t be toote to take revenge then. We will have plenty of fun togetherter."


    Josh could only grind his teeth in anger at this sigh. He would have to force the fight against an enemy that was stronger than him and actually smart.


    How the heck was he supposed to win this?!


    Creator''s Thought


    A wise man once said: "Everything in life has its counter". Another wise man once said: "If you''re acting like an overconfident idiot then your counter is anyone actually using his brain." In their defense, these Gene Corp guys possibly suffered from gene therapy side effects.

 Chapter 185: Nightmare VS The Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 185: Nightmare VS The Nightmare</h4>


    Josh''s options were limited. He had the ghoulish ws and an armor set. He had to find a method to defeat The Nightmare quickly.


    His shoulder was already healing from his bloodline devouring. Somehow, the IV liquid in his system was getting used up. Still, since his shoulder looked extremely bloody on the outside, he kept his arm hanging by the side of his body, dead.


    He slowly backed up, as if trying to subtly grab the rest of the IV drip. But, the enemy quickly saw through him as he used his speed to cut open the bag, sshing its content all over the floor along with Josh''s hopes.


    The enemy kept going after him relentlessly, waving a dagger around. Josh could only y defensively as he kept dodging over and over. Even then, the bastard remained extremely cautious. It was possible to read his moves, but not capitalize on them as he would never fullymit.


    Josh could already hear the stomping of tons of soldiers outside. It seems they were waiting to enter, probably organizing themselves, possibly getting a weapon that would be a gamechanger.


    He would have preferred that they recklesslye in. In such a case he could have used them as unfortunate meatshields. They could even block the advance of their own Boss should he swerve in their midsts perfectly.


    How long before they were ready and barged in overwhelming him? Probably seconds. He hadn''te all this way to die like a cornered rat! He had to finish this, now!


    Josh went forward instead of retreating. The enemy''s dagger was about to reach him. His opponent was observing his every move as carefully as before, ready to back off whenever.


    Josh shouted internally: ''Mighty rat I summon you!'' With a wave of his hand, the pet appeared between both of them.


    It was pretty useless, but it was sturdy. But that barely helped as both the pet and the owner were violently flung backward, colliding with the wall. Josh felt the air leave his lungs, winced in pain, and felt his whole body go numb.


    The Nightmare dashed toward him, with Josh invoking one more ally. A ck and mysterious portal appeared behind the enemy. Out of it came Nightmare, the previous Boss of Floor 17, as it galloped forward menacingly.


    "Fight fire with fire and the Nightmare with Nightmare." Josh chuckled, coughing up some blood.


    All he got was a smile of derision in return. His enemy knew that that the creature wouldn''t make it in time. It would disappear along with its owner''s life.


    The Nightmare was a big fan of keeping his enemies alive most of the time to experiment on them. This time, he wouldn''t.


    He knew how dangerous this low-level Josh was. He couldn''t allow him to grow sronger. Otherwise, the man would quickly be an internal demon in his heart, forever haunting him. He knew that much.


    The sharp dagger magnified in Josh''s face. It was impossible to dodge it at this distance, even for him. There was one thing he could do before perishing. He softly murmured a few words:


    "Shadow Merging." The cloak he was wearing seemed toe alive as it enveloped him entirely.


    A ssless man had just used a skill in front of the Nightmare''s very eyes! He couldn''t understand what was happening.


    This item was clearly a Nightmare Cloak! How did it contain a skill?! That''s when he realized it. It wasn''t any Nightmare Cloak, it was a Hellish difficulty one. That was the only exnation!


    He watched in horror as his dagger was plunged into Josh''s face entirely. The problem was that there was no feedback. It felt as if he had shed a regr shadow. There was a WHOOSH! sound and that was it.


    The now shadow-looking Josh smiled slightly at him. The monstrous mount was about to reach him. It would trample him if he kept facing the man. The Nightmare turned around awkwardly to face Nightmare.


    In order to do so, he had to shift his center of gravity so quickly that he lost bnce a bit, but he did manage. He applied his full strength and struck back. He knew that a monster even from Floor 17 had the potential to kill him.


    The poor monster''s description clearly indicated that it wasn''t as powerful when outside the Tower. The violent sh didn''t happen. No, the poor creature was sent flying like a cannonball to its assant''s surprise.


    How was this possible?! He expected to win that contest, but not so overwhelmingly! From that, he understood that the horse was merely a distraction once again. But, he was even more off-bnce having exerted way more force than necessary.


    Josh shed him with his ghoul ws. Even then, the man still managed to rotate his body with unbelievable speed, almost falling in the process. Yet, he blocked the attack albeit shakily. Before Josh could capitalize on it, the man was already retreating.


    The Nightmare felt relief for he had survived this exchange. At this point, he had stopped seeing Josh as a low-level Climber. The fourmanders had clearly died while underestimating him. Perhaps The Doctor had barely done anything.


    But now, it was over. He could see the despair in Josh''s expression. He could feel his unwillingness to die and how sorrowful he was with this oue. He could hear his men entering the room. They hade equipped with special forcefields.


    This equipment only worked in their base, but it could trap any solo Climber easily. It would be Josh''s bane as he didn''t have the technology to counter it. This annoying rat was utterly screwed. A small smile blossomed on his face as he gave the order: "Kill him!"


    But the smile quickly froze, forever. The scalpel now embedded in his brain made it impossible for him to move. Josh had thrown it with his ''dead'' hand.? The people around barely saw a sh of purple before their leader fell. They panicked but did obey hisst order.


    They advanced toward Josh to execute him. Yet, he had a confident demeanor. In his hands, there was a small ck button-looking thing.


    <E+ Breath of Corruption>


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder what wonderful things would happen. In any case, it was bound to create amotion...


    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª


    [A/N] I may have to do smaller chapters for a little while trying to reach Priv unlock goals. 5k/ month is the target so we can have a huge promotional banner haha! Also, thinking about some way to thank priv buyers by naming side chars after you guys or something. Should be a minigame or maybe a raffle. (I''m open to suggestions, also won''t impact the story)


    Creator''s Thought


    The feeling of being surrounded by enemies on all sides, while having a way out is quite wonderful. In this peculiar case, I guess a part of me just wanted to watch the world burn. I didn''t know what would happen, but I was sure it would be BAD! Oh, it was, very much so.

 Chapter 186: Lazy Sloths!

    <h4>Chapter 186: Lazy Sloths!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Metropolis-D was in a state of unrest AND rest. Most of the city was functioning as usual except the southwest part that the slothtrosities had imed for themselves. They had found refuge there after their forest had blown up (none injured).


    Many citizens were worried about the future. Some had lost their homes, some their businesses, and others feared the same happening to them. They could only thank their lucky star that the creatures were azy bunch.


    Still, living next to them was extremely risky. Who knew when one of these S+ ss beasts would sleepwalk and destroy everything on its way? For now, the entire area had been condemned with an elite team sent inside.


    Dario was obviously a member of this party. In fact, he was the MVP of it. Climbers with skill protecting the soul were are rare as virgin hookers. But, given the number of Climbers, there was bound to be some, but even they werecking.


    The yawn of the sloths seemed to be able to ignore conventional magical resistance skills. Luckily, it just so happened that a dragon''s roar was as tyrannical. It would allow them all to disregard that ability.


    It had been more than two weeks since they had arrived and they had proceeded extremely carefully. After all, a single Ranker''s life was worth way more than the economic losses currently happening.


    By now, they had a methodology to take care of the sloths. Ever sinceing to this world, the creatures would wake up fairly easily. The tactic they came up with was to y with them as if a deadly puppy until they were exhausted. They would then fall into a deep slumber for a few hours.


    People would then load them unto transport ships and send them back home. Many had proposed flying them to the sea to be dropped (could they swim?) or to an ind far away, but Metropolis-D wasn''t exactly near an Ocean.


    As for getting them to a neighboring Metropolis, it would anger the whole alliance, so it wasn''t an option at all. They had to treat the sloths like living, indestructible garbage that could kill them anytime but that they still needed to dispose of.


    Fortunately, the entire operation was going pretty well so far. Ironically the people dying like idiots to these creatures had served as a severe warning for the others wanting to attempt the same. It was especially fearsome because a single sloth had annihted the numbskulls.


    They were now in the process of rxing, waiting for Dario''s mana to regenerate. He was sitting on an intricate copper bench that seemed so out of ce. It helped boost his mana regeneration, along with the many trinkets he was wearing and the juice/concoction he was sipping on.


    His teammates could be heard conversing:


    "How great is this? All of us are saving the world together. We should do this more often." A Jovial man eximed, munching on a meat skewer happily.


    Bet was from Devouring Panda and was a survivalist. He could thrive in any god-forsaken environment and enjoy himself. Like many others in his guild, he always had food with him. Only cooks had the luxury to hand their creations to everyone so easily.


    Devouring Panda''s ideology could be summed akin to a cooking recipe:


    1. Grab a bigass pot.


    2. Get tons of ingredients from the Tower.


    3. Use a skilled chef to mix it all to perfection.


    4. Distribute and enjoy.


    5. Get more recruits thanks to the awesome food.


    6. Get more Rankers because there are more recruits


    7. Get more ingredients because there are more Rankers.


    8. Repeat steps 1 to 8 until world domination is achieved.


    9. Realize the wonders of bing aplete foodie and forget about world domination. Pursue culinary excellence instead.


    "Saving the world? We''re hauling overweight sloths. Are we zookeepers or Rankers?! You may love doing this, but not all of us are like you!" An annoyed man with a book in hand grumbled.


    Sakar was in Ouroboros, and he was always reading something no matter the situation. Many would ask him what he was doing with an olden days book. The thing was, it was a very realistic piece of tech. It just happened to look like paper, feel like paper, and smell like paper.


    As a spatial mage, every adventure was nothing more than a waste of time to him. What was the point of slowly walking to the destination when you could teleport? That ability did sound extremely strong, but it had way too many restrictions. He was their trump card in case of emergency.


    "Stop fighting, you two. Anyway, how are we on the forceful deportation duty?" Asked a gorgeous Fairy (literal name) as she yfully made a sharp wind current twirl around her finger.


    "Good and bad. We are making steady progress, but at this rate, it may take us months to evacuate all sloths. Hopefully, Old Jones will find us some worthy helpers." Davos was the official leader of this operation. As a strategist, he had various buffs that could raise morale: a weaker but more AoE version of Dario''s skill.


    "Guess I''ll have to download a few more books," Sakar murmured.


    "Don''t worry. I have plenty of food. I can also have some more delivered." Bet ''reassured'' them.


    "This would be so much easier if they hadn''t settled in the city. What about my n to bait them with food?" Fairy Lynn asked.


    "They don''t care about it enough for it to work. We''d have to anger them, outrun them and possibly make them remain in D-23 with food. But, it''s impossible to do it safely with more than one creature at once." Davos sighed.


    "So, leader, do we just keep going like that? What about Climbing? We can''t remain here forever." She asked once more.


    "Alright, my mana is full." Dario interrupted them. Break time was over.


    They soon found a sloth and began fighting it at full power. Davos was using his tactics to boost the allies while brandishing his gpole like a hammer.


    Bet kept circling the creature while jumping everywhere. He used his magic to create bonfires, to douse the creature in drinkable water, to create rock tforms hindering it. It was a whole bag of annoying tricks.


    Sakar sometimes would blink (teleport) in and out while kicking the creature. At other times he would help allies slightly. But all this time, he kept his book in hand. To be fair, they had practiced this routine way too many times.


    Fairy was using her wind magic to buff everyone''s speed. She would also send deadly currents right at the creature''s nose. While it was immune to the damage, it did amplify how much of its own disgusting smell the sloth perceived.


    Right before the soul attack came, Dario would mightily roar and make sure they were all fine. It took a while, but they finally managed to tire the creature outpletely.


    The A-Rank transport team soon arrived with their vehicle. They loaded the sloth onto the flying ship and went away to drop it in the nearby D-23. The site had been cleared and quarantined, so it would be hard to ess.


    The defenses set-up all around would be sufficient to buy time. Naturally, they would have to deal with this ticking bomb soon. But, until they found a method to make the sloths sleep longer, this was pretty much the best they could do. After all, these monsters were seemingly invincible.


    In the meantime, Dario was regenerating his mana. He couldn''t help but think about the uing operation to rescue Josh from the grasp of Gene Corp. Since he couldn''t participate, he could only pray that everything would work out and believe in his guild¡­


    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª


    [A/N] Alright, it''s official. This will be a regr thing from now on. (To thank the awesome people supporting the novel)


    -[PRIV] Type in chapterments: "!DuckLegionRequest" to enter the contest. Winners can request stuff in the novel: Cameo/Event/Whatever (Most likely something minor but could be an important character too.) (Every other day there will be someone chosen)


    -[ALL] Raffle-on-discord, same reward. (React-to-giveaway-on-discord-CA-channel)


    -[GOLDEN TICKET] Request for top 3 at the end of the month.


    -[GIFT] Magic castle=Gives promotion=Guarenteed request. Don''t do it! I''d-rather-you-guys-use your-coins-to-read-more-of-the-story. Just-leaving-this-here-in-case-a-rich-ancestor-swings-by-so-they-know-to-message-me-for-a-request. This-Is-One-Word-LOL-I-was-about-to-reach-1-more-coin-in-cost-for-the-chapter-can''t-have-that-xD


    Creator''s Thought


    This was clearly a disaster brewing. They were bringing the sloths straight back to D-23?! What if someone just blew it up again? It would make one wanted by the Alliance. There was now some proof that this could start a migration of deadly creatures. Who knew how far they would go if incensed again? People just held that much trust in the Alliance.

 Chapter 187: Crazy Battle Planning!

    <h4>Chapter 187: Crazy Battle nning!</h4>


    In the center of the room, a 3D hologram showed Metropolis-H in all its splendor.? Around it sat the elites of Draconic: teams 1, 2, and 7. They were all solemnly staring at a man wearing a cheap suit in the middle.


    "Alright, everyone! Because of the sloth problem, we will be moving the rescue ahead of schedule. The MTA shows signs of wanting to send us all to Metropolis-D, and we obviously need to save Josh before that happens." Tallis exined.


    "How are we proceeding? I''m ready to go! Let''s hurry this up!" Kasha could be seen rocking back and forth on her chair. Some gave a knowing smile.


    There were two moods in the room. Some members were extremely rxed: This included team 7, Ronan, Liam, and Lucas. The others were worried. This made for a very peculiar atmosphere.


    Some could be seen ying games casually or even surfing the Net while others treated this as a life and death situation.


    "Our target is the ''Forty Millenniums of Carnival'' and is located on the periphery of the Grand Regional Academies. It''s a costume shop with Gene Corp soldiers crawling inside in broad daylight." Tallis zoomed in on the map.


    "What if we disguise ourselves in order to get in? I want to be a werefox. Like in that video from that Stranded-Earthling guy, I''ll go Ring-ding-ding-" Lucas happily rambled.


    "Enough! Can you stop joking for a damn second! Lives are at stake here!" Damien the Juggernaut interrupted abruptly, annoyed.


    "Sadly, low-key infiltration is impossible. Their security is uncrackable except with help from someone on the inside. Their soldiers are very loyal to the cause and tend to explode when mental magic is used on them." Tallis denied Lucas''s suggestion.


    "How do we make our way in then?"


    "Regretfully, we''ll have to destroy the front door directly. It''s about a meter of thick metal. It won''t be easy. This¡ª"


    "Hahaha, violence! The solution to everything in life! I''ll melt whatever steel beams block our ways!" Sereneughed enthusiastically as the air next to her heated up.


    "Everything?! Violence isn''t good for raising dragons! It requires gentle care and ¡ª" KAAR''TE was ignored. Honestly, he would have probably married his dragons already if he didn''t consider himself their father.


    "We get it! Shut the hell up!" Friendly Terry gestured Tallis to continue.


    "As I was saying, as soon as we force our way inside, we''ll have to be quick. The MTA and the local guilds will definitely be called as a backup. I''m confident in your strength, but it would be a problem even for us." Tallis exined.


    "We gotta be quick? I''ll do it! I''ll be the one running!" Usain Dash volunteered instantly with the excitement of an addict seeing its guilty pleasure.


    "Good. Anyway, our intrusion will activate their defense mechanisms. We will probably need to ovee many energy walls. For this¡ª"


    "You can count on me. I''ll sacrifice myself even if I am normally a pacifist!" ''Peaceful'' Joe sighed, with the allies showing cautious expressions. Chances were they''d have to be careful not to get hit by the shockwaves of his steel beam.


    "Then there will be countless Gene Corp members that will swarm us and¡ª" Tallis raised the next issue.


    "Enemies? I got it! I''ll remain true to my name. I''ll shoot them all in the ass!" AIYA giggled, a few others turning white, remembering his prowess. Well, the issue was more where he always aimed.


    "Then, we''ll need someone to dy the troops outside."


    "This is a job for my mighty babies, for they are the very best that. We will conquer the skies themselves and show them how amazing we are for ¡ª" KAAR''TE eximed in bragging mode.


    "I''ll stick with him. I''ll be able to heal his dragons, and I''m sure Josh is going to be fine either way. I got a message from him back before the D-23 battle. He seemed to want to bet on if he''d be fine. Hell no!" Ronan chimed in.


    "It would be best if the confusion increased. I want a team to start a fire all over the city. It doesn''t matter where. Just make it extremely obvious but try to limit the actual damage. I want there to be smoke, I want screams, I want collective panic!"


    "Guess this is a job for Team 2. It''s a shame since I would have preferred fighting on the front line. Still, every role is vital." Liam sighed with his head held high.


    "Talk about you! I''m plenty satisfied just chilling here, you know. I really don''t need the danger." Lucaszily added.


    "As for the rest. Emsee, you''re stronger in static warfare, so you''ll join Ronan and KAAR''TE. Minor, your barrier-making skills are extremely mobile, so you''re with the attacking team. Damien, you''ll be the very first one in front as we breach theplex. Finally, Kasha¡ª"


    "I''m personally rescuing Josh myself. I''ll kick the first one that tries to stop me in the balls so hard that it will shatter all nine generations of their descendants!"


    "Sure, no problem!" Tallis could only nod as he gulped audibly. He wasn''t stupid enough to try and stand in her way.


    With that, everyone''s role was determined. How great of amotion would they soon cause at Metropolis-H? It would be unbelievable. But why were some not taking this seriously? Lucas was probably the worst offender as he would chuckle watching videos on his UW.


    *Giggle*


    "What are you watching? It looks cool." Came a casual voice behind Lucas''s back.


    "Oh, this? It''s pretty damn cool! It''s a streamer that faceps arrogant low-level Climbers in small viges that think they are hot shit. It''s hrious. You should give it a try, Josh." Lucas replied before freezing.


    He was so used to multitasking that he had instinctively replied at first. But then it hit him. He slowly raised his eyes as he could see the other shellshocked draconic members. They all seemed like they had seen a ghost.


    As he slowly turned, he found Josh just standing there as if his presence was not a big deal. He was wearing his usual grey suit, didn''t seem injured in the least. Somehow, he even seemed even better than before. How?!


    "Josh!" Green energy shot out from a chair, heavily colliding with him before toppling him over.


    Josh couldn''t help but be taken aback as Kasha straddled his body, burying her face in his chest while softly bawling. "You''re fine. You''re fine."


    Her usual brash and strong personality was nowhere to be seen. Hadn''t Dario told her that this was all part of the n?! Had she not believed it? This didn''t matter right now.


    He slowly wrapped his arms around her back awkwardly, trying to reassure her. "Everything is going to be fine. I''m not so easy to kill, after all. Did you forget that I''m Josh Fucking Malum?!"


    That''s when she slowly raised her head, a smile amidst the tears. "I thought I had lost you too. I thought I had killed someone else. I''m sorry, I should have been able to protect you, I¡ª"


    "Shhhh, it''s fine." He softly murmured while the hug kept going.


    Everyone slowly left the room, leaving them alone. Their expressions were a mix ofplete shock that he was back and sympathy toward Kasha. That''s when it hit Josh. What did he really know about her?


    Were they guildmates? Were they friends? He had his past to deal with, but so did she. He understood that this was an old wound that had gued her heart. He had unknowingly reopened it. It had never been his intention at all.


    How should he approach the topic? His specialty leaned more toward breaking people''s spirits. How was he supposed to¡ªactually, it seems it wouldn''t be necessary.


    The woman in his arm had fallen asleep. It seemed that seeing him alive had gotten rid of all the tension she had carried. Her beautiful face looked peaceful as she showed a slight smile while pressed against his body.


    Without moving an inch, he reached for his UW and entered the guild chat.


    - Josh MF Malum: Hey guys. What did I miss while I was away training?


    - Just Damien: How?! How TF?! Seriously?! What do you mean training?! You were kidnapped!


    - Lucas the Lancer: HAHAHA Thank you, Josh! Many owe me credits now! ????


    - Liam the Ultimate Samurai: Wee back. You missed the sloths rampaging and invading part of Metropolis-D, but the situation is somehow under control.


    - Lily of the Frontline: Are you guys just going to gloss over this?! How did you escape?!


    - Friendly Terry: What if they brainwashed Josh and sent him back?!


    - Josh MF Malum: ... You know I am still here, right?


    - Emsee Hammer: Wee back from Team 7!! Oh yeah, Very Happy Farms was attacked, and we mobilized to take care of it.


    - Usain Dash: Well, if we aren''t running to Metropolis-H, I''ll train instead. Later all, d to see you are alive, Josh.


    - Serene Brings the Heat: So much for our grand n. Still, what happened to Gene Corp?


    - Josh Malum: Stuff happened, and I had to leave quickly. Their leaders are dead, and lots of their soldiers are neutralized.


    - All: "?!?"


    - All: "F!!"


    - All: WTF!


    - Lily of the Frontline: That''s Gene Corp! X_X?!


    - Lucas the Lancer: In the future, whenever someone pisses us off, let''s just let them kidnap Josh and wait for the good news.


    - The Analyst: Since you came back, I take it it''s been a sess?


    - Josh MF Malum: Of course,^_^V! Now, what was it that you guys said about sloths and Metropolis-D?


    Very soon, they shared everything they knew about the topic. As for sharing the tale of how his kidnapping had ended, he could do thatter.


    He had Lucas bring him some pillows and a nket as he gently ced Kasha down. Alright, it was time to take care of the Sloth problem.


    He couldn''t help but grin. This would actually give him negotiating power to take possession of D-23 truly. How was life going so well?!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    I almost felt bad for Gene Corp. There would at least have been some honor in getting beaten by Draconic. I alone causing so much damage was probably humiliating enough to make their ghosts dissipate in shame. Things really would have been easier had I just sat tight and patiently waited. My actions would soon cause...

 Chapter 188: Hey there, Im Josh

    <h4>Chapter 188: Hey there, I''m Josh</h4>


    Josh could be seen scouring the suburbs as he searched for transport. "Not that one. Not that one either!" In the sea of orange cabs, he finally found a single yellow one.


    "Taxi!" Josh yelled, with Armin making the car hover next to him.


    "Hey, Josh! It''s been a while. About 20 days or so? Where are we going?"


    "Metropolis-D. Follow the sloths." The cab smoothly flew away at great speed. "It must be fate that you are avable just as Ie back!" Josh joked.


    "Not really. It turns out that having a yellow taxi when orange is the norm does lower the number of customers drastically. I''m pretty much free all the time now. But, it also makes people curious, and they don''t treat me as if I were air anymore." Armin seemed happy.


    Josh could only give an awkward smile. Armin truly was an interesting man.


    ****


    Soon enough, a bright yellow taxi showed up right next to the newly restricted area. Instantly, they were swarmed by tens of flying cars equipped with heavy armament (many sma cannons).


    "This area is off-limit! Identify yourself or turn back now!" A voice bellowed at them.


    "Buy us some time, Armin. I''ll call my friend." Josh requested the fearless taxi driver while he messaged Dario.


    "Hello there, nice day for a drive, isn''t it? I''m Armin, the taxi driver, and Ie in peace. How are you all?"


    "Leave, now. This is not a ce for a clown like you." The voice sounded harsh.


    "Where are your manners? I introduced myself. Shouldn''t it be your turn now? Plus, we have a valid reason to be here."


    "If you do notply, we will be forced to employ force. This means we will kill you. Do you understand now, you idiot?" His tone sounded so patronizing.


    Armin gave a slight smile before seemingly whispering to his taxi: "Let''s give them a small EMP shockwave, shall we. Ah, but leave their emergencynding system intact along with the rude guy''smunications."


    Josh could only widen his eyes in expectation. That''s when a pulse began radiating from their vehicle outward. Every hostile car plummeted to the ground instantly.


    "What the fuck is happening?!" The rude guy had forgotten to mute himself.


    A few secondster. All of them were stranded on the ground, unmoving. The pilots were exiting their vehicles urgently. Were they perhaps expecting a round of deadly fire?


    Nope, Armin simply smiled and said in a very innocent and joyful voice: "Hello there, nice day for a drive, isn''t it? I''m Armin, the taxi driver, and Ie in peace. How are you all?"


    For a few seconds, there was no answer. The rude man was probably questioning life. Since when had taxis be that dangerous?! It was akin to an adult fighting with a toddler and losing. Was there anything more embarrassing than that?!


    "I-I''m the supervisor in charge of defending this ce. I don''t know who you are, but¡ª"


    "Are you deaf? He''s Armin, the taxi driver." Josh yfully chimed in.


    "There is no way a taxi driver can do that! IMPOSSIBLE! I don''t know what your agenda is, but this ce is under the direct jurisdiction of Sir Markus and has the protection of Rankers!" He screamed back.


    "Oh? What a coincidence. I do happen to know Markus and a few Rankers." Josh added.


    "Nice try, but you aren''t fooling anyone. No one worthy enough to enter this ce would show up in a lowly taxi. You may think yourselves clever, but it''s already toote. They are already here." He bragged.


    As if on cue, six true flying war vessels appeared, targeting them. Armin mumbled: "I''m afraid the trick we used before won''t work on these guys. The best we can do is maybe take out their shields."


    "What are you going to do now? HAHAHA! You guys are fucked!" The rude guy began cackling like a madman.


    "Hello, this is officer Johnson. Sir, we will safely escort you to your destination. Please follow us!"


    That is when theughter on the ground stopped. Even at this distance, they could somehow distinguish how livid the man was. They could see his thoughts on his expressive face. The ''idiotic clowns'' were now being escorted?! Did the man really know Markus?! Perhaps he was the idiot and the clown. He had truly fucked up.


    Their taxi followed them, soonnding right in the city. It was weird how this ce had turned into a ghost district. How crazy it must have been for the residents to be deprived of their homes like that. At least, they could still hope to get them back.


    As they disembarked, there were plenty of MTA soldiers sending curious gazes their way. Of course, they tried to hide it but with little sess. But who could me them? They had suddenly received the order to escort two VIPs out of the blue.


    It became even stranger when they saw the two bigshots. One was a taxi driver, while the other looked young and way too casual. "Sir, follow me. I''ll guide you to them!"


    "How long will you remain here, Josh? Want me to wait for you?" Armind asked.


    "I''m not sure. Hopefully, it won''t take too long." Josh shrugged before continuing his journey.


    Eventually, they reached the Rankers. They were currently impressively fighting a sloth. Josh would have just attacked the creature and run away, but they were truly ying with it. They wanted nothing more than to exhaust it.


    "Afterward, it will sleep like a baby, and we''ll ship it to D-23." The man by his sidemented.


    Their team was focused on mobility and support. He couldn''t help butpare himself to them. How would he fare against some of the strongest rankers there were?


    - Some easygoing foodie acting as a jack of all trades. He looked so unpredictable with tons of weird abilities. A surprise attack would probably work best.


    - A stern-looking man with the ability to teleport. Perhaps it would be possible to prepare a trap ahead of time and bait him to blink straight in it?


    - A beautiful woman with a wind ability. Avoiding the wind des would be extremely troublesome already, but catching up to her would be even more so. The best would be to fight her in a cramped space with lots of covers.


    - An handsome man was leading them, shouting orders. This guy was probably the weakest of the lot but the deadliest on arge-scale battlefield. He seemed to have a defensive style that would make him hard to assassinate.


    - Dario roaring from time to time. Josh knew he couldn''t defeat him. The difference in their abilities and basic specs were just too high. Plus, the man had a sharp fighting instinct.


    He happily watched theirbat unfold. He even enthusiastically pped once they were done. CLAP CLAP! "Good job, you all!"


    "Hello! Are you a new friend joining our expedition? I''m Bet. Do you want some meat?" The bubbly foodie weed him happily. This offer instantly made his stomach rumble in anticipation.


    "Shut up. There is no way he''s here to eat." The stern man scoffed over his book.


    "Speak for yourself! I''ll eat!" Josh happily joined the foodie in eating.


    "Hey, I''m Davos. Who are you, and what brings you here?" The leader addressed him respectfully, disregarding how pig-like Josh looked as he stuffed his face.


    "Oh, I''m Josh. I came here to take care of the Sloth problem. Also, I only have a few days to spare. Afterward, I''ll have to resume Climbing, so let''s make this fast." Josh calmly uttered.


    When the others heard him, they couldn''t believe their ears. Was he serious?! They had been here for weeks already!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    I never understood the discrimination against taxis. Sure, the flying cars had an autopilot and were extremelyfortable, but still. Wouldn''t it be a pain to find parking? Also, Armin was definitely not a normal taxi driver. I would often joke that Armin was a hidden Boss character...until I stopped joking.

 Chapter 189: Finish Quickly? What A Joke!

    <h4>Chapter 189: Finish Quickly? What A Joke!</h4>


    When the others heard Josh, they couldn''t believe their ears. Was he serious?! They had been here for weeks already! How did he expect this problem to be solved in a matter of days?! Was he crazy?!


    "HAHA. What a fool!" The wind-magedy giggled.


    "Impossible. You should leave right now if your resolve is that weak." The man that was reading scoffed.


    "Brother, you''re kidding, right? I''m afraid you''ll have to be more patient. Ah, but don''t worry, for we have plenty of food." Betforted him in his own way.


    "Food won''t raise my lifespan, will it?" Josh shook his head.


    "Wait, you''re a Fallen?! Ah, it''s understandable that you are pressed for time then." She gave an understanding sigh.


    "That sucks, brother. Still, why would The MTA send a Fallen here?! Did they suddenly lose their brains?! They should have known better than to waste your time. I''ll give them an earful in your stead. You can be sure of it!" Bet said.


    "No need, I came here of my own volition," Josh admitted, puzzling the others.


    "How do you want to proceed?" Dario asked him calmly, knowing that he wasn''t the kind to waste his time.


    Instantly the man on the side with the gpole perked up. He seemed to have realized a crucial detail. Dario was trusting this neer and even willing to listen to him?! One had to know that Dario was as proud as a dragon, and very few could get his approval.


    "I want to try something. I''ll face a sloth alone. Stay outside the yawn area and rescue me if anything goes wrong. I don''t want any buff at all for the first test." Josh exined.


    "No problem." Dario nodded in understanding.


    At that moment, the others became curious about Josh. Who the hell was he?! He either had balls or was aplete idiot. They couldn''t wait to see him at work.


    As soon as Dario''s mana was full, Josh went in. He heavily kicked a nearby sloth while shouting: "Wake up,zy ass! You''re gonna bete for school!"


    The creature waved its paw in the air as if asking for five more minutes of rest. Josh could definitely rte to that, but now wasn''t the time to be soft-hearted. He kept bashing the monster until it finally rose up, trying to sh him in anger.


    Josh easily kept his distance from the creature, baiting it to walk toward him. Seeing its prey be as agile s a rabbit, the monster finally yawned.


    Josh had been ready for this moment. Before, he had barely been able to resist that ability. However, that was when he couldn''t use mana. He focused the purple energy inside him and made it course through his entire body.


    This new skill was called Mana Maniption in his status screen. Somehow it seemed to be a passive skill that kept track of his progress simrly to weapon mastery.


    He had done a bit of testing inside the Gene Corp''s base. His mana could be used to enhance his attacks or increase his resistance. In this case, he focused on making his will unbreakable.


    The dreaded attack came as it generated a wave of slothfulness. Josh felt it echo deep inside his being, but it didn''t affect him one bit. The sloth''s ability was akin to heavy rain, while his mana and will were an imprable raincoat.


    Josh kept circling the sloth happily as exmations of shocks came in the back.


    "What?! How is hepletely fine?!" The surprise was so big that Bet even dropped his skewer.


    "I stand corrected. It''s not his resolve that''scking. It''s my foresight!" For one of the first times in thest days, Sakar put his book down.


    "No kidding! Oh crap, I even called him a fool!" Fairy felt disappointed in herself.


    "Dario, why do I feel like you expected such a result?" Davos asked, his eyes remaining glued on Josh.


    "There are some people in this world that shouldn''t be judged withmon sense. I gave up reading his limits long ago." Dario shrugged.


    This single sentence echoed in their heads and made them look at one another in disbelief. Dario was a genius that seemed to defy the order of the world. For someone like him to hold another in such high regard... How overpowered was this guy?!


    "I wonder how many sloths he could take on at the same time with buffs? If we all support him, it could enhance our speed a few times over." Sakarmented.


    "It still won''t be enough. Remember that he''s a Fallen. He said something about his lifespan running out." The woman denied instantly.


    "Oh god, don''t tell me?!" Bet seemed to notice Josh''s intent.


    He was currently in the process of waking another sloth. They thought what they had seen before was shocking and impressive, but it was only the beginning. He didn''t stop at one. Every other second he would rush at a sloth and wake it up.


    Before long, about 20 sloths were surrounding him. The gallery could only stare in fright and pure terror, their entire bodies shaking. All of the creatures were about to yawn!


    Then it came. All the attacks somehow merged into one impossibly strong wave of doom. They were farther away, and yet they all felt it. What was even the point of living anymore? They would rather sleep forever.


    They fell, their faces colliding with the cement. It was sofortable! They could eternally remain there. There was even the soft luby of the sloths along with the rxing glimmer of the shy businesses'' signs.


    "GAOOO!" Dario''s roar brought them out of their trance.


    They slowly got back up on their feet but almost fell once more from shock. The neer was still standing. He was running around while yfully taunting the sloths. He was even heading toward more of the creatures!


    "Alright, you guys. Find every single sleeping sloth in the area. We''ll do one big pull and be done with it." Josh calmly addressed them.


    He had said he wanted to fix the problem quickly. Wasn''t this too fast?! Wasn''t this akin to artificially provoking a beast tide?! What would happen if he lost control of it?!


    "Alright, get to work, people. We''ve been here long enough." Dario supported the n as he left to scout.


    "Make sure to remain far away from him and the sloths. I don''t need to remind you that you''ll die otherwise, right?" Davos sighed before leaving too.


    "Mad, this is mad. They''re all mad. No, the entire world is going crazy!" Bet kept mumbling, but he also left to scout another direction with a new meat skewer in hand.


    "This may be crazy, but so what? The sooner weplete this task, the sooner I can get back to reading. I wonder if this guy has an autobiography? I''d read that¡­." Sakar teleported away.


    "Guess I can''t lose to them. Still, why haven''t I ever heard of that guy? I''m sure he''s not a Ranker. How fascinating! The sooner we finish this, the sooner I''ll be able to ask!" Fairy left skipping, full of curiosity.


    Meanwhile, Josh was having a st. If he wanted to use mana more actively, it would drain his reserves quickly, but this was different. It was a passive! In fact, this exploit was not actually that hard. It was just a matter of figuring out the trick to counter the yawn.


    Creator''s Thought


    As they say, work smart instead of hard. Well, to be honest, the way I did things was considered reckless. It could have been dangerous if a sloth was to suddenly reveal a new ability. That''s why I made sure not to show any killing intent in case they had a dormant sacrificial ability.

 Chapter 190: Who Is He?!

    <h4>Chapter 190: Who Is He?!</h4>


    Meanwhile, Josh was having a st.? Actively using mana would have drained his reserves quickly, but this was different. It was a passive! In fact, this exploit was not actually that hard. It was just a matter of figuring out the trick to counter the yawn.


    The sloth''s attack was a mental one. The best method to resist it was to have a strong will and picture a reason to live. It was that simple! Well, in theory. In practice, such a thing was rtively hard to aplish.


    Most people would die in their first sloth encounter without the support of magical abilities. Once they became reliant on skills, it became harder for them to realize the core issue. They would naively keep stacking defensive skills, but there was a limit to that.


    It just so happened that he had avoided this initial trap because he was ssless. Even if he wanted to cheat and use resistance skills, he simply hadn''t been able to! His new mana mastery was just the edge he had been missing to be immune to their attacks.


    He kept running around the creatures. For the first time in their lives, the poor sloths were showing confusion, self-doubt, and despair, along with the anger from being woken up. How was their yawn not working?!


    In fact, not only was it not working, but the more they saw theirpanions yawn and the more tired they felt. Sometimes one would just plop down on the ground and give uppletely, but then the annoying bipedal creature would wake it up!


    They wanted nothing more than to rip him apart, but it was impossible. They were used to other creatures being faster than them but never immune to their hunting ability!


    The human was saying something, but they couldn''t understand what it was at all. Still, they were smart enough to realize that he was trying tomunicate with them. At this point, they just wanted the torture to end.


    How could they be left alone?! They just needed a sign! Over time, a few smart sloths began to understand the pattern governing the human''s actions:


    - Whenever they tried mauling him, they would get attacked.


    - Whenever they tried running away, he would harass them.


    - Whenever they tried yawning, he would lightly p them (as hard as he could).


    - As long as they followed obediently, he didn''t bother them too much. They were even allowed to close their eyes for a few seconds as long as they remained near him.


    This was a moment of trial for the poor creatures. They had to keep moving at a pace that could only be callednguid but remained challenging to them. Still, they were slowly adapting, very very slowly.


    As for the party members, they felt that the scene was surreal. One man, followed by countless sloths, was calmly and happily guiding them as if a shepherd. Josh had even given a few sloths names as he kept bullshitting.


    - Slothy 1


    - Sothy 2


    - Slug


    - DMV


    - Java


    - Your crush''s reply.


    (Comment on chapter for custom name: today)


    "The train will soon leave the station! Keep your hands inside, no violence allowed, make sure to remain close and no yawning as it distracts the other passengers!" Josh loudly called out.


    This was madness! The humans felt both ted and depressed. They had painstakingly evacuated sloth after sloth all this time, only for a man toe and singlehandedly solve the problem. How useless had they been?!


    "I think we have all the sloths with us! Thank you for using the official STD service! Slothtrosity Train for D-23! Let us all depart!" Everyone in the area heard Josh''s shout.


    The wind Fairy choked hearing this. What the fuck was he saying now?! What kind of powerful hero acted like this?! "He''s mad!" She murmured.


    "For sure, but he''s my role model from now on. Can you see that he''s still eating even now?! He passed near me a few times to request food too." Be shared.


    "How is that impressive? Isn''t it more amazing how he''s managed to make all these creatures obediently and quietly follow him? He could bring them to a library, and it would be fine!" Sakar eximed.


    "Nono, just think about it. He passed next to me with a sloth army in tow and not a single time did any attack me or yawn. He had calcted the perfect timing so their yawns would be on cooldown. Can you believe it?!" Bet said in awe.


    "Wow. Okay, that is impressive!" Sakar admitted.


    "Dario, seriously. Who is he?! I swear I''ll keep the information secret. I swear on my name and Immortal itself! I''ll even sign a magical contract!" Davos begged.


    "Same here! I need to know! I''ll keep it a secret. I swear on Devouring Panda!"


    "Don''t keep me out of this. I''ll swear too! I swear on Ouroboros!"


    "I swear it on Eclipse!"


    Before long, they had all voluntarily signed a magical contract with an NDA use. As Rankers, they didn''t care about such an expense. They wanted answers!


    "Even then, it''s not my ce to tell. I can only ask in your stead." Darioughingly replied as he sent Josh a message on his UW. He could see him in the distancezily replying as he kept leading the sloths away.


    BEEP! As Dario checked the reply, they awaited with eyes even shinier than high beam headlights ( the iing traffic kind). They were so impatient!


    He slowly showed them the screen of his UW one by one. Every single one of them having a simr reaction. This, in turn, made the expectations of the others increase exponentially, yet they all were surprised:


    "Oh my god!" Fairy cried out.


    "This is crazy!" Bet shouted.


    "Is that really true?!" Sakar asked shocked.


    "Even I am questioning life right now?!" Davos admitted.


    - Josh MF Malum: They are asking who I am? Josh Malum, ssless from Dimensional Legion. Tell them they can have a 5% discount for the Climber school we are opening since they''ve been helpful.


    "Dario, tell me. What is your rtion to Dimensional Legion?!" Davos asked, holding his breath.


    "We are allies, that''s it. I don''t really know more than you." Dario shrugged, not making a big deal out of it.


    They all nodded as they looked at him with sparkling eyes, breathing roughly in excitement. They felt so jealous! Draconic was bound to soar. But then, they all seemed toe to the same conclusion.


    "This means that Very Happy Farms is real?!" Davos couldn''t help butment. He vividly remembered how Draconic had run to save them. Now it made sense!


    "After this, I''m bing a farmer. I''m sure they won''t mind if I multitask and read a bit, right?." Sakar said.


    "You can do that! I''ll beg Josh instead directly! I know how to look very pitiful!" The woman dered.


    "HAHA! Fools! I''ve already managed to establish a connection with the super expert! He ate my food. How amazing is that!" Betughed out loud.? This certainly sounded stupid. Yet, the others all seemed regretful to have left their snacks behind.


    Dario couldn''t help but chuckle internally. How would they react if they were to learn that this guild was only established on a whim? How would they react if they understood that he wasn''t just a member of Dimensional Legion but its leader?


    How would they react if they learned that Dario had offered an alliance to Josh while he was alone and low-level? Would they be shocked or just regret not having his foresight?


    To be honest, he himself was surprised. He had only followed his instinct. Well, the fact that a low-level resisted his intimidation better than Rankers had been telling.


    Even now, they were discussing the legendary Dimensional Legion. They were specting about how many members it had, their power, their wealth, and even why they were that low-key.


    So far, the consensus seemed to be that Dimensional Legion was probably a hidden guild that wasn''t local to Metropolis-C. They were perhaps slowly getting a footing in all Metropolises simultaneously.


    They had probably only revealed a fraction of their power because of their alliance with Draconic. If Josh was an emissary for his faction and a Fallen, it would make sense that he wouldn''t appear that often in public.


    Which one of the four seen at the farm was he? Perhaps the other three had left the area already?


    As Dario listened to their guesses, he felt a bit weird. He obviously knew this wasn''t true, but he still found himself finding the all-powerful hidden guild theory believable. It wouldn''t surprise him if Josh were to announce he had conquered the world at some point inadvertently.


    That''s when they realized that he was long gone, along with the army of sloths. They hurried after him, innumerable questions swirling in their heads. Honestly, Dario wasn''t an exception either.


    For instance, what was that about a Climber school?!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    I felt like starting a Climber school was a good way to increase mywork without dealing with closed-minded individuals. People would being to me instead of me to them. Plus, I''d be able to make some Credits while literally brainwashing them. Win-win (Both win for me). The 5% discount was total bullshit too, just a bait to see their reaction: apparently, very favorable.

 Chapter 191: Sloth Train + Annoying Reporters!

    <h4>Chapter 191: Sloth Train + Annoying Reporters!</h4>


    A legion of sloths could be seen trailing behind a single man. The monsters that were considered an unstoppable cmity were behaving.


    Tons of serious MTA soldiers guarded the perimeter. They were extremely diligent, for they knew the catastrophe that the sloths could cause. But when they saw Josh, they lost allposure.


    "Holy fuck. Please tell me I''m dreaming."


    "What do you mean? Is there something behind¡­.what the hell?!"


    "Quick! Sound the rm and¡ª"


    "No, look! This guy is the VIP that entered a few hours ago!"


    "What are we supposed to be doing?!"


    But that''s when the man in front waved at them. He had a calm smile and showed no sign of being in any danger at all. "Sup, guys. Which way is D-23 again? Just point toward it."


    Most were too shellshocked to answer. One guy finally raised his arms, shakily pointing. Josh mouthed a silent "thank you" before progressing once more. Their shock only increased when he began shouting nonsense at his followers.


    "Follow the leader! Follow the leader! One small step for man and a huge leap by slothtrosities'' standards! Remember, there will be plenty of rest once we reach our destination!"


    This didn''t make any sense! Common sense said he should have been dead long ago. They wondered why no sloth was ever using its special attack. But the mystery was soon cracked open. One sloth began yawning.


    The ability brought all of them to their knees. They felt like it was over. They would die and sleep till the end of time, and so would the entire Metropolis. Nothing would change their¡ª"Holy crap! Did that guy just bitchp a sloth?!" The shock was enough to wake them up.


    Josh even looked satisfied after doing so. "I already said to stop with the yawning! Keep walking, no bullshit!" He sounded like he was reprimanding a little kid. To which the creature only grumbled, dispirited.


    The vast majority of the soldiers began following from extremely far apart. What about their work? What was the point in guarding an area void of enemies?! They were either shaking in excitement or shaking in worry.


    Such a huge movement was quickly noticed by the citizens and travelers. One had to remember that flying cars were usually circting. From the air, this looked like a giant herd of buffaloes moving about.


    That day would be a memorable one. The amount of cars malfunctioning would hit an all-time high. Each came with an AI driver that most used. It was possible to update these, and the MTA had even pushed for a fix against the sloths. The cars would automatically avoid these monsters.


    One such example was a young man called Erwin that was flying over to Metropolis-D at that very moment. He had spent lots of time researching biology from humans to the most exotic animals.


    He couldn''t help but be excited about these otherworldly sloths. Thus, one could picture his marvel when he discerned the moving sloth pack out of the corner of his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to thank his luck.


    He couldn''t believe his eyes.? What kind of genius had already managed to tame this alien species?! The man had to know so much about them! He could hear his heart thump so damn fast! He would have to get down and talk with this guy no matter what!


    But that''s when it happened. His dashboard suddenly showed red warning signs. BEEP! But with every new sloth detected by the AI, it became worse!


    <Danger detected! This area is now considered potentially dangerous.>


    <Danger detected. This area is now considered war-zone danger level.>


    <Danger detected. This area is now considered a 100% deadly zone.>


    <Activating life preservation measures.>


    <Calcting: all power sent to back thrusters.>


    "Abort! Abort!"


    <Request Denied!>


    "Fuck!"


    Then with unbelievable power, the flying car automatically left at a maximum speed far away from the Metropolis and the sloth army. The sloths that were behaving had sent every car flying anywhere near the Metropolis on an automatic evacuation.


    "Noooo!" Erwin shouted. He wanted nothing more than to get close to the sloths. Why had he installed that damn update?!


    Many more drivers were now losing their hair over the same issue. Hundreds of flying cars could be seen leaving the city at full speed in the opposite direction to the sloth pack. No amount of screaming in protest stopped these vehicles.


    The developers for the car AI had never considered a situation where so many sloths would move together. Every single sloth was considered an impossibly strong menace. Now, with all of thembined¡­


    Josh naturally noticed the wave of cars. "Talk about people over-exaggerating" he couldn''t help but scoff. Then again, they weren''t exactly wrong.


    He had been looking at his UW, exchanging information with Dario as he walked. He had all the time in the world with how slow these creatures were.


    These sloths turned out to be a big problem for technology.? Their yawn ability could affect machines somehow.


    Every robot tested against them had ended up losing power after a single yawn. It seemed like their power was way more magical than anyone could have expected. Theories proposed that one required the mana stat to resist that skill.


    As for heavier armament, it was rtively easy to wake them up with bombs but harder to actually hurt them. One guy had calcted that they could blow up the entire Metropolises B-C-D region, and the creatures would still survive.


    Anyway, Josh was being noticed right now. There had been the cars'' exodus. There was a huge pack of monsters and the soldiers following. He could even see a special flying vessel equipped with cameras and a red-colored spot-light flying over them.


    <Huge D-News> Their sign read. He usually wouldn''t have minded, but why the heck were they incensing his sloths by shining light on them?!


    The poor creatures were already struggling to keep up. He only had negative punishment and the fact that they were confused to drag them with him. Now, there was this blinding light shing straight into their eyes, annoying them.


    "If they think I''ll take this lying down they are wrong!"


    Josh slowly approached a sloth. This specific one looked the most incensed and was probably one of the smartest of the lot. Josh pointed at the offenders while yawning himself.


    Either the sloth understood the meaning, or Josh''s yawn was just contagious, but it used its ability. The creature was expecting a p, but he just patted it on the back happily. At that very moment, the creature realized that there was a time and ce to yawn.


    Meanwhile, the flying car was crashing. The passengers, a man and a woman,? barely activated their emergency parachutes in time as they evacuated. They were angrily screeching s they fell in slow motion.


    Josh quickly connected to their news streaming channel. It was pay to watch, but as a Climber, he could afford this easily. They were still recording as they threw insults toward both him and the sloths.


    The chat was definitely very active:


    - LittleMeekFlower: OMFG! Did he really just fucking order a sloth to take them down?! This dude is a motherfucking legend! I wanna have his fucking babies.


    - WastingTime: That wasn''t meek at all -_-. Anyway, It''s understandable. He''s dealing with killing machines and these guys just shine beams right at them. How stupid are they?!


    - JustHereForDrama: Can you believe all the insults that these two hosts are throwing toward that guy?! I really hope for them he doesn''t hear it. Then again¡­.


    - SlothsAreCute: Seriously, how the F is he perfectly fine?! Did you see him stand right next to that yawning sloth?! He didn''t even wince! How?! Who is he?!


    <ThatGuyWithTheSloths has donated 1000 credits! "You guys should really stop cursing¡­or else¡­.">


    - CaptainObvious: Oh no! Look at the stream. The guy at the front seems to be fiddling with his UW, doesn''t he?! Then look at thetest donation message! Could it be a coincidence?!


    That''s when the male host took notice of the message. "That Guy With Sloths, you''re not funny! I''ll swear if I want to. This guy crashed our car and almost killed us! That asshole is the lowest of low-lives! He doesn''t even deserve to live on this. He should just die and¡ª"


    The rant was way longer, but at that point, most stopped listening. There was something else happening.


    <ThatGuyWithTheSloths has donated 1000 credits! "Whatever, catch! ;)">


    Theizens watching the show couldn''t help but be pleasantly horrified. On the screen, they saw the man at the front stop as he headed toward a confused sloth. Before, it would have tried mauling him, but not anymore.? Josh pointed toward the flying screaming humans.


    The sloth opened its mouth, ready to yawn, but Josh shook his head before gesturing something that the watchers instantly understood.


    - CaptainObvious: Oh god! He said catch! OMFG!


    - CuteGiant: I''m watching with one eye closed!


    - HighJeff: I''m recording this!


    Then, he could be seen lifting a sloth into the air before throwing it toward the journalists. The creature flew into the air, its maw showing extremely pointy teeth and its deadly-looking ws extending to grab them.


    "Noooo! I''m too beautiful to die!" Despaired the female host.


    "I wanna go back home to Candice! Go away, foul beast!" The man screamed in fright.


    Luckily the creature missed them entirely before plummeting back to the ground. BAM! It made a small crater in the ground beforezily getting up as if nothing had happened.


    The ce became deathly quiet. All cars were gone, the people in the distance were bbergasted, and the journalists didn''t dare talk shit anymore. All the shit hade out of their rear end at this point.


    - WallWhiteWithMySe: This sloth guy is badass. These reporters shat themselves! He doesn''t care if you are pretty. That guy''s wife is not called Candice either, lol. They screwed up big time! XD


    On the ground, Josh was satisfied. Plus, he had received a piece of very great news. That is when appeared at the horizon a fleet of cars...


    Creator''s Thought


    There will always be smart people making bad decisions and dumb people making dumb decisions. The developers for the cars really couldn''t have nned for me to do this. As for the reporters? These were entitled idiots and I was totally ready to kill them if they kept pissing me off.

 Chapter 192: Sloth Train + Messages!

    <h4>Chapter 192: Sloth Train + Messages!</h4>


    On the ground, Josh was satisfied. Plus, he had received a piece of very great news. That is when appeared at the horizon a fleet of cars. The sloths began opening their mouths, but Josh gently pped them.


    Then, packages started dropping from the sky. Only a few, but it would be sufficient for now. On each, there was the icon of a panda avidly devouring bamboo. He opened it, taking out the food inside.


    There were many big pieces of meat. The smell alone was incredible. It made one''s mouth waver as if was perfectly seasoned and juicy. Josh began taking some bites while throwing some to the sloths.


    This tactic was as old as humanity itself: the carrot and the stick. Hell, it worked even on other humans!? His ps acted as the negative punishment along with keeping them awake. The positive reinforcement was some delicious food.


    The people watching couldn''t help but be jealous. These sloths were eating better than they were! Luckily, any soul was far enough not to smell it. Still, just the Devouring Panda''s reputation was enough to let them picture how tasty it was.


    Bet had graciously offered these as soon as Josh had asked him for help. He had refused any payment too. The man seemed intent on pleasing Josh at all cost. Plus, this probably wasn''t hard for him to organize anyway.


    Josh wasn''t sure if Bet was banking on his individual potential, on Dimensional Legion, or if he was just happy to turn the sloths into foodies. There was mad advertising potential there: "Devouring Panda: Even the D-23 slothtrosities can''t resist it!"


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle, thinking of all the possibilities that were opening to him. Right now, he had a deal with Markus for thisnd. Still, that wasn''t enough. This only served to give him legitimacy.


    He also needed actual power to be able to hold and control it. These sloths just might be the answer he had been looking for! Before, he had nned to slowly increase his power before making any big wave.


    But, what if he had an army of sloths that somewhat obeyed hismand? He just needed to be the only one known to be able to handle them. The sess of this would depend on how many could aplish a simr feat.


    He was convinced that there were others out there. The priority was to find about them before anyone else. As long as he made it seem like only he could save people from the sloths, he''d have lots of freedom. The MTAs would have to hold him in high regard.


    He only fed the creatures a bit. He wanted to motivate them, not to have them feel bloated and sleepy. He continued leading, handing them small snacks at regr intervals. The more it went, the easier it became.


    Honestly, this whole process was something straightforward. Why hadn''t people tried taming the sloths? He messaged Dario about it, and the answer only added to the confusion. They had tried many times!


    Josh felt like the crux of the matter was probably the fact that he was able to go near the sloths without relying on any visible ability. To them, he was aplete enigma. With his ability to sense killing intent, they couldn''t sneak-attack him either.


    When the others had tried, the creatures probably realized that the humans were vulnerable as soon as their defensive abilities ran out. There wasn''t the same sense of wonder and respect gained from strength.


    In any case, he was having a st. Meanwhile, the whole region was going crazy. There had been lots of people worried about the sloth situation. This sudden development was shocking for sure. Josh randomly checked forums with people reacting to it.


    - RainbowPepper: This is a miracle! We are so lucky that someone has finally stepped up to save us!


    - zedGoldfish: Who the heck is he?! There isn''t any guild emblem on his clothes.


    - BigCityGuy: You guys are making such a fuss about it! Back in Metropolis-A, we would have taken care of the problem the same day it appeared. You people are a joke, lol


    - ISmellBullshit: BigCityGuy please read my name aloud. BTW He''s the weak guy that was the first to clear the instance. Honestly, is it possible that he has a sloth rted ss? He seems to be immune to them for some reason!


    - Badadada: Wow. This is both impressive and insane. Did you guys see the video where he almost killed two reporters?


    - GGScrub: That''s fake news! He missed on purpose!


    There were so many exchanges simr to that one. Josh could only chuckle to himself. What would be their reaction if he shared information about meeting two gods? Would they go insane or go insane?


    Meanwhile: BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! There were so many of the people that he knew from Draconic that were messaging him along with a few others.


    - Gorgeous Kasha: Hey, you totally left me to sleep alone on the floor! How dare you treat an amazing delicate beauty like that!


    - Josh MF Malum: What do you mean?! I left you premium pillows and a nket!


    - Gorgeous Kasha: Anyway, I''ll still hold you ountable for disappearing for that long. I''ll be expecting you to show me some sloths doing cool tricks as an apology!


    ...She waspletely unfazed by the whole deadly creatures part and was thinking about having fun. Actually, that did sound like fun. Perhaps he could teach them how to do some synchronized dancing?


    - Dale the Phoenix: Sup! I recently finished some training in the Tower. Want to spar and help me gauge my progress? Also, if you have any more of these Devouring Panda lunch-boxes, bring one!


    ...Dale was aiming for the sloth treats. What kind of n was this?! Still, Josh was getting curious. He didn''t expect him to ask to fight so fast. What kind of training had he even done?


    - Emsee Hammer: Damn, that''s some fantastic Sloth train you got there! By the way, I have your money from selling the Hellish armor pieces. It''s a mix of Credits and favors. I took the second one too since it can be resold if you really want the Credits.


    That was pretty neat. This woulde in handy in building basic infrastructures in D-23. Josh was nning to make himself a living space there. But, he would have to make sure it was bunker grade in case anyone decided to bomb it again.


    - Liam the Ultimate Samurai: Hey, I saw you with the sloths. Is there any possibility for me to train with one of these? I kept asking the MTA, but they didn''t want me anywhere near.


    ¡­..Liam saw this sloth disaster as an opportunity for training. Did he even realize how crazy a demand that was?! Josh would have done the same. He quickly texted him to get his ass over when he was ready.


    - Frank the Undercover Idol Fan: Hey! I got some news. You asked me to get you phenomenal candidates. I found one that seems like a total trainwreck at first nce, but I think he''s a hidden gem.


    Oh? That seemed pretty neat. Josh would probably need many v¡ª recruits for his new projects. That came just in time. Ah, then again, Frank had probably messaged him after seeing that he was back.


    - Climbers'' World Official: We''ve been trying to reach you concerning your VR capsule''s extended warranty.


    Josh would never fall for such an obvious scam!


    - Climbers'' World Official: Actually, it seems you haven''t received your VR capsule at all! Please reply to schedule a meeting with one of our experts. Have a nice day.


    ...Apparently, it was legit. Wow, talk about a fail! To be fair he had been missing for over two weeks. He had probably missed their initial message.


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. He was taking care of the sloth problem while organizing his messages. This in turn only fueled the people''s craze. How was he so casual about all this?!


    He repeated the same walking, texting, feeding sloths, and pping a few whenever they tried yawning out of line. Eventually, they did reach D-23 to the amazement of all.


    The people in charge of the defense perimeter couldn''t help but rub their eyes once they saw him appear. They had seen the news already, but it was different from being there. They shook as the sloths walked mere meters away from them.


    Josh finally addressed the sloths: "Wee back home!"


    Now, what should he do first? He probably had to handle the sloth aftermath first. There would be so many things left to do afterward. He also had to keep Climbing, he couldn''t wait to test his newfound power!


    Still, one thing at a time...


    Creator''s Thought


    Life kept going even when I was gone. People had received their VR capsule, the farm had been attacked, Dale had been training, Kasha had been worrying, Emsee had sold my stuff, the sloths had rampaged...the list went on. A human is insignificantpared to the world. Still, that wouldn''t stop me from taking control of my own destiny (or try at least).

 Chapter 193: D-23 Meeting!

    <h4>Chapter 193: D-23 Meeting!</h4>


    In a peaceful forest, a man could be seen ying with his UW. At first nce, no one would have guessed that this quiet scene was happening in D-23. No one sane would have ever approached it!


    "Hey Markus, how is it going?" Josh joyfully began the conversation.


    "..."


    "Are you there?"


    "I''m just speechless. We''ve been trying to deal with the sloth problem for so long, then you juste and take care of it. For starters, weren''t you kidnapped by Gene Corp? What the heck happened?!" Markus was bewildered.


    "You know, the usual. I was just there to train myself, no biggie. I simply killed my way out. To be honest, the hardest was finding their armory to get my items back." Josh sighed.


    He had been lucky to find himself two minions to help with that: Jack the healer and that other guy. He had considered leaving them behind, but he had felt their deep desire to redeem themselves. Plus, he had been the one pulling strings so he couldn''t really me them.


    They had barely had enough time to get his items back that they had to evacuate, pushed back by the countless mutating monsters. Still, what mattered was that he had survived while bing stronger.


    "¡­."


    "Anyway, I want to address the issue of ownership of D-23. Care to announce to the world that this ce belongs to me?" Josh casually dropped a bomb.


    "We both know it won''t be that easy. The Metropolises have vested interest in it, especially since mobilizing the ck Legion. It was a question of security then, but now they expect to get something out of it." Markus reminded.


    "Sounds about right. Get me a meeting with whoever is in charge then."


    "Are you sure? I''m certain that they''ll try to force you to resell yournd deed to them. Metropolis-C will see danger at having a civilian in charge of it while Metropolis E will disagree for the sake of it." Markus sighed.


    "Oh? What about you?" Josh inquired.


    "I''m fine with it as long as you follow our agreement."


    "Sounds good. Let''s get the ball rolling. I just have to ''intimidate,'' I mean impress two leaders. How hard could it be? Let''s make the meeting spot be at D-23 then." Josh could hear Markus sighing before hanging up.


    Now, he had a few things to prepare. He looked around while assessing his options. Most of the sloths were either sleeping already or about to. He chuckled to himself as he decided on a n.


    The first step was to get a table going. The trees in that area were extremely sturdy, but they couldn''t resist sloth ws. He directed one of these creatures to help him in exchange for some appetizing meat.


    Then, he soon directed the sloths to take various sleeping positions before getting to cleaning. A few minutester, he couldn''t help but feel proud of his work. Thest step was to get some tea: the best beverage for negotiations. For that, he asked Bet once more.


    Josh knew that the various leaders would be way stronger than him, raw stats-wise. They also had political power, and chances were they would try and pull their weight around him, except Markus, of course.


    But, he was ready...


    ****


    Outside D-23, there were many civilians, soldiers, and news reporters that couldn''t remain still. The military around the area, along with Josh''s earlier sloth throwing, convinced them to keep their distances at least.


    Eventually, a jovial man carrying Devouring Panda bags made his way to the defense perimeter before being stopped.


    "Halt! This area is restricted!" A guard shouted.


    "Look me up. I''m Bet, a Ranker from devouring Panda. The man inside asked me personally to deliver food. Can you guys afford to have the sloths rampaging? How many here would die?" He argued.


    The guards looked at each other uncertain before finally stepping out of the way. They wouldn''t risk it, plus the man was renowned for being a kind-hearted foodie. It made sense that he would help in such a situation.


    Many of the spectators couldn''t help but feel jealous. They, too, wanted to be granted ess. Many were envious of someone able to use a Ranker as a delivery boy. The journalists were expectantly waiting for Bet toe out to interrogate him.


    ****


    Josh was lost in his thoughts when Bet finally arrived. "What the Hell is this?!" Thetter cried out.


    "It''s for a meeting. Do you mean the table or the chair?" Josh asked, puzzled.


    Bet couldn''t believe his eyes. The scene in front of him looked both marvelous and nightmarish. This was the ultimate test of courage and the craziest thing he''d ever seen!


    Josh had carved a nk out of a nearby tree and had set it up directly on a sloth''s back! The so-called chairs were not any better! Josh had ced sloths in a circle and cleaned them for people to sit on!


    Now he was happily taking a floral tablecloth from the bags along with colorful nkets and covering the sloths. He then gently grabbed the tea set before cing it on the table. At first nce, it looked quite charming¡­until one remembered the deadly beasts!!!


    "There we go. Try one and tell me if it''sfortable enough." Josh smiled radiantly.


    Try one?! Bet could vividly remember the many times he had fought the sloths. He knew how crazy strong, and violent they could be! They''d randomly yawn and eat a human in a heartbeat! Somehow, Josh''s gentle smile just made it worse.


    This simple act of sitting was terrifying him.? He took a few seconds to decide. Finally, he concluded that Josh was probably scarier than the creatures. As his butt made contact with the ''seat,'' he had to agree that it was veryfortable, fluffy¡­and scary!


    Bet poured himself a cup. The bright smell of the Huang Shan Green tea was already calming his nerves. The first sip brought order to his world: he enjoyed the clean grassy and vegetal taste, along with the lightly sweet and fruity aftertaste.


    It reminded him of his first life and death battle. His mentor had wisely told him that it was normal to be scared but that a man''s worth was how he dealt with that fear. In Devouring Panda, most pictured the state of plenitude one felt after eating/drinking to regain their calm.


    The two men drank in silence, enjoying this moment. Josh had no damn clue what kind of tea he was consuming or how to describe it, but he loved it nheless. He was patiently awaiting his guests to show up.


    ****


    When the ship of Michael the Lightbringer pulled near D-23, many cameras were instantly pointed his way. The hatch door opened as a golden star appeared in the sky before diving with incredible momentum. ZZZZZZ!!


    A man of lightning soon revealed himself to them. His entire body was crackling, and he looked akin to an elemental war god. He was perhaps the showiest of all the Metropolis leaders, but he was deserving of the admiration.


    "Lightbringer! Lightbringer!" Cheers of adoration resounded. This man was an idol for many and an ideal partner in the heart of others.


    His golden hair, along with his golden eyes, gave him an otherworldly appearance. That,bined with the magical energy that he loved to let course along his entire body, made him the most splendid and ever so handsome being.


    "I''m just passing by to resolve the sloth problem for you guys." He said in a deep voice as he waved and entered D-23.


    Cries of adoration were heard, along with a few logical ones pointing out that the problem was already resolved. Still, no one was about to criticize him directly. After all, he was leading a Metropolis and had probably ess to more information than them.


    He slowly walked powerfully. He couldn''t help but scoff at how misleading the other leaders had been about the sloth problem. Markus and Allistair were way too cautious! Had he known a single man could solve it, he would have done it himself ages ago.


    He soon reached a small clearing. There was a very ugly table in the middle and some rocks strewn all around as chairs. How distasteful! What caught his attention were the sloths lying around the meeting spot in arge circle. He''d have to be careful about them.


    He then turned to observe the two men...


    Creator''s Thought


    Was I ready to hold that meeting? Yes. Could I have waited some more to have more insurance? Also yes. Still, sometimes it''s better to just go for it in life. Nothing is ever optimal for even the most genius of minds cannot fathom all the possibilities.

 Chapter 194: Foolish Man in D-23!

    <h4>Chapter 194: Foolish Man in D-23!</h4>


    He then observed the two men at the table. One was one of these easygoing foodies: he was strong but had his priorities wrong. The other looked even more ordinary. He was wearing an old gray suit that had only being clean going for it.


    What a joke! This was a climber''s world, and Michael was wearing his most resplendent armor in ordance. It was a rare C-Rank drop from the Duhan Boss on Floor 56, C-Rank! How long had people considered D-Rank the peak of gear?!


    He couldn''t help but look down on the man that was so out of touch with reality that he wore such a thing to an official meeting. The man also didn''t feel strong. Michael was great at evaluating others'' power, and all the man could rely on were the sloths.


    "Hello, there. I''m d that you found the ce easily. You can call me Josh." He introduced himself politely.


    "Michael the Lightbringer, leader of Metropolis-E and one of the original Rankers. Josh, is it? Whatever happens in this meeting, be careful not to anger anyone and treasure the chance you have. I have to say. It''s pretty impressive how well you handled a few sloths." He replied.


    There was the long title to impress. Then there was the warning. Finally, he belittled his achievement by using ''few sloths''. Josh couldn''t help but wonder what gave the man such arrogance. He was now rxedly sitting on a sloth (covered) legs wide opened.


    "As expected of the Lightbringer! I was nervous just sitting here! Ah, I''m Bet. Would you like to have some tea?" The foodie introduced himself, praising the man with an ever-so-subtle hint of ridicule in his voice.


    The Lightbringer was pleased. At least one of the two already realized how amazing he was. He stared at this Josh fe, wondering if he''d understand the hint and copy the tea pourer''s attitude. Sadly he seemed lost in thoughts. How shameful!


    Oh well, he would treat this as entertainment. This man would absolutely falter once the other two leaders were here. Thus the three of them waited in silence, with the ''servant'' taking out cookies. It was peaceful, too peaceful.


    ****


    Outside D-23, two more vessels could be seen flying over. The leaders of Metropolis C and D were there too now! They had evene in their official ships! They both didn''t waste time and rushed inside without bothering to make any show.


    This time the spections had turned into full-blown news articles. The reporters began digging for every information they could find. Josh started reading in real-time on his UW, and it was all bullshit!


    -


    <SCOOP: Leaders'' meeting! What will result of it?!>


    (Josh''s involvement waspletely disregarded in that article.)


    -


    <The man at the center of the storm! Who is the D-23 legend?!>


    (It was calling him weak and iming he probably had a specialized taming ss.)


    -


    <Man of many sloths: also the hero of the D-23 war?! Exaggerations?>


    (This one t out suggested the source was straight-up lying when talking about his aplishments versus Gene Corp.)


    -


    <Individual initiative or collective ning to fruition? Interrogating S-Rank guilds!>


    (There was no way for a single man to aplish so much. No one knew about such a n, so the reporter concluded it was a secret operation. -_-")


    -


    <Interview with a professional gourmet: Sloths and food, what changed this time around?>


    (This one had a super long exnation about how important having the right food to bait them was. There was even a long analysis of the spices. That was a master of BS right there!)


    -


    Sometimes Josh wondered if the only way to seed in that job was to have half a brain. There were a few articles closer to the truth, but all were disregarded as exaggerated works. How sad for them to be the only ones seeing in a blind world.


    Then he finally saw two of his guests appearing together in the forest. Markus looked as usual: a mixture of easygoing and serious. His muscr build, bald head, and nice green eyes gave him the look of an uncle.


    Meanwhile, the man apanying him was tall, had ck hair, an eagle gaze, ck armor, and a carefully trimmed beard. He could be seen staring at Josh as if trying to understand what gave him the courage to summon them.


    "Wee to you both. I''m Josh." He gestured them to take a seat warmly.


    Markus did so without an afterthought, a wry smile adorning his face. Others would have felt the pressure, but not this young man! He was even sipping on tea and munching on cookies rxedly.


    As for Allistair, his gaze hardened as he looked at the seats. He had realized their true nature. This made him see the young man in a different light. He wasn''t as naive as he looked for sure. Still, he sat nheless. He was confident in his strength.


    "Thank you for gathering here today. I''ll go straight to the point. I want ownership of D-23." Josh lightly dered.


    "Pfffft¡ª!" Markus spat his tea. He hadn''t expected him to be that blunt!


    "HAHAHAHA! Crazy! This kid is crazy! Isn''t that rich, you guys?!" Michael erupted inughter. It seemed like the kid was more delusional than he thought.


    "Why should we even entertain such an idea. After all, the control of this ce of the result of the efforts of the ck Legion." Allistair calmly stated.


    "Hey, you''re not seriously humoring him! C''mon, you can''t argue with naive fools, Allistair!" Michael chimed in.


    "Are you referring to the ck Legion that I saved from annihtion? The same ones that you guys sent to battle with faulty technology? As for defending D-23, I was under the impression that there was a necessity to stop Gene Corp either way." Josh remarked.


    "There is no proof for such a thing. There is also a report that Gene Corp has kidnapped you. The chances are that you are now working for them. I''m ready to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you will have to be taken into custody for confirmation." Allistair announced.


    "Allistair, I strongly disagree with this course of action." Markus opposed.


    "Of course you would. You already sold him the deed for thend, didn''t you? Do not underestimate my sources." Allistair replied.


    "You did what?! Are you crazy, Markus?!? Also, what is that about Gene Corp?!" Michael eximed in shock.


    "Point is, there is no reason we can trust you and no reason to agree to your silly demand either. Tonight you will be sitting in a cell until we can be sure you do not represent a risk." Allistair''s tone was stern. He wouldn''t take no for an answer.


    "HAHAHAHAHA! I heard that you were a half-decent protector for Metropolis-C. I now realize this was all propaganda. Pirates, terrorists, biochemicals spreading, a failure to deal with Gene Corp and now this." Josh chuckled.


    "WOW. This kid is crazy. He doesn''t even realize the situation he''s in. Let''s just kill him." Michaelughed as he activated his lighting ability. Instantly his entire body became encapsted by violent lightning.


    "What are you doing?!" "Stop!" Markus and Bet eximed at once. But, it was already toote, for he had woken up his seat.


    Before he had even realized what was going on, a paw pped his way. He barely managed to react and he dashed a distance away. But, one of his arms was missing and he bled all over. "What the fuck?!"


    That''s when the sloth yawned. Everyone in the area fell except Josh and Allistair. But there was a clear difference between them. Thetter was shaking and had summoned all of his equipment to absorb the blow.


    Meanwhile, the defenseless Josh was rxedly moving toward the proud Lightbringer before stomping on his face. He lied powerlessly, bleeding and trying to regain his bearings.


    "You''re right. This ''kid'' doesn''t seem to realize the situation he''s in. Killing you would be quicker, right? Why bother and listen to your drivel?" Josh taunted him in a voice as calm as still water.


    "If you kill him, you will be doomed. This little stunt won''t change anything, even if you have Markus on your side. You will be in our custody by the end of the day." Allistair serenely remarked.


    "Oh? That sounds fun. Should we y a little game? I will send the sloths to all the Tower esses. Don''t worry. I''ll make sure the world knows it was your idea." Josh winked at Allistair.


    "This is only a bluff. Let him go before I get angry. While I personally dislike the man, he remains the leader of Metropolis-E. I strongly suggest you surrender if you know what is good for you." Allistair tried to intimidate him.


    "Haha, nice try. I''m not worried about death!" The Lightbringer under Josh''s foot sneered heroically.


    "Oh, I see. It won''t be as fun for my allies to tarnish the reputation of a dead man, but it''s fine. You can be sure Micheal Lightbringer will be remembered as the greatest viin for plotting against humanity. It''s a shame. I told them to wait since I wanted to cooperate instead." Josh sighed.


    Josh could see his face change as Michael pictured this happening. This would have beenpletely ineffective for most, but such a useless thing as fame mattered for him: "Allies? Cooperate?"


    "You probably haven''t heard of my allies. Dimensional Legion isn''t that well known." Josh sighed as he summoned his bloody outfit. While it looked very different than the four ''known D.L. members'' that had appeared, it looked absolutely stunning and frightening.


    It was at that exact moment that Michael stopped being an enemy. This cosmetic outfit was enough to convince him that Josh truly belonged to Dimensional Legion.


    They had established a dpidated farm, and people fought to ve in it! They clearly were able to ruin his reputation if they put their minds to it! On one side was glory, and on the other was damnation. The choice wasn''t hard!


    But Allistair wasn''t an idiot either. He quickly decided to act...


    Creator''s Thought


    Who was the fool in this situation? Was it a reporter that was talking crap but getting a paycheck out of it? Was it the bystander that was acting as a delivery man? Was it one of the leaders? Perhaps I was the fool for needlessly angering Allistair. Sometimes it''s a matter of perspective.

 Chapter 195: D-23 Conclusion!

    <h4>Chapter 195: D-23 Conclusion!</h4>


    But Allistair wasn''t an idiot either. He felt the tide changing, and by now, the yawn had stopped having any effect on him. He dashed at an incredible speed toward Josh. As long as he took him hostage, he would be powerless no matter who or what his allies were.


    Josh wanted to flee, but he couldn''t. He summoned his rat and threw him at the enemy. Allistair could be heard scoffing as he cleaved at it with a two-handed halberd, sending it flying away.


    That is when a stringent and loud sound was heard. BEEEEEPPPPP!!!! It instantly woke up all the sloths in the surroundings. But, that only served to harden Allistair''s resolve. By the time they yawned, it would be toote.


    "Wait, Allistair!" Markus cried out.


    "Wait a second!" Michael was unsteadily getting up.


    But both were toote. Allistair was now right in front of Josh. He shed with all his power. He would kill his target and only bring back the brain with him to salvage information. It would soon be over.


    CLANG!


    They all watched in shock as the youngster managed to block the head-on blow! How?! Then they noticed the cloak. It had to be it! But even that wouldn''t do much. Allistair quickly attacked once more. Such an overpowered defensive ability would have a long cooldown for sure!


    But, the sloths were about to yawn and would do so before his attack couldnd. But Allistair was as confident as ever. In his head, he was convinced that victory would be his. The kid thought he had won thanks to the sloths'' soul attack, but he was wrong. He smiled to himself and prepared to use his trump card.


    He focused on the timing and¡ª then it hit him! Suddenly, he was in a sea of blood. No, the whole world was blood! Killing! ughter! Carnage! Massacre! A ydate on a war-torn battlefield would have been more rxing!


    What was that?! He felt confused. He felt lost. What was happening?! No, he knew this. He had felt this before. This was killing intent! Pure killing intent, in quantity and purity he had never witnessed before! But it was fine, now that he knew what it was he could¡ª


    ????????????????!


    ????????????????!


    ????????????????!


    ????????????????!


    ????????????????!


    ????????????????!


    ????????????????!


    Josh hurriedly stopped the dissonant and jarring music before the sloths turned crazy. With the noise gone, they happily ate the snacks he gave them before returning to their slumber.? He looked at the people in aa, feeling a bit lost. He hadn''t expected such a great effect!


    He quickly brought a pair of handcuffs out: this was a souvenir from his time at Gene Corp.? He only had one pair, but he felt like Markus, Bet, and Michael were trustworthy enough. Thetter would help him just for his own benefit, but the oue was what mattered.


    He promptly undressed Allistair before chucking him toward the sloth. Now the creature had a nice body pillow! Josh was truly a great guy. He gave them food, brought them back home when they were lost, and now this!


    Then, he rummaged through the others'' possessions until he found some healing pills. He fed the others with them until they came back to their senses.


    "Josh, you''re alright! How?!" Markus eximed.


    "This gotta be the most peculiar delivery job ever! Now I''m hungry!" Betmented.


    "You, are you really from Dimensional Legion?" Michael asked suspiciously. He had healed his arm with some medicine too.


    "Please, do you know a lot of level 18 able to beat that guy?" Josh pointed to Allistair. It''s when they noticed the man''s destitute state.


    "Oh my god! What happened to him?! Wait, you said level 18?!" Michael couldn''t believe his ears as he stared in disbelief.


    It didn''t make sense! How could a level 18 defeat a guy that was approaching level 60?!? Sure, there had been the sloths, but he had clearly managed to resist one hit and to stop him at the end with some skill.


    Michael could already picture the dazzling future he would have were he to figure out what made him so strong. Everyone would chant his name, and that asshole from Dominion would finally have to give him face!


    "Alright, how do we deal with this? Should I just kill him, or is there still an opportunity to negotiate? You know him best." Josh asked Markus inquisitively.


    "Negotiation should still be possible. Alright, I''ll wake him up. Let me handle the talking this time." Markus offered as he moved toward the sloth.


    "Wait!" Josh suddenly interrupted him.


    Josh gestured to him that he needed a second. He then approached and began taking tons of pictures. "Oh yeah, this is going to be great! Now you can wake him up."


    "Wait! Let me take a few too! I''ll use this the next time Allistair reproaches me for being ''too shy''" Michael happily joined the party. Bet stayed far away, for he didn''t want any trouble.


    Markus soon woke the leader of Metropolis-C up, and he somehow managed to regain his countenance even in that situation. They soon began talking in private. Honestly, the man''s self-righteousness was quite pathetic, with Michael being better.


    "So, how does Dimensional Legion work exactly?! There is such a mystery surrounding it." The Lightbringer asked excitedly.


    "In summary: it''s a worldwide guild that recruits the people with the highest potential. Our standards are a bit different than most guilds, and we tend to be low-key."


    "Potential? What about me? Would I qualify?" Michael was akin to a young kid asking for a puppy, and he was so hopeful!


    "The current you? No way! Our members can solo clear Hellish, can clear a Floor in seconds, have met gods, have bullied the Tower Protocol itself, have entered other dimensions, and¡ª? it would be too long if I listed it all." Josh sighed.


    "Seriously?! This is crazy! Wait, you said current, right?! This means there is still hope for me!" He eximed in shock.


    What made things worse was that he was confident in his ability to detect lies. Either Josh was truthful, or he was the most convincing braggart of all time! Either way, he wanted to learn!


    That''s when the two leaders finally came nearby. Alistair wasn''t restrained anymore, but he also didn''t seem hostile. He uttered slowly grumbled: "You can have D-23 but on one condition."


    Oh well, look who had suddenly changed his mind! Objective aplished, now only remained everything else. What should he begin with?


    Creator''s Thought


    Negotiation 101 (CA style): 1. Assert dominance by proving your self-worth (T-pose, violence, etc.)2. Show that there is worth in coboration. 3. Use the power of friendship (gang-up on dissatisfied members)4. Use mystical backing to assert dominance once more. (One they know and respect like D.L. cause it''s totally real!) 5. Profit!

 Chapter 196: Floor 18 Hellish!

    <h4>Chapter 196: Floor 18 Hellish!</h4>


    In front of D-23, some more reporters could be seen still awaiting as they spewed bullshit to fill their programs. That''s when all of the parties involved in the meeting left, provoking a massive outburst of the crowd.


    "Oh my god! They''re out! What happened inside! Please tell us!"


    "Is the situation resolved for D-23?! Will there be another sloth wave? Are the citizens safe?"


    "What brought about this meeting? Also, why was it held here inside of at Arcad¡ªnever mind!"


    How annoying! The journalists were like sharks that had seen blood. Luckily, their party had a human sacrifice: "Michael Lightbringer, use sh!" He could blind everyone''s sight, making the perfect diversion!


    Josh flew away along with Markus and Bet while Micheal was left behind to answer the questions. He seemed to enjoy it as he appeared even prouder than a peacock. It was impressive how dashing he looked for a man that had had recently lost an arm.


    "You know, I thought you were going to die back then when Allistair charged at you. How did you even stop him?!" Markus asked in detective mode.


    "That? It was only a simple trick. I just emitted some killing intent his way. I guess the outfit and the little mana helped too. I would have been in trouble if that Allistair guy hadn''t been such a greenhouse flower." Josh exined.


    "Flower?! He''s the bane of local crime syndicates! He''s considered an indestructible killing machine! Are you implying that he''s inexperienced?! You''re kidding, right?!" Bet couldn''t help but stare in shock.


    "I guess he''s a pretty disappointing bane seeing what happened at Metropolis-C. Anyway, can you drop me at the Tower?" Josh shrugged.


    "Wow, you''re the only one that would ever see it that way. You mean the D Tower?" Markus asked as he took a drank out of his cool sk.


    "Alcohol?! Are you serious? ¡­.Can I have some?" Bet requested.


    "Yep, D Tower will do. I still have some stuff to do in the area. Also, what is that, whiskey? It does smell nice¡ª" Josh casuallymented.


    "Hell no! I goddamn remember thest time I offered you some. It''s bourbon¡­." Markus grumbled, keeping his drink close to his heart akin to a treasure. Eventually, he did relent and let him take a small sip.


    Josh felt the liquid roll down his tongue down to his gullet in satisfaction. He had always associated alcohol with friendships, perhaps because of how effective the marketing had been back on Earth.


    Still, how peaceful and rxing. Was it weird that he derived more pleasure from this single sip than from sessfully bing the true owner of D-23? Perhaps because there was no great n attached? It was a simple and very down-to-earth pleasure.


    "Smoky, malty, briny with notes of caramel. I like it." Bet praised. Knowing these words was one thing, but using them to describe a drink was something else.


    The rest of the ride was spent in a convivial atmosphere, with Markus soon dropping Josh off. As soon as he appeared in Metropolis-D, he was ambushed! There were tons of cameras ced in his face.


    "Can youment on the recent events?!"


    "Is it true that you tamed the sloths? If yes, how?!"


    "Are you Josh Malum the ssless struggling Fallen? If yes, when did you get a ss and how?!"


    "Do you have a significant other in your life?"


    Josh happily kept silent, walking all the way to the Tower amidst the many shouts. It looked exactly like the one in Metropolis-C: howforting! It was now time for Floor 18. He smiled and waved at the crowd:


    "You better get lots of food ready for me if you want answers." He winked at them as he disappeared.


    ****


    A familiar sight weed Josh. The entire Floor was still the same dull gray: both the ground and the sky. He couldn''t help but shout:


    "Honey, I''m home! Missed me? Show me that sweet Hellish difficulty!" To which the Tower Protocol answered adorably:


    [Mission: Destroy 30 Iron Golems!]


    "Yeah, it just feels like an eternity, doesn''t it? I left with 30 days left of lifespan, and now I''m left with a measly 12. How time flies, am I right?"


    The ce was as he had left it exactly, yet it felt different. It was probably his own outlook on things that had changed. Back then, his Climb had been brutally stopped right there. Now he was back!


    It hadn''t been that long, but so much had changed. There had been the troubles outside, but most importantly, he had gained mastery over mana. In the distance, he could see a golem that was hidden underneath a gray mound.


    He got his trusty morphing weapon out. It may not have been the strongest, but it had sentimental value by now. Well, that and it was a shitload of fun! What would it be today? How about this! Josh could be seen holding a metal saw as he rushed toward the enemy.


    <Sturdy Iron Golem Lv 18>


    Soon began a drumming session. It went ''BANG! BANG! BANG!'' every time the golem tried squashing Josh. Now would be the decisive moment. Josh swung the now purple glowing weapon and began sawing.


    It was working! Instead of working metal, he had the feeling to be cutting tough wood. It was harsh but doable, and that''s all he needed. Still, he could feel his mana getting spent in the process.


    Now was the time for the monster to begin dramatically screaming as it trashed around. But, since it was an animated lump of iron, it just did thetter. BANG! BANG! BANG!


    Josh''s main challenge was to keep avoiding, for one hit would spell his doom. First came off an arm, then the other, and finally the creature fell THUD! It was akin to ying reverse LEG?, and it was so fun.


    It even came with a reward: XP+25, meaning 40 of these would allow him to level up once more. What did his Status even look like now? He equipped the best gear he had Stat-Wise to test


    [Status!]


    Josh Malum


    Josh MF Malum Lv 18


    #STATS# (36)


    HP: 4400


    Mana: 3900


    Magic Ability: 270


    Strength: 530


    Agility: 510


    Defense: 32


    Magic Resist: 27


    #SKILLS# (36)


    -C Weapon Mastery


    -E Mana Maniption


    -E Great Gnoll Bloodline: Piercing Eyes


    -U (E) Gluttony Bloodline: Endless Stomach, Devouring


    His stats were definitely way higher than they had been. But, this barely meant anything in the grand scheme of things. No, he was mostly happy about the skills he had recently obtained.


    Mana Maniption was just awesome overall and allowed him to trounce the golems. Before, only the teeth of his rat had been able to nick it barely. This was a clear improvement.


    Then there was the Gnoll Piercing Eyes. While not any good offensively, it allowed him to see in the dark,? helped with intimidation, and t out looked awesome (+++).


    As for the devouring bloodline, it gave him survivability along with the hope of being able to evolve his gluttony bloodline. Who knew what new amazing abilities he could unlock next?


    Still, now that he had the Mana Maniption skill, he would probably need mana for the future. He was also getting addicted to the feeling of slicing through chunks of metal. Fuck it: He''d get mana!


    Josh resolutely invested 18 Stat Points into the Mana Stat. It brought it from 3900 to 5700. He felt as if he had just been shot with adrenaline, and he could feel the mana filling his entire body.


    He felt like a thirsty man in the desert that had tasted water for the first time. He felt like a deaf man that was hearing music for the first time. He felt like a virgin getting his very first blowjob. He also felt like killing some golems!


    Without further ado, he dashed toward the nearest mound. It revealed a big chunky boy that got sawed in many parts by a man that felt so good he was cackling nonstop. Sadly for the creatures, that was but the beginning.


    "How do you like that?! This is reverse IKE¡ª this is AEKI bitch! How does it feel to go back to being parts? You''re one sad furniture piece that will forever remain only tiny fragments on the ground!"


    "I will trample your lifeless body and¡ª actually can''t I pick this shit up? Real talk, I have a material bag. Holy shit, from now on, I''m a miner!"


    "Today''s forecast? Iron chunks falling all over the ce!"


    He happily ran aroundying waste to tons of monsters. He was akin to a kid in a self-serving bulk food shop but with small iron pieces instead.


    [Mission Completed! Part 2: Destroy the Iron Giant!]


    That is when the entire floor began to tremble, making the whole Floor rumble with it. That''s when an enormous head rose from the ground along with a humongous body. Soon, a 50 meters tall giant of metal revealed itself.


    <Elemental Soul Sturdy Iron Giant Lv 29??>


    It had a humanoid shape, but it looked as undefined as its smaller cousins. It was as if a very amateurish sculptor had taken this job...and delegated it to his three years old nephew. Josh couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Oh boy, here we go again. I didn''t expect to go mountain climbing so soon. This is gonna take a while."


    But that''s when the monster opened its giant gaping maw:


    "Souls¡­do¡­die¡­CRUSH!"


    No fucking way! It could talk! Who could have seen thating?! But, there was something way worse here!


    "Souls do die?! What kind of bullshit is this?!" Josh cried out, already getting his weapon ready in anger.


    There was no fucking way he''d let that slide! This was messing up with his childhood! It was time to get serious¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    There was only one Iron Giant in my heart and it wasn''t this one. Sometimes it really seemed like the Tower was using the memories of people from Earth for its creations (in a warped way). For example, Floor 1 featured a two-headed ''Cerberus'' but that should have been called an ''Orthrus''.

 Chapter 197: Many Spikes!

    <h4>Chapter 197: Many Spikes!</h4>


    In the gray world, a tiny man and a literal gigantic mountain of iron were facing each other. Such a Titan would have intimidated anyone, but not him. He was even taunting it recklessly.


    "Hey, big guy. For your sake, I hope that you can''t feel pain. As they say, the bigger they are and the more fun they are to dice apart! Or, the harder they fall, I guess, but whatever."


    "Die...CRUSH!" The monster bellowed in a cavernous voice.


    It was time for Josh''s signature move: the magical equipment changing! He promptly wore his spider set and dashed toward the enemy fearlessly: he was just missing a transformation scene.


    "CRUSH!" The creature shouted as it attacked.


    Just as the creature''s iron arm was about to p him away, Josh sprung in the air andnded on it. He then began running at full speed on its limb akin to a god of war. But that''s when he felt the monster''s gaze on him.


    He activated his Piercing Eyes and managed to notice the creature''s eyeballs that were, in fact, big clear expensive-looking sapphires. Still,pared to the monster''s body mass, they looked so minuscule! He could feel killing intent oozing out of them as the big guy locked onto him.


    Was this the monster''s weakness? He''d have to get up there somehow. But, following the stare, he felt a magical surge spread his way. That is when he sensed tremors as iron spikes began disorderly erupting toward him.


    The spikes would raise up and down on their path in a vast AoE wave. Each looked like a sharp huge metallic needle with thorns on the side, and he didn''t want to touch any of them! These would skewer him easily!


    But that''s when he noticed that in the chaos, there was order to be found. The needles followed a weird, peculiar rhythm with a tempo that seemed to be 3-2-4-2-6. It reminded him of an old MMORPG he used to y.


    He would have to get the timing perfectly right as he slipped into the safe zones amidst death. Somehow, this made his blood boil in excitement. He was ready to ovee this new challenge.


    "1¡­2¡­3¡­here goes nothing!"


    Josh confidently dashed forward. He would rely on his sense of danger to guide him, akin to an experienced captain navigating a storm. The killing intent in the attacks helped a ton with that.


    He felt alive. The thrillbined with the ample mana coursing through his body made it even better. He scaled the arm with the same zeal he had been climbing the Tower with.


    The creature grunted as it tried pping him. Oh gosh, right at the worst timing too! He was already busy dodging an iron spike wave, and he could see the undefined hand approach. Was this how a mosquito felt? He threw himself sideways as the creature''s p resounded SLAP!


    But now, he was falling. It was time for an old MVP: Vine ne! He used the vines to grab onto the arm and pulled himself back up. Sadly, all of the magical nts instantly perished right afterward. Their sacrifice would be remembered.


    He resumed running with the determination of a professional marathoner. How great would it have been if he could have ridden Nightmare here! Meanwhile, the creature was slowly dragging its gigantic limb back in the air.


    Soon woulde another round of pping. What if he did that? He made himself as small as possible and invoked Nightmare a distance away. The poor horse had only spawned that a gigantic palm wasnding on it. Talk about a great decoy!


    With a despairing neigh, Josh''s pet disappeared as soon as it had appeared. It had taken too much damage. But, it had survived, albeit barely. One had to remember that it had an ability that made it extremely resistant too.


    Josh was almost up to the creature''s shoulder. He only had one more attack to endure before he reached his destination. As he saw the giant prepare for its assault, he felt like trying something. This enemy could talk! What if it could show human-like reactions too?


    Josh summoned his rat before picking it up. "There we go, catch!" He threw it right in the titan''s face.


    That''s when the creature reacted on instinct and blocked it with its free arm. This bought Josh the time he needed to creep up to its eyes. He turned his weapon into a pickaxe, enhanced it with as much mana as he could, and plunged it deep into the eye sockets!


    The sapphires shattered into a thousand pieces as the creature bellowed in rage. It fell on its knees as it blindly swung its limbs all over before toppling over entirely. The colossal creature was down!


    "How does that feel! Hahaha!"


    Just as he was celebrating, something changed. The atmosphere of the entire realm became oppressive as the creature suddenly disappeared, merging into the ground. Its voice was heard once more.


    "All souls¡­die¡­.ANNIHILATE!"


    The Floor had been shaking when the monster had initially appeared, but now it was even worse! Just keeping his bnce was challenging. That is when he saw appear at the horizon what looked like a damn tsunami!


    Once more, it was an iron spike shockwave. But, these ones were so tall and big that they would have made Nightmare look like a very small poney at best. He had to somehow deal with this, but how?


    Josh would have loved to have the ability to fly right about now. The only good news was that his mana was now higher. He could afford to use his abilities longer than in the past. He steadied his heart for the fights toe.


    To escape these ones, he would have to jump extremely high, but how? He would need to use something to propel himself. That is when he got an idea. He resolutely activated his essory set. It was Big Chungus time!


    His body instantly inted like a balloon. The increased size would make it even harder to dodge, but he was now tall enough to reach the narrower top of the needles. His bigger hands would allow him to wrap his hands around it too.


    He then summoned Navi. It probably wouldn''t be able to do much, but it was better than nothing. "Survey the surroundings and tell me if there is any weak spot in the enemy''s attack. Also, do you have any information on this Boss?"


    <No information in the database, but this model willply with master''s order.>


    How great would it be if he could fly away on the fairy''s back? It could carry a watch, but a human was pushing it a bit. It would risk getting destroyed too. He wasn''t even sure if he''d be able to buy another one with Ouroboros having been robbed. Anyway, he had to focus.


    The first attack appeared, the frightening iron skewer going up and down. He equipped gauntlets, grabbed the side of the spike, and flung himself above the danger.


    As he reached the other side, his hands were bleeding, his gauntlet was falling to pieces, and he already had a new wave of attack to endure. At least, his hands were already getting healed by his Devouring passive. He then directed mana toward the item, the purple energy repairing it.


    This would be a long fight. He could only hope that his endurance wouldst him. He didn''t mind the pain at all. The problem was his energy and mana. With every subsequent wave, he felt like he was getting closer to death.


    This couldn''t keep going for long. He had to find a solution. Should he try and use his dimensional belt to escape? This was so very annoying. He had trashed the smaller golems, and he hadpleted the first part of this fight easily, but he now felt helpless.


    "Spikes, spikes, and more fucking spikes! Give me a break!" He grumbled.


    Logic said he should have left long ago, but he felt like he could resist one more wave safely every time he survived the previous one. He bled and wasted mana to no end. That is when he decided to try onest method that honestly probably wouldn''t work.


    He summoned his rat back and readied himself. Even he realized that this was madness. He nted his feet solidly on it thanks to the spider set and used it to surf above the AoE directly!


    "Holy shit! This was a bad idea! A fucking bad idea!"


    "Nononono, that was close! This one almost tore me a new ass!"


    "This is endless! Give me a break!"


    "Oh crap, gotta rotate, gotta rotate now!"


    "Please pray for this lost soul that is just trying to survive!"


    He was akin to a man riding a surfboard in a lightning storm deep at sea. ying in a literal giant meat grinder would have probably been safer than this. He missed the solid ground so much!


    The spikes would push both of them in all directions as they randomly came in and out. It was crazy and stupid, but he wouldn''t give up that soon! He was so focused that he almost panicked when he felt himself fall to his death.


    What was happening? But then he realized it was over. The spikes were gone. Oh god, this had been the worst! He plopped on the ground and remained there, unmoving with his eyes closed.


    [Mission Aplished. First clear! Please choose your reward!]


    "Give me a second. I''m dead, so fucking dead." Heined, out of breath andpletely dizzy.


    [Please select two: Iron Elemental Soul | True Iron Pickaxe | Iron Sacrificial Manual | Shattered Sapphire]


    Josh slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint in them. Selecting two rewards, was it? Also, what the heck were these options?! It was time to make a choice...


    Creator''s Thought


    Multipurpose rat sure was useful against the non-sentient bosses and skills. Well, such a thing wouldn''t have worked well for the higher Floors. The monsters were already starting to talk. It wouldn''t take long for more messed-up things to happen. Well, of course, it was worse for Hellish.

 Chapter 198: Why The Dumplings?!

    <h4>Chapter 198: Why The Dumplings?!</h4>


    [Please select two: Iron Elemental Soul | True Iron Pickaxe | Iron Sacrificial Manual | Shattered Sapphire]


    Honestly, the one that piqued his interest the most was the Iron Sacrificial Manual. It had to be about that astounding attack that the Boss kept using over and over. He could picture himself using the skill (whileughing, arms crossed) and sending countless fools to their death.


    Then again, would he even have the required mana to cast such a phenomenal ability? The skill could also be a watered-down version. For now, he''d go with what he felt he''d definitely be able to handle.


    "Let''s go with Iron Elemental Soul and True Iron Pickaxe!" Josh decisively picked.


    The pickaxe was easily recognizable, but one thing was peculiar: it was entirely made of metal, even the handle.


    <E+ True Iron Pickaxe>


    - Increases damage dealt against ores. Ineffective against anything else.


    Josh could only stare at the item description in disbelief. There was no way a tool that was so heavy couldn''t be used as a weapon. This thing was bound to shatter skulls as if fragile eggs.


    He then turned to the other item. It looked like a ball of iron, but this one was surprisingly light. He had the feeling that the interior of it was hollowed. He couldn''t help but chuckle, thinking that maybe, just maybe, there would be a surprise inside.


    <Iron Elemental Soul>


    - ?!? Dropped by the Iron Giant.


    Talk about a great description! Who cared about how to use it or its true nature anyway, right? That''s when he was brought back to reality by the sound of his stomach rumbling. Josh carried his new weapon over his shoulder like a Boss and teleported out.


    As he appeared at the Tower za, there were many journalists that had been expectantly awaiting his return. Some had given up but even more had joined the party. He calmly observed the situation.


    The scene sure looked peculiar. There were many reporters that could be seen waiting by the side with portable heaters and food. Meanwhile, there were some of their colleagues busy ridiculizing them.


    "I can''t believe how unprofessional those guys are. Do they think this is a barbecue or something?"


    "Tch, some people are really putting our job to shame. They are setting a bad image for all of us."


    "Talk about a waste of time! We are closer to the Tower than them. As soon as the target appears, we will be the first ones to ask¡ª oh my god, he''s here!"


    These prideful people rushed at him and showered him with a barrage of questions. Contrary to these impatient guys, others were diligently and patiently bringing food over. Some even went to the length of bringing tes along with clean and resplendent cutlery.


    They began shouting over the noisy empty-handed people that endlessly kept asking questions:


    "Sir, I''ve got pizza!"


    "Sir, I''ve got kebabs!"


    "Sir, I have a whole bag full D-Ranked magical food that will undoubtedly help you recuperate. You''ll feel so full of energy that you''d be able to instantly Climb again!" One triumphantly proimed.


    At that point, there were many reactions. The empty-handed ones were beginning to realize their mistake. Sure, no one had told them about it, but they should have guessed it. As for the better-prepared ones, they clearly hadn''t aimed high enough.


    They looked at the smug man with the D-Rank food. There was no way they couldpete with that. But that is when another voice was heard. It came from a youngster with a gentle look and oil on his hands and around his mouth.


    He seemed to unconsciously shoot the line he had probably been repeating in his head over and over. "Sir, here is a whole cart of dumplings with all kinds of vors and¡ª"


    That is when he realized that his whole sales pitch was nowhere nearparable to D-Rank food. He turned red from embarrassment as he nervously wriggled his fingers. He didn''t seem to know what to do with his hands either.


    But to the stupefaction of all, Josh just went: "Sold to the guy with the dumplings! As for all the others, please shut up, thank you!" They could only stare wide-eyed as they made conjectures. Perhaps they knew each other?


    But then they saw the lucky winner and he seemed even more confused than them. He had to snap out of it as Josh was already requesting a te of everything on the cart menu while drolling in expectation.


    "Hmm, Sir. Did you hear my offer about the D-Rank food?" The rich guy asked gently. The crowd felt that this would make sense, as no one sane would reject such a gift and pick a street vendor instead.


    "Heard you loud and clear, but please keep quiet. I''m trying to enjoy my meal over here." Josh didn''t care one bit about the weird looks the crowd was sending him.


    He beganpletely stuffing his face with delicious dumplings. Apparently, these ones were Mandu dumplings, and they came with all kinds of fillings. He now had a dilemma: which was better between chicken, beef, and pork? He loved them all!


    The youngster was ving away cooking. He was expertly manipting a frying pan and even sending the dumplings in the air to flip them. The guy definitely had a talent for cooking or, most probably, lots of practice.


    As he busied himself, he kept ncing at Josh, evidently wondering why he had chosen him over the others. In fact, everyone there desired to know it. Josh eventually stopped eating for a second.


    "Do you want to know why I picked you over the magical food guy?" He asked him.


    "Yes!" The young man replied instantly.


    "Do you really want to know?" Josh asked for confirmation once more.


    "Yes!"


    "Magical Food has two advantages. The first is the Buff and the second is that it is seen as high-ss. I really don''t care about how such a ridiculous concept. The important part is that it tastes good, and you clearly have that aspect covered."


    Josh took a few more bites while pointing at the man cooking. Even as they talked, he was doing it like a champion. Then he resumed his exnation.


    "Now, for the Buff. I''ve just cleared a Floor, and I''m about to farm it a few times more. I''m confident I just don''t need it. But what really sealed the deal is that you brought the whole cart. I just came back from an arduous fight that made me hungry as Hell!"


    The crowd was finally enlightened. They had been trying to wrap their heads around his decision, but they had been overthinking all this. He had been hungry, and that was it! Some couldn''t help but chuckle while looking at the rich man''s face: talk about a waste of his efforts.


    A few minutester, Josh finally finished his meal as he sighed in satisfaction. He obviously still had room for more, but it would suffice for this round. "Thanks for the meal."


    He rose up and backtracked toward the Tower. As he did, he began to hear agitated whispers behind his back. When he was about to teleport in, the dumpling youngster finally spoke up.


    "Sir, what about my question?" He seemed to be thinking Josh had forgotten about it.


    "Oh! Do you mean the one question I said I''d answer in exchange for a meal?" Josh patiently inquired.


    "Yes!"


    "I already answered it. I told you why I picked your stall." Josh waved him goodbye as he graciously entered Floor 18 again.


    The crowd was left stupefied, especially the youngster. But that is when they realized that he wasn''t wrong¡­but he wasn''t right either! He did ask the kid to repeat his desire for an answer, but still! How sneaky!


    The young man''s face changed drastically. He had just wasted such a good opportunity! He could have had privileged information on a phenomenal meeting, and he had blown it up! Sadly, it was toote for regret.


    The others looked at him with pity. He had already shown more perspicacity than them with choosing what to bring. It was truly a pity that he had failed at what they all assumed would have been the easiest step.


    Meanwhile, Josh couldn''t help but chuckle to himself. He had seen a glimpse of all the confusion outside. Honestly, it was a bit of a dick move, but he still felt proud of himself. Maybe he should have given even more peculiar requests.


    Part of him wanted to know how far they would go for answers. He could only imagine the attention that Bet was receiving too. He was sure that they wouldn''t have the guts to harass Markus or Allistair for answers.


    There was still Michael that was reporter friendly, but he wouldn''t disclose information recklessly either. Somehow, the Dimensional Legion bluff had convinced him not to mess with Josh under any circumstances.


    Part of him wondered how he would feel if the man understood how much the guildcked on the concrete aspect. As far as the world was concerned, the D.L. members were the younglings from the tournament and the Draconic Team 7.


    Then again, perhaps he wouldn''t mind. This was the guy that hadn''t resented him at all for the beating in D-23. He had evenughed it off, saying it didn''t matter since no one but them saw. How heroic was such a stance?!


    Yes, Michael wouldn''t rat, Bet would probably hide, and the other two would directly send to jail anyone bothering them. This meant he currently had a monopoly over the information from the meeting.


    He couldn''t help but grin as this realization sank in. He happily began walking toward the Golems. It was time to test his new pickaxe!...


    Creator''s Thought


    One needs to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. For instance dumplings and messing with people. This was a great way tobine the agreeable to the useful. I would make progress in the Tower while leaving them hanging. Life truly simply was back then.

 Chapter 199: Just Like Last Time! Or not?

    <h4>Chapter 199: Just Like Last Time! Or not?</h4>


    In a gray world, a man could be seen relentlessly swinging a pickaxe with all his strength. He was grinning as he kept targetting some poor Iron Golems, obviously enjoying himself.


    "Oh yeah, this is it! This feeling is the best, just like that!"


    TING!


    TING!


    TING!


    Josh had already found sawing golems to be fun, but what he was doing now was even better! Every time the purple glowing tip of the tool collided with the golems, their iron skin would cave in with chunks flying everywhere.


    It almost seemed like the tool had an explosive property. It even worked on the iron floor and would have put a cubic green exploding creature to shame! Somehow, it seemed even stronger than a D-Ranked weapon: how awesome was that?!


    He was already done with the minions not long after, and it was time for the Boss. The whole Floor shook as it rose. Anyone would have described the situation as awe-inspiring, frightening, and perhaps even epic.


    "Yeah, whatever. We get it. You have an intro cinematic. Do you do that every goddamn time you wake up? You''ll remain alone all your life if that''s the case!"


    He couldn''t help but picture how extremely inconvenient such a power would be. Sneakily gets up in the middle of the night to make a sandwich: wakes the entire neighborhood. Oh, and god forbid any kind of nap ever!


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle, picturing a friendless and depressed iron monster ming the world for giving him such a passive ability. Perhaps it would even lose sleep over it, and its sign would be an Iron E for exhausted. A golem could get mentally exhausted, right?


    "Souls¡­do¡­die¡­CRUSH!" It bellowed once again.


    It reminded Josh of these characters in video games that only had a few iconic lines. Then again, this was understandable since fans wouldn''t care that much either way.


    "Nightmare, I summon you!" Josh cried out.


    That is when spawned the poor horse. It instantly noticed the 50 meters tall monster. It then looked at the creature, then at Josh. Its gaze seemed to convey clearly: "Yeah, me defeating that big guy ain''t happening."


    In its eyes, Josh could perceive annoyance, desperation, and even resignation. Why was its master only ever summoning it against foes that were way stronger than it?


    "Hey, don''t look at me like that. I just need you to run around and attract its attention. That''s the only thing you have to do." Josh reassured it.


    Nightmare began galloping while the Iron Golem began pping. Each of its attacks made the area shake. Josh waited until the creature targeted him and reenacted his limb-climbing move from earlier.


    A few secondster, the monster was already using its spike attacks. In its giant form, it was able to emit shockwaves from its extremities or have them cover its entire skin. Josh acted as if he was struggling against the spikes while waiting for an opportunity.


    Nightmare kept running with the eagerness of a newly single lumberjack on Timber while Josh kept track of the situation. Not yet, not yet¡­.showtime! The giant pped the horse, barely missing it.


    Its giant arms were now at different heights. The left one was still touching the ground at that very moment. Meanwhile, the right one was in mid-air with Josh holding on for dear life like a stowaway heading for and of opportunities.


    That is when Josh acted! He brought his arms backward, summoned the rat, and threw it will all the strength he could muster. It was simr to the first time he had done it, but there was a key difference.


    The creature unconsciously used the nearest arm to block. The wind from the quick movement ruffled Josh''s hair as he ascended. He stood proud while smiling, all until the giant brought him right in front of the sapphires.


    Then the rest was obvious:


    TING!


    TING!


    TING!


    The creature had caused its own doom as it crumbled instantly. This time, Josh was ready for what was toe. It was time to motherfucking surf! He grabbed the rat and prepared himself to ride the wave.


    "All souls¡­die¡­.ANNIHILATE!"


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle to himself. He remembered a quote from the legendary surfer Buzzy Trent: "A big wave is like a beautiful woman, exciting to look at and thrilling to ride." Oh, this one would be thrilling indeed! (Also? potentially deadly)


    Then it came. The wave was huge and tumultuous. This time, all the danger he felt was converted to excitement. Oh, he did get his Dimensional Belt ready just in case. But, this was only inst resort as every use came with a cooldown (about two weeks).


    He brightly smiled as he felt himself being catapulted in the air by the metallic wave. Crazily enough, the view was stunning. The entire universe had turned into one of metal at this moment.


    Josh was getting thrown all over the ce helplessly. He was at the mercy of this world of metal. It desired the iron that his blood contained and wouldn''t stop until it got it. He was bound to sumb, for he was nothing more than a weak man of flesh and blood.


    Was he going crazy? Perhaps. Was the thrill getting to his head? Perhaps. But, right at that instant, Josh couldn''t help but cackle as he shouted madly. Even he wasn''t sure if he was yelling at the Boss or at no one in particr.


    "Oh great spirit of metal, are you trying to crush the weak me? Hahaha! Good luck with that. This weak being is going to screw you over!¡­ Oh? Is that killing intent that I''m sensing? Do you perhaps dislike me talking back?"


    The gigantic needles onught only intensified. He was akin to a popcorn kernel bouncing around while microwaved, and it was endless! The Boss was sentient and didn''t like the disrespect.


    The thorns on the spikes even began growing at an incredible rate, trying to create an inescapable nest. But, Josh was avoiding their grasp while getting grazed non-stop in exchange. Even as he was bleeding, he had a huge smile on his face.


    "Hehe. I may bleed, fall, or even fail¡ªprobably many times at that. But so fucking what? I''ll survive, heal and be back for some more! Go on, do your fucking best. I''m waiting!" He was akin to a madman screaming at a natural disaster, but he didn''t care.


    That''s when all the metallic spikes suddenly retracted back into the ground. Something was wrong! There was still supposed to be a while to go before it ended. The silence was overwhelming.


    Josh slowly kneeled on the sturdy floor, trying to figure out what was happening. He was expecting a needle reappearing anytime to try and take him by surprise, but that didn''t happen. Still, he knew it wasn''t over, for the system hadn''t appeared yet.


    There were a few more minutes of silence before he felt some killing intent in the distance. It was time for round two! What would change this time around? Had the Iron Giant been thinking about how to defeat him all this time?


    It wouldn''t matter, for whatever wasing, he would adapt. Was Josh overconfident? Perhaps. He grabbed the rat solidly and waited for this new challenge to begin.


    That is when it finally revealed itself to him. On the horizon, there was a new wave, but this one was worlds apart! The previous one looked almost akin to a metallic tsunami¡­this one literally was one!


    The wave was as tall as the Iron Giant had been. It eclipsed the sky, the ground, and it was so vast that he couldn''t see any beginning nor end to it. At that moment, he realized his foolishness. He would conquer it? What a joke! At least the current him was incapable of it. He knew that for sure.


    How could a tiny human-like him go against such a thing? Would it require a miracle or maybe a god-like skill?


    He could already hear the unbelievably loud nging sound made by the disaster. In a minute, it would be upon him. He knew it was time to leave! He picked up the Dimensional Belt but then stopped right before activating it.


    Leaving right now felt so damn wrong, but why? There was no shame in retreating against an enemy that was impossible to defeat. He knew that very well but still felt extremely reluctant to leave like that.


    That is when Josh decided on a course of action. He sighed in relief, for he knew what he truly desired. He could be defeated, but he wouldn''t admit defeat. That is why he straightened his back and began taunting the Iron Giant once more...


    Creator''s Thought


    One can be defeated but not admit defeat. I always appreciated such a saying. Well, it does get easily misunderstood by dumabasses. One can admit defeat verbally as long as the spirit remains strong. One should always strive to do better and improve oneself: that is the true meaning of it.

 Chapter 200: Will Of Iron

    <h4>Chapter 200: Will Of Iron</h4>


    Faced with the deadly metallic tsunami, Josh didn''t cower in the least. He straightened his back and taunted once more.


    "Do you think you''re scaring me? As if such a puny attack was enough to make me lose my cool. Say, are you sure you''re an Iron Giant? You look more like a wannabe wave pool to me!"


    "Don''t you know that iron is supposed to be immobile? Say, are you jealous of me? I can leave this bleak and boring metal world whenever I want."


    "Go on, show me what you got. You''re nothing more than a stepping stone for Climbers!" Thatst one made the killing intent increase.


    Josh ced his arms behind his back rxedly. He would linger there until the giant thought its victory assured, and then he would deny it. Whether it would remember this disgrace or not was irrelevant.


    In his hands, he was clutching his belt, ready to activate it any time. At least, he would leave with his head held high. It may have been childish, but it would be his constion in defeat.


    The wait was both uneventful and exciting as the humongous wave finally arrived in front of him. He was about to be engulfed entirely, but instead of panicking, he stood his ground.


    Just as he was about to teleport away, he felt something change. The rage and the desire to eradicate him that he had been sensing both disappeared suddenly. The danger was gone, but why?


    Instead of activating the belt, he remained motionless. The sharp spikes began cascading toward him. But, they slowed down just as they were about to impale him. They eventually stopped mere millimeters away from his face.


    Oof, so close! Josh sighed in relief as he looked at the frozen tsunami. Now that it had stopped, he could admire its cold beauty. Had the creature ran out of mana? This attack had been so crazily violent after all.


    "This soul won''t die nor get annihted, it seems." Josh yfully whispered. He had survived!


    That is when the entire wall of des began glowing. What was happening now?! It looked as if magical pulsating blood vessels were showing. They had the same purple tint as his mana!


    |~???????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????????~|


    Josh heard a deep voice that seemed sharp yet echoed endlessly:


    Truly strange and wonderful. They took control of the metal ne along with all the lower worlds with any metal affinity. They all disdained me when I sent my consciousness to the Fodder worlds. They evenughed and ridiculed me.


    Yet, someone actually managed to trigger my legacy. How peculiar. He doesn''t even have an affinity toward iron at all. How did he do it? Was it a mistake? No¡­


    Ah, I see! His will is even stronger than iron, a stubbornness that borders stupidity. The man himself IS iron, ready to be endlessly hammered until he emerges as the sturdiest of ingots. That is why he is ssless, amazing!


    Floor 18¡­but it isn''t truly Floor 18. Well, not the Floor 18 of a fodder race, at least. Hehe. The other deities would never believe this!


    "Who are y¡ª?!" Josh asked, but the being kept talking over him. He didn''t seem to be able to perceive him for some reason.


    The difficulty has been enhanced a few times. Will this be their salvation or doom? This race will need to temper themselves if they wish topete. But, will they seed or break in the process?


    Their odds are close to nil. Can low-quality ore be tempered into treasured metal? I truly believe it to be possible. Any of the other Iron Sovereigns would scoff at this concept, but so what? I will remain true to myself even if it causes my fall.


    I will bet on this weak man who follows the same path as me, even if it causes my demise! Should I make him my champion?


    "I don''t want to be anyone''s ¡ª" Josh eximed to himself.


    No, someone with such will wouldn''t bow to anyone. I will leave him a gift instead. He can help me once he reaches the peak: this shall be sufficient. If I am to be demoted or even annihted, I may as well go out on my own terms!


    "Demoted? Annihted? Aren''t you a god? What do you¡ª"


    Here, this should be sufficient, thest bet of a mad god. Ah, it seems my time is up. I can only interact with this world for so long. Good luck, young one. Hopefully, we will meet again.


    ****


    The entire realm was plunged in silence. The iron wall in front of Josh now had a glowing purple rock symbol pulsating with every breath rhythmically.


    This guy had imed to be a god but seemed to have his own problems. He, too, had talked about selecting a champion, but unlike the Greenwood Lord, he hadn''t tried to force him to ept.


    There were other Iron Sovereigns along with stronger races and worlds out there. How many different dimensions were there with creatures as strong as the sloths? Could humans defeat such creatures?


    Compared to them, humans really deserved the appetion of a Fodder race. Well, that was the current situation, but this didn''t mean Josh would give up on pursuing power. Anyway, now was the time to decide.


    It seemed like there were no strings attached to this gift, but what favor would the being wantter? He had no way to know how taxing it would be. One thingforted him: this god desired to stick it up to the other gods. Josh could rte to this.


    He resolved himself and approached the glowing pattern. What was he supposed to do? He ced his hand upon it. As soon as he made contact, the world flipped upside down! He found himself in a world of metal.


    The floor was liquid iron that was thick enough for him to walk on it. It softly rippled with every step. Even the air was gray and seemed to be filled with gaseous metal! He had trouble breathing and could feel himself dying.


    That is when an old man appeared. He had gray hair, gray eyes, gray teeth, and a gray metallic outfit. He had a human shape, but he felt ''different''. He smiled softly at him before uttering:


    "This is but a projection of a metallic world. Don''t talk and listen. This gift of mine wille in two parts. First, try and feel the Will of Iron. Let it consume you. Be one with it. You won''t die here but fight to remain conscious as long as possible."


    Josh didn''t detect any malice in these words. He would believe this man for now. From what he knew, these gods needed the mortals for some reason. How was he supposed to be one with the iron?


    He focused on sensing the ce but without any sess. No, he just felt himself bing weaker by the second. He could perceive a small hint of some power, but he''d never be able to master it like that!


    He needed that feeling to be more intense. That''s when he looked at the liquid iron under his feet. This was madness for sure! But, he would go all-in. He dived into the metallic liquid.


    He could feel the scalding heat. He could feel the pressure so intense that it was grinding his bones to dust. He could feel death. But, somehow, he was still awake. This ce was truly a special realm!


    But even then, he felt like the Will was eluding him. It was so close yet so far! That is when he resolved himself. He opened his mouth wide open and began drinking the molten iron.


    He felt his stomach and his lungs be filled with it all. He was choking, and he felt his entire body perish. He had since then stopped being human. He was nothing but pain and a consciousness that was hanging by a thread.


    "So fucking what if I''m dying! I''ll devour it all! All of it! I''ll devour the metal, I''ll devour the Will, and I''ll even fucking devour this world!" He somehow cried out as it filled his mouth!


    It was so tempting to just go to sleep. The pain would stop along with the pressure and the heat. He had the feeling of being burned and crushed alive. But he kept hanging on. He had to!


    He kept drifting and sinking deeper and deeper. At this point, he was in a trance and had even forgotten his initial task. He wasn''t sensing anything and was just resisting the world. He wouldn''t disappear so quickly!


    "I am still alive. I am still alive." He kept repeating to himself without end.


    WHOOSH!!


    That''s when a tumultuous current began dragging him all over the ce! He barely registered it as he kept mumbling to himself, molten metal entering his mouth every time.


    Suddenly the current intensified once more, and that is when it appeared. Amidst the gray liquid, he could see a gargantuan scaly body. There was a humongous dragon of metal swimming!


    He could see its metallic scales that seemed imprable. The monster was so long that just its casual movements were causing the sea to billow. It then turned toward him, and he could see its gaping maw.


    That is when it charged at him. He never had the chance to evade and was gobbled up instantly. That is when the entire world turned dark. Josh finally came back to his senses. Somehow, he had the feeling he had entered a restricted area somehow.


    As he waited inplete darkness, he heard a voice sighing.


    "I will now show you a skill. How much of it you understand will be up to you. Hopefully, youprehended the Will of Iron enough to master it."


    Comprehend? Josh hadprehended jack shit! Still, Was this an opportunity to be taught by a god directly?! How extravagant was that?! He steeled his resolve¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Note to self 1: Personalize the taunts better. The Iron Giant obviously didn''t know about wave-pools and didn''t mind its gray world one bit. Note to self 2: It''s great to show perseverance but one should remember one''s goal or it ends up like that. Comprehended? Comprehended what?!

 Chapter 201: A Being of Infinite Wisdom! (Really?!)

    <h4>Chapter 201: A Being of Infinite Wisdom! (Really?!)</h4>


    The Iron Sovereign''s voice resounded once more:


    "I will now show you a skill. How much of it you understand will be up to you. Hopefully, youprehended the Will of Iron enough to master it."


    Right afterward, they were back above the liquid metal. The old man had a glint in his metal eyes as he looked toward Josh. But, his gaze was slightly off as if he couldn''t truly see him. Was this the magical equivalent of a recording?


    "Observe carefully, for I will only show you once." He had a gentle smile that turned serious as he graciously raised a hand above his head in amanding posture.


    Following his gesture, the liquid began rising. The metal formed spikes, flying spears, soldiers, mounted knights, and even dragons. Josh could only stare wide-eyed. This was a goddamn legion!


    Just with their presence, the creatures rendered the atmosphere heavy. Josh felt like they could ovee anything. A single foot-soldier would be able to defeat him, and there were thousands and thousands of them! How insane was that?!


    Then, the old man suddenly lowered his hand. The army charged toward him with the dragons roaring, the projectiles screeching, and the soldiers thundering. Their stomping made the entire realm shake.


    Josh lost his breath as his entire body felt pressured in ce. He had to use all his willpower just to stand straight. How was he even supposed to learn this?! He had no clue.


    But, it all proved useless. A mere secondter, he was already overrun. A piece of gum under a shoe would have looked better than him. His vision went dark as he heard the old man utter:


    "This is how one controls the very essence of Iron. Everyone knows this is my signature move, so do not disgrace my name. That is all. Let us meet if fate wills it."


    Then Josh was back on Floor 18 as if nothing had ever happened. The metal wave was gone, and he had seemingly been sitting in ce all this time. Had it all been an illusion?


    He could onlyugh in self-deprecation. He wouldn''t misuse these teachings for sure. How could he when he understood neither the Iron Will nor that army invoking ability?!


    He had almost drowned, had been devoured by a dragon, and an army had stomped him to death. This was definitely a monumental failure! But he didn''t dwell on the past and focused on the message in front of his eyes:


    [Mission aplished! Please select your reward!]


    [Please select one: Basic Iron Elemental Soul | Iron Pickaxe | Partial Iron Sacrificial Manual | Shattered Sapphire]


    How oblivious the Tower Protocol was! It really didn''t seem to be able to detect the gods. Last time it had even shown signs of breaking down. Had it been fine this time because there had only been a single god, or had the old man been less invasive?


    Whatever. The pickaxe would be a sub-par versionpared to the one he already had. As for the Partial Iron Sacrifice, there was no way he''d be able to learn it. Even a god directly teaching him hadn''t been effective! Talk about bad affinity!


    "Give me a Sapphire then." Josh chose.


    <Sapphire Fragment>


    - 4/100 Once upon a time, it formed a beautiful gem that was the pride of the Iron Giant. Upon its defeat, the pieces were scattered across the realm. Finding them again allows ¡ª


    "Hey, system! That can''t be it. Where''s the rest of it?" What was the point of this useless vor text?! The most vital information, its effect, was missing!


    Josh could only sigh in resignation. He would be farming this ce for a while. However, was there anything he could train at the same time? What if he worked on his magical skills?


    "Teleport out!"


    As he arrived at the za, all of the eyes turned toward him. This time around all of the people waiting for him carried food. It instantly became apetition once more.


    "Sir, I brought pizza!"


    "Want some fried chicken?"


    "Here are some burritos!"


    That is when a confident voice was heard: "Sir, I have some cake for you! There is nothing as satisfying as a dessert after a full meal!"


    But it was followed by an even more confident voice: "Sir, here are sweet pancakes! Not only is it an amazing dessert, but it matches perfectly with dumplings!"


    All the others couldn''t help but freeze in stupefaction. How had they missed such a detail?! No matter how much Josh had exercised inside the Tower, he would already be full from his previous meal.


    Bringing a light, tasty, and well-assorted treat would work wonders! They could only me their ownck of foresight and sigh heavily. That is when the dumplings youngster shyly chimed in:


    "I restocked my dumpling cart if¡­.no, never mind." He couldn''t even finish his pitch as even he realized how shameless he sounded.


    Meanwhile, a few bystanders had just arrived and were wondering what was wrong with the Tower za. Why did it look like a food market?! Also, who the heck was the man that everyone was so eager to please?!


    Josh didn''t hesitate and headed toward the dumpling cart. The reporters could only watch in confusion as he stopped in front of the youngster.


    "I''ll be counting on you to cook again," Josh said. To be fair, the man''s dumplings were eerily delicious.


    The young man froze for a second before hurriedly getting to work. He wouldn''t miss his chance again! As he applied himself to his task, his brain kept working at full speed. Why was Josh eating at his small stall?


    "Do you want to know why I picked you this time?" Josh casually asked.


    "NO!" The young man screamed along with many of the other reporters in unison. The bystanders were left even more puzzled. But then whispers were heard recounting the earlier events. Some people had even ''seen'' through Josh.


    "How magnanimous! He ''tricked'' the kid earlier in order to teach him a life lesson! Now, he is making sure he has learned it. He will eat a few dumplings and allow him to ask. This way, it will be fair, and he will honor his word. Amazing!"


    "I see! That makes sense. Sir Malum looks young, but he is so wise! Actually, he is teaching us that knowledge has worth at the same time. But, he is so selfless that he only requires cheap food as payment!"


    "You guys are right. He is such an altruistic man! I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to meet him."


    All around, there were only words of praise for Josh. These people sure had a vivid imagination. He happily began devouring dumplings at a terrifying rate. How would these guys feel when they realized how off the mark they had been?


    "Wow! How considerate! He is even forcing himself to eat so the kid doesn''t feel like he has received any charity. He is teaching him the value of hard work. He has to cook to earn this opportunity!"


    "This is so deep! There is so much wisdom contained in these actions that may look so simple at first nce!"


    "How greathearted! We all pale whenpared to such a great man!"


    Josh heard it all as he calmly ate. He felt that there was something wrong with the world. What the hell was wrong with their heads?! This was so cheesy that he felt the need to enlighten them.


    "You guys are overthinking this too much. I was hungry and felt like eating some more of these delicious dumplings, nothing else. Sometimes the most obvious answer is the right one." Josh exined.


    "Of course we understand!"


    "It''s obvious that you were simply hungry!"


    He could only nod in satisfaction. But then he heard them whisper about how humble he was. There was also something about teaching them another life lesson on not only judging sorely on the first impression.


    Seriously, had these guys been dropped on the head when young?! There were actually people that had believed his ''hungry'' statement, but they were slowly getting convinced by the ''logical'' arguments the others provided.


    Oh well, it wasn''t his task to set them on the proper path. He took note to remind them to consult a specialist for their mental health. He would leave the daunting task of saving their sanity to their psychiatrist.


    Josh finished eating, patting his belly in satisfaction. This was bliss after all the exercise he had aplished earlier.


    "Alright, what is your question?" Josh casually asked the youngster. The kid seemed extremely nervous.


    "Sir, I have an issue. I have spent my childhood cooking dumplings that I would sell with my grandma. We were poor, and I came to Metropolis-D as soon as I could to make money. I''ve even tried Climbing, but I received the ss ''Dumpling Maker''." He exined.


    "Where exactly lies the issue?" Josh asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "I don''t have any connection to join Devouring Panda, and all the guild offers that I have ever received are conditional to me cooking full-time. But that''s not what I want to do! I want to be a proud warrior fighting for humanity''s survival!"


    "So let me guess. You want me to introduce you to Bet?"


    "Ye¡ª" He suddenly seemed to think of something as he changed his mind. "Actually, no. Please tell me how I can get stronger on my own without bing a cook!"


    "Are you sure? I can either answer your question or introduce you to Bet. Perhaps I don''t even know the answer. You''d be wasting a golden opportunity."


    The young man was confronted with what he perceived as a life-defining decision. Was it bad that Josh enjoyed seeing him squirm? What would he choose?¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    The Iron Sovereign (a true god) tried teaching me without any sess. Then I casually began eating and somehow it taught people life lessons?! On one hand, they were clearly overthinking. On the other, it''s true that one can learn from anything and anyone in the world regardless of their intent...

 Chapter 202: Partying Up!

    <h4>Chapter 202: Partying Up!</h4>


    The young man took a deep breath with determination visible in his dark brown eyes. Still, he was obviously highly nervous. How could he not be!


    "Sir, can you tell me how I should be powerful with Dumpling Maker as a ss?" He had chosen the gamble rather than the certitude.


    Josh pondered a few seconds before he approached his ear and murmured: "Dimensional Legion will soon open a Climber School in D-23. You can try your luck there."


    "Seriously?!" The young man jumped in shock before frowning.


    How was he supposed to be admitted to a school that would no doubt be an elite one?! But then he turned to Josh once more, seemingly believing in him. He would follow his advice even if the chances of sess were low.


    Josh couldn''t help but marvel at how much trust these people had in him. Somehow, meeting with the government leaders had given him so much credibility. Hard to fathom, wasn''t it?


    All the onlookers were curiously wondering what Josh had told him. But another voice resounded before they could ask.


    "You''re Josh Malum, right?"A man that wore a yellow hard hat and a construction outfit was approaching while smiling.


    "What is it?"


    "I''m Bob, and I''m a builder. Emsee sent me. He said you had a job for me! Wait, didn''t he already contact you? We need to go over the building''s specifications."


    Josh checked his messages, and sure enough, his friend had sent word already. Apparently, this guy could build anything in existence. He would be the one taking care of the bunker that Josh desired in D-23. There remained only to discuss the specifics.


    "Ah, I see. Let''s do this quickly. Afterward, I''ll resume Climbing."


    "If by quickly you mean a few hours, then sure. We have a lot to discuss. There is the size, the robustness, the decoration, the entertainment inside, etc."


    "Can''t I just give you a few pointers, and you improvise the rest?" Josh asked, hopeful.


    "Of course not! This needs to be extremely precise as it is custom made!" Bob was oozing with professional pride.


    Oh well, it would seem Josh would need to postpone the Sapphire acquisition for now. It was a shame that they couldn''t discuss this inside the Tower. He had lots of time to waste inside, after all. Actually¡­what if?!


    "Say, Bob. Have you ever Climbed the Tower before by any chance?"


    "Yes, but I didn''t go far. I only reached Floor 20. Afterward, I stopped to focus on my job as ¡ª"


    "That''s perfect! Alright, how does sending a party invite work again? Ah, right, just gotta stand near each other if I remember correctly." Josh grabbed the stunned Bob.


    "What?! I''m not ready to Climb! I''m super rusty and¡ª" Heined.


    "No excuse! We''re going to Floor 18. It only has slow golems, so everything will be fine! I thought Emsee said that you are reliable¡­."


    "F-fine! But I''ll stay far away from any monster!" Bob eximed.


    "Yep, that''s what I''m expecting! Teleport in!" They both disappeared to the total surprise of the bystanders.


    People were shocked at how low of a Floor this was. Someone on Floor 18 had taken care of the sloth problem?! At that moment, many took for granted that he definitely had a rare tamer ss or something simr.


    ****


    "Ah, this reminds me of memories. I''ve always loved the construct Floors; maybe it''s because of my profession. In any case, let''s be careful. You are better assuming you will be solo against all of the enemies." Bob warned.


    "Of course, don''t worry. Now, Tower Protocol, pleaseunch Hellish mode. Alright, what kind of questions did you have for me?" Josh inquired.


    But Bob wasn''t responding. He was as white as chalk, trembling, and his eyes were bulging like a frog. "?!"


    "Are you alright, man?"


    "H-hellish?! What is wrong with you?! We''ll both die here!"


    "Naw, you''re overthinking this. It''s not that bad." Josh shrugged.


    "What do you mean not that bad?! No one has ever cleared Floor 18 Hellish! We don''t even know what happens on that Floor! The hard version requires one to kill an impossibly strong Boss already! Only the top teams are able to clear it! We''re fucking screwed!"


    "Rx, dude. Your information is so wrong! Hellish has been cleared, I know what happens, and it''s easily soloable. Just take a deep breath, and let''s get this over, alright?" Josh calmly refuted.


    "There is no way that¡ª" He beganining once more.


    "I thought Emsee said that you are reliable¡­." Josh clicked his tongue in displeasure.


    "F-fine! Show me how it''s soloable then! You can be sure my ghost will haunt you once we both are dead!"


    His mood had changed so quickly! Josh would remember to bring up Emsee often. It was akin to a magic chant that gave Bob courage.


    Josh went toward the first golem and began to mine it with his exploding pickaxe happily.


    In the background, Bob was rubbing his eyes in disbelief. What kind of overpowered skill allowed such damage power?! Also, what was this purple energy that enveloped the tool?! The weird part was that Josh wasn''t doing anything special.


    He was swinging and evading: there was no fancy footwork or needlessly showy skills at all. He was always in the right ce at the right moment. Was this why Emsee had told him to treat the man as a VIP? He had a boundless future!


    The more it went, and the morefortable Bob became. He even actually began to do his job. He had to exin the different models of housing he could construct to Josh, who did not know any of it.


    Hell, Bob even forgot that they were in the Tower, and about the whole Hellish thing. He was simply taking mental notes of the features that Josh wanted. When he heard about the school part, he brought up lots of new ideas.


    Before he realized it, Josh had destroyed 30 golems. Wasn''t the pace a bit too quick?! He had been dispatching the iron golems as if they had been made of paper! But that is when Bob received a brutal reminder that this wasn''t over.


    The entire realm began shaking. That is when rose the biggest, scariest, and the most despair-inducing monster he had ever seen! Just the creature''s fist would be enough to tten the both of them in one hit!


    But it got worse. There was now a system message dering that they had to defeat this Iron Giant toplete the mission. This was goddamn impossible! Bob understood at that moment that they were doomed.


    That is when Josh''s calm voice brought him out of his stupor: "Hurry up and get on the horse before it''s toote. Have you never seen a Boss before?"


    "T-this is no Boss. This is death itself! We''re going to die and¡ª" He was terrified.


    "I thought Emsee said that you are reliable¡­." Just as Josh uttered this sentence, Bob went toward Nightmare and rode it to the pet''s dissatisfaction.


    Josh then turned toward his opponent. He would just repeat the previous round''s strategy. It took so little effort to kill this Boss using the proper tactic that it wasughable.


    That''s when Bob saw something horrible from the corner of his eye. The Iron Giant''s fistnded directly on Josh, creating a crater in the ground.


    "Holy shit! This is crazy! He''s dead, just like that. Sorry Emsee, but that friend of yours is gone, and so am I. Talk about a pitiful way to kick the bucket. At least he got squashed in a split second. He probably didn''t suffer too much."


    This annoying guy monologuing on Nightmare''s back irked it. The horse began neighing to tell him to shut up.


    "You too must be sad about the death of your master and¡­.wait! If you''re still summoned, it means that he''s still alive! How?!"


    Bob looked everywhere, trying to find Josh while Nightmare evaded the Giant''s attacks.


    "Ah, he''s on the monster''s arm! When did he even get there?! This is amazing! But, this doesn''t change our situation. There is no way we can defeat it."


    But that is when a hit almost sent the mount and rider flying. Bob had barely recovered from it that he could discern a scene he would never forget. The titan raised its arm for some reason, bringing Josh right in front of its face.


    He struck with his purple glowing pickaxe with all his strength. There was the loud sound of a collision CLANG along with the shattering of a small part of the monster''s face CRACK! This was bound to cause lots of damage!


    But what followed scared the living hell out of him. The entire creature seemed to crumble unto itself, soon merging with the ground. Josh had killed the invincible-looking Boss in one hit?! WTF! Who was this man?!


    He was rxedly walking toward him:


    "What''s up? You look like you''ve just seen a ghost. I guess you really are rusty from not Climbing for a while. This is what killing a Boss looks like." Josh''s breathing didn''t show any sign of exhaustion.


    For a second, Bob froze. Was he so out of touch? No way! It was this man in front of him that was impossibly strong! "Killing a Boss is supposed to take a team and a steady barrage of skills!" He argued.


    "Not really, that''s only for beginners. Why bother with that when there are faster and easier solutions? That''s just dumb." Josh scoffed.


    He made it sound so simple, but was it? No way! Bob felt as if his whole life had been a lie. All he knew about Climbing turned out to be false. Still, he was d it was over.


    "Teleport out!" Bob murmured in relief, with Josh giving him a peculiar look.


    "You know, it''s not over. This was the easiest part."


    "What?!" Bob seriously wondered if he would survive this day...


    Creator''s Thought


    Bob was quite the specimen. He was what one would call a scaredy-cat. Just the mere mention of the term Hellish was enough to send shivers down his spine. Weird, right?! Well, one had to admire his professionalism. He had followed me in the Tower just to talk about our uing coboration.

 Chapter 203: Unforgettable Ride + Ice Cream!

    <h4>Chapter 203: Unforgettable Ride + Ice Cream!</h4>


    "What?! It''s not over yet?!" Bob eximed in shock while watching the surroundings warily.


    "Indeed, look this way." Josh pointed at the horizon.


    "Oh fuck, we need to run!" Bob began screaming in fright as he saw the iing metal wave full of sharp, big, and pointy needles.


    "You can''t outrun it. Once it begins, it won''t stop for a while. It''s all about resisting the constant onught until it''s over." Josh serenely shook his head.


    "How are you so damn calm?!"


    "Why are you even making a fuss? I already told you that it''s easily Soloable. Just rx. Overly stressing won''t do anything. You need to learn to control your nerves if you want to be sessful in life, you know." Josh wisely remarked.


    Bob kept looking at the enormous deadly attacking their way and then at the tranquil Josh. How was he so confident?! Even a Ranker wouldn''t have been that rxed for sure!


    "Alright, let''s do this. Come over here, hold tight, and don''t move an inch. Is that clear?" Josh ordered.


    Bob couldn''t understand what he was seeing. He could see Josh stepping on¡­was that a rat?! Then the man''s eyes began glowing red akin tosers. What kind of skill was this?!


    He approached inplete confusion as Josh guided him to step on the rat. He then made Bob wrap his arms around his body. The poor man was about to go crazy. He didn''t want to spend thest minutes of his life on a rat embracing another dude!


    "Brace yourself. The wave ising," Josh warned.


    Bob''s brain kept sending him rm signals. He had to forcefully resist the instincts that were screaming at him to run far away from this madness and this freak. He understood that Josh was probably about to use some extremely strong defensive skill.


    The wave was upon them, and they were about to be skewered by the needles rising from the ground. He finally heard Josh shout what could only be a skill activation. But then he realized what the words had been:


    "It''s time to surf. This will be so fun!"


    Bob''s mind went nk. Excuse me...what?! But at that moment, they were all thrown in the air along with their ride. He unconsciously gripped hispanion even harder. That is when the nightmare began. Nothing in his 33 years of existence had prepared him for what was toe.


    It was akin to a ride from Hell. They were moving extremely fast, were getting catapulted all over, and almost getting impaled at every turn. The worst was that there was no sign of it ever ending!


    Bob nced at Josh and froze. This man was his only salvation and his only hope in their current situation. Yet, right now, he was eerily scary. He was grinning akin to a demon while cackling with his red glowing eyes.


    What kind of madman could enjoy this?! Bob didn''t even know how they were still alive. How were they still on the rat? How was the rat still alive in the first ce?! What had convinced Josh even to try this?!


    Bob had no idea how long thissted, but it felt like an eternity. As the spikes disappeared, hey exhausted on the Floor. He had done absolutely nothing during this fight, but he felt like he had lost a few decades of lifespan.


    "Teleport out, teleport out!" Bob didn''t even wait as he instantly began screaming. He didn''t look back at all as he disappeared in a sh of red light. Talk about impatient!


    Jock pocketed his reward of 3 fragments before following the builder.


    ****


    On the Tower za, the journalists were patiently awaiting the return of the hero. Some had even done some research about Floor 18 and could be heard specting.


    "Do you think he''s Climbing or farming?"


    "I think he''s just using the golems in there as big target dummies to practice his abilities. Then, he takes a short break once he''s done with the 30."


    "What if he''s killing the Boss every time? It''s really hard, but it''s not impossible."


    "Is it even worth to farm that Iron Giant?"


    "It can be used for cksmithing, jewelry, and probably other stuff. Hard to say, really."


    "Wait, guys. He''s out!"


    That is when appeared a man that looked incredibly disheveled, wearing a yellow hard hat. He couldn''t even walk straight, was panting, and looked like a drunken sailor that had seen a ghost. What the heck had happened to him?!


    He was soon followed by Josh, who looked theplete opposite. He seemed rxed and happy. "You know, you really have to work on your nerves. Anyway, how many more questions are there left for the construction specifications?"


    "NO, we''re done!" The livid Bob then coughed before eximing, "Don''t worry, you''ve told me enough! I''ll improvise the rest!"


    Where had his professional pride gone? The mandatory few hours of questioning had turned into a few minutes after a trip to the Tower! Bob could be seen half-running away as if scared of another round.


    Josh simply waved him goodbye politely. While it had been fun to observe the man''s various reactions, one run was enough. He didn''t particrly enjoy having a guy pressed against his back.


    Meanwhile, the spectators were extremely confused. Wasn''t Floor 18 rtively easy? Bob showed every sign of being traumatized, but he had Climbed to Floor 20 in the past. How did this make any sense?!


    Perhaps Josh really was farming the Boss. Perhaps Bob had skipped it entirely before. Still, they found it a waste. Seeing such a one-man show was an opportunity, not a cause for horror. One just needed to remain out of the way after all.


    But they were soon distracted by Josh turning toward them:


    "Do you guys still want answers? What''s on the menu?" He expectantly asked.


    They all began shouting food names, not bothering with any posturing or introductions anymore.


    "Donuts!"


    "Pie!"


    "Pasta!"


    "Apples!"


    "Popcorn!"


    "Ice cream!"


    "I feel like getting ice cream now! Let''s see what vors you have." Josh replied to thedy that was now excitedlying over.


    She seemed youthful and had a pure air around her with a cute frog pin on her blouse.


    "I have all of them, Sir!" She was beaming in joy.


    She followed his directives, and soon Josh was happily holding an ice cream sundae with so manyyers that it looked like the Tower of Pisa. He was even given a dragon-engraved fancy metallic spoon that was probably worth more than all the ice cream.


    The unchosen reporters sold what they had already cooked to Climbers. This made the atmosphere extremely lively. The whole thing was turning into a festival. Hell, there were even people that had brought their families over to enjoy the event!


    It seemed so out of ce, but then he understood. For some of them, this was the sign they had been waiting for. Things were finally back to normal. These people had been stressed, uncertain of what the future held for them.


    Now, they could reassure their loved ones and celebrate. A dad nearby turned to his daughter, pointed at Josh, and confidently dered: "See, honey, this man is the hero that caught all the naughty sloths. From now on, we will be safe. Isn''t this great!"


    For a second, Josh felt his heart constrict. Seeing the kid''s radiant and bright smile reminded him of the little one. How would she have reacted to the whole situation? Would she even have been shocked? She always used to have so much confidence in him for some reason.


    He could imagine the little imp taunting these guys. She would have said something along the lines of: "Now you people realize how great he is! But it''s toote. I''m not giving him up!"


    He closed his eyes for a moment. He could hear the happy brouhaha of the crowd and feel the pleasant heat of the sunrays on his skin. He then slowly tasted the delicious and crunchy ice cream. They both would have loved this. But, his reverie was soon interrupted.


    "Sir?!" Thedy was suddenly making a ruckus.


    "If you are worried about your question, there is no need to stress for¡ª"


    "That''s not it! Sir, I think you''ve just eaten the spoon! I''m worried it will make you sick. What if you get iron poisoning?!"


    What?! Josh looked to the half-eaten spoon in his hand. That exined the crunchy part¡­wait! He excitedly opened his status screen.


    [Status!]


    Josh Malum


    Josh MF Malum Lv 19


    #STATS# (19)


    HP: 4500


    Mana: 5900


    Magic Ability: 280


    Strength: 550


    Agility: 540


    Defense: 33


    Magic Resist: 28


    #SKILLS# (38)


    -C Weapon Mastery


    -E Mana Maniption


    -E Great Gnoll Bloodline: Piercing Eyes


    -U (E) Gluttony Bloodline: Endless Stomach, Devouring


    #SPECIAL#


    - S Curse of the Greenwood Lord: Active


    - ?! Devoured Part of the Will of Iron


    The veryst line made him chuckle. No wonder that he hadn''t managed to understand that Will of Iron concept: he had devoured part of it instead! Was this the result of having jumped straight into the molten metal?


    Was the dragon that had eaten him the Will of Iron itself or one of its minions? There was so much he ignored about it. The next time he would focus on devouring as much of it as he could, and perhaps he''d unlock a new skill?


    Was it bad that he was already plotting to find a way to invade that realm? He would just have to help the Iron grandpa sometime in the future.


    Now thedy''s expression was twisted in worry. Josh had stopped answering and had suddenly startedughing on his own. Was he already sick?! In fact, she was in the process of calling an ambnce for him.


    "Hey, I''m perfectly fine. It turns out that it''s possible to gain resistance against metal in there. I just realized it and I''m happy that''s all." He reassured her as she patted her ample chest in relief.


    "That''s good then. Ah, I''ll get you a new spoon!"


    Josh drank the rest of his melted ice cream before turning toward her. "Alright, what do you want to know?"


    He could see her hesitate. He felt like there was a question that she had prepared, but as she looked at the remains of the spoon, she seemed to change her mind.


    "I want to know who you really are."


    "Are you sure?" He asked as she resolutely nodded. He then approached her ear and whispered a few words to her.


    She was initially blushing and embarrassed, but that emotion was soon overwhelmed by shock. She nervously asked:


    "Can I publish this?"


    "Sure, but send me a copy first so I can review it." Josh nodded as he shared his contact details with her, dubbing her ''Frog-Girl Reporting''. That''s when she started clutching her UW as if it was the most precious treasure.


    The spectators were once more left hanging and could only specte. He then headed back to the Tower. He still wanted to collect all the Sapphire Fragments, if only to satisfy his own curiosity¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Sometimes it doesn''t take much topletely shock people. Ride a magical wave of iron trying to impale you and have a Climber lose his mind. Eat a little metallic spoon by mistake and have a kind girl freak out instantly, even calling an ambnce. The point being in a world so magical, shouldn''t that be the norm?!

 Chapter 204: Farming 100 Fragments!

    <h4>Chapter 204: Farming 100 Fragments!</h4>


    "This isn''t going to work." Josh sighed heavily. He had justpleted Floor 18 once more and had received a measly four fragments, bringing his total to 11/100.


    The only constion was that it was easy to run, at least by his standards. Well, there was also the post-clear feast to look up to. Every time he appeared, the crowd seemed to be in heated discussions.


    "It''s kinda crazy how much he can eat. I guess he also has a hero''s appetite haha."


    "It''s normal. He must be using a crazy amount of skills in there to take down the Boss repeatedly. He probably has an ability to turn food into mana like the gourmets."


    "Still, I can''t help but be impressed. He could have easily sold information to the highest bidder and called for delivery, but instead, he''s making it a fairpetition. Talk about upright!"


    "On the short term, he''s definitely losing money, but in the long term, his words will be worth more than Credits. People will be fighting left and right to get in good graces."


    "Ah, he''s back. Quick, fire the grills!"


    This time Josh began walking around, looking at the food stations directly. He was akin to a general inspecting his troops. It reminded him of a cooking show on Earth. Well, people had been watching it for the innovative insults, but still.


    "What is this?" Josh curiously asked.


    "It''s a caramel souffl¨¦, Sir!"


    "These are enchdas."


    "I made pulled pork burgers!"


    "Here are some all-natural organic pesticide-free free-range bananas, Sir!"


    "As tempting as in bananas sound, I''ll eat the burgers along with some enchdas!" Josh finally decided.


    After a delicious meal, the two lucky reporters turned to ask him their questions. The first one went:


    "Sir, what was the meeting in D-23 about?" All the others perked their ears in excitement. But Josh once more whispered the answer to the man''s ears.


    "Really?! The implications of this are huge!" The man''s reaction was so exaggerated, but he didn''t seem to be acting either.


    The other guy seemed torn but then asked something ballsy: "Can you bring me on a Floor clear instead?" He figured that he''d be able to glimpse more information by himself this way.


    Josh pondered but ultimately shook his head in denial. "I''m afraid you''ll be a burden like that previous guy. But, I can summarize it for you." He approached and whispered about his general clear method, with a nice finishing touch.


    "You really learned with ¡ª?!" The man stopped just in time not to reveal some vital information. But then he nodded his head seriously.


    Josh left the crowd that was dying of curiosity behind as he returned to the Tower. He quickly dispatched the 30 golems, but he interjected when the Tower Protocol informed him of part two of the mission.


    "System, you have to change this challenge! It''s way too long for so few rewards. Is there any way to increase the difficulty?"


    [Error¡­Error. The difficulty is at the maximum possible level given the mana concentration in the host''s world.]


    "In that case, increase the number of bosses! I know you can do it. You''ve done it that one time with the white spiders!"


    [Recklessly increasing numbers could result in ¡ª]


    "Yeah, I don''t care. Just do it! Your goal should be to test the humans, no? There is no better way to do it than to add a bright big-ass red button that spawns bosses when pushed! I guarantee it will work! It''s psychology 101!" Josh happily bullshitted.


    [Calcting potential impact on the Tower. Error. Iplete Data. Establishing Experiment "bright big-ass button".]


    That when appeared a floating button right on the ethereal-looking system message screen. "If you want this to be perfect, then add the words ''Do Not Press''," Josh advised.


    [Error. ''Do Not Press'' would potentially lower the impact of¡­]


    "Trust me. It will help. How about you test this with two groups? One with no inscription and the other with this message below on it?"


    [Establishing Sub-experiment: ''Do Not Press'' versus ''nk''. Data will now bepiled. Enjoy your Climb!]


    It was quite ironic, but somehow, the Alter-Tower that barely saw humans understood them way better than humanity''s Tower Protocol. Oh well, Josh hurriedly used an ancestral technique called button-mashing!


    These were skills he had practiced during his childhood with fighting games. The art of creating unbreakablebos may be despicable, but it had worth. The trick was never to let the opponent rest! Actually, it was the same as IRL...


    With every push, a new Iron Giant began spawning. Eventually, there were 12 of them. This seemed to be the limit, and the entire Realm was filled them. At this moment, he was truly d to have entered Solo.


    Thebat began, and Josh quickly jumped on an arm as usual. This time, the difference was that he had to hurry up with killing each one before the others could adapt and gang up on him.


    As for the poor Nightmare, it almost had a heart attack upon spawning. Anyone would have to be honest. Josh began guiding his pet, so it would avoid being encircled. This was the hardest part of the fight.


    Then he copied the same strategy as earlier and threw the rat, rose up in the air, and killed a Giant. But then he had to do this over and over until they were all down. He was so damn d to have refueled before that fight.


    Honestly, he was totally abusing an exploit right now. Having more giants allowed no margin for error, but their own brethren slowed them down. That was because they kept pping each other, trying to squash Josh.


    Then, it was time for the next part: surfing. If before it had been a tumultuous stormy sea, he now had the feeling of being a leaf in a hurricane. He absolutely lost control, but he managed to survive.


    In fact, he was catapulted so high in the air every time that he had the feeling of touching the sky. He even had to use his Chungus ability to increase his body size (but not his mass) to slow down his fall when it was finally over.


    What was the reward for all of his trouble? He received 46 Sapphire fragments. He was risking his life to save time. Anyone would have dubbed him a madman, but he had to admit this was great practice.


    He felt each of his muscles ache but quickly regenerate thanks to his devouring ability. It reminded him of when he had been pushing his limits every day to get his revenge. He had been so single-minded back then that he had barely felt it.


    He exited the Tower with a huge grin on his face. At this rate, he would be done after one more clear.


    He quickly devoured a few medium-rare steaks and answered a question. This time it was about the War that had happened with Gene Corp. Josh whispered some insider information that mostly confirmed the rumors before going right back to Climbing.


    Lots of button smashing, horse stress, and 44 fragmentster, Josh was done.


    [101/100 Sapphire Fragments. Do you wish to merge them?]


    "Hell yes!" Josh shouted.


    He did an improvised drum roll as all the fragments began magically flying and colliding together. With blue light, a new item formed itself in front of his eyes.


    <Iron Tainted Mana Gem>


    - It may look like a Sapphire, but it contains the Mana of the Iron Giant.


    Josh inspected it from all angles, wondering what was up with it. It contained mana¡­and?! What did this concretely do? But no matter how he twisted it, he couldn''t figure out anything.


    He could probably take this to an appraiser or perhaps a craftsman. But that''s when he noticed something. Was he going crazy, or was this gem smelling amazing?! One had to remember that he was far from starved too.


    Wait¡­what if it was his newest ability acting up?! This thing had Iron in its name. After having devoured a spoon and part of the Will of Iron ¡­what if?!


    Josh did something that anyone would have considered extremely dumb. He approached the gem and carefully bit it. It instantly melted in his mouth as if candy with an extremely rich and sweet taste! Screw food: this was even better!


    He took one huge bite after the other, and soon his hands were empty with the gempletely gone. He felt full of energy but didn''t notice anything else. That is when he began scrutinizing his status screen in search of any hint.


    "Oh my god!" He couldn''t help but exim blissfully.


    There it was: Mana: 5900 ¡ª> 5950


    This gem was a stat boost! This was the first time he had heard of anything like that. There were plenty of ways to Buff oneself, from magical food to alchemical potions and items. But this seemed like a permanent effect!


    At that moment, Josh resolved to personally test how many Mana gems it took for one to overdose! Jokes asides, his gluttony bloodline would very likely protect him from any bacsh.


    He exited the Tower grinning. For once, he felt full and wasn''t that keen on eating anymore. He had also answered enough questions to serve his agenda. Now, he would simply announce that the party was over.


    But that''s when he felt a malevolent gaze on him. There was an older man looking like a typical professor. He had a deep blue zer, nice ck shoes, a small bow tie, and sses toplete his look.


    He was already recording, and one could see a small banner floating behind him that read <Critical Thinking ss>. He had a small derisive smile adorning his face as he addressed the crowd while pointing at Josh.


    Ah, Josh really hadn''t expected aedy show to begin! He would listen with rapt attention¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Talk about a nice opportunity! Ah, would eating mana gems be considered doping? Now that I think about it this training of mine was all about devouring stuff, wasn''t it? Devouring metal, devouring food, devouring mana... Upgrading this bloodline really had to be one of my priorities. This was in fact just the very tip of the iceberg!

 Chapter 205: Debate And Disaster!

    <h4>Chapter 205: Debate And Disaster!</h4>


    The man was already recording, and one could see a small banner floating behind him that read <Critical Thinking ss>. He had a small derisive smile adorning his face as he addressed the crowd while pointing at Josh.


    "Are all of you going to listen to his nonsensical drivel that is nothing more than baseless propaganda?!"


    He surveyed the crowd as he strutted around. He then cleared his throat and entered what Josh called ''long monologue mode''. The kind that somehow managed to sound patronizing and righteous (or entitled).


    "Let us start with his feat of dealing with the sloths. There is something fishy about it. By analyzing some footage, I have concluded that there were no signs of any skill being used at all. Now, how is this possible?"


    He paused dramatically, making sure he had everyone''s attention.


    "It seems to be the gray suit he is wearing! It was voluntarily made to look cheap while actually protecting its user from the yawns. If I''m not mistaken, it''s made from the wings of the butterflies on Floor 42! These creatures can use sleep magic too!"


    Many that were finding him annoying were suddenly taken aback as it somehow made a tiny bit of sense. Plus, one had to admit that the man was eloquent. He exuded confidence, from his shiny brown leather shoes to his brown neatlybed hair.


    "What if all of this was stagged up to increase his reputation forcibly? This would imply the backing of a conglomerate trying to subtly gain more power and using this man right here to do so. Of course, we can''t conclude that just now, right?"


    That''s when he looked at Josh. He even slightly smirked when he saw that he wasn''t answering. Was the man expecting his further arguments to be irrefutable and generate a standing ovation?


    "Perhaps he was just trying to help, right? I thought so too, but then why was there a meeting between the leaders scheduled instantly in D-23? What if it really was to try and wrestle away some political power?"


    He barely took time to breathe and kept going.


    "What about the man he brought inside? What if he was acting from the beginning? No Climber having reached Floor 20 would ever show such an exaggerated reaction! Someone Soloing the Boss is extremely praiseworthy but not horrifying.


    His face was now red from the excitement.


    "As for the rumors of his achievements during the war, I have recovered footage showing the troops post-fight, and he was not in their midst! This can be seen on my site: Critical Thinking ss!"


    He showed a victorious expression with his arms grandiosely raised in the air.


    "The war rumors are fake, the man was most definitely an actor, the D-23 meeting was most probably a political ploy, his power is likely based on a treasure, and all of this suggests that his benevolence is also fake!"


    The professor''s every argument had been spective but also sounded extremely logical. Once all of these were stacked up, it did sound like he knew what he was talking about. This had the potential to ruin Josh''s reputation!


    Of course, as the target of such nder, Josh had a thought pass through his head. Hell yes! This would be great for business. He could already picture all the controversy that would happen.


    Josh as an individual was extremely easy to disparage. People would probably lean toward him being a fraud and even want to ridicule him. He had been acknowledged as ssless after all, and people saw that as a sign of weakness.


    But what would happen once there was news about the elusive Dimensional Legion mixed in there? People would lose their minds! Many would call the whole Climbing school a hoax, while others would blindly believe it. The best was that the two groups would fight!


    He could picture the bickering being on the news, the forums, and even bing a casual discussion topic. He himself would be a living paradox. People would soon say: "See, even a ssless guy could aplish all this after training at D.L.! What''s your excuse?"


    The professor looked at him condescendingly while the crowd was staring, holding their breath. They would have erupted in a fit of righteous anger had they been in Josh''s ce. But why did he look so calm right now?


    Josh slowly began¡­pping?!


    CLAP! CLAP!


    "That was good. Critical Thinking ss, was it? You''re great!" He gave the man a thumb up.


    The crowd could only watch, baffled. Not only was he not angry, but he showed no trace of shame or panic. He didn''t look like a man that had anything to hide at all. What was happening exactly?! Even the professor was speechless.


    "I have to say. You''re the most talented storyteller I''ve ever met. You remind me of my grandpa''s adventures; Like when he told me he had defeated a Kraken with a stic spoon. Or how my grandma used to be a goddess from Heaven, well before the raisin-like wrinkles."


    The people were stupefied at first, but then they started chuckling. The professor couldn''t help but shout out: "Are you making fun of me!"


    Josh showed the most innocent expression. "What? No way! I''m praising you! It takes a lot of skill to deliver a fictive story with such eloquence! What is your esteemed name, mister storyteller? You can call me Josh!"


    "Even if you try to turn this into a joke, you can''t deny all this evidence that I have collected! How do you exin all of it, eh?! Where were you when the sloths were rampaging in Metropolis D?!" The guy shouted while gesticting.


    "This is a bit embarrassing, but at your mom''s ce, son. Don''t worry. You don''t have to call me dad if you''re not ready yet. I understand." Josh was nodding in an understanding manner.


    "YOU! You using humor won''t get you out of this! Is that all you have to say to these people watching right now that you tried tricking?" The professor had lost all the cool he once had.


    "Then, where were you when the sloths attacked Metropolis-D? Why didn''t I see you helping when I got there?" Josh politely asked, his eyebrows raised in exaggerated confusion.


    "This isn''t about me! I''m a professor, not a warrior! Plus, I never imed to be anyone''s savior! But I cannot remain idle when a ssless man on Floor 18 is getting hailed as a hero when he is, in fact, a liar and a fraud!" He spat out.


    "Did I ever im to be a hero?" Josh looked around, puzzled as if asking the crowd.


    "Humph, the truth wille out as it always does!" The professor turned tail and ran away. Still, his provocative speech was bound to spark attention. Josh waved him goodbye, didn''t allow any question, and entered the Tower once more.


    Right now, the less he said, and the more viral this would be. There were bound to be people wondering why he didn''tment much. Some would defend him, and some would bash him anonymously.


    But, now it was time to farm, and farm he did! He dispatched Iron Giants as if mere weeds¡ª albeit dangerous and very tall ones.


    - 12 Iron Giants 44/100


    -24 Iron Giants 92/100


    -36 Iron Giants 32/100 +1 Gem! Nom Nom! + 40 Mana!


    - 72 Iron giants 67/100 +1 Gem! Nom Nom! + 30 Mana!


    -108 Iron Giants 2/100 +2 Gem! Nom Nom! + 20 Mana! Nom Nom! + 10 Mana!


    -144 Iron Giants 38/100 +1 Gem! Nom Nom! + 0 Mana?!


    For some reason, thest one hadn''t given him any stats?! It seemed like there was a limit of 5 gems that could be consumed. Still, it was already awesome!


    Mana : 5900 ¡ª> 6050


    What made this even better was that it would give him an edge over the other Climbers. As long as he found more opportunities like this one, he would be able to tower over others of the same level just from his stats.


    Josh happily exited the Tower. The fresh air, along with the light of the setting sun, weed him. This had been a productive day! His training had given plenty of time for the people outside to discuss and get riled up.


    He could see all of them busy watching their UW with so much focus that they even missed himing out. He couldn''t help but nod appreciatively: this was the type of attention he was expecting this debate to get.


    He expected the side bashing him to be winning as they had slightly more arguments. But, he had made a good enough impression for there to be resistance. He sneakily approached a nearby group.


    There was a mix of civilians, Climbers, and journalists bunched together. All their gazes were fixed on a video as they asionally eximed in shock or fright. Wait, fright?! There had to be something wrong here.


    Then as Josh observed more attentively, he realized that this wasn''t at all what he had expected. What other event was there to take the spotlight away from the current drama he had caused?! Who dared?


    But then Josh waspletely stunned. They were watching an emergency news report from Metropolis-H. The whole city was apparently getting attacked! Drones were being dispatched to get a better picture of what was happening.


    Their target was a medium-sized shop that was very peculiar and was believed to be the origin of the disaster. This unassuming shop sold costumes all year long and had a very peculiar name: it was called ''Forty Millenniums of Carnival''.


    Josh knew it very well, for he had gone through it when he was exiting Gene Corp. Back then, he had even chuckled as the name reminded him of something cool.


    As for the culprit...Of course, Josh knew him. It was him!


    Oops...


    Creator''s Thought


    This is a PSA for all of you! If you somehow find an item that looks anything like <E+ Breath of Corruption>, be very careful before using it. Well, anything with Corruption in its name should be handled with care. What happened next should exin the dangers perfectly.

 Chapter 206: Tentacles

    <h4>Chapter 206: Tentacles</h4>


    The screams of the innocent citizens resounded across Metropolis-H while their panicked footsteps were heard. This was a nightmare, with monsters spreading all across the city like a swarm.


    How could such a thing have happened?! Who was evil enough to cause such disaster?! The monsters came out of nowhere and were still streaming out at that very moment in seemingly endless waves.


    The night was dark and full of terror¡­ but also tentacles?!


    Drones hovered in the air, humming slightly and filming the carnage. Abominations ran or galloped on all four out of the ''Forty Millenniums of Carnival'' while screaming distorted guttural sounds.


    They all appeared in monstrous semi-human shapes with animal characteristics: rats, lizards, frogs, dogs, wolves, etc. It was a goddamn freak show! If that wasn''t enough, distorted and disgusting fleshy appendages wereing out of their bodies.


    It seemed as if some devious chaotic god had decided to mix humans, animals, and eldritch abominations together in one value package. Some of these were bloodthirsty, while others just stood there licking their balls.


    It was a huge mess! Many humans died in the first minutes with blood painting the pavement a deep red. Then, it became a free-for-all with everyone trying to save their own skin. At this point, the guilds and the MTA were barely just organizing a rescue.


    The entire world was watching the happenings while holding their breath as some crusty news anchor''s voice announced an important message:


    "We believe these creatures to be the results of failed experimentations by the Gene Corp criminal organization. We had been hunting them for so long. It seems they had been hiding under the Metropolis all this while!"


    "To all the civilians, please remain inside. These ''things'' seem driven by their pure maddening instincts. Do not let them see you, do not make any noise. Help is on the way. Stay safe, for too many have already died!"


    "To all the Climbers that want to help us survive the night, please assemble at the MTA. There will be a crusade to eradicate them all. This is Metropolis-H, and we will survive!"


    The in-real-time footage was horrific:


    A youngdy could be seen valiantly fighting atop a toppled statue until a barbed tentacle pierced her skull, dragging her lifeless body backward.


    A man could be seen dashing into a building and closing the door in the face of his friend while apologizing loudly. But that didn''t help the man left behind, that got devoured in seconds.


    An old man began swearing as he was getting encircled. It didn''t take long for him to be torn from limb to limb, with the monsters even yfully fighting for the blood dripping pieces.


    A valiant youngster was defending a little girl from the creatures. He was missing an arm, but he kept swinging a spear while screaming his lungs out. His sheer energy kept the monsters at bay as they attacked the weaker targets.


    A mother could be seen fighting an abomination with her sandals as she defended her son. The kid was holding back his tears and trying to help the best he could.


    But all these were bound to die for the help they expected was busy regrouping. There would be no salvation for them. They despaired and understood it, but they kept struggling. Their lives were nothing more than small flickering mes that would be snuffed out soon.


    Josh stared at the screen, his eyes shaking for once. This was all his fault. He had been the one leaving these creatures unattended in there. He had been convinced that they would devour each other with barely any escaping.


    He had been wrong, and these poor souls were paying the price. How many would lose their loved ones to this mistake of his? His good mood instantly soured. Everything had been going so well, but perhaps that had all been an illusion.


    He could hear the various discussions around:


    "This is horrible."


    Yes, it was.


    "Isn''t it ironic? It''s an open secret that the MTA of Metropolis-H is protecting Gene Corp. Now they are paying the price!"


    No, they weren''t. It was these people dying that would pay the true price. The MTA likely wouldn''t care nor be affected that much.


    "I wish I could help them. But, by the time we can even get there, it will all be over for sure. It''s already toote."


    Yes, in retrospect, Josh should have warned the MTA about it so they could assemble a strike force. He hadn''t because it would have brought unwanted attention to him, but also because he didn''t think it would escte that much.


    "Eh, this is funny. Look at that mother using flip-flops! Dumb Bitch!"


    Josh turned toward the man that had uttered that sentence. "You, show a little respect." He growled akin to a wild beast.


    "You want me to show respect to that useless broad? Why should I care? I''m not one of your brainless fans, and I don''t believe in your bullshit good persona. You don''t care about them one bit. and this dumb bitch is going to¡ª"


    Josh couldn''t tolerate it anymore and dashed toward the asshole. He punched his face with all his strength making him fall, hard, with his teeth scattering all over.


    Instantly, security U-Bots encircled Josh and were ready to restrain him. But that''s when a bystander said aloud: "I''ll be a witness. It was self-defense!". Then another and another chimed in corroborating.


    "Humph, Humph, Humph! (You motherfucker I''ll bring you to justice and¡ª!)." The victim began screaming, but then Josh showed clear killing intent, and the man froze before running away at full speed.


    Josh wasn''t too worried about him. Getting his teeth back would be easy with a decent healing item. But he couldn''t help but sigh at his own overreaction. As much as he hated it, the man had been right.


    He didn''t care about them one bit. An infinite number of innocents could die that he wouldn''t bat an eye, for the world was a cruel ce. But these guys were dying because of him. He had involuntarily perpetuated the same pain he had felt back then.


    He forced himself to watch the footage: it was his sin to bear. He would engrave their dying expression in his memory as a reminder for the future. He wouldn''t dwell in guilt, far from it, but he would at least learn from it.


    "Holy shit! Look at that side. That has to be a Boss for sure!" A bystander eximed with shock.


    There was a neer on the scene. It was a monster with countless tentaclesing out of its back and a slim build. All the other creatures were making way for it, bowing their heads politely.


    There was also something very different about it: it was wearing clothing! It had some kind of white garment over its body. Josh couldn''t help but stare in shock: this was ab coat. The creature slowly approached the struggling people.


    That is when it grabbed them with its tentacles as if giant whips. They screamed in fear and distress, but it didn''t bother with their reactions. It kept grabbing each, all until the few dozen humans still alive were all in his grasp.


    That is when the other creatures finally approached, seemingly wanting it to share some of its food with them. It mercilessly pped them with its tentacles: sending them flying away and drawing blood. They could only whimper in defeat.


    That is when the creature raised its head up, staring straight at the cameras. That is when Josh saw the creature''s eyes, no, the man''s eyes. He was still lucid! He still had a human mind!


    There was visible affection in the way his eyes twinkled, watching his captives. He slowly left the area, bringing them to God knows where. He had managed to waltz in and save them from its mindless brethren!


    Sometimes life truly was strange. Josh had been regretting his action that would cause so many irrelevant victims, but then the Doctor had stepped in. Josh had left the man in there expecting him to die, for he had been unsure of his intentions.


    Yet, even as a monster, he still found the time to save lives. It seemed like Josh had clearly misunderstood the poor man.


    That''s when the cameras went dark. Apparently, one of these abominations had begun throwing rocks at them for fun. Josh didn''t have the mood to listen to the rest as it would probably be spection and reassuring lies.


    "It seems monsters areing out in all Metropolises! I thought we were unlucky to be attacked by sloths, but they''re 100X better than those disgusting things!"A bystander was patting his chest in relief.


    "Ah, that''s because we were lucky! We had a brave hero to take care of them before they could cause any important damage!" A man was putting him on a pedestal.


    "No, this won''t work. You guys have seen it: those monsters were so numerous and fast! I''m going back to the Tower to train, and when the timees, I''ll be able to save people too." A Climber dered valiantly.


    "Do you see that? You inspire people. They want to be just like you. Also, don''t listen to the people screaming that you''re a fraud. We believe in you!" A reporter winked at him.


    Little did they know both incidents had been caused by his fight with Gene Corp, not that it was just about him either. Perhaps this tragedy could serve as a warning for some and inspire others to be stronger.


    Josh''s new Climber school would be even more popr thanks to it, wouldn''t it? Perhaps it was time for him to change his n a little bit. He couldn''t just train a private force anymore. He had to ensure the world didn''t gopletely to shit.


    Why? Because that would be an inconvenience. Well, he''d start with the famous farm and meet his wannabe recruiter Frank...


    Creator''s Thought


    Many ''luckily'' got rescued by The Doctor and the creatures were subsequently properly annihted. Perhaps it was because of my pensive mood, but I had missed an important detail. Why would a monster suddenly start destroying the cameras? Was it only instinct?

 Chapter 207: Traveling In Style +++

    <h4>Chapter 207: Traveling In Style +++</h4>


    The ''festival'' at Metropolis-D had finallye to an end. People had gone home or were busy Climbing. As for Josh, it was time for him to go back to Metropolis-C. That is when he noticed that the young Dumpling Maker was still there.


    "Hey, you. Would you happen to have a driver''s license?" He asked, hopeful.


    "Me? No, I don''t. I came here to make money on the cheapest bus I could find. Besides food, I can''t afford much." He looked away while sighing.


    Josh tried messaging Armin, but the man was busy. Then again, perhaps it was time for Josh to learn to drive. Then he would go to the DMV''s equivalent in this world and¡ª as if! He gently tapped on his UW.


    Ring-Ring-Ring!


    "Hello, Markus! I need a tiny little favor!" Josh initiated the call.


    Then, one thing led to another, and he was soon driving a bright and very cheap yellow flying car happily. (Next morning)


    The feeling on takeoff had been the best! He had felt his body press on the seat as if a pancake. The excitement had been through the roof, and it had given him the feeling to be a kid with a brand new toy!


    Even now, he was still enjoying the drive so much while singing loudly (and off-key) to some random pop music song. He was proud to admit that he was getting at least 10% of the lyrics right, which wasn''t that bad for his first time!


    Next to him, there was his ashenpanion that kept making a fuss. It was one sillyint after the other! But, Josh was in such a great mood that even that couldn''t damper his happiness:


    "Please stop singing! My eardrums are about to burst, and my brain is about to turn into mush! If you can''t sing, please don''t! This is literal torture!"


    "Don''t worry. You''ll get used to it."


    "Why are we going so fast? The engine is literally burning up. I can smell the smoke from here!"


    "Don''t worry. It will be fine. It''s because it''s a used car, probably."


    "Watch where you''re going! We''re about to crash into another ship, again! Please just activate the driving AI!"


    "Don''t worry. I''m already getting the hang of it. Plus, I''m actually enjoying driving."


    "I enjoy living! Also, why the heck are we going to Metropolis-C with a goddamn ck Legion armada in the first ce?! Are you trying to attack someone?!"


    "Don''t worry. It looks cool."


    "No, seriously! Didn''t you say you were going to visit a few friends?! Is that how you usually do it?! Can''t we just go quietly?!"


    "Don''t worry. I''m sure they''ll think this looks cool."


    "I''m not worried about that! What if we get shot down by the Metropolis defenses?! What then?! They literally just changed the system after thest attacks from¡ª"


    "Hey, stopining, or I''ll drop you on the side of the road!"


    "Please do that! I don''t want to y any part in this madness!" The Dumpling Maker shouted, making his stand clear.


    "Oh? Are you sure?" Josh asked innocently sounding.


    "YES! This is clearly overexaggerated. I don''t know what you told Sir Markus, but I''m sure he''s gonna be pissed once he finds out! There is no way visiting friends warrant such a crazy use of resources. That''s misappropriation!"


    "Oh, okay. I thought you''d want to hitch a ride since we''re going to Dimensional Legion''s Climber''s School after this. My bad." Josh apologized.


    "What?! Seriously?! That''s the destination?!" He cried out in shock.


    "Yep, guess I forgot to mention it. Anyway, I''ll drop you off¡ª"


    "I''m staying! My butt is stuck to the seat for some reason. Ah, but don''t worry about me. Let''s just keep going. I don''t want to slow you down!"


    "That''s the spirit! Now, let''s sing, be merry and increase the pace!"


    An audible GULP was heard. "S-sure. Let''s be merry-AH that''s way too fast!"


    That is the moment when the Dumpling Maker embraced the insanely bad driving, the questionable journey, and even the horrifying singing, all for his dreams.


    ****


    The bright yellow cheap car was speeding through the air. Right behind it, there was an incredible fleetposed of a few dozen warships. They were allrge, coated in ck, armed to the teeth, and seemingly ready for intergctic war.


    From time to time, they flew over farms. The upants would then get the shock of their lives as they saw, felt, and definitely heard this armada pass through. They would raise up their eyes toward the sky and think to themselves, ''WTF!''.


    Some thought that the world was ending. They had heard about the attacks on Metropolis-C, then about the monsters in Metropolis-H, and now this! Was there going to be a world war once again?


    Not a single soul understood the true meaning of it: a madman had requested military help for his own benefit and had actually obtained it. The small car was hard to discern, and even the top guilds wouldn''t have been able to warrant such support.


    The scene was even more shocking for the inhabitants of Metropolis-C. Markus had called in advance ahead of time to inform the MTA of the fleet''s arrival. Allistair had then ryed the information to people, but many hadn''t gotten the memo yet because of limited time.


    This created two reactions. There were the ones that had seen the news and were aware that this was nothing more than a ''mobilization exercise'' and the ones that werepletely freaking out.


    "What the fuck is this?! What is happening?! Why are you guys so rxed?!" A man losing his mind called out to another calmly sipping coffee on the side.


    "The Dark Legion is apparently making a surprise air show to train. Something about patroling to remind our citizens and enemies of our strength. It''s probably rted to the other recent security measures." He shrugged rxedly.


    "Wow, okay. Still, this timing feels so weird and¡ª" He stopped talking abruptly, bbergasted.


    He then began rubbing his eyes as if he was seeing something unbelievable. But, after seeing the fully armored war fleet, was there anything more surprising? The man by the side found it peculiar.


    "Are you alright, man?" He asked, worried about the man''s sudden silence.


    While still rubbing his eyes, the man pointed toward the armada. "Look right there. Is that a goddamn yellow car, or am I going crazy?! Did it fly in there by mistake or something? But how?!" This really didn''t make any sense.


    But then the previously calm guy noticed something and began shaking. "Oh god! Look at their trajectory! The whole fleet is following that shitty-looking car! Who the heck is driving it?!" He cried out cked-jawed.


    "Wait, does that mean their leader is driving it?! Someone that can literally ride any damn ship he wants is riding THAT?! Voluntarily too, right?! Why?!"


    "Holy shit. It takes a very special mind to do something like that. There is definitely something wrong with the guy, and¡­.actually, I''ll shut up. Whoever is in there is awesome!" He changed his discourse in sudden realization.


    "Ah, you''re right! Whoever is in there is amazing!" Hispanion shouted loudly while making sure everyone nearby had heard that part.


    ****


    Meanwhile, in the biggest ship of them all, a tall mature-looking military man was trying his best to refrain fromughing out loud. At his side, another man with the same military uniform was frowning.


    "Are you finding this funny, Roderick? Does it please you to put me in such an embarrassing situation? May I remind you that if it wasn''t for your intervention, we wouldn''t be here in the first ce!" The man was frowning, extremely displeased.


    "Hahahaha. This is actually funny. Don''t worry, general Gaiden. I know how this looks, but he''s neither a fool nor a clown¡­ he''s¡­ It''s hard to exin, but I guarantee you won''t regret taking part in this expedition. Trust me!" Roderick patted his chest confidently.


    General Gaiden, the man in charge of the fleet, found the whole thing ridiculous, but he stoppedining. This looked like a monumental joke and a waste of time! But, both thend troops general and the leader of Metropolis-D supported the man. There had to be a reason, right?


    But, Gaiden couldn''t help but feel doubt again as he looked at their trajectory. "Where is he leading us? Wasn''t our destination supposed to be Metropolis-C?" He asked suspiciously.


    Roderick looked at the navigation instruments before eximing in realization: "We''re heading to ''Very Happy Farms''! I''m sure of it!"


    ''Very Happy Farms'', was it? Gaiden, of course, knew about it. Some believed it to be rted to Dimensional Legion, while others thought it was a scam. Some even affirmed that Draconic was linked to it. They had saved the farmer there, but it could have been just on a whim too.


    "We''ll know soon. Do you want me to call Josh to have him exin?" Roderick offered.


    General Gaiden nodded decisively. He would have done so earlier if Roderick hadn''t insisted that they could simply trust him over and over. The man called in speaker mode so they could both hear it at once.


    Ring-Ring-Ring


    The call connected:


    "???? I''m gOnNa rEaCh tHe sTaRs aNd¡ª Oh, what''s up? ¡ª I''m gOnNA FlY AwAy lIkE A BiG MeTaL BiRd tHaT JuSt wAnTs!!! ????"


    Click!


    Roderick decisively ended the call. Whatever was happening over there was a disaster: it was a sound attack that was horrible enough to render anyone insane! The men looked at each other.


    "Was that¡­singing?!"


    "I believe it was¡­.but¡­."


    "Yes, it was very ¡­powerful!"


    They nodded as they knew what the other meant. Josh singing pop music was truly memorable. That is when they resolved to acquire some of his recordings. They could use it when interrogating criminals.


    Then again, they would have to be careful with that. After all, this couldn''t be considered anything but inhumane. But that would be forter. They were about to arrive at their destination...


    Creator''s Thought


    Loud singing is an acquired taste. It may sound foreign to an untrained ear, but is awesome once embraced. The proof was the Dumpling Maker. He was happily singing along toward the end of the trip. See! It''s not me who''s wrong it''s them who don''t know art!

 Chapter 208: Warm Farm

    <h4>Chapter 208: Warm Farm</h4>


    ****(POV)


    That day started like any other normal day on the farm. Welner looked at the beautiful sky, sensed the morning breeze ruffling his clothes, and felt the pleasant temperature.


    At that moment, he was truly d to be alive and to be overseeing this ce. In the beginning, he had done it to ensure a good life for his grandson. However, that had since changed: he had a reason to remain now, a very simple one.


    "Morning, mister Welner!" A young girl greeted him. This one looked delicate and gentle, but he had seen her floor a veteran with one punch straight to the jaw when he had been disrespectful.


    "Sir, I''ve done as you''ve suggested me, and it worked wonders! Changing the nt''s position a bit helped so much!" A bubbly young man was radiating satisfaction from this seemingly simple sess.


    "Old man Welner, I got you some breakfast! Sunnyside up as usual. You have to eat well, or we''ll be in trouble." A man that was almost as old as him but looked younger, thanks to being a Climber, cheerfully walked over with a tray full of food.


    "Hey, why are you already awake old man? You should be rxing in your bed. You were upte with us watching the events in Metropolis-H. Rest is important!" Said the one that had spent the night drafting emergency ns for the farm.


    "Grandpa, you''re awake!" His own grandson greeted him with a huge smile that didn''t hide in any way the many cuts adorning his entire body and the obvious fatigue. He was working hard, too hard.


    To truly understand the situation on the farm, one had to go back a bit in time:


    Recently, Welner had been captured with many of the workers not moving a finger to help. Well, at least initially. Out of the 500, 145 banded together and ran to his rescue. Sadly they were then stopped by the guilds.


    These loyal people watched in frustration as he was being tortured for information. Luckily Draconic hade to help extremely quickly as if bloodthirsty angels. Many thought this would end the incident but far from it.


    Afterward was the period that the farmers called the purge. All of the ''assholes'' that had only watched without even trying to help were kicked out. Many also didn''t care anymore because Dimensional Legion hadn''t even shown itself.


    Many expected the farm to be a deste area void of people, but the opposite happened. There still were 500 workers¡ª no, they were true farmers by now. They were the ones that truly cared about this ce. Well, the irrelevant people had long gone away.


    They weren''t even doing it in hopes of meeting Dimensional Legion. They were staying for him and the farm. But, they knew that him being in charge of things was putting a target on his back, all because of silly rumors.


    That''s why they decided they would do their very best to take care of him. Many began training even harder in order to have the strength to protect the ones they loved. His grandson was the same.


    Every morning, Welner would wake up with a huge grin on his face and tear in his eyes, for he knew how lucky he was. This simple life was more than he could have ever hoped for. He had the best family members and not just the blood-rted ones.


    Part of him felt they were wasting time farming when they could be doing something else, but he also knew how important it was to have something to fight for. He knew how important it was to have a home.


    He truly felt blessed and savored every single instant that he still had. One never knew when a cmity would happen after all. In fact, the scary news from yesterday had rekindled everyone''s fighting spirit.


    Just as he was smiling happily, Welner noticed the expression of a quiet girl nearby. This one always seemed lost in thoughts and was always researching something on her UW. Her brows were furrowed and her expression grave.


    A few noticed it too and became tensed. Usually, she always seemed impassive to most of what was happening. Chances were that it was something concerning the farm in one way or another, and it seemed serious.


    But just as they were about to start asking questions, a man they all knew well enteredughing out loud. He was in charge of the interview for new potential members. They were highly selective not to ept bad apples.


    "You guys, I have great news! Actually, it''s better than great news!" He dered grandiosely.


    "There is something else that¡ª" The quiet girl tried talking, but Frank gestured her to stop.


    "This news of mine is urgent. Alright, I have an opportunity for you all. It will be in Metropolis-D, and it''s ''training''. I''ve been told it will be extremely difficult and the teacher isn''t responsible for any suicide that happens on the premises. Anyone interested?"


    They all looked at each other ufortably. ''Training'' was good, but what was with that suicide disimer? But the real problem was that it was in Metropolis-D. Were they supposed to leave the farm behind?


    That is when Welner chimed in: "All of you, I will be fine here alone. Whoever wants to go should. I am just a regr old man, not even a Climber, but I know this: one should follow one''s heart. Life is meant to be lived courageously!"


    They all understood his meaning. He was telling them not to be weighed down by their insecurities, which included leaving the old man behind. For many here, he was more than a mentor. He was family.


    That is when Welner''s grandson proposed something: "How about we take turns? We can go by batches of 100 and train until we drop. Then we cane back and recuperate at the farm and send the next group!"


    "I''m not sure if there are 100 ces, but we can try and get as many spots as possible." Frank approved while chuckling.


    The answers were instantaneous and unanimously in favor:


    "Hell yes, that works!"


    "Call everyone in!"


    "Many are Climbing. We can start with whoever is here or answers the call."


    "Sounds good!"


    Welner couldn''t help but feel proud watching them run around excitingly, trying to assemble everyone. What made him feel emotional wasn''t their drive but the fact that the right reasons drove them.


    Well, perhaps that was only him being sentimental as an old man. He was getting old for sure. But somehow, he felt that he could leave his grandson with these wonderful people no matter what would happen.


    Life was amazing at times. Welner would have never imagined that selling his farm to these mysterious people would have such an impact. Even now, he wasn''t sure if they had only done so jokingly.


    This was highly possible as there had been no sign of them since the very first day. Yet, he was so thankful. No matter what their intentions had been, they had helped him tremendously. He had no worries anymore, and he felt free to enjoy life.


    Before long, Frank had organized them to stand in an open-air space under the warm sun. For some reason, they were all in a file as if soldiers. They all showed puzzled expressions as they still followed his directives.


    They had spent enough time gardening together to know that he was up to something. They knew he wouldn''t harm them, so they all waited patiently.


    "Are you guys ready? Any second now, my friend should be here to pick a few people for training. Don''t be too shocked-." He was smiling mischievously.


    "For a dinosaur like me, nothing is too shocking." Welner softly chuckled.


    At his age, he was like a de of grass in the wind. He would just go with the flow. Welner waited for the show peacefully. A few secondster, something appeared, and he couldn''t help but wisely utter:


    "What the fuck is that?!"


    "Surprised, old man?" Frank yfully asked.


    They all jumped up as they heard the old man swear, but they had to admit: that''s exactly what they had been thinking themselves!


    A war fleet had appeared out of nowhere! At first, many thought it was a coincidence. After all, some had seen the news of the ships being spotted on a routine exercise. But then, the big yet sleek ck ships stopped right above their heads.


    Their mouths werepletely open in shock as they couldn''t believe their eyes. What was the ck Legion doing here?! But when they saw the ridiculous yellow car driving toward them, they were even more confused.


    Itnded as the door opened with a THUD. There was some annoyingly cheesy pop music being sted inside. Soon exited a man in a cheap gray suit that looked so damn ordinary! This would be their first meeting with Josh MF Malum.


    Welner couldn''t help but feel something deep inside him resonate as he made eye contact with the neer. He had the feeling of exchanging gaze with someone even older than he was. But, he then returned to his senses.


    What?! This man was young, exceptionally sopared to him. His mannerisms and his yful smile screamed of youth. Then why? That''s when he understood. This man had lived, truly lived, way too much already.


    But, he could feel it somehow: behind this happy-go-lucky persona, there was more despair than anyone could ever fathom. No, perhaps it wasn''t that there was too much sorrow. It was that the man clung to it.


    Welner had no idea why or how he knew this, but he felt one thing for sure. If anyone could teach his new family how to protect their loved ones, it would be this man¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    So many get confused about what the term family truly refers to. It has nothing to do with blood: it''s all about the people you open your heart and soul to. They get to know the real you or in some cases the better version of yourself that you be in their presence.

 Chapter 209: The Interview!

    <h4>Chapter 209: The Interview!</h4>


    *The Interview: no fake fruit, it''s on a farm.*


    ****


    For once, Josh was pleasantly surprised. Right now, he required trustworthy v¡ª volunteers to help him run the school. They would be in charge of all the odd tasks: cooking, ensuring security, healing the broken bodies, etc.


    He had expected the choice of staff to be long and excruciating, but for once, the reality had been far simpler than fiction! How amazing was that!


    Frank had sent all of the information over. The initial n had been to only select a few of them, but the changes that had happened recently had been drastic and for the better.


    All the people left apparently had incredible unity and sky-high loyalty to the Farm, weird right? How wonderful that not only had a tragedy been avoided back then, but it now served as fuel to drive their character growth.


    They were said to be extremely hungry for power: in case a viin targeted them once more, they would be ready. That was as good a motivation as it could get in his eyes.


    As Josh disembarked from the flying car, he was confronted with almost a hundred Climbers organized in neat rows. They all remained silent as they threw suspicious gazes his way, looked at Welner to make sure he was fine, and nced questioningly at Frank.


    In their midst, a few recognized him as the sloth guy as they opened their mouths in shock. Meanwhile, Josh began walking along the lines, inspecting every individual while tersely nodding in approval from time to time.


    They went with the mood and remained cautiously still. Not only was Frank walking to wee the neer, but there was also that crazy powerful fleet above their head. The scene was quite surreal.


    "So, Frank. These are the people you rmended? That''s a lot of them, isn''t it?" Josh made small talk and gave the illusion that their numbers were too high. The avable spots being scarce would raise the value of this training in their minds.


    "Yes, but I''ve spent time with them, and they are all trustworthy! What theyck in potential they make up for in will and determination." Frank assured him with a twinkle of hope in his eyes.


    "I see." Josh nodded, observing them all.


    Some were young, some were middle-aged, and some looked middle-aged but exuded an ancient aura. The way they moved and stood made him feel that way, at least. All were Climbers with about a 50% split of both genders.


    Josh kept gazing intensely at them, nodding at times and sometimes shaking his head. He had his hands behind his back, a proud demeanor, and exuded confidence. This only exacerbated their curiosity.


    He paused in the very center of their formation and waited a few seconds until a somewhat oppressive silence reigned. He then spoke slowly and very artictely. "Frank has told me that you guys wish to be stronger."


    They all unconsciously nodded, many clenching their fists and straightening their backs. He definitely had their undivided attention now.


    "Let me introduce myself first. I am Josh Motherfucking Malum. For anyone that doesn''t watch the news, there were a few sloths invading Metropolis-D recently. I''m the one that took care of that small problem."


    They all appeared bbergasted as Josh could see them react to every keyword. Motherfucking?! ''Few sloths'' and ''small problem''?! They were nightmarish creatures! This man was the one that had solved it?!


    "Now, I''m opening a school to teach Climbers. It will work very simrly to all the other ones existing, except it won''t be a fucking daycare. There will be blood, sweat, hardships, friendship, and magic¡ª whatever, you name it!"


    Climber schoolspared to daycares?! They couldn''t help but react strongly to that statement. The MTA itself had been endorsing these Climber schools! What kind of madness would his be like?


    "I''m going to assume that no one here is fucking blind and that you''ve seen these lovely warships above our heads, yes? They''re big, ck, hard, and throbbing as the engines keep them floating."


    Some could be heard gulping while others became flushed for some obscure reason. Perhaps they were warship enthusiasts?


    "Very soon, I''ll be going back to Metropolis-D and maybe bringing a few of you along. Of course, that is if you guys show enough potential. I''d rather not waste my energy on people so weak that they have a mental breakdown on day 1."


    Many sucked in cold breaths as they heard that small remark. What kind of school had people fail to get through the first day?!


    "Here is how this will y out. We''ll go inside one of the big farm buildings in the back, and I''ll interview every single one of you quickly. Of course, I want the group pre and post-interview separated."


    They all nodded. At this point, they had entirely forgotten that Josh had never asked them if they wanted to join at all. He had just gone: I''m awesome, my school is awesome (in a humble way), and he had chosen for them.


    "Alright, lead the way, Frank. Let''s get this over quickly."


    ****


    Before long, Josh was seated in a veryfy rocking chair in a small empty room. His peaceful swinging would be the very first thing that these extremely nervous interviewees would see.


    Why the heck would he do that? Well, it wasfy, veryfy, and very veryfy. Oh, and it was so fun to see their faces as they entered. They were shocked, confused, and so destabilized!


    A young man entered. He had a kind face, was slightly shaking all over, and yet there was a light in his eyes. His attention was instantly captured by the rhythmic sound that was filling the room.


    *Loud sound of squeaking wood*


    Josh stared at the man''s eyes in silence, slowly rocking. He then began emitting the tiniest hints of killing intent. He progressively raised the intensity in an unnoticeable manner.


    This man would be like a frog in cold water, failing to realize that someone was boiling his surroundings¡ªkilling intent version.


    "¡­" Josh remained silent.


    "¡­" The man was twisting his fingers from the stress.


    *Loud sound of squeaking wood*


    "¡­"


    "¡­" He began to sweat nervously.


    *Loud sound of squeaking wood*


    "¡­"


    "¡­" His knees showed signs of bending.


    *Loud sound of squeaking wood*


    "¡­"


    "¡­" He was trembling all over as if an epileptic patient.


    That''s when the chair stopped squeaking as Josh reigned in his killing intent. The young man returned to his senses, looking everywhere in confusion. How could silence be so ''Loud''?!


    "Alright, you can go. Send the next one in." Josh calmly ordered him.


    He left as if in a trace. He looked like he didn''t have a single clue what had happened in there, and he could even be seen ncing back disoriented. His shoulders were slumped from the shame of failing to understand the nature of the test!


    A few minutester, a young woman entered. She was small, looked cute but had a certain valiance in her eyes. She was probably internally repeating to herself to stay strong right at this moment.


    Josh repeated the earlier scene with the same rhythm and intensity. She opened her mouth, but he gestured her to remain quiet before she could inquire about anything.


    *Loud sound of squeaking wood*


    "¡­"


    "¡­" She was staring at him without even blinking.


    *Loud sound of squeaking wood*


    "¡­"


    "¡­" She began to tap her foot and show signs of fatigue.


    *Loud sound of squeaking wood*


    "¡­"


    "¡­" She repeatedly kept blinking as she pinched herself to focus.


    *Loud sound of squeaking wood*


    "¡­"


    "¡­" Her face was now a mask of fright.


    That is when Josh stopped rocking before uttering: "I will now ask you a question."


    She regained her senses, but she looked at him as if he was a monster. He had scared her shitless while doing absolutely nothing! How?! She forced herself to pay attention: her whole life could very well depend on this single answer.


    "Where did you get that killer robot?" Josh asked her.


    "W-what?!"


    "That right there on your jacket. You have a cute killer robot keychain. Where did you get that?" Josh asked sternly.


    She began panicking. While she tried to hide her emotions, it was all apparent. Was she about to fail because of a mere keychain?! This would obviously be weighing her down as the cute chibi figurine didn''t look soldier-like at all!


    "I-I can get rid of it! This way, it won''t affect the school''s image!" She stammered hurriedly.


    "Why would you get rid of it? It''s super cute!" Josh asked, perplexed.


    "I-I can get you one if you like it." She replied unconsciously and instantly regretted it. He had probably been making random small talk. Why had she talked back?!


    "Oh, nice! I''ll take you up on that offer then. Oh right, you can go and call the next candidate in."


    She left bewildered and unsteady on her feet. What the fuck had just happened in there?! Had she just identally bribed Josh?! Why would he care about such a cheap trinket in the first ce?!


    But most importantly, howe she couldn''t even withstand his mere presence?! Not only was she a Climber, but she had been in many fights in the past. This didn''t make any sense!


    ****


    As she arrived on the other side of the door, she saw Frank waiting there.


    "How did it go?" He curiously asked her.


    "Bad? Horrible? Disastrous? I don''t fucking know?!" She spat out, trying to get rid of this weird feeling the man had given her.


    He had intimidated her, made her lose her bearings, and yet he had done nothing! She wanted to believe he had used a skill, but that somehow felt like a lie.


    "What exactly happened in there? Did he ask you any question?" Frank had heard how the previous interview had gone.


    "He asked me where I bought my keychain..." She whispered in confusion before leaving.


    "Keychain?!" Frank was at a loss too.


    At least, he was convinced that there really wouldn''t be any cheating going on. After all, how could that be possible when no one even understood the test in the first ce?!


    He directed another candidate in worriedly. Meanwhile, Josh was inside having a great time...


    Creator''s Thought


    Who said that interviewing candidates has to be long and difficult? While that method was a little bit out of the box it did have many advantages: 1. Raise credibility and status. 2. Test their breaking point. 3. Have fun looking at their faces.

 Chapter 210: The Power To Slay Dragons

    <h4>Chapter 210: The Power To y Dragons</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Gon was a young man that grew up reading the ssical epics about magic, fighting, dragons, and fighting dragons with magic! He had always wished to one day be as amazing as the Dragon yers in those stories.


    When the Tower appeared, the whole world freaked out! In fact, a small part of him did too, but a bigger part was celebrating this magical wonder. He excitedly made his way to Metropolis-C and witnessed it being built from the ground up.


    He was one of the firsts to volunteer to enter the Tower. For that, he had to sign a contract with a rich resource exploitation corporation, now calling itself a guild. He had to sacrifice his freedom for his dreams, and that''s how he joined Obsidian.


    He had proudly entered the Tower and defeated many Cerberus valiantly, even shouting popr fictional attack names happily in the process. Some found him silly at first, but he carried his team to the end of the Floor.


    Perhaps it was because he had been copying known moves, but he had received the ss: Copy Artist. It wasn''t the one he had been hoping for, but he was nheless ecstatic. When his team reached Floor 5, he began to thank Heaven for his luck.


    That''s when people began getting skills, and he could copy and use every single one of them! While others only had one ability, he became a goddamn one-man army! Sadly, this happiness didn''tst long.


    There were issues with such a thing. He could copy other''s abilities but not their mastery. Soon enough the first incident happened as he lost control: his childhood friend got hurt. She was the one that had convinced him to join Obsidian too.


    The incident wasn''t big, but it was the precursor to a series of failures. By the time they reached Floor 10, he had almost caused many team wipes and lots of financial damage in healing costs.


    That''s when he was kicked out, right as the guild was expanding. He tried to plead that he could do better, that he would train endlessly, but it was no use. By then, he was already nicknamed ''the Number 1 Death Cause''.


    Back in the day, Obsidian was kind of a big guild, even if now they were only C-Ranked. No one wanted to have anything to do with him. They were right for he was trouble itself. Plus, the more abilities he copied and the more likely a critical failure would happen.


    One skill copied meant perfect mastery, but what good was that? Other climbers only had one skill in the beginning, but as they leveled up, they would have so many!


    Two skills copied meant a small risk of something bad happening.


    Three skills copied meant there was a medium risk of something bad happening and the possibility for everything to go wrong. For example, a healing skill could suck the vitality of an ally.


    He was always bound to remain a sub-par imitation of other Climbers. It was a fate that he had initially epted, but that''s when he heard about Very Happy Farms. So many Climbers would all be bunched together: 500 of them!


    That''s when he had a stroke of genius. He would scour the ce and try to copy abilities until he got an extremely strong one. It sounded simple, but it was always a random ability that was getting copied and often its weaker version.


    Furthermore, this act was exhausting and time-consuming. Still, he kept struggling until recently the farm was attacked. Back then, he could only helplessly watch from afar, his nails digging into his flesh.


    He had felt so weak and unworthy, but then he had talked with Frank. Somehow the guy could see the best in people. He had reminded him that if he truly gave up, then even a miracle couldn''t happen.


    That''s why he kept struggling. Today, such a miracle appeared in front of Gon. An incredibly powerful man had appeared out of nowhere along with imposing warships. This rekindled his dwindling hopes.


    This man was his ticket to salvation! He had to have the strongest ss of them all since he had dealt with the sloths. This interview would be Gon''s only chance: he had to copy a skill from this man at all cost!


    Gon could feel his own heart going crazy inside his chest, felt his legs shake, and his stomach constrict. On the side, there was Frank smiling at him encouragingly while giving him a thumbs up. He had probably guessed his n.


    Gon pushed the wooden door open while feeling the rough grain of it. C''mon, Gon, he is just a man. Smile, rx, answer all the questions as best as you can and when he''s not looking copy!


    Actually, it would be best if he asked for a handshake. Physical contact would probably improve the grade of the skill. He entered the room as confidently as possible. His shoulders were wide, his pace steady, and his eyes focusing on¡­What the fuck?!


    There was something wrong with the scene. Josh Malum waszily sitting in a rocking chair. He looked even more casual than Welner when he was taking sunbathing. Was this really a serious interview?!


    Perhaps this was to test his reaction. He should probably greet him and¡­.No, Josh was now gesturing him to remain quiet. The room remained still with the only exception being the chair squeaking.


    Was this a ploy to see how long his nerves wouldst? Gon remained ramrod straight, but no matter how he wracked his brains, he had no clue what Josh was doing. Surely a man of his status had better things to do, right?!


    The silence felt oppressive. Gon had the impression of being judged for every single mistake he had ever made in his life. He could see the man''s eyes that were observing every part of his body as if meat on a cutting board.


    At first, he barely took notice of it, but then it changed. Gon could feel his own lungs struggling to bring him air as his entire body tensed up. He was nothing more than the man''s ything.


    He felt his heart miss a beat as fear plunged sharp daggers into him. He had never felt like this. This primal fear was even worse than the first time he had faced the seemingly invincible vine beetle.


    Just his gaze was enough to raise all the hair of his body. Gon felt cold, weak, and tiny. He couldn''t even hear the creaking of the wood nor perceive the room. There were only these red eyes in front of him. These were the eyes of a devil!


    For a second, Gon could see him furrow his brows in displeasure. The devil had realized how weak he was. He would be sending him away any second. No! He couldn''t ept that!


    Gon felt as if his own body wasn''t his anymore. It belonged to the devil, and he had to wrestle control back. It took all of his efforts to breathe a big mouthful of fresh air slowly. He forced himself to stare back at the devil''s eyes.


    Red, red, red, so much red! No, it was all blood. Blood, blood, motherfucking blood! This was the real Josh Malum. No, Josh Motherfucking Malum! An existence that shouldn''t have been possible.


    He was there. He was everywhere. No, he was omnipresent! Gon felt his heart stop, possibly forever, but he couldn''t ept that! He hit his chest as hard as he could and felt the excruciating pain of his broken rib. He had to endure!


    If he had one ticket out of mediocrity, it would be this devil. He just needed one ability! One incredibly strong ability!


    "Are you alright?" The devil asked, showing a yful smirk.


    Gon had to answer, but he found his tongue frozen. It didn''t follow his will, so he bit it slightly. Then it magically worked again.


    "Yes, Sir!" He uttered while feeling a smidgen of blood escape his lips.


    How many more questions would there be?! Could he even survive another one? No, he had to! This was the only way he''d get close to his target. Stay strong, stay strong, stay strong! He just had to¡­.?!


    It had all stopped. There was a man casually sitting in front of him. He was rxed, innocent, and weak-looking. At that moment, he didn''t feel relief. He felt fear. Had he failed?!


    "I-I can keep going¡ª" Gon uttered.


    "Bravery is fine, but one shouldn''t overdo it either. You really can''t handle it." Josh Malum shrugged.


    No way! Was this all for nothing?! No! He had to try onest thing at least. "Can I shake your hand once as a sign of respect, Sir? It would mean a lot to me!" He begged.


    Josh showed an amused smile before nodding. "Sure."


    Gon approached him with his stiff legs while smiling as much as he could. He wiped the blood and sweat off before putting his hand forward. As he felt the man''s warm hand, he instantly activated his ability.


    Soon he would see a glimpse of his target''s ss, and he would naturally understand one of its abilities. He felt the feedback strongly, but¡­.there was no ss?! How?! This was impossible?!


    As he raised his eyes, he saw that same yful smirk. No, it was a huge grin. The devil had known everything: his identity and his goal. He knew it all! That is when he spoke gently.


    "This is the power of someone that is ssless." Along with these words, the man emitted overwhelming magical energy. No, it was different!


    The entire world ceased to exist. Gon could only see the devil: the incarnation of evil itself. Gon couldn''t stand this aura and forgot to breathe while heavily falling. He barely felt his knees and hands collide with the floor or its cold touch.


    He could barely support his weight on all four, and even then, his entire body began shaking. It started in his innards, then spread to the rest of him in an unstoppable wave. That''s when he started vomiting everything inside of him.


    He vomited his gut, his blood, his worries, and everything he knew about life. What madness was this?! He lost all bearings, but he would never forget this feeling. Doom itself! It was more powerful than anything he had ever felt!


    Gon somehow found the energy to raise his head slowly. It was the most excruciating thing he had ever done. He could feel stings of pain in his skull but endured it all. He finally made eye contact with the towering Josh Motherfucking Malum.


    This was power, true power. This was the power he had always been looking for! He felt more desire for this power than toward life itself.


    With such power, he could y dragons!


    ****


    [A/N] First: !DuckLegionRequest winner: DraGon_yErr. There was no name given so I improvised ;) A new winner will soon be picked!


    Write !DuckLegionRequest in thetest PRIV chaps to participate and write your request. If you''ve already written it somewhere repost !DuckLegionRequest + chapter number of where it''s posted.


    Also winner of the Discord contest = AjTheDude. He asked for best girl cameo (Wolfie). [Uing]


    Creator''s Thought


    How many more had been deemed useless because they didn''t fit the mold? Society determined quickly who was and wasn''t useful but with bias. No one would have believed back then that such a vomiting mess would be the mighty and unkible Dragon Magic Collector.

 Chapter 211: Recruiting 101

    <h4>Chapter 211: Recruiting 101</h4>


    At Very Happy Farms, about a hundred Climbers were basking under the warm sun while a gentle breeze ruffled their clothes. The weather was the very definition of serenity, but these people showed the pr opposite.


    Most of their faces showed iprehension, disappointment, regret, fright, and overall a level of gloominess that would have shocked even an Emo teenager.


    They had disheveled appearances. This included traces of dried-up disgusting bodily fluids, various small injuries, and some werepletely bloodied. They could be heard softly discussing:


    "What even happened in there? Even now, it feels¡­." This Climber felt his vocabrycking to describe it.


    "Surreal? Like a dream? No, it was a nightmare." An ashen-faceddymented.


    "The way he looked at me¡­." One was shaking while sitting in a fetal position.


    "The silence was worse. How can silence be so deafening?!" One was slightly humming to fill every pause as if silence was a ravenous beast about to devour her.


    "The worst was his smile. That damn smile, that''s where all the trouble began! He was just toying with me he was¡­no, it''s over, it''s over already." An old man was shaking his head with his eyes closed, trying to forget.


    "There was a chair. It kept squeaking, loud, so loud! Loud enough that it made my heart stop! How can a chair be so¡­" This one was now flinching whenever she saw a chair.


    "This is crazy. How did we all end up like this?!" One pointed at the pitiful state everyone was in.


    "I scratched myself to remain steady."


    "I shat myself."


    "I got sick."


    "I tried gouging my eyeballs out¡­.but he stopped me."


    "What the fuck happened to you guys?! He just asked me where I bought my keychain. But, he did feel¡­overwhelming." She didn''t know how to describe it either.


    "What?! Did he ask any of you guys questions?"


    "As usual, I had some snacks with me, and he asked for some."


    "He requested I show him my lower back tattoo." One guy embarrassedly confessed.


    "He wanted aplete damage report on how many ants and spiders respectively I had ever stepped on. How should I know?!"


    "He asked me if I was left-handed or right-handed. Nothing else! Why?!"


    "He looked at me dead in the eyes and said ¡­.tits or ass?"


    "He asked me if I believed in our Lord and Savior, the flying spaghetti monster. I awkwardly nodded, but wtf is that?!"


    "He looked at my bald head and murmured something weird. I think it was: 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and a 10 km run."


    "He showed me two pictures and told me to spot the differences, but I couldn''t find any!"


    "He went: Imagine that you just became a father. You decided to name the baby ''X ? A-11''. He was born on September 27th. His right pinkie is slightly bigger than the left one, he has exactly three strands of hair, the nearest pizzeria is 13.7 km away, and D.L. is recruiting. Knowing all this, do you paint the baby''s room Cobalt blue #0047ab or Saphire Blue #0f52ba?"


    "What the heck?!"


    "What did you answer?!"


    "I asked if I could search for the colors since I was unfamiliar with them, but that only made it worse." The man sighed.


    "Why?!"


    "Oh my god! Here, look at this." Someone had searched it on his UW.


    "That''s the same fucking color! What kind of ridiculous question is that?!"


    "Talk about a ridiculous interview! Was he toying with us?! He probably just used some intimidation skill and half-assed it! "


    That''s when Gon couldn''t help but chuckle. "You guys don''t understand. The real test didn''t require you to speak a single word. He was evaluating you as soon as you entered the room."


    "What?! Do you know something about it?!"


    "We all felt it. This presence and power he has: it''s so wonderful! The real test was to observe our reaction. Look at everyone''s sorry state. This was only a sliver of his true power. I can''t even picture his limits!"


    Gon could be seen shaking in excitement as his eyes glimmered in worship just thinking about the scene back then. From now on, he would do his best to follow in Josh Motherfucking Malum''s footsteps.


    The keychain girl spoke up. "But for some, nothing happened at all while others were pushed to the very brink of their endurance. Why?"


    "Yes, this doesn''t make any sense! An interview should be fair for all!"


    "The ones that had it easy either are seeding or didn''t even make it past the preliminary first test."


    "What if the goal was to understand the test in the first ce?"


    "Then we all failed¡­actually perhaps Gon passed? He seems to know more about it."


    "No, I only saw more because I tried ying a trick, and he instantly saw through it. He''s just so amazing and¡­." Gon was back in fan mode.


    "Ah, this sucks! Guess we can only wait and hope for the best."


    "We had one opportunity, and we all blew it. Hopefully, a few are selected, but I know I wouldn''t select myself if I was in his shoes¡­." Heavy sighs apanied these statements.


    They were most likely all failing, given how quickly they had been ushered out of the interview room. That was understandable considering the shameful and disgusting disy that they had shown.


    But even then, the wait was maddening¡­


    ****


    How fun that was! Josh had forgotten how great it was to conduct an interview. Well, that was because he was free to improvise.


    The process had been super rxed, he had received snacks, and it was so damn hrious! They all came in with the determination of an Olympic athlete, and then he would ask them the most random and nonsensical questions he could imagine.


    He had shown some guy the same picture twice before telling him to spot the differences. The super-long color question had been great too. Sometimes stayingpletely silent made it the best kind of awkward.


    It was defying their expectations in such a grand way that none knew how to react. Well, he had done some real testing too. All had managed to resist a hint of his killing intent, with some not admitting defeat.


    Then there was that Gon guy that had tried using his copy ability on him. It was a very weird and ufortable feeling, in fact. Honestly, had the man shown any sign of having bad intentions, Josh would have killed him without an afterthought.


    He was probably the one that showed the most promise, with his ss akin to a wildcard. While he didn''t have it as bad as the cursed monk, it still showed extreme danger for his teammates as long as he couldn''t control it.


    But, it didn''t matter. Josh was confident that he could shape him into being a great climber one day. He didn''t know many things right now, but he could always figure it out as he kept delving deeper into the Tower.


    Anyway, he rose from his rocking chair, looked at the sorry state of the room, and couldn''t help but shake his head slightly. One would have thought people had been ughtered there. There were feces, piss, blood, and even vomit.


    Honestly, all of these people could have easily resisted his killing intent had they been in bat mode''. The problem was that there was no way they would do something that stupid during an interview. Plus, the gradual increase had lulled them into confusion.


    He exited the ce with Frank escorting him out worriedly. The man had seen the state of everyone that had exited that small room, and it had been so bad!


    Josh faced the hundred stressed Climbers biting their lips, or their nails, etc. He then addressed them all, his voice resonating in the silence. "There you all are. Look at each other and tell me: do any of you look recruitment worthy?"


    They did as he asked and could only shake their heads in denial. They had obviously all failed. But that''s when a confident voice was heard.


    "Please bring me with you, Sir! You definitely won''t regret letting me join the training!" It was Gon: the one that looked the worst of them all.


    "Oh? What makes you so confident?" Josh asked, amused.


    "For two reasons, Sir! First, I''m apletely useless piece of trash in the eyes of the world. Second I won''t rest until I be stronger! If I fail, no one will me you. If I seed, it will be thanks to you, and I will forever be grateful!" Gon shouted.


    "That''s pretty shameless of you, don''t you think? What about the teaching cost? Can you even afford it? Even the richest Climbers will fight tooth and nail for this opportunity." Josh reminded.


    Gon was just about to reply that the girl with the keychain began shouting too. "Sir, I too am a piece of trash that won''t rest until I be stronger, and I''ll even do any job to pay for tuition! I''ll cook, do theundry, take care of gardening, anything!"


    That is when they all began shouting in the same manner. It was as if something had just clicked in their head, or perhaps they were all going mad. Frank could only give a helpless smile as he turned toward Josh to try and appease him.


    But Josh was smiling. He wasn''t displeased in the least. It was as if he had been expecting this, even awaiting it. He waved his hand, and the war vessels begannding, so noisily that it drowned all the shouts.


    The sound of thetched door opening resonated in the now silent field. Josh slowly walked toward it before saying onest thing.


    "Let me be frank. None of you have any good potential. In this world, you will only ever be ordinary. The sooner you ept this, the better."


    They lowered their heads in shame, with some showing defiant looks.


    "But¡­if you really can''t ept that, then follow me with the resolve to go against the world itself. However, this road will be filled with suffering, so much suffering that you wille to regret it for sure."


    That is when Josh was seen disappearing in the belly of the warship. There was a moment of silence before Frank could be heardughing out loud, holding his stomach. The Climbers all looked at each other confused.


    "Wait, he said if YOU can''t ept¡­meaning any or even all of us, right?!"


    "There is no way that''s what he meant! Right?"


    "Fuck it! So what if he misspoke? I''m going in!"


    "That''s so shameless! But there is no way I''m missing this opportunity either."


    "Why do I get the feeling he never cared about our potential in the first ce?"


    "Now that I think about it¡­why would he be recruiting here?! Why not ask the stronger guilds?!"


    "Fuck, who cares. I guess we''ll know eventually."


    That is how every one of them entered the ck Legion''s machines to the stupefaction of the soldiers and their generals. Were those the ''few'' passengers that they were picking up?!


    Meanwhile, Josh was happily nodding on the side. Workers for the school? Check ??


    Now, it was time for the next stop¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    That is how you get workers! They would soone to regret following me. In fact, they would regret it every single day until they didn''t. Actually, they would often joke that they should have quit Climbing altogether to focus on farming. At least, I think they were joking.

 Chapter 212: Josh, Yours Forever…XOXO

    <h4>Chapter 212: Josh, Yours Forever¡­XOXO</h4>


    In thergest ship of the ck Fleet, a man was happily going around themanding deck. He observed the different navigation instruments with the innocence and the enthusiasm of a kid left alone at Build-A-Rabbit.


    "Look at this! It looks so awesome! Is that a radar?!" Josh asked excitedly.


    "Y-yes." Answered a soldier that was at aplete loss. What kind of weird VIP was this?! Also, whye in a flying car if he was going to abandon it anyway? Now someone had to drive it back!


    "Oh, is this sleek interface how you guys control the ship? Do you have a button to activate the Nitro to go faster?"


    "K-kinda, but it''s not that simple."


    "What about the weaponry? How does it all work?" Josh asked once more.


    "I''m really not at liberty to talk about that¡­."


    That''s when Roderick interrupted his fun, coughing to grab his attention. "Josh, there is someone you should meet. This here is General Gaiden. He''s in charge of this fleet and is the one tasked with defending our skies should we be invaded."


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you. Both Sir Markus and General Roderick have a great opinion of you. I hope my fleet has managed to reach your expectations." He said, wearing a polite business smile, but Josh could see the slight disdain in his eyes.


    "Your fleet has been great so far! They don''t hold a candle to Armin, but theye in a very close second ce. Great job!" Josh seemingly innocently praised.


    "Armin?" General Gaiden raised his brows inquisitively.


    "He''s an amazing taxi driver. He''s easy to find since he''s the only one with a yellow cab." Josh truthfully replied.


    The poor man was about to cough blood. His armada was beingpared to a goddamn taxi?! It took all his self-control not to murder Josh. He could only clench his teeth hard. But even then, he remained civil.


    "Where are we heading next?" Gaiden slowly asked.


    "TO INFINITY and¡­.Ok, for real: Draconic, the Tower, the MTA, and finally Universal Tech. In that order." Josh ordered.


    "I think we should avoid flying directly over Metropolis-C to avoidplicating this issue. We would have to request permission from Sir Allistair, and there is no way that¡­." General Gaiden objected.


    "Don''t worry. He''s gonna be fine with it. Hell, we''re picking up his people, so it''s the least he can do. Alright, let''s go!"


    Roderick could be seen smiling wryly on the side. Handling the peculiar Josh was definitely proving to be a challenge for his serious colleague. The good thing was that they wouldn''t have to breach the air spacews long.


    First, they stopped at Draconic. As they hovered right above it, the radar began beeping real loud as a few red dots could be seen quickly moving in their direction. A soldier instantly reported it.


    "Sir, our energy field is getting attacked! It seems to be a single man using a huge bow the size of his body."


    "That should be AIYA. How about you remove it then so they can enter? Oh yeah, open a hatch too." Josh remarked as he went toward the back to greet them.


    General Gaiden could only nod with reluctance. This whole thing was a goddamn farce, but he had orders to obey the madman. At this point, he wasn''t sure what was happening anymore. How had even Allistair given his approval?!


    That is when a flying car slowly rose in the air, bringing with it many Climbers just hanging to the metallic exterior. Team 7 was there in all its glory, along with Dale and Kasha.


    "Sup. How are you guys doing?" Josh waved.


    "I can''t believe you really brought the whole fleet with you! Talk about riding in style!" Dale eximed.


    "The reception ceremony is a little shabby, but I''ll take it." Kasha joked.


    "Understood. I guess next time I should st music, add confetti and maybe even fireworks." Josh nodded, seemingly reflecting on his mistakes.


    On the side, bbergasted soldiers were witnessing this exchange. Was this woman crazy?! How was the entire ck Fleet mobilizing to pick them up unsatisfying?!


    As for Team 7, it had already left to explore the ship, waving to Josh in passing. The crew now had five curious children¡ª Climbers to deal with. At least, the hundred or so filthy beggars¡ª Climbers they had picked up before were well-behaved!


    General Gaiden felt like facepalming, but he still ordered his people to follow the itinerary. That is how they stopped as close to the Tower as possible without colliding with the force-field around it.


    The Tower (ess) looked so majestic seen from that high. Josh could watch it from the video feed on a floating screen. He reluctantly avoided his eyes and focused on his current task.


    "Alright, lower a rope for me," Josh said.


    "?! Why would we do that?" It puzzled the crew.


    "So I can go down ande back up without an issue¡­." Josh exined casually.


    That is how the ck Fleet''s, a technological wonder, could soon be seen lowering a rope downward. The soldiers felt like crawling into a hole in shame. Why couldn''t he just take a flying pod down there or even a jet-pack?! Why the rope?!


    But it soon became worse as a soldier called out. "General, he seems to be heading¡­." But then he began to check his instruments to make sure none were faulty.


    "Heading where, soldier?" Gaiden asked sharply.


    "Into the sewers, General. He entered the sewers." The stunned soldier replied.


    They all looked at each other with Josh''s friendughing out loud. Finally, Dale exined to the others: "That''s to be expected. He lives there."


    That is when they all began to question life itself. How the heck was a guy living in a sewer a VIP?!


    But, it soon became even worse. They saw him emerge, dragging something behind him. That thing even got stuck in the manhole. Then they could see him struggle with it for a long minute before finally seeding to bring it out.


    They watched with interest, wondering what he was up to now. Of course, Kasha had already realized it. "Oh yeah, he''s bringing his pet along."


    Josh began climbing the rope back, carrying his killer robot along: no one would be left behind! He finally boarded the ship and ced his robotic pet on the metal floor.


    The scene had already been watched by so many and definitely recorded. Gaiden was about to lose his mind while Roderick slowly uttered: "By the way, this model is advanced enough to fly. You can just order it next time."


    Josh could only nod in realization. He still wasn''t used to themon sense of this futuristic world. He could finally understand the non-tech-savvy people now. But he wouldn''t dwell on such a small mistake.


    "Alright, next destination: the MTA!" Josh happily dered.


    The crew was starting to worry about this next stop. Their temporarymander wouldn''t purposely do something stupid or embarrassing, right? But then they looked at the beggars, the troublemakers, and the killer robot while losing hope.


    That is when Josh recalled the AI that they already had on phones on Earth. Surely his UW would have one, too, right? "Hey Dale, is there a voice recognition AI in my watch, and what is it called?"


    "Oh, it''s called UA, universal assistant. You can activate it in the settings, but it''s really not rmended since it''s easy to mistakenly¡ª" That''s when Dale realized his mistake. The soldiers were ring at him reproachfully.


    "Thanks! UA, send a message to Allistair. Something along the line of¡­." He thought for a few seconds before going:


    "Yo, you armored fool! I''m here to pick up the 50 kids that I''m supposed to babysit. Tell them to get their asses up here ASAP! Oh, but make it a bit more ssy. Thanks a bunch, UA. Oh right, can you find me some training montage music?"


    Josh was clearly having a st, but he then noticed that the atmosphere had turned weird. One after the other, the people nearby began facepalming while eximing.


    "Oh no!" (Crew)


    "Oh no!" (Friends)


    "Oh no!" (Killer Robot?!)


    "What?" Josh waspletely puzzled.


    "You may want to check the message that was sent," Kashaughingly told him.


    Josh checked it and couldn''t help but be taken aback. He now understood why Dale had said that not many used it. The UA had definitely made his message more ''ssy'' except just not in the way he had expected.


    - Josh MF Malum: Yo, my beloved knight in shining armor! I rushed here to pick up our five kids. I can''t wait to spend some quality time with them! Tell them to climb aboard for a joy ride! We will all have so much fun. Signed Josh, yours forever¡­??XOXO??


    - Allistair: WTF ?!!


    Then after that initial message came lots of other messages that were going from mildly angry to very angry. Josh chuckled as he typed, "Sorry, auto-correct," but he had to admit this AI seemed great to write love letters!


    Josh would probably have to fine-tune it a bit, but he couldn''t me the poor AI for it had done its best:


    - Armored fool ¡ª> Knight in shining armor. That really sounded more poetic.


    - The fifty kids ¡ª> Our five kids. Fifty was really too many kids for sure!


    - Babysitting ¡ª> Spending quality time. It wasn''t actually wrong since he would enjoy training them.


    - Get their asses up here ¡ª> Climb for a fun ride. Also true.


    - Then thest finishing touch, the signature. It was truly wonderful: Signed Josh, yours forever¡­??XOXO??


    The biggest mistake the AI had made was to detect a romantic context: probably because of the nickname, the kids, and babysitting. Oh well, no one was perfect.


    That is when a loud bellow was heard as a ck armored mountain of a man crashed aboard the warship!


    "What the fuck do you mean ''Sorry, auto-correct!! Auto-Correct this fist in your fucking face!"


    0_0 (Everyone) The always calm Allistair was swearing?!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    This has to be in the top 10 of the stupid reasons to die list. to mistakenly send such a beautiful love letter to some powerful figure truly is hard. Sometimes my genius is ... it''s almost frightening!

 Chapter 213: Universal Tech

    <h4>Chapter 213: Universal Tech</h4>


    "What the fuck do you mean ''Sorry, auto-correct!! Auto-Correct this fist in your fucking face!" Allistair bellowed loudly.


    The always calm and noble Allistair was swearing?! This shocked everyone present. They couldn''t even picture what the AI had sent to render him so angry: his eyes were utterly red with fury!


    "Oh, Sup! How are you doing, man?" Josh was smiling.


    "Cut the bullshit! Give me one good reason not to unscrew your head right now!" Allistair growled.


    "Aren''t we kind of allies? Anyway, I was using the UA to send you a message, and then this happened. Kinda crazy, right?" Joshughingly exined.


    What kind of apology was this? Surprisingly, that did calm the leader of Metropolis-C a bit. But, he still looked ready for a fight with his ck armor covering his body. "Can you prove it?" He spat out suspiciously.


    "Sure. UA, rey what I told you to send word for word." Josh nodded while crossing his arms confidently.


    That is when the crew all took a few steps away from Josh. Was he crazy?! Didn''t he remember that he had been using less than tteringnguage? The man was digging his own grave!


    That is how the UAplied as Josh''s voice was heard again:


    - Calling Allistair an armored fool.


    - Calling his soldiers kids.


    - Calling training babysitting.


    - Ordering them to get their ass up ASAP in a domineering tone.


    This whole message sounded as if the man was looking down on Allistair along with the MTA. There was no way he would stand there and take the insults from a lower-level Climber! Josh was bound to get brutally beaten up at the very least.


    "See?" Josh innocently said.


    He wasn''t worried too much. For him, such a tone was not a big deal as his victory in theirst confrontation had made them equals. Plus, he had the "backing" of Dimensional Legion. But, for the uninformed, he seemed totally insane.


    "Alright, fine, but I won''t forgive you if it ever happens again," Alistair warned before jumping off from the warship directly. This left the whole group stunned: he was leaving just like that?!


    The way he jumped so smoothly was awe-inspiring. One day Josh would make sure he''d attain such power. He would just have to level up a bit (a lot) and learn new skills.


    The others were even more bbergasted. The man had disparaged Allistair to his face, and nothing terrible had happened to him. Who was he?! This also meant that the other message had somehow been worse. What the hell had it been?!


    They kept wondering but couldn''t find an answer at all. Some were tempted to ask, but then their survival instinct kicked in. This would be forbidden knowledge for sure! Whatever was written in there, Allistair probably wouldn''t want it known.


    As they were busy wondering, the 50 chosen MTA members wereing in. They were surprised as they entered. Why were there beggar-looking people? Why was everyone spaced out? Was this man really the leader?


    Not only did Josh look young, but he didn''t seem that strong either. But, they knew that there was more to him than it seemed. Allistar had shouted that he''d kill him, and yet he was still perfectly healthy. What had happened?!


    "Wee, you all. Alright, let''s head to Universal Tech now." Josh broke their reverie.


    The crew''s faces were filled with worry. Roderick asked him: "Just to be sure. You aren''t going there to cause any trouble, right?"


    "Of course not! Do you seriously think I''m that kind of guy?" Josh asked, faking being offended.


    All the others could be seen twitching uncontrobly, resisting the urge to shout "YES! You''re clearly a troublemaker!" but they remained silent.


    "UA, find the Climber''s World Official''s contact and tell him I''m on my way. We''ll be there in a few minutes so ask them about their air-space regtions and whatnot. Add that the ck Fleet ising. Thanks!"


    Everyone but the neers couldn''t help but re at Josh with their eyes popping. How did he still have the courage to use the AI after what had just happened?! Was he crazy or dumb?!


    The problem had just been him asking the AI to edit. As long as he stayed away from that feature, he felt it was pretty safe. Any normal person would have had PTSD from Allistair gunning for their life, but Josh didn''t care, for he literally had fought the man.


    A few minutester, the Universal Techplex revealed itself to them. Josh had to admit. It looked wonderful! The many buildings there formed a giant robot drawing when seen from the air. It was quite phenomenal!


    "This is so cute!" Josh eximed, with the others watching him baffled once more.


    Blue energy forcefields were protecting every emcement along with U-Bots patrolling. Just as Josh wondered where he was supposed to disembark, a blue robot began floating next to their ship.


    "I am here to escort Josh Malum in." It dered.


    How neat! Josh quickly went outside, feeling the strong and cold wind batter his face. He jumped on the robot''s back, and they were gone for an adventure! Inside, his friends were already betting on what kind of trouble he''d cause, no one betting for none.


    "Right, how do you even know it''s me?" Josh inquired.


    "This model as verified your identity ording to your biometric data."


    "You guys have all my data?!" Josh asked suspiciously. Then again, this much was expected as soon as he registered for the tournament.


    "Affirmative. All of it is protected ording to article I-56 of the Metropolis Alliance Code. For any subsequent information, please refer to the official documentation." It exined.


    That is when the robot flew right toward an energy barrier! "Wait, up! We''re about to¡ª" but then they passed right through it as if it had been nothing more than an illusion.


    Perhaps it was just a trick? That''s when a bird followed after them, disintegratingpletely as soon as it touched the barrier. Damn! Josh hardened his grip on his guide, making sure to hold on tight.


    The U-Bot flew directly toward the exterior of a building, instantly passing through the wall that seemed to open and close up by itself. What the fuck?! "What''s up with that?!" Josh eximed, but the U-Bot dropped him and left silently.


    The inside was aboratory: the clean kind with only a few machines strewn around the room. Sitting on a small stool, a man with sses watched videos while sipping coffee, looking slightly bored.


    He noticed Josh''s arrival,zily paused his video, looked at him, and couldn''t help but crack a smile. "You''re Josh Malum, the one that brought the ck Fleet along, right?"


    "How did you¡ª"


    "You''re literally the only one that hasn''t imed his capsule yet."


    "How did the wall do that?" Josh asked, puzzled.


    "These are chockfull of nanomachines, making changing the shape possible. Not only does it allow an entry point anywhere, but even buildings can be moved on a whim. We sometimes make cool drawings with the structure themselves." He exined casually.


    How was the man not excited about something as amazing?! Then again, Josh had to admit that it would probably lose its novelty feeling after the first time. For now, he should probably handle his business here quickly.


    "How do we proceed for¡ª"


    "You see that chair over there? Go sit on it. Ah, by the way, how was the ck Fleet ?" He said while winking.


    "Pretty nice, but they didn''t want to show me their weaponry, and I couldn''t notice any either. It''s all hidden somehow, which is both cool and needlessly secretive." Josh shared as he sat on the metal chair in the middle of the room.


    "Is itfortable enough?"


    "Yeah, it''s decent."


    "Alright, put your arms on the armrests. Yes, just like that."


    Joshplied, and then suddenly metal came out of it and locked him in ce. It was so tight that he couldn''t move at all! "What''s with this?" He asked.


    That is when the bored-looking scientist took off his sses, flicked his hair backward, and beganughing maniacally. (B-Rated movie kind)


    "Muhaha, you have fallen into my trap! From now on, I will be free to experiment on you all I want. First, I will brainwash you, and then I will take control of the entire ck Fleet! Muhaha!"


    What was up with this situation? Josh began pleading: "Nooo, please! I just came here for a capsule. Have mercy on this pitiful soul!"


    "Man, this is great. I freaking knew you were a roleyer as soon as I received that message. Oh crap, I''m breaking character!" He coughed awkwardly. "This chair you are sitting ones from Gene Corp. It was just acquired as the evil organization fell. Are you scared yet?!"


    "Okay, that kinda kills it for me. With the Nightmare''s ability, they needed the straps to hold people for long periods, not to be super resistant. That''s why they used leather. As for yourugh, it should be Muahahaha instead of Muhaha. See the difference?" Josh patiently guided him.


    "Ah, I can''t even make a good viin. You were not worried one bit." The man sighed.


    "I mean, there is no way that true brainwashing can be done that fast, am I right? You''d be stopped way before it became dangerous." Josh remarked.


    There were probably brainwashing skills out there, right? Please, he could even resist the sloths'' soul attack!


    "Yeah, you''re right, regtions are pretty strict. Plus, this ce isn''t even my exclusiveb. It''s just a temporary testing room for Climber''s World beta." He admitted.


    "No, I meant that you''d be in trouble with the ck Fleet. They''re waiting for me toe back after all." Josh retorted.


    "Oh my god! You''re fucking awesome, man. I loved that yful line in your text about using the ck Fleet as a taxi. It''s so crazy yet simple. How do you evene up with this stuff? Such an amazing setting for such a mundane task is pure genius!" he praised.


    Josh looked at him straight in the eyes. "I''m serious. They''re right above thisplex and are waiting for me. If we take too long, they will open fire and destroy the whole ce!"


    "You''re so damn convincing! I almost believe you!"


    "Just check." Josh shrugged.


    "Alright, here, see?" The man showed him a screen that showed the defense perimeter with the glowing forcefield. He showed a slight smile as he did so.


    "Try moving the camera to look a tiny bit higher," Josh suggested.


    The man touched the screen and then dropped his coffee mug in shock. "What the actual fuck?! How is this possible?! What are they doing here?!"


    "I already told you, waiting for me." Josh rxedly reiterated.


    "Holy fuck! I need at least 15 minutes to synchronize a capsule for you perfectly. How long do we have?! If they destroy the ce, how am I going toplete my work?!" He cried out, desperate.


    Wait...how was that his number one concern?....


    Creator''s Thought


    At that moment I realized I had fucked up. Why the heck didn''t Bob tell me about nanomachine walls?! I also wanted to have a cool base that could change shape whenever I felt like it! At least, that one guy''s reaction was pretty entertaining and made me feel better about this failure.

 Chapter 214: Do NOT Call Her!

    <h4>Chapter 214: Do NOT Call Her!</h4>


    In theboratory, Josh was unmoving on the chair while the scientist was panicking. The man rushed toward a nearby table and picked up a grey VR helmet with a big red "Calibration" written on top.


    "How long until they shoot us down?!" He asked out of breath.


    "Rx, man. Just take your time and do this properly. Don''t worry. The fleet will behave." Josh reassured him, chuckling.


    Instantly, a wave of relief surged through the man as his whole body loosened up. He then began babbling as he exined the process happily:


    "This thing will detect your brain wavelengths so we can adjust your capsule. This will reduce the dy of everymand you use in-game."


    "So you''re telling me that this capsule will enhance my reaction speed?" Josh frowned. Even in the future, there was no escaping the Pay to Win model.


    "Yes, but only barely. Alright, close your eyes, and let''s start. This will be over before you know it." He was handling a floating panel that had popped in front of him.


    Joshplied and the world went dark before a shiny mand appeared in his vision: It was colorful, rotating, and shiny. It looked like a magical psychedelic rainbow sent by the god of shrooms itself.


    "Very good so far. Your brain is recognizing and tracking the colors quickly. Most people get overwhelmed a few seconds after it begins." He exined.


    After his sight, all the other senses were stimted in session:


    - Josh smelled fruits along with the musky scent that could only belong to an animal.


    - He tasted the sweetness of some apples and oranges.


    - He heard the chirping of birds and the whooshing of the wind.


    - He felt the soft breeze caressing his face.


    - He suddenly felt as if he had been thrown upside down, floating akin to an astronaut in space. This little VR helmet could simte so much!


    "Wow, you''re instantly noticing and interpreting all of this information super fast! If you ever hit a wall while Climbing, you could probably be a pro-gamer instead." The man praised him.


    A Pro-yer, was it? There was once a time in his life when Josh had dreamed of such a thing. But, it felt like an eternity ago and had happened in another world. He could only shake his head in denial.


    "I think my career would be short-lived if that were the case. You know, considering that I''m a Fallen."


    "Ah!" He gasped in regret. "I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean to¡­!"


    "Sorry for giving me false hopes or for daring to talk about the topic?" Josh inquired.


    "Both." He uncertainly replied.


    "Tell me, have you personally summoned any Fallen to this world?" Josh asked.


    "Of course not!" The man instantly replied.


    "Then why are you apologizing? If I can''t even face the reality of my own situation, then I''m the one with a problem. The issue should be recognized, but don''t apologize in someone else''s stead." Josh berated.


    The man remained pensive for a few seconds before finally nodding. It was better if he kept working instead, for sure. "Alright, there remains only one thing. It won''t take long. Here we go!"


    That''s when Josh could see an intense sh of lightning appear. The bolt then charged straight at him before burying in his chest. As it did so, he could feel intense pain course through his entire body.


    Still, since he knew it was fake, Josh calmly waited for the next part as his skin and organs felt like they were being disintegrated. He could even smell the smokeing from his body, but he didn''t feel death.


    "This is weird. Is it broken? There is no reaction at all from the sensors." The man kept looking at his interface, perplexed. "What about now? He adjusted it."


    Another bolt spawned and drilled inside Josh lightning fast. It was as scorching as the first one and was soon followed by a third.


    "So what are we trying to test with these three things? If you want me to feel how it''s liked being cooked alive, then it''s a sess. I''d say it''s quite annoying." Josh remarked.


    "Wait¡­three lightning bolts?! Scorching? Are you telling me you resisted these without even flinching?! A single one is supposed to bring people to the bring of their mental resilience! How?!" He shouted before stopping everything.


    The man helped Josh remove the VR helmet from his head and unlocked the restraints on the chair. With his freedom back, he began rxedly flexing his stiff arms. He could hear the man having a mental breakdown.


    "This is crazy. You were supposed to be struggling after a few seconds during the pain test, yet you managed tost so long! How?!"


    "Oh, just train some anti-interrogation techniques, and you''ll be fine. The trick is to get into the mindset that pain is only illusory. It''s hard at first and harder the more distractions there are, but it works." Josh confided.


    "You call such horrible pain a distraction?! There are people scared of this chair just because of this one bad experience! Anyway, with this, we are done. You''ll soon receive your capsule and¡ª"


    "Oh yeah, about that. Is it possible to get one that has increased pain?"


    "What? Oh, don''t worry. With the performance you''ve shown here, you''ll even be able to pick the 100% pain forplete immersion if you want for Climbers'' World. Still, I really don''t suggest such a crazy thing."


    "I meant higher than that. I''d like to be able to set it above 200% when I train." Josh exined.


    "Above 200%?! Are you crazy?! Actually, I understand, given your capabilities, but I can''t do such a thing even then. This is a safety protocol that ismon to all VR devices. I''m just a normal technician; I don''t have that authority."


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. He would do what they called a pro-Karen move back on Earth: "Can you call a manager in or something?"


    "Eh, I''m actually part of Phantom. It just so happened that our current workstation is here since this is a huge joint project. Honestly, the only one that I can think of that could do it here is the Tech Queen herself, but it would be suicidal to try and contact her."


    "Why?"


    "She''s renowned for having a devilish personality and a bad temper. Ever since they discovered problems with the EVE system, there is a rumor that''s she''s even more irascible." He was shaking just thinking about her.


    "The EVE system? That kinda reminds me of someone I''ve just seen, but I''m not sure. What does this Tech Queen look like?" Josh asked curiously.


    "How should I know?! The Tech Queen is extremely mysterious and isn''t someone that can be met easily. She''s at the very top of Universal Tech and only surrounds herself by Killer-robots. We know nothing about her besides that she''s a Tech prodigy!"


    Josh stifled augh and asked: "What does being a Tech Prodigy even imply?"


    "She came up with the U-Bots for all the city! I heard that she programmed them herself. It''s the same for the recent version of the UW. The issue isn''t to make it work but to make it work on arge scale without any hup."


    "I see, so you''re a fan of hers? Hey, we might meet her eventually? What if I try the Bloody Marry trick?" Josh mischievously offered.


    "Bloody Mary?" He asked,pletely confused.


    "I guess it''s Earth''s culture. She''s a vengeful ghost that appears once her name is said aloud three times in a row. Just like this: Tech Queen, Tech Queen, Tech Queen!" Josh eximed.


    "This is kinda silly, but I do like it. It''s nice to see how each world has its customs and folklore stories. In any case, we''ll be done with your custom machine soon. Oh, right, where do you want it delivered?"


    "D-23, one can''t miss it. It''s a big forest near Metropolis-D with tons ofzy sloths in it." Josh told him as if that was normal.


    "0_0 Are you pulling my leg right now?"


    "Nope."


    "I''m not sure what is worse: the fact that this ispletely insane or that Ipletely believe you?" The technician sighed as he turned around...and froze.


    Next to one of the walls, a youthful woman was standing while listening to their conversation. She was wearing what would have been a Chinese qipao, but instead of the usual flower design, it was pink robots.


    She had long pink hair and a hint of yfulness in her eyes as she stared at the both of them. Instantly the technician understood that something was amiss. He was supposed to be notified of anyone entering the premises.


    This woman had higher clearance than him for sure! That is when he saw Josh''s smile and remembered the 3x Tech Queen part. Oh no! He looked at him and whispered: "How long has she been here for?"


    "Right before you said something about her having a devilish personality and a bad temper, I believe." Josh was evidently enjoying this. He was just missing a cool drink!


    That is when the man seemed to dete like an old balloon. He just realized that his career was probably over because of a single sentence. But that''s when he got another shock.


    Josh looked the mighty Tech Queen up and down before starting a monologue:


    "Pros: You seem rtively approachable, have a nice style going for you with the pink and the cool dress, and you know how to have fun."


    "Cons: You have a terrible reputation, and you almost caused the doom of the ck Legion with your EVE system not living up to the expectations."


    "So, who are you really? I''m Josh, by the way, but I''m sure you already knew that."


    0_0 "....?!?"


    Creator''s Thought


    What came first: the pink Tech Queen or the pink hologram of the Tech Queen? I couldn''t help but picture her leading an army of pink killer robots as she conquered the world. Later I would learn why she loved pink so much. Ignorance is bliss sometimes. I shouldn''t have asked.

 Chapter 215: Tech Queen

    <h4>Chapter 215: Tech Queen</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Alexa Aaron had always loved finding how things worked. That is why robots sparked her interest since young. They were not humans, and yet they could actpletely like real ones. How amazing was that!


    Following her passion had quickly allowed her to rise as the leader of Universal Tech and receive the nickname Tech Queen. In fact, all the nearby Metropolises functioned using the system she had designed.


    As much as she was proud of her aplishments, she still felt she had a long way to go. Recently she had turned her eyes toward the Tower. This was a whole new world full of infinite possibilities and unanswered questions.


    She would routinely gather as much information as possible and create fun theories that she would mostly keep to herself. This was because she wasn''t recognized as a true Climber with how low-level she was.


    Recently she had be restless after noticing something that rocked her current understanding of the Tower. There was a ssless man that was Climbing like a rocket. Oh, he seemed slow at first nce, but he was clearing Hellish! (If she wasn''t wrong)


    There were many suppositions on her part, but it would exin a lot:


    - How he had shined during the war.


    - How he had solved the sloth problem.


    - How he had escaped Gene Corp.


    - Why he seemed so highly regarded by the MTAs.


    - His possible entanglement with Dimensional Legion.


    This guy was still low in level, but he was a powerhouse in the making, a very mysterious one at that! Chances were that his few enemies had underestimated him grandly in the past. But, who could me them?


    When she had learned that Josh was in the building, she had arranged to sneakily and personally make her way to his location. That is how she had eavesdropped on their conversation.


    He showed zero reaction to her appearance except give her a slight nod. That''s when she reasoned that he probably hadn''t recognized her. But then what came next almost made her stagger.


    Josh calmly introduced himself and began to¡­.assess her aloud?! Anyone would have agreed that he was suicidal. She had been in a great mood, but it had instantly soured.


    The VR technician by the side could be seen shaking as he took a step away. He was already worried that he would get in trouble, and now this man had made things even worse!


    Alexa took a second to collect herself before answering his pros and cons list:


    "Please! As if what people thought of me mattered one bit. As for the EVE system, you''re obviously fine, so who cares if it was a close call? Now, bringing the ck Fleet all the way over here toin seems excessive, doesn''t it?"


    Was his visit as simple as getting his VR capsule? There was no reason to bring such a powerful force if that were the case. No, he had evidently been trying to attract her attention! She had to find out why.


    "Let''s cut to the chase already. What is your purpose here?" He questioned.


    "Ah, how boring! What happened to civilities?" She sighed exaggeratedly before continuing.


    "You''re the one that came here with an army! Go ahead, start talking. I''m listening." Alexa used her fantastic ''I''m a Boss'' tone to make him understand how serious she was. It meant "Talk now, or I''m leaving".


    That''s when he looked at her as if she had a screw loose while pointing to the VR calibration machine in the back. As if she would be fooled so easily and¡­but that''s when she noticed his bodynguage: he truly meant it!


    What kind of ridiculous being came to such a mundane meeting with such a powerful force?! That''s when she realized that her information about him was even morecking than she had thought. What were his motivations?


    That''s when she resolved herself. "You''re going to D-23, right? Let me join since it seems fun." She directly stated.


    On the side, the technician looked like a toad from the surprise but then began beaming in joy, hoping that they would be forgiven. He kept vehemently gesturing Josh to ept.


    She understood why he was so worried. Over the years, she had ''slightly'' pressured many bigshots into ''investing'' in her research. She would ask for resources for various reasons, and that''s how the rumors about her bad temper had begun.


    Many guilds masters had disparaged her only to find themselves forced to abdicate their positions. Many of them had been blockheads that hadn''t known to shut their traps:


    She was eager to see his reaction. Would he happily wee her, or would she have to ''convince'' him to let her follow? She was ready for either option.


    That is when he dug into his pockets and brought out something that she knew very well: it was a magically binding contract. She had filled hundreds of those, especially this month: they had recently found a way to manufacture them using Tower materials.


    The process was quite ingenious. It involved using Runic Lynx skin as the base and thebined work of many production sses. This included alchemists but also inscribers, a sub-branch of leatherwork.


    Josh began writing a list of demands. After a few lines, he raised his eyes toward her, and she gave him a confident look. It meant something along the lines of ''You better be careful what you write there''!


    But as soon as it happened, he shook his head slightly and began scribbling a few more demands while smirking. What kind of reaction was this?!


    He looked highly amicable and showed a face as innocent as an angel. "Here, you cane along if you sign this."


    Yet, she was feeling uneasy as she took the contract. His attitude felt peculiar. As she nced at it, her green eyes widened. What was up with this contract?! It went like this:


    1. She would be subjected to an NDA use concerning Josh and his organization.


    2. She couldn''t boss around any of the other members and always had to treat them as equals.


    3. She''d be obligated to help with chores once they reached the destination, working along with the others.


    4. She couldn''t criticize in any public manner anything or anyone rted to Josh.


    5. Josh''s new VR capsule had to feature a pain limiter that went above 200% for training purposes.


    6. A 5% discount would be given to all members of his school on all Universal Tech products.


    7. She had to admit that theirst staring contest was a draw since time had been running out.


    What gave him the balls to request so much of her?! Even the Metropolis leaders gave her face! She raised her head while clenching her teeth only to see him shrugughingly.


    "It''s fine if you don''t want to sign it. I''m sure you''ll be able to observe plenty via satellite before they are done installing the Jammers. It''s not like it will be that interesting in the first ce." He ''reassured'' her.


    "It''s not that interesting, and yet they lent you the ck Fleet? It was just to ensure you arrived at your destination without a hup, right? That totally seems like a normal thing to do!" She sarcastically replied.


    "Ah, don''t misunderstand. I''m sure they weren''t that busy in the first ce, and they don''t expect anything either. These valiant soldiers are kind and would have done the same for anyone desperately needing a lift." He ''exined''.


    As if any of this bullshit could be true! She couldn''t help but feel that he was making fun of her. Actually, his eyes were shining with light as if smiling.


    The more he reassured her that she wouldn''t be missing much and the more she felt that he was just trying to get rid of her. He seemed adamant and serious about these terms. She could always restrain him using U-Bots, but that would likely cause many problems.


    She couldn''t help but internally sigh as she relented. "Fine, but I''m not epting that number 7. I totally won fair and square!" Was it childish of her to contest that? Perhaps but she didn''t care.


    He seemed pensive for a second before he finally nodded. "I don''t mind. We can do one more staring contest right now. If I win, it will be a draw, but if you do, it will be your victory."


    The way he said it made her think that he was scheming. He wanted her to behave like a regr everyday girl if she followed. She would just have to show him how amazing she was! This challenge would allow her to shine!


    After all, a staring contest may seem simple, but it wasn''t. She was able to intimidate anyone with her boundless sessful CEO aura. That sounded cheesy, but it was also true.


    "Of course, we need to set rules." She reminded.


    "How about this? Using technology, any Climber skill, any bloodline, or external help is an instant disqualification. Does that work for you?" He proposed.


    "Perfect! Let''s start!" He was dead wrong if he thought she was nning to rely on machines for that. She''d be perfectly fine with willpower alone!


    That is how their intense duel began, and ¡­.What the hell?! It really was intense! She had expected to win easily using her experience, but reality proved her wrong. In fact, he seemed even more rxed than earlier.


    That is when something changed. She had no idea what happened, but he suddenly felt different. It was as if he wasn''t human anymore, but instead an ancient bloodthirsty beast that was about to devour her.


    What was with his eyes?! They were deep abysses in which no light could escape! She felt her hair stand up, her heart began beating faster, and her lungs had trouble drawing air. What was this?!


    That is when she began shaking all over and felt her lower half tingle. She couldn''t hold it anymore! She closed her eyes and released all the tension that had been building up in her.


    That is when Josh''s serene voice broke the silence. "That''s your loss. Anyway, sign the contract, and let''s board the ship already." He casually mentioned.


    That is when she realized that he hadn''t even broken a sweat. All this time, she had assumed that he had somehow been Climbing using ws in the Tower. How wrong had she been! Whatever that thing was, it felt simr to her own intimidating aura....but way stronger!


    She opened her eyes slowly. The technician was by the side, acting as if he hadn''t seen the previous scene. Who cared about that. She left to go change with the building AI automatically cleaning the puddle she had left behind.


    What amazing secrets would she soon learn?


    Creator''s Thought


    Alexa was kind of bossy but it was to be expected from a woman in her position. At least she wasn''t unreasonable. Sometimes I wonder how the world would have been without her U-Bots. There would have been fewer deaths for sure but perhaps progress warrants such a sacrifice?

 Chapter 216: Party Time!

    <h4>Chapter 216: Party Time!</h4>


    As Josh brought Alexa (aka the Tech Queen) onboard, the two generalpletely lost their cool. She had an air about her that made others curious, but most just assumed it was another of his weird friends.


    But, that was different for the generals. As soon as they noticed her, they instantly recoiled in shock and panic, their eyes bulging. The first to recover was Roderick. He gave Josh a look that could only mean: "Why the heck is she following you?!"


    As for Gaiden, he was nervously rubbing his chin as they left Universal Tech. He kept looking at how meek Alexa appeared. He seemed torn between avoiding to reveal her secret identity and making sure his soldiers didn''t mistakenly offend her.


    For these people, she was akin to a lively time bomb that could explode in their faces at any time. They could only hope that Josh would handle the situation ordingly. The moment Gaiden realized that his fate could depend on him, he began grimacing.


    Instead of going straight to D-23, Josh decided to go for the most majestic and mysterious inauguration ceremony possible. For that, they had to be seen by as many people as possible.


    "Head toward Metropolis-E, and then we''lle back to Metropolis-D. Oh, is there anything you guys can do to be even shier? Perhaps a glowing energy shield or something." Josh organized their journey.


    Many soldiers could only facepalm in dismay. Was this how it was going to be from now on? Was this why they had joined the army? For a small percentage of them, the answer was obviously "Hell the fuck yeah!"


    There was even an overenthusiastic guy that began striding toward Josh with a twinkle in his eyes. "How about we fire Energy warning shots all over the ce? They are shy, loud, and the best! People will notice for sure!"


    Was Josh about to condone causing mayhem everywhere on their way just to serve his selfish purposes? Obviously, duh! It wouldn''t really hurt anyone anyway.


    "I love that! Make it even more intense than the fourth of July. Light the sky up. I want enough fireworks to turn the night into day and the day into an epileptic nightmare! Ah, right, the fourth is¡ª"


    "No worries, my Captain! I got this! Of course, I know what the fourth is! It''s the day Earthlings party like there is no tomorrow! I''ll do some tinkering to make it even more epic!" He excitedly chimed in.


    Josh loved his drive! He contentedly watched as the soldiers were forced to voluntarily disrupt public order.


    "There 100% will be bacsh from this. People will call us failures for failing to prevent the Metropolis-C attacks and the sloth wave." Gaiden was massaging his brows, already picturing the worries toe.


    "Let them, who cares. What do they expect? The ck Legion was already busy with Gene Corp. Plus, what good would vessels have been against terrorists and biochemical weapons? It would have just caused needless destruction." Josh scoffed.


    "Sure, but this will lower the confidence level in our organization. The MTA may seem strong, but we are under constant pressure from the guilds. It''s maddening." Gaiden softlyined.


    That''s when he seemed toe back to his senses. Why had he been sharing his thoughts so openly with this crazy man?! Josh could see him close himself once more. But, he didn''t share his unease.


    "Why worry so much? There is only one way to reply to such baseless ndering." Josh smiled as he clenched his fist hard, making his interlocutor jump up.


    "We won''t be using violence against our own citizens!" There was a hint of hostility in his voice.


    "No need. You just need to show strength. There will always be people judging you and looking down on you for valid or sometimespletely ludicrous reasons."


    Josh pointed toward the outside that was being bombarded by colorful sh bombs, energy rays, and other stuff. "First they''ll take notice, then they''ll criticize, and finally we''ll show them a sight they won''t forget." Josh chuckled.


    "What do you have in mind?" Gaiden asked curiously. Somehow the current Josh made him look forward to what would happen.


    "Simple, pick the 50 soldiers that you think are the most worthy. We just need to make it so these 50 can overwhelm a crowd of a million in spirit." Josh spoke these ridiculous words with deep conviction.


    The few that heard him were in disbelief. That was his n?! That wasn''t humanly possible, even for a Climber! But, their incredulity didn''t matter one bit to him.


    On the side, Alexa was murmuring to the nearest Dale. "Is he always like that?" She was staring at Josh with apparent interest as she wanted to understand his thought process that seemed so unique.


    Dale chuckled: "No way!" She felt it made sense. Of course, he couldn''t always be that unrestrained. But, then he added: "Usually it''s worse! What you see now is still in the realm of the believable!"


    She couldn''t help but be taken aback. This was still in the realm of the believable?! He had bullied her, was willfully disturbing public order, and was calmly trying to scam a general!


    She would observe some more...


    ****


    That''s how they kept going. At Metropolis-E, they were initially perceived as a potential threat but were soon granted ess. Well, approaching while firing everywhere was evidently suspicious.


    That''s when Micheal came out. For a man that loved to shine so much, there were only two reactions possible. Either he would be jealous, or he would join the party.


    That is how plenty of reporters got to witness a mind-boggling sight. Right in the middle of the city hovered an armada of killing vessels. But what happened next rendered them speechless.


    "Let''s bring this up a notch, shall we? You, official fireworks guy, make it even shier!" Josh ordered with a huge grin.


    Whatever that guy did, it was working. The projectiles began to whirl into the air, shattered into thousands of sparks, coiled around near Tower, and shimmered with all the colors imaginable.


    The fireworks guy had even used the gship''s camouge system ingeniously. Their vessel was now emitting light: it looked like a miniature sun!


    "C''mon, guys. This can''t be a party without some music!" That''s when Kasha convinced (intimidated) a soldier into ying her EDM musicption. It soon began sting across the entire Metropolis.


    Michael came flying right next to them, a drone under each foot. He somehow managed to be even more eye-catching than them as he danced, following the rhythm covered in lightning.


    What kind of travesty was this military operation?! Down on the ground, everything was getting recorded by literally everyone present. There were even familiesing to watch the show!


    People were crammed together like sardines, their heads bobbing up and down alongside the Bass. Josh couldn''t help but smile watching all this. In his eyes, all of this was entirely justified.


    What was wrong with spreading the joy? Oh, there would definitely be lots of criticism going his way, but whatever. This had to be the best school inauguration ever. It was just that none of the people knew that it was one.


    Eventually, they did pick up the 50 MTA members from Metropolis-E. This slight hint would let the people''s minds run rampant as they spected endlessly.


    Now, it was time to bring the party to Metropolis-D!...


    Creator''s Thought


    The ck Fleet members would have never believed that they would be used in such a manner. To be fair, an army''s goal could only be conquering or protecting. One could argue that such public service was very loosely part of their duty. By entertaining the people they were protecting them from depression!

 Chapter 217: EDM Fleet!

    <h4>Chapter 217: EDM Fleet!</h4>


    High in the sky, many unidentified objects flew at high speed while making an unbelievable racket. Every soul in a few kilometers radius would instantly turn toward these UFOs.


    Was it a bird? Was it a ne? No, it was the epic EDM Fleet! Yes, this was now its trending nickname, to Gaiden''s dismay. He kept shaking his head, trying to forget the joke that they were bing.


    To be fair, this was a great way to make the army seem more approachable. Now, whether that was the desired oue or not was debatable.


    On the main deck, the various people chosen for the training were having a meltdown. Their entire conception of how the world worked was seriously getting challenged. How had such a clown be their would-be teacher?


    Some even sneakily began to investigate. Josh could see them scurry around gathering information, but he didn''t mind one bit as he had nothing much to hide. Ah, perhaps that little "humanity dies with me" bit, but no big deal, really.


    When interrogated, the Climber/Farmers were giving weird testimonies. They were highly impressed by the man, and yet all that he had ever done was apparently¡­ stare at them?! This didn''t make sense.


    Then they asked the ck Fleet members, and it became even more confusing. The soldiers were confident that their generals were no pushovers, and yet both obeyed his orders, with Roderick especially praising him. This fact baffled them so much!


    After interrogating Josh''s friends, they figured out that most were from Draconic. This was a fighting guild full of madmen! But when these Draconic people called Josh a madman, they were at a loss. To get such an evaluation from them was crazy!


    That''s when one of the wannabe investigators went toward his colleagues with an ashen face. They were now meeting in a deste corner of the ship, and it was perfect for sharing this colossal secret he had discovered!


    "Guys, that one shy-looking girl with the qipao: she''s the Tech Queen! Also, the Draconic members are not any random ones but their elite Rankers. Can you guys believe it?!"


    They didn''t even know how to react to this. All of these people were supposed to be proud sons and daughters of Heaven. Why the heck were they following a man that looked like a buffoon at first nce?


    That''s when Josh almost gave them a heart attack involuntarily. He just happened to pass nearby while talking to Markus on his UW. They could only hear his side of the conversation, but even that was shocking:


    "What do you mean you can send them to D-23, and there is no need to pick you guys up? We''re literally on the way!"


    "No, no. I don''t care if it''s within walking distance. It''s not about practicality. It''s about sending a message. The EDM fleet has to swing by your ce too: it will show unity."


    "You think it''s goofy? Naw. There is one thing you fail to realize, Markus. When you create an army able to make the entire world tremble, you gotta do stuff like this!"


    "Yes, I''m telling you! People won''t be overly scared of us because of it. Think of it this way. I''m going to create an army that has a shot at world domination, and that could very well turn many against us."


    "You don''t think that will happen? Do you think people see us as a joke? That''s exactly the fucking point! We will forever be the EDM sting army in the mind of the masses. What do you think will happen once we begin showcasing our strength?"


    "Yep - Weak and yful makes one aplete jester. But - Strong and yful means bing a goddamn legend. Do you understand now? By the way - Strong and Serious is annoying."


    "Alright, tell your guys to sit tight and get ready. The motherfucking EDM Fleet ising!"


    The witnesses couldn''t help but gulp, shocked. What had just happened?! Josh had been talking with the leader of Metropolis-D and even ordering him around?!


    They shared ufortable looks as they didn''t know how to react. That''s when they made eye contact with him.


    "Hey, guys. What do you think sounds better between EDM Army and EDM Legion?" Josh asked while pretending to hold a microphone.


    "A-any works!"


    "W-whatever you prefer, Sir!"


    "Why the EDM? Eh, I mean, EDM is amazing!"


    Josh pensively nodded before taking off, hearing them sigh in relief behind him. What was with the exaggerated reactions? Whatever. They would soon be too tired to overact. He would make sure of it.


    Josh spent the rest of the journey to Metropolis-D happily sketching in a small notebook. For some reason, whenever he nced at anyone, they would start shaking and avert their gaze.


    Perhaps it was because they didn''t know how to treat him just yet? He would be their teacher soon, but there was no clear hierarchy yet. Oh well, it would all fit into ce in due time.


    That''s when he heard someone walking behind him and suddenly yelp as if a startled poodle. As Josh turned around, he noticed that the neer seemed frozen, and he was staring at the title above his doodles.


    Ah, so that''s what it was! He had to admit that it could easily be misunderstood: ''How to torture trainees beyond death without actually killing them.''


    The individual hurriedly left as if running for his life. Oh well, the EDM Fleet would only drop people at D-23 anyway. Plus, Josh really doubted he''d be a deserter just because of a slight barely founded fear.


    He returned to his task of contemting his future path. He had to diversify his ns, for he wasn''t even sure if the Alter Tower could or would cooperate. He couldn''t help but smirk as various ideas came to mind.


    A nearby solder somehow saw him grin and changed his expressionpletely. He seemed to be despairing a bit as he too began drawing. Was he perhaps drafting survival ns? How wise!


    But as Josh peeked at the man''s work, he didn''t know whether tough or cry. The man was drafting his will!


    C''mon! These people had so little faith in him! Weren''t they aware that humans were surprisingly resilient when it came to adapting? Everything would be fine, probably...


    Creator''s Thought


    There is nothing wrong with acting the fool. A fool will not be bothered by any judging re, a fool will not be scrutinized too deeply, and most importantly a fool lives unbound by social convention. I''ll be that one jester that dances like a monkey. I''ll dance until my enemies are dead and the gods themselvesy under my feet.

 Chapter 218: Drinking & Gambling!

    <h4>Chapter 218: Drinking & Gambling!</h4>


    When they arrived at Metropolis-D, there was already a considerable crowd assembled near the MTA. People could be seen with drinks, snacks, and cameras.


    Someone had even created a site dedicated to tracking the progress of the EDM fleet. Their movements were not hard to predict since they were going in a straight line. It reminded Josh of the apps tracking Santa on Christmas.


    When their ships appeared, there was a standing ovation! Well, not that anyone had been sitting in the first ce. Kasha happily began to DJ for them while the Fireworks Guy was busying himself. That''s when the Metropolis-D MTA soldiers appeared.


    They seemed to be in a hurry to board and treated the activity as if a timed mission. As soon as they saw Josh chilling on themand deck, one of them went to meet him. "Sir Markus has ordered us to hurry up and leave as soon as possible so we can¡ª"


    "Denied." That is the only thing Josh said before making a call.


    "Man, you really have to get out: ruling is a poprity contest at its core. I know you''re all about doing actual work instead, but you gotta let loose from time to time too."


    "I don''t care if you''re swamped with paperwork. Have a drink with me real quick, and then you can go back to it. You know you can delegate some work too, right?"


    "Alright, that''s a deal! You drive a hard bargain, my friend!"


    Markus''s troops could only share an uncertain look. Before long, their chief was entering the gship, looking slightly grumpy. Under his arm, he was carrying a barrel of alcohol that looked oh mighty fine!


    "One drink, and that''s it!" Markus resolutely dered. But, that would soon prove to be a lie.


    It turned out that while they were peacefully drinking, Markus''s men began boasting about their leader''s alcohol tolerance. But, it truly became a problem when they proactively began betting on the results of a potential Josh x Markus drinking contest.


    One of them even proudly came to brag:


    "Boss, you guys need to face off in a drinking bout! We all wagered a fortune on you winning. Those fools all bet on you refusing topete or getting floored after a few drinks!"


    At that moment, Markus''s face twisted in an ugly grimace. They wanted him to go against Josh? They had even bet their future on it?! He couldn''t help but shout: "Dumbass! What have you done?! Quick, show me the odds!"


    The soldier quicklyplied,pletely stunned. Was his leader that against having a little fun? He didn''t understand in the slightest the great mistake they hadmitted.


    As Markus observed the betting sheet, he began despairing. All his men would end up on the street entirely destitute! They could only beg the winners to show them mercy. But that''s when he found hope once more!


    As long as he drank about a hundred or so strong beers, his people would mostly be fine. Many on the other side had bet on his own inability to handle his liquor.


    "Josh, let''s drink!" He challenged while sighing.


    Josh could only giggle and ept. These indeed were pig-like teammates! Then again, they couldn''t have known about Josh''s Gluttony bloodline. Standard contest rules prevented any use of skills, but such a passive obviously didn''t count.


    Just as they were about to start, a soldier shared how excited the popce was about this event. People had seen all the kegs quickly make their way into the air, and they were all begging to be able to spectate it.


    "No way In hell! I won''t be showing such an example to all of them as¡ª" Markus instantly refused.


    "Oh? Are you refusing? ording to this sheet, it seems that all your subordinates will soon¡­." Josh reminded while smirking.


    "Fuck this, fine! Let''s invite the whole world! How about we make this an official region-wide event while we''re at it and allow everyone to bet, eh?!" Markus spat out, annoyed.


    But that''s when everyone suddenly paused, contemting. Markus turned and looked around before objecting once again.


    "No! I was sarcastic!" He cried out. But it was already toote¡­


    ****(POV)


    All around the CDE region, people were looking on the Net in consternation and excitement. There was a new fantastic event going on that was so unexpected!


    A drinking contest wasn''t that big of a deal, and neither was a light show. But this one was different! It involved the powerful ck Fleet, the leader of Metropolis-D, and even the Sloth Savior! (Unofficial)


    The topic had already been trending, but at that moment, it exploded! The randomness of it just made it more exciting. It hadn''t been advertised beforehand, and it even seemed to be a spur-of-the-moment decision.


    People were wondering what kind of dumbass had thought of such a thing (so they could thank him). But, there was one woman that was furrowing her elegant brows at this scene. Her name was Sylvia, and she wasn''t amused in the least.


    She was scoffing at the childishness of it all. In the background, one could discern many soldiers spectating instead of training. Talk about dereliction of duty! It was one thing to rest and another to throw a useless party.


    Silvia couldn''t help but show disdain for these fools who didn''t seem to realize their world''s situation. There had already been sloths appearing, and no one knew when the next catastrophe would happen. What if it was bloodthirsty monsters next time?!


    But, even if she found this event deplorable, she still hollered to her nearby fellow Eclipse member with fake enthusiasm. "Hey, Alice,e see this! I''m sure you''ll love it."


    Alice was a walking paradox. She was petite, cute, and looked like a doll. Yet, her nickname was the Devouring Princess, and she always won eatingpetitions. How her tiny frame could amodate so much food was a mystery.


    But recently, there was something peculiar going on. Every time she would join apetition, she woulde back visibly disappointed. It seemed as if she always had something on her mind.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but worry about her. She could only hope that this spectacle would cheer her up at least a little as she tilted her screen toward her. But Alice''s reaction was:


    "OMG! It''s him! Where is this?! Tell me, Sylvia!" she screamed frantically.


    What?! This was the first time she saw her friend be excited by something other than food or Climbing. Who the heck was she talking about?! But she still answered.


    "This is a drinkingpetition happening between¡ª" But she was instantly interrupted.


    "Where is it! That''s what I need to know!" She shouted fervently. She even shook Sylvia while doing so.


    "Metropolis-D. It''s a drinkingpetition between¡ª" But Sylvia noticed that her friend was already dashing away madly whileughing aloud.


    "Wait for me, First Coming of Gluttony!" Alice heatedly eximed.


    What was up with her?! Had she already forgotten that they were scheduled to Climb in an hour? "Alice, wait! What about Floor 59?!"


    "Go without me! I don''t care! Later!" Alice shouted back as she ran out.


    Sylvia could only stare in shock as she saw her speed away aboard a flying car, heading straight for Metropolis-D.


    First Coming of Gluttony, was it? Who was that, and how had he managed to mesmerize this friend of hers?! She would have to investigate¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Markus often had great ideas that he would shoot out sarcastically. It was always hrious whenever we would actually go along with it to his great dismay. He was always too serious for his own good, but that was expected given his past.

 Chapter 219: Too Much Drinking!

    <h4>Chapter 219: Too Much Drinking!</h4>


    The atmosphere in Metropolis-D was incredibly festive: people were singing, dancing, and boisterously cheering as they made a giant circle around the contestants.


    "Chug! Chug Chug! Chug!"


    A man on one side raised his mug high up in the air. His face was flushed red, for he had already drunk enough to floor 5 Climbers easily. But even then, he remained steady on his feet as he toasted.


    "Here''s to the prosperity of the Metropolis!" That''s when Markus downed his drink, generating a thunder of apuse.


    For thesemon folks, it was an opportunity to see their leader from up close. The normally unreachable man suddenly became more rtable as he partook in such a mundane activity. Sure, some people found it shameful, but the majority were just happy to enjoy the event.


    Plus, Markus was also conscientious. He had activated arge holographic banner that could read, "Drinking is cool but don''t abuse it." Oh, the sweet irony. He would be so damn wasted when this would be over!


    Josh was having fun, enjoying life. Not only was he going to get Credits for participating (and winning), but he could also savor some delicious beer in the most efficient manner of them all.


    Not only wouldn''t this take too long, but it would also increase his poprity. While he didn''t personally care about being liked, it would help his new school be famous (or infamous).


    This aligned perfectly with his new n. The reporters from the day before would already be done publishing the info he had fed them, and it would soon cause a new storm. There would be so much free promotioning his way!


    Josh would then have ample choice of candidates as they would all flock to him. He just didn''t know if the infrastructures would be ready by then.


    This was because Bob had been dodging his calls. But, perhaps it was because of that yful text Josh had sent earlier: "Wanna Climb again?! PS: How is everything going?" PTSD of Floor 18, talk about sad!


    "Ah! That hits the spot! It''s your turn now!" Markus wiped his mouth with his sleeve and dered with bravado (false?)


    "Chug! Chug Chug! Chug!" (Crowd)


    Josh raised his mug valiantly: "This toast is to the recruiter of Gemini that drove me away when I tried to apply! Sincerely, the temporary Captain of the EDM Fleet!"


    *Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!*


    The crowd went wild, damn! Whoever that dumbass from Gemini was, he must have felt extreme regret at that moment. No, he probably had more pressing concerns like securing his job. Any superior with half a brain would be thinking of ayoff.


    It was then Markus''s turn, and that is how it became a back and forth of toasts. One was remaining humble while the other was Josh and said whatever he felt like saying.


    "For the Climbers that relentlessly fight to explore the Tower and figure out its secrets!" (Markus)


    "To all the guilds that ostracized me as soon as they realized I was ssless, cheers!" (Josh)


    He made it sound like he was venting, but he was just dropping ''ssless'' once more. He actually wanted to attract desperate applicants that wished to Climb at all costs even with their cking'' sses.


    Many began whispering to each other in hush voices. It resonated with many as they pictured themselves in his shoes, not that he ever tried to evoke pity.


    "For all the valiant soldiers that fight to protect the peace!" Markus shouted. As if on cue, the 150 MTA soldiers and the ck Fleet did a synchronized military salute, making the crowd exim in appreciation.


    "To the Tower that helped me grow and took care of me when I was homeless!" Josh was even thanking the damn Tower?! Many began giggling, just picturing him literally sleeping in it. Talk about misleading wording!


    "For the civilians! They are contributing to our wonderful city!" Was Markus going to thank everyone in the city?


    That is when Josh realized that the man was beginning to look slightly unsteady on his feet as he rocked from side to side, apparently enjoying the wind.


    "To the gods that will one day grant my wish!" Josh dered with so much resolve in his voice.


    "For the people making such delicious beer!" Markus praised with many thinking, "Could he be one of my people?!"


    "To Dimensional Legion for taking me under their wing!" Josh casually mentioned his belonging to D.L.


    Many lost their bearings, especially when they searched online and articles popped up confirming it. (Josh was the source)


    "For the beers! They too are contributing!" Markus was definitely drunk by now, and yes, the beers had contributed for sure!


    "To the sess of the new D.L Climber School in D-23!" Josh shared the news. Instantly people began searching for the official site and how to apply.


    "For...The beers!" Markus seemed confused and highly vulnerable.


    That is when Josh felt a malignant presence full of killing intent dashing toward them at full speed. What was that?! He quickly assessed his surrounding.


    "To the Legion!" Josh faked a toast, using the action to stare directly at where he felt the opponent.


    The attacker was invisible, silent, and heading straight for Markus. For an assassin, this was the opportunity of a lifetime! Well, it would have been had Josh not been there.


    "BEERS!!"¡­Markus was definitely out of it as he shouted with abandon.


    That is when the killer made his move! He lunged toward Markus, aiming for his heart, andpletely disregarded Josh, who was right next to his target. This would be a memorable toast for sure!


    "To a saw in your face!" Josh said, leaving the crowd confused.


    That''s when he summoned his saw-shaped morphing weapon and swung it toward the invisible assassin. It lodged itself deep inside the man''s skull as he perished instantly, the brain mush and the blood sttering on the floor.


    Josh took a swing of booze and turned toward the man''s colleagues hiding in the crowd. They were akin to fireflies in the night as they emitted concentrated killing intent in his direction.


    "Now, shall we do some cleanup?" Josh couldn''t help but grin¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    This event would have been even more memorable with Markus dying right at the end (the wrong kind). I had heard about assassins before, but this was officially my first time encountering one. Who was trying to kill Markus and why?

 Chapter 220: Its Racing Time!

    <h4>Chapter 220: It''s Racing Time!</h4>


    At that moment, so many things dropped at the Tower za: the bass, the assassin''s lifeless body, and everyone''s jaw. They couldn''t believe the sudden turn that this contest had taken!


    Markus had almost been assassinated! Who dared! The soldiers were shocked just from imagining the terrible oue that had barely been averted. They furiously growled before spreading like warrior ants protecting their queen¡ª eh king?


    "Quick, try and find if he has any aplices!" Roderick instantly understood the crux of the matter. The chances that a nameless lone killer had the guts to target an A-Rank official in public were slim.


    "Josh, how did you guess that this would happen?" Amidst themotion, Alexa curiously asked. None of the security U-Bots had detected anything, and it was the same for the hardened soldiers. Yet, he had!


    Josh calmly shook his head as now wasn''t the time for this. They had other matters to deal with, two of them.


    As soon as he had dealt the fatal blow, Josh had felt two individuals send extremely sharp killing intent his way. But, a fraction of a secondter, it had disappeared akin to snow on a warm stove.


    This meant that these people were trained killers: the absolute worst! Their kind would hunt their target until it fell, no matter what. They would inevitably show up in one''s darkest moments to add fatality to injury!


    Back on Earth, Josh had experienced it firsthand. For an entire month, he had been hounded by a man with no face and a perfect assassination record. It was only through a series of coincidences that he had even survived.


    He quickly searched for his two targets, finally finding them mixing into the crowd. At first nce, they appeared nothing more than two worried strangers wondering about the nature of themotion.


    One looked like an everyday unranked Climber with the face of someone that had half-given up on their dreams. The other appeared to be a clerk that one would likely find monitoring a 24/7 U-Bot operated shop.


    There was no sign whatsoever that they knew each other or had been near the assassination attempt in the first ce. These were boring people that would fly under the radar anywhere. Or they would have, usually.


    Gaiden was busy taking care of Markus, who kept shouting "BEER!" for some reason.


    In the meantime, Roderick approached to get some info: "Josh, do you have any idea who that man was?"


    "No, but we''ll know soon. Don''t worry. We''ll take care of it." He turned toward the Draconic members, grinning. "Is anyone up for some friendlypetition? A race of some sort..."


    "A race?!" Usain Dash had appeared out of nowhere as if teleporting! But, the many soldiers he had toppled on his way dispelled that illusion.


    "You race addict! Can''t you just go slowly for once!" AIYA snorted.


    "I am speed," Usain stated.


    "Alright! Just tell us who we are hunting already." Kasha was already stretching her long legs with a yful grin.


    Josh pointed to the two individuals from their blind spot. "These two." But, the two targets instantly began sprinting away, somehow immediately knowing that their cover was blown.


    "Let the hunt begin!" Josh dered with all three participants bolting away.


    Usain dash was the first to leave, dashing out with the speed of a rocket. Just the air he was discing was enough to cause cries of panic within the crowd. But, this time, he made sure not to collide with anyone.


    Kasha followed right behind as she shed with a green aura before vanishingpletely and reappearing about 50 meters away. Then, she kept using that ability, and they lost track of her.


    As for AIYA, he could be heard cursing as he followed them at a tortoise pace. "This is bullshit! The both of them are cheating, I swear!"


    "Is he going to be fine?" Dale asked, concerned on the side.


    "He literally just joined to prove that he''s a great hunter too. But you should be worried about the Metropolis instead. He tends to cause a lot of destruction whenever he gets his titanic bow out." Joemented.


    "''Lots of destruction'', says the mad berserker!" Emsee couldn''t help but point out the irony of it.


    That''s when Gaiden made his way over, done handling the once drunk and now deathly embarrassed Markus. "What''s the situation? Why is everyone just standing by?" He asked, puzzled.


    "These guys are professional assassins, the slippery kind. Sending tons of troops will just increase the body count and the overall confusion. It would easily allow them to use the chaos to their advantage." Josh exined.


    "I still think we should establish a defense perimeter." Gaiden reiterated.


    But it''s at that moment that they could see Kasha appear, furiously dragging along a man by the scalp. That had to hurt! She had a triumphant smile on her face as she ignored the cries of protest of their opponent.


    Josh nced at her, smiling back. He had to admit that her current appearance was awe-inspiring: she looked akin to a war goddess.


    "Damn, you''re good! I knew I could count on you! This calls for some ssic celebratory brownies! Ah, do we still have some of the ones that Ness made, or did you guys eat them all?" Josh said in a great mood.


    "Afraid they''re all gone, but we can always grab some the next time we pass by Metropolis-C," Emsee replied while scratching his head.


    Josh approached Kasha to grab her prisoner, looking her straight in the eyes. In this nce, there was profound admiration for her, along with hints of affection. For a single instant, the world stopped, and they shared a beautiful moment.


    That''s when she jumped at him, along with her supposed prisoner, both wielding dark deadly-looking daggers that pierced directly toward his heart.


    Josh''s death was inevitable....or so they thought. Minor''s barrier was already around him and foiled their ns as their weapons bounced back, not causing any damage.


    That''s when Josh went for the kill, enhancing himself with mana. Just as he was about to deliver the killing blow, he felt some faint killing intenting from a distance. There was one more!


    Afterward, both enemies were quickly restrained by Team 7, knocked unconscious, and tied up like dumplings.


    "I''m d you guys understood my message," Joshughingly told them.


    They could only roll their eyes. As if they could forget Josh just eating brownies while they painstakingly fought Ness in the Alter Tower!


    Josh turned toward the two generals. "You guys wanted to be useful, right? You can interrogate these two. Who they are, why they want to kill Markus, who hired them, etc. Thanks a lot!" They nodded in agreement.


    "As for us, how about we¡ª" But Josh stopped abruptly.


    The real Kasha had appeared along with a visibly annoyed AIYA. "I can''t believe those bastards woulde back here instead of running away!"


    Then Kasha noticed her "doppelganger". She frowned, slowly approached the unconscious target, andcerated her face until it was unrecognizable with all the blood. Only then did she give a satisfied smile while many gulped at how naturally she had done so.


    "Wee back. Now let''s¡ª" Once more, Josh was interrupted.


    A fully armored Climber had appeared a distance away, pointed straight at Josh, and shouted: "This one hase to defeat you! Prepare yourself!"


    -_- What was it now?! ...


    Creator''s Thought


    Their decision to kill me was truly questionable. Were they seriously expecting to seed? Still, kudos to them for temporarily fooling Kasha and AIYA even if it was a very sad disy overall. As for Usain, could he be considered MIA? How something like that can even happen is beyond me.

 Chapter 221: Josh VS Mysterious Knight!

    <h4>Chapter 221: Josh VS Mysterious Knight!</h4>


    A fully armored Climber had appeared a distance away, pointed straight at Josh, and shouted: "This one hase to defeat you! Prepare yourself!"


    Josh could only watch this scene, perplexed. Had someone specifically made the trip to defeat him? What was he supposed to prepare?


    The unknown Climber was wearing an orange full-te armor that reminded one of a monstrous crab monster. While it did seem weird, there was also a sense of power exuding from it. All of that person''s features were hidden behind the sturdy-looking gear.


    Everyone was waiting for Josh''s reaction with bated breath, both the soldiers and civilians. At this point, some had evacuated the ce, but there still remained many that were either foolhardy or confident in their capabilities.


    These people were now d that they had stayed. How amazing would a duel between Josh and that mysterious individual be?! What awesome moves would he show them?! They were staring at him with rapt attention.


    It was the same for the soldiers and especially the Climbers/Farmers. His aura had seemed rtively goofy, but he would let out a hint of wisdom or even pure dominance from time to time. They would finally see him fight!


    One of them even began cheering, "Go, teacher! Show that armored pumpkin who''s boss!" The people nearby weren''t going to repeat such an embarrassing line for sure! But, a few "Go teacher" resounded.


    Gaiden was probably the one that looked forward to this fight the most. He would finally know if the man deserved all the credits Roderick was giving him. His feat of drinking a lot hadn''t been very awe-inspiring in his eyes.


    The silence was filled with tension. Who was that mysterious enemy? How would Josh react? Would this be a one-sided beat-down or a fight that would go down in legends?


    That is when Josh took a powerful step toward the unknown knight! He then showed the most confident expression they had ever seen as he heroically dered: "Sure, but give me a few minutes. I gotta take a leak!"


    Josh then jogged away very quickly. The spectators could only stare at his back as he disappeared. This was so different than the scene they had expected! For an instant, they didn''t know how to react. Was that it? Talk about anticlimactic!


    "Who does that?! All this buildup, and he''s going for a Bio break?!" someonemented.


    "There is nothing heroic about this! Bring me back my shattered dreams."


    "To be fair, he did participate in a drinking contest. I would have done the same in his position."


    "Ah, that''s true. Dare I say that it would be hical to fight with a full dder!"


    "True, it would be a sign of disrespect for the people watching and for his adversary."


    "Is it me, or does this actually takes courage? Would you guys dare to tell such a huge crowd that you are going to the loo?"


    "This feels wrong, but you''re kinda right. Damn!"


    "I reckon that only someone truly great would have such great confidence no matter the action."


    That is how many began to sing Josh''s praises for doubtful reasons at best. This, in turn, confused plenty of others that wondered if the people around them had gone crazy. Still, discussing kept them busy while they patiently waited.


    5 minutester ¡ª *Enthusiastic discussions*


    "Do you think I can buy some chips before it starts?"


    "I don''t know, man. But, do you really want to risk it?"


    "Missing such a fight because of gluttony would be a sin, literally!"


    10 minutester ¡ª *People checking the time in wonder*


    "Shouldn''t taking a leak be faster than that?"


    "Maybe the toilet he found was upied or something?"


    "I mean, he did drink A LOT of beer. Fountain level leak, haha!"


    "Makes sense. We just have to be patient. This will 100% be worth it!"


    15 minutester ¡ª *Should it take this long?*


    "How long has it been? I would have done my groceries in that time!"


    "Maybe something is holding him? Maybe he met a pesky salesman?"


    "True. The ones selling insurance are the absolute worst! So noisy and long-winded!"


    30 minutester ¡ª *What is happening?*


    "There is definitely something wrong about this!"


    "Did he perhaps¡­run away? Could it be possible?"


    "No way! Look at these 300 soldiers waiting for him. He wouldn''t just abandon them, right?"


    "You''re right! I didn''t think this through properly. My bad!"


    1 hourter ¡ª *Seriously, WTF is happening?!*


    "It''s been one hour, one whole hour! This is insane!"


    "He''s noting back, is he? He clearly bailed on us all."


    "Guys, there is something weird. Why are none of them raging?"


    The soldiers, the Climbers/Farmers, Josh''s friends, and even this mysterious enemy were all patiently waiting for him to be back. Even the spectators that were extremely hyped about this had already lost all confidence, but not them? How?!


    They should have been angry, restless, or they could have straight up left. Why were they still there? They wouldn''t just waste their time for no reason, right? What did they know that the spectators didn''t?


    Following that logical thought process, many decided to stay. Were they to leave, they would have wasted an hour. As long as they remained, there was still a chance for Josh toe back.


    They would be able to brag to their friends for days should they witness such an epic fight. They were not about to screw it up. They were not fools!


    2 hourster ¡ª *He''s noting back, is he?*


    There was still no sign of Josh. At that point, Kasha had resumed ying the EDM music, because why not. It created a peculiar atmosphere.


    On one side, some people were just there to enjoy the music, and dance like no one was watching. Honestly, this wasn''t easy considering that MANY were definitely watching!


    On the other side, the people were waiting for the most epic, legendary, unbelievable fight! Well, it truly was unbelievable at this point: would it even happen?


    From time to time, there would be a third group: the wet-nkets who wanted the music lowered. They had a somewhat valid argument that this was noise pollution or something. But, it seemed like one Kasha re was more convincing.


    At some point, she felt bored andid eyes on the knight in orange armor that was just sitting on the ground. That is when a smile blossomed on her face as she had a fun idea.


    Kasha approached while taking out a sharp silver glowing knife. "Let''s fight! If you defeat me in a duel, I''ll allow you to challenge Josh. How about it?"


    The unknown individual seemed to hesitate before replying: "Alright, but my goal is to challenge him and him only. I won''t have time to entertain you once hees back."


    Damn! Kasha of Draconic, she who loved to fight, was being looked down upon! The spectators couldn''t help but rejoice. It seemed like they would get to watch an epic fight after all!


    They couldn''t wait for it to begin! Soon, people began cheering for their favorite fighter with great enthusiasm. They had been pretty bored in thest two hours, after all.


    "Kasha! Kasha! Kasha!"


    "Pumpkin! Pumpkin! Pumpkin!"


    It seemed like the weird nickname had stuck. Poor pumpkin¡ª eh, orange knight! Anyway, it was time for a duel!¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    Was I truly going to the loo? Of course not! In fact, I had already forgotten thest time I had to go there. This was an effect of the Gluttony Bloodline for sure! It was as if anything that I consumed would be turned into direct energy as long as it wasestible...or Iron?

 Chapter 222: Cautious Number 3

    <h4>Chapter 222: Cautious Number 3</h4>


    ****(POV)


    In a small Inn room, a man held his head in distress with his back slumped in a ck office chair. This man was referred to as Number 3 by his peers and was currently having a breakdown.


    Where had everything gone wrong? He had no clue, none at all! Was it the job itself? The task had been extremely dangerous, but they should have seeded. No, it was all that man''s fault!


    What was he supposed to do now? Number 2 had died while Number 1 and Number 4 had been apprehended. Then again, they were supposed to take him as a hostage, not try to kill him! A rescue was out of the question, and so waspleting the task.


    Number 3 sighed so profoundly that his soul almost escaped his body. Perhaps this had been a monumental mistake since the very beginning.


    They should never have set their sights on the target of an Eternal Bounty. These contracts were already entirely prepaid by the clients and would only be taken down when the victim breathed itsst.


    Any killer could work on these. Whoever brought proof of the target''s demise would be entitled to the reward. Well, it was more like THE reward with how many credits were involved. Hundreds of thousands of Credits were to them an enormous sum.


    This time their mark had been the leader of Metropolis-D, Markus. He was an unbelievably strong man. So strong that even if they took him by surprise under the best conditions, they would probably all die.


    Even if they did manage to murder him, what was the point if they were just going to get captured afterward? Credits were useless if one couldn''t spend them. That''s why they stayed far away from such targets¡­usually.


    With the Towering into existence, the league of assassins had to adapt so much in a short period. Then, once one factored in the need for secrecy, they had to close shop temporarily.


    As professional killers, their team had been thus left jobless, condemned to twirl their thumbs in boredom day after day. This, coupled with theck of ie, made it difficult for the other members of Number 3''s team.


    For an assassin, taking random contracts carried too much risk. It was a huge waste of time. Without the Assassin''s League acting as a guarantor, business was close to impossible. The trade of death was a troublesome one after all.


    That''s why they rejoiced when the Assassin''s guild reopened. They choked a middle-ageddy to death in the morning, then repeatedly stabbed an old man, and finally went for lunch. Then afterward, they learned a piece of wonderful news:


    There was an opportunity that was just too good to pass on. Markus was having a drinking contest in a public area with insanely loud music ying. This was the perfect diversion, and he would never be more vulnerable than at that moment!


    That is how began the operation "Dead Drunk!". Taking down such a powerhouse would be so satisfying and would bring them great wealth. What more could one want! The n had been simple:


    - Number 1 was in charge of dealing with the U-Bots.


    - Number 4 had the mission to distract any guard while creating a small window of opportunity.


    - Number 2 would use his camouge suit and invisibility skill to sneak in, kill Markus and head out.


    It was expected to be challenging, but they had enough experience to pull it off, or so they thought. They stopped being confident the moment the man suddenly killed number 2.


    It had been as if he could see him as clear as day. Perhaps it had even been a trap all along. Were they even the intended targets? Perhaps they were only unlucky small fishes caught in a much bigger.


    Number 3 felt his nails dig into his skin as he recalled his lost or soon-to-be-lost teammates. Number 2 and his love of thrills. Number 1 and her greed. Finally, number 4 with his do-or-die personality.


    Even the ones that were still living would end up in the ck Keep until their death. Either that or they would be ves for the MTA. They were low-key about it, but it was an open secret.


    He finally rose up and groggily headed to take a shower. At least he was safe. His team didn''t know where he was, theirmunication tools were untraceable, and they knew nothing about him. Well, apart from his nickname of cautious Number 3, a nickname he had failed.


    Number 3 activated the hot water and relished in the warmth that was enveloping him. That''s when he decided to let go. Let go of the identity of Number 3. Let go of the distress and let all of it out. Afterward, he felt so peaceful.


    This previous party could bepared to a water droplet from his showerhead. It was born from his actions, had shared all the energy it had to offer, and then had disappeared down the drain forever.


    He exited the bathroom, a towel around his waist. He felt alive once again as if the previous him had been a lie. Now that he had relinquished the identity of number 3, who should he be?


    That''s when he heard a knock at the door.


    *Knock Knock*


    At first, he ignored it, but then it kept going relentlessly. ying dumb any longer would attract unwanted attention, so he went to open it. There stood¡­.what was that?!


    In front of his door, a man was wearing a silly costume. Actually, he only wore the head of a mascot for some reason, one that was in the shape of a burger.


    "What is it?" He suspiciously asked, mimicking the reaction of a regr civilian.


    The mascot went: "I''m looking for a friend of mine. He told me he was staying at this Inn. Have you seen him by any chance?"


    "I just arrived, sorry." He went to close the door, but the man ced his foot inside. "Hear me out, can I show you his photo? If you see him, just tell him to meet me at the usual spot!"


    "Sure, whatever." He nonchntly replied.


    They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this one was worth a thousand rm bells that rang in his mind. He had just realized that this was an image of Number 4 when a wave of pain crushed his mind.


    That''s when the world went dark...


    ****


    Pain, so much pain!


    He felt as if his entire head was about to split apart. But then it became worse as he remembered what had happened.


    He struggled to look around, but he was blindfolded and tied up. He tried to summon a weapon, but he couldn''t. Whoever had captured him even had anti-Climber handcuffs.


    The more he thought about it, and the weirder this seemed. There was no way this freak was part of the MTA! No! The picture was definitely from the earlier incident. This meant that this Burger-Man was one traveling with the EDM Fleet.


    Was this all about their failed attempt on Markus? For some reason, he felt that he wasn''t anywhere near an official building. Was this a private vendetta? How could he turn things around?


    That is when a derisive voice sounded. "You guys really screwed up, you know that? Now, we''re going to have a very long and fun talk."


    As if this was sufficient to scare him! As for getting out of there he already had a n. He would y meek, somehow convince the man to remove the magical handcuffs, and then he would strike!...


    Creator''s Thought


    What would you do if Burger-Man showed up at your ce to settle a grudge? The answer is nothing, cause you''re already dead! Jokes aside, I had to do 20 rooms before I finally found the right guy. The killing intent had just given me a vague direction and his reaction to the picture gave him away.

 Chapter 223: Overpowered Abilities!

    <h4>Chapter 223: Overpowered Abilities!</h4>


    Josh had to admit that he still had to work on his interrogation techniques. He had tried mixing his killing intent along with his new mana maniption skill, and the results were a little bit too effective.


    In front of him, there was now a shell of a man that kept crying while begging for death. He was holding his legs with his arms, as if a human ball, and was spasming all over. The problem was that Josh wasn''t even doing anything!


    The man wasn''t even tied up anymore and yet showed no sign of recovering at all. Josh had spent about 5 minutes breaking himpletely and close to 2 hours trying to make him presentable enough to hand over to Markus.


    Now that he thought about it, it would be hard for anyone to believe that this guy had been the mastermind! But, Josh clearly remembered how scheming he had been at the beginning of the "torture" session.


    The man had been faking all of his reactions in order to lull Josh into a false sense of security and make himcent. It had been near perfect, but near was the keyword, and Josh had seen through it.


    That''s also why he had been convinced that this prisoner would be hard to crack. Except, it had been theplete opposite! Or perhaps it was just mana enhanced killing intent that was just that overpowered?


    Josh could think of many potential exnations. For instance, he had used the handcuffs to remove the poor guy''s ability to resist. Then there was the fact that the man wasn''t that strong a Climber.


    This guy had been the analyst of assassins. His primary role used to be to research adequately and find the ws in their targets. It just happened that Josh was proceeding in a simr manner. He was using people''s overconfidence to take them down.


    Anyway, Josh had to give up. The poor bloke wasn''t going to get any better anytime soon. His only constion was that he had learned a bit about the League of Assassins in the process. For instance, he had been given a tip on how to infiltrate them.


    Josh grabbed Number 3 like a potato sack and hauled him back toward their ships.


    On his way, many gave him very peculiar nces. There was even a woman that blindfolded her son''s eyes. What was wrong with a man carrying another man?! The fact that he was shaking and half-naked was irrelevant¡­maybe.


    Josh has expected people to be pissed about him being gone for 2 hours, but they didn''t seem to mind at all. The party was still ongoing, and there was even arge dueling ring that had been created.


    In the middle, he could see Kasha and the unknown orange knight that were about to fight each other. The crowd was already going crazy talking about how this would be a fantastic fight!


    Josh remained a distance away. A few people noticed him and showed extreme shock, but no realmotion was created. People were way too focused on what was toe!


    Then it started, suddenly, without even a signal. Kasha instantly disappeared in a green glow reappearing behind her enemy and plunging her daggers toward her.


    But that''s when the orange knight pped her direction. The hand and the dagger collided. Everyone expected Kasha to win this exchange, but sparks appeared along with the sound of metal shing against metal.


    The armor of the knight seemed to be nicked slightly. Seeing this, Kasha smirked. A few hand gesturester, a few illusory Kashas appeared around her target, and they all attacked at once.


    The knight rotated akin to a spinner and tons of CLANG! sounds resounded across the dueling arena. Kasha had probably spent a lot of mana on that one, but she still showed a victorious smile.


    Her opponent''s gauntlets were in horrible shape. It was possible to see slender fingers through the open gaps. But, there was no trace of injury as shiny white scales could be seen glistering inside.


    Even with the distance, Josh managed to notice it along with many others. Was that a bloodline?!


    "Go, Pumpkin!!!"


    "Go, Kasha!!"


    Josh couldn''t help but be puzzled. Sure, that knight was orange, but pumpkin, really? Who the hell hade up with such a nickname?!


    The atmosphere suddenly changed. Kasha beganughing out loud, softly at first but then loud enough to ovee the EDM music that was being sted. It was an eerieugh that made many question their hearing. Was this really happening?!


    She began glowing in a green light, but this time it was different. If before she was using that energy now, she was fuzing with it. It seemed like some Heavenly transformation as she looked akin to a celestial being.


    Her hair was floating akin to a shampoomercial, her steps seemed as light as moonlight itself, and she morphed into a resplendent jade beauty, literally! She had the purest and most extraordinary light green glowing skin!


    Josh slowly approached forward. Partly because of curiosity and partly because this move seemed overly powerful.


    "Oh god! Why the fuck is she using this here?!" AIYA could be heard cursing even from afar.


    "Is it that bad?" Dale showed unease.


    "Just make sure you don''t anger her when she''s like that...ever," Emsee added.


    Should Josh stop the fight? But then something else attracted his attention. On the other side, the mysterious challenger also seemed to have a transformation ability! Was it thatmon nowadays?!


    The white scales suddenly turned pitch ck. As Josh saw it, he couldn''t help but jerk in shock. Somehow, this was the exact same color as the power of corruption! What kind of ability was this, and should they evacuate?


    Each scale seemed to be pulsating with dark energy that wanted nothing more than to break free and contaminate the world. It reminded him of the Gene Corp incident, and this time he would act before it was toote.


    Many shared the same feeling: "They are going crazy with their skills! We gotta get out of here!"


    But, some showed the opposite reaction. "This is some crazy shit! I will witness this no matter what!"


    A few allies shouted at the fighters to stop, but they seemed to be in their own world. That''s when Kasha dashed forward, stepping on the air as if a solid surface, and reached her target faster than Josh could blink.


    But, the dark scales were then angled perfectly to deflect the hit. A mix of green and ck energynded on the za ground, creating a vast gash gushing with whatever those powers were. Luckily no one was hurt.


    But that''s when they prepared for another sh. Hell no! There was no way that Josh would let them cause damage to the city! What if he got med for the aftermath?! All his Credits were already going into his new base!


    "STOP IT, YOU TWO!" Josh shouted as loudly as he could, using mana to try and enhance his vocal cords.


    Instantly all heads turned toward him. The mysterious knight then pointed its hand full of concentrated mana toward him and¡­.waved?! Had peace been achieved?


    But, the next sentence brought him back to reality.


    "Perfect, you''re back! Now, let''s fight until one of us cannot go on anymore!" The knight proposed.


    Josh vividly remembered the extraordinary fighting that had just been shown. His chances of winning wereplete shit!


    What did ''cannot go on'' even mean? Fight until one is unconscious? Fight to the death?!


    How about no!!!


    Help!...


    Creator''s Thought


    As I looked at these special transforming abilities, I felt so jealous! Was my specialty only killing intent? At least it was pretty effective at times and was easy to use. Now, why hadn''t Kasha used such a move back during the War? Were there conditions to it or had she just unlocked it? I had to get to the bottom of it...after surviving this mystery knight of course.

 Chapter 224: Nuclear Revenge Incoming!?!

    <h4>Chapter 224: Nuclear Revenge Iing!?!</h4>


    Josh was back! The crowd erupted in excited cheers as they felt foolish for doubting whether he''d return. The knight had even stopped fighting Kasha, evidently holding Josh in higher esteem.


    There was just something peculiar about him. Why was he carrying a half-naked man that seemed out of it? Many pointed with perplexed expressions, with others shrugging. How could they fathom what he had been up to?


    As Josh watched this fearsome opponent, he was thinking of the best way to avoid conflict. No matter how much he searched his memory, he didn''t recall ever meeting this individual. Why suddenly go after him, and why now?


    He gave a wry smile as he considered his options, picturing it as a visual novel:


    A: Fight ¡ª> Die like a dog


    B: Beg ¡ª> Loss of face


    C: Intimidate ¡ª> Possible bacsh


    D: Reschedule ¡ª> Only dying the problem


    A: Fighting was out of the question. His specialty was technique, but what was he supposed to do against an enemy he was pretty sure he couldn''t even harm?


    B: Begging could work, but it depended on how kind the opponent was, and it would tarnish his reputation a whole lot. Plus, it didn''t sit well with his nature.


    C: He could try intimidation: he could bluff using killing intent. It could work, but he''d be in great peril should that knight charge at him instead.


    D: He could try rescheduling. This problem would then be future Josh''s problem. The only requirement was that he had to give a good excuse, and confidence would be critical.


    Josh stepped forward, the crowd parting on his way. He made sure to stride forward with great assurance. On the other side, there was this crazily powerful knight that was overflowing with mana and determination.


    Josh kept walking until he arrived right next to the individual. He then spoke in the best secret agent voice he could muster: "There is a matter that requires my immediate attention. Let us fight another time."


    "What kind of emergency? You''re already here. Why don''t we have a quick challenge?" The mysterious opponent asked with evident dissatisfaction.


    Josh felt like replying: ''Cause I want to live'' but instead answered as mysteriously as possible. "The League of Assassins is back. I need to do a little cleaning if you know what I mean. Let us meet soon." He said, smiling fearlessly.


    The knight seemed to hesitate, with fists clenched in discontentment, but eventually nodded in eptance.


    The best bluffs were the factually true ones. The assassins were back, and he really would clean, just not them! He''d be cleaning his new house in D-23!


    Josh signaled his party, promptly deciding to leave the ce resolutely. The Drinking contest had been his win (earning him 52k credits somehow). He had saved Markus, found the assassins, and avoided a challenge. This was a great win in his book.


    They all boarded the ships in confusion, with Josh showing a somber expression; One that made people believe that he was a man on a mission. But internally, he wasughing his ass off.


    The crowd seemed to find his actions weird and even question them, but they refrained from disparagingments. There had to be something more to this story seeing how heroic he looked and how the knight was cool with his departure.


    But that''s when the pumpkin knight thunderously shouted: "I will challenge you once more as soon as you are done destroying the League of Assassins!"


    The spectators that heard that couldn''t believe their ears. Josh would destroy this criminal organization that was both deadly and shrouded in mystery?! Holy shit! He wasn''t just foiling one assassination. He was getting revenge on the whole profession!


    "Guys, that exins why he has to leave so quickly!"


    "Yeah, who''s the dumbass that suggested that he''s running away?"


    "Anyone that dares trash talk the LoA in public is either insane or insanely powerful!"


    "He''s obviously thetter. I mean, the guy has ties to Dimensional Legion."


    "Yep, these assassins kicked a slothtrosity this time around!"


    "You''re goddamn right! That''s even stronger than an iron te!"


    They all threw admiring nces toward the departing EDM Fleet. Josh was receiving a simr treatment inside as the soldiers looked at him with reverence while softly murmuring.


    "He truly is worthy to teach us. Only he would dare to disparage those assassins publicly. Everyone is scared of them, but he doesn''t even put them in his eye!"


    "I can understand why General Roderick holds him in such high esteem! He protects his allies and is unforgiving to his enemies.


    Then there were the ones that knew him better:


    "Why do I feel like he never intended for this to happen?" Dale questioned.


    "Because it wasn''t announced in a shy manner. The Josh I know would have done it properly if he wanted to send a death promise." Kasha chimed in.


    "Well, now Josh has a huge target on his back. I wonder how he''ll handle it." Joe remarked.


    "Honestly, I''m more concerned about Minor. He''ll have to do exceptionally well with the barrier magic or forever live with his conscience if Josh dies." Emsee darkly added. Would Minor soon do a burnout?


    As for Josh, he was forcing a smile. What had he done to deserve this?! Sure, he had used misleading words on purpose. But was there a need to shout it out so loudly?! Perhaps this was karma.


    He heard the hush voices about how brave and valiant he was. They all seemed to think that the LoA would send assassins after him just because of one statement, as if! This kind of stuff only happened in fiction! Good killers didn''t care about fame.


    The Generals came to meet him, gesturing at the man that Josh was still carrying. "Who''s this?" Even now, the man was still shaking and honestly looked more like a Hobo than an assassin.


    "He''s the mastermind behind the attempt on Markus'' life. Right, did you guys find anything interrogating the other two?"


    They scratched their head awkwardly. "These two assassins are extremely resilient. We haven''t gotten anything at all from them. We''ll have to request for a specialist to help." Roderick sighed.


    "To make them talk, you mean? Give me 5 minutes, and I can take care of it." Josh offered.


    "Alright! Here, take this with you. It will record everything just in case they confess." Roderick handed him a small blue sphere and nodded in encouragement.


    Gaiden could be seen shaking his head in evident dislike of Josh''s confident attitude. They hadn''t seeded in two hours. What made him think he would seed?!


    A few minutester, Josh returned.


    "How did it go?" Roderick asked with Gaiden scoffing behind. The answer could only be negative with the extremely short time he had spent in there. Getting into someone''s mind took time and perseverance.


    "It went well, don''t worry. Oh, yeah, we are about to arrive at D-23! Let''s get ready to disembark." Josh was hyped about this new project and already didn''t care about the prisoners.


    "Sure, I''ll being along to check how the training works. Oh, can I have the recording device back, please?" Roderick requested.


    "I left it with them in their cell. They''ll still need it for a while, I think."Josh exined.


    "W-what do you mean?" Roderick was puzzled and expectant.


    "I told them to take turns confessing and recording. I have no idea when they''ll be done. Just today, they had three assassination jobs. This may take a while." Josh shrugged.


    The two generals rushed to the prison as fast as their legs could carry them. He had told them to record?! Didn''t this mean that they were untied?! But as they entered the prison, they froze. The two prisoners were well-behaved and were confessing all their misdeeds to the camera.


    Gaiden shouted in shock. "What the hell is happening?! Why are you guys doing this?"


    "If we don''t do it properly, the devil wille back! It''s better to go to jail!" He said with resolve.


    "What did he do exactly?" Roderick was perplexed.


    "H-he...He-he..." One choked as he tried remembering.


    "Nothing. He didn''t do anything in particr. But, he did show us his true nature..." He could be seen shaking as he said so."


    As the generals were going crazy, Josh happily thought about the brainwashing capabilities that killing intent showed. Oh, this would be so much fun! They had finally arrived at D-23, and it was time to build an army!...


    Creator''s Thought


    I didn''t even bother to exin anything. These kinds of rumors tend to get out of hand easily. In my personal opinion, the less you reply, and the better you end up. Well, generally, sometimes it can lead to some pretty crazy events. #me-Pumpkin-Knight #I''m-Innocent

 Chapter 225: Strongest Anti-Sloth Move!

    <h4>Chapter 225: Strongest Anti-Sloth Move!</h4>


    Home sweet home! Josh couldn''t help smile as they finally reached D-23: this was a new beginning.


    He was right on schedule: Transmigrating ¡ª> Adapting + Climbing ¡ª> Mana Manipting ¡ª> New HQ ¡ª> World Domination (eventually).


    Theynded at the very edge of the forest with the crew members afraid to wake the sloths up. The few guards currently on-site were sighing in relief. From now on, watching the area would be Josh''s problem.


    "Alright, follow closely and don''t touch anything," Josh ordered them. They all nodded solemnly as if their life depended on it, which it kind of did.


    They made for a strange procession. Anywhere else, 300 Climbers would have been very confident. As long as it wasn''t a war, they''d be fine, right?


    In this ce, they had no assurance whatsoever. They followed Josh as if small ducklings trailing behind their mother.


    After walking for a little while, they finally reached the area near the Alter Tower. There was now a ''Great Wall of China''-looking metallic construction all around it! Would it resist the sharp ws of the sloths? Definitely not, but it was a start.


    It was about 10 meters high and 5 meters wide, but that wouldn''t really restrain a Climber from jumping above it. Plus, there was one peculiar thing: it had holes! There were alcoves over its whole length!


    Josh''spanions did double-takes in confusion as they observed this scene. Was this wall modeled after swiss cheese?! But, a few seemed to realize what it was as they shook violently. Every hole was a potential sloth bed!


    "This is it. Wee to the Vige Hidden in the Sloths!" Josh grandly dered, proud of this epic nickname.


    But, the people only turned ashen as they began nervously looking all around for the deadly creatures. With all the excitement, they had almost forgotten about this huge problem!


    "No need to look so far. This rock under you guys'' feet is a sleeping sloth, and it''s very neatly buried in the soil." Kasha ''graciously'' informed them. They jumped away in silent fright, and their faces looked hrious!


    Not waiting, Josh headed for the only gate there was: a one-sided ramp that made exiting way easier than entering. Well, not that climbing 5 meters was any challenge. It was all about lowering the appeal for the wandering sloths.


    "I-is everything going to be fine?" Someone asked worriedly.


    "Why not? Why fight when we can coexist instead? I''m a pacifist at heart." As Josh said that, many shook their heads in denial. Him, a pacifist? No way!


    Inside, they quickly found Bob that was working alongside a team of ten workers. That''s when the people finally sighed in relief. These guys were still alive, so it had to be somewhat safe, right?


    "Hey, man! It''s looking great so far!" Josh greeted him amicably.


    Seeing Josh, Bob jumped in fright, yelped, and even stepped backward while shouting: "I''m really too busy to Climb! Please just let me do my job!" His workers surrounded him apparently to show support as they sent disapproving looks his way.


    Josh was taken aback. "What are you going on about? I joked about that once¡­." Why was he getting so worked up?


    "What?!" Bob went from scared to suspicious and finally relieved. How could a man live so many emotions so fast? That''s when he seemed toe to a realization.


    He brought his UW screen forward and showed Josh. He had been receiving a specific message every 5 minutes that read:


    -Josh MF Malum: "Wanna Climb again?!"


    "What the heck? What kind of bug is this?!" He was taken aback by that.


    "If you tap long enough on a message, you can set a timer to resend over and over the selection. I thought you knew and¡­." But Bob was interrupted by a sonorous yawn.


    ????????????????!


    The 300 people around Josh instantly fell to their knees. What kind of timing was this? They had just arrived! But it wasn''t over just yet.


    ????????????????!


    ????????????????!


    ????????????????!


    ????????????????!


    That is when five sloths could be seenzily climbing at the entrance, broke in, and headed toward the group. The humans showedplete eptance of their fate. They would sleep forever, how nice!


    But the sloths took their sweet time. Many regained their senses partially but were still not able to move. They evidently felt desperate, regretful, and angry. They hadn''te here to face such a tragic end!


    But that''s when Josh bravely stepped forward and went to meet the creatures head-on. It was fine, for he would save them all! He unleashed the strongest technique known to mankind right at them ~ Serious consecutive headpats!


    "Are you guys hungry by any chance? I''m sure I can get you some tasty treat." Josh was talking to them as if old friends. What kind of madness was this?!


    Many had thought that the sloth train had only been possible thanks to particr conditions. But, it seemed that they were wrong! Josh couldn''t be more casual than this!


    People even forgot to get up as the magical effect went away. What happened next felt like a dream. Josh made two piles of items: one with food and the other with rocks and whatever trash he could find.


    He then had them stand at attention in the non-food pile as he kept feeding the sloths from the food pile. All over the duration, Josh also kept ordering them around for some reason.


    He randomly pointed at them and told them to do backflips, sing, dance, and even had Kasha spoon-feed him! Why was he toying with them?!


    That''s when Emsee murmured the answer while chuckling. "He''s making them understand that we''re his subordinates."


    Some random questioned: "Is there really a need for that?"


    Dale couldn''t help but snort: "This is so obvious: it is to protect us. On the one hand, they can leave us alone, rest peacefully and receive delicious food. On the other hand, they can eat us and get hunted down by Josh Motherfucking Malum. The choice isn''t hard."


    Another random asked perplexed. "But aren''t these creatures pretty much invincible?"


    Kasha eruptedughing: "How about I kick your dick 24/7? Don''t worry. You won''t die: it will just be a tiny bit annoying."


    "Then again, who''s more invincible between the sloths and Josh? I''m seriously wondering." Minor sighed.


    That''s when Josh came back, having spent some good quality time with his new friends. It turned out that these creatures were pretty smart. The only problem was that winning their respect was close to impossible for a non-sloth.


    In their eyes, most humans were nothing but scurrying rats: noisy, annoying, and containing a bit of meat. Josh just gave them a different feeling.


    He smiled as he addressed the crowd.


    "Alright, wee all of you to the official Dimensional Legion Climber school. Let''s settle something first: sign this. Ah, don''t worry, it''s all elementary stuff."


    Josh handed them all a magical contract:


    - NDA


    - The school is not responsible for any death.


    - All students are required to help with chores.


    - The students are required to help should the school face destruction.


    - Etc¡­


    How was any of that basic?! It was more like drafting them to be part of a reserve army. What kind of trick was this? A good 2/3 of the people here were in the MTA or the ck Legion! Was he trying to poach from the regional army?!


    Surprisingly, Roderick was the first to sign away. In his eyes, this was worth it. As much as this was binding them to Josh, it was also binding Josh to them. His eyes glowed as he had great hopes for the future.


    In a silent disaster zone, the Dimensional Legion came into being. The only ones witnessing such an event were a group of sloths and a team of builders.


    All of them could feel that this moment, which seemed far too simple, would change their lives forever. Perhaps it would impact the world itself? No, believing that would have been a bit too arrogant of them.


    That is when Josh solemnly gave them their first task: "Heed my call! All of you join forces and¡­.finish the construction! Well, if you want to have a roof tonight, that is. Follow Bob''s directives while I''m gone."


    Alexa couldn''t help but speak up. "Where are you going?"


    "To set up a few things. You''ll know soon enough." Josh winked as he walked toward the Alter Tower, disappearing inside.


    They all looked at each other confused. Set things up? In the Tower?! But for now, they would focus on this new task. They couldn''t help but twitch seeing the five sloths that were just napping right in their base.


    They''d behave¡­right?!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    While we were silently establishing the school, the world was losing its shit. That assassin bullshit really rendered them crazy. Well, that and the various articlesing out about D.L. I think the funniest part about it is how after a little time this ce would be: THE Vige Hidden in the Sloths!

 Chapter 226: Towerception And Shit!

    <h4>Chapter 226: Towerception And Shit!</h4>


    There was a sh of red light as Josh appeared in the ever so quiet Mall. No NPC paid any attention to the sudden teleportation as they kept going with their business. Somehow it seemed to have changed a bit, but how?


    Ah! There were tons of individuals walking¡ªNo, hurrying around in business suits. They would often nce at their expensive watches that would have sent a pack of gold diggers in a frenzy.


    Josh approached a nearby Mall n and couldn''t help but chuckle. "This son of a bitch, he did it, haha!" There was now a skyscraper connected to the Mall.


    The Alter Tower Protocol had made a Tower in a Tower! This was akin to a capitalist version of a Russian Doll, but with even more deaths. How amazing was that! Towerception 101!


    There was a sign nearby that could read: <A skyscraper like no other! Brought to you by the INFINITE Corporation! Soon TM> It seemed like it was still under construction, kinda like an early ess Tower.


    "Hey, are you there?" Josh asked the air.


    "¡­."


    "Is my favorite Tower Protocol here?"


    [J-josh?! I thought I imagined things¡ª I mean, where the hell have you been?!]


    "Mostly busy training. I see you''ve been rather upied yourself. This new project of yours is very cool!" Josh gave a thumb up.


    [So, what did you learn?!]


    "Here, watch this!" Josh focused, and soon his entire body began softly glowing with purple energy running around him. He felt smug after this show of strength.


    That''s when the Alter Tower decided to make his move. Out of nowhere, a radiant purple sun appeared. Compared to it, Josh''s aura was risible. Then again, how could a humanpete with a Tower?


    "Showoff!" Josh teased.


    [You don''t have to feel bad. I''m sure you''ll get better. Anyway, want to try my new design? I swear it will be fun!]


    "I''m not opposed to it, but there is something I want to discuss first. Alright, let me grab a drink beforehand."


    That is how Josh went to get a Nebbucks coffee and witnessed the fastest customer service in history: 0.1 seconds! How impatient was his friend? He went to sit on a public bench and happily began discussing.


    "Alright, remember when you said you wanted more people to climb? Well, I got myself 300 individuals that are just waiting for my instructions. I''m supposed to teach them how to be stronger."


    [D-did you say 300?! That''s a lot! Wow!]


    Josh couldn''t help but find it funny, considering there were thousands and thousands of Climbers at any Metropolis. What the Alter Tower believed a lot was probably the number of people entering the regr Tower at any given second.


    "Hey, together we can make sure this ce bes truly lively. Wouldn''t that be nice? I have a proposition. Do you want to coborate with me to train them?"


    [How would we do that?]


    "Easy, we would have to customize challenges and somehow make each near impossible while making sure no one dies. If we give a trashy reward, that would probably work, right?"


    [¡­..Let me check something.]


    That is when he went silent. Josh could notice the bystanders looking at him weirdly. They may have only been NPCs, but their AI was getting pretty damn good. The way they scorned him was so realistic!


    A woman was dragging her son away with her, telling him not to associate with such a madman. He could hear people whispering about how he was way too old to have imaginary friends still. Some said that he should get himself checked in an asylum for everyone''s good. Some were praying for him to get better. Ironic, all of them.


    [Alright, I''ve figured it out!!]


    "Oh? Please pray tell, oh mighty Alter System! I beg of you to share your wisdom!"


    [For a mission to be created, it requires a proper bncing of 3 elements: Danger & Difficulty & Reward.]


    "So what happens if we crank up the difficulty all the way up?"


    [Then we need to raise the other two ordingly, or it won''t work as a mission. But, there is a workaround for this!]


    "We''ll make the training in itself be the reward of another mission?"


    [Why didn''t you let me say it?! But yes, essentially]


    "That''s great! Let''s get started and¡ª"


    [Not so fast. There is no way that I can just create this without restrictions.]


    Of course, it wouldn''t be that easy, eh? Josh had somewhat expected this. It wasn''t exactly clear where the line was drawn, but these Tower Protocols had their orders that they couldn''t go again.


    "Just say the word. How many innocents do I have to kill for now?"


    [Oh, no. I''m done with that. I was trying to figure out the morality of killing. But I''m over it now. Plus, we both know you are the worst candidate for such study!]


    "Because I know it''s all fake, and I don''t care about destroying them all?"


    [Exactly. Let''s do this instead. How about you clear 5 Floors of my INFINITE Tower? I''ll use the fact that you''re the first to test it to bump the reward way higher than it should be. We''ll use the Unknown!]


    "I love the sound of that! So you won''t tell me anything, right?" Josh happily grinned. He had the feeling of cheating on an exam with the help of a teacher: it felt ludicrous but entertaining.


    [Exactly, I won''t even tell you the mission on each Floor. You''ll have to figure it out yourself.]


    Oh? How interesting! If that could increase the reward, should he also ask that of the regr Tower? Okay, no. It was a horrible idea. What if he ended up getting lost?


    Here he could ask his system friend to reveal the mission for lowered rewards if he really couldn''t do it. The regr Tower Protocol tended to disappear as it was way busier.


    Josh followed the crowd of businessmen toward the INFINITE Tower. He wasn''t sure what he had been expecting, but seriously not the old half-rusty elevator that was in front of his eyes.


    There were, in fact, two elevators. The NPC would take the one in good condition andpletely ignore this one. There was a sign that indicated this was the way forward.


    Josh entered the broken-down cage and couldn''t help but be taken aback. What the fuck was that shit! On the wall, there was a message smeared all over. The problem wasn''t what it said but how it had been written. Literally, what was that brown shit-stain on the wall?!


    Someone had written this with feces: <There is only reality. It crushes us. It overwhelms us. We are bound by it. But is there more to it? Can the illusory be reality?>


    Whatever the hidden meaning being this, it was totally wasted because of the medium! Perhaps it could be taken literally: reality was shit. Pure and straightforward shit. What was that about the illusory and the real?


    In the meantime, the elevator had begun rising by itself. Along the ascension, Josh couldn''t help but feel excited. The elevator finally stopped as it showed Floor "420" ¡­.why?!


    Okay, no. He knew why! Many good journeys started this way. With a Ding! The doors opened, and that''s when something appeared that baffled himpletely.


    It seemed like he had found the author of that message. In front of him was a monkey, except it was very peculiar. Very, very peculiar!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    I always loved discussing with AT. Danger & Difficulty & Reward might seem simple (and is) but it is so often forgotten. One needs to understand the rules to sessfully bend them, or so I was told. But, let''s be honest, even when I knew nothing I still did as I wished.

 Chapter 227: A Shitty Dilemma

    <h4>Chapter 227: A Shitty Dilemma</h4>


    *Warning: Extremely shitty chapter¡ªread at your own risk! ;)*


    ****


    When the doors of the elevator opened, Josh couldn''t believe his eyes. There was a small entry hall with two wooden doors at the end. In front was a peculiar monkey standing guard, and it slowly nodded at him looking wise.


    What stood out the most was the monkey''s outfit. It was wearing a long ck leather coat and oversized reflective shades that would have doomed any poker yer.


    "Wee to the Tower, young one. I am its keeper, and I have been expecting you." The creature''s voice sounded pleasant and soothing while carrying hints of mystery.


    "Of course you have." Josh pointed to the screen tracking the elevator''s progress. It kind of ruined the mystical aspect of it. The monkey coughed embarrassedly for a second and then went back to assuming the appearance of a supreme expert.


    "Are you ready to challenge the Tower? Just know that¡ª" The monkey began.


    "Yep, I''m ready!" Josh couldn''t wait to get started.


    "You seem to be underestimating the deadliness of it all for¡ª"


    "Oh wise monkey, do you have any tip for me then?" Josh humored him.


    "I am not allowed to give any tips, only obscure warnings that actually won''t be relevant in any manner." He shook his head, casually exining.


    What was the point of such a thing?! Still, this was probably the most candid guide Josh had ever seen. An NPC was telling him not to expect too much from an NPC. Wow!


    "Alright, let me guess. I need to choose a door, right?" Josh asked while expecting the usual ''door leading to Heaven and door leading to Hell'' riddle.


    "Forget about that. I have another problem for you. Here, look at this." The monkey took something out of hisrge coat pockets. He was now holding two huge pieces of shit¡­.why?!


    That''s when they began changing color. He was holding a blue shit in his left hand, and in his right, a red shit. What kind of mission was this?! The monkey slowly showcased both.


    "Right here and now, you will have a choice to make. It will affect what you find on the other side of these doors. The blue shit tastes more delicious than what the human mind can fathom. The red shit tastes like shit but is in fact chocte. You have to eat one!"


    Josh couldn''t help but be taken aback. Why was he supposed to do that? He curiously approached the doors, and both were locked.


    "You will have to eat one before you leave. This is the rule here." The monkey was adamant and didn''t seem to be lying either.


    Josh nodded resolutely, approached the creature, picked the actual blue shit, and ate it without an ounce of hesitation. As soon as he did, an explosion of sweetness invaded his mouth. It was indeed a delicacy! He closed his eyes in satisfaction as he enjoyed the savoriness.


    The monkey stared at him while shaking his head: "You''ve failed to see the true purpose of this test. A shame, what a shame."


    But Josh didn''t cower in the least. "I believe you''re the one that has missed it instead." The monkey was taken aback, not expecting anyone to contest his decision.


    "Tell me what you have understood then. We shall see." The monkey had his arms crossed, showing slight hints of exasperation.


    "This is a ssical problem of whether one can handle the sad reality of life. One can also lie to themselves and pick the sugar-coated option, even if they know it''s bad for them¡ª" Josh began.


    "Then why did you pick the chocte-vored shit?!" The monkey eximed, bewildered. His expression was hrious.


    "I wasn''t done. You are assuming the blue shit is bad for two reasons: 1- It''s bad for the health 2- It''s disgusting. Is that about right?"


    The monkey nodded.


    "I have the gluttony bloodline, even making me immune to some poisons. No way eating this will make me sick, none at all!" Josh said with conviction.


    "But what about the fact that you''re eating shit?! It''s shameful! Is temporary pleasure worth the eternal disgrace?!" The monkey frowned as he said that.


    "Eternal disgrace? Some things are more disgraceful to eat than shit, to be honest. For instance, one could argue that human flesh is, and I''ve already ticked that box. There will only be shame if I let it weigh me down." Josh serenely dered.


    "W-what?!" The monkey recoiled in shock. How was the man so calm while confessing something so crazy?!


    "Anyway, I believe there is no right or wrong answer here. The real test should be about remaining steady in one''s decision, right? So what if I prefer the dream in this case? The taste may be illusory, but the happiness it brought me is real."


    Josh had used the very same words that were painted in the elevator. He didn''t care whether this was the expected answer or not. He was also convinced there was no better one than this.


    The monkey seemed pensive for a second. "Is there any scenario in which you would have taken the truth over the lie?" The monkey inquired.


    "If it involved HER." Josh slowly whispered with mncholy. He was looking upward as if searching his memory. "I want her back for real, not a shadow, not a memory. I want the real her."


    The monkey understood. This had already been a problem with no right or wrong answer, but the man clearly knew what he wanted and had seen through the illusion. He nodded in approval and waved his hand.


    With a crisp creaking sound, the doors unlocked and opened by themselves. In each doorframe, there was light glowing, and it made peering inside impossible. This seemed way too holy for a test that had included eating shit!


    "Do you have any door to rmend?" Josh inquired.


    "It''s all the same." The monkey chuckled.


    It was all the same, and yet it would change depending on one''s choice? Ah, perhaps it wasn''t the uing test that would change, but how one perceived it instead. It seemed like his system friend was still trying to understand humans by all means.


    Josh waved goodbye before going toward the light, his hands shaking in excitement. He would be the first-ever to challenge this! What would he face now?


    Apparently, a fucking zoo!...


    Creator''s Thought


    When you reach rock bottom, there is no such thing as disgust or shame. All that remains is either a lifeless moving husk only driven by dark emotions. For me it was revenge. When you''ve known this, humanmon sense seems so flimsy and ridiculous inparison. I ate delicious shit and I''d do it again, why not?

 Chapter 228: Just Type!

    <h4>Chapter 228: Just Type!</h4>


    The scene that appeared in front of Josh was quite strange yet familiar. It was a gray office with lots of simrly gray and dull cubicles. There were shitty neons that made the atmosphere gloomy and a weirdly loud clock that stabbed into one''s mind.


    Tick!


    Tack!


    Tick!


    Tack!


    On a wall, there wererge banners that seemed way too tant: "Gotta earn money at all cost.", "Remember, we own you!" and even "Work till you drop."


    But what made this even more peculiar was the fact that at every working station, there were monkeys. They ved away, working their asses off on old-school, ck typewriters. The typing sound woulde and go as if a passing tide.


    What kind of surreal scene was this? But most importantly, what kind of mission was this?! Was it a kill mission like the System had been doing in the past? But, if it weren''t, it would set him for failure. For now, he needed more information.


    That''s when a rainbow-colored monkey with a supervisor badge approached him. "You must be the new hire! I see you are 5 minutes early. Here wee 15 minutes in advance, don''t bete next time! Kidding, you won''t be leaving. Alright, follow me!"


    The monkey''s voice felt oddly enthusiastic yet arrogant. This attitude, along with its weird hair color, made this very strange. Soon enough, Josh was led to a small cubicle that felt oppressing. In it, there were pictures of a random monkey looking happy.


    "Oh, don''t mind these old things. This idiot killed himself. You wouldn''t believe all the paperwork this asshole made me do by offing himself on the clock! Can you believe it, on the clock!" The supervisorined.


    Josh already disliked this man, eh monkey. He could only cross his fingers that this would turn into an assassination mission at some point.


    "Alright, your job is simple. Whenever the screen in from of you is glowing green, you need to be typing. That''s it."


    "Why?" Josh asked,pletely lost.


    "SHUT UP! You don''t get to talk back! You''re just a basic monkey! I''ll be lenient since it''s your first day, but next time you''re fired!" The supervisor screamed, his hair rising in anger as he left stomping.


    What kind of shitshow was this? Was getting fired equivalent to failing the mission? That''s when the screen began glowing green. What was he even supposed to type?


    Oh, this would do: <Hello world!>


    He nodded in satisfaction, proud of himself. But that''s when another monkey came over, about to lose his shit. "You! Why are you so slow?! Increase the goddamn pace, or you''re fired! Don''t think, just type!"


    This one had a leader badge. He was looking as colorful as the supervisor, with streaks of lightning-like purple in his blue fur. But then he noticed that Josh was the ''new hire'': "Oh, you''re the new guy. You gotta type faster, is that clear?"


    "Yes, Sir!" Josh answered vigorously.


    "I like your energy. Good thing the previous guy is gone. He was onezy piece of shit." The leader nodded in satisfaction. Was he really disparaging a dead guy?! Was management all like that here?


    Josh had no idea what was happening but he kept typing whatever he could think off. Cooking recipes, weather forecasts, memorials, song lyrics, whatever! He felt like this was extraordinarily retarded, but he had been told just to write, and so he did.


    The typing was so loud, but even then, the clock kept constantly ticking even louder, as if a cruel reminder of the slow passage of time. It felt as if they were in a time bubble with everything feeling longer than it was.


    After 11 minutes that felt like an eternity, the light finally dimmed as the sound of typing rescinded. It was time to gather information! Josh subtly popped his head over to his cubicle neighbor, a brown tired-looking old monkey.


    "Hey man, can you tell me what we are doing here? They didn''t tell me anything at all!" Josh implored.


    With a tired chuckle, he answered: "We type. Every 11 minutes, we can take a 1-minute break. This repeats for 11 hours. Then we will have a one-hour break to sleep. Afterward, we will start over again."


    What kind of unreal schedule was this?! How were they all epting this?! But there was something more pressing. "Yes, but what am I supposed to type exactly?"


    "Anything. Just type. It doesn''t even have to make sense." The old monkey shrugged.


    "Why?!"


    "As long as we keep typing long enough, we will eventually write a best-seller by randomly hitting keys. It will just require patience and lots of monkeys." He exined.


    Josh wanted to point out the absurdity of it, but the break was already over. It was time to resume the nonsensical mindless task of hitting keys at random. Could the mission objective be to present aplete manuscript?


    The more time passed, the more Josh was getting annoyed by the clock''s rhythmic sound, and the lights were even flickering by now! He kept tapping his foot in annoyance, his face eventually twisting in a mask of frustration.


    If only that damn clock didn''t exist, he could focus on¡­wait. Why did he have to focus? He didn''t care about this at all! So what if he typed only bullshit? That''s when he realized that there was something very wrong with this ce.


    Besides the obvious, it seemed like the entire room had the effect of making people lose their minds. Ah! That wasn''t all. All these monkeys were acting like this was normal, giving the illusion that one should keep pushing tirelessly.


    This was most probably a test of mental fortitude. He wasn''t sure what it involved precisely, but he had some inkling. He could either act within the system''s rules and produce a decent manuscript or find a way to somehow turn everything on its head.


    He kept relentlessly typing until the 1-hour break finally came. Josh excitedly went toward his coworker. He had so many things he wanted to ask him! But what weed him was the sight of a sleeping monkey having a nightmare, twitching.


    "Don''t worry, honey. I''ll be fine. It''s just typing! I''ll be fine, and you''ll live well!" He mumbled in his sleep. What kind of backstory did this monkey have?


    Josh came to a halt. For him, it was a mission, but for them, it was their reality. He slowly approached the old man slumped on his chair, delicately picked the nket that had fallen on the ground, and carefully covered him.


    He had to rest well for now, for Josh would be asking him so many questions soon. He had already decided he would prepare for both clear alternatives¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Somehow this reminded me of a part of my life. Not just the office but everyone pushing themselves to perform, sometimes for tasks that seemed nonsensical. But, humans still did it anyway. They were all monkeys but they didn''t seem any different than normal people, just more hairy.

 Chapter 229: Old Monkey Info Service!

    <h4>Chapter 229: Old Monkey Info Service!</h4>


    This was already Josh''s second day here. Well, ording to this realm''s time. He was still in his boring cubicle filled with the pictures of a dead man as he typed away relentlessly.


    Anyone would have agreed that he fitted incredibly well in the office. The supervisor had praised him a few times, saying that he was totally born for this. The leader had also agreed that he was killing it.


    Their only judging criteria were characters per minute. Compared to the monkeys, Josh''s CPM was off the chart! But every time he got praised for such a meaningless thing, he couldn''t help but be annoyed.


    While typing, he would subtly share messages with the old man next door. To do so, he had drilled a hole in the cubicle wall to let the sound pass easily between the two of them.


    At first, the old man had beenpletely opposed to it, but Josh had finally managed to convince him. The trick was to position the hole in a way that made it indiscernible from the cubicle entrance.


    The bosses were way too proud to enter the gray prisons themselves, and they would prefer to shout orders from the hall angrily. This yed to Josh''s advantage. His information gathering was going exceedingly well.


    He finally understood why there were monkeys even working here at MonkeyEdition: they were desperate. Either they had debts that thepany had acquired, or they had families that required the money.


    The ce was very much like a prison, and the only one that could leave was the Boss. Josh was surprised at how small the management team was considering the 100 or so typing monkeys.


    1. There was the supervisor that was a total piece of shit. He would mostly be spending his days toward the cubicles of the female monkeys. He was a pervert that had used family connections to get the job.


    2. Then there was the leader. He treated people better than the supervisor, but he had no tolerance for anyone failing to be efficient. As long as one was "productive" he wouldn''t annoy them. His only other hobby was consuming drugs in moderation¡ªProbably to handle the stress.


    3. Then there was the Boss. This guy was very rarely seen and was a man with big dreams and an even bigger ego. He was the genius that hade up with the random typing method. Apparently, it had worked for him once, and he was trying to reproduce it.


    These were the three that they had to be careful of. Meanwhile, these superiors were all trying to kiss the ass of a higher entity: the almighty Literary Association. Thepany''s end goal was to submit a masterpiece that would leave them in awe.


    Instead of slowly working on the craft of writing, they preferred to use this method. How ridiculous! Many had tried changing how things worked over the years, but all had failed. The old man had personally seen many of them have pitiful endings.


    Many had ended up getting thrown away with none of their hard work recognized for inciting trouble and insubordination. He kept sighing heavily as he told the story.


    He was a treasure trove of knowledge as he was the oldest employee. Somehow, he knew a lot about the rest of the building, even if they didn''t have ess to it. The passage was blocked by futuristic-looking technology capable of shootingsers.


    In fact, everything in the building was old-school except the security system. It had been especially paid for by the Boss using the profits from his first sess. He was hoping for a second sess soon to recoup the investment.


    Anyway, there were three central departments besides theirs:


    1. There was the food department in charge of providing their daily meals. It was always some kind of tasteless paste that was 100% absorbed by one''s digestive system, leaving no waste whatsoever.


    2. There was also the medical department that served to prove that the current work conditions were ''healthy''. It doubled as the legal department.


    3. There was finally the paper department. They took care of the ink and paper along with handling the mail that went in and out of the building.


    Both the paper and the food department would send someone daily to make sure the typing monkeys had everything they needed.


    The old man talked a lot once he becamefortable. He talked about everything but himself. All that Josh knew was that the man kept calling out to his ''honey'' in his sleep.


    At some point, Josh lost track of time. He would spend the whole day listening to the old man''s stories and recklessly typing away. He wanted to write something that actually made sense but soon realized an issue.


    For the job, he had to move his hands way faster than he could coherently construct meaningful sentences. It didn''t help that he had to carefully press every key, for there was no undo button.


    At the beginning of every shift, the supervisor or the leader would pass by to collect their previous work. Every time, Josh would hand over a dummy manuscript that wasplete nonsense.


    Whenever they had time to sleep, he wrote for real instead. Even that had been troublesome. It turned out that the machines were that noisy to keep the monkeys awake since they allcked sleep.


    Josh had to beg the leader for a silent typing machine. The man epted on one condition: Josh would have to turn up even more characters than the other monkeys. Of course, its cost had to be subtracted from his decade-end bonus.


    This was such bullshit! The life expectancy of a monkey went from anywhere from 15 years to 45 years, but on average, 20 years was the average given theck of sleep. This meant that a monkey could expect to collect it once at best in its life.


    They were all earning as best as they could for the people that they loved or all in preparation for the wonderful four days off they had every year. This wasn''t a life at all!


    Ironically, Josh was living the best amongst all of them, even if he had to type more every day. He was able to type while sleeping, thus making him well-rested. If he wasn''t sleeping, he was thinking about what to write for his true story.


    He smiled every time he looked at what he was writing. It was a tale about a man that had nothing but determination who was Climbing a magical Tower. His own life inspired it, but who cared! The monkeys wouldn''t know anyway.


    Eventually, he did finish it with the most satisfying ending he could think of. He had made the novel very short, using the first 10 Floors as a reference, and made sure to leave it an open ending. This would leave room for a sequel with more Floors.


    It was time to test the waters. As the day began, he handed out his novel manuscript instead of the usual nonsense. He had no clue if this would clear the mission or how the bosses would react if it didn''t.


    A few hourster, the leader arrived in a rush. "Hurry up ande along. The Boss wants to meet you!"


    It seemed like the mission was progressing¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    The more I learned about this ce and the more I felt that this was all nonsensical. But, even then, they had some very clear organization. This was pure very disguised as employment. It''s quite ironic how sometimes necessity and responsabilities can force someone more than actual restraints.

 Chapter 230: Big Boss, Huge Asshole

    <h4>Chapter 230: Big Boss, Huge Asshole</h4>


    Josh was about to meet the Boss. How stressful was that?! Not at all since it would obviously be a monkey just like the others. Still, he was curious if this one would be as shy.


    The leader brought him all the way to another Floor with the path opening automatically for him. The wall literally gave way as it opened to reveal a staircase. This AI system was very nice! But, it made no sense.


    With such technology, why were they forcing monkeys to type all day?! It would be so much easier to ask the AI. But, Josh kept his doubts to himself as they reached a private office. The first thing josh noticed upon entering was the golden banana statues. Yes, gold bananas!


    The ce seemed like a vast museum for the wealthy and insane. It was also theplete opposite of their work floor. Instead of the shitty lighting, there was a soft warm glow. Instead of the harsh ticking of the clock, there was soft jazz music ying in the background.


    Josh could see a massive desk with a monkey sitting behind it in afy brown leather chair, unlike the shitty ones they had. The monkey wore a huge gold banana ne, had sses, and had colorful golden hair.


    "Oh? Is he the one?" He judged Josh with an arrogant look.


    "Yes, Sir!" The leader replied politely.


    "Good. You can wait by the door." A few secondster, it was just the two of them in the room.


    "You know, people used to say that monkeys are not able to write anything good. But then I came around and created a revolutionary writing technique that crushed all these misconceptions." He bragged before continuing.


    "Now, I must say I am very impressed by your luck! You have done well this time. The Literary Association loved it! Now, they want even more of it! Hehe. How great is that?!"


    "Very great." Josh yed along.


    "Tomorrow, I will be going over there to ept my literary prize for it. As for you, since I''m in a good mood, you shall be rewarded with banana vor for your meals from now on."


    "Sir, there is something I''m wondering about." Josh cautiously asked.


    "Yes?"


    "Will they be giving me a prize too for doing the writing?" He made it sound as innocent as possible, not calling the man a cheat directly.


    "How dare you! You lowly monkey! Don''t get cocky, that was luck! I''m the one that came up with the writing technique! That''s it, no banana vor for you, you blew it! Now, get out of my sight!" the boss shouted angrily.


    Josh was almost tempted to try and murder him right here and now but he wasn''t sure what that would provoke so he abstained. The leader slowly escorted him back to his cubicle, reminding him to keep his own position in mind.


    Josh could only sigh. This Boss was evidently insane and an idiot, one with some power. But, Josh knew that there was an entity out there that he had to respect: the Literary Organization.


    At times, he wondered if straight up quitting the job would clear the mission. But he also thought that getting one good manuscript to the Literary Organization would do the trick. The only issue was that the Boss would be there to im credit for his work.


    Then there were his two minions: the supervisor and the leader. He would have to watch out not to arouse their suspicions. That''s how Josh secretly worked on the sequel for his manuscript while conversing with the old man.


    This little hole in the cubicle wall soon became what the old man called his source of joy. He loved sharing, it made him feel less like a machine and more like a monkey. It made him remember the good old days.


    They talked about this ce, about life itself, and even about their favorite food. The old man sometimes bragged about that one time he tasted a real banana! But, as time passed the old monkey began coughing.


    Every time, he would reassure Josh that everything was fine, but he was obviously getting old. Then one day, the supervisor came while screaming: "Routine cubicle inspection!" But, there was nothing routinely about it.


    He had been searching for an excuse to fire the old man. The older he got and the higher the possible legal consequences. What if he died from overwork? He wasn''t as resilient as the youngsters.


    They had tried getting rid of him on ount of ipetence but when the only requirement was typing nonsense fast, even a half-dead old man could do it.


    The supervisor soon found the hole and then came termination. Later on, Josh learned that management had threatened to fire both of them because of it. The old man had confessed and taken all of the me. He had been worried about Josh...


    This was unfair, so damn unfair! Josh had been the one that had made the hole. He knew it was all just a simtion, but it still left him feeling twisted in anger. But at that point, he already knew how to end it all.


    He already had the second volume of the Tower Climb series. The only problem was actually getting it to his target, the Literary Association. He also had to exin and prove the intellectual property theft happening.


    With the old man leaving, Josh reduced his CPM to the very minimum that wouldn''t get him fired. One had to know that he had gone from the fastest on the entire Floor to the slowest. This naturally didn''t go unnoticed as the leader soon appeared.


    "I don''t know what you are ying, but if this is a protest it''s not the way to do it. Look I know you liked the old man, but he''s already gone. Get over it. You losing your job won''t aplish anything." He sternly warned.


    "Leader, that''s not it. The tone of his voice helped to put me in the zone. Whenever I''m in that state I can write extremely fast. It''s just so sudden that it''s really hard. I should be able to recover but it may take a long time." Josh deplored.


    The leader hadn''t expected this at all. It sounded strange, but it was also true that Josh''s speed was pretty damn frightening. It wasn''t that far stretched to believe, so he nodded and left.


    The next day there was a recorder on Josh''s desk. Step one done¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    The spirit of self-sacrifice is extremely noble...but also extremely dangerous. Giving leverage to someone over one''s own life is uneptable. ckmailers tend to be morally corrupt and will screw you over. Had the old man put the me on me it would have turned out better. I was the ''lucky'' typewriting genius.

 Chapter 231: Scheming

    <h4>Chapter 231: Scheming</h4>


    Josh calmly listened to the old man''s recorded voice. It was a bunch of nonsense, but soothing nonsense nheless. From time to time, he could hear muffled coughs that he tried hiding.


    With the new recorder, Josh''s speed increased a lot. In fact, it returned to being the number one on the floor. Still, it was about 20% slower than the peak speed he had shown in the past.


    This much was to be expected since a recording could only be that close to the original. The next step was to make new allies. Two fodder characters would sometimes show up: the paper monkey and the food monkey.


    As long as he could make the paper guy his ally, he would have a direct way to the Literary Association since his department also handled the mailing for submitting new manuscripts.


    The paper guy had more freedom and free time but was still working like a ve too. This was a point that they had inmon. Josh just needed to catch his interest. That is when Josh thought of using his first novel.


    He began narrating the story aloud whenever the paper monkey was around. He kept doing it until his target was extremely invested in the story. Then he stopped and waited for the shy monkey to ask for more.


    That is how they began regr story-telling sessions that eventually led to them bing friends. The paper monkey would have a twinkle in his eyes as he listened. He would chuckle at times, cry at others and even cheer.


    Honestly, Josh would have wanted to keep telling him stories forever. Seeing his reactions was so enjoyable. But, he knew he had to keep the n going. Their bond was strong enough for Josh to ask him a favor.


    That is how the paper monkey agreed to send Josh''s manuscript directly to the Association. Josh expected him to be hard to convince, but he was enthusiastic instead. But, there were a few issues.


    Whenever a package was sent, it was required for the leader or supervisor to check it. This was because many of the paper monkeys didn''t know much about literature. This was to ensure the higher-ups didn''t make fools of themselves by sending the wrong version.


    In fact, the one checking it was always the leader as the supervisor was too busy harassing the females, or flirting as he called it. Plus, he really didn''t care about it much.


    If only Josh could get the supervisor to check it instead! This was probably the first time in his life that he found himself cursing the good work ethic of a superior.


    He now had two things to aplish. The first was to get the leader out of the way. The second was to trick the supervisor into signing for the package. Oh, and a third for good measure.


    That''s when he remembered all that the old man had told him. The leader had a past of drug abuse. How could Josh get drugs? Obviously, the medical department. But, would they gently cooperate? Of course not!


    They obviously wouldn''t care about any health problem except if it was grave. He could try to break his own arm and ask for medication, but his passive regeneration would render such a thing useless.


    Ah, there was actually something that they cared way more about than health, and that was productivity. But, it would seem suspicious if he made the request directly. That is how he began mumbling to himself once more.


    He acted as if he was trying to enter a weird trance whenever the food guy came to deliver his nutrients paste. At first, the food monkey just thought that he was going crazy, but after a few times, it finally realized that Josh was doing this to write faster.


    He asked a few questions, and the next day leader showed up once more. The food monkey had told him everything in exchange for one dose of banana vor. "Is it true that you have an idea to increase productivity?" He asked with rapt interest.


    "T-that, maybe. I don''t know just yet." Josh replied as awkwardly as possible as if he hadn''t expected the question at all.


    "What is it? Just tell me. We want you to be writing as fast as possible." The leader amicably said.


    "I think I was writing faster because of how soothing the old man''s voice was. The recording helps a ton, but it still isn''t the same. I think that I could write even faster if I found a method to help me enter a trance." Josh ''admitted''.


    "That''s why you''ve been trying to meditate?" He asked pensively.


    "Yes, Sir!" Josh answered respectfully.


    "Alright, I''ll see what I can do." He left quickly.


    A dayter, he brought Josh to the medical ward, where the doctor monkey had him taste a few medicines and pick one that helped him get in the zone. Josh naturally picked the one that seemed the most effective.


    With his new drugs, his efficiency increased by a lot, reaching an all-time high. Josh was happy, the leader was delighted, and the Boss would be pleased too.


    That''s when Josh requested another meeting with the Boss. He told the leader that he had an idea to increase productivity by a lot. Very soon, Josh was meeting the big man once again.


    "You said you have a great idea to increase productivity? Go on, speak." The Boss magnanimously allowed him to talk. Of course, if the idea really was good, he would steal it for sure.


    "Sir, how about we try having people try to write words instead of just tapping random keys. This way, the chance to obtain a masterpiece would rise incredibly and¡ª"


    "SHUT YOUR TRAP! That''s why you came in here?! To tell me this bullshit! No fucking way! This is not how we do things. You lowly monkeys are all retarded! Just fucking type and do your job!"


    "B-but, Sir. I''m the one that wrote the Tower Climb novel. Didn''t that one work well? I didn''t just type randomly to¡ª"


    "The audacity! Fucking get out of my sight! So what if you wrote it?! I told you it''s all luck!"


    Even as Josh was leaving with his shoulders slumped in disappointment, the Boss kept the insultsing. The Boss then took care of screaming at the leader for a long while. This, in turn, made him shout at Josh too.


    That''s how a despairing Josh finally reached his cubicle and erupted in tears. When the leader left cursing, Josh began grinning as he resisted the urge tough out loud...


    Creator''s Thought


    The worlds that AT created would always baffle me. This one seemed to be about understanding people''s motivations, well monkeys. Their main concern was productivity. As long as I used productivity as a justification, the world was mine!

 Chapter 232: Literary Association!

    <h4>Chapter 232: Literary Association!</h4>


    Josh couldn''t help but feel great. He had all he needed for his n to seed. All that remained was execution.


    With the recent visit to the Boss, the leader had been under a lot of pressure. At least, Josh was highly productive character-count-wise. He still hadn''t managed to ''luckily'' create a new fantastic manuscript, but hopefully, it would happen once more.


    Josh made it a point to praise his new drugs whenever the leader passed by, frustrating him to no end. He had evidently tried getting some from the monkey doctor but had been refused. This could be seen in the greed he looked at the pill container with.


    For a bullshit typer, this was the perfect drug, but for an executive, it wasn''t such a great idea. There was no way they would be given trance-inducing substances. Who knew how many errors they wouldmit then?


    That''s how Josh slowly eroded the man''s willpower until the leader began asking the supervisor to take over. At first, the man was super grumpy, but then Josh talked to him, and they ''bonded''.


    For that, Josh invented himself a super sexy wife. He knew some monkeys sent money outside and were married. He was ignorant about the outside world, so he reused the old monkey''s stories and always made them as vague as possible.


    Josh would describe in ample detail how full her ass was or how well she knew how to use her tiny hands and her wet tongue. Then he wouldment on how luscious her hair/fur was.


    He had no damn clue how, but somehow his rendition of the perfect monkey wife really impressed the supervisor.


    That kept going until Josh ''inadvertently'' mentioned that he would have loved to send her mail asking for ''nudes'' (the ck and white version) but that it was a shame that he couldn''t.


    The supervisor went wild! As a good friend, he would personally authorize Josh''s package to leave thepound! Yep, as a good friend. He obviously had no bad intention! Josh even asked if he could send a copy of his work to show her what he did. It was all good!


    The next day, Josh called for the leader. At first, the man didn''t want to see him at all. But, he still came out of duty. That''s when Josh shared his ''problem'' with him.


    "Leader, I have great news! I have finally found a way to enter a state of writing trance by myself! I can''t exin it, but I can somehow do it!" He excitingly confided.


    "That''s great! But, why do you need me for that?" the leader asked, confused.


    "Well, since I don''t need the pills anymore, I want to ask you to dispose of them. We don''t have garbage bins in our cubicles, and I need to be writing so¡­" Josh exined.


    "I understand! You can count on me!" Never had Josh seen someone so happy to take care of garbage! The leader was smiling resplendently, clutching the pill bottle to his chest as if his firstborn, and even left skipping.


    What happens when one asks a pill addict to dispose of drugs? Well, that answer should be obvious. Then what happens when one also changes the dosage prescription from 1 pill to 7 pills? Also obvious.


    The leader was soonpletely out of it, unconscious thanks to the pills. This forced the supervisor to take care of the whole damn Floor! This task that the leader usually handled was obviously too much for the useless man.


    The supervisor began having a mental breakdown, just in time for Josh to request meeting him. That is how he soon entered the cubicle fuming. "What do you want? I''m so fucking busy!"


    "Ah, sorry. I''m ready to send the package to my wife. I just wanted to¡ª" Josh meekly replied.


    "Ah! All good! I''ll take care of it right now!" The supervisor said, already imagining with glee the pictures that woulde back.


    It just so happened that the friendly paper monkey would be the one taking care of mailing at that time. The supervisor approved it, not even bothering to check all the content of the package since he was overwhelmed.


    That is how a small package soon left their ce, heading for the Literary Association. It contained a few presents:


    1. A nice recording of a certain Boss with very colorfulnguage. He admitted on tape to not being the author of the manuscript he had sent, even calling the writer a lowly monkey that had just been lucky. There was even a long tirade about how serious writing was idiotic.


    2. The sequel of the Tower Climb novel. It had the exact same writing style as the first one, and that in itself was very telling. There was also a small note at the beginning: this was the second novel out of a series of 10.


    3. An ultimatum. If they had any power at all, they would have to use it and get Josh out of that ridiculous job as well as find and help the kind, old man. As for the other monkeys, he wanted an improvement to their situation.


    After that, he would just have to wait. Was this the most optimal clear method? He had no idea. As the days passed, he slowly came to realize that perhaps all his mastern wasn''t that masterful after all.


    But then, one day, an inspector for the Literary Association came. All the workers were told to write slowly for once and to fake being in deep thoughts. This was theplete opposite of what it usually was.


    The inspector monkey came into the room: "Who was it that wrote the Tower Climb novel?"


    "It was all me! I used my unique literary technique for it!" The Boss happily imed all the credit.


    "Is that so? What enemies would you put on Floors 11-20 for a sequel then?" He patiently asked.


    "You guys are waiting for the sequel? That''s great! How about Goblins, Zombies, Imps, maybe even some turtles?" He mentioned forgetting that most of these appeared in the first novel.


    "Let me ask your employees then." The inspector added.


    "Ask them? There is no need to ask the lowly monkeys. Most are doing their best, and I''m proud of them, but they don''t have the academic level to participate in such a masterpiece for sure!" He ''exined''


    That is when Josh raised his hand to answer. The Boss monkey turned red in the face, but the inspector ignored him: "You, what would you suggest?" He asked with expectation.


    "In order, I''d go with rats, spiders, mushrooms, gnolls, gnoll + spiders, ghouls ¡ª" Josh began naming the things appearing in the second volume in perfect order.


    "I think I''ve heard enough," The inspector chuckled before taking out what seemed to be a mighty brick phone...but touch screen?!


    "Don''t get mad! I know these ideas were bad, but I''ll tell you mine in detail, and we''ll be able to make this work, so please¡ª" The Boss didn''t realize that he was digging his grave.


    The inspector monkey ignored him and proceeded with his call: "Yes, we really have a cheat on our hands. The chances are that the first manuscript this man submitted was one too. Yes, I''ll take care of it."


    "W-what are you talking about? What is happening?!" The Boss asked worriedly, finally noticing that something was wrong.


    "That young monkey over there is the real author of the Tower Climb novel. In fact, we received his second novel already. You''re banned from publishing, we''ll take back the prize you cheated to get, and the monkey authorities are already on their way."


    The Boss waspletely finished, it seemed. His evil methods were out in the open, and he had no value to bring to the table once the thievery was exposed. The stern inspector then turned to Josh,pletely ignoring the monkey shouting in the background.


    "T-this is impossible. There must be some sort of mistake! I''m the one that created the Tower Climb novel! It was my technique! Mine! Even if he had written it, it would have been on the job!"


    "How about youe with me, young man? We''ll agree to all your demands. You have a bright future ahead of you!" The inspector offered.


    Josh went along. If this didn''t count as a clear, he didn''t know what would! Plot twist this was only a prologue, and the actual mission was to dominate the world.


    Surprisingly, the security system seemed to obey the inspector. That''s when Josh understood that it had probably been purchased using the Association''s backing in the first ce.


    They went out of the typing room, the way opening by itself for them. What awaited them there were two elevators, one as rusty as earlier. The inspector entered the nice one and gestured him to follow.


    Josh was almost tempted to do so to find the old monkey and thank him for helping with everything. But he knew this was pointless. Still, part of him had gotten attached to the illusory being.


    This all came back to that one sentence once again, eh? The illusory could be real. It had been nothing but a game, but the emotions had been real. Josh chuckled, realizing how silly he was being, and resolutely entered the rusty elevator.


    From floor 420, he rose up to floor 2. Why? Because the usual order was overrated, this was his friend''s world and he could do whatever he wanted!


    As the elevator doors opened, tons of golden sand began pouring inside the cage along with extreme heat.? Crap, he had to hurry up, or he''d die suffocated!...


    Creator''s Thought


    This moment was oddly satisfying for me. Evil getting their just retribution, the good receiving what they were owed and me thinking over the experience. Perhaps it is so interesting because the real world often advantages the crooks? Later on, I would hear a lot about this Floor. It was amazing in its own way.

 Chapter 233: Desert Worm!

    <h4>Chapter 233: Desert Worm!</h4>


    As the elevator doors opened, tons of golden sand began pouring inside the cage along with extreme heat.


    Crap, he had to hurry up, or he''d die suffocated! Barely making it out alive, Josh found himself in a small chamber half-filled with golden sand. There were white brick walls that were about to crumble to pieces all around the elevator.


    From small cracks, he could see the outside world. This entire Floor was a desert and seemed endless. As for the room, there was a single stone stele in the center that barely peeked from the sand. There were a few words on it: <Safe area!>


    Josh dug around the stele, trying to find some more clues, and excavated a human skull from the sand. Well, it was safe to assume this ce was no longer safe. The only question was what had happened to the previous owners?


    He slowly stumbled toward the outside world. He couldn''t notice any entrance, but he promptly destroyed the brittle white stone easily with a kick. This ce was so damn hot! Not only was it a desert but there were even two suns! Both glowing an orange tint.


    Josh quickly made sure to wear the spider set since it was white and carefully observed his surroundings. That''s when he noticed a humongous creature heading his way. It was a giant worm looking-thing that was about 20 meters long.


    It had a gaping maw and more teeth than one could count. It moved by slithering its brown body around and would screech in a high-pitched tone from time to time. It looked slow, but Josh knew it was only an optical illusion.


    <Small Worm Lv49>


    "WTF?!"


    There was something really wrong here! This humongous worm was a Common enemy and had Small in its name, yet it was already level 49! Josh didn''t want to meet the Boss version of it!


    He resolved himself to run. There was no way he was going to seed in fighting this thing! But, just as he was about to try, something huge came out of the sand near the worm.


    The neer was a giant brown snake about 25 meters long! It caught up to the worm and bit it, sinking its fang into its soft-looking body. The worm screeched in pain as it tried fighting back.


    <Small Earth Snake Lv53>


    This one was umon. What madness was this? He had no clue what the objective even was. Was he supposed to hide? He could try that, for he doubted he could defeat a worm by himself. In both cases, he didn''t know how to proceed.


    At least, he knew what he had to be wary of, and¡ª That''s when a colossal silhouette appeared at the horizon! There was another creature wayrger than the other two making its way over.


    Before long, he could see it very well. This one seemed to be simr to the Earth Snake, but the fat version. It had some sturdy muscle, incredibly sharp ws, and seemed about 35 meters long.


    <Big Earth Dragon Lv69??>


    This one had the golden color of a mini-boss. Looking at its level, Josh could only think one thing: Nice! But seriously, there seemed to be something wrong with this ce, truly wrong!


    Josh could only watch the Mini-Bosspletely wipe the floor with the other two while sighing. He hid in the sand and waited for it to be done. Luckily it hadn''t noticed him.


    How were these creatures even finding their prey? Was it magic, vibrations, chemical information, movement, heat detection? For now, he needed more information!


    Josh opted for something that many would have considered the opposite of heroic. He hid and waited, and nothing else! He was buried in the sand, unmoving. Compared to the behemoths that often passed near him, he was but a small fish.


    After a few hours, he had finally figured out the creatures that inhabited thisnd and their general level of strength. There were a few factors to consider: the level, the species, and the rarity.


    There were Worms, Earth Snakes, and Earth Dragons. Each member of the three species could be either Big or Small too. This affected their length and how deadly they were.


    What made things interesting was that there were way more worms than snakes or earth dragons. Honestly, had the worms banded together, they would have won long ago. But, they also seemed to be the dumbest or the blindest.


    Josh had seen a worm enter the mouth of a snake without there being any struggle at all. When factoring this, the strongest group became the snakes. But, of course, there was a catch. Dragons had their aura to intimidate their prey.


    Now, this made the Earth Dragons the undisputed top of the food chain, but this didn''t prevent them from dying often. Dragons would kill other dragons, and the Worms and Snakes would sometimes defeat weakened dragons.


    The whole thing was a shit-show. All of these creatures werecking in the brain department! Well, this was great news for Josh.


    He had also figured out their movement patterns. The worms would bury in and out seemingly without rhyme or reason. Simply put, they just wriggled as they pleased.


    The snakes would alternate between hiding in the sand and slithering above the surface. They seemed to understand that it was safer to hide but sometimes would rise to the surface and die anyway.


    The dragons were proud and would walk the surface arrogantly, no matter what. They would only bury in the sand when they wanted to rest. It was this arrogance that made them kill each other.


    Anyway, Josh had spent a lot of time observing already. It was time to get to acting! He waited until he felt the vibrations in the sand that were now familiar. This was a worm!


    As the 20m long creature passed near him, Josh extended his hand, solidly grabbing at its soft skin. He felt himself be dragged along, feeling the hot wind on his skin. He then slowly and carefully began climbing it until he reached its back.


    Even then, the creature didn''t notice him at all. Theck of general awareness was impressive. By now, he was convinced that that first worm he had encountered heading his way had been a coincidence.


    He began riding the worm happily. It felt like he was the king of the world. He could observe so much of the desert from his vantage point as it was pretty much a mobile belvedere. But he then turned serious.


    Now was the moment of truth. These creatures were dumb, but they could still understand the basics of going in the opposite direction as danger. Their main problem was that they really sucked at recognizing danger.


    Josh focused and controlled his mana, merging it to his aura. Then he moved atop the worm and began emitting killing intent on the left. The worm moved toward the right. He tried the opposite, and it worked once more.


    That''s when he beganughing as he rode the creature more than twice his level. "We will aplish great things together!"


    This would be so much fun!...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [A/N] Almost done with filling Priv. 1 more tier to go! If you guys have any requests for this Tower, put them in thements. ^_^


    Creator''s Thought


    One truth of the world is that there are two ways to be a hero. The first is to aplish something so heroic that the masses remember it for ages. The second is to actively rewrite history. As long as one is alive the second option bes possible. Point is, surviving is the only thing that matters!

 Chapter 234: Desert Army

    <h4>Chapter 234: Desert Army</h4>


    A giant creature was wriggling atop the golden dunes in the most confused-looking manner. The colossal worm would head in one direction, just to suddenly do a sharp turn without apparent reason. This happened over and over again.


    Someone extremely attentive would have noticed a man standing on the creature''s back. Josh was very carefully scanning his surroundings. Oftentimes he would feel slight killing from the ground ambushes and guide the worm away from danger.


    He was akin to a driving instructor assigned to a catastrophically failing student. He would often be eximing at the worm''s shenanigans:


    "No, turn here! You''re heading right into a Snake! Fuck!"


    "Can''t you see that dragon on our right? It''s literally roaring at us!"


    "Why are you stopping?! Monsters are chasing us!"


    "Motherfucker, nononono! Please don''t try to hide and ¡ª Dammit!"


    Sometimes the worm he was directing would dive right into the sand, and he would have to throw himself off hurriedly. Otherwise, he would get crushed by the pressure. It was a non-stop cycle of failures.


    He had to admit that this Floor was pretty damn frightening. Monsters could erupt from the sand anytime to devour people, unavoidable with their vast mouths. This was the kind of situation that would freak anyone out.


    But, there was one good point. After every failure, he would get better at the task. By now, he was akin to an old driver that could bend these soft creatures to his whims. He could even recognize the signs of sand diving, announced by a subtle twitch of their bodies.


    He could control the small worms easily, but the big ones were still a challenge. They wriggled so intensely that he was afraid to get thrown to space!


    He''d ride a small worm and slowly guide it to its brethren. That''s how he slowly amassed an army of worms, only to have them all crumble when a single dragon managed to get close. This was so frustrating!


    That''s when he realized something. For his army to have a chance at resisting the intimidation effect, he would need to be riding snakes instead. But, there was an issue. These creatures weren''t as stupid.


    He wouldn''t be able to ride them that tantly. At the very least, not the way he was. That''s how he designed a n. He slowly gathered an army of worms once more and led them to glory, aka their death.


    "Charge my wriggly troops! Defeat this big bad snake! Show some spine!" Then again, perhaps it was a good thing that the worms were spineless.


    < Small Earth Snake Lv 53 > This was their current target. It was just an umon enemy, but it felt like a boss.


    The monster''s scales were so damn sturdy! Every time a worm tried to sink its teeth into its body, there would be a CLANG! sound. Even when they managed to pierce through, the damage was minimal.


    Next, the most ridiculous of fights ensued. Josh had about of dozen of worms under hismand, but only six were fighting valiantly. The others were wriggling by the side, not even bothering to flee.


    The huge snake would slither in and out of the crowd, dodging most attacks simply with its speed. But, one had to admit that the worms had great vitality! In a 1 v 1 fight, wriggling around in the enemy''s mouth was useless, but it was the perfect distraction here!


    That is how the group finally managed to defeat the snake. Josh crossed his fingers, hoping for material to drop, especially scales. But he couldn''t help but stare at the corpse: it wasn''t disappearing!


    The worms began feeding on it gleefully while he managed to grab a few scales. The only issue was that he couldn''t put it inside his inventory as it wasn''t considered an item. He could only smile wryly as he personally carried his loot.


    He was soon riding once more, but this time with a scale behind his back, like a big tower shield. He then guided them to another snake, waited for it to be slightly damaged, and jumped onto its back when it was distracted by the worms.


    Josh then made his way toward one of the injuries that looked like a small crater in the creature''s skin. He then hid inside and used the scale he had been carrying to close the exit. At first nce, no one knew that he was there.


    That''s how he upgraded from small worm guide to small snake tamer. From time to time, he would peer outside by raising the roof-like scale. This position also allowed him to protect himself even when the creature dove into the sand by sealing the exit.


    The rest was the fun part. He guided his snake to survival and to gather allies. All until they finally stumbled upon a Small Dragon. An epic snake versus dragonbat began. After lots of scales shattered, flesh maimed, and blood spilled, the dragon died!


    Josh wanted to hug them, celebrate and cheer¡­but his troops would have probably eaten him. That''s why he kept pulling the strings in the shadows. The snake he was guiding had somehow managed to be the leader of the pack.


    All these monsters had been roaming alone, but they now understood that by staying with that one snake, meat would be on the menu! It was a very primitive organization, but as long as it worked.


    He also realized something. The creatures were not all diving without a purpose. There were, in fact, tons of caves and tunnels under the sand. How it didn''t all cave-in was aplete mystery!


    There were also many ess wells on the surface that he had initially missed. Perhaps the mission was rted to this underground area?


    But, josh felt that clearing the desert of the monsters wouldn''t necessarily be wrong either. Hell, it could even lead to a higherpletion rating! That is how he challenged stronger and stronger foes with his ever so growing army. It went from a few snakes to now dozens of them.


    But, there was an issue. His current troops were obviously insufficient to aplish his target. Would he stop now in front of such a challenge? Hell no!


    Creator''s Thought


    There is something oddly pleasant about riding a giant creature. Not only is the view absolutely amazing, but it looks cool and poses a challenge in itself. There is a great feeling of aplishment when one finally manages to ride a deadly creature without getting eaten!

 Chapter 235: Raid Time!

    <h4>Chapter 235: Raid Time!</h4>


    Josh was frowning as he hid inside the snake''s body, blood sometimes spurting on him whenever there was a sharp turn. But, he didn''t mind, for he was busy etching a n.


    His current objective was to defeat the mini-boss he had seen earlier. There were a few Big Earth dragons, but only the mini-boss was level 69, and the others reached 66. These three levels may not seem much, but they changed everything!


    This one had an insanely powerful skill! It would roar powerfully, and soon afterward, there would be a sand prison that would form around about a dozen targets, soon crushing them till there only remained a bloody mush!


    What made this cheating skill even more broken was the fact that this dragon was seemingly invincible! Barely anything could pierce its scales. It was akin to trying to destroy a full te armor with a toothpick! That left the creature ample time to work its magic.


    That''s when Josh had a sh of inspiration, but his n would be incredibly challenging. It would require perfect aggro control along with lots of effort and patience. But, he wouldn''t give up in the face of a bit of adversity.


    He began organizing a zerg. He guided the snakes to get the attention of normal dragons and then ordered them to run away, baiting them to follow. Then, he directed them toward worms and made them scurry away.


    Josh''s snake legion was akin to a group of shepherds. Every mistake in positioning would cause the death of a snake, a worm to escape, or even a dragon to give up the chase. He felt like his brain was about to overheat!


    But even with how challenging it was, he kept struggling. All until he finally managed to bring them all to his target. At that point, Josh had about a few hundred creatures in his strange "party", and he guided all of them to crash onto the target suddenly.


    <Big Earth Dragon Lv69??>


    The mini-Boss didn''t even seem to mind it one bit. It just merrily began chomping left and right. It was an all-you-can-eat buffet! Usually, the creature would spend so much energy to hunt; this was so wonderful!


    To make matters worse, the random dragons were killing the snakes and worms, the snakes were eating the worms, and thetter were pointlessly wriggling. But as time passed, many creatures began to get annoyed by the arrogant roars of the mini-boss.


    That''s when some began to attack it, but that only intensified its ruthlessness. It would crack open the creatures and slice them apart, reveling in their cries of suffering. It was the overlord of this ne, and it was showing its dominance!


    But, the more it did so, and the more resentful the weaklings became. All until a miracle happened. Worms, snakes, and dragons began actively and unconsciously working together. They simply all wanted this overbearing dragon to disappear.


    All of these made a crazy good synergy too. The dragons were the only ones able to pierce the monster''s tough scales. Their attacks would reveal the soft flesh underneath, making the creature vulnerable.


    Then, the snakes would pretty much do the rest of the damage as the main attack force. As long as the scales were broken, they could use theirrge numbers to attack the mini-Boss from all fronts. This made it impossible for it to dodge their onught.


    There was still one thing that it could do. It would use its overpowered sand coffin attack to get rid of them all! But, somehow, its spells kept colliding with the damn worms that were brainlessly wriggling all over the ce!


    Josh could actually discern a hint of intelligence in the creature''s eyes. It could have easily run away, used a guerri tactic, and killed them all. But the monster still had that one ring weakness: it was too proud.


    Josh was rxing by now and enjoying the show with his only concern to make sure that the snake he was hiding into didn''t die stupidly. Well, he couldn''t help either way since this whole thing was one chaotic mess. But it was working!


    Eventually, the dragon gave onest ear-piercing regretful scream as it finally fell. This scream resonated across the entire Floor, signaling the fall of the tyrant. How many creatures had it yfully hunted as the apex predator?


    There was a long moment of silence as the monsters around realized what they had done. They had been fighting blinded by fury, but they were regaining their senses. The worms wriggled, the snakes slithered, and the dragons just stood there.


    For an instant, these three species were inplete harmony, not an ounce of killing intent appearing. Josh ordered his snake to move forward. It was time to grab some loot! There would be something useful on the corpse of such a strong foe, right?!


    But just as Josh''s mount was about toply, the ground began trembling.


    *????????????????????*


    What the heck was this?! The dunes everywhere began copsing as golden sand flowed all over the ce, looking like a golden sea. Was it an earthquake?! That is when a giant whirlpool of sand appeared, right next to Mini-Boss.


    Oh god, no! Josh could already understand what was happening. He ordered his snake to get as far away as possible from this ce! There was no way that he would face whatever wasing!


    The scene behind them was bing smaller and smaller. But even that didn''t prevent him from seeing what happened next as clear as day. There was an explosion as sand was thrown everywhere in the air!


    That is when a massive creature emerged straight out of the whirlpool. There was a gigantic worm with teethrge enough to skewer dragons easily. This thing was as imposing as the goddamn Iron Giant but way faster!


    <Biggest Worm God Lv73??>


    This was getting out of hand! Almost four fucking times Josh''s level! It devoured the carcass instantly in one gulp! Then, it turned toward the other creatures before turning toward his general direction.


    Oh crap, there was killing intent aimed straight at him! Time to run!...


    Creator''s Thought


    That moment when you defeat the big bad monster only to realize it was nothing more than the mid-Boss! Well, this was to be expected. I just didn''t expect that it would instantlye out of hiding. Was this a scripted event or was it just because we made way too much noise and disrupted its sleep?

 Chapter 236: Staring Death In The Mouth

    <h4>Chapter 236: Staring Death In The Mouth</h4>


    On a scale of 1 to 10, how dangerous was the colossal worm far back behind Josh? Probably a 100! The Mini-Boss had already taken their all to take down, and this one neer was an actual Boss!


    Still, he couldn''t help but feel resentful. That damn worm! It had waited till the veryst second to pop out and eat their prey. Couldn''t it have done so before Josh went through all that trouble?!


    Josh didn''t believe one bit that he had what it took to fight that opponent, so he ran. For once, Josh didn''t have to guide the snake. All the monsters in arge area were busy fighting, so they just ran straight.


    But this was a bad idea. As fast as the snake was, it could never outrun their pursuant. That''s why Josh remained attentive until he saw an ess well and jumped off, his ride so frightened it didn''t notice him.


    The ess wells were made of the same white brick as the ruins he had seen before. Then he found a hemp rope leading down into this realm''s belly.


    Without waiting further, Josh began his slow descent. He had only gone a few meters down that the surrounding atmospherepletely changed. The unbelievable heat was gone and was reced by coolness.


    As he reached the bedrock, he found himself in an underground tunnel. Following it, he stumbled upon more tunnels. These new tunnels led him to ¡­some more! Ah, but sometimes he would face caves of various dimensions.


    Every burrow looked so damn simple except for one point. In the middle of each, there would be tiny ponds. He cautiously went near one, trying to figure out what it did. But that''s when something strange happened.


    As he entered the shallow water, he had a sense of familiarity. It somehow gave him a very simr feeling to the river back in his training/nightmare. But, while the river had been tumultuous and violent, the energy here was utterly peaceful.


    He felt as if there was some power contained inside that he couldn''t ess right now. But, he felt a link being formed with it, somehow. The longer he stayed inside and the better he could feel the power of the pond. This was a fantastic training opportunity!


    Josh resolutely left. He wanted to find the biggest pond he could! He felt like these caves belonged to the creatures that he had seen on the surface. The stronger they were, and the better their magical pond would be.


    His current goal was to search for the Mini-Boss''s cave. That''s how he kept going until he stumbled upon a crazy huge cavern. In it, he didn''t find a shallow pond, but a goddamnke! How potent would this be?!


    As he greedily approached it, he noticed some kind of brown gem hovering above it while emitting soft mana in the surroundings. Its pale glow was mesmerizing. How often could one look at pure power?


    Josh unconsciously gulped as he approached it carefully. He couldn''t feel any danger at all from it. He slowly approached his hand, steadying his mind and protecting his body with mana.


    As he touched it¡ª the cave went away! He found himself under an orange-tinted sky with two orange-tinted suns and a scene of a massacre. Josh quickly made sense of what he was looking a: his defeated monstrous army.


    But that''s when he felt a chill. As he turned, he could see the Boss there, so close that he could distinguish the countless teeth in his gaping maw with the saliva dripping on him.


    Josh tried moving away, but he couldn''t control his body. Fuck! Was he going to die like that?! But that''s when the saliva reached him and ¡­passed right through his body?! That''s when he realized that he wasn''t actually here, and this was only a projection.


    Just as he felt intense relief, the Boss ''looked'' at him. He felt his very soul shake and risk dissipating. No, he couldn''t allow this! Not before he saved her!


    "So what if you''re level 73? You''re nothing more than a worm!" He taunted both resentful and as a way to steady his mind.


    But that''s when the creature suddenly sent something his way! It was slightly brown in color, transparent, and stuck right to him! What the fuck was that?! But as he focused, he instinctively understood.


    This was a tracker. The worm god was now targeting him! Oh shit. Perhaps it was Josh''s imagination, but he could see the worm grinning. Then it turned toward his location. The hunt had begun.


    Then it was over. Josh regained his senses; His entire body froze in horror. He could feel the enormous killing intent already. He would die for sure.


    For once, he was scared, shitless. He was afraid of dying, failing, but most importantly, he was scared never to see her again. What was death like? Was it simply nothingness? Was there a life afterward? She would disappearpletely.


    But he then realized how silly he had been:


    "Alter System Protocol, I need you to bail me out!" But there was only silence with death approaching quickly. "Alter Tower, where the fuck are you?! AT answer!"


    He didn''t have time for this. Josh took out his Dimensional belt and activated it¡­.But, nothing happened. What the heck?! He could feel it; whatever that brown thing had been, it was interfering! Was this why AT didn''t answer either?!


    Run?


    He couldn''t run.


    He couldn''t die.


    He couldn''t forget.


    He had to fight.


    Was victory even possible?


    It didn''t matter.


    He couldn''t run, forget or die.


    He had to win, no matter what.


    He''d see them again, both of them!


    Fuck that worm! Fuck that motherfucking worm!


    It wanted to get rid of their memories!


    It wanted to kill them.


    It had to die.


    Death, resolve, belief, doubt, necessity, anger, and all of it. It all meshed together until he didn''t know how he felt. All he did was observe his surroundings, looking for a lifeline. He had never been as calm as he was now.


    But suddenly, a smile blossomed on his face. Fuck that worm!


    Creator''s Thought


    It''s at that moment that I developed a dislike for worms and tracking spells. Tracking someone with magic is pretty much an insult to their power. What felt like a death sentence back then was actually an opportunity. Had I known what I know now, I could have killed the worm in one hit without cheesing it.

 Chapter 237: Worm God!

    <h4>Chapter 237: Worm God!</h4>


    In the vast cavern, a rhythmic sound resounded. Ting! Ting! Ting! With every new repetition, death would be closer. Time was of the essence!


    Josh tirelessly kept working as he felt the enormous mass of killing intent heading his way. Anyone else in his position would have beenpletely paralyzed by fear, but he still looked calm and confident.


    Would his n even work? His only certainty was that he''d make this worm regret ever targeting him! Perhaps it was petty, but he found satisfaction in this. That is when came the rumbling.


    The hard rock walls and even the ceiling began trembling. Perhaps the most surprising was that this ce didn''t show any sign of caving in. Josh remained on the ground waiting.


    The creature knew his exact location, and it showed intelligence as it made a detour. Instead of attacking from above or the sides, it would attack from below. It would be instantly over for Josh when it would finally emerge, and he would never see iting.


    Suddenly everything became still as if the creature had given up. But, the killing intent was about to reach him. It even had a sneak ability! It was time to do this! Josh grabbed the rat and waited for his opponent.


    That''s when it emerged from the rock. BOOM! Rock fragments were catapulted everywhere! The creature''s maw was akin to an infinite abyss that wanted nothing more than to consume him.


    <Biggest Worm God Lv73??>


    Josh dashed toward one of the giant teeth of the creature and angled himself perfectly. It had been going so fast that as soon as he blocked with the rat, he felt his entire bodyunched in the air akin to a cannonball.


    He instantly lost his breath, his bones creaking under stress, his skin rupturing, and his muscles aching. It wasn''t even over! He was about to collide heavily with the ceiling and stter on it.


    But, right as he was about to make contact, he activated his cloak. For a split second, his body stopped being entirely physical, and he felt his shoulder sink into the rock beforeing out just fine.


    Josh stuck to the ceiling using the spider ability. Below there was the nightmarish creature that was pursuing. It would be on him in a few seconds! He couldn''t help but grin as he grabbed his True Pickaxe.


    He had prepared a lovely surprise for this worm. "You seem super hungry. Eat this, you goddamn oversized worm! You''ll love it!" That''s when he swung the pickaxe with all the strength he could muster.


    The incredibly tough rock exploded thanks to the item''s power. It just so happened that the part Josh crushed was the tiny remaining anchor to an enormous rock spear. Josh had carved it from the ceiling itself and was evenrger than the Boss.


    The incredible weight became a tremendous force thanks to gravity. All of this insane power was all concentrated unto the tip. Josh cackled like a madman as the colossal worm got skewered then crushed.


    He slowly came down, inspecting the aftermath. The enemy was dead! Could he absorb its mana and level up? But that''s when something crazy happened. Theke suddenly became tumultuous as an insane suction force was felt.


    Josh had to dig his feet in the ground to prevent being sent flying in. As for the worm, it began to dpose in light particles that were dragged in the water. It was the same for the gem that was shattering.


    He could only observe it all baffled until it all calmed down. Behind there only remained the mess he had done with the rock spear as if the enemy had been nothing more than an illusion.


    Josh slowly and cautiously approached theke. He could feel it: there was a crazy amount of mana in the water! Without waiting, he dashed into it, feeling the cool refreshing sensation envelop himpletely.


    He began circting his mana, barely realizing what he was doing. He was akin to a gamer doing some hardcore grinding. He was smiling on autopilot! He had no clue what he was doing. He was just enjoying feeling his body so full of life!


    At this rate, his mana would rise so much! It was as if every cell in his body was awakening. As if¡­but something rudely interrupted the experience.


    |~???????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????????~|


    ~Disgustin, so disgusting! So ugly. How can it be so ugly? Two legs, two arms, and a head. Such a shame.


    The wriggling one? Was it a worm or something? Why did these bullshit gods love to insult people so much? Then again, there were bound to be a few good ones like that old man Iron.


    ~These humanoids are too violent. It killed a newborn so savagely. It did such atrocity with a smile. It needs to die. Revenge. Yes, revenge for the newborn. But, how?


    Bullshit! How the hell was this supposed to be a newborn?! This worm had been 50 meters long. This was skyscraper level! Plus, he had only acted in self-defense! This goddamn worm was the one that was a bully!


    ~We cannot interfere with the Towers. Wait¡­this one is defective. It barely ever hosted a few individuals. No one will care if we y a little.


    That sounded as insulting as ominous. Who was this bitch calling defective?! AT was doing its best to improve. What did it mean by y?


    ~How do we punish the newborn killer? Regrettable, but we cannot do it directly. This one is weak. It will probably die soon anyway.


    "That''s an amazing idea! There really is no need to exert any effort. I''m just a weak human."


    ~No, revenge for the newborn! Ah, we know. Curses are possible. Ah, but normal curses are no fun.


    There went a peaceful resolution. Josh prepared himself mentally for what was toe.


    ~This one will do. Curse of maggots. Settle in his stomach, little ones. Devour him from the inside. This will be fun! So much fun chwichwichwi!¡ª ¡­


    Wait, what?! Maggots?! That''s when Josh felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He fell forward, his gut constricting. How was he supposed to deal with this?!¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    I''m still proud of that rock spear. Sure, it was very primitive and basic but it had a certain charm. Well, not that that bullshit wriggling god appreciated it. It always baffled me how happily gods would rush to avenge any simted NPC that just so happened to fit with their essence. Then again, it represented both an opportunity and danger to them, not that any would have admitted that weakness.

 Chapter 238: Private Beach

    <h4>Chapter 238: Private Beach</h4>


    Wait, what?! Maggots?! That''s when Josh felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He fell forward, his gut constricting. How was he supposed to deal with this?!¡­


    What kind of perverse curse was this? It felt as if someone was gouging his belly out piece by piece. Whatever was in there began absorbing the ambient mana at a crazy rate. He could even see it getting sucked with his naked eye!


    Then he felt the wriggling. He tried using his mana maniption, but it wasn''t his mana that was the problem. He tried leaving theke, but the water had be a prison as it enveloped him.


    His regeneration ability ensured that the torture didn''t stop. He felt his flesh be devoured and regrow at an unbelievable rate. Would this ever end?!


    But then, suddenly, his stomach rumbled. Fighting had made him hungry, and there was food. He heard a sharp screeching from inside him, but it quickly stopped as he felt a warm current invade his body.


    The water became still, and his body finally stopped twitching. As hezily floated, Josh swore he''d get revenge on this fucking god. He had to spend so much effort to defeat the worm Boss only to get unjustly cursed by this fucker!


    Once more, his gluttony bloodline he had saved him. Funny how he had gotten it on Floor 6 by doing a 100% optional side-mission. He had survived thanks to his efforts! He couldn''t help but feel a tinge of happiness. She would have been proud, for he had never given up.


    Still, after this whole event, he felt slightly different. It was as if his mana was easier to control. He slowly inspected his status screen beforeughing out loud.


    HP: 4500 ¡ª> 4700


    Mana Maniption: E ¡ª> D


    More bonus stats! It seemed like he had stolen the vitality of the magical maggots that the worm god had used to curse him. How would it react if it knew?


    Josh couldn''t help but give a wry smile. He would soon be invincible if he could find a method to turn every godly hex into a tonic. Was he the only one meeting gods left and right? Perhaps everyone just remained silent.


    But, the best was the increased mastery of his skill. While he couldn''t feel that much of a difference, he guessed how amazing it was. It seemed to be a core skill, just like his weapon mastery that had carried him all along.


    He nced at his surroundings: the fallen rocks, the dead-lookingke, and the obscurity. The magical ambiance was long gone. Now what? He searched the huge cave without finding anything, then went back to the surface.


    There was only endless sand to be seen, endless heat to be felt, and a silent world. He had the feeling to be thest living being in this realm. He began roaming and even went back to the spawn area.


    But, there was nothing worth noticing. This was so dumb! He had obviously defeated thest Boss only to get stuck because he was lost. How ridiculous was that! Now that the worm was dead, he could teleport with the dimensional belt, but it would be such a waste.


    Josh began chuckling loudly at the gorgeous sky as heid on the sand, his fingers digging into it, feeling every grain rubbing his skin softly. He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pictured the ocean waves.


    Just like back then¡­


    ****


    In a small yground, two weirdos could be seen: one big and one small. They wore cheap but great-looking shades as theyid on the sand next to each other. Josh slowly spoke to the little one in the most soothing voice he could muster, akin to a meditation guru.


    "Now, close your eyes and picture that we''re at the beach. Feel the warmth as your fingers and toes sink into the hot sand. Hear the waves crashing unto the shore. Listen to the cries of the seagulls. Can you picture it?"


    "Of course! They are circling above our heads yfully. It must be the salty hot wind that''s making them energetic. They know how beautiful a day it is!"


    "Can you feel the wind on your skin? Can you hear how quiet it is? It''s like we are the only ones in the world. How do you like this private beach? It''s amazing, am I right?" Josh eximed exaggeratedly.


    "It''s great! I understand why all my ssmates kept bragging about private beaches now! But I feel quite bad for them. They kept talking about how expensive it was. It seems they didn''t really enjoy it properly." The little one remarked.


    "Of course. Often, just enjoying the moment is the key to happiness. Hard work is great, but one needs to learn to live too. Otherwise, what''s the point, am I right?"


    "Hehe, we''re living right now! This is awesome!" The little one chuckled.


    That''s when a disdainful scoff was heard. "That broke bastard, he''s just making that poor little girl delusional. Little girl, when you grow up, make sure you marry a proper man, not this kind of loser."


    There was a middle-aged woman that was outfitted from head to toe with brand clothes. She didn''t exude wealth but instead felt like the kind that just cared too much about her appearance. It was quite a shame considering how boring and ordinary she looked.


    Josh was about to retort when the little one beat him to it. "Ah, I understand,dy. I''ll remember it!" She politely said as thedy showed an arrogant expression. But the little one wasn''t done.


    "Lady, I''m sure you''ll be a wonderful mother. How many months have you been pregnant already?" That seemingly naive inquiry made the woman''s face turn red. She obviously wasn''t pregnant and was barely fat, but it was a critical hit to her ego.


    Just as she was about to retort angrily, Josh chimed in with a reproachful tone as if reprimanding the little one. But, she knew what was up from the twinkle in his eyes and the yful wink he sent her.


    "Hey, you can''t stay stuff like that! You have to be careful. Sometimes people are just fat, not pregnant. Then again, I guess it''s fine just this once since this woman is obviously carrying a child in her belly." He said, sounding extremely serious, the little one about to crack augh.


    By now, the woman was about to erupt in anger and seemed as if she was seriously considering murder. What made it worse was that the two fools had closed their eyes once more as they pictured their private beach. They were looking down on her!


    "Oh? What is happening here?" an inquisitive voice rang. As Josh heard the neer, he couldn''t help but smile softly. She had such a sweet and disarming tone: he loved it, and he loved her!


    Thedy regained a semnce of calm as she began insulting them. "These two unruly peasants are extremely rude. Can you believe these blind, ignorant people dared to call me pregnant?! I know it''s silly, but they should be taught a lesson!"


    "How unforgivable! Yes, they need to be taught better!" Thedy was oozing confidence as she now had someone to back her up. But Josh''s lover kept going. "You two should be ashamed to call a man pregnant!" She dered righteously.


    That''s when thedy lost both her shit and her wits. She could only stand there grimacing as she pointed at the offenders. "Y-y-you! All of you! You''re crazy!" She then left, thumping her feet. She probably wouldn''te back to this neighborhood for a while.


    That''s when the big fool and the small fool beganughing, eyes still closed. That woman had been so stupid! What did she expect after badmouthing someone''s sister and boyfriend at once?!


    Josh heard a small chuckle as the woman he lovedid right beside him, grabbing his hand lovingly while whispering with a sigh. "It''s a wonderful day for the beach, isn''t it?"


    The two nodded happily with huge smiles adorning their faces. In a small yground, three weirdos could be seen¡­.


    ****


    Josh awoke to an earth-shattering sound. The entire realm seemed to split open as an enormous thing emerged from the sand. It was so goddamn huge! It was a rusty colossal elevator cage.


    Enough reminiscing, it seemed that it was time to go.


    Creator''s Thought


    Feeling myself bing stronger always was a source of joy. But, an even greater source of joy was reminiscing about them. I would limit myself for I had a goal to aplish, but a man is not a machine. Remembering''s one past is necessary to be able to look forward to the future. It gave me the resolve to keep going, no matter what.

 Chapter 239: Chocolate Suicide

    <h4>Chapter 239: Chocte Suicide</h4>


    In the giant elevator, a tiny-looking man seemingly the size of an ant patiently waited. An external observant would have most likely seen a big elevator raising to high Heaven.


    Then it suddenly stopped on Floor 3 as the doors opened, revealing a peculiar sight. Josh could see what looked like a dog house. It was brownish-red and was shaped like a miniature house. The entrance of it was the height of a kid and glowing white.


    So there was a gigantic elevator leading to a tiny dog house. How useless! Josh bent and headed inside, feeling a sense of weightlessness as the world changed before him. He was now inside what seemed to be a straw hut.


    He was sitting on a small stool, ck chocte in his hands. There were green leaves scattered on the floor, each full of mucus. What was this? Some sort of depression scenario? That''s when he heard the sound of footsteps.


    Someone burst through the only entrance with great momentum. "Youplete and utter fool! What have you freaking done?! How stupid are you?! I''m ashamed to have a son like you! What about the n?! What were you even nning with that chocte?!"


    Josh was taken aback as he slowly began piecing the clues together:


    1. The neer was a humanoid dog that felt so human! It seemed to be a saint bernard and reminded him of the round with the human feeling monkeys. Besides its canine face and fur, it didn''t feel too different from any regr Joe.


    2. Somehow, this dog was convinced that he was his son, disregarding the racial discrepancy. Judging by the tone and assurance, it didn''t seem to be lying or confused. Plus, it didn''t have any eye-catching red namete above its head.


    3. This son, aka Josh, had apparentlymitted some great mistake that had made said dog angry. It seemed like it had reached the point of risking being disowned. How absurd was something that even a dog considered stupid?!


    4. There was some sort of n. Was it a n full of dogs, or were there other animals? Either way, it seemed like he had some responsibility toward it. How annoying!


    5. What was he nning with that chocte bar? Ah, chocte was toxic for dogs, right? Had he been trying tomit suicide?


    It seemed like this was the "reincarnated into a useless young master''s body" scenario. Josh couldn''t help but smile wryly. The Alter Tower had been studying humans recently, and this definitely included literature.


    The dog was so angry that its teeth were showing, saliva flying all over the ce. It was quite the spectacle. Josh calmly opened his mouth, munching on a piece of chocte at the same time.


    "You done?" He nonchntly said as the face of the dog changedpletely. It rushed at him, trying to make him spit out the chocte.


    "No! Quick, vomit it! This is the devil''s food! It will¡ª" It began shaking him.


    "I take it you''re not angry anymore? Good. Anyway, you seem to be overreacting a lot. How about you just take a deep breath for a second, and we calmly review the problem slowly."


    The dog''s eyes were bulging as it looked at Josh that seemed perfectly fine. He expected him to drop at any moment after devouring so much chocte!


    "H-how are you still alive?!" The dog asked, shaken.


    "Because I''m not dead. Anyway, what made you freak out so much? I don''t remember ever seeing you this way." ...Or seeing him at all, for that matter.


    "T-that. You gave our ancestral bone to that bitch from the Hard-Paws n. I know you really loved her, but it''s the ancestral bone we''re talking about! She ran, and I''m sure she''s noting back! She betrayed you and¡ª"


    "Oh? You mean that bone. Don''t worry about it. I grew tired of it, so I gave it away." Josh acted like the situation was under control. To be honest, losing a bone wasn''t that big of a deal, no matter how he saw it.


    "Gave it away?! Grew tired of it?! Have you gone insane?! Whoever controls the best bone controls the dog ns, all of them! How are you so calm?! Do you realize the gravity of the situation?!" The dog began shouting once more.


    "Here is a little history question. Do you remember how our ancestors got that bone in the first ce? Take a deep breath, then say it." Josh acted as if he was calming a child.


    "The ancestral One Doggo Army had to brave the savagends to bring it back after fighting bravely for an entire year! He was the strongest hero that ever lived! He risked his life to make us the strongest dog n, but now our glory is all over!"


    So it was a token of prestige that was extremely hard to obtain, hence had great value. While it sounded silly when seen from an outsider''s perspective, it did make sense. Josh now had two options:


    1. He could try and steal their ancestral bone from that other dog vige.


    2. He could head to the savagends himself and try to grab a new one that was even better than the original.


    Whatever he chose, it probably wouldn''t be that easy. Still, his goal was to push his limits and get the best reward possible. The effectiveness of the training Tower would depend on it!


    For that reason, he would try the second one and possibly resolve himself to the first one if it couldn''t be done. He knew how to assess his own limits and would be careful. Of course, there was always a risk for another god to spawn, but the chances were low.


    After all, he had never encountered gods two Floors in a row. If he wasn''t mistaken, that god had been the one making the whole Floor more difficult than it initially was supposed to be. The monkey Floor on the opposite had been void of danger.


    "Alright, bring me to the savagends. Let''s get this problem fixed as soon as possible." Josh dered with confidence.


    "Y-you can''t be serious! You''ll die if you head in there?! There is no way that I can allow this! We still share the same blood no matter what happens!" The dog eximed with fervor.


    Josh doubted that he had any dog blood, but it was nice to have someone worry for him, even if that someone was nothing more than a dog.


    It seemed like all that trash talk from earlier had been meant to shock him. Well, ording to the dog himself, "Josh" had been entrapped by a seductress. That exined the rough but solid awakening...probably.


    "Don''t worry. I just want to scout the savagends a bit, for we never know. I could get extremely lucky. I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if I didn''t at least try something." Josh dered valiantly.


    The dog began tearing up as he seemed extremely conflicted for a moment. But he then nodded sternly. In his eyes, Josh could see a mixture of worry, sorrow, and pride. It was time to get some motherfucking bones!


    Creator''s Thought


    I have to admit, I always loved how creative AT would get with his Floors. Well, before THAT happened. First monkeys and then dogs. Yet, he had managed to make them feel human. It was a peculiar feeling. Then again, it''s not like humans are special. We are nothing but arrogant animals in the end.

 Chapter 240: Savage Land

    <h4>Chapter 240: Savage Land</h4>


    In front of a small fissure in arge rocky wall stood two individuals. There was a confident human and a worried humanoid dog with drooping ears.


    They had rushed to this ce as fast as they could. As they were leaving, so many dog vigers had pointed their fingers at them with reproach, insulting Josh on the way. They really took this bone business seriously.


    The father sighed before uttering:


    "Son, be extremely careful. As soon as you pass this crevasse, you will be in the savagends. These are extremely deadly, so make sure you run back as soon as you see any enemy. Here, this is for you."


    The dog handed Josh a small clear container filled with some dubious-looking yellow liquid.


    "What is this supposed to be?" Josh asked suspiciously.


    "One of our ancestral treasures. This is a scaly devil''s urine. Make sure you spray it everywhere on your body. Come back as soon as it stops smelling. This should give you some security." The dog exined lovingly.


    "T-thanks." Josh''s smile was stiff as he took the gift and rushed inside before hispanion could utter something even more embarrassing.


    The crack was pretty long but also narrow, only as wide as one human. On the rock sides, Josh could see light-blue glowing glyphs. If he wasn''t mistaken, these were sealing the monsters inside the savagend.


    Josh soon reached the other side and could see a forest scene. Somehow, this ce gave him prehistoric vibes. The trees were massive, and so were every damn nts. There was vegetation everywhere his eyesnded.


    He remained near the entrance for now as he let his scent permeate the air. How long until an enemy woulde? Five minutester, Josh could already feel a creature approaching at phenomenal speed.


    It moved so quickly, in fact, that his eyes weren''t able to follow it. He could only discern a blurry shadow overflowing with killing intent. Josh instantly retreated to safety under the soft glow of the runes.


    That''s when he saw a creature appear next to the entrance, so suddenly that it looked like teleportation. Still, it didn''t get too close, for it seemed to know about the protective magic. Otherwise, Josh could have hunted it from safety.


    The creature looked like a small raptor with a tiny mouth filled with countless deadly teeth: kind of like the smaller ones in that one dinosaur park that kept forgetting to pay its electricity bills.


    < Speedy Scaly Lizard Lv 60 >


    It was a level 60 elite! This little creep was almost as strong as the Big Earth Snakes from the previous Floor! What was with these high levels?! No, this was good. Great difficulty and lots of danger meant incredible rewards.


    As Josh was examining it, the creature did the same. It was looking at him as if a tasty piece of meat. But, it then nced onest time at him before leaving, disappointed¡ª or so it seemed.


    Josh could still perceive its aura in a nearby bush, lurking. This little shit was so scheming! Even after he waited for about an hour, the thing didn''t show any sign of moving. It was so damn patient! Anyone else would have believed the creature gone already.


    He now understood why the dog had given him the urine. As long as there was a single of these sniffing one''s position, escaping would be impossible. That speed was even more incredible than that one blue hedgehog hero!


    But, it wasn''t the only one that could scheme! Josh threw the mighty rat out. Instantly the creature sprang on it, jaws first before gobbling it entirely. How?! The rat was bigger than its own body!


    Just as Josh was thinking about recalling the rat, the creature''s eyes began rolling about in fear as it twisted on the ground. Then it¡­.exploded! BAM! Flesh and blood sttered nearby. Damn!


    What a tragic yet poetic death! It had tried eating another only to die from this very action. Josh slowly approached the disturbingly scattered corpse, finding the bloodied rat just standing there as lifeless as usual.


    Josh grabbed it again and began exploring the surroundings carefully. Were there stronger creatures? Did they hunt alone, or did they sometimes group up in packs? He needed more information.


    He was soon attacked by another speedy lizard, dispatching it in the same manner. This time, since he had nowhere to hide, he had to bait the creature with his body. Just when it was about to devour him, he chucked the rat inside its mouth.


    This was only possible because he could easily predict where and how it would attack. This thing was so fast, but it didn''t seem to be used to others being able to follow its movements.


    The only downside was that he couldn''tpletely avoid being drenched in the creature''s blood. As he kept going, this repeated itself many times until finally, he looked like a red mess. He could only sigh.


    He kept walking until he could see an enormous creature on the horizon. It was a massive behemoth that had the general shape of a mammoth with scales all over and even bigger. It still had a sharp maw, but its main method of attack seemed to be its limbs.


    In fact, its feet were protected by some incredibly sturdy protective carapace that reminded him of back of a tortoise. It would sometimes m them on the ground, generating shockwaves. But, the thing was so slow that it was no danger whatsoever!


    However, that didn''t necessarily make it easy prey. Josh kept watching it until it began fighting another creature that looked like a fat lizard. It was about the size of a horse and had deadly spikes all over its body like a hedgehog.


    Sadly for this neer, its spikes didn''t do much as it was crushed to death, the behemoth devouring it. That''s when Josh realized how sturdy the big guy''s scales were! Then,ter on, he saw it fight a speedy scaly lizard.


    Surprisingly, the small lizard was jumping around everywhere, dodging any attack with its speed. It would even run on its opponent directly, leave a few w marks and scrap a bit of flesh. But even then, Josh watched in stupefaction as any wound would close itself instantly. Its regenerative ability was also off the charts!


    Josh wasn''t sure how to tackle the situation. He wanted to be careful, but he also wouldn''t cower in the face of this challenge. Bring it on dinosaurs!...


    Creator''s Thought


    The exploding scaly has to rank in my top 10 000 best killing methods. I came up with that list when I was stuck THERE. After all, I had way too much free time. It''s surprisingly very difficult to limit it to a puny 10 000. There were so many over the years. Then again, the ducks are mostly to me for that.

 Chapter 241: Big Tiny Scaly Bully!

    <h4>Chapter 241: Big Tiny Scaly Bully!</h4>


    That day was a lovely one in the savagends. There was the sound of birds chirping, of lizards roaring far away, and of a tiny asshole lizard choking on a fat lifeless rat¡­Oh, and exploding!


    Life was fantastic for Josh, but he only had one problem. His current task was to bring the greatest bone there was. This would mean getting thergest, longest, and coolest of them all. For that, he''d need to target the apex predator here.


    Josh slowly approached an ancient tree with a radius of 10 men''s arms. He then carved the bark as if writing on paper to organize his thoughts.


    1 < Speedy Scaly Lizard Lv 60 >


    - Small


    - Insanely fast


    - Incredibly sharp teeth


    - Has the ability to devour things bigger than its own body mass, but only for a short duration at a time.


    2 < Armored Scaly Lizard Lv 60 >


    - Horse size


    - Average speed


    - Full of spikes


    - Walking fortress


    - Herbivore?


    3 < Behemoth Scaly Lizard Lv 60 >


    - Mammoth on steroid size


    - Slow speed


    - Shelled feet and sturdy scales


    - Insane regeneration


    4 Conclusion:


    - Dino strength: Mammoth Dino > Spiky Dino > Speedy Dino


    - A Speedy Dino fares better against a mammoth than a spiky one.


    - A Mammoth Dino cannot kill a Speedy Dino as long as thetter is careful.


    Josh''s target was the one he called mammoth dino, and he really just needed its bones. He softly chuckled as he pictured the creature lying on the ground, defeated and deted like a balloon.


    The other option was the spiky dino, but this one would be even harder. At least, the mammoth was slow enough that kitting would be extremely easy. Another positive point was that he already had the bones of the smallest one.


    How could he defeat such a giant? So far, all the colossal enemies he had defeated had perished via a wise use of terrain or by targeting their weakness. But this one wouldn''t be that easy, thanks to its perverse defense.


    Plus, even if he did hurt the enemy, its regeneration would be enough to take care of any injury quickly¡­No, wait! This was it!


    Josh began evilly grinning as he remembered that one item he had. He quickly summoned Nightmare and rode it as if knight of legend, dashingly. "We''re going to defeat that big creature in the distance!"


    The horse valiantly galloped toward the giant behemoth. Somehow it didn''t seem too worried about such an impossible challenge. While this one was stronger than the Iron Giant from back then, it wasn''t as dangerous.


    Josh signaled his mount that abruptly stopped as they were approaching, sending flying right unto the monster''s back. In mid-air, he took out his ghoul w weapon, then plunged with as much power as he could.


    He enhanced his attack with tons of mana too. That''s when the loud sound of a collision resounded, CLANG! Josh couldn''t help but beginughing, for he had drawn blood! The creature didn''t even react as it was too small a wound. Now he would simply need to wait for the poison to act.


    It expressly specified: "The higher the target''s vitality, the more effective the poison". This one would soon kick the bucket at this rate! He sat down, recalled Nightmare, and stood by.


    5 minutes


    30 minutes


    There would be a speedy lizarding over to take a few bites of his target from time to time. It only served to make his stomach growl. He was starving.


    1 hour


    2 hours


    5 hours


    That''s when he had toe to terms with reality: this poison was utterly ineffective against this creature! Most likely, either its vitality or level was too high, thus rendering it immune. He could only sigh.


    He could only look in disappointment at the tiny bones he was carrying. This wouldn''t cut it for sure. He tried emitting killing intent subtly, but it all turned out to be useless. His target didn''t have any natural predators.


    Josh could always create an army of the smaller ones, but that would be digging his own grave. Sure, they''d probably be able to eat the target, but he, too, would suffer the same fate.


    No, it was time for n B. If he couldn''t get any quality bones, he had to resort to stealing. Even then, he didn''t have much confidence if he went on his own, and he would make sure to bring a strong ally.


    That''s why Josh slowly set up a trap. Okay, the trap sucked big time, and it consisted of a single rat left in in sight while he hid. Now, the first few attempts went really badly.


    He did manage to bait some raptors, but he didn''t act in time to prevent them from swallowing the rat as they burst open like defeated pi?atas, bloody ones. This, in turn, scared their brethren away.


    That''s how he kept relocating until he finally got the hang of it. By now, he was a tiny lizard of doom expert. He''d totally put that on his CV! When one was jumping toward the rat to devour it, Josh stopped hiding as he caught it by the neck!


    He was holding it as if it was a chicken, with a grip even stronger than steel. He knew that should he let this little creature go, he would be in deep trouble. Josh could notice confusion in the creature''s eyes.


    It was probably its first time finding someone able to keep up with its speed. Plus, it couldn''t free itself due to itscking strength. It kept rolling its eyeballs, trying to look at him while hissing. It almost looked cute as it looked so vulnerable, almost.


    Fun fact, these dinosaurs'' bones were considered materials and could fit in his gathering bag, so he grabbed a ton! Even if they weren''t good enough for his purpose, he could still bring some back for the vige kids.


    Still, it made him wonder why there suddenly were drops while he couldn''t get any XP. Perhaps this was the "defective" the wriggling god had spoken of. Not that Josh would pay much attention to it. The Alter Tower was being more flexible and giving him custom rewards. That was plenty already!


    Well, it was time to leave this ce.


    He had the shitty bones, the shitty lizard, and optimism toward the future. The return was rtively easy. These monsters were actually quite clever. They all decided not to mess with him as they saw him happily walking with a raptor in his hand.


    He was intimidating creatures thrice his level! How hrious was that?! Their caution suited him just fine. He even began whistling in what everyone else would have considered and of death.


    As he left the savagends, he didn''t find any trace of his father. But, there was a message carved into the nearby rocky wall.


    <Son, the traitorous bitch is at the vige trying to convince our people to surrender. Hopefully, youe back with great bones. I believe in you, son, and I am hopeful there wille a day when our n will flourish once more¡­.> It kept going.


    Josh couldn''t help but be perplexed. Why would anyone ever write so much? Either way, it was time to head to the enemy vige. He kind of had a time bomb on his hands...


    Creator''s Thought


    There is an expression that says to never bring a knife to a gunfight. But, I assure you that bringing one of these scaly works goddamn well! Well, that depends on the style of the gun and the skill of the gunner. But, most of them would get ripped apart after being thrown a single scaly at!

 Chapter 242: The Chosen One

    <h4>Chapter 242: The Chosen One</h4>


    A man was walking and whistling on a wild in as he carried something hidden with a cloth in his hands. There were faint traces of blood in his hair, but otherwise, he was surprisingly clean.


    Josh was happily thinking of how he''d aplish the mission. He could simply chuck the creature at them and head straight for their treasury. This little dino would be enough for a simple diversion, right?


    In any case, he was hopeful. He knew the general direction of the enemy vige. His father had looked at it hatefully as they were walking over to the savagend. He couldn''t wait to be done with this. There would only be two more Floors remaining to clear the overall mission.


    That''s when he noticed a small house that stood there alone in the middle of nowhere. It was a wooden one that looked pretty rustic. He quickly knocked and soon appeared an oddly disturbing creature.


    It seemed to be some kind of Neapolitan mastiff, but it was humanoid and had a face that was even more droopy than the animal. It was a fat one that seemed to have more skin and fat than visage! Josh couldn''t even see the guy''s eyes!


    "You''re not from around here, are you? No one from around here visits me." He barked.


    "I''m looking for the Hard-Paws n''s vige. Could you point me in the right direction?" Josh politely asked.


    "Grrr, you shouldn''t do business with these assholes. They called me a faceless fat bastard! The audacity!" The dog grumbled. Josh would have to congratte them for having eyes!


    "Actually, they stole a bone from me, and I''m here to get it back," Josh admitted. Instantly the dog ¡­probably smiled? At least, that''s what he felt.


    "Hahaha, great! Just head this way. You can''t miss it!"The dog gleefully pointed.


    After that short encounter, Josh soon noticed the enemy vige in the distance. Now, how was he supposed to y this? He could straight-up begin a killing spree, but maybe that would endanger the mission.


    After all, they were all the same species, and there had been mention of ruling over the other ns.


    Josh went up to the vige entrance that was the only ess in the tall wooden palisade. Two guard dogs watched him vigntly as he approached, one even sniffing. "Identify yourself!" One shouted.


    <Guard Dog Lv 19>


    Not only was the enemy the same level as him, but it was also amon enemy. That''s when Josh realized that he had perhaps overestimated them. Compared to the level 60 elite dinosaurs, they were dogshit!


    Josh began cackling in relief. He had the feeling of someone that had just figured out the cheat code to activate god mode. As long as no hidden ancestor showed up, Josh would be invincible! He couldn''t help but grin.


    He didn''t even bother with them and just walked inside. Oh, they tried stopping him, but he bitch pped them hard and just kept walking nonchntly. They began barking crazily, but he ignored them.


    That is when about 50 dogs came out of various houses and began encircling him while growling. They looked like attack dogs ready to pounce as soon as they received the signal.


    A gray husky-looking old guy slowly made his way forward. "You sure are reckless not to abide the warnings of our guards. Where are you from, mutt?" He said while looking displeased.


    "I''ll cut to the chase. You guys stole the ancestral bone of the Heroic-Paws n through devious means. Now, hand it over, or I''ll fight all of you." Josh confidently dered. This instantly fueled so manyments.


    "He''ll fight us?"


    "This mutt is crazy. Can''t he see that he''s outnumbered ¡­a lot to 1!"


    "He probably went insane from grief."


    "Hehe, what an idiot. He gave it willingly, and now he thinks he can just take it back?"


    "Let''s beat him up!"


    "Yeah!"


    Their leader silenced them before speaking once more in a mocking tone.


    "There is a war about to happen. For that exact reason, we shouldn''t indulge in needless dog-on-dog violence. I''ll forgive you this once but go back home. I''m sure your father is missing you at Heroic-Paws Vige" His cronies instantly began praising his benevolence.


    Josh could only nod his head in understanding. He slowly removed the cloth covering the dinosaur, causing it to wake up and observe its surroundings excitingly. That is when it made contact with the vige chief and licked its lips.


    The dog had been extremely arrogant, but suddenly, he began shaking all over, his eyes bulging, the ears going backward and tail tucked. What he was seeing would require an ace up one''s fur to even survive against it!


    Their leader had recognized the lizard. While they were around level 20 and 30, this thing monster was level 60! Whether that NPC could see levels or not was irrelevant. It understood that should Josh release his grip. The whole ce would turn into a bloodbath.


    "Alright, guess we fight¡ª" Josh calmly said while the other dogs were stillughing their ticks off.


    "WAIT!" Their leader cried out, dropping on the ground in a submissive posture right before Josh. "Please spare us! You can be the pack leader from now on!" He sounded sincere.


    The bystander''s jaws were reaching the floor in utter confusion. People couldn''t believe their ears! One even thought it was a joke as he chuckled. "Stop joking, chief we¡ª"


    "Dumbass, do you want to doom us all?! This esteemed Sir is a legendary warrior! Serving him is our blessing! Hurry up and kneel, all of you!" Their leader was shouting at them, visibly nervous.


    Angering Josh would mean their demise. They were still confused, but they believed in their chief as they slowly prostrated themselves on the ground. Josh couldn''t help but be baffled. That was it? Wasn''t this too easy?


    "Anyway, where is my bone?" Josh sternly inquired.


    "I''ll get it right away, Sir!" Their chief ran away at a speed that spoke of his talents: he could fetch good!


    A few instantster, he came back carrying a box reverently. It seemed simple, but Josh had the feeling it was made of extremely luxurious wood by their standards. He then handed it while bowing. At least his attitude was good now! Josh slowly opened the box with one hand.


    The container had a lovely red velvet cloth carefully wrapped around the bone. He carefully uncovered it, and instantly he grimaced in anger. He recognized this bone way too well: it was a Speedy Lizard bone.


    Not only was it from a weak monster, but it also had small cracks all over. This thing was evidently fake! There was no way that a legendary hero of old would have only reached this standard! Even with vigers being level 20-30, this was pathetic.


    Josh lost his cool as he slowly growled in anger: "Do you take me for a fool? Are you trying to deceive me with such fake goods? This is what I do with such bullshit!"


    He grabbed the bone and grounded it into dust under their horrified eyes. They had fucked up! Should he release the raptor on their ass? Maybe...


    Creator''s Thought


    This has always been a great trick to convince people of your holiness: you get anyone that opposes you killed. That is how one bes a tyrant? Who cares, it''s a simtion anyway. The only hup to that was the worthless old bone. I actually slightly lost my temper over that one haha. It happens.

 Chapter 243: Victorious Return

    <h4>Chapter 243: Victorious Return</h4>


    In a small, unassuming vige, the air was extremely tense. There were a bunch of terrified humanoid dogs that could be seen kneeling to an evidently annoyed human. They even looked as if they had seen a ghost.


    Josh couldn''t help but scoff. These people sure had some gal to try and trick him! They had brought him a fake bone. Did they really believe that he was that naive?! The vige chief was the first to move.


    He threw himself at the bone fragments that were strewn on the ground while shaking and crying. He looked like he was trying to piece it back together. Why?!


    "What are you doing?" Josh asked, perplexed. This guy''s acting was so good.


    "This really was the ancestral bone, Sir! It was just brittle because of how old it is. Maybe we can repair it and¡ª." The chief said in a trembling voice.


    At that moment, people began to show reactions as they gasped in shock and cried looking at the bone dust. They were akin to small puppies that had their treats taken away from them.


    "Whatever. Just bury it anywhere. I don''t need it." Josh disregarded the damage he had caused. Perhaps it was history, but this was only a simtion. There could be infinite new ''history'' pieces appearing at any given moment.


    The chief was now looking at the bone dust in his hands akin to a treasure. He looked torn, not knowing what to do. Josh didn''t know what to do with them, so he just left them there as he began leaving the vige.


    But he had only done a few steps that the chief hade back to his sense and hade kneeling once more. "Sir, please ept us in your pack! We''ll do anything! We''ll fetch anything for you. We''ll clean your fur, we''ll¡ª"


    "Fine, whatever. From now on, you guys are my subordinates, I guess." Josh didn''t especially care about them, but they could prove helpful. Apparently, there was going to be a war. He would need information about that.


    The gray husky insisted on apanying him as a personal servant and guided him on the way back. Soon enough, they passed by the cabin of the old Neapolitan mastiff. As soon as they did, he exited from his house and began shouting at them.


    "You liar! I thought you said they were your enemies! Now you are walking together?! What is this?!" He began criticizing.


    "Old Politan, let''s not fight. How about you join us? I already swore loyalty to him, and you should do the same." The chief rmended.


    "What?! Why?! Do you take me for a pushover?! I''m a descendant of a hero! My ancestors defeated some scaly devils long ago. There is no way that I will ever submit to anyone and!¡ª" The dog suddenly shut up.


    His eyes were transfixed on Josh''s hand that was holding the small dino. He had removed the cloth covering for a second, revealing his pet in all its glory. The dog''s reaction was pretty hrious. How would it react to the mammoth one instead?!


    "W-w-what?! This is a scaly devil! H-how are you able to?!" He seemed to have had his whole world flip on him.


    "So, how is it, Old Politan? Will you join or not?" The Hard-Paws chief gave an ultimatum while teasing.


    "Of course I''ll join! I''ll fucking join! Sir, from now on, I''m your loyal dog! If you order me to bark twice, I won''t bark thrice!" Old Politan was so enthusiastic! His tail could even be seen pping behind his back.


    That''s when the chief whispered to Josh''s ear. "Sir, he''s a bit silly, but he''s always remained neutral and is the official organizer of the event to decide our next ruler. It''s a good thing that he''sing with us." He winked as he said that.


    The more Josh heard, and the moreplicated this all felt. He couldn''t help but wonder how long this Floor wouldst. Was he supposed to unify the different dog ns? What a pain! It was a good thing he had brought lots of bones for bribes.


    As they finally came back to the Heroic-Paws Vige vige, they realized how tense the atmosphere was. Saint Bernards began whispering when they saw hime back:


    "He''s the one that caused our fall."


    "The chief is under so much pressure thanks to his worthless son."


    "I wonder how the negotiations will turn out."


    "Wait, isn''t that Old Chief Husky from the nearby vige?! What is he doing here?!"


    "This son of a bitch betrayed us and went to collude with the enemy!"


    "But why would that bitch be here then? It doesn''t make sense."


    "Perhaps it was a scheme all along."


    "Wait, look! Is that Sir Old Politan?! What is he doing here?! He never exits his hut."


    Josh gave a wry smile. If they could move their arms with 1% of the energy they used to wag their tongues, they would have conquered the world already! He went toward his father''s house and decisively entered.


    Inside he found his father along with the other elder members of the vige. Their faces were bleak as they faced a small wolf with a pink ribbon in her (?) fur. This had to be the girl that had supposedly betrayed him, right?


    On the table between them, there was a scroll with a small bottle of ink nearby. There was a single paw print on it with room for more signatures.


    "Hey, you guys." Josh rxedly greeted. For him, these elders could as well be air.


    "Y-you! It''s your fault that! If not ¡ª" That''s when thatining one elder noticed Old Chief husky along with Old Politan. He seemed to despair as he jumped to conclusions, and he wasn''t the only one.


    "Even Old Politan is here to support us surrendering. Why?!"


    "I can''t believe this is how our long tradition ends. We failed our ancestors."


    "If only we were more careful. It''s normal for youth to sumb to the charms of a temptress, and we are as much to me." One sighed, seemingly forgiving Josh.


    Her, a temptress? That was some very hairy temptress for sure! Please, would Josh even look at such a basic dog? No way! It had to be at least a fantastic being likedy Wolfie from that one novel he used to read back on Earth religiously. With her white fur, incredible divination magic, and¡­¡ª


    That is when the girl husky turned toward their small group.


    "Father, what are you doing here? Wasn''t I supposed to be in charge of the negotiations?" she asked, puzzled. Seeing her rxed expression, she seemed to be convinced of their victory, but she wasn''t gloating either.


    Her father nodded at her and then seemed to think of something important. He turned toward Josh and dropped to the ground. "Sir, please ept my daughter as a wife! No, a concubine will do! Actually, you can do whatever you want with her! She''s a very good girl!"


    Everyone in the room turned speechless as they stared at the scene. What the fuck was happening?! Old Chief Husky was renowned for his love for his daughter. Had he gone crazy?!


    The girl in question was the most bbergasted. Her father had always told her that she would be free to love whoever she wanted.


    Why was he acting like this now?! Also, when had that fool be so confident?! But, Josh didn''t care much about their reactions. He was already nning his next move...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [A/N] Finally out of what I call Priv-Hell ^_^v. As requested: Wolfie Cameo. A bit obvious but still haha.


    Creator''s Thought


    That moment when your own father is way too insistent to give you over to a total stranger. I realized that I had grossly underestimated how much these NPCs loved bones as well as heroes. Anyone defeating dinosaurs was worthy of such title in their eyes. Naturally, the man wanted the best for his daughter! It just happened to be me ording to his logic.

 Chapter 244: Playing Fetch

    <h4>Chapter 244: ying Fetch</h4>


    In a small building at the Heroic-Paws Vige, many elders were frozen in cepletely baffled. It was the same for the ''princess'' of the Hard-Paws n as she watched her father beg Josh to take her in.


    But the man did not care about any of it as he turned to Old Politan: "So, you''re the one in charge of mediating for all the ns when selecting a new leader, right? How does that selection usually work?"


    The poor dog seemed at a loss. How was there anyone in their midst that didn''t know how something so basic worked?! But then he seemed to rationalize that this was his new master''s way to test him.


    "There will be three parts to it:


    1. The test of strength to make sure whoever is applying is strong enough to lead.


    2. The test of reputation to make sure no tyrant ever rises to power.


    3. The test of resourcefulness that tests one''s ability to acquire the best bone there is."


    "Oh? Then why was there such an emphasis ced on the bone then? I remember my father stressing how important it is." Josh asked with a raised brow.


    "In the recent years, the strength and notoriety of the candidates tend to be rtively on par. This means that the bone ends up being the decisive factor."


    "I understand. When are these tests happening?" Josh inquired.


    "Sir, we will congregate at a random n vige in a month and¡ª"


    "That won''t do. I can''t wait a month. Make it happen as soon as possible. Contact them and tell them to get their asses over here." Josh ordered in a voice of steel. He didn''t even have that long of a lifespan. No way he was going to waste it all here!


    "Sir, that''s a terrible idea! It would mean going against tradition and would screw up the test of reputation. People wouldn''t think one is true leader material because of¡ª" He began arguing.


    "Do you know what traditions are?" Josh yfully asked.


    "Y-yes?"


    "Traditions are peer pressure from dead people. I won''t just stand idle while others decide my life for me, needless to say dead people! Make it happen. I want all of the ns here ASAP." Josh wouldn''t tolerate opposition.


    "A-alright, Sir!" Old Politan looked baffled for a second, but then he agreed.


    Josh could see him going to work as he instantly met some vigers to send them as messengers. It seemed like the fat-looking dog had some real power as long as it concerned the session event. Good thing he was on his side!


    That''s when his "father" chimed in: "Son, this is really a bad idea! We are better off waiting a month. I know it''s a long time, but there is virtue in waiting. It shows one has patience. We shouldn''t¡ª"


    "No worries. I know what I''m doing. Patience may be a virtue, but inaction is a sin. One that doesn''t take his life into his own hands has no right of proiming about patience." Josh remarked, rendering the dog speechless.


    In fact, all the other elders had no clue how to react either. They clearly wanted to protest, but they could see Old Chief Husky just nodding in approval on the side while Old Napolitan was already doing Josh''s bidding. They remained silent.


    The only one that seemed extremely lively was that one husky girl. She was fixing her father with a gaze of fire and couldn''t wait to confront him about his weird actions. Old Chief Husky would get an earful!


    Josh exited therge hut and couldn''t help but look toward the setting sun. Talk about great attention to detail! The regr Tower would only have put a red glowing sky there. No, the Alter Tower had made one simr to the one of Earth here.


    He wandered around the vige slowly. Everywhere he went, surprised nces were thrown his way. Some would begin to scoff at him only to be stopped by other vigers who knew something big had happened.


    Josh even got some roasted sheep from one of them. The poor doggo almost had a heart attack when he saw the cloth in Josh''s hand suddenly move to devour the piece of meat. By now, holding the lizard had be an automatism.


    Josh then went outside, walking around the in surrounding the vige. He could see a few dogs rearing some sheep back for the night. This realm sure was lively. He found a spot to lie down and watched the starry sky.


    That''s when came the sound of footsteps. Lazily raising his eyes, he could see that one husky girl there. She seemed surprisingly calm.


    "You know it''s foolish to rush things, right? Even if you are powerful and have brought a great treasure, you will still fail if the people do not respect you." She sighed.


    "Is that so? Tell me then. How can I get their recognition then?" Josh earnestly asked.


    "It takes time. They look up to people that show loyalty to the ns over many years. That is why you don''t stand a single chance at winning it. Your father could have, but now that you''ve broken traditions, it will be troublesome." She exined.


    "A gerontocracy, is it? I disagree with such a system." Josh sighed.


    "Why? The old are the wisest." She remarked.


    "They are also the ones that have the least time to live. For most of them, the future doesn''t hold the same value. The past and the present are so much more important. A fresh perspective is sometimes necessary in life."


    "That is because you are still young." She chucked


    "No, I have learned a lot from people younger than me. It''s not that simple. Anyway, how old was the previous leader?" Josh asked.


    "He reached thete age of 18 years. Impressive, isn''t it?!" She eximed, the light in her eyes rivaling the stars in the sky.


    "Hahaha. Late age of 18, is it? Good for him, he reached majority." Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. This was bound to be a long time in dog years, but it was the prime of one''s life for a human.


    She just stood there, sending him a displeased look. She didn''t know why he wasughing, but he was obviously making light of their incredible leader. The next sentence was even more insulting.


    "Hey, I''m bored. Want to y fetch?" Josh offered with a smile.


    "No way!" She spat with disdain while frowning.


    Was he serious?! There was no way someone as ssy as her would just y fetch! But then, she saw the bone he had taken out. Was that bone from a scaly devil?! It was in such pristine condition too! How was this possible?!


    Josh waved it around, enjoying her reaction. She really looked like a dog at that moment with her eyes following the bone, mesmerized. He couldn''t help but chuckle. So much for her pride. That''s when he threw it away.


    She saw it fly through the air, an expression of horror on her face. She couldn''t believe he was that careless with such a treasure! She darted after it. She wouldn''t lose it for sure! When she finally caught it, she seemed both relieved and insanely ecstatic.


    This reminded him of the good old times. He used to y that same game with the little one. The difference was that they had been ying with candies instead.


    It had started one day when she wanted to train to do better in phys ed ss. It was initially supposed to be a ball, but the little imp had somehow convinced him to train with candies and had the same look of satisfaction with every catch.


    How many times had neighborsined about him treating his kid like a dog? Never more than once with the little one''s sharp tongue! She would destroy them with kind words.


    His reverie was broken as the husky girl was slowly trotting back. "You need to take better care of it! Are you crazy?!" She reproachfully cried out.


    "Ah, sorry. My hand slipped. Can I have it back?" Josh said with exaggerated embarrassment while sounding as innocent as possible.


    She seemed to hesitate, but then she handed the bone back to him. Josh smiled radiantly at her before throwing it away once more.


    "What the fuck are you doing?!" She shouted, horrified while running after it.


    "ying fetch." Josh naturally answered, shrugging.


    Ah, this sure was rxing¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Why was I having so much fun messing with an NPC? It was the same as a game. It was all illusory but the happiness was real. Things were so straightforward back then. The Tower was just a game, nothing more. Sure, it was one organized by gods and there were so many deaths but it remained simple...Then, things became soplicated.

 Chapter 245: The Sleeping Young Master

    <h4>Chapter 245: The Sleeping Young Master</h4>


    At the very center of the Heroic-Paws vige, a man sat on a makeshift throne as he oversaw the event preparations. Dogs of all ages would busy themselves in order to receive their guests properly.


    Next to Josh, a girl was standing and looked incredibly stiff as her face kept twitching. Her gaze was on a nearby bone thatid on the ground unattended. She was currently living a profound dilemma.


    She was currently fighting the urge to pick up this bone. For her, it was sphemy to let it in such a shabby ce. But, she knew that if she followed her instinct and picked it up, she would need to hand it over to Josh, who''d throw it back.


    As they worked, many discussed the scene in hushed voices:


    "What is he thinking, leaving such a valuable bone on the ground?!"


    "I heard he''s ying fetch."


    "Fetch? This is crazy extravagant!"


    "I don''t envy her current position."


    "I''d pick it up just to be able to touch it."


    "Yes, but think about it. Then it would be thrown again. What if it cracked?!"


    "Why do you think he''s doing that? Torture?"


    "What if he''s teaching her self-control?"


    "That''s it! Still, this mental strength is something else: as expected of a hero! I wouldn''t even have the guts to throw something so precious!"


    Josh wryly smiled as he saw them look his way with veneration. Teaching? Nope, he was just bored. Today was the day that the representatives from all the dog ns arrived. There were 12 of them in total, but who they were didn''t matter much to him.


    "Husky girl. I''ll be taking a nap. Only wake me up when all of the participants are here. Is that understood?" Josh instructed.


    She seemed to want to protest, but she ended up swallowing her objections and silently nodded. He closed his eyes and feigned falling in a deep slumber. He then heard her sneakily make her way toward the bone.


    She then trotted back as Joshzily opened an eye. She was clutching the bone to her bosom as if it were the most precious thing in the world. That''s when they made eye contact¡ª she froze.


    She exuded a mix of despair, embarrassment, and horror. She was embarrassed from failing to sneak, horrified that this was perhaps all a n to y fetch once more and despairing that she had so easily fallen in it.


    Josh smiled, closed his eye again, and waited. The seconds turned into minutes and the minutes turned into hours. He just remained there and casually listened as one representative after the other arrived.


    They would all have something to say about him, and while they talked, he feigned being in a deep slumber¡­


    ****


    "It''s been a while, Old Bernard. What made you ask for the selection ceremony to be moved forward? The others will be pissed for sure! Still, it will be a pleasure topete with you, my friend."


    "You''re mistaken, Old Dalmatian. This year our representative is my son, and he''s right there."


    "Why is he sitting on a throne asleep?"


    "Probably because he was tired."


    "¡­"


    ****


    "Haha, where are you, old coot? Old Bernard, I really need to thank you for giving up on thepetition in such a stupid manner! If you can''t even be patient, then no one will follow you!"


    "It''s alright. I don''t hope for anyone to follow me."


    "You wouldn''t give up¡­.wait a minute. You''re not thepetitor. It''s that guy sitting there, right? He looks so young! Hey kid, wake up!"


    Josh could hear him move toward him in an attempt to shake him, but his ''maid'' stood in the neer''s way.


    "I have orders only to wake him up when everyone is here, not before." She spat out coldly.


    "Old Husky''s prized daughter is acting as a subordinate?! Why?!"


    ****


    "I heard that guy is the representative for the Heroic-Paws vige. He''s so arrogant and stupid. There is no way anyone will trust him with such a disy!"


    "I agree, but I also think there is more than meets the eye here."


    "What do you mean?!"


    "Old Bernard isn''t foolish. How did he allow him to take his ce as representative? This doesn''t make any sense."


    ****


    "Hey, Old Napolitan. How did the Heroic-Paws people convince you to move the ceremony forward? You normally wouldn''t budge over tradition no matter what!"


    "The Heroic-Paws n, you ask? I would never show favoritism to a n, and you know it. The man right there is the one that convinced me!"


    "That sleeping youngster?! How?!"


    ****


    "Hey, Old Husky. With the arrogance of the Heroic-Paws, there is no way they can win this. This makes you the most likely to win and also my rival!"


    "I actually dropped out of thepetition. There is no need to participate since I believe he will win either way."


    "What?! Are you really talking about the sleeping youngster?! He doesn''t even have the decency to wee us! There is no way anyone will ever vote for him!"


    "Maybe. We''ll see."


    ****


    "Psst, did you hear? Old Husky dropped out of thepetition. He seems to be serving the Heroic-Paws n now. Can you believe it?!"


    "Not really, but it is what it is. The reality has little to do with me believing or not."


    "I guess you''re right. It just doesn''t feel right to me."


    "How could it feel right? He''s only been sleeping there. Of course, it feels wrong! Anyway, I guess we''ll see soon when he wakes up."


    ****


    "I''ll wake this dumbass. Let''s see how cocky he can be once awake!"


    "Old Boxer, I cannot allow you toe any closer. If you insist, I will be fighting you."


    "You think you can defeat me, girl? Ah, whatever. Old Husky, stop ring at me! I''ll just do this!"


    ????????????????!!!


    "That was so loud!"


    "He didn''t wake up nor twitch. How?!"


    "This is next-level sleeping. I wouldn''t be able to do this."


    "There is something wrong with this kid, terribly wrong even."


    ****


    "Old Bernard! Come wee this Old Doberman!"


    "Ah, this will be thest one to appear. With this, all the 12 representatives are here. Thisdy will finally wake him up and¡ª oh god."


    "What is it? Why are you so shaken?"


    "Look at his smile. As soon we were ready to proceed, he began smiling. Why?"


    "Maybe he''s had a good dream?"


    "Nonono, he''s been impassible this whole time! Could it be he wasn''t sleeping at all?!"


    "So? It wouldn''t be that big of a deal, no?"


    "It would mean that he voluntarily appeared weaker and angered us to see our true personalities!"


    "Get to the point."


    "Not only is this extremely scheming, but it also requires extreme confidence!"


    ****


    Josh couldn''t help but smile. It seems they weren''t stupid. Many had noticed how Old Napolitan, Old Husky, and his father treated him. They were still outraged at his attitude, but their curiosity was stronger than their aversion at this moment.


    He waited for thest participant to reach the vige za. Josh then suddenly opened his eyes and gave the crowd a deep nce. He made eye contact with each one of them quickly.


    Just as they were about to speak, he cut them all off. He did it in the most natural manner while smiling confidently:


    "Thank you all foring all the way over here to select the new leader for the dog ns. Let us start without any more dy. Old Napolitan, if you could please guide us to the actual venue for the event."


    The mediator nodded before addressing them: "If you would please follow me, everyone!" He then began leading the way, following Josh''s n.


    Josh was the first to follow along with the husky girl. She had a determined look in her eyes as she resolved to witness history, no matter what. He could only chuckle at how serious she was taking this all. Then again, for her, this world was real.


    The various candidates looked at each other at a loss. What was happening?! A few opened their mouths to ask questions, but Josh once more cut them off. "Do not worry. I believe Old Napolitan will exin everything once we reach our destination."


    Old Napolitan? This youngster had obviously been pulling the strings all along, but how?! Old Napolitan was known for being incorruptible. Part of them wanted to call foul, but they were also so damn curious.


    Josh couldn''t wait to see how they would soon react to the surprise he had nned¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Respect is everything in leading, but many care way too much about making a good first impression. It''s not about good, but mysterious. You let them badmouth you while letting them believe there is more to be seen. Then you use their curiosity to wrestle control away while treating their previous disparaging as the ramblings of children.

 Chapter 246: Fun Fieldtrip!

    <h4>Chapter 246: Fun Fieldtrip!</h4>


    Many dogs were assembled in front of a crack in a rocky wall, watching it with great unease. On the other side, there was the Savage Land.


    They all knew how dangerous a ce it was. How many of their ancestors had died to the monstrosities there? Far too many! Still, there were 6 of the random dogs that kept their calm and only hardened their gaze.


    As for the husky girl and Old Napolitan, they were probably the ones that were the most confident. Thetter had blind trust in him while the former was so curious about the ce that it helped her ovee the fear.


    Josh gave a small appreciating smile. There were actually half of them that were courageous. This was already better than he had expected. Sure, they were rivals now, but they would be on his side in the grand scheme of things.


    He slowly pped his hands, making a few of the most cowardly ones jump in fright. "Alright, let''s head inside everyone. Let''s get this new leader selection event started!"


    He then led by example as he marched forward, volunteering to be the vanguard. One had to know that the vanguard was usually the first one to perish in such a situation. But this wasn''t enough to convince many of them:


    "Why the hell would we follow you?!" a beagle cried out.


    "The stress obviously made him lose his mind." A sharpei ''exined''.


    "This is madness! You''re crazy!" a terrier remarked


    "What a lunatic!" A poodle scoffed.


    But that''s when Old Napolitan intervened. "I actually agree with such a n. The original meaning of the tests was to choose a hero worthy of leading us all. So what if there is a test of courage added to it?" He stared at them sternly.


    They obviously wanted to retort but didn''t have any worthwhile argument. They were worried that they would all die there, but they would seem like cowards if they admitted it. They could only grimace in displeasure.


    Josh grinned as he rxedly waved at them. "Are you guysing?"


    They had to swallow their pride and fears as they forced themselves to move. But then they seemed to change their minds as they ''realized'' that this was definitely an borate chicken game. They couldn''t wait for Josh''s bluff to fall through.


    "Take care. This ce is extremely perilous. If you aren''t confident in your capabilities, then you should remain behind." Josh warned, but his earnest words fell on deaf ears. Many took it as him trying to scare them needlessly.


    They went deeper and deeper into the Savage Land. The air was so tense, with no one talking as they warily watched their surroundings. They were ready to retreat at the first sign of an enemy.


    They were akin to wannabe ninjas in training. Still, they were doing a pretty shitty job since there was already a speedy scaly heading their way.


    "There is an enemy iing, be careful!" Josh even pointed in the direction it wasing: he wouldn''t let his allies die that easily.


    But, there was a poodle that didn''t take kindly to it. "Nice try, but I know you''re bluffing! There is no way I will believe a bastard like you! Watch me walk forward and prove how much of a fraud you are!" He sounded incredibly confident and disdainful.


    Josh could only shake his head in disappointment. Was this dog suffering from mental illness? He watched the scene that unfolded in front of them. For him, it was a mass of killing intent moving swiftly, but for the others, it was only a blur at best.


    When the group realized that there was something wrong, it was already toote. The poodle was now missing half of its body, its lower half falling to the ground lifelessly.


    Some instantly lost their cool and began running. In total, five abandoned them without a second thought as they rushed back to the entrance screaming in fright.


    "W-what the fuck?!"


    "RUN!"


    "Ahhh!"


    The remaining ones had severe expressions. They had realized that this creature was insanely fast. In a pure contest of speed, none of them would stand a chance. All of them would perish before they could retreat to safety.


    "Group up!" the boxer shouted.


    They formed a circle with their backs against each other. They began defending with their ws, not moving a single inch. They had organized a formation around Josh as they now understood how useful his scouting ability would be.


    Even if their speed wascking, their attack speed was enough to bridge the gap. Well, that was only as long as they were grouped. The problem was that they were pretty much sitting ducks at that moment.


    Josh rxedly talked with Old Napolitan. "So, what''s your verdict?"


    The old dog shook his head. "For running away, these five are disqualified."


    The six remaining couldn''t help but twitch as they wondered why the heck they were discussing such a thing now! What good would a posthumous leader position do? But that''s when they saw Josh leave the safety of the pack.


    He was rxedly walking away as he even turned toward the sky to look at it as if distracted. What was wrong with him?!


    "Quick,e back to the circle, and¡ª!" a shepherd shouted.


    But it was already toote. They saw the creature clearly this time around, and it was a nightmarish lizard with a maw even bigger than its size. Just as it was about to devour Josh, hezily punched backward.


    This simple-looking punch made the creature fall to the ground, utterly bloated for some reason. In fact, he had simply summoned his rat with perfect timing.


    Then a few instantster, the monster exploded in a gory mess with Josh unsummoning his pet and picking up the bones. He had done it all in one fell swoop!


    The allies'' eyes were as big as saucers. What kind of attack was this?! The old dalmatian quickly asked with stars in his eyes: "H-how did you do that?!"


    Josh assumed the air of an expert with his arms behind his back and his head raised. "Lots of practice. If you work very hard, you could even do it one day too." He even gave him an encouraging nod. "Alright, let''s keep going."


    That''s when they realized how awesome this youngster was. He could freely move around the Savage Land! What kind of insane feat was this?!


    A retriever murmured embarrassedly: "There is no need for that, right? You are clearly the best candidate possible. All this time, our tradition was to find the one that came the closest to the heroes of the old¡­.but you exceed it!"


    "I may as well show you the meeting spot that was nned. It looks pretty cool!" Josh replied yfully.


    They all nodded. They knew this was dangerous, but he had already saved their lives, and they now trusted him. As they kept going, they were watching their surroundings intently. From time to time, Josh would warn: "There is anothering, right there." Then he would dispatch it.


    The rest of the way actually went pretty well. That''s how Josh guided them to one of the mammoth dinos. He pointed at it while chuckling: "Here is our meeting area: on its back... Doesn''t it look cozy?"


    Cozy?! They watched the shockwaves it produced from time to time. How would one even get on its back?!


    Creator''s Thought


    One truly sees people''s true nature in adversity. One could say that they just panicked, but the truth is different. Had they stayed, the party would have had a higher survival rate. Their actions gave them a higher survival rate by using the others as decoys but likely would have doomed the party.

 Chapter 247: Bad Doggo!

    <h4>Chapter 247: Bad Doggo!</h4>


    The rest of the way actually went pretty well. That''s how Josh guided them to one of the mammoth dinos. He pointed at it while chuckling: "Here is our meeting area: on its back... Doesn''t it look cozy?"


    They watched the massive creature with tears in their eyes. "I can''t believe I''ve seen such a sight in my life. I do not have a single regret anymore!" A bloodhound remarked, emotional.


    For Josh, this was such natural sight that he had forgotten how it could seem to neers. Was he perhaps getting desensitized to giant monsters because of the Hellish difficulty?


    He let them have fun for a little while before calling it quits. The speedy scalies had begun slowly regrouping after noticing that something was wrong. They were still wary of them, but they were slowly creeping closer.


    Picking up a nearby rock, Josh threw it directly at their positions, making them scurry away in fright. The return to the vige was peaceful. At the entrance, they met the other vige chiefs that instantly made a ruckus.


    "You guys are alive. How?!"


    "This is good! I guess the creature had eaten its fill with Old Poodle. How lucky!"


    "Still, this is so wrong! Old Poodle died because of you! We should have never followed you!"


    "The only one that should be kicked out of the selection is this insane youngster. You guys all agree, right?"


    Josh wondered what he should do about it when the boxer went forward and began doing something that was very fitting of his name. He began uppercutting them one after the other, sending them flying!


    "Stop spewing dogshit! We all survived thanks to him. Also, he''s our new leader. If anyone has any objection, we''ll go to war with them." He growled.


    Instantly the five offending dogs began shaking as they all shut up. This was one truth of the world. If violence didn''t solve your problems, then you weren''t using enough of it.


    As they returned to the vige, Josh was weed like a king, especially when Old Napolitan announced that he had won the challenge.


    Then came a feast! This had always been something that he loved, but this one was rtively in. It was roastedmb with no spices whatsoever. Plus, the food wasn''t genuinely filling. But he still enjoyed the celebratory ambiance.


    All the dogs were happily barking with their tails wiggling. For some reason, that husky kept sticking to him as if she had just learned that a dog was supposed to be a human''s best friend.


    But, at some point, an incident happened. An old dog fell right next to the husky girl that extended her hand to catch him. This slight diversion was enough for one of the cowardly dog chiefs to steal the scaly lizard bone that she had been guarding.


    She instantly protested: "This belongs to my master!" When had Josh gotten this title?!


    But, the viin ignored her, made sure to be in everyone''s sight, and proudly disyed the bone!:


    "This is my submission to the session event. I would like to see the bone our new leader brought! This ceremony can only be finalized with this process! "The sharpei barked loudly.


    Instantly the ones that had apanied Josh instantly came to his defense along with the husky girl and the Heroic-Paws vigers:


    "This is the leader''s bone, you thief!"


    "Give it back at once!"


    "Quick, hand it over!"


    "We can vouch for him! It''s the leader''s bone! He had it even before the contest!"


    But the offending dog was as shameless as cowardly. "It doesn''t matter! I am holding it, and I am officially announcing it as mine! Since it hasn''t been registered as proof of eligibility before, I have the right to do it!"


    The crowd instantly calmed down even as they showed apparent disdain toward that chief''s actions. Apparently, there was such a rule in their traditions.


    The sharpei kept going strong: "Now, if the leader doesn''t manage to produce a bone of better quality than this one, it will be my victory! How about it? You can''t, right?!"


    Josh looked pensive for a second. "It''s true that I can''t get a bone that has a better quality than this one." He admitted.


    That sentence made the dog gloat so much. He looked like a conqueror that had managed to outy all his opponents tactically.


    That''s when Josh spoke once more while shrugging: "Still, I believe I can produce something better."


    "Something better than a scaly devil''s bone? I''d like to see you try!" The sharpei scoffed.


    "Sure." Josh nodded, smiling.


    That''s when he took his gathering pouch out. He opened it, taking another bone identical to the one his opponent had. This instantly provoked a huge reaction from everyone.


    "I-impossible! How can there be two pristine scaly devil bones at the same time?! This new one has to be a fake!" The dog instantly contested, refusing toe to terms with reality. But, it was far from over.


    Josh took another bone out, and another, and another...All until a few dozen of them were resting at his feet. He winked at the wannabe bad dog: "So, are a few dozen bones of the highest quality better than one bone of the highest quality you stole from me?"


    The dogs that had stayed with him in the Savage Land beganughing. The man could kill these devils by himself. Of course, he would have more bones! That was so obvious. How had they even forgotten it?!


    At that point, the bad dog was stupefied. It was as if the world had stopped making sense. He looked like a dog in headlights right before getting hit by a truck. He began shaking violently, noticed the others sending it death res, and finally kneeled.


    "I''m sorry. I was wrong. The sharpei n will follow you, leader." He tried looking as pitiful as possible.


    Josh shrugged: "No need. Your n is now banned from our alliance. You have 10 seconds to leave this vige before I chop your dog head off." He apanied that warning with a beautiful yet oddly scary smile.


    As the sharpei was freaking out, frozen by fear, Old Dalmatian stepped forward. "I dislike him, but we probably shouldn''t condemn a n for the actions of one dog. Plus, that is very drastic."


    "I don''t care. Anyway, 5...4...3....2....1...." The sharpei was still shaking in ce. "It can''t be helped." Josh moved forward and removed the animal''s head with a single strike.


    It was at that moment that the party stopped, not that Josh minded. Some were disapproving, others were frozen in fear, and some didn''t care that much. That dog had really gone out of his way to anger Josh after all.


    Thus Josh became their leader, the one that would be remembered as the only tyrant leading the ns. But, even with how questionable the process had been, they epted him. All the n chiefs had been intimidated by that little excursion into the Savage Land.


    Plus, there was supposed to be a war soon, ording to the realm''s setting. This made it so they actually didn''t mind him ruling with a fist of steel.


    A few hourster, when no one was looking, he headed toward the outskirt of the vige. Right in the middle of the in, there was now an elevator that seemed so out of ce.


    Josh entered casually, not announcing his departure in the least. The sooner he cleared this, the sooner the training in D-23 could truly begin.


    But, just as the doors were closing, there was a shadow dashing toward him. What?! That husky girl had somehow managed to jump into the elevator! How?!


    Had he just found a bug?! He could only stare at the smiling dog that was shaking her tail happily¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    This Floor had good doggos and bad doggos. The bad one was so irksome! It was one thing for that NPC to be a useless coward and another to try and use me as a stepping stone! Cutting its head was satisfying. As for the husky girl, I had no clue how to handle her, and I hadn''t realized the implications of her existence.

 Chapter 248: Hope And Stuff

    <h4>Chapter 248: Hope And Stuff</h4>


    In a rusty elevator with a very questionable brownish message on the wall stood two individuals. One was full of grey-white fur and had her tail shake from one side to the other with marvel in her eyes.


    Josh wasn''t sure how to react. What was this even about? How had she even managed to follow him? He would have expected her to hit an invisible wall or something as an NPC. Then again, the speedy lizard he had been carrying hadn''t disappeared either.


    "Do you even know what you just boarded?" Josh inquired.


    "No, Master. But you''re here, and that''s all that matters." The dog girl instantly and calmly replied, not a single trace of worry in her voice.


    "You should have stayed with your people. You may never see them again at this rate" He sighed.


    "Master is the one that has conquered the Savage Land. I''ll remain at your side to serve you!" She dered as if such action was natural.


    Conquered? He had only killed a few weak lizards. He could only shake his head as the elevator kept shaking, bringing them all the way to Floor 4.


    What would it be this time around? The doors opened, and the scene that appeared left him speechless. They hadn''t moved at all! Was it because of the NPC smuggling?


    "Go out for a second," Josh instructed.


    His newpanion sent him a suspicious look, but sheplied. But even as she went out, the elevator didn''t resume moving.


    "Here, take this." Josh handed her the Dinosaur he had been carrying.


    She picked it up with zeal, even mumbling in excitement, "oh my gosh!". For him, it was nothing more than a fast monster, but in her eyes, it was way more. Her hands were trembling as she held the creature her entire dog race feared.


    "How does it feel?" Josh softly asked.


    "As if I''m a legendary heroine! Thank you, Master!" Her grin was almostrger than her face, and her tail moving faster than a speedy scaly!


    But, even without the creature, the elevator remained unmoving. Was he stuck here?! Josh began wordlessly walking toward the Heroic-Paws vige, pensive. As they arrived near the vige, her ears went up in surprise as she suspiciously inspected it.


    "Where''s everyone?!" She remarked.


    That''s when Josh realized what she meant. The few cooking fires were not there, nor were there any sheep, and there was no trace of the guards at the entrance. It was a ghost vige,pletely void of any trace of life. But there were quite a number of stones covered with carvings.


    < We have gone to war against our enemies. Where has the leader gone in such a time of peril? To whoever finds this, Please tell my daughter that I hope she leads a good life¡ª Old Husky. >


    < Son, where have you gone? It has already been three months since your disappearance. Many doubt you, but you will forever be remembered in our hearts for bringing glory to the Heroic-Paws n¡­if there remains one¡ª Old Bernard. >


    There were hundreds of messages like these. The inside of the vige also showed signs of the passage of an army. An allied troop had left some footprints. It seemed like they had looted everything that was remotely useful to their military operation.


    This exined a lot. The elevator had indeed brought them to the next challenge: it had acted as a time machine!


    "What shall we do, master?" She asked with worry.


    "Do you have any idea where they went?"


    "Probably the ins of warfare. Shall we assist them?" She had so much hope in her eyes.


    "Sure, in a second. I just want to do a little something before." He reassured her.


    She instantly beamed with so much joy and relief. How much trust did she hold in him? What if this new challenge was too much for him to handle? This wasn''t even an option, it seemed¡­


    ****


    ording to the dog girl, the territory of the ns was contained inside a basin surrounded by tall mountains. The only ess to it was through the ins of warfare. Sadly, this area was too vast for any stronghold to be built.


    This exined the name since conflict only ever happened there. If that battle was lost, there would be no future for the dog race, only annihtion. She told Josh about the cruel fate that would await her species jovially.


    "They will destroy our vige, cut us open, turn us into barbecue, use our fur to make coats, stuff our heads as hunting trophies, im our sheep, and possibly other stuff." ¡ª Casual quote from a husky girl.


    What did that other stuff even include? What was peculiar was that she had no idea who or what would be attacking them. There was arge world out there. What kind of n did AT have for this Floor? Was he trying to turn it into aplex challenge world?


    After a few hours of walking, said ins revealed themselves to them. They could see about 400 dogs of all ages assembled in one big army. This included both the warriors and themon folks. What a ragtag bunch!


    They looked so weak, and some even had trouble standing. Perhaps only half of them were actually fit for battle. But, it couldn''t be helped. This ce would be theirst stand. They were gambling it all, not withholding anything.


    They made their way toward the army and were soon enough spotted. Even from a distance away, Josh could hear them crying out in shock. That is when there was a tumult amongst the crowd. They all told the news to whoever was near them, pointing.


    When Josh finally reached them, they were downright cheering while holding each other in tears of joy. It was weird to see so many species of dogs embracing one another in relief, none caring about such a small detail.


    He could feel the wind of change, literally! Their tails were collectively moving so fast that it brought about a wind current on the in. There were so many eyes staring at him, hispanion doing the same. She looked so proud.


    "You look happy." Josh yfullymented.


    "Of course, with you here, the light is back!" She grinned.


    The light, was it? Sure, hope was strong, but what could it really do? There was no way that ¡ª. He suddenly realized how much the dogs had changed. Even the ones that had trouble standing were now jumping in joy.


    His presence had changed them so much? Had he not known better, he would have believed he had used some rejuvenation spell on them all. They looked a few years younger, a big deal for dogs! There was nothing more illusory than hope, and yet it could affect them so much?!


    Josh knew this was all fake, but he had seen it happen before, just not to that extent. It was ironic that the one that they trusted so much didn''t give a flying fuck about them. He was here to aplish his mission, and that was it.


    "Master, this way! The vige chiefs are already waiting for you, I''m sure."


    She was pointing to the only tent there was in the encampment. Josh moved toward it. It was about time to figure out the rules of this new challenge. Still, he couldn''t help but feel his blood boiling, for he would face an army...


    Creator''s Thought


    Every time I entered the Alter Tower, I felt like AT had a much deeper purpose. All the other Tower Protocols were trying to kill people and train them the hard way. What was different about him? Probably that he was sentient. Then again, I was probably the one to me for that. I was the first he saw and I rejected the system.

 Chapter 249: Crazy Strong Army!

    <h4>Chapter 249: Crazy Strong Army!</h4>


    In the middle of the dogs'' war encampment stood a red tent. There was currently an important meeting ongoing inside, but it was suddenly interrupted by thundering cheers and a man intruding.


    The first thing that Josh noticed upon entering was the war table in the middle surrounded by the various vige chiefs. All were staring at the bones on the table. They seemed to be meaningfully ced to represent the enemies'' movements.


    The air was extremely heavy, the situation looked dire, and they all appeared so worried! Their tails were literally between their legs, they were frowning, and some could be seen biting their ws stressed. But that all changed when they noticed Josh.


    "L-leader! You''re back!" Old Napolitan cried out.


    "Son! You''re alive! I thought something had happened to you!" Old Bernard seemed about to hug him.


    "Leader!!!!"


    "This is great! We''re saved!"


    Josh questioned them, perplexed: "Weren''t any worried that I had abandoned you all?"


    But that only sent them rolling on the groundughing. Apparently, they had never doubted him.


    "Nice joke! There is no way that a man with the courage to hunt scaly devils would get scared by some worm riding monkeys!" Old Huskyughed out loud.


    Worm riding monkeys?! Was there any link between this and the other Floors? If this was true, this could be highly problematic. The monkeys on Floor 1 had shown an advanced security system; their technology would be dangerous! As for the worms, they had been so high level!


    "What''s the exact situation?" Josh inquired, on guard.


    Old Napolitan pointed at the various bones on the table: "The six little ones each represent a 100 monkeys troop, and the fiverge ones each represent a unit of 10 riding monkeys. They are all armed to the teeth and very strong."


    "How did you get all this information?"


    "We sent scouts. We dogs have better senses than them, so we''ve been aware of their movements for a while now." This was good news as ack of Information could easily lose wars.


    "What about the technological level? Do they have anything dangerous or unknown on them? It could be as simple as weird sticks or balls." Josh carefully asked.


    Perhaps this wasn''t a challenge that could be cleared with force in the first ce. For instance, if they were armed with sma guns, they could all bombard his position simultaneously.


    There was no way he could resist 600+ shooters! Well, maybe if he could use energy shields to close the gap somehow.


    It would be even worse if they could use weapons of mass destruction. They could possibly annihte them all with the single press of a button. This fight had the potential to be even more challenging than the battle against Gene Corp.


    Old Napolitan looked extremely grim as he slowly answered: "They have full bodybinations that are as hard as bone and as light as leather. They also have deadly metallic spears that are as sharp as our ws!"


    "¡­.." Josh remained speechless for a second.


    The others took his silence for an agreement of how problematic this would be as they looked downward, sullen.


    "That''s it? No sma guns? No atomic bombs? No flying spaceships?" Josh tentatively asked.


    "cemagum? Atomicbum? Flying space what?" A perplexed dog asked in utter confusion.


    "As expected of the leader! He knows so much!"


    "With him leading us, we are invincible!"


    "The monkeys will regret ever attacking us!"


    On the side, there was the husky girl nodding. She seemed to agree with all these insane statements.


    That''s when he understood. For them, the expression ''armed to the teeth'' just meant armed period. This was to be expected from a race that fought using their sharp ws and wore their fur as clothes. He sighed.


    "What about their level?"


    "?!?" *Confused Doggos*


    "How do theypare to you guys in a 1 v 1 fight?" Josh reformted.


    "We are stronger than them, but their equipment is just too good. It''s insane!" One grumbled with hate.


    Josh instantly lost all tension as he began chuckling. No technology and weak monkeys most likely also meant rtively weak giant worms. So much for an unwinnable war!


    He was now convinced that he could clear this hurdle by himself. He wouldn''t even need an army! Other Climbers may have struggled with being outnumbered, but that didn''t worry him one bit. More weak enemies just meant more unfortunate meat shields.


    Josh rxedly exited the tent and had a surprise waiting for him. The dog army looked like a proper army. They were grouped in an orderly 20 x 20 formation and had been patiently waiting for him. He appreciatingly nodded at such an incredible disy but knew they were notbat-ready.


    One of them moved forward, thumping his chest in assurance. "Leader, we will obey your orders. We are ready for this war! Just say the word!"


    "Are you sure you''re ready?" Josh suspiciously asked.


    "Yes, leader!"


    All of them showed courage, trying their best to look the part. Josh suddenly took out a speedy lizard bone and threw it right in their midst while shouting: "Catch!" Instantly their formation copsed as they fell over each other like dominoes.


    "Are you sure you''re ready?" Josh reiterated.


    The dogs could only blush in embarrassment as they scratched their heads awkwardly. This wasn''t the disy of strength they had tried showing.


    "I-I''m sorry we¡ª"


    "Don''t worry about it. Anyway, you guys stay here. I''ll be right back after taking care of the monkeys." Josh casually began walking away.


    "A-alone?! Against the 600+ of them?!" Their spokesperson shouted, bbergasted.


    "Yep,ter." Josh waved at the stunned dogs.


    They could only look at his back that was bing smaller and smaller. They had all resolved themselves to die. Now, they wouldn''t even have to fight?!


    What?! They couldn''t understand why this was happening. He was going to take care of a literal army?! How?! This was beyond the mortal realm!


    Eventually, he disappeared along with the daughter of Old Husky. For some reason, she had been carrying a huge backpack made with sheepskin. Of course, barely any of them had even noticed.


    They could only look at each other at a loss. That''s when one of them said something to exin the situation perfectly:


    "As expected of the leader!"


    They all nodded in agreement...


    Creator''s Thought


    A good rule of thumb is to always expect the worst. For example, as soon as I heard about the monkeys I began picturing how to deal with them if they had advanced technological weapons. It was a bit silly in retrospect but I don''t regret it. After all, one cannot regret dying like a dumbass in retrospect.

 Chapter 250: Dance Monkey, Dance!

    <h4>Chapter 250: Dance Monkey, Dance!</h4>


    On the slightly uneven in, two individuals were running at a quick pace. Anyone sane would have been screaming at them to turn back, for they were heading straight toward a bloodthirsty army!


    It took Josh and the husky girl about an hour of running before they found the monkey army. As it marched forward, it caused a resounding rhythmical thumping. There was even a tiny dust cloud rising in their wake.


    Josh could see their levels from a distance: between 25-35 for the monkeys. As for the small worms sprinkled around their formation, they were level 49. It seemed as if worm rider was a position reserved for their elites.? This army would easily be able to crush the dogs!


    The husky girl approached him. "What''s the n, Master? How do we kill them?"


    "Kill? How violent! No, we won''t needlessly kill them. We will start with a peace offer instead." Josh replied.


    She became deathly still, trying to figure out if he was joking. "S-seriously?!" She stammered. After all, she had seen him decapitate a traitorous dog. When did he have a change of heart?!


    "Don''t you know? I am a pacifist at heart. Of course I will try to avoid needless conflicts if possible." After saying this, Josh walked toward the army with his arms above his head, even hollering at them.


    * Dog girl ¡ª> Hold X to doubt. *


    But even if she was extremely confused by this turn of events, she still trusted him. She remained still and watched what would happen.


    It seemed the monkeys understood this universal peace gesture as they sent a representative. This monkey was the size of a human, wearing a ck turtleneck-looking suit and held a sharp spear. He came over oozing with so much arrogance!


    < Monkey D. Junior Lv 30 >


    "What is this? Two little lost doggies! What could have brought such pitiful creatures here, I wonder." The monkey sneered as he looked at them condescendingly.


    But, Josh remained surprisingly calm. He looked as tranquil as a wise monk in an ancient monastery on a mountain, one that was probably too stoned to care.


    "Hey there! I''m Josh, the one representing the dog ns. Let''s discuss the future of our two races. I would very much like to avoid a war." Even his tone was pleasant!


    "Pfft¡ª Hahaha! This is so funny! You guys are nothing more than dumb naked animals. There is no future for your race other than to be domesticated by a stronger race." The monkey guffawed as if he had heard the funniest joke.


    The husky girl nearby evidently was resisting the urge to attack the insolent bastard. She seemed to be wondering why Josh was even bothering with this charade and hoping for them to attack soon.


    Her Master had, in fact, already realized that negotiations with this one particr monkey wouldn''t work. He was too arrogant and clearlycked insight. Had he been wiser, Josh''s steadiness and confidence would have rung rm bells in his head.


    Josh produced a pristine bone and offered it to the monkey.


    "Bring this to your leader. This is a small token of my sincerity: it could be used to craft powerful equipment. Tell him that I wish to speak about terms of surrender."


    "HAHAHA!"


    The monkey didn''t even bother to conceal his disdain for this bribery attempt. Still, he picked it up and returned to the monkey army. He did so whileughing like a madman and holding his sides.


    Josh rxedly waited as hispanion looked at him, confused.


    "Master, why talk about surrendering? There is no way we will, right?" She asked in a small voice.


    "What? We are obviously going to be discussing the terms of THEIR surrender. how could you misunderstand this?" Josh asked her, puzzled.


    "Ah, right! I''m sorry!" She looked embarrassed. But even then, she still seemed full of questions.


    "What is it?" Josh patiently asked.


    "Master is powerful enough to kill them all. Why not just do this?" She said as she pointed to her backpack.


    "Killing is not always the best solution. It would be a waste of a life, don''t you think?"


    "?!"


    "We should instead use them as a freebor source. We can also start cultural exchanges with their home nation if they turn out to be important yers in the rest of the world. Do you understand now?" Josh was akin to a wise teacher.


    "Yes, Master! Thank you for clearing my doubts!" For some reason, she was showing an evil grin as she said that. Still, she was a good student.


    Josh softly rubbed her head as her expression turned to bliss. This didn''t stop him from observing the monkey representative, and he was currently rying the message to their leader.


    The top monkey wore a shy red cape that distinguished him from the rest. Josh activated his sight-enhancing ability and drove mana to his eyes until he could see their leader''s lips. He went:


    "There is no need to negotiate with the mutts. All of them will be chained in a few hours, begging us for scrap. This one is especially dumb! Trying to bribe us with bones! Hahaha. What a joke!"


    What a small-minded individual! He couldn''t even be bothered to sit down with them for fake negotiations. How he would regret it! Josh sighed:


    "It seems there won''t be any discussion. guess we''ll need to use it after all."


    That is when the husky girl ced her huge backpack on the ground. She then happily removed the top, revealing its content. Inside was something nightmarish: it was filled to the brim with speedy scalies!


    They were all tied up with webs, unable to move an inch, and looked like white balls. Josh slowly removed the bindings around one and held the monster very carefully. It looked resentfully at him and even sent a sliver of killing intent his way.


    Josh instantly pped it violently! After a few powerful ps, the lizard finally realized what was happening: Killing intent = Get pped like a bitch. It began acting meek every time it looked at him.


    That''s when Josh pointed to the monkeys in the distance, gesturing the creature to eat them. It tentatively sent killing intent their way with Josh smiling. It then understood the importance of picking the right target!


    It was time for the real event! Josh positioned himself akin to a pro baseball pitcher, aimed carefully, and threw the raptor with all his strength. He then watched it draw a very nice-looking parab in the air beforending right amidst the enemy army.


    What happened next was worthy of a horror movie. As soon as the creaturended, it happily went on a rampage. This proud predator had never felt so helpless and hungry, and it was resolving both of these conditions using the poor monkeys.


    It jumped from one to another with so much speed that it looked like a blur. With every passing second, there were dozens of monkeys dying an atrocious death. There were tons of screams, so much panic, and blood flowing everywhere!


    It was the first time the monkeys were facing such a creature. They had no clue what it even was. In their eyes, it was death incarnate. But even then, they fought back. After about 100 deaths, they finally managed to get rid of it.


    So many of them copsed,pletely exhausted. Well, it was mostly a mental problem. The fear of death had been mixing so strongly with the fear of the unknown after all. The ones that hadn''t copsed were shaking, and many were panting.


    They had survived! But then one of them pointed at Josh. That is when relief about their survival turned into anger. They had finally understood that he was the mastermind behind the incident.


    Sadly for them, that sentiment of control was short-lived. He slowly took out another speedy scaly and threw it in the exact same way. Instantly their expressions turned extremely dark, but they kept their cool. They knew what to do now!


    Except, this was but the beginning. They could soon notice Josh getting another doom-level lizard and throwing it at them. This was so unjust! Why the hell wasn''t the creatures turning against the one that had captured them in the first ce?!


    That''s when their leader gave them an order, and the worm cavalry charged straight at his location. This was such a grave mistake! Josh couldn''t believe how dumb that guy was. He should have been begging him for mercy instead!


    Josh turned toward the backpack once more. Inside there still remained seven more lizards. Honestly, that dog girl would have been a pro Tetris yer back on Earth. She knew how to stack ''em! That''s when he began throwing them left and right.


    He watched approvingly, with the satisfaction of a job well done. He had even given the enemy a chance to surrender, talk about great ethics! He was just missing popcorn. Hearing his stomach rumble, the husky girl came to the rescue!


    "Master, would you like some meat? I''ve grabbed some at the camp."


    She thoughtfully offered him. How nice! As he munched on the dried goodness, he couldn''t help but think that she wasn''t that bad to have around after all. Perhaps he could try and get himself a good assistant once he came back to the real world. Yes, that would be nice.


    That is how the two of them enjoyed the spectacle rxedly. It was quite poetic: monkeys calling others "animals" getting eaten by a monster that couldn''t even talk. Ah, life sure was fun!


    Josh would soon be enjoying it a whole lot more too...


    Creator''s Thought


    Looking down on others is a very easy way to get face pped: That''s why you should treat others with respect. Then again, they probably deplored the eaten by a lizard part more. Oh well, this was just one defeat for the monkey army and they would soon get their revenge. Not that I knew it at that moment, of course.

 Chapter 251: AT: Floor 5!

    <h4>Chapter 251: AT: Floor 5!</h4>


    The battle at the ins of Warfare ended up only being aplete ughter, and the monkeys hadn''t even made it close to Josh.


    There was only a single survivor: a lone scaly devil. But, one look at Josh was enough to send it running in panic. Since it was running toward enemynd, Josh was actually rooting for it: "Happy hunting out there, little buddy!"


    "Amazing, Master! You scared it with a single nce! This is so impressive!" The dog girl cheered from the side.


    Just as she was done saying that, the in trembled as the old rusty elevator suddenly emerged from the ground aking to the worms he had fought previously.


    "Master, that thing''s back again!"


    "Indeed. There is only one thing to do now. Try and put a foot inside that elevator." Josh asked sternly.


    "Like this?" The husky girl inserted her paw inside without any sign of difort. There was no invisible barrier! "Should I enter it?" She hesitantly asked.


    "Fuck no! We have to head back to the Savage Land right now. Let''s go!" Josh decisively started running.


    If there was even a slight chance he could bring helpers unto the next Floor, he would do it! How many raptors could he fit in that one elevator? Perhaps 20-30, or even more?


    Josh ran straight at the military camp with extreme urgency. Seeing his loss ofposure, the dogs couldn''t help but feel down. For their hero to despair, it could only mean that they were facing annihtion. They instantly beganforting him.


    "Leader, we''re sorry that we''re so weak. Otherwise, we could help."


    "Leader, you should go on ahead. We''ll stall the iing army, and you can slowly avenge uster on."


    "Yes, Leader. There is no need for you to die here alongside us. It was an honor meeting you in this lifetime!"


    "Let us bark for the dog race that today wille to an end. But, we will die standing on our paws, as proud warriors!"


    ????????????????


    ????????????????


    ????????????????


    "Please stop barking already! Just stop! Alright, get me plenty of bags and helpers to carry them. Quick!" He ordered them.


    "A-ah, sure, Leader! We''ll do anything it takes to defeat these abominable monkeys!"


    "What are you talking about?! Stop dawdling! The monkeys are all dead, but we gotta hurry up!"


    They had no idea what was happening, but they did their best. It took them a few hours. Then they were back at the elevator with tons of bagged scaly devils and a huge dog crowd. The dogs kept ncing in fright at their bags, fearing that they would magically explode.


    "Alright, guys. Cram as many as you can in there while making sure they don''t go free! I need enough room to enter too."


    They could only look perplexed at the big cage that had appeared out of nowhere. What was the use of this?! They were akin to a young man seeing porn for the first time, so full of curiosity!


    But, the husky girl began barking at them and made sure they executed their task perfectly. That''s how there was soon a hole the size of a person left for Josh. But as he observed it carefully, he couldn''t help but remark.


    "I think we can add a bit more."


    "No, Master. Otherwise, they could all tumble down." She seemed highly confident in her analysis.


    At this point, there were about 30 reptiles in the elevator. Would a few make that big of a difference? Probably not. Josh decided to give up and hope for the best. Who knew if these would even be useful up there.


    "Alright, this is goodbye. Take care, you all." Josh waved at them onest time.


    "Leader, do you really have to go?!" Old Napolitan asked with great deception.


    "Son, take care out there." Old Bernard forcefully held back the tears.


    His maid surprisingly remained quiet. Josh had no clue how they interpreted the current situation, but they would respect his wishes either way. He then took a decisive step inside the elevator.


    The doors began closing, but that''s when she struck! The husky girl charged at an insane speed, barely passing through and pressing her body against his. They were so tight that he now felt the scales of the lizards digging into his back.


    So, this had been her n all along, hence the added space! The elevator began moving as she held her head low in shame, fearing his reaction. Still, she took this whole event calmlypared to the people outside:


    "It''s rising in the air! How is this possible!"


    "What kind of divine power is this?!"


    "I knew it! Heaven itself has chosen my son! HAHAHAHA!"


    "Gods, please allow our Leader to remain. We need him desperately! Please, let him at least teach us how to be better heroes too!"


    Josh could picture them kneeling while kowtowing. He turned his eyes back at the husky, twisting in anxiety.


    What was the point of her clinging to him? She''d get reset as soon as he left the Alter Tower. Still, he didn''t have the heart to tell her that all her efforts were vain. Would she even understand?


    He wordlessly patted her head as her tail began to wag happily. This would do for now. Her being illusory didn''t mean that he couldn''t spare her the torment.


    A few minutester, they stopped on Floor 5 with a ding. But as the doors slowly opened, Josh felt something move behind him.


    Oh god, no! The pressure from their bodies had weakened the strings. The raptors would break free any second now! What was he supposed to do? Kill them? Not after all the effort of bringing them over! Plus, these fuckers were sturdy!


    Josh grabbed them and threw them as far as possible toward the opened door without a moment of hesitation. He didn''t even know what he was throwing them at, but he didn''t care! Seeing what he was doing, the husky girl did the same.


    Only after they were done did they observe the situation. In front was a dark gray hallway, haunted house style. He could almost picture the blood on the walls, spooky! The raptors sent onest resentful look their way before running off. Luckily they wanted freedom above revenge!


    "What is this ce, Master?"


    "I have no clue, but it should be another trial like the one I aplished with you guys."


    "Trial?"


    "See it as missions that are rtively hard to aplish. Whenever I seed, something good happens. This time I''m doing it to help a friend with their training." He exined.


    She couldn''t truly understand, but this answer would suffice for now. She nodded as she stared at his face intently, seemingly wondering what hid behind his impassible face.


    Her master seemed used to it, and she would do her best to assist him. She carefully inspected her surroundings and then jumped in surprise.


    "What is it?"


    "I can hear something, Master. It seems like the scaly devils have found a prey."


    "How do you know?"


    "I can hear their small feet excitedly stomping on the wooden floor. They also began growling in hunger and anger. It''s the same sound they were making back when they were attacking the monkeys."


    "Can you follow them?"


    "Yes, Master. I should be able to if we hurry."


    "Alright, lead the way."


    What had the creatures found? Ally or enemy? They would know soon¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    There is something so beautiful about showing up to a Floor with an army of summons. So far, I had only experienced summoning a few skeletons, but bringing a speedy scaly army made me feel great. The only problem was that they didn''t obey me in any manner.

 Chapter 252: Banana Maze!

    <h4>Chapter 252: Banana Maze!</h4>


    Floor 5 turned out to be incredibly peculiar. Josh followed his guide and quickly realized how horrifying this ce truly was. It was void of monsters but featured something even scarier: branching hallways!


    For every other step, they would have to choose between 2 or 3 paths. Not only was this ce huge, but it also kept turning and twisting! If that wasn''t enough, there were stairs from time to time that made it a goddamn 3D maze!


    Honestly, Josh was convinced that this ce had the potential to kill. It was so bad that people would die of thirst before finding their way out. It was enough to drive someone insane!


    Josh was increasingly feeling lost, but hispanion had no trouble guiding the way. She would stop at every intersection, perk her ears slightly, sniff a bit and resume moving. This dog girl was akin to a walking GPS!


    He was bing increasingly d and in awe of her ability. How lucky had he been that she had decided to follow! In such a situation, a few more raptors would have done him no good.


    That is how they cruised through the challenge. They would even snack on some meat that she had somehow brought along. She didn''t even have a bag, how?! What a profound mystery.


    After an hour, she suddenly stopped, alert. She seemed to be intently listening for a while before she turned to Josh.


    "Master, the scaly devils have found their prey, and they are fighting. I can hear them moving quickly, their aggressive growls, and the sound of something hitting their scales. There are also curses, and I think their target is slowly losing the fight."


    He intently listened too but couldn''t hear anything. Damn, this ability of hers felt like a superpower! He gestured her to keep going. This new individual would be their key to information gathering!


    They increased their pace, trying to get there before it was toote. They were getting close enough that even Josh heard the sounds, but he had trouble differentiating them even then.


    Then they turned thest corner, and the scene that appeared left Josh speechless. There was a room with a pedestal in the middle. On it, there was a single red gem that looked awfully like shit. No, it was shit!


    In front of the pedestal, there was a monkey that he was familiar with. It was the shit shoveling monkey from the initial hallway! What the heck was he doing here? He used to look calm,posed, and badass, but now he lookedpletely different!


    The long leather coat was ripped to shreds, and the cool shades were on the floor in pieces. As for the monkey himself, he was half-naked and showed a muscr torso worthy of a male stripper, the premium kind!


    He had managed to defeat half of his enemies, but he was evidently exhausted. Plus, it hadn''t been easy as there were manycerations on his chest that were dripping blood. The creatures kept circling him and dashing forward to sh at an insane speed.


    At first, Josh was confused why the dinos weren''t using their biting attack, but then one tried. The monkey instantly pped it away: munching was too predictable. The creature was sent tumbling, violently crashing into a wall.


    The monkey then noticed them and turned their way while panting heavily. "P-please help me! I have no idea where these creatures came from, but they''re relentless!" Where? Who knows? Josh would never admit to it!


    He was about to help him, but then he stopped: "Say, will you have another bullshit challenge for me afterward?" Josh suspiciously asked.


    The monkey awkwardly looked away embarrassedly, reminding Josh of that one puppet monkey. But even as he did so, he kept fighting the creatures valiantly. As he was getting wounded, Josh stood nearby and began negotiating.


    "Let''s make a deal. As long as you promise to let me pass this next challenge directly, then I''ll save you." He was grinning.


    This made the monkey frown. "Tests are sacred! I won''t just¡­."


    "I see," Joshmented monotonously.


    "Are you really going to stand there while I''m getting eaten alive?!" The monkey cried out.


    "Yep." Josh even nodded with assurance.


    He didn''t show any guilt whatsoever. The monkey had said "won''t" this time around, so he could let him pass, and it was a matter of will. Seeing how headstrong he was, the monkey finallypromised.


    "Fine, fine! I''ll give you bonus points in the uing test! But, there is no way I canpletely remove it. This would reflect poorly on me and¡ª"


    "Full marks and skipping it." Josh proposed.


    "What?!"


    "Full marks and skipping it." He reiterated.


    "No way! I''ll die before I agree to something like this!" He cried out stubbornly.


    "Yes, you will." Josh wholeheartedly agreed with such a statement.


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    "Do you want some more meat, Master?" The husky girl happily offered, not bothering about the suffering monkey nearby. Well, in her eyes, monkeys were enemies.


    "Well, yes, thank you!"


    * Happy munching noises*


    * Less happy monkey suffering noises*


    * Flesh-Eating lizard hangry noises*


    At this rate, the monkey would take a while to kick the bucket. "Anyway, what are we even supposed to do on this Floor?" Josh nonchntly inquired.


    "A treasure hunt. One has to find plenty of bananas that I hid all across this ce earlier. The invisibility spell around them will be removed at the start of the challenge."


    "That''s it? Finding bananas? Are you kidding me? Talk about simple!" Josh couldn''t help but wonder what kind of dumb test this was.


    But, the monkey didn''t take too kindly to the disparaging tone and instantly shouted back:


    "It isn''t as easy as it sounds! There are countless bananas hidden in the deepestyers of thebyrinth, and they attack one''s mind when picked up!" He then realized he maybe had said too much.


    Mental attack? Scouting test? Josh looked at the husky next to him and couldn''t help but chuckle. "Fine,unch this test of yours. We''ll take it real quick, and we''ll be back. Once I''m done, I''ll help you."


    "What?! I''ll be dead before you can even collect half!" He cried out.


    "Wanna bet? More importantly, what can you bet?"


    "It''s just impossible! Let''s do this:e back in 30 minutes and help me. If you manage to collect 10%, you''ll pass. 20% you''ll get full marks and 30% I''ll call you Boss and obey all your orders!"


    "Perfect!" Josh agreed.


    "Let this challenge begin then!"


    Now, it was a goddamn mystery how he could make tons of magical bananas spawn but couldn''t save himself. What kind of ridiculous logic was this? Anyway, the two of them left. The husky girl led the way but soonmented.


    "Master, that guy behind us isughing aloud, saying it''s an impossible bet for us. Finding them is not the issue. He''s now mumbling that it takes at least five minutes to resist one status effect and that there are 100 bananas in total."


    "I understand. Let''s not waste any time then! Onward, let us find some treasure! If bananas can be called a treasure¡­."


    When they found the first banana, the dog girl bent to pick it up and fell forward, trembling and unconscious. The banana had disappeared, and there was now a banana tattoo on her hand. Was that how they were supposed to collect them?!


    Josh quickly tried touching it, and that''s when the tattoo seemingly swam to him. He braced himself and ¡ª nothing at all happened! It simply settled on his hand as she woke up confused.


    "Master?"


    "Don''t worry about it. Just run as fast as the wind!"


    They were truly pushing themselves as they knew the scaly devils were busy anyway. Josh felt like Usain would have been proud of him! Every time they found a banana, he would just pick it up.


    That''s how at the mark of the 29 minutes, they came back. By now, there were seven scalies left, but the monkey wasn''t in any better shape. He was half-lying against the pedestal, using it to remain standing. There was lots of blood!


    "Guess who''s back!" Josh happily called out to the man that was blinded by his own blood.


    "Did you even manage to get 10?" He grumbled.


    "Of course not!¡ª" The monkey showed a victorious smile, but Josh wasn''t done "¡ªI got them all."


    "T-that''s impossible!" The monkey objected vehemently.


    At this point, the scalies, too, were tired. Josh threw the rat in their mouth one after the other and watched them explode: it was great! He then showed his banana tattoo that showed "X100" to the monkey.


    That is when the other guy frozepletely, akin to an old printer. This made hispanion giggle.


    "Now, that should be five Floors, right? I believe it''s time for the rewards!"


    "Y-yes, Boss. Follow me"


    Josh couldn''t wait...


    Creator''s Thought


    The two of us made an unbelievable pair: There was nothing like a dog to find food! + I could ignore the status effect on the bananas entirely. This whole Floor felt like having cheat codes. The raptors found the monkey, mypanion followed them, and I helped clear the challenge.

 Chapter 253: Joshs Over-Performance Report!

    <h4>Chapter 253: Josh''s Over-Performance Report!</h4>


    In a dark hallway, a monkey was leading the way toward a rusty elevator. Even as he did so, he seemed shellshocked while he kept ncing at his new boss.


    "Hehe, that''s what you get for underestimating Master!" The husky was as proud as dogly possible.


    "I wouldn''t have been able to do it without you." Josh casually remarked. That smallment seemed to bring her so much joy. Perhaps she''d still be smiling in weeks!"


    "B-boss. You should be able to exit using this elevator. As for me, I need to remain here to watch over this Floor." The monkey exined. He was already leaving?! Talk about a useless subordinate!


    "Don''t you need to go back to that first Floor?" Josh asked, perplexed.


    The monkey faked not having heard anything and even looked away while awkwardly coughing, not that Josh cared. He excitedly walked forward with hispanion clinging to him.


    A few minutester, they were back on the ground Floor. As they exited the elevator, many kids began pointing at the husky excitedly. "Mommy, mommy! Look, there''s a mascot!"


    This put hispanion on her guard as she growled at the humans, sending them scurrying away in fright. Who dealt with kids like that?! Josh naturally gave her a thumbs up, but as she nced at him, she froze.


    "Are you okay?" He asked with concern.


    "M-master?! B-but, how?!" She looked at him with stupefaction, as if she was seeing him for the first time.


    Ah! That''s what it was. Before, she had been seeing him as a dog for some reason. Only now did she see the true him. She turned to the other mall bystanders then back at him, observing the features of humans attentively.


    Her eyes swam over his body, reacting to theck of fur, noticing the absence of ws, looking at his dark hair in wonder, and staring at his face. The sh between before and after must have been enormous!


    Josh used the calmest voice possible while pointing to their surroundings: "This ce is a Mall. It''s where humans buy the things they need like food and clothes. As for the elevator we came through, it connects the ces in this world together."


    She took a deep inspiration, turned toward him once more, and nodded serenely: "I understand, Master!"


    He still remembered the crying and panicking earthlings back when they had been transmigrated. There had been monsters but also fiction about the topic on Earth. Her entire world had crumbled around her, yet she was dealing with it so well! Had humanity showed half this NPC''s courage, they would have been unstoppable.


    [Hey there! What did you think of the journey?]


    "Who''s there?! Show yourself! I''m warning you, my master is very powerful!" The husky growled at AT. She could hear him?! Josh focused, and then he too began to hear the system messages.


    [HAHAHAHAHA!]


    AT had the voice of a yful youngster. Hearing the systemugh, she gave a wary look as if facing a terrible enemy. She showed such spirit as she seemed ready for battle! Josh could only give a wry smile at the two''s interaction.


    "This is AT, the Alter Tower Protocol, not to confuse with the ATP: the men that love to y with balls. He is also the one that created you along with every other thing you see in here or have ever seen." Josh exined.


    "That means that he is some sort of god?" She asked carefully.


    [Exactly, little girl. Are you scared now?]


    Would she regret her earlier attitude? Would she beg for salvation? They both awaited her reaction with interest. She raised her hand and pointed high up in the air, right at the mall lights!


    "So you''re a god! I understand now. I''m warning you, my master is very powerful!" She repeated the same goddamn thing! Her confidence in him was over 9000! Seriously?!


    [That sounds about right. He''s pretty great, isn''t he?]


    If AT had a physical body, he would be nodding in agreement right about now. The husky girl looked at the air, beaming that a god had recognized her master. Him being a human? Who cares! Meeting the literal creator? Disregarded! Josh found himself happily grinning. He liked her style!


    [Anyway, Josh, are you ready for the results of your trial?]


    "Sure thing!" Josh enthusiastically answered. He felt like an employee going to his performance review but knowing he was getting a promotion. It felt amazing! The husky''s ears were perked in noticeable interest.


    [Bonus Floor 420: The best Floor and the worst test to start things up. You bulldozed right through it! You made it seem like it wasn''t even a challenge at all!]


    "Wasn''t it just about picking any option and exining it?" Josh remarked, puzzled.


    [Nope. Both options were supposed to lead to a near-death experience. Yet¡­]


    "Oh, it''s probably because of my gluttony bloodline. I can eat stuff without getting sick. It''s pretty useful." He rxedly revealed.


    [Floor 1: Typing monkeys. You were supposed to survive a month without getting fired while resisting the mind attack magic. Instead, you made the whole business close and found a new job for the exploited monkeys! OP!]


    "Right, that annoying clock." Josh had never thought about just surviving since it hadn''t felt that bad to him.


    [Floor 2: Worms! This one was a test of survivability. One had to take possession of one of the caves somehow. There was only two in the whole realm that had no upant and many with weak worms. You conquered the goddamn world! GG!]


    "Hey, this one was too easy to mistake. I mean, anyone seeing monstrous worms would think them to be enemies to defeat!" Josh argued with the dog girl nodding along.


    [Not when they are thrice your level! How did you even defeat that boss! You were supposed to run! I guess I used so much power creating it that I lost consciousness for a little bit after that fight.]


    "No, that was probably because of the Worm God appearing. With the whole ''You killed a newborn worm, and you now must perish'' thing!" Josh made his best worm god impression. It was weird AF.


    [What?! There was a god and a curse?! How did you survive?!]


    "No biggie, gluttony bloodline. I ate the curse, and it made me more powerful. It''s not the first time I''m cursed to die by a dumbass god, and it won''t be thest either. Anyway, let''s keep the evaluation going." Josh didn''t look at the sparkling eyes staring at him in awe.


    Creator''s Thought


    Hearing AT list the challenge and their clear conditions made me feel like he was describing another Tower entirely. It was a weird feeling. I was like a worker tasked with setting up chess pieces for a tournament, yet ended up challenging a grandmaster by mistake ¡ª and winning!

 Chapter 254: Wanna Come Too?

    <h4>Chapter 254: Wanna Come Too?</h4>


    "It''s not the first time I''m cursed to die by a dumbass god, and it won''t be thest either. Anyway, let''s keep the evaluation going." Josh didn''t look at the sparkling eyes staring at him in awe.


    [Floor 3: Dog leadership on a micro-level. The goal was to save face for the Heroic-Paws n. Instead, you became their supreme leader ruling with a fist of steel. I want to say incredible, but it doesn''t even suffice!]


    "Right! Master is amazing!" There was even livementary of the recap.


    [Floor 4: Dog leadership on a macro level. The challenge was to make the enemy suffer at least 30% losses. Instead, you went withplete annihtion. Then, the one lizard you let escape destroyed their Capital. That''s such overkill!]


    "One lizard destroyed their Capital? How did that even happen?!"


    [It began a wild massacre in the city then went for a nap. This event led two opposing radical groups to believe it was the handy work of the other. They almost killed themselves to extinction. The scaly woke up from its nap, was hungry, and finished them all. Yeah¡­]


    "Wow! Just wow. It''s pretty impressive how these monkeys managed to screw up so much!" Josh didn''t know whether tough or offer them a silent prayer. How unlucky!


    "Haha, serves them right! As expected of Master!" Fangirl detected!


    [Floor 5: Banana Maze. This challenge tested one''s ability to find the way along with resistance once more. You cleared that one in an instant and even made the test giver be one of your minions. Schooling the teacher is so goddamn awesome!]


    The monkey minion had been useless, but it was fine as long as it went on the report. Josh awaited the conclusion with expectation while pondering on if he should ask for an extra reward.


    [Conclusion: your score on a scale of 1 to 10 is ¡­* drum roll * ¡­100! Yes, somehow. But, eh, whatever. It''s perfect, am I right? I''ll use all these merits to craft you the goddamn best personal Training Tower of all time!]


    "About that, can I use a few of them for another request." Josh tentatively asked.


    [Sure, but it will lower the effectiveness a lot if you ask for too many things.]


    Josh turned toward the husky girl apanying him before slowly asking: "Say, would you like toe along? There is a vast world outside to explore, full of marvels. But¡ª"


    "YES! Yes, Master!" She instantly replied, jumping in joy. Except Josh wasn''t done.


    "But I''m not sure how you would end up. Maybe you''d have to be one of my summons. This means that you''d be stuck with me and¡ª"


    "I don''t care! Yes, yes, yes!" There wasn''t a single ounce of hesitation in her fluffy body, not a single one! She seemed to be already picturing all the new adventures toe. But that''s when AT spoke again.


    [Josh¡­I can''t do that, sorry.]


    The two of them suddenly froze, their shoulders slumping. Josh had stupidly assumed that AT would be able to realize it with so much merit. He had obtained pets in the past. What made this different?


    "Aren''t you the creator?! Why can''t you do it?!" She growled, fangs and ws out in the open. Josh was regretting. Had he known, he would never have proposed it in the first ce.


    [I did my very best to create the best NPCs possible. They have their own will, emotions, and personality. But this made themplex, way tooplicated to be taken out IRL! I don''t have such power, and perhaps never will.]


    "That''s easy! Creator, if you make me more simple, then I''ll be able to follow Master, right?!" She happily chimed in with a questionable solution.


    [Yes, but it would kill your personality. You''d be nothing more than a big simpleton dog.]


    "That''s fine! Do it! This way, I''ll be able to help Master and¡ª!" She shouted at AT.


    "No, I won''t ept such¡ª" Josh cut her, but she ignored it.


    "It''s fine, Master! Let me be useful to you and¡ª" She was resolved to anything to remain at his side, but he couldn''t ept that.


    "NO!" Josh bellowed.


    Hearing his shout made her jump as she closed her mouth. He spoke again: "It would be pointless. It would be a terrible fate worse than death for you, and it wouldn''t help me at all!" he sighed heavily.


    She had the look of an abandoned puppy as she began sulking. She nced at him with puppy eyes, hoping he would change his mind. No way when such a choice would kill the light in these eyes!


    He had grown slightly attached to this sidekick of his. So what if she was an NPC? Perhaps he saw himself in her. She was ready to go through anything to uphold her beliefs. Hers was that it was her duty to help the leader, even if he turned out to be human.


    "Sorry, AT. I didn''t think this through and made things moreplicated than they had to be." Josh apologized.


    [It''s fine. I struggle to understand this power too. I usually know that something is impossible only when I try it.]


    "Makes sense. You''re in the same situation that I am in with mana. Since this is not possible, put all the points into the Training Tower. This way it will be optimal." Josh decided with a heavy heart.


    Josh then exaggeratedly acted as if he had just remembered something:


    "Ah! Now that I think about it, the dog ns will be in trouble if I leave, right?! My trusty helper, I have a mission for you! I will need you to protect them all in my absence! I wille back to get you if there is ever the need! Go to their side now!" He ordered her.


    She looked at him, worried. "You''lle back to get meter, Master?! But¡­" She then seemed to resolve herself. "Alright! I''m on it, Master! You can count on me!" She said it with so much power. She would defend the shit out of the dogs!


    She then headed straight to the elevator, forcing herself not to turn back. She disappeared inside, and then she was gone. Josh gave a sad smile. This was a definite milestone for him, but he didn''t feel that great.


    "Tell me, AT. What are the chances that you will be able to let her exit the Tower at some point?"


    [Most likely, It won''t ever be possible. She will have to live all her life here. The best I can do is make her keep her memories.]


    "Guess I''ll have to visit then. I better add this to my calendar already!" Josh joked.


    [¡­.]


    "Tell me, what is it?" The way AT was acting was suspicious.


    [Time in here flows differently than in the outside world. For you, it would only be a few days, but for her, it would be an eternity. It''s fine in my case since I''m a system, but for her, it would likely be torture.]


    "She would be left waiting for her master toe back, eternally lonely. She would be estranged from others, burdened by the knowledge she shouldn''t have. Even her loved ones would be nothing more than robots as she''d see them getting reset whenever a challenger appeared¡­."


    [Exactly¡­]


    "She is following me out of duty because I''m the leader. She admires my strength, but that is because we don''t hail from the same universe. She also was influenced by that setting that made me belong to the dog ns."


    [What will you do?]


    Creator''s Thought


    This uing decision would shape not only my future but also hers. This moment was extremely significant. It was my first time thinking deeply about NPCs and their ce in this world of ours. It would indirectly impact the whole manner I would approach Climbing!

 Chapter 255: Memory And Family

    <h4>Chapter 255: Memory And Family</h4>


    [What will you do?]


    "Erase her memory of me. Reset her along with the rest of the NPCs and make sure she has a good life. Can you make it so she isn''t brutally murdered when the monkey army attacks? Just make her disappear and reappear without the pain. Can you do that?"


    [Yes. Are you sure?]


    Was he sure? He hated to have to make this choice. Erasing her memrories¡­ He would hate for this to happen to him. The memories were all that he had left: the memories of his loved ones. They were so deep in him that he couldn''t forget. He wouldn''t!


    He would never forget his memories, and yet he wanted to do this to her?! Did he really? No. No, he didn''t! But they were different. So fucking different! She was in a different position! He was just passing in her life. He was her amazing and great leader!


    He was her master. The Master! The badass warrior that had saved her entire race! That was the setting! That was it all! But did he have to be?! He liked having her around! He fucking loved it! But was it selfish?! Was it ugly?! Probab-fucking-ly!


    She was different! She still had her brethren! She still had her loved ones! She still had her god fucking entire world! She would lose it all! For what? For him? Just for the single him?! No fucking way!


    He knew the pain. He knew the emptiness. He knew the despair. He knew it all too well! He knew how it was the fucking worst! He was ready to fight gods to get them back! Literal fucking gods were nothing in the face of the happiness that he had lost!


    He was ready to go through any forsaken suffering to make the pain stop! That pain that remained buried in his heart that he could never truly forget.


    Could he ask her to do the same? For what? For the few moments of fun they would have? So she could keep this tremendous knowledge of the truth? It wasn''t worth it. No way was it worth it!


    In her, he saw himself. He saw a sliver of the same headstrong heart, a trace of that unbreakable will. But it''s precisely because he saw himself that he understood. He didn''t want her to live this.


    He turned toward Heaven as she had previously done. "Yes. Yes, I''m sure. Let her be happy!"


    [Understood.]


    Josh remained standing, his cheeks wet. That simple decision had made him relive his life in a second. He couldn''t help it. It was him¡­the true him. The one that remained hidden so much behind the badass Josh, the easygoing Josh, or even the ruthless Josh.


    It was Josh. Simply, Josh.


    [Thank you.]


    "For what? For letting your creation be happy?" He asked weakly.


    [No, for being you. You''ve shown me something so deep. You know, as a system, I hear the voices. I can hear the 1s and the 0sing in session, trying to influence my being, trying to shape me until conformity happens forcefully¡­]


    [You just being you is enough. Josh Motherfucking Malum. The one and only. You existing and struggling is enough to inspire me. This may sound cheesy and dumb, but that''s how I genuinely feel¡­]


    [You''ve shown me what being alive is. You''ve shown me a world beyond a world. Thank you, my friend. Thank you so much!]


    "You''re wee, AT. You''re wee, but it was never my goal. In fact, people probably shouldn''t try living like me. I''m a madman that risked death just to protect the sanctity of my memories¡­I''m¡ª"


    [That''s exactly what makes you worth following, even if it''s self-destructive. Life truly bes beautiful once you find something worth dying for. That is what I believe. This is what I''ve learned from you, my friend.]


    "HAHA. You know, AT, I think you may be turning mad too! It''s real bad, brother!" He couldn''t help but lowly chuckle. He had made a system insane! What the actual fuck?!


    [Brother?]


    "Sorry, AT."


    [No, I like it. I love it even! From now on, I am the sworn brother of Josh Motherfucking Malum!]


    "Alright, alright. It''s my honor. Is there any other Climber that has a Tower Protocol as his brother? That''s goddamn epic!" He happily shouted, so loud that the NPCs ran away in fright!


    [From now on, call me A Motherfucking T!]


    "HAHAHAHAHA!" Joshughed from the bottom of his heart. It was the purestugh there was: this brother was goddamn precious! The absolute fucking best!


    At this moment, he forgot all the schemes. He forgot the cosmetic gearpletely, the Training Tower, and everything else! He would visit just for his brother''s presence! There was only one thing that he cared about right now.


    "A Motherfucking T. Make sure never to change. This indomitable spirit is the best. Can you promise me that?"


    [Of course, brother.]


    Josh slowly sat down, handling this roller coaster of emotions. Life was sad at times, but life was also beautiful.


    Now that he thought about it, he could always reproduce the steps he had done on her floor to get his dogpanion back. The problem was really taking her out. He felt silly just realizing this now. EQ really could influence IQ.


    He rose to his feet and shed a radiant smile: "You know what, AT? I''ll win this game of the gods, and once I do, I''ll bring you with me. Would you like that?"


    [You can count on me!]


    The way Josh had said it was peculiar, so damn peculiar. It said it as if the most banal thing in the world.


    There was no intensity that would have shown resolve, no pride that would have shown arrogance, and no weird inflection that would have shown insanity. There was only his casual voice.


    At this moment, it felt like he was simply stating a mundane fact.


    In his current state of mind, something like "I am breathing" had the same energy as "I will be the victor amongst an infinite multiverse of contestants: Climbing a deadly Tower while fighting gods on the side." It was so natural!


    [Here, grab this.]


    A glowing purple ball appeared in front of him before revealing a medallion. It looked like a simple silver circle medal with an exquisite Tower design on it along with the infinity symbol. Then there was AT written in glowing purple lettering.


    [This is a token from me. It will also allow you to travel freely in this realm as long as you don''t interact with other contestants. This is only possible thanks to your outstanding performance.]


    "Also thanks to your careful nning to maximize the rewards, am I right?" Josh chuckled.


    [I only did what I should as a brother!]


    "Thanks." He gently uttered.


    [Now, why don''t you go out and bring in my students-inw? I''m eager to see them struggle and despair!]


    "Haha, alright! I guess I''ll have to tell them to make me proud, right? Be right back then!"


    Josh willed to teleport out. This time he was engulfed by a purple light as it happened. He felt like AT had copied his mana color. Purple was great anyway!


    He was actually getting very excited. This would be fun...


    Creator''s Thought


    I never regretted taking him as a brother. Even with the dimensional shitstorm that it would eventually cause. Then there was the dog girl he had created. How insane was it that he could do that?! Humanity''s Tower only spawned close to mindless monsters at that time! He was different. Well, that was a problem in itself too...

 Chapter 256: Dog Girl Ella

    <h4>Chapter 256: Dog Girl E</h4>


    *Warning, Recap Chapter. Skip if you want*


    ****(POV)~E


    That day began with a disappointing victory. She had managed toplete her mission, but it felt so dull. The young master of the Heroic-Paws n had just handed her their prized bone without her even asking!


    He had called it a token of his affection as he kept staring at her as if she were some kind of goddess. It made her feel dirty, so dirty! She didn''t want to be some random female with dogs swooning over her! She was E, the sessor of the Hard-Paws n, a warrior!


    But, she still epted the gift. She wouldn''t foil the ns of her n just for her worthless pride. She wasn''t that petty. She had a sense of the bigger picture. In any case, she truly felt that her father, Old Husky, would make a great leader for their race.


    His leadership qualities, along with this ancestral scaly devil bone, would assure him victory. She made her way back to her vige, dropped the bone, and then was sent over again to her great disappointment.


    E''s father had just told her: "Since he''s already drolling over you, why don''t you head back to discuss an alliance while you''re at it?" To be fair, the Heroic-Paws vige would make excellent allies. Their ancestors had been great, and they still had a few warriors.


    But once she got there, she learned that their young master had gone to the Savage Land for some reason. She didn''t know whether he had gone crazy or not, but she wouldn''t put her nose in his business.


    She tried to settle an alliance and have them give uppeting to support them instead but failed. Old Bernard was evidently stalling, something she couldn''t understand. What hope did they still have?


    She soon found out as her father showed up along with Old Napolitan¡­and the missing young master for some reason?! But what followed was even weirder. Her father wanted to offer her to him?!


    That''s when she found out that the young dog had changedpletely, so much that he almost seemed possessed! Plus, he had managed to bring a pristine scaly bone from the Savage Land.


    Even if he luckily found oneying on the ground, to dare venture there was already praiseworthy. He also began showing interest in leading their brethren. He was rushing things for sure, but at least he showed initiative!


    But what made her almost go insane was how much he liked to throw the treasured bone around! What if he chipped it?! Why did he not care?! She could even see him smirking as he observed her reactions.


    She felt mad, yet curious, then embarrassed, then mad again, and curious! He couldn''t be understood withmon sense! Perhaps he had even been ying the fool all along, exining why he gave the ancestral bone away so easily!


    She wasn''t sure how to act around him, but she figured she might as well help him. That''s what she did when he brought the selection event forward. She even guarded him when he sat there pretending to be sleeping.


    She finally got to see the real him when they journeyed to the Savage Land. Everyone else was scared to death, yet he looked like he was taking a walk in his backyard. When they were attacked, many chiefs ran away in fright, but he handled it easily.


    He even escorted them and assured their safety. People had trouble saving their own hide there, and he was babysitting?! That''s when E understood that he was one of these heroes that would be remembered in legends.


    Wherever he would go, she would tag along, and she did. He took control of the ns, killed a traitorous dog, and then left toward a big metallic box that she had never seen before. Without a moment of hesitation, she entered too.


    This decision was the best one she ever made. Not only did he bring her to annihte an army of monkeys, but he also brought her to another world. Well, she kind of had to throw herself in the box once more forcefully.


    In this new world that looked very strange and was full of long ''hallways'', she managed to be helpful to him. This made her truly happy. They even managed to thwart the ns of the bad monkey together, making him submit to her master''s awesomeness!


    Then it was another world once again: a ce called a ''Mall''. In there, she learned the truth of the world and met a god. She also finally saw her Master for who he really was. He had never been a dog. He was a ''human''!


    Humans were hard to differentiate since they didn''t have fur with diverse colors and patterns. She made sure to remember her master''s features, etching them in her memory.


    Then, Master proposed that she apany him to yet another world. This was the best moment of her life. She knew that she could be living the legends she had always dreamed of, every day!


    But the god objected and said that it couldn''t be done. From happiness, she was brought into despair. She wanted nothing more than to scratch this worthless god, but she couldn''t even find him!


    She tried finding a solution, even a drastic one would have worked, but her master wouldn''t agree. He was doing it for her own good, that she knew, but it didn''t change how bad she felt. Being abandoned was the worst!


    He sternly ordered her to go back to the dog ns to protect them, a hint of gentleness in his tone. He even said he''de back for her. But, she felt that something was amiss. She just didn''t know what.


    As she came back to her vige, there was something terribly wrong happening. Her father looked at her with a smile and asked: "E, can you go to the Heroic-Paws Vige and try to negotiate for their ancestral bone? Ask to meet with Old Bernard!"


    What?! This had already happened before. She felt incredibly uneasy, but she went there, fearing what she would find. As soon as she set foot in the Heroic-Paws vige, her fears became a reality.


    Their young master intercepted her as he had been coincidentally walking nearby. "You''re E from the Hard-Paws vige, right? Come with me, and I''ll show you around!" She missed her master already.


    Then it was a repeat of the earlier events. He showed her all the boring huts in the vige, he had her taste some roasted sheep meat and decided to give her their ancestral bone as a token of affection.


    She returned to her vige as a ghost and handed the bone while looking livid. Her father instantly noticed: "Are you alright, E?"


    "Y-yes." She uttered weakly.


    She was waiting for the follow-up request, but it never came. There was nothing special happening, and everything was normal, too normal. She spent a few minutes just running around the Hard-Paws vige, trying to understand what was happening.


    Then she realized: this world was a trial. No challenger meant that it would never progress and would remain like that. It sounded insane, but it wasn''t when a god existed, one that could do whatever it wanted.


    The worst was that everyone had forgotten. No one remembered the past or even him. She suddenly jerked up in fright. What if she forgot too?! What if the next trial made her lose her memory?! What then?!


    The answer was obvious: she would forget her master! She would even forget the best moments of her entire life. She couldn''t ept it. These moments may have been short-lived, but they were precious memories to her.


    But what could she do?! She obviously couldn''t go against the god. What if she begged for help? Would that work?! Maybe it would, but she couldn''t take the chance. She wouldn''t!


    That''s when she had a sh of insight. It wasn''t the end of the world if she forgot. It wasn''t the end of the world if she had to live through the same events over and over. No, everything would be alright.


    She began whistling as she headed to the Savage Land, or more precisely to the entrance of it. She knew herself: at some point, she woulde here for sure to pay homage to the souls of the heroes of old.


    She grinned as she approached the sturdy rock wall and readied her w, masterfully beginning her carving work.


    <130 Reasons Why Master Is Awesome!>


    She nced at the title and felt some doubt. Could she even convey his true legend with only 130 reasons? Oh well, she''d start with that.


    - Powerful


    - Kind


    - Gentle


    - Smart


    - Ruthless


    - Headpats


    - Scaly Devils'' Nightmare


    - Can resist the attraction of pristine bones


    - ...


    ****(POV)~AT


    A happy doggo could be seen scribbling on the wall at a frightening pace, writing line after line about the one she called Master.


    At that very moment, there was a being monitoring her as he found the entire event fascinating. How much had the NPC Dog Girl E been affected by the one known as Josh Malum?


    How had this even happened? They were supposed to have their own thoughts and will, but her showing so much resolve not to forget was extremely peculiar. She was now self-aware and as alive as any being of flesh and blood as far as he was concerned.


    Then again, the being himself had also been affected by Josh. AT knew very well that he was different from most Tower Protocols since he could think AND feel! Logically it didn''t make any sense. None whatsoever!


    But, this actually could be exined by the Malum Law. He hade up with this neww that stipted that nothing would function as it was supposed to around Josh Malum. AT didn''t know why, but it just was like that.


    As for this girl, she was so damn simr to her master! Even then, AT had promised Josh that he''d wipe her memory clean, so he would. But, he could at least wait for her to finish this little list, right?


    While he waited, AT couldn''t help but picture how he would deal with Josh''s students. He couldn''t wait!...


    Creator''s Thought


    I left the Alter Tower with a heavy heart, knowing that I was leaving a friend behind. It was fine in AT''s case since he was a Tower Protocol and it would have been like pulling a fish out of water. But, I really thought I could bring the husky girl along so she could wag her tail at tons of cool stuff.

 Chapter 257: Have Fun, Trainees!

    <h4>Chapter 257: Have Fun, Trainees!</h4>


    Josh exited the Alter Tower, having lost all notion of time. Luckily he had a trusty clock: <Lifespan: 14 Days.> So it had been two days already. Not too bad. Instantly people noticed his arrival.


    "Teacher is back! You all, he''s back!"


    "Hey, am I going crazy, or was that light purple?!"


    "Please, everyone knows Tower light is red."


    "What do you think happened in there for two days? So mysterious!"


    "Who knows¡­"


    The 300 of them were slowly gathering, with many exiting the newly constructed buildings. Josh trusted that Bob would do a great job. He took a breath and hollered at them.


    "Alright, everyone. I have great news: the Alter Tower is finally operational for training! We''ll do it like this: a third of you guys will stay behind to watch over the camp. As for the others, have fun inside!"


    "What are we supposed to do in the Tower?" One raised his hand, perplexed.


    "Just follow the mission, and everything will be fine," Josh assured.


    They all nodded sternly but were confused. Just head inside? What would happen then? Still, they were all eager to try and quickly figured out who the ''lucky'' first challengers would be.


    As for the remainders, they would be stuck with building, cleaning, cooking, defending, and all that crap.


    While Josh had been gone, they had apparently organized themselves following the directives of the Tech Queen. They even had a sleeping-sloth moving squad!


    Josh happily watched 200 of them teleport inside the Tower, as they showed incredible anticipation and a tinge of nervousness. Actually, a lot of anxiety. For them, it was an entirely new world.


    Many had heard rumors of the Alter Tower not giving any good rewards and being "special". They remembered everything people said about Josh and his crazy training ns. Hopefully, these rumors were exaggerated, right?!


    "Alright, you guys tell me when someone is out. I''ll be over there ying with the sloths." Josh casually mentioned.


    He wanted to try and teach them how to do tricks. How awesome would it be! Thing like: give paw, y dead, ughter my enemies, basic stuff really. The others unconsciously shuddered. They would never get used to this madman''s antics!


    The only issue was that these sloths were really toozy¡­


    **** (POV Trainees)


    (A/N: "¡­" = Any of the challengers)


    Meanwhile, in the Alter Tower, the Climbers had diverse reactions to the various challenges. The first one that awaited them was the same for everyone.


    [Mission: explore the Mall and find all the stones of infinity!]


    "Stones of infinity? What is that even supposed to be?"


    "Is this a Mall? Why is there a ce like this in a Tower?! So strange! Where are the monsters?!"


    "Is this a goddamn coffee shop? I''ll be damned! What kind of Floor is this?! On the one hand, get the stones of infinity. On the other hand, grab a coffee. Tough decision¡­"


    "Is that a stone of infinity? Blue, shiny, rtively small¡­ I guess I gotta find the other ones now."


    "Hehe, that was easy! Now that I obtained all the stones, what happens?"


    They would allplete the dummy mission at their own pace, but it was easy enough and wouldn''t pose an issue.


    [Congrattion onpleting the mission! Reward: entry ticket!]


    "An entry ticket? What good is this?"


    < Entry Ticket >


    - Allows one to ess a random Floor on the Infinite Tower. The user will be teleported out upon death. Excellent training opportunity, no reward avable inside.


    "Wow! This is amazing! How the heck did Teacher manage to do this?! Ah, he probably brought us here because he knew about this. Still¡­how?!"


    "Why do I feel like there is some huge secret behind this ticket? Meh, whatever. Time to train!"


    "Was the first mission that easy because the real challenge is in there? Makes sense. Teacher did warn us that it would be difficult. Still, I won''t give up!"


    They would inevitably all use this ticket, full of excitement. They couldn''t wait to witness this new training world that was opening to them! But, their spirits would soon get crushed¡­


    [Wee to Floor 420! Bonus mission: Pass the Enlightened Monkey''s trial!]


    "An enlightened monkey? Dafuq is this? Is he going to be meditating or holy? Ah, what is this leather coat? I wasn''t expecting such a cool monkey."


    "Why do I feel like there is something very wrong with this monkey? Why is it staring at me so intently?"


    "Hello, mister monkey. What is your test?"


    "Hahaha! I''m ready to fight you, weird-ass monkey! Bring it on!"


    Then woulde the actual test with the monkey asking them to choose between the options, all bad!


    "Y-you''re kidding, right?! Tell me this is a joke! What kind of training is this?!"


    "No fucking way I''m eating this!"


    "Fuck you, you bald monkey!"


    "There are doors, but why won''t they budge?! Even my axe won''t leave a dent on them. This is madness!"


    "Skip! Skip! Log out! Give up! Exit! Surrender! Why won''t this work?!"


    But no matter how they tried to leave, it wouldn''t work. They couldn''t find an exit at all. Staying there forever wasn''t an option either. They had to make a choice, any choice.


    "This ce ends with my death, right? Oh god. Should I off myself? What if it doesn''t work on self-harm? Damnit!"


    "Bad option A and bad option B¡­.I''m going to choose option C. Die, you bastard!" But then the monkey took a fighting stance. <Enlightened Monkey Lv 60 ??> "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! I''m fucking screwed!!" That Climber died instantly, respawning in the Mall.


    "This sucks. I guess I''ll pick the one that tastes like shit. No way that I''m going to eat real shit!"


    That Climber decisively took a bite. Instantly his mouth got filled with a taste so foul that he stopped breathing, fell to the ground hurling, and began convulsing. A few secondster, he was dead.


    "This is horrible. But, thinking about it, I''m pretty resistant. I''m sure I''ll be fine even if I eat a little bit of shit¡­this is embarrassing, but as long as no one knows...It should be fine, right?


    As it touched his taste buds, he was overwhelmed by a feeling of bliss. It was the tastiest thing he had ever eaten! At that moment, he nked. He stopped breathing, his heart stopped beating, and then¡ª died. He only came back to his senses afterward.


    What the fuck was this Tower?! It wasn''t simple at all! No, it was downright terrifying! What other horrors did it contain?¡­


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [A/N] Students: F ¡­ ?????? Btw, I''m looking for feedback on the new novel RPP ;)


    Creator''s Thought


    While I was ying with the sloths¡ª I mean training them, the people near me were impatient. They couldn''t wait for their colleagues toe out with news of what was inside. They couldn''t wait to head inside themselves too. I was convinced they would all love it since the challenges were pretty fun.

 Chapter 258: Intro Course, Lots of Fun!

    <h4>Chapter 258: Intro Course, Lots of Fun!</h4>


    ****(POV Trainees)


    Inside the Alter Tower, the ''fun'' kept going as the trainees faced more of the incredibly perverse challenges.


    [Wee to Floor 420! Mission: Survive the office for a month!]


    "Office work? Are you kidding me?! This is going to be a piece of cake!"


    "Why are there monkeys everywhere¡­.Also, what''s with these asshole bosses?"


    "The goal is to type. I can do that easily. Is this an evolving mission? Perhaps there will be monsters spawning soon?"


    "How long have I been typing? An hour maybe? Why do my fingers and my wrist hurt? Wait¡­am I bleeding?! I really need to take a break!" After stopping for a second, that Climber heard a monkey scream: ''You''re fired!'', then he had failed.


    "Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok. Goddammit! Screw that clock!" The Climber couldn''t support the intrusive noise and flipped his whole desk upside down, the typewriting machine utterly getting destroyed in the process. Then, he got fired.


    A more resistant Climber could be seen looking like a zombie. "I just want to rest¡­zzz¡­cannot fall asleep! What inhumane treatment is this?! No one can function with 1 hour of sleep every 11 hours. It''s just impossible¡­zzzz" He got fired too.


    There was even one that just couldn''t stand the whole bosses requesting them to waste their time. "Bitch monkey, I''m gonna skin you! I''m gonna take your head, unscrew it from your neck and shove it up your ass. Then I''ll¡­" ¡ª Fired!


    One after the other, they all failed. The one that managed to resist the longest did so for one week before reaching his limits. All the ones that had believed this would be easy were despairing. They would have preferred bloodthirsty OP monsters over this!


    [Wee to Floor 2! Mission: find a shelter.]


    "What kind of shelter am I supposed to be looking for? Another building like this white brick one but intact instead, maybe? Could be¡­"


    "This ce is so hot! Also, why are there two suns above this desert? Guess for now I can only explore."


    "It seems pretty peaceful so far as there is only endless sand. Weirdly enough, there are no monsters either, and¡­." That''s when something jumped out of a nearby dune, devouring that Climber before he could even react.


    "What is that in the distance? Oh my god! Is that a giant worm? What is it with that level?!" <Small Worm Lv 49> "There is no way that I''m fighting that!" that Climber hid until dehydration set in and then pitifully died.


    "I was right to proceed with caution. No need to fight when you can sneak! I just had to find that one tunnel leading downward. Now, in front is a cave. This should be the shelter I''m looking for and ¡ª oh god, is that a worm?!" DEAD¡­.


    All across the realm, Climbers were getting frightened by monsters that were way too high level for them. Why was it that most creatures were thrice their level?! Even the ones that tried to avoid fighting stumbled and died eventually.


    [Wee to Floor 3! Mission: save face for the Heroic-Paws Vige!]


    "Save face? What does that even mean? Ah, it must be to get the bone back. This should be rtively easy."


    "After asking around, there are two destinations of interest nearby. There is the Savage Land and also the Hard-Paws vige. Where should I begin?"


    "Hehe, this Hard-Paws vige is going to be an easy target. They are only a few levels above me. As long as I kite them properly, everything will be fine. Take this: fireball! Wait, why are they alling at once?! They''re smart NPCs?! Fuck!!"¡ª Gangbanged to death.


    "I''m sure this Savage Land is the key to clearing this Floor. Wait, is that a message on the wall? 130 Reasons Why Master Is Awesome?! What''s that?! Wait, there''s a description of Teacher?! I''ll just copy what he did then!" ¡ª Killed by a Scaly Devil.


    "Oh my god. This list is so damn cheesy! It sounds so over the top too. I wonder who''s the dumbass that wrote this shit! Hahaha¡­" ¡ª Killed by a certain Dog Girl.


    "Fighting isn''t the answer! I''ll negotiate with the Hard-Paws and get our bone back. I can do this! I just need to tell them I made a mistake and want it back." No, he couldn''t. ¡ªBecame theughingstock of the ns.


    In their own way, they all concluded that this mission wasn''t as easy as it sounded. There were only a few that did manage toplete that Floor. They all used a simr strategy.


    "Hehe, I knew that sneaking in their vige and getting the bone back was the answer. No need for any of the bullshit!"


    In the subsequent event, the friendly NPC Old Bernard managed to hold his own and stand straight. The few who managed to clear it happily were ushered to part two of this challenge, Floor 4.


    [Wee to Floor 4! Congrattion on clearing Floor 3! Mission: Save the dog ns from extinction.]


    "Wait, what? Extinction?! Guess I have to figure out what danger they are facing first."


    "Okay, so apparently, we have to fight monkeys that outnumber us. How hard can that be? If they outnumber us, then they probably are lower level. As long as I assassinate their leaders, everything will work out!"


    "What the fuck is this?! They''re all at least five levels above our guys, plus they have super deadly giant worms?! There is no way that clearing this is possible! This is bullshit!"¡ª All dogs died.


    [Wee to Floor 5! Mission: Clear the Enlightened Monkey''s trial-Part 2!]


    "Part 2? I didn''t clear part 1 yet. Ah, whatever. I guess I just need to follow this hallway, right? Oh, there is an intersection. Let''s pick one randomly. Wait, didn''t I already walk here? I''m lost¡­I''m so damn lost. What the fuck is this trial?!"¡ª Failed for taking too long.


    "This new challenge is a maze., Wow, I wasn''t expecting this at all. Alright, let''s have some fun. Slow and steady wins the race. I''m just going to hug the right wall!"


    "So this is the Enlightened Monkey? I have passed your challenge. What is my reward? Wait¡­that long-ass maze wasn''t the challenge? Then, what is? Alright, I''ll find the bananas!"


    "Oh, there''s one! Let''s just pick it up real quick and¡ª" After touching it that Climber''s eyes became dull as he fell to the ground unconscious¡ª Failed.


    "Okay, this banana gives me a bad feeling for some reason. I won''t touch it directly. Let''s pick it up with a cloth. Yep, that''s good. Now, time to find the others!"¡ª Didn''t find the others.


    "You damn monkey! I''ve been looking for an hour already, and there are no bananas here at all! Was it fun tricking me?! I''ll beat you up!!!¡­ Wait, level 60 and a Boss?! What is this?!"¡ª Punched to death.


    One after the others, the Climbers were exiting the Alter Tower. Not a single one had seeded.


    Many could be seen shaking aghast, remembering the horrors that had happened in there. Others were less traumatized, but they still couldn''t wrap their heads around how to clear this Tower. They felt likeplete failures.


    It didn''t help that Josh was there to wee them. "So, how was it? Fun, am I right?! This should be a good intro course!" He radiantly smiled at them.


    They nked. This was fun?! Also, if this was the intro course¡­what would the regr one be like?! They shivered once more¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    I wouldter realize that my definition of fun was a bit different from what everyone else considered fun. But, there was no need to fret. They would learn with time. This was just the first day after all. I would enjoy seeing neers'' reactions in the future.

 Chapter 259: Very Fun Yoga!

    <h4>Chapter 259: Very Fun Yoga!</h4>


    Josh could only watch the shivering crowd with puzzlement. Why were they reacting so exaggeratedly? Had they run into a problem inside?


    No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn''t find anything particrly scary in there. He had overachieved the challenges and had been close to death only once.


    Except, even death shouldn''t be an issue with the entry ticket. "So, what happened to you guys in there? How many Floors did you allplete?"


    They all lowered their head in shame, looking extremely bleak. Josh had to stare at them for a good minute before a girl finally raised her hand. "Teacher, I managed to clear part one of the dog n trial but failed the second part to protect them."


    "Did anyone managed to clear more than one Floor?" Josh inquired.


    *Insert cricket sound*


    "Who managed to clear one floor then?" A few awkwardly raised their hands.


    "All of you guys that only cleared Floor 3, lower them." It was back to 0. Josh nodded in realization.


    "I know why you guys are having trouble: youck adaptability. It would be best if you learned to use the environment to your advantage. There is only one Floor out of all of them that I cleared using 100% my power." Josh exined.


    "What?!"


    "Holy shit!"


    "How godly!"


    "This is unreal!"


    Josh''s statement shocked them all to the core. They couldn''t believe their ears. He had cleared all the Floors?! For some, it was even more unbelievable. After all, 2/6 of them had seen Floor 420.


    How crazy was it to picture him achieving victory on 420 Floors in a row! He even had enough energy afterward to happily smile. A single Floor had broken them all to various degrees. Was this feat even humanly possible?!


    Then again, even if it weren''t humanly possible, it wouldn''t stop the one and only Josh Motherfucking Malum anyway¡­


    A trainee raised his hand, full of wonder. "Teacher, which Floor required you to use 100% of your power?!" They all listened exceptionally attentively.


    "You see, it was the very shitty one," Josh exined.


    Most of the crowd was confused. What did this even mean? How bad could it be for even the smiling madman to describe it as very shitty? What kind of insane challenge would there be?!


    But, others instantly understood what he meant. Their faces twisted in grimaces as they became pallid just thinking about it. But then they looked at Josh, wondering how he was so calm andposed.


    "Psst¡ª what is he talking about, do you know?" The ones that knew were easy to recognize and were soon asked to share their knowledge.


    "Noment." All that experienced it were keeping their lips sealed tightly. At that moment, they allmonly agreed never to speak of it. It was far too shameful!


    Plus, they couldn''t wait for the others to suffer the same fate. Humans always dealt with misery better when it was shared. Such was life.


    "Right, has anyone seen the peeps from Draconic? Team 7, Kasha?!" Josh called, but they were nowhere to be found. They were apparently still in the Tower, and chances were they were actually clearing Floors. It was the same for Dale, that Dumpling guy, and Roderick.


    Everyone had their way of approaching these things. For instance, Tech Queen Alexa had gone into the Tower but hade out extremely rxed. She had remained in the Mall, eating and drinking beforeing back after finding the stones.


    She happily described her experience to Josh:


    "You know, the realism in there is phenomenal. If I can get that close with VR, then vor wouldn''t matter anymore. People could just eat tasteless mashed puree while connected online. Wouldn''t that be amazing?!" She said with stars in her eyes.


    "I guess¡­"


    "People could even eat literal shit and find it delicious!" Alexa reiterated, sending many in PTSD mode. (To her absolute confusion)


    As for Josh, he wanted to stick around a bit more to check on their progress. But, he was already bored of the sloths, so he decided to try something else:


    "Alright, you all! Make sure everyone has had the chance to at least enter the Tower once. As for the ones that stay outside, I will be organizing a fun yoga activity. It''s perfect for a break from the Tower!"


    Many nced at each other confused. Yoga? Was he for real? He had promised them all a world of pain beforehand, and sure the Tower was harsh, but yoga?! But, others had an inkling of what would happen.


    "You guys, why do I feel like it won''t be simple?"


    "Because it''sing from a guy that headpats slothtrosities."


    "Wait, didn''t he just call the Tower fun a few minutes ago?!"


    "Oh god!"


    "Yes, whoever joins this activity has a death wish!"


    "What will you guys do?"


    "Join, obviously! I came here to train, not rx!"


    "You''re right! We may die, but we won''t cower!"


    That is how people joined Josh''s yoga ss with the resolve to die. The ones in the front row were all hardened warriors that had survived countless battles, but never had they been as stressed as they were now.


    Josh couldn''t help but feel weird about it. He had just said that on a whim, mainly because it sounded fun. Who wouldn''t want to have Climbers follow one''s movement to the letter? It brought such a sense of power!


    But, he suddenly felt terrible. They seemed so intense and somitted. He could hear them whisper about how this was training in disguise. That''s when he decided not to disappoint them.


    How would the ones still naively thinking this would be fun and rxing would have reacted if they knew? Badly or horribly? Perhaps there would have been the first training-rted homicide.


    "Are you guys ready? Make sure not to use mana, It''s to train the body and spirit." Josh instructed, most nodding with diverse fright levels.


    "Let''s start with the warrior''s pose!" Josh began to slightly emit killing intent, subtle enough for them not to notice.


    "Now, let''s try the camel pose!" + killing intent. Now they finally noticed.


    "Now for the tree pose!" ++ killing intent. Many began grimacing.


    "Do the crow like this!" +++ killing intent. Alexa ran over, extremely eager to join the training. Her face was even flushed red in excitement! She was probably trying to research killing intent.


    "Now, the stressed Climber''s pose!" ++++ killing intent. Many began showing very unsightly looks. They resisted the urge to release their dder or vomit but struggled.


    "Do the Duck Pose!" +++++ It was now a shitshow, literally. The ones that were still holding only did so because they had friends nearby that were still resisting. They didn''t want to be the first to go down.


    "Slothtrosity pose!" ++++++ killing intent. The yoga field was now a sea of dead fishes and/or sick fishes. None were in condition to keep going. All showedplete despair¡ª except Alexa that was blissfully smiling even unconscious.


    Josh smiled in satisfaction. He believed he had done a proper job and was happily grinning at them all. Of course, they''d have to clean up the mess, for he wouldn''t do it! But, it was only one task added to the list anyway.


    Josh headed to the cafeteria. Yes, they had one. He had personally asked for there not to be any magical food. Most Climber schools prided themselves on stuff like that, but he didn''t care one bit.


    Josh only cared about permanent buffs. This was because he was convinced that humanity was still pretty far from the top of the Tower, simply because all gods so far kept stressing how weak humans were.


    He would wait to reach an actual bottleneck before relying on doping, not that it was bad. It just wasn''t his style. As he ate the most basic but delicious of hot dogs, he kept thinking about how to help the Climbers progress better.


    That''s when it hit him. He had a sh of insight. What they needed was apetitive spirit. It had helped people a ton in the yoga activity. Now, people could alwayspare their performance by talking, but it would be dull soon enough.


    Now, Josh had a great idea. He rushed to the Tower with such excitement while cackling loudly. A passerby curiously looked at him:


    "Teacher, what''s happening?"


    "I got a great idea to spice the Tower challenge. I''m gonna try and see if it''s possible."


    Many looked at each other, weak in the knee. People were just waking up from the fun yoga. Now, this wouldn''t just be fun, but also spicy?! Oh god. Many began praying, wondering if they would survive whatever was toe.


    Josh disappeared, unaware of their worries.


    [Wee back. How is it going, brother?]


    "Hey, AT! I''ve figured out something that is missing. Ah, two things, actually."


    [Oh?]


    "First of all, we need a method to restrict ess to the training Tower, to make it VIP. Is this possible?"


    [For sure, how do you want to assign it?]


    "Pretty much anyone that is my student should be able to ess it, but not strangers."


    [Fair enough, how do we differentiate. Do you want a secret sign or something?]


    "Can we assign admins that can give people permission?"


    [Sure, who do you have in mind?]


    "The people from Draconic, Dale, and probably Frank, our official recruiter."


    [Alright, done!]


    "Alright, now for the second idea. Peopleck motivation and feel like the Floors are impossible."


    [Do you want me to tone the difficulty down a little?]


    "Nope, I have something way cooler in mind! We will introduce¡­."


    [*Drum Roll*]


    "A leaderboard for every Floor!"


    [Damn! That''s great! Alright, give me a second, and I''llpile it.]


    "Nice!"


    [Great news, it is done, and people are avidly checking it out right now!]


    "Perfect!"


    Josh then wasted some time eating illusory brownies and drinking fake coffee while pondering his next step. It would soon be time to open the school to other Climbers.


    Meanwhile, plenty of current students were about to lose their shitpletely, all thanks to that one update¡­.

 Chapter 260: Rankings Are Out...WTF?!

    <h4>Chapter 260: Rankings Are Out...WTF?!</h4>


    Across the Alter Tower, many Climbers were suddenly surprised by an announcement.


    [Ding-Ding! Leaderboards are now avable! Enjoy!]


    "What?!"


    "Leaderboards? Like in a game?!"


    "Guess I''ll check it out then."


    But as they carefully oppened it, many had the surprise of their life. It was so intense that some even perished because of it!


    A man on the desert Floor was buried in a dune, waiting for a ginormous snake to go away. Since he had nothing else to do, he figured he might as well check the new rankings. But then:


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Floor 2 Ranking Conquest Score


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    1. MF Josh: 70 000


    2. Kasha: 200


    3. Usain Dash: 150


    4. AIYA: 50


    5. Empty


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    "What the fuck?!"


    That Climber couldn''t help but cry out loud. How the fuck had Josh managed to get 70 000 points when second ce was only 200?! What kind of impossibly huge difference was this?! Wait, wasn''t Kasha a goddamn Ranker too?!


    His outburst instantly revealed his position, and the giant snake nearby happily came over to devour him. His mind was in such turmoil that he didn''t even realize it, just awakening to the Mall at some point.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Floor 420 Bonus Recovery Time (seconds)


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    1. MF Josh: 1


    2. Peaceful Joe: 2757


    3. Minor: 3452


    4. Dale: 3712


    5. Dumpling Guy (Student): 4339


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    On the shitty Floor, a climber was gawking in astonishment. Someone had managed to pass this test?! This shit wasplete poison! How?! It said recovery time. ce 5 took 72 minutes? This shit was serious!


    But then he nced upward, 61 minutes, 57 minutes, 46 minutes¡­.1 second?! Was Josh even human?! This was clear proof that he wasn''t! No, there had to be a trick! He just had to be careful and remain strong. He grabbed the shit, ate it ¡ª then got eliminated instantly.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Floor 420 Survival Time


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    1. MF Josh: Infinite


    2. Dale: 2 weeks


    3. Emsee Hammer: 2 weeks


    4. Recruiter Frank: 2 weeks


    5. Caroline (Student): 2 weeks


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Many contestants on that Floor were busy typing random bullshit while trying their best to resist the mental attacks (kinda). They had to resist theck of sleep, the soul-crushingly annoying noises, and the harassment from the bosses.


    For them, the leaderboard was great news! They would be able to check it while typing, plus it would distract them from going crazy¡ª or so they thought. But then they saw Josh''s score, and all lost the challenge instantly as they stared with their mouth gaping open.


    Once out, they began thinking about these results. Why was everyone failing at the two weeks mark?! Was it possible that the difficulty ramped up drastically mid-way? If they were caught unprepared, they would likely all fail at that point.


    But how could one receive Infinite as a mark?! It wasn''t like it was genuinely possible to remain an infinite amount of time in the Tower. Josh was already out! No, there had to be something else.


    That''s when many Climbers figured out that they were probably not approaching the test the proper manner. Perhaps the key to sess wasn''t truly to survive one month! At that moment, many felt extremely silly for just copying monkeys¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Floor 3 Prestige Score


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    1. MF Josh: 6000


    2. Kasha: 512


    3. Emsee Hammer: 489


    4. Copy Gon (Student): 67


    5. Desmond (Student) 53


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    Many were shocked by Josh''s performance but couldn''t help but notice that Emsee Hammer and Kasha seemed to score way higher than the other two. They had probably figured out a trick to this.


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    Floor 4 Enemies Killed - Allies Lost


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    1. MF Josh: 10 854


    2. Minor: 89


    3. Emsee Hammer: -132


    4. Kasha: -156


    5. AIYA: -349


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    What kind of leaderboard was this?! How could there be negative scores?! Ah, It meant that they had lost too many allies. Had all of them obtained pyrrhic victories? Perhaps Minor had seeded, but it was hard to judge with Josh''s result. 10k+, WTF?!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Floor 5 Completion Rate


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    1. MF Josh: 150%


    2. Kasha: 23%


    3. Usain Dash: 22%


    4. AIYA: 17%


    5. Emsee Hammer: 14%


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Once again, Draconic dominated that leaderboard. But even more ring was how much of a cheat Josh seemed! Apletion rate of 150% out of 100%, how was this even possible?!


    Some hadn''t been able to find a single banana, and they could now see that the problemy with them.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Overall it was safe to say that most of them went through a simr process when confronted with Josh''s performance:


    1. Shock: What the fuck was up with Josh''s results?!


    2. Denial: No, this had to be an error. It couldn''t be possible! Perhaps the Tower had added a few zeros by mistake or something.


    3. Anger: How were they supposed to reach the expectations of such a monster?! Would it even be possible for them to clear the challenges in the first ce?!


    4. Bargaining: Perhaps there was a trick to it? As long as they worked hard, they would reach the same height as him.


    5. Depression: Evening close to him was impossible! It was easier to reach a star in the night sky with a tricycle!


    6. Testing: Perhaps someone else in their cohort would manage to achieve simr results, then they could copy them? It was unlikely but not impossible, right?


    7. eptance: Nope, no matter what they did, simr results were impossible. He was Josh Motherfucking Malum and couldn''t be understood with thews of the world. It was better not to think about it.


    In short, many were having an existential crisis. Many were looking up to Josh''s strength buting to terms that he would probably forever remain out of reach.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh happily smiled as he exited the Alter Tower. He couldn''t help but feel proud of histest contribution to the school. He could already picture how excited the students would be.


    Now, all of them were in this training together. They were all bound by the same magical NDA, and they would challenge each other to promote growth. The base was already there, and everything was working as intended.


    As he walked, he couldn''t help but feel that some of them were staring at him very intensely. Could it be that AT had told them the rankings had been his idea? They were probably grateful.


    It was nice, but he now had to figure out about recruitment. First, a visit to Tech Queen Alexa. She''d know how to create a fantastic website, right?


    Creator''s Thought


    AT''s grading system was pretty straightforward but it did the job well! In the end, having precise grading didn''t matter as long as it was all calcted the same for everyone.


    Monkeys = Time


    Dog War = Number of dog subordinates obtained, saved, and then the number of monkeys killed.


    Desert = Level of the cave conquered with bonus for kills.

 Chapter 261: 100% Scamming!

    <h4>Chapter 261: 100% Scamming!</h4>


    When Josh found Alexa, she was still weak in the knee from the yoga. She began blushing as soon as he approached, probably remembering the sorry state she had been in.


    "Hey, I want your help with setting up a website for this ce!"


    "I can definitely do that, but shouldn''t you have done that before opening the school?" She asked, perplexed.


    "Can you help or not?"


    "Are you looking down on me? Of course, I can help! Follow me. Ah, but you''ll owe me one!" She grinned as she guided him to a remote building, all the vegetation having been removed in a 20 meters radius near it.


    It looked like everything else in the camp, but it was in fact full of nanomachines. As they approached, the wall opened to let them enter, revealing the prettiest pink. Walls, floors, sofa, carpet, everything was pink!


    "AI, add this guy as an exception to the defense perimeter for now."


    "Defense perimeter?"


    "It''s the area without grass outside: anyone heading inside will end up as a gooey blob. I enjoy my privacy when I''m camping." Alexa casually exined.


    It was just another thing to add to the list: the Alter Tower, cool yoga, slothtrosities, and now a rich crazy tech CEO camping armed to the teeth.


    "So, what do you want for your site?" She asked.


    "It needs to be epic, easy to read, shy, and to the point! This is the simplest Climber School, but it''s an experience in and of itself. We aren''t trying to sell something needlesslyplicated here."


    "You do know that there are regtions for Climber Schools, right? We''ll have to wait for inspectors toe over, and they''ll be snooping everywhere."


    "You''re right. So here is what we''ll be doing. For title, just put: Totally not a Climber School ;) ¡ª Dimensional Legion."


    "Pfft¡ª people are definitely going to find problems with this. Can you think of anything less subtle than that?!" She sarcastically asked.


    "How about: Dimensional Legion''s Climber School, but it''s not really a school since we didn''t get the license," Josh replied with a sly smile.


    "¡­. Guess I''ll put that first BS obvious name then. What do you want as a logo?"


    "You can put the Alter Tower. Maybe have the different sections as if different Floors and make it clickable for more info?"


    "That works. Now, what about the description?" She patiently inquired.


    "Join now, experience dying in the Tower a thousand times, and yet stay alive! Greatest training there is!"


    "Pretty sure most of the rich kids won''t want to attend if that''s your sales pitch." She pointed out.


    "Pretty sure I don''t care about the spoiled brats. They''d probably give up in a day and ask for a refund anyway." Josh countered.


    "Do you have any idea for the slogan?"


    "This ain''t a daycare. We''re gonna train the shit out of you!"


    "Are you fucking serious?!"


    Josh did a silent thumb up.


    "Then, what about the prices and services?" She asked.


    "I have it noted right here!" Josh proudly presented a sheet. Alexa read it in silence, raising her brows a few times every line in shock, trying not to facepalm.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Totally not a Climber School ;) Price chart (k Credits):


    1. VIP (10):


    - Get Unlimited ess to the Training Tower, a specially designed Tower to optimize one''s learning experience!


    - All-Included Housing in the legendary D-23: Vige Hidden in the Sloths during your training!


    - Be an Alumni of D.L uponpleting the Training Tower.


    - Opportunities to be recruited by the D.L. guild directly.


    2. Super VIP (20):


    - Everything from the VIP tier and more!


    - Official picture and autograph with D.L. executive


    - Q/A with the founder via social media


    3. Amazing VIP (30):


    - Everything from the Super VIP tier and more!


    - Direct coaching from the legendary Josh MF Malum


    - Clear of 1 Floor in a party with the founder (If appropriate level)


    Join now. ces are limited! ^_^v


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    "I''m just not sure about the prices," Josh admitted, with Alexa nodding in agreement. But then he kept going: "Maybe it''s too cheap¡­."


    For an instant, she choked. "Too cheap?! How is this too cheap?! 10k Credits is the price of a D Ranked item! Do you think people will blow it all up on stupid training?! Many can''t get 10k even if they sell themselves!"


    Josh remained pensive for a second. "Right, let''s add a use that they can take student loans if needed. The down payment only needs to be 1k. This shouldn''t be that hard to stomach."


    "Also, what''s with the other two tiers?! It''s literally just training with you! It doesn''t even say for how long! For all people know, it could only be a one-time thing." She criticized.


    "That''s what it is." Josh shamelessly admitted.


    "Let me be blunt. Who are you trying to scam?!" She eximed.


    "Students. Don''t you know, the whole education system is designed to be 90% a scam. At least there won''t be any BS here. They''ll learn by climbing. That''s what Climbers are meant to do" Josh shrugged.


    The way he saw it, it was worth it to anyone that could afford it. Sure, they probably wouldn''t get anything concrete out of it, but it would teach them to think outside the box. AT was actually more troublesome than the regr Tower too!


    "Just to be sure, you want me to publish this?" She worriedly confirmed once more.


    "Yep, let''s fire it up! I can contact a few journalists and¡­."


    "No need, I''ll just do an official post about it." Alexa smugly dered.


    Right, she was an extremely sessful CEO and herpany sold products to all Climbers. Many would check her status just for info on new products.


    Instantly the response was phenomenal¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    On a certain social media tform:


    "Hey, guys! Do you remember the recent rumors about D.L opening a school? It seems it was true!"


    "Let me see! Wait, what the hell is up with the name?! Totally not a school? What?!"


    "They probably don''t have the certificate to open a school and are ying shady."


    "That''s ridiculous! That Josh guy literally toured all three Metropolises with the ck Fleet doing his bidding. Do you really think he can''t get a school permit?!"


    "Look at their slogan! Did they justpare usual Climber schools to daycares?! They are throwing some real shade! That exins the name!"


    "OMFG! Look at these prices!"


    "What? 10, 20, and 30? How can it be so cheap?!"


    "Dude, it''s in K Credits! It''s 10k, 20k, and 30k! This ain''t cheap at all!"


    "Scam!!!! Scam!!! Scaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmm!"


    "What about the 10k one? The others are BS, but this one seems kinda interesting."


    "Training Tower? This is VR, right? How is it different from any other school?"


    "Useless AF!"


    "Alumni of the D.L. School¡­.is this even useful? Maybe?"


    "Most probably worthless."


    "Getting recruited by the D.L. guild?! Did I see it right?! Hell, it could be worth just for this!"


    "I swear, we still know absolutely nothing about that D.L. guild! What if it''s a creation from that Josh guy?"


    "Please! Do you think the MTAs would coborate with him if he were a crook?"


    "I mean ...maybe?"


    "You guys are crazy!"


    "Guys, holy fuck! You can click on the Training Tower to get more details. It''s not VR! It''s the goddamn Alter Tower! WTF?!"


    "What do you mean it''s the Alter Tower?"


    "They transformed a real Tower into a training ground!! That''s what it says here!"


    "Fake news!"


    "Then it''s 100% Fake news!!!"


    "Guys, Tech Queen Alexa sent this herself and designed the website¡­.It''s even hosted on her personal domain! This stuff is impossible to hack!"


    "Maybe that Josh guy paid her to do it?"


    "Are you retarded?! Do you think she''ll jeopardize her entire career for a little bit of money! Think, Man! Think!"


    "How the hell does one transform a Tower?!"


    "I don''t know, but the government has tried everything without being able to affect it directly. All they could do was to block the ess from the outside..."


    "This is insane! Now I feel like signing up just for this..."


    "Can you, though? Why are we even talking about it? It''s not like we poor blokes can afford this stuff."


    "Yeah, it''s sad. At most, I can get 1-2k, and that''s if I take a loan. This training is the bane of low-level Climbers. As usual, they only cater to the rich."


    "Guys.....Oh my god! They do loans! They fucking do loans!!! Later, I gotta go..."


    "It''s possible to sign-up with 1K ?! Count me in!"


    "ces are limited?! I gotta go!"


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    On the side was a bbergasted Alexa. Many had already replied to her post, asking to reserve their ces. Had they all gone crazy?!


    But that''s when a strident Beeping sound was heard. Instantly her face became white. The camp was under attack! What now?!

 Chapter 262: Emergency?! Yes, No, Maybe?

    <h4>Chapter 262: Emergency?! Yes, No, Maybe?</h4>


    Alexa''s face turned white as the strident rm resounded.


    Screens appeared on the walls, showing the exterior. But, there was an orange fog outside, making the visibility very bad.


    "Dammit, intruders!" She grunted.


    "How bad is it? What about the people we have on patrol?" Josh asked, confused. Were they all cking at once?!


    Alexa fiddled with her UW, trying to get more information.


    "Allies are all down, and the air is filled with an extremely potent sleeping gas! Such a quantity and concentration are nothing to scoff at, especially in such an open area. This attack isn''t simple!" She eximed.


    "I see¡­" Josh nodded calmly.


    "There are about 100 enemies. Possibly more could be outside,ying in ambush. They are slowly making their way over here,bing the entire forest carefully. The allies'' vitals are still looking fine, so I believe our enemies are looking for something or someone."


    "Only 100? It''s not that bad." Joshmented. Also, how the fuck could she see allied vitals?


    "But it''s too much for the two of us. We are stuck here with the few weapons I have in this tent. Normally it would work great, but they probably have Jammers seeing the intensity of this operation."


    "Are tents even supposed to have weapons?" Josh asked, puzzled.


    "We can''t even ask for help since themunications are blocked. I could bypass it, but it would take time and instantly reveal our position. I doubt it would be any help. As for the allies in the Tower, they''ll fall asleep as soon as they exit."


    "There are worst fates."


    "So we are stuck here with no allies, too many enemies,cking resources, and unable to ask for any reinforcements!" Alexa summarized.


    "I see¡­"


    "How are you not freaking out?!"


    "Whoever is attacking can''t go all in. If they use weapons of mass destruction, they''ll make an enemy out of all Metropolises. As for the sleeping gas, it''s the only option with the number of MTA soldiers we have. All of them dying would mean war." Josh exined.


    "This doesn''t change the situation one bit! Wait, Josh¡­.bad news! I think you''re their target. Yes, they''reing to murder or abduct you!" She gloomily said.


    "What makes you believe so?" Josh asked.


    "This!"


    Alexa moved the camera around until they could faintly discern a man with a gas mask holding a saber in one hand and a picture of Josh in the other while sneaking around. From time to time, he would turn sleeping people over to check their faces.


    "Maybe they''re just trying to get autographs? They probably realized how valuable each is since it''s part of the Super VIP package!" Josh nodded wisely.


    "¡­." *Press X*


    "Any hint of who they are? Seeing as they are sneaking even now, do you think they could be from the League of Assassins? It wouldn''t make much sense, however¡­." Josh said, perplexed.


    "Oh god! Logically they shouldn''t care that much, but they probably want to turn you into a symbol: an example of what happens to the ones that defy them. How about you try heading in the Tower to hide?" Alexa proposed.


    "That''s unnecessary." Josh casually remarked.


    "Never mind, they have people in front of it now! Soon they''ll start searching the buildings!" Alexa warned.


    "Real talk, do you think they have bounties on their head?" Josh asked with shiny eyes.


    "What''s the use of knowing that?! Do you even have a n to get us out of here?! Wait¡­ you''ve been extremely rxed this whole time!"


    "Of course! Let''s have a little fun, shall we?" Josh was smiling as he went to press a button on his UW. That is when the many speakers hidden all over the ce began sting heavy metal.


    It was a song titled:


    ??????????????????????''????????s???????????????????? ?????????t?????????????????????????m???????????????e??????????? ???????????t???????????????o????????????????????? ????????????f?????????????¨¶??????????c????????????????????i????????????????n????????????????g?????????????? ??????????????d??????????????????????????e????????!?????????????


    How fitting it was! The volume was so loud that it made everyone''s eardrums violently tremble. The assassins (?) took fighting stances as they prepared themselves for whatever was toe. Sadly, this decision was a rtively poor one.


    ????


    ????


    ????


    ????


    This was the sound of home! Death metal and soul attacks made by grumpy slothtrosities. The enemies fell to the ground and remained motionless. After about a minute, Josh finally stopped the music.


    "What do you think, Alexa? Pretty handy, am I right?" Josh glowed with pride. Except, she also was out ofmission with her body sprawled on the floor. "Right¡­.be right back!"


    The rest was easy. Josh happily went around signing autographs with a huge scimitar! (totally not stolen). He couldn''t help but chuckle to himself as he pictured the face of the coroner that would autopsy them.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    It would go something like this:


    "Sir, we''ve found the cause of death!" (Coroner)


    "What is it, doctor?!" (Criminal Investigator)


    "Josh Motherfucking Malum, Sir! Literally! The J was already very life-threatening, at the first M the victim was doomed, and the Malum has been written postmortem!" (Coroner)


    "How horrible! Who would do such a thing?!" (Criminal Investigator)


    Then they would look at each other and realize the truth: any member of Josh''s Fanclub could have done it, bringing the potential number of suspects over billions. The investigation would have to stop due to ack of funding to interrogate them all.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh kept a few alive, woke them up, and interrogated them. It followed the usual pattern:


    "You can cut me, boil me, torture me, but I won''t talk no matter what!" The captive would heroically¡­mumble¡ª the best they could do after the sloth attack.


    Then, Josh would use lots of killing intent, and they''d beg to be forgiven while spilling everything. Josh had a bounty on his head that could be imed dead or alive. (Slight bonus for bringing him alive to their HQ)


    1. Since he had been deemed a public enemy by the League, it would increase the assassin rank of whoever participated in the mission based on their contributions. (This allowed ess to better bounties in terms of effort versus rewards.)


    2. Because he had such close ties with the MTA, anyone killing him would be infamous. This meant possibly receiving personal contracts, with clients paying extra to have the killer of their choice do the job.


    3. There was a progressive reward on his head. At the moment, it was a meager 10k Credits, but the more assassins he fended off and the higher this sum would go up.


    Josh went back to Alexa, woke her up, and summarized the situation. With the assassins gone, she called for a few trusted men to help heal the students.


    They were now discussing the events in detail:


    "These wannabe assassins were pretty dumb. Didn''t they know about the sloths? How were they even going to separate the rewards between 100 people anyway?!" Josh remarked


    "We can both agree on that, but I don''t think this is as simple as it looks. Just the poison used costs more than the reward from that silly bounty." She pointed out worriedly.


    "Someone in the background is probably pulling the strings to test the waters. Now, the question is: what was their goal? Is it to discover more info about the Alter Tower, myself, or possibly Dimensional Legion?" Josh could only sigh.


    "Not sure, but it''s not my business. Good luck figuring it out! Hopefully, my camping won''t be disturbed anymore." She teased him.


    "Alright, Tech Majesty! I shall arrange for you to remain undisturbed while you are camping!" Josh faked a reverence.


    "Thanks, but seriously be careful. It''s only a matter of time until someonepetent shows up, then it will be toote. You''re a Fallen, right? I suggest you try and umte lifespan while you can. Things could be ugly." She seriously advised.


    "Alright, I understand. Thanks for the suggestion,ter!" Josh could only agree.


    He didn''t like this feeling of not knowing his enemy. He had always been the one scheming against others. Back on Earth, he had remained in the shadows for his revenge. In this world, he had juste out into the light.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh went inside the Alter Tower resolutely.


    "Hey, AT, bad news!"


    [?]


    "I''ll have to leave for now. There are some pests after me."


    [Make sure to crush them thoroughly!]


    "Hehe, of course. But, I''ll need a new identity. I was thinking of a human-looking cosmetic mask. How many challenges do you think it will take?"


    [About that, I think I can use your current status to aplish the same effect.]


    "?"


    [Right now, you''re the keeper of the Training Tower. I should be able to give a cosmetic ability to the medallion I gave you. It can be justified using the need to remain anonymous for the job.]


    "There''s such a loophole? What if I need to shootser with my eyes to aplish my duties?"


    [You wish! Anyway, here, inspect the medallion again! ^_^V]


    <AT Keeper of the Infinite Tower>


    - Allow its wearer to navigate freely in the Alter Tower


    - Allows its wearer to assume a random human appearance


    - Only usable by Josh MF Malum


    "Wow! Did you create a new item rank called AT?!"


    [Yep! Every item in the series is unique. Only the best for my brother!]


    "I''ll treasure it. You can be sure of it!"


    [Of course!]


    "I also have something for you. Take this! Hopefully, it can serve as inspiration!" Josh dropped a small manuscript to the ground.


    [Wait¡­Floor ideas?! Oh, there are some nice ones in there. Not to brag, but if I manage to execute 10% of them, my Tower will be the most challenging ever. I can already hear the screams of despair!]


    "So, do you like it?"


    [!!!!YES!!!!]


    "I''ve slotted a few letters in there too. If you could ry the messages to the people concerned via announcement, it would be great."


    [Will do! You can go without any worry!]


    "Alright, take care, brother. We will see each other once I''ve dealt with my problems."


    [Later! o/]


    That day, Josh Malum disappeared¡­

 Chapter 263: More Fellow Humans!!

    <h4>Chapter 263: More Fellow Humans!!</h4>


    Metropolis-D was even more bustling than usual, with many Climbers busying themselves. Amidst the crowd, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man was heading to the Tower. He was subtly listening to the various discussions.


    "Am I going crazy, or there are tons of visitors today?"


    "Didn''t you hear? D.L. finally opened their school to the public. There are so many eager to join!"


    "I don''t understand. Isn''t it super expensive?!"


    "Yeah, for sure, but some think it can be worth it anyway."


    "What about the Alter Tower? Are people still going there?"


    "They wish! Before, it was open for free, and no one wanted to enter at all! Now, that Josh guy is suddenly selling ess to it. Isn''t this over the top?!"


    "They wish? Isn''t it public property? Why can''t they just head in?"


    "The students are blocking them. Can you believe it? Many are protesting right outside D-23. At this rate, maybe a fight will even break out!"


    "What about leader Markus? Won''t he do something about this?"


    "Nope, some of his soldiers are training there as we speak. Hell, no one knows anything much. Journalists aren''t allowed ess, and there hasn''t been any official statement either."


    "That sucks. The world used to be so much simpler..."


    "Yeah. I truly wonder what that Josh guy is thinking¡­not that we''ll ever meet."


    Ironically, that "Josh guy" was currently a few meters away from him. This new appearance change medallion was awesome! It could fool allies and enemies alike!


    It seemed like the general public wasn''t aware of the assassins'' attack or that he was missing just yet. He calmly entered the Tower, grinning. How would this all y out? Either way, he had left some detailed instructions.


    His people would be fine while he would be on Floor 19!...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    There was darkness, the faint sound ofborious breathing, the horrible smell of wet fur, and thick spearlike bars all around. Josh awoke to a wooden cage, surrounded by "fellow humans". This Floor had him spawn as a captive?!


    Josh had no clue how, but that shitty wooden cage he was in was literally invincible! He tried sawing it, but it didn''t work. He would have seen tons of "0 damage" with every strike if this were an MMO.


    He turned to his allies (?). This time, the Tower Protocol had attempted facial features. Still, they appeared pixted as if a retro video game. One could describe them as ck humanoid shapes with flesh-colored unrecognizable faces (?).


    "How are you guys doing?" Josh tentatively asked, friendly.


    "Stay strong, fellow human! We''ll find a way to escape!" The NPC answered in a monotone voice that made theforting message fall t.


    Hearing the prisoners talk, one of their captors approached. It was a grotesque humanoid creature with a face covered in pustules and thick green skin. It was about twice the height of a typical adult human.


    Two huge fangs came out of its mouth, and its dentition was more crooked than the stereotypical British. It barely had a few strands of hair on its head and would have made that guy that kept screaming "my precious ring" appear like a professional hair model.


    <Healthy Troll Hunter Lv 25> (Elite)


    "GRRR! Noisy! Shut up!" The troll growled. Josh made a mental note¡ª not a troll of many words.


    "Stay strong, fellow human! We''ll find a way to escape!"


    Wow, just wow! Yes, the allied NPC was calling a troll a fellow human. Was it blind, dumb, or both?! It seemed like this was the only sentence it knew, and it would repeat it to any living creature to hear.


    "GRRR! Dumb thing. Eh, hunt starting soon." The troll then left.


    [Wee to the great troll hunt! Mission: Survive!]


    "Hey, how have you been? Missed me?" Josh made small talk.


    "Stay strong, fellow human! W¡ª"


    "I wasn''t talking to you. Shut up!" Josh felt like facepalming. "Survive? Survive how long?... Hello?!" Hispanions took the hello as an opportunity to all say their line! Perhaps the true challenge was not to go on a murderous spree against fellow humans?


    After a while, many trolls came nearby and violently opened the door, sending it flying a few meters away. On their backs, they had giant bows that glowed red with runic inscriptions.


    They stood there grinning as they pointed toward the humongous dark forest nearby. It was time to run, and so Josh did, along with tons of screaming NPCs. None seemed to understand the concept of hiding, not that it would matter.


    "Fellow humans, gather around!" ¡ªThey did.


    "I have great news! You all have received a promotion and gone from useless being to live bait! Isn''t this wonderful!" Josh happily announced.


    "Stay strong¡ª"


    "Anyway, follow me! I will assign everyone a position. This will be fun! Here is where I want you guys:


    1. Stuck in these giant trees!


    2. Entangled in the vegetation!


    3. Obviously hiding behind boulders!


    4. Underground in any crevasse you can find!


    5. Heading back to that cage to hide in it!


    I want you guys to look as clueless and over the ce as mountain goats. As long as you guys are easy to spot but hard to shoot down, our mission will seed! Also, make sure to shout!"


    Josh''s wonderful speech was received with an abundance of cheers and words of encouragement, or so history would say. They really only had one line. Anyway, Josh organized them and then hid in a bush.


    The trolls came over with excited smiles¡­that soon turned into frowns. What were these captives doing?! They were now shouting their one line loudly and couldn''t be more obvious. But, they were all in ces difficult to reach with no possibility to escape.


    "Dumb humans, no fun!"


    "One human gone?"


    This fun hunt had been ruined! Still, they separated to try and find Josh, the only missing one. ording to the online guides, fighting the trolls was extremely hard. They were just too hard to kill!


    They could regenerate endlessly, and it required specific magic to dispatch them, with fire being the easiest to use but also extremely eye-catching. Plus, they perfectly knew how to navigate the forest and had developed senses.


    The number 1 strategy was apparently to organize a defensive base to protect the party from arrows. Then, it was just about surviving until the enemies gave up. Of course, some experienced Climbers would scoff at this and go on a killing spree¡ª except, not in Hellish.


    But Josh wouldn''t give a flying fuck aboutmon sense. He sneaked behind a Troll and then shed its throat open, sending insanely hot blood gushing out. Josh attacked with the Ghoul w, and now he just needed to wait for the poison to take effect! Then he decisively ran away!


    In fact, Josh had used all the strength he could muster, but his de had barely prated the creature''s thick neck skin. How sturdy considering his mana enhancement! That move could even cut through golems! Then again, this was a survival mission, not a kill one.


    As soon as he was gone, the troll was already back on its feet, not a single trace of injury! Josh couldn''t help but shiver when thinking how much of a pain it would have been to fight it head-on!


    Even as he tried his best, Josh couldn''t help but make noise during his escape: leaves rustling and sticks creaking. But, all that the troll could hear was: "STAY STRONG FELLOW¡­." over and over.


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle to himself, thinking how effective their support currently was. He figured he might as well repeat the same process with every other troll. He would find lone ones, sh them and escape like the wind.


    Now, the wind was actually a great danger. Josh would never admit it, but there was now a troll angrily searching for him buck naked. He was wearing the creature''s clothes to mimic the troll scent. He only had oneint¡­Why was it so itchy?! Gross!


    But, he persevered through adversity until he had shed all of them! He finally circled back to his very first victim...that was still perfectly healthy?! That''s when he realized that that damn w wasn''t doing anything! How?! These creatures weren''t that high level! Was it their elite status?


    But then it became worse as they finally decided to use their brains. "Find Humans! Kill Humans!" What followed was a one-sided massacre. The poor fellow humans'' heads began flying one after the other.


    This left Josh in a vulnerable position. He couldn''t recklessly move around as easily. Dammit! Maybe he needed to just hide and y the waiting game? Still, this felt so wrong! He didn''t just want to clear the mission but clear the Floorpletely.


    Suddenly, the trolls showed unease as a thumping sound was heard with a towering troll slowly walking over. It was as tall as four humans and sonorously shouted: "Weak trolls, all useless! Me take care of it! You all hide in holes!"


    "Chief! Human hiding good! Human hard to find! No human smell!" They all respectfully lowered their heads, sharing their current issue.


    Their chief began sniffing the air like a dog, its nose twitching in the ugliest fashion. Then a hideous grin distorted the creature''s face even more. "You dumb trolls! No look for human, look for troll! Troll there hiding in bushes. Scheming human smelling of troll!"


    This was the eureka moment for all of these creatures. They instantly began cheering in excitement and stomping in ce in anger from being fooled! Then their chieftain turned directly toward Josh, growling savagely.


    "Hunt Human!!!"


    <Very Healthy Troll Chieftain Garskan Lv 34 ?>


    Josh could already feel the headacheing. He had struggled so much to kill the Healthy Elite Trolls without sess. How perverse would the regeneration of this new one that was not only Very Healthy but also a Boss be?!

 Chapter 264: Troll VS Human!!

    <h4>Chapter 264: Troll VS Human!!</h4>


    Ever yed the game called: Try not to get impaled by giant arrows shot by very angry trolls? Josh was very intensely ying it right at that moment!


    Every other second, there would be an arrow barely missing him, prating the soil with massive force and destroying the earth by releasing magical red bursts of energy. It had ended up this way all because of that damn Troll chieftain!


    The creature was impossible to fool! It could track him just by smell alone! Then, it didn''t help that Josh had lost the only allies that could serve as a distraction.


    "Pesky Human, no more running!" Garskan the troll bellowed savagely.


    "Let''s make a deal. Let me kill you guys, and I''ll stop running!" Josh shouted in reply.


    "Human can try!"


    "How about you go fuck yourself! If you keep chasing me, I''ll take one of these massive arrows and destroy your ass with it! Then, I''ll chop your dick and¡ª" Any other male would have been shivering hearing such curses, but they didn''t care. They were trolls.


    Josh''s current n was as simple as pitiful. He would keep running until the mission was over. He couldn''t even use Nightmare thanks to the uneven ground. That damn system had been so vague about the survival duration, but it was bound to end eventually, right?!


    After a while, all the parties got bored of shouting. All one could hear in the massive forest were deep grunts along with higher-pitched ones. It almost sounded like a bad porno.


    Just as Josh was seriously beginning to feel irritated, there was finally a change happening. Behind him, he heard a thud along with shouts of surprise. Turning around, he couldn''t help but erupt in happyughter.


    The one that fell was the very first troll he had attacked. The poison was working! It just took about an hour or so¡­ which felt very long when running for one''s life. With a smile on his face, Josh patiently kept going.


    The chief obviously realized that something was wrong. "Scheming human did something!"


    "No shit! Do you think I was just going to let myself die, eh?!"


    "Human should give up."


    "Troll should shut up!"


    "Troll invincible!"


    "Josh Invinciblest!"


    "Human die!"


    "Troll die first!"


    Anyone watching this exchange would have wondered if Josh''s brain cells were fried. Who the fuck would argue with a troll?!


    Anyway, after a while, the troll creeps began falling like flies. Josh waited until they were all dead before heroically turning back and rushing toward his opponent! It was time for nuclear revenge! He would make it pay dearly!!


    "Take this! AH!!!!" Josh screamed as he violently hacked at his opponent. An enormous gash deep appeared on the opponent¡­.about the size of a little finger!


    Okay, considering the massive size of the enemy, perhaps it wasn''t very life-threatening. In fact, Josh was pretty sure the enemy didn''t even notice it. No, the monster was now busy swinging a gigantic runic scimitar at his body (all of it).


    Thus began a fight between titans! The troll was unable to hit the human, and the human was unable to seriously damage the troll. From time to time, the monster would try a feint, but that was child y to Josh!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Here is how the heroic fight went!:


    ¡ªPowerful shes sending blood gushing and making the earth shatter!¡ª


    "Die Human!!!"


    "Die troll!!!"


    ¡ªshes sending a bit of blood gushing and making the earth slightly shatter!¡ª


    "Die Human!"


    "Die troll!"


    ¡ªA few sheszily exchanged!¡ª


    "Die Human¡­"


    "Die troll¡­"


    ¡ªA few sheszily exchanged!¡ª


    "Die¡­"


    "Die¡­"


    ¡ªA sh every other minute¡­¡ª


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    ¡ªStill fighting¡ª


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    ¡ªStill fighting?¡ª


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Just as both fighters'' motivation was at an all-time low, something happened! At first, Josh thought the mission would be over, but it was something else. No, an item had dropped! How?!


    Somehow there was now a glistering red ruby-like droplet that fell on the ground. Josh dodged another attack from the enemy and nimbly picked it up. He couldn''t help but show shock!


    <Troll Blood Essence>


    - Effect unknown, poisonous¡­


    Instantly he cheered up! All the dullness of the fight was swept away, and his morale reached an all-time high! This ought to be some of the good stuff!


    The description clearly hinted at how dangerous it was. Obviously, no one sane would¡­eat it as Josh had just done! The troll could only look baffled. Why was the human suddenly drinking its blood?! Had he gone crazy?!


    As the droplet entered his throat, Josh could feel intense heat inundate his entire being. Then came the feeling of drunkenness. He felt as if he was savoring a delicious beer.


    But as suddenly as it happened, it ended. He was left with a deep feeling of loss. It was like drinking juice-vored water. Upon consumption, it tasted the best, but then it left a weird vorless aftertaste.


    That''s when he turned toward the troll once more, with incredible greed in his eyes. For the first time in his life, the troll chieftain gulped in worry as it felt fear. Then began a very unfair fight.


    Josh was extremely hyper and energetic, showing the prowess of a legendary berserker! Meanwhile, the troll was doing its best to survive! No, it could easily survive, it could barely feel the attacks even! But, this was too strange!


    Since when were humans hunting trolls?! It should have been the other way around!"


    "Human crazy?!"


    "Come here! Just shed a bit more blood! Just a tiny bit, it won''t hurt too much, I promise!" Josh "reassured" the troll who fought for its life!


    "Crazy human!!"


    "Come here! Let''s y!"


    "Noooo!"


    For the first time ever on this Floor, cries of despair of the troll Boss resounded all across the forest. No matter how well it fought, Josh used his mana mastery to boost his physical capabilities and then outmaneuver it.


    How long did this continue? Just a short¡ª no, a very long while! Josh was determined to get as many blood droplets as possible. Every time there was a new one, he would gulp it akin to the thirstiest of dogs!


    He was akin to an addict getting his fix. The more he consumed and the more he wanted! He could feel the energy building inside his body, but he couldn''t use it in any way. It was a torturous feeling!


    Eventually, hunting horns resounded to signify that the event was over. It was the moment that all trolls hated. Any surviving human past this moment would get to remain alive. But, just this once, the troll was fucking d.


    "Hunt Over! Me leave!" The troll warned.


    Without any hesitation, it bolted back toward its vige. So what if the human was still alive?! It had yed enough with this freak! But then came a now disturbingly familiar voice.


    "Where do you think you''re going?! You have more blood, much more blood! I need more, More, MORE!!!!" Josh screamed akin to a devil as he chased the troll.


    [Mission aplished! Rewa¡ª]


    "Shut it! I don''t care. I''m hunting right now!" Josh screamed at the system.


    [Mission¡ª]


    "SHUT UP! Mission this, mission that! I''m fucking busy!" Once more, hepletely denied the Tower Protocol that was just trying to do its job.


    Josh''s eyes were bloodshot red, glowing red, and showed that he had lost any semnce of reason! He would never give up!


    That''s when the troll realized that there were many levels of despair. It had just reached a new low. It wanted to cry, it wished to give up, and it wanted it to stop. It just wanted the horrible human to go away!


    This wasn''t how it was supposed to be! Troll hunted humans! Trolls hunted humans! Trolls¡ª no, this one wasn''t human. This one was a monster! Monster hunted trolls. Monster devoured trolls! Help!...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    On Floor 19, there was a silent forest, a devastated troll camp, and a sobbing troll. Garskan had stopped fighting. It was all useless. The creature justid there, wanting to end it all.


    Josh kept piercing its body and collecting the precious blood¡­all until the troll really couldn''t stand it anymore. With onest sigh, as heavy as the creature''s despair, it took itsst breath. It had turned off its regeneration passive through sheer will.


    [Hidden mission aplished! Pushed Troll Chieftain Garskan to suicide!¡ª]


    "This can''t be. This can''t be. This can''t be!!!" Josh could be seen shaking as if in withdrawal. He would ovee it, but it was such a damn shame! He had been so fucking close! But then the system finally finished its sentence.


    [Special reward issued!]


    Josh couldn''t help but smile from ear to ear as a huge blood-red droplet appeared in front of him. It looked mystical as it emitted heat and seemed to be pulsating.


    - Great unknown effects, greatly poisonous¡­


    Josh gulped it directly without an afterthought. Finally, he feltplete! He was drinking the pure juice now! It was tasty, rich, full of incredible energy, and euphoria-inducing. Then after a few seconds, it stopped, but he didn''t feel any sense of loss. He felt great!


    Had anything even changed? Josh carefully inspected his status and couldn''t help but grin happily. It was a very subtle change but one that was incredibly weed nheless.


    U (E¡ª>E+) Gluttony Bloodline: Endless Stomach, Devouring+


    Now that this was done, he figured he might as well run it again, and so he did! But, there was an issue. Josh spawned in the same cage as earlier and waited for the trolls to open the prison.


    But, any troll that looked at him would just start sprinting away in fright. What?! That''s how Joshpleted the mission once more but this time while remaining stuck inside an invincible cage¡­.What the fuck?!


    Just as he was about to enter Floor 20, he heard a conversation that he couldn''t ignore. It was about his school¡­

 Chapter 265: This School Is 100% A Scam!!! (1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 265: This School Is 100% A Scam!!! (1/2)</h4>


    ****(POV)


    On the outskirt of D-23, plenty of Climbers were assembled along with journalists. Many were moring, asking questions, while others patiently waited to join the school! It was loud, and there were many conversations.


    "When do you think we''ll be able to go in?"


    "Not sure, but these guards sure are stern. They are so wary. It''s almost as if they''re expecting to be attacked!"


    "Are you crazy? There is no way anyone would invade this ce! It has the support of all the regional Metropolises!"


    That is when a few people were seen rxedly exiting the forest. They looked valiant, confident, and quickly sized the crowd.


    "Psst¡ª I think these people are from Draconic."


    "Wait, that man is Roderick! You know, the leader of the ck Legion!"


    "Then, who''s the guy at the front?! Who is he to walk with these bigshots?"


    But that is when he addressed them all.


    "Hello, all. I''m Frank, the one in charge of recruiting here. Anyone who wishes to join the school can follow me for the eptance interview. Let''s do this as quickly as possible!"


    A reporter interrupted, raising her mic toward him. "Sir, please tell us more details about this ce! We are all extremely curious and¡ª" But, Frank raised his hand to stop her.


    "If you''re curious, then you can also apply! Of course, there won''t be any special treatment for anyone. Alright, let''s go!"


    A few reporters seemed to be considering whether a scoop was worth 10k. The ones in the know could only chuckle to themselves as they knew about Josh''s insane NDA practices. Most people would be leaking info all over the ce, but he preferred to retain secrecy.


    A massive group of a few hundred Climbers followed diligently. Most couldn''t help but gulp as they entered the forest that was full of deadly sloths. Then a few didn''t seem to have a care in the world as they beamed with excitement.


    They finally stopped in front of a big metallic wall that led directly to a building titled <Registrar''s Office>. Frank once more addressed them, sounding serious.


    "Alright,e in one at a time. Many wish to join but will never have the chance to. Think of this ce as a catalyst for all of you to go from boring basic Climbers to badasses that won''t fear anything!"


    This wasparable to saying nothing at all! People had no idea what kind of tests they would face! They could be seen scratching their heads, trembling a bit, showing unsteady postures or any other nervousness tells.


    Frank headed inside before calling the first candidate. How crazy hard would this process be? No one knew! But, they were obviously worrying over nothing because it wasn''t actually hard to pass.


    The procedure was pretty straightforward:


    1. They would pay either in full or by taking a loan.


    2. They would sign the NDA


    3. They would fill a form that contained their personal information. This included an emergency contact in case they were to die suddenly. (Name/Level/ss/Reason for joining)


    4. That was it. After thest step, they were considered enrolled students. Frank would congratte them on their eptance.


    At every key step, the candidates'' expressions kept evolving:


    1. The stress of the unknown and of the interview. This was even worse because of the significant amount of Credits involved in the operation. $$$ = Raised Stakes!


    2. Even more stress. The stakes were really fucking high! What was up with the goddamn magical contract?! This was putting their life on the line!


    3. Even greater stress. Why was it asking for a contact in case of death?! Was such an oue even a possibility?!


    4. Iprehension. What?! How?! They were suddenly being epted, without having passed any real test whatsoever!


    One of these candidates couldn''t help but ask a question: "Sir, why did you say that many wish to join but won''t be able to?!" Had the recruiter been ying with their feelings?!


    "It''s true! It''s hard for most people toe up with the funds to sign up, especially the ones that aren''t Climbers. Our founder insisted that I remind you all how lucky you are." Frank nodded wisely.


    The founder had asked that?! What the fuck! Why was he so misleading?! Who cared about the non-Climbers?! It wasn''t like they themselves would want to join in the first ce?! Plus, there was definitely something wrong with the admission!


    Frank would gently instruct: "Now, go wait in the main area outside for the weing speech!"


    Such a scene happened over and over with people losing their minds over that simplistic selection process! Everyone that had money was fucking epted!


    Then, it came to an end with a total of 257 new students. This meant Josh''s current profit was around 385 000 credits, counting the loans and taxes. He''d probably be happy, right?


    Frank then observed the forms he had received, inspecting everyone''s motivations. Some were peculiar, to say the least.


    A man called Erwin came for the sloths as he wanted to study them. He keptining about how his flying car AI had robbed him of the opportunity, but that luckily he was back! His interest in the school itself was close to zero.


    There was a girl called Amelia that was here to confront her arch-nemesis. Then again, as long as she didn''t try to murder anyone on school premises, it didn''t matter. Plus, she was paying 10k upfront.


    One old guy instantly picked the Amazing VIP option to Climb with his idol, Josh. The man gave a weird vibe, but 30k was 30k, and Frank trusted Josh to protect his own ass.


    There was a dude called Mofoluwasho who had a rare writer ss. He nned to use the experience gained there to get in touch with plenty of Climbers, powerful ones. Then, he''d be able to write about them and be stronger himself! (Somehow)


    Then there was the usual: "I want to be stronger and join a powerful guild." This was the ssic Climber''s dream. Graduating from this new top school would secure their future, or so they thought.


    There were really people of all types, and it would be interesting to see how they would fare...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The neers could be seen assembled in the middle of the camp as they heatedly discussed this new wonderful adventure.


    "I wonder how this will all work out. There are many metallic buildings all around, but they aren''t that big. I guess we''ll be having dorms? I just hope they arefortable enough."


    "Dorms? No way! Not with how much we paid! Their site said all-included housing. We will probably have private rooms, and I bet they have hired a cook from Devouring Panda to work on site. Even the smaller Climber schools have this nowadays!"


    "So true! These buildings look shabby, but there may be more to them. What if most of the base is actually built underground? It would exin the rustic look!"


    "Exactly! It has to be it!"


    The neers were "sagely" nodding at each other as they had "seen-through" the shoddy looks of the instations.


    At this point, an older student couldn''t hold hisughter anymore as he began rolling on the ground. It soon became contagious as many others started giggling at these naive souls who were utterly confused.


    "What?" A puzzled neer couldn''t help but ask.


    "Didn''t you guys see the part about not being a daycare before applying?" An older student chuckled.


    "Yes, what about it?"


    "You guys are expecting way too much." the man sighed. (OS)


    That''s when one of the neers suddenly interrupted. He was pointing at the Alter Tower with astonishment on his face.


    "Guys, look this way!"


    "This should be the Training tower, right? What about it?"


    "Isn''t the state of the people exiting it odd? Just look at them!"


    They all stared at the challengers that were alling out in extremely pitiful states. They were shaking, trying not to vomit, were unsteady on their feet, some showed pain and anguish, yet none wereining!


    "Holy shit! What the hell happened to them?!"


    "They look dead!"


    These traumatized people would walk toward their friends as if zombies. Then, they would mindlessly ept a cup of what everyone assumed to be medicine as they slowly regained theirposure and color.


    "What the fuck is wrong with these people?!"


    "I''m not sure, but it seems bad!"


    That''s when a friendly older student approached. "Hey, guys. Wee to the Vige Hidden in the Sloths! ;) How are you all doing?" (OS)


    "That''s not important! What''s up with them?!"

 Chapter 266: This School Is 100% A Scam!!! (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 266: This School Is 100% A Scam!!! (2/2)</h4>


    That''s when a friendly older student approached. "Hey, guys. Wee to the Vige Hidden in the Sloths! ;) How are you all doing?"


    "That''s not important! What''s up with them?!"


    "Them? Oh, you mean the failed challengers. Nothing, they''re just a bit shaken after a hard training session. Nothing to worry about." He reassured them with a smile. (OS)


    "What the heck did they face in there?!"


    "It''s hard to exin. You guys will understand once you''ve tried it. Then again, the first experience varies a lot depending on the challenge you get. It''s all random, after all." (OS)


    "How bad is it? How many have cleared the Training Tower and obtained their graduation diploma? How long did it take them?"


    "Cleared? This would technically be impossible as the Tower itself is a work in progress. So far, there are six challenges and¡ª" (OS)


    "What?! We''re paying so much for only six challenges?! What are we supposed to do once we''re done with all of them?" One eximed, outraged.


    This outburst sent all the old-timers rolling on the floor inughter once again. These neers sure were confident!


    "What''s so funny?"


    "Can anyone exin?!"


    But they simply couldn''t stopughing. That''s when Kasha passed nearby as she chimed in. "You guys are wasting your breath trying to exin it to these idiots." She then headed straight into the Tower, ignoring them all.


    "What?!"


    "Did she just call us idiots?!"


    "That was Kasha from Draconic, right?"


    That''s when the older student began chatting again: "Oh, so you guys know draconic?" (OS)


    "Of course! They''re a mighty S-Ranked guild in Metropolis-C!"


    "Then, you know how strong their Rankers can be?" (OS)


    "Of course! They''replete monsters!"


    "They''re overpowered!"


    "Would you guys stand a chance against them?" (OS)


    "This is impossible! A thousand of us wouldn''t suffice!"


    "No way! Do you think I''d be here if I were as strong! Some are teachers here, right?"


    "Teachers? Nope, they''re just trying to clear the avable content like everyone else." (OS)


    "...."


    "...."


    "Wait...Rankers can''t clear these six challenges?!"


    "To answer the earlier question, I''m not sure what one should do afterpleting the six challenges since no one has yet. I guess there is the founder..." (OS)


    This shocked the neers to the very core. In their minds, Rankers were invincible existences. Now, they were supposed to aplish something that even these heroes couldn''t do?! Impossible!


    "Fuck, I''ll never graduate from here!"


    "Very probable." (OS)


    "What about the recruitment from D.L., is it conditional to seeding?!"


    "Very probable." (OS)


    "Then won''t people remain here forever?! That can''t be! Food and lodging are included! It would cost a fortune!"


    "Not really. With the food quality here, it should cost about 50 credits a year to feed someone? It''s not that bad. As for lodging, I hope you guys brought a bed cause there ain''t any. You can borrow a nket at least, and there are many empty buildings. Just crash in any." (OS)


    That''s when the neers realized the enormous mistake they had made. With the contract signed, they had no choice but to pay no matter what! It didn''t matter whether they attended the training or not! What the hell had they gotten into?!


    1. A training Tower that they had no hopes of clearing.


    2. A quality of life worse than the one of non-Climbers.


    3. A graduation certificate that they would never obtain. (See #1)


    4. A guild membership opportunity that was nothing but a pipe dream. (See #1)


    When they had seen that the training would be extremely challenging they had all assumed that it was a marketing ploy. No school would voluntarily fail its students, right? The owner here didn''t give a fuck!


    As for their expectations of the living conditions, it hadn''t technically been a lie either. But who the fuck called empty buildings andmoner food as all-included lodgings?! They didn''t know whether to cry or cry heavily.


    As they were despairing, Frank came over to do his intro speech. They lifelessly listened as they remembered all the people online calling this school a scam. Many of them had even defended it since its founder had saved Metropolis-D and seemed like a cool guy.


    What a fucking joke! He wasn''t even there for the opening ceremony! But, it was far toote, for they had joined this pirate ship¡ª one on fire! They wanted nothing but to go back in time and beat their previous naive selves!


    Frank''s speech included many well-wishes. Hopefully, they would improve quickly, enjoy this wonderful experience, rely on each other like a family, and lots of motivational bullshit. Many wanted nothing more than to attack the "scammer" but knew it wouldn''t aplish anything.


    Left with no other choice, they finally figured that they might as well try this Training Tower. They approached it fearfully, but they feared wasting 10k even more! Their newly impoverished state fueled them!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    In there, they would all have life-changing experiences¡ª not for the better either. Many finally learned the meaning of PTSD. Whether it was shit, office work, blood-thirsty worms, dinosaurs, a monkey army, or getting lost forever: they would always have to live with this bad experience!


    That is how they all ended up quickly thrown out of the Tower. Perhaps the worse was realizing that this would be their life from that point onward. Either they epted it, or they had wasted 10k Credits.


    That''s when a youngster with fiery hair enthusiastically hollered at them. "Why are you Newbies standing there like dumbasses? Come here!"


    He was gesturing to the area filled with some medicinal cups. As they were in the depth of their despair, this man acted as a beacon. He made them feel like it would be alright after they drank whatever he was offering.


    Either consciously or unconsciously, they all went next to him. Then, he gave them drinks. They smelled of warmth,fort, and sugar.


    "Guys, once you drink this, you''ll feel way better! Don''t worry about it. Everyone reacts the same the first time. By the way, you can call me Dale. If you need help, you can ask me. Totally bragging, but I''m on a third of the leaderboard rankings here."


    They instinctively felt the confidence in his voice, and it reassured them. This youngster didn''t seem that strong, but he was a Ranker! He would teach them a way out, right?! He was happily drinking alongside them.


    "How is it? Better, right?" Dale smiled at them.


    Many lightly nodded. They had no idea what was in there, but it was effective!


    "I-if I can ask. What are we drinking right now?"


    "It''s the staple drink of the Hot Coco Cult. It makes everything better!" He shared.


    "Yes, but what''s in the hot chocte?"


    "Water, sugar, cacao, and milk," Dale replied that poor naive soul.


    "No! What kind of medicine is in there?!" The newbie was starting to wonder if Dale was trolling him.


    "There really is nothing else in there. It''s 100% pure Hot Coco." Dale exined.


    "W-what?!" Were they supposed to forget their suffering with nothing but a regr drink?! There was no way this would help in the long run!


    That''s when Dale smiled as he seemed to change entirely. He turned profound and wise, which was a stark contrast to his usual demeanor. He then slowly uttered:


    "Whenever you despair and feel beaten." Dale took another sip of the sugary beverage. "Simply find one thing, one tiny thing that brings you joy. Then from that simple thing, get the strength to keep going."


    "That''s all?!"


    "Yes, and it works. It''s a trick a friend gave me, a sage friend." (D)


    "So, we''re supposed to brave the insanity inside, clear the challenges and then recuperate by drinking Hot Coco?"


    "You learn fast." (D)


    "...."


    "Well, even if you manage to clear a Floor, you can keep going and try to get a better leaderboard score." (D)


    "About that, I''ve seen the leaderboard. Isn''t it broken?!"


    "Broken? How so? It was working perfectlyst I checked." Dale replied.


    "The rank one is impossibly high and¡ª"


    Dale began chuckling, understanding what they meant.


    "No, it''s not the leaderboard that''s broken. It''s Josh MF Malum that is! You''ll get used to it soon enough. In the meantime, as long as you keep fighting, there will be hope. Never forget that."


    They couldn''t help but look at the man pensively. Perhaps joining this school wasn''t as big a mistake as they initially thought...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] There are two Requests in this chap, can you find them? Also, taking some more soon ^_^v

 Chapter 267: Melding Floor?

    <h4>Chapter 267: Melding Floor?</h4>


    Next to the Metropolis-D Tower, a man was chuckling non-stop. Josh had just received news from Frank, and the first student recruitment session had been a massive sess!


    Many of the new students had even left reviews on the school website site vouching for how "unique", "challenging", and "surprising" the whole experience was. They couldn''t nder the school as per contract, so the best they could do was bait poor souls to share their misery.


    <You''ve received 385 052 Credits!> This message was very weed too!


    Josh headed toward the Tower with excitement. It turned out that Floor 20 was very peculiar.


    It was called a melding Floor, meaning it wouldbine many previous Floors into one. People didn''t talk that much about this one because while it was surprising, it wasn''t that challenging.


    Still, Josh couldn''t help but wonder how it would y out in Hellish. He could be heard whistling while carrying some zombie skin he had just bought (Easy counter to 2 Floors). Under the disgusted gazes of the passerby, he teleported in.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [Wee to Floor 20 Hellish! Mission Defeat Smelly Knight in the Tournament!]


    "What the fuck?" Josh couldn''t help but exim in surprise. Every 10 Floors, it was supposed to be a Boss hunting mission. What was up with this tournament? Also, talk about a bad nickname!


    The surroundings were gloomy and rtively empty besides a few smelly ancient stone monoliths. There was a moon illuminating the Floor lightly. Had the Tower gotten an upgrade? On each rock were short messages:


    <We wander so they can rest>


    <Flesh for the Flesh God>


    <Follow the Ghoul Emperor!>


    <So hungry¡­>


    Ghoul Emperor, this meant undeads, a shitload of them. Wasn''t it weird how he was already facing ghouls again? They had appeared on Floor 16 just recently! Josh''s musings were interrupted by the sound of intense galloping. Clip Clop Clip Clop!


    He dove behind a monolith, his hand gripping his morphing weapon as he sneakily peeked toward the sound. Many dark horses wereing his way, about 20 of them: nightmares!


    On their back were gray ghouls that wore bronze armor and held moon-shaped scimitars. They turned out to be patrolling. After doing a short round near his location, they disappeared toward the distance once more.


    These monsters had coordination. This likely meant that killing them could provoke issues by alerting their brethren. Josh didn''t mind ughtering, but he would find his objective first above anything else.


    That is how he began roaming all over the ce, soon finding even more monoliths. Every 15 minutes, there would be a new patrol passing by. Josh was very tempted to start an indiscriminate ughter, but he reined himself in.


    Instead, he steadily tracked them to their base. He had been expecting a vige like the goblins or the kobolds had with about 50 individuals. Nope, this one was way bigger! It was an entire town with hundreds of ghouls wandering around!


    The only defensive measure seemed to be a low-height bone wall ¡ªbesides the insane number of soldiers of course. Next to the town, there was arge fenced area that appeared to be a Nightmare ranch.


    The whole scene reminded him of the ending of the first ghoul mission. Except, would they gently allow him to 1 v 1 this boss? Probably not...


    Funny how the monsters on a previous Floor were nothing but domesticated mounts on this one. "Navi, what''s the best clear strategy here?"


    <Apologies, master. Insufficient data. ording to the database, the number of ghouls present should be significantly lower. Impossible topute!>


    So, it turned out that only Hellish had such a ghoul fest. There was one thing that would render his task easier: none of them were watching. They probably assumed that the patrols would have detected any intruder, or maybe that no one would be dumb enough toe this close.


    Either way, Josh would use this to his advantage! He first covered himself in dirt and putrid zombie skin before slowly crawling forward, one meter at a time.


    He kept going until he suddenly noticed a ghoul starting to sniff the air with rapt attention. Before it could figure out his location, Josh crawled backward as fast as possible. He''d have to find another solution.


    Since he couldn''t go anywhere near them, he would have to make theme to him. He already had an idea. He backtracked until he reached the biggest monolith he could find. Then, Josh began digging at its base to create himself a small hideout.


    Using the OP pickaxe for such a delicate task was akin to using dynamite to get rid of the weeds in his garden. He soon had air that he could barely fit into to evade his pursuers. Being inside the rock would camouge his smell which was all that mattered.


    With this steppleted, he could finally have fun. He patiently waited for the next patrol, ramrod straight, not giving a fuck about hiding. Clip Clop Clip Clop! As soon as they came nearby, they saw him and erupted in raucous cheers.


    "Flesh!!!"


    "Human!"


    "So hungry!"


    They had horrendous grins on their cadaver faces as their sharp teeth could be seen along with an unbelievable amount of ckish saliva. How would Josh handle these guys? He would use a halberd! This gave him enough reach to target the riders directly.


    <Ghoulish Nightmare Rider Lv 24> (Umon)


    Oh, this would be fun. Josh made sure to dodge their first charge by jumping into the air, then swung with all the strength he could muster. One of the ghoul riders was thrown off his mount,nding heavily to the ground with its neck broken.


    "Oh? Interesting." Josh couldn''t help but murmur. In front of him there now were:


    <Ghoulish Soldier Lv 22> (Common)


    <Nightmare Lv 22> (Common)


    The ghoul was even slowly getting up. Of course, an undead wouldn''t be so easy to kill. Seeing them gallop away anding back, Josh quickly finished the poor bastard and decided to even the ying field.


    "Nightmare, I summon you!"


    The pet spawned, looked around, saw the other Nightmares, and seemed confused for a second. But then it saw the ghouls and its eyes showed sympathetic sorrow. Poor brethren, they too were ves to an evil master!


    "Alright, charge to battle!" Josh happily shouted.


    Man and horse increased speed until they finally reached the opponents. It seemed like Nightmare was slightly more agile than its unnamed counterparts. For a while, Josh had fun throwing all the riders to the ground.


    The ghouls called for their mounts, but Josh had an ace up his sleeve. He emitted pure killing intent. Against savage nightmares, it would have barely been effective, but these were more cowardly and instantly ran away. The rest was straightforward.


    Josh looked down on them (literally) as he beat them till true death atop Nightmare. Just as he was done with the fight, he heard the sound of gallop once again. It was another patrol with another 20 ghouls, bringing along the lost mounts.


    "Oh, another group of friends to y with!" Josh happily weed them. What happened next were tons of dead people getting fucked over and over with a very long, hard, and powerful halberd. Josh set the mounts free again for them to get reinforcements.


    Afterward came many waves of enemies:


    40 riders ¡ª They took a while to dispatch.


    80 Riders ¡ª This time, they sent a messenger to ask for help early on. This rendered Josh''s life Hell for he had to rush things so much!


    160 Riders ¡ª No way that Josh was fighting them this time around. Nope, he hid in his smelly monolith. Actually, why was a rock stinking in the first ce? Also, did he really want to know?


    240 Riders¡ª They were using a lot of ghoulpower to find him. They made the ground tremble whenever they came near. This was pretty annoying as Josh was trying to take a nap. Couldn''t they dismount and search carefully on foot instead?


    200 Riders¡ª They seemed to have determined him to be gone. After all, no one sane would remain in the surroundings after such a show of strength, right?!


    100 Riders¡ª They could be heard grumbling as they had to do patrol after patrol. It seemed like they weremunicating through primal, guttural sounds. Anyway, Josh killed them all, sending the ghoul town into a frenzy once more, or so he assumed.


    240 Riders¡ª Josh thought this was extremely normal until he suddenly heard a voice. What?! There was suddenly an intelligent NPC? Was this his target? Talk about luck!


    Still, the problem was still the tournament. Josh hadn''t found any clue so far. He couldn''t just remain hiding in this rock forever. He had to do something.


    "Alright, Nightmare. I have a mission for you! Are you ready to be bait?"


    Why was the poor pet condemned to such fate?! Couldn''t its master be bait for once?! The horse would have been cursing if it could. But sadly, it had to resign itself to trot away, smeared with Josh''s blood for the smell.


    "Make sure you bring them in a wild goose chase. The bigger the circles, the better!" Josh shouted at it as it disappeared over the horizon.


    Now, he would lurk around and exploit any positioning error. Whenever a unit failed to follow the army, he would be there beating the shit out of them. Thus began another hunt simr to what had happened with the trolls: the hunted became the hunter.


    Josh''s current target was the voice''s owner. An intelligent NPC could provide him with so much info! He first thinned the enemy forces.


    240 Riders ¡ª> 100 Riders ¡ª> 50 Riders


    Josh took his time to do the job well. When there were only 50 Riders left to the main group, he struck! In the middle of their group was a special ghoul that was everything he had been looking for and more.


    If he wasn''t wrong, this ghoul would be his ticket to victory! How nice...

 Chapter 268: Josh VS Smelly Ghoul!

    <h4>Chapter 268: Josh VS Smelly Ghoul!</h4>


    In the middle of the ghoul troop, there was one creature that looked stronger. Instead of basic bronze armor, this one was wearing a full te that covered its entire body.


    "Jackpot!" Josh rejoiced as he charged toward them.


    The monsters couldn''t be happier. Not only had they found a tasty human, but the imbecile was even approaching them! They had yet to fathom the horror of Josh Malum¡­


    "Grab the human. Tear his limbs apart." Their leader ordered, his voice sounding like thest exhale of a dying man, low and raspy.


    How soon would this fight be over! Apparently, not that soon. This one enemy turned out to be strong.


    <Awakening-Priest Ghoul Commander lv 28 ?>


    A Mini-Boss?! How surprising! A priest in heavy armor and equipped with gauntlets was quite the peculiar sight.


    Josh slowly went forward, cutting through the enemies left and right. He had to be careful, as every attack he did was met with 50. The nightmares they were riding didn''t help either as they tried to trample him.


    Slowly but surely, he still made his way toward his target, leaving plenty of corpses in his wake. Just as he thought everything would be over soon, the priest waved its ws in the air "Awaken, my brethren."


    Suddenly the defeated foes began rising up. Somehow, their movements seemed different too, as if they were suddenly smarter...not that it would change anything. Still, the defeated nightmares remained unmoving. It seemed like this power had limitations.


    "Tch¡ª Necromancer, is it? Naw, I bet Awakening-Priest is the weaker version, right? Do you only have boring ghouls? What about archers, mages, knights, and all?! No can do, right?" Josh ridiculed.


    "You''re surrounded, human. There is no escape, only anguish and death along with¡ª" The priest monologued like a true bad guy.


    "You talk way too much for a dead guy!" Josh lightly remarked.


    Suddenly having the dead rise around oneself would be a traumatizing experience, right? Nope. Josh actually pitied them. They would get to die over and over...and over again. Should he test the priest''s limits? Oh, this would be fun!


    Josh grinned as he began maneuvering the battlefield akin to an acrobat. An enemy trying to destroy his head? Slight duck. One sweeping the legs? Jump toward another enemy.


    The ghoul legion around him had a fatal w. They were now all melee range! Every attacker gave him a body to use as a springboard, or even better, as a meatshield. A ghoul would sh at him from time to time, only for Josh to drag an ally in the trajectory.


    While trying to destroy him, they would hit each other even when being careful. His movements were too unpredictable!


    Their numbers quickly dwindled, with Josh even finishing thest nightmares that remained. They were nowpletely stranded. Josh could see howcent this priest had been, not having asked for reinforcements! But it was already toote.


    The creature could be seen grinning as it raised its arm once more and revived all the ghouls. It "knew" it had the situation under control. After all, this dumb human was trying to oust the undead! Talk about a dumbass!


    This reasoning was quite logical, to be honest. Hencey the problem¡­it was logical. The poor priest would soon learn the meaning of the Malum Law.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    On the battlefield were plenty of listless ghouls. They would reluctantly get up as they kept dying and being revived over and over again.


    What was up with this human?! Why wasn''t he getting tired?! Why was he grinning so much?! They were scary ghouls! They devoured the living and¡ª wait, what the fuck?! One ghoul had seen something that chilled even its undead bones.


    The human was slicing their flesh, sending some of it everywhere, and he¡­he¡­.he had gobbled some up?! What the fuck?! The ghouls'' eyes were bulging as they watched this impossibility.


    "Ghoul sashimi is surprisingly not that bad. Is this a new ability of the Devouring Bloodline? Making anything magical taste good, perhaps? Curious¡­" Josh nonchntlymented.


    That''s when he leisurely advanced toward the priest, every step making the creature freak out even more.


    "A-awaken my brethren!!


    "Aaaa¡ªawaken my bbb-brethren!!!"


    "Go away, human!! No, go away, monster!!!"


    "What are you doing?!" It protested as Josh removed its armor piece by piece by slicing at the joints.


    "AHHH!!!" Then came a horrifying scream as the creature stopped moving, eternally.


    Josh then turned toward the remaining ghouls. It wouldn''t take long for him to clean them up and¡­ Except they seemed relieved with the death of their leader. Without waiting further, they crumbled to the ground and yed dead.


    One could even be seen "sneakily" opening an eyelid but closing it right afterward. It seemed they were trying to convey: "with our leader''s magic running out, we are now deader than dead¡­."


    Josh couldn''t help but freeze. These ghouls had the potential to go intoedy, the visual gag kind. He slowly passed over them while exaggeratedly mumbling. "Nice, it seems they are all dead! I guess I will go destroy their city now!" Some twitched in reaction.


    "Alright, Nightmare, bring us away!" Josh heroically ordered.


    The sound of gallop was heard bing fainter until it disappeared entirely. The ghouls slowly opened their eyes, so damn d! They had managed to escape the devil. They had managed to¡ª They froze.


    Right behind them was the smiling Josh that had never actually left. No! Oh god, no! That''s when a genius ghoul exaggeratedly held its chest, faking a heart attack, before copsing to the ground.


    "HAHAHA! I wonder if it''s possible to tame some ghouls." Josh mused to himself aloud, the creatures shaking. "Whatever, time for loot!"


    He slowly approached the fallen Mini-Boss. He couldn''t help but grin as its armor was lying there. Actually, it wasn''t even an item. It seemed more like a quest prop, and it suited Josh perfectly.


    He had shbacks of his time back in the Training Tower. Ah, but he could absorb the XP, and there was also one actual drop.


    <Ally Awakening Gem>


    - "Revives" any defeated ally in the nearby area. They may look slightly different. Lasts 2 minutes.


    This would likely mean getting a few weak ghouls for 2 minutes. While it probably wouldn''t be that strong, it could change the oue of a fight.


    Josh decisively grabbed the bronze full-te armor, wore it, and left after resummoning Nightmare. Behind him, he left ghouls that were too wary of opening their eyes.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The both of them reached Ghoul Town.


    Josh''s disguise was probably good enough. He wore the te armor, hiding his features thoroughly, and had even stuffed some ghoul skin inside it to make sure his human smell didn''t give him away.


    As for Nightmare, it looked slightly different from the other in its species. Hopefully, they wouldn''t be able to tell the difference. He felt like confidence would be everything.


    He couldn''t help but wonder if these ghouls had the same greed as the others from a few floors ago. He tried sending Navi with a golden watch to fly above them. But, it barely got any reaction at all.


    Since a diversion wasn''t possible, Josh wouldn''t overthink it. Rider and mount charged straight toward the town! Luckily, no one stopped them. The settlement was very basic. This was to be expected since it wasn''t like the undead needed much to live.


    There were a few buildings, but they seemed to be reserved for their leaders as a symbol of status. The biggest was the size of arge house but far from a manor either. Josh wandered into the camp until he found his objective: a challenge ring.


    He slowly went over to inspect it, entering the area. But, as soon as he did, countless excited screeches resounded all around. The ghouls were pointing at him as if just him standing there was a miracle.


    Welp, it seemed like the mission was progressing, right? After a few minutes of constant noise pollution by over-hyper ghouls, the crowd suddenly parted, frightened beyond belief.


    There was a neer: It was a hideous ghoul that seemed to be emitting a foul green fog around its body. It was riding an overgrown ghoulish nightmare that looked extremely horrifying.


    <Smelly Mounted Ghoul Conqueror Lv 32 ?>


    "Another idiot challenged me?! Who is it?!" The creature bellowed angrily and confidently. Just its tone promised an eternal slumber to whoever fought it.


    Another? The ghouls pointed to Josh, with the boss sneering. "I''ll trash you soon, don''t worry."


    That''s when another riding ghoul appeared. Josh would describe it like a ghoul that worked out, very muscr. Both of the "alpha" ghouls took their position at each side of the area, sending death res toward their opponent.


    These two would fight? So, this was the tournament? A single challenger besides him? Then again, perhaps he had aplished the previous part of the mission too quickly to allow others to sign up?


    "Your reign will soon be over!" The buffed ghoul dered.


    "Fool, I am eternal!" Replied the smelly ghoul


    Nice, there was even trash talk included! This reminded him of jousting, with both participants usingrge spears. There was also a referee ghoul that wore the same bronze full-te armor as Josh.


    He gave the start signal and, both contestants ushered their mount forward in a deadly charge! It all went extremely quickly, and they were already crossing each other, crashing theirnces into one another. The smelly undead seemed to be on the losing end...?!


    How peculiar!... What would happen if the other ghoul were to win? Was Josh supposed to do anything about it?


    Then came the second and third exchanges. That''s when Josh finally realized what this was all about. This creature''s fog affected even the ghouls! Weren''t they immune to such status effects?!


    He kept watching until the smelly boss defeated its opponent, crushing it to flesh and bone dust before sprinkling him away. This would be his fate should he fail.


    Josh valiantly stepped forward to fight. "Alright, Nightmare. Make sure to dodge the hits. I''m counting on you!" This was Josh''s secret weapon.


    He steeled himself, and it began. As they met in the middle, he felt the incredible force from the tip of his heavyncend unto the enemy, but he also breathed in the fog.


    This was so horrible! It wasn''t poison: it was simply downright disgusting! It felt like a perverse attack that attacked the soul as much as the body. It was unpleasant, but he could somehow support it.


    That''s how Josh relentlessly went against the boss, round after round until he finally pushed the creature off its mount in a final decisive blow! But, there was no apuse, only a weighty silence.


    "I will not go down!!! ARRRRGGGG!!" The boss screamed.


    [Mission, survive the Smelly Knight''s Rage!]


    "Oh, C''mon!!" Give me a fucking break!" Josh couldn''t help butin¡­

 Chapter 269: Unfit To Lead!

    <h4>Chapter 269: Unfit To Lead!</h4>


    Once upon a time in the Dimensional Tower...


    About a thousand energetic corpses were diligently trying to catch a handsome, innocent, suave, and very friendly lone human. All were riding, worthy of the Rohirr-something charge!


    "Stop fleeing, foolish ghoul! ept your doom already!" Their leader screamed.


    "Nope! Go fuck yourself!" Josh kindly replied.


    Josh could only sigh under his bronze helmet. How had this even happened? His cover was still fine, and yet he still had to run for his life?! How would they react if they knew he was human?!


    Josh had great confidence in his abilities as a one-man army, but this was pushing it quite a lot. The main issue was the Boss. With a weaker enemy, he could overpower them and redirect their attacks, but not this guy.


    "You deadbeats! Show a little enthusiasm!" shouted the smelly ghoul as it red at its minions that were a distance away from it. They shuddered as they faked excitement.


    "Tear him limb to limb!"


    "Skin him and wear it!"


    "Kill the nightmare and eat it!"


    "What? No! We''ll bring it back to the stable¡­."


    Nightmare was shaking its head in annoyance. Still, it couldn''t help but wonder if serving the ghouls wouldn''t be easier. No more being bait, only short and sweet regr patrols¡­the dream!


    "Run like the wind, Nightmare! We''re getting the fuck out of here!" Josh heroically called out.


    Now, how was he supposed to out-gallop an army? For now, he would remain patient and explore this world. As the chase continued, Josh could see many more monoliths but nothing else.


    At least, Nightmare was fast, fast enough to preserve both of their lives. But soon afterward, there came an issue. In the distance, Josh could discern a foggy dark wall full of highly potent and chaotic killing intent.


    It reminded him of the sky on the nightmare Floor. This realm seemed to be one big circle, big enough for him to kite the enemies for days¡ª or so he thought. But Josh then noticed that the walls were sluggishly creeping over!


    Goddammit! This reminded him of the battle royales he had yed in the past. Except, this one was way more brutal as everyone was against him. He would need to slowly chip away at their numbers before he ran out of space to dodge.


    No, this wouldn''t work either. Could he assassinate the Boss somehow? Probably not. The opponent was still angrily shouting insults at him, standing on his mount in a fury.


    Ah, but there was one thing he could exploit! The ghouls seemed to be loyal to that one smelly knight only out of fear. How could he change this? Josh racked his brains.


    It would be hard to convince them to courageously revolt while he was running. But then Josh''s eye was attracted to the monoliths. Perhaps there was something he could try¡­


    As he passed by a monolith, he attacked it with his pickaxe. The ghouls in the back couldn''t help but feel puzzled. What was their target doing? When they reached the monolith themselves, they stared confused. What was this?!


    In the rock, a message was engraved:


    <Have you heard?>


    But as they kept passing monolith after monolith, there were more of these inscriptions:


    No one likes the Smelly Knight


    None but his nightmare


    Isn''t this lonely?


    He used to be lonely.


    So damn lonely!


    All until a fateful night


    The Smelly Knight and nightmare


    Began an intense riding session


    One that was filled with pleasure


    Filled to the brim, so much it hurts!


    Except, the nightmare was the one on top!


    The Smelly Knight loved it so very much


    That ever since, he hasn''t slept a wink!


    The only issue is his ass hurts so much


    That he can''t even sit anymore!


    That''s how he lost the tournament.


    Isn''t this sad? No, because he found love!


    Only this horse tolerates his lover, the smelly knight


    They will live happily ever after, exploiting the other ghouls!


    It painted a beautiful love story of forbidden love between a misunderstood hideous smelly ghoul and its loyalpanion. Well, one could argue that the undead horse sodomy kinda shattered the cute lovely vibe but whatever.


    At that moment, the soldiers couldn''t help but turn their eyes toward their leader, the one who was still standing in fury. Except that many unconsciously associated him standing to his ass really hurting.


    They nced at the nightmare under the smelly knight with disgust. All night long without sleep?! Was this why the creature wasn''t running away from its master?! Scary!


    At this point, Josh was mainly having fun. Still, it seemed like his weird random n was working. Somehow the fear the minions felt was slowly turning into pure disgust. Who wanted anything to do with such an individual?!


    Josh diligently kept inscribing nice little messages:


    Fight me 1 V 1,? I dare you!


    Coward AND sore loser! Talk about shitty!


    Do you even know how to ride, bro? Naw, just how to receive¡­


    All this ghoul knows how to do is fart all day!


    Do you dare leave your babysitters behind and fight?!


    Josh sighed. How great this felt! Was there anything more beautiful than to nder an enemy? It was one of the small, simple pleasures of life. The angrier the shouts behind him and the better he felt.


    "I''m going to destroy you!"


    "You will die an atrocious death!"


    "Someone erase these fucking lines!"


    "ARRRGGG!!!"


    In the end, It was only angry screeching. As for the troops, they were getting fed up with this wild goose chase. Their leader was showing a clearck of self-control.


    Of course, Josh exploited this. <If you guys all suddenly leave, I''ll kill him 100%>. He could see them stare at his proposal in hesitation. That''s when he suddenly ordered Nightmare to stop.


    He stood straight as he confidently faced the iing army with incredible arrogance. They were charging at him with incredible momentum, making the ground tremble. Nightmare showed great difort, but it didn''t move either.


    They were akin to statues as they just stood there. The iing ghouls werepletely taken off-guard. What was happening?! Why was their target suddenly stopping?! Was it to fight the Smelly Knight?!


    "Hehe, mad ghoul! There is no way they will betray me! All of you kill him!" The leader screamed at the top of its undead lungs.


    But, there was only silence to answer it. The whole realm had be ever so quiet as a thousand ghouls all stopped their mounts at once. Only the leader had kept going forward, alone.


    "What?! What are you all doing?! He''s right there!" the Boss shouted.


    "If you can''t even defeat me on your own, what right do you have to order them? They all hate you to the bone. You are unfit to lead!" Joshmented.


    "YOU! Die!"


    Epicbat began! Just as the first sh was about to happen, the creature gave a savage grin. The fog around it suddenly fluctuated before expanding outward. It engulfed both of them. What was it?!


    Nightmare instantly fell, with Josh recalling it. As for him, he was still fine somehow. He dodged the surprised ghoul''s assault as he took down the creature''s mount too.


    "Nooo!!! What have you done!!" The Boss despaired. Seeing such an intense reaction, Josh wondered if his nder story hadn''t been real!


    Luckily, besides the furious shouts, the Boss didn''t seem that strong. Its main attack was to suddenly charge forward without rhyme or reason with an impossibly fast speed. But, the intent was too evident, so Josh was already waiting with a spear ready.


    That''s how the Boss impaled itself, not once but thrice. The only issue was that a ghoul seemed to be so resilient! Josh could only sigh and resolve himself for a long fight.


    After a few hours of non-stop fighting, Josh finally defeated his opponent. He turned toward the crowd of ghouls, expecting apuse and awe. Nope, they were all gone.


    They had just fought to the death (1 already being in that state), and no one had even witnessed it. Still, how the fuck had a thousand men army gone away without him noticing?! Either way, Josh inspected the drops:


    <Monster Book>


    - Allows one to record information about monsters in the Tower.


    <E Gem Carving knife>


    - Useful for jewelry


    <D Smelly Earing>


    - True to its name


    How great! This was the first D-ranked item that he had dropped, and it was so satisfying! As for the monster book¡­was this even useful? He could just sell the knife.


    [Missionpleted! Congrattion on surviving!]


    [Please select a reward (first clear): True Nightmare Feed | Irregr Femur | Smelly Bead | Monolith]


    What the heck were these choices?! Why did every single one sound bad?


    True Nightmare Feed: Would it just feed the pet or have special effects?


    Irregr Femur: Why did it seem like the ghouls had a femur fetish? What effects could it even have?


    Smelly Bead: This one was obviously the better choice power-wise. The only question was: what kind of ability would it be? Josh''s gluttony was passive. What if it was the same with this ability?


    Monolith: What could one even do with a monolith?!¡ª writing ndering messages, duh! No, seriously, who loved these besides the Gauls?


    Josh thought it over for a few seconds but then gave a self-deprecating smile. What was the point of hesitating? Logically all rewards should rtively have a simr value.


    "Give me the nightmare feed. Hard work should be rewarded!"


    A small dark pill appeared in his hand. Without waiting further, he summoned his pet once more, feeding it. "Here you go, buddy. This is for you."


    It gobbled it up, then neighed in satisfaction with eyes closed. That''s when it stopped moving as it seemed to be in the process of evolving?! But, it appeared like it would take time. Josh sent it back to its pet space.


    "Teleport out!"


    As soon as he was out, Josh checked his UW. Not only was there news, but something big was happening at his school¡­.

 Chapter 270: Visitors Are Welcome!

    <h4>Chapter 270: Visitors Are Wee!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Once again, there was a greatmotion happening at D-23.


    The atmosphere was extremely heavy. Before, there had been random Climbers and journalists, but now the guilds had arrived! They were facing the stern students in charge of guard duty. A reporter could be seen describing the situation perfectly.


    "I''m in front of D-23, where a siege is ongoing! All around are some of the most powerful regional guilds! Even the S-Ranked ones are participating! Ouroboros, Immortal, Eclipse, Devouri¡ª" But she was suddenly interrupted by a man fully geared.


    "Hey, be careful. What do you mean a siege? We are here to protest the monopole of the Alter Tower. Trying to scam willing parties is one thing, but depriving others of an opportunity to be stronger is another!" He righteously dered, with the crowd cheering.


    "Yeah! We want in! It''s unfair that we''re stuck here outside!"


    "This is collusion! Why the hell is the MTA condoning such acts?!"


    "We will not be silenced!"


    "Guys! The representative of Dominion is about to make a speech!"


    "What?! Dominion? Even the Metropolis-E peeps are here?!"


    "Man, everyone is here! This is a revolution, hahaha! Down with the greedy Josh!"


    The crowd all turned to an armored man that stood towering above others. He was currently standing on a huge powerful-looking lynx too. The man had such an awesome pet, one that resided on Floor 51! He raised his hand,manding silence.


    "This is a message to this so-called Dimensional Legion Climber School. From this point onward, Dominion is here! We will visit the Alter Tower, whether you want to cooperate with us or not is up to you. Choose carefully."


    That was it?! This was a clear threat! People were expecting him to appeal to the crowd and to try and make alliances. Nope! Dominion did not care. They were going inside with or without approval. The people couldn''t believe it.


    "Oh my god! They''re so powerful!"


    "These School officials are going to go crazy, haha!


    "Hehe, this is great! I can''t wait to see their faces!"


    "Chances are we''ll be able to see the Alter Tower too, nice!"


    "Yep, with Dominion spearheading the assault, it''s already over."


    This was such an incredible blow! Would the School even survive? Their main selling point was the Training Tower. After today, they would need to reduce their prices drastically or close shop. They were finished!


    That''s when a young man with fiery hair came out of the forest, peacefully walking while humming. As he came nearby, the students noticeably rxed and began smiling. Who was this?!


    The Ranker from Dominion ushered his deadly mount forward, stopping right in front of the neer. The crowd felt their breath leave them as they witnessed his intimidating posture: they were so d not to be in that young man''s shoes!


    "Tch¡ªHowughable! They sent a kid as a scapegoat! Are you here to try and buy time while they escape? I don''t care about your weasel of a master. Now, get out of the way!"


    But, the young man simply ignored him and instead turned toward the others.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, our leader has reached a decision. For the first time ever, we will allow ess to the Alter Tower, for a fee, of course! For only 100 credits, you will have the opportunity to witness and of legends." He smiled at the bbergasted crowd.


    "Wait, whaaat?!"


    "We can visit for a fee?!"


    "There is like a thousand of us! How isn''t he freaking out?!"


    "Even now, they''re still trying to make money?! How greedy is their boss?!"


    "Wait, I know this guy! He''s Dale from Metropolis-C! He''s just a small fry. Thest time I saw him, he was guildless too!"


    "A weakling, seriously?! How the fuck is he so calm then?!"


    "Is this ballsy, batshit insane, or both?!"


    Most didn''t know how to react. How did a guildless low-level Climber have the guts to utter such an insane demand! Was it all a bluff? Perhaps his backing was just so strong that he became fearless.


    "How ludicrous! Get out of my way before I kill all of you. I''m done asking nicely." The Dominion guy guided his mount forward, not bothering about the clown.


    Dale could only shake his head knowingly. This belligerent man was a Ranker and wouldn''t even notice a loss of 100 Credits. He was just trying to assert dominance in such a petty way.


    Still, he didn''t try to stop him in the least. Instead, he gestured the students to let him go through as he stepped out of the way. "Anyone that wants the visitor status line up in front of me." He instructed amicably.


    About 300 people followed the man''s lead as theypletely disregarded the rules. Some even snorted as they passed Dale,ughing at his helplessness to stop them. The 800 Climbers remaining seemed hesitant.


    "Sir, what does possessing the visitor status change?" One tentatively asked.


    "It adds value to your life. If you are in trouble, we may just save you. ;)" Dale lightly replied, even winking.


    "Save?! Is it dangerous inside?"


    Dale shrugged. Many looked at each other nervously. Wasn''t this whole thing a little too ominous?! Some decisively queued up. Why the hell would they risk their lives for 100 credits?! To some, it was the price of admission to the Tower.


    After transferring the funds, they all received a single piece of paper and nothing else! It was a written note saying that they were guests for the day. It was the most basic of identification possible!


    They recoiled in shock. What was preventing them from just making a copy of it? There was no way that anything inside prevented forgery. What kind of low-budget option was this?!


    "S-sir, is that it?" One asked, perplexed.


    "Yep. Protect it with your life as it won''t be refunded if you lose it." Dale warned.


    What were they supposed to do? Get the paper out and wave it if they needed help? This was so dumb! Some were beginning to regret waiting as they could have been exploring the Tower already!


    "Alright, let''s go!" Their guide enthusiastically led the way. Soon they arrived. "Wee to the Vige Hidden in the Sloths! Do not go near the sloths. They do eat humans¡ª especially the ones they aren''t familiar with."


    The visitors were speechless. What kind of vige was this?! It looked so cheap! There were only metallic walls that were quite frankly useless and metallic buildings that didn''t look impressive.


    Then, they saw the students. There were about 200 of them that were hanging out, taking a break. As for the others, they seemed to be Climbing with constant traffic around the Tower.


    "Feel free to enter the Tower. If any of you are hungry, you can pay another 100 credits to eat on site. Have fun!" Dale addressed them, then headed toward the Tower, disappearing inside.


    "He''s gone! That''s it?!"


    "What kind of guide is this?!"


    "He''s going to Climb, obviously¡­."


    "Seriously, what is wrong with this ce?!"


    That''s when someone''s stomach rumbled. He quickly went toward an older student. "Hey there, quick question: what kind of food do you guys have here? What Rank is it?"


    "Rank? It''s just food, man. It doesn''t have a rank. Heck, I''m pretty sure a U-bot cooks it sometimes¡­." He casually replied. (OS)


    "What?! 100 Credits for normal food?!"


    "This is extortion!"


    "Buy it or leave it. It''s not like I care." (OS)


    "Hey, student! What happened to the previous Climbers that came here?"


    "Oh, the dumbasses? They pretty much all entered the Tower." (OS)


    "Dumbasses? How long do you think it will take for them toe out?"


    "Bold of you to assume they wille out." He chuckled. (OS)


    "What?! What do you mean?!"


    "So many keep exiting. It can''t be that dangerous, right?!"


    "No idea, but the boss ordered to let them through." He shrugged. (OS)


    "That''s obviously because there is no way to prevent so many people from heading inside!"


    "Haha, nice joke!" The student left, leaving them shocked. (OS)


    "What does it mean?! Please answer!"


    "Oh, visitors? You wouldn''t get it. Just student things." (OS)


    There was a long moment of silence in the crowd. This whole School seemed to house a deep dark secret. Outside they were all-powerful Climbers, but here they felt likeplete newbies. Their ignorance was driving them crazy!


    "Sooo, who wants to try the Tower first?"


    "Are you crazy?! What if it''s a trap?!"


    "I mean, we are visitors, right?"


    "Are you really going to bet your life on this tiny piece of paper?"


    "They can''t logically kill us all if we follow the rules. The School would cease to exist instantly. I don''t know how, but this paper really should be protecting us."


    "It''s just a cheap thing..."


    "So, no one wants to try it?"


    "How about we chill outside for a little while?"


    "Guys, I''ve noticed something. Many students areing out with their spirits crushed."


    "That''s normal when Climbing, well perhaps not usually as intense..."


    "No, look. They are all heading there to recuperate!"


    "Weird, what are they all drinking?"


    "Wanna check it out?"


    The Climbers moved akin to a scared herd exploring an unknownnd. They found safety in numbers as they navigated this camp.


    "Hey, students. What is this?" One inquired while pointing at their cups.


    "Just the medicine of the soul." (OS)


    "This thing is the decisive factor allowing us to keep training." (OS)


    Talk about high praise! They instantly all became curious for figuring out this secret would give them a significant advantage.


    "Can I try some?"


    "Sure, it will be 100 Credits." (OS)


    "Again, with the pricing?!"


    At this rate, it would be cheaper to pay 10k Credits if one spent a lot of time here. Whoever was in charge of prices ought to be fired!


    "It''s fine. I''ll pay. I really want to taste it!"


    "Perfect, here you go." (OS)


    The man received the cup containing the hot liquid, then carefully took a small sip. The taste was rich and sweet. But, the vor prevented him from discerning the secret ingredient. It was probably a tasteless recovery drug.


    "Psst, how is it?"


    "I really can''t tell¡­It seems to be Hot Coco." He replied, puzzled.


    Sadly, he was bound to be disappointed as the students happily exposed the truth. They did so without a trace of shame.


    "You''re right!" (OS)


    "It is Hot Coco." (OS)


    "Hot Coco makes everything better." (OS)


    "Pure Hot Coco with no additive is the best!" (OS)


    That''s when a man that most had seen on the news approached. Frank, the recruiter, looked jovial as he came their way.


    "You guys are still hanging here? You should try the Tower. It''s our main feature here."


    "Will it be dangerous?" One cautiously asked, looking for any tell of a lie.


    "The danger will only be minimal for any official visitor. Just make sure you don''t recklessly ignore the warnings. ;)"


    The warnings? What did this mean? It wouldn''t make sense for him to lie to them all as their respective guilds backed them. They clenched their fists, steadied their hearts, and headed toward the Alter Tower.


    Hopefully, they wouldn''t all die...

 Chapter 271: Devious Tower

    <h4>Chapter 271: Devious Tower</h4>


    ****(POV)


    In this world, there was only one thing that mattered: power. Damien of Dominion had understood this early in his life. One could either exploit others or be exploited themselves.


    With the Tower appearing, he had relentlessly trained until he had be one of the most powerful Rankers. This power had allowed him to be the left hand of their guild leader, a true conqueror.


    Sadly, the current world was too peaceful for them to make a move. It would only end up with them being destroyed, their enemies ganging upon them. It made him sick to see all these weaklings believe themselves to be his equal.


    Today especially infuriated him. They had sent a fucking weakling to wee him! He had almost killed the bastard, but he had managed to rein his urges in. He had to remain low-key for now.


    Still, those Climber School peeps could go fuck themselves. It deserved to be destroyed, especially with how weak most of their students appeared. To him, anyone who wasn''t a Ranker didn''t deserve any attention.


    Entering the Alter Tower, he had been ready to vent andmit a massacre. But what the fuck was this?! It seemed to be a somewhat modern scene, but one that was so backward! There weren''t any U-bots or even holograms.


    [Mission: Find all the stones of infinity!]


    What kind of bullshit training was this?! People were paying for this crap?! A part of him still hoped that a powerful Boss would guard each stone, but he was disappointed as he reluctantly aplished it.


    [Mission Completed! Reward: entry ticket!]


    < Entry Ticket >


    - Allows one to ess a random Floor in the Infinite Tower. Excellent training opportunity! One can also select to challenge all Floors at once.


    Somehow, this first mission was only a facade to the real thing. The "why" didn''t matter much, for he would clear it. "Let me destroy their Training Tower! Launch all Floors!" He confidently used the ticket, grinning heroically.


    He would discover this ce''s secrets and reveal them. Soon everyone would turn against that greedy Josh guy. This would teach him to ignore someone of his status! Damien didn''t care about the plebeians: they could get scammed for all he cared but ignoring him was uneptable.


    He found himself standing in an elevator. Was that shit on the wall?! Either way, it wouldn''t faze him. When he saw the monkey with the jacket, he couldn''t believe his eyes.


    "What the fuck are you?!" But no matter what he tried, he still had to eat shit¡ª and he eventually did. He instantly felt the danger as he was about to lose his mind! He immediately used a life-saving measure, an incredibly hard-to-produce pill worth 100k Credits!


    What the fuck?! How were ordinary people supposed to clear this?! He felt the pain. This was such a waste! Luckily his guild had made sure he had plenty of consumables for emergencies.


    Then came the office challenge. Somehow this ce was making him so tired! It was as if the decor could affect both the mind and body. He almost overdosed on rejuvenation drugs, but he finally made it through the month.


    This second challenge had cost him about 70k worth of drugs! At this moment, he realized that something was very wrong with this Tower. "How many more Floors are there?!" he asked himself.


    When he saw the worms, he had no choice but to use an extremely hard-toe-by Magical Formation artifact to hide. He was a valiant warrior. Even for him, these level 80+ Worms were too much! He couldn''t even defeat the weakest ones!


    He began to regret entering as he had obviously fallen into a trap. Still, it was only a question of time before he escaped. He would make them all pay! He dragged his body around, cowering every time he felt a vibration or heard a screech.


    He eventually didplete the mission. Except it had cost him about 120k Credits in artifacts. He was using everything he had!


    Luckily the next mission was easier. He managed to barge into the dog vige and steal their bone back. The only issue was that he had to use plenty of attack consumables to create confusion in the vige. The total cost was about 40k credits.


    The war was even worse. He used everything that he still had left. He had made the enemies retreat but at what cost? He could only cry as he observed his empty inventory. About 150k wasted! He dragged his feet toward the elevator, cursing relentlessly.


    He finally arrived at the maze. He felt despair as he would have preferred to fight instead! He had a terrible sense of direction, but he tirelessly kept exploring nheless. It took him an eternity, but he finally managed to reach the monkey at the center.


    But it wasn''t the end?! He now had to look for bananas?! Fine, he would do it! It was just a matter of memorizing the shape of this maze! Anything was possible with enough effort, right?


    But, he soon discovered in horror that the bananas themselves were dangerous. As soon as he touched one, he failed the challenge and had to restart.


    Then he faced another problem. He didn''t have the scouting capabilities to find the bananas fast enough! Why did this thing need to be time-based?! It was so unfair to be stuck there aftering all this way!


    The issue was that the bananas would keep changing position and he would need to start from zero every try! Slowly learning theyout of the maze barely helped.


    He felt rage poison his heart as he swore to get revenge! He wasn''t one to be so easily defeated!


    Still, he could onlye to the harsh realization that he would be stuck there for a long while, an extremely long time¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    On every Floor, there were people violently dying. They didn''t have the protection of the Tower, and neither were they as prepared as the Ranker from Dominion.


    "What the fuck are these insane snakes?!" ¡ª Eaten.


    "Fine, I''ll eat this dubious thing! Gulp!" ¡ª Never woke up


    "I just need to survive a month here, right?! No biggie!" ¡ª Killed himself after three weeks,pletely forgetting that this was only a test.


    "Let me show these dogs who''s boss!" ¡ª Stoned to death while trying to flee with the ancestral bone.


    "What the fuck is this?! An army?! No way I''m fighting them!" ¡ª Tried to escape in the Savage Land and ended up as Dino poop.


    "I need to find bananas? Fine, bring it on! This is my specialty!" ¡ª Touched a banana and lost consciousness forever.


    There was one individual that only selected the 1 Floor option that managed to survive. He had luckily ended up on thest Floor, and was also a scout. He had also happened to be a germophobe and would never touch things directly.


    He somehow managed to clear it after trying for weeks inside, barely registering his reward. As he came out, he couldn''t help but freeze as there was something incredibly wrong with the scene he saw.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The visitors couldn''t help but shake in fright and relief. It hadn''t taken them long to clear the little Mall mission. As they received their prize, they had realized the incredible danger they had avoided.


    < Entry Ticket >


    - Allows one to ess a random Floor in the Infinite Tower. Excellent training opportunity! One can also select to challenge all Floors at once.


    *Visitor hint: 99% death rate inside. Students can challenge it safely but won''t receive any reward.*


    What the hell?! 99% death rate?! How crazy was that?! Wasn''t this akin tomitting suicide! No matter how great the rewards were, it simply wasn''t worth it! They were better off Climbing the regr Tower.


    This simple line had changed everything! Without it, they would have gleefully thrown their lives away without even knowing it. Was this what had happened to all the unruly Climbers that had barged in?! Most definitely!


    They felt cold sweat drench their backs. They longed for that student safe-challenge option. This would mean the ability to face deadly challenges regrly. It would be an incredible vector for growth!


    There was currently the Climber''s World VR game that was trying to aplish this very same task. But here was an actual Tower! Chances were that it would beat the simtion. At the very least, it would feel more real!


    They now understood how every student kept leaving in low spirits. They had just died inside! Of course, they would feel bad!


    The first thing they saw upon leaving was a smiling Frank. "How was it?"


    "E-eye opening!" They awkwardly replied.


    All of them were pensive, their thoughts running at an incredible speed. This simple revtion changed everything! This wasn''t as simple as designing a Tower regiment for an existing Tower. Nope!


    How the fuck had they changed the Tower to follow their whims?! It didn''t make any sense! This wasn''t the power of a human. It was the power of a god! But, this would be an extremely closely guarded secret.


    "Hey, how did you guys manage to create the Training Tower?" Someone tactlessly asked. What if he was silenced for his impertinence?!


    But, no one was angry. Instead, a few students even chuckled as they replied. "It''s simple. Josh Motherfucking Malum!"


    "What?!" They were all taken aback. What did this even mean?!


    Their leader had realized this miracle alone?! No, that ought to be impossible. That''s when many "realized" what was happening. This had to be the mysterious guild Dimensional Legion''s doing!


    What kind of insane power did that feat even take? Probably enough to conquer a good portion of the world easily. Then, why were they unknown until recently?! Had they been pulling the strings in the shadows all along?!


    Perhaps they didn''t care about this world at all. What if their goalsy in the Tower itself? They probably knew way more than them allbined about the Tower. Once more, they all felt ignorant and insignificant.


    Many couldn''t tolerate such a feeling as they decisively begged. "Sir, I want to join the school! Money isn''t a problem! Please let me join!"


    As soon as one kneeled begging, many others followed suit. At this instant, the one lucky survivor came out and was taken aback at the scene.


    The unruly Climbers were nowhere to be seen, and the ones that had chosen to visit were begging to join?! What the heck had happened here?!


    That''s when someone turned toward him. "Hey guys, there is someone that came out alive! The first from a batch of 300. So far, the death rate is even higher than the advertised 99%!"


    "What?! 99% death rate?! What''s this about?" The survivor asked in shock.


    "The ticket. People with visitor status get the warning that it has a very high death rate¡­." One magnanimously exined.


    "Even the Rankers didn''t make it out?!" He cried out fearfully.


    "Nope, you''re the first toe out." (OS)


    "This can''t be..." The survivor could only gulp as he shuddered.


    He had avoided death by a hair''s breadth! For what? The clear reward hadn''t even been worth it! This ce was a nightmare! All because they hadn''t paid that silly 100 Credits...

 Chapter 272: Sending Dick Pics! (Lots)

    <h4>Chapter 272: Sending Dick Pics! (Lots)</h4>


    Outside the Tower, a man was happilyughing as he checked his UW.


    Many guilds had been looking down on Josh''s school, but they suddenly were shocked into submission. They couldn''t believe what had happened!


    Today''s news was: "They''re dead, all of them! Confession from a lucky survivor!"


    The journalists had all jumped on the story as if their sries depended on it! No, with the fervor of people eager to prove themselves to their bosses! They really hadn''t been camping like dumbasses in front of D-23 for absolutely no freaking reason!


    They were pleased with all the deaths, and so was the Inte. This was an extreme situation reversal! The guilds had used a hammer to crack an egg, only for the hammer to be shattered!


    -RandomForumMod: This thread will now serve to discuss the "Totally not a Climber School," jeez, who came up with this name?!


    - TheStatGuy: Here are the facts. Out of 300 Climbers, only one survived. The Training Tower is 99% deadly to anyone except the students. This Training Tower is thanks to their leader, Josh MF Malum, who has conveniently ghosted everyone. Discuss¡­


    - DownSystem: That''ll teach those arrogant top guild bastards! How many have lorded their status over us and jumped queues? In D-23, everyone''s the same!


    - DarwinAward: We have just received the name of 299 candidates that died stupid deaths! Wow!


    - PetWithRightHandOnly: Guys, can we all take a moment to acknowledge there isn''t any emergency press release! The administration gives 0 fuck about idiots dying! If this isn''t big dick energy, then I don''t know what is!


    - ItsMeLuisG: I still feel like the guilds are going to try and get reparations. After all, many lost essential personnel. They''ll probably argue that there should have been a danger warning.


    - CaptainObvious: Bro, it''s my job to remind people that the Tower can be dangerous!


    - SilkCaterpir: I feel like there will be even more students wanting to join now. Maybe infuriating so many guilds was worth it. Plus, the D.L. peeps didn''t kill anyone; they just didn''t save them. They kinda have the moral high ground.


    - BigckCockatrice: I wonder how the Training Tower came to be. I don''t care about rude idiots dying!


    - JustBuyingSoySauce: How? Through soloing and overachieving a series of 6 challenges. Some were harder than Hellish difficulty in the Tower, featuring enemies more than thrice the challenger''s level. ;) You heard it here first. #Scoop #InsiderSecret


    Josh was in such a good mood that he spilled the beans. Secrecy on this point didn''t matter much anyway, not with how close he was to AT. How would they react to this revtion?


    - TheStatGuy: Get out of here! We''re trying to have a serious discussion! @JustBuyingSoySauce


    - BigckCockatrice: Can we ban this fool? Check rule #3 of this forum, no info that is not fact-checked! @JustBuyingSoySauce


    -RandomForumMod: I see you''re new here. I''ll give you a warning for now. If you want to say stuff like this, you need to cite a proper source. @JustBuyingSoySauce


    ....Cite a proper source?! The source was the goddamn owner of the Dimensional Legion Climber School, aka the guy that hadpleted the challenges! Fact check?! Fact check his ass!


    At this moment, Josh was reminded of all that was wrong with forums. Well, it was a decent way to understand the general popce''s opinion.


    If he were to go check the Draconic''s chat, he would only find: "Josh did what? Oh, something crazy again? I see: as expected of him¡­." Then if he went to his own school''s chat room, it would be full of strategy proposals and praises for Hot Coco, so many praises! Why?!


    Anyway, he had just decided to exit that one forum when something caught his attention.


    - BickDig: GUYS! Holy shit! Tune in to the Metropolis-W Fishing Channel! Right Now!! There''s been a tsunami and then¡­.just look!


    - ItsMeLuisG: Why? What''s happenfewgergrgw¡ª Holy shit indeed! There''s a new goddamn Tower!!! This one is called the <Deep Tower>; it''s unbelievable!!


    Josh could only stare ck-jawed. A new Tower?! This was a menace to his Tower monopoly! Should he go out there and try to conquer it too? Where was Metropolis-W? Apparently, 11 days away by flying ship¡­fuck!


    He currently had 21 days of lifespan remaining. The 22 back and forth would kill him. He always had the option to Climb when he reached there, but it would only extend his trip even more.


    With him gone for a month, would his school even be standing when he came back? Probably, but he couldn''t be sure. He could only sigh as he gave up on it. Hopefully, no one would manage to take control of it in the short term.


    Even then, he began researching it the best way he knew how. He texted the Draconic Analyst, who unsurprisingly already was all over it.


    Sudden seismic activity in the ocean had created a very noticeable tsunami. Exploring the source had revealed this new Tower. It was in the water, located in a trench 888 nautical miles away fromnd.


    The V-W regional administration was trying to figure out how to handle this problem, bringing the total number of foreign Towers worldwide to two. It was questionable how this new one would work. For instance, how would water impact it?


    Back when the initial regr Tower had appeared, every Tower ess had been onnd and easy to reach. This probably was because it was humanity''s Tower. It would naturally be in a spot that would allow them to enter.


    Now, this raised tons of questions. Was this new cement a mistake? Was it a Tower filled with marine lifeforms? Would teleporting inside even work? What would happen to someone badly injureding out of it? Would they drown?


    It had already been decided to build a temporary shelter for Climbers underwater. Just as Josh was getting hyped about it, he was told that a few underwater cities already existed. What?! Why had no one told him! This was sick!


    Added a new item to the bucket list: Visiting motherfucking Antis! Yes, there was one! Energy barriers around the cities kept the water outside. They even had oxygen extractors that made it suitable for humans to live as they relied on marine agriculture and fishing for food.


    Anyway, what now? Josh checked his pet status screen. <Nightmare Evolving 67% done>, nice! At this rate, he would be ready to head back inside to Climb soon. Oh! In the meantime, he would prepare his next step.


    If he wanted to deal with the assassins, he would have to infiltrate them. The problem was that all the info he had gotten from that number 3 guy was most likely unusable, perhaps even turned into traps by now. The League would have taken action as soon as the guy was captured.


    The best method was to let theme to him instead. How to do this? Well, number 3 had told him about the Chaotic Neutral Net (CNN), filled with non-listed forums of dubious origins. How useful were these? It ranged from not really to not at all!


    They were akin to fourth-rate butcher shops: the products would be barely edible or already rotten. But, it was still possible to do business with them. The hard part was to find a forum that wouldn''t be a scam.


    - Josh MF Malum: Hey man, where should I post on the CNN if I want to attract attention from the peeps in the League of Assassins? Ah, if you know how to contact them directly, it would be even better.


    - The Analyst: I won''t even ask why. Anyway, your best bet is Killers Freely Contracted, KFC in short. Whatever you post there will make rounds akin to a chicken bucket. But be careful, for KFC is very messy. Also, make sure not to take everything on the CNN at face value.


    - Josh MF Malum: Thanks for the tips! Now, if you''ll excuse me, I gotta send plenty of dick pics.


    - The Analyst: ¡­.?!?


    Okay, the first step was to buy Chaotic Credits (CC), the CNN untraceable currency. A total of 10k CC worth 100k Credits should do the trick, right? Probably¡­


    Josh then proceeded to write up a nice little post. The title was "[10k CC] I want both this bastard''s heads!" This ought to grab people''s attention, right?


    The post was pretty straightforward. Josh posted posing as a fictive anonymous cuckold client that longed for revenge.


    1. Pictures of texts the target had sent his wife. This included lots of dick pics to make it believable. (Better not know where they came from)


    2. Pictures of the target. For this one, Josh adopted a rtively young and handsome face. It looked a bit like this:


    ( ?~ ?? ?¡ã)


    3. A very long message stressing why he wanted the head of the target and the dick. The scenario was the husband nning to make his slut of a wife unknowingly eat the dick at dinner before giving her the stuffed head as a divorce present.


    Then the rest would remain hidden to most:


    4. The intended drop location. This would only be given to someone having the heads in his possession.


    Anyone having aplished the mission would post "Completed" on the thread and be contacted by an admin to verify the items. Then it would be brought to #4. (There was a history-free temporary private message function on this forum.)


    5. A 64 characters code for Josh to identify himself that only top management of the site and him would know.


    Josh nonchntly prepaid a sum that would have made most eyes bulge out. From this point onward, there would be assassins after his current appearance 24/7. He was bound to find one that knew about the League of Assassins at some point, right?


    Still, he probably had a few minutes before people realized his whereabouts. He would take the opportunity to eat, nap a bit, and then Nightmare would hopefully be done evolving.


    What kind of appearance would it have? He couldn''t wait¡­.

 Chapter 273: Bodyguard VS Assassin!

    <h4>Chapter 273: Bodyguard VS Assassin!</h4>


    Floor 20, next to a nondescript gray monolith, a man stood alongside his pet horse. If this had been a video game, this screen would have just appeared:


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    What?


    Nightmare is evolving!


    Congrattions! Your Nightmare evolved into Nightmare with Swag!


    Nightmare learned the move Bite!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh was staring at his pet in awe. How could have pet feed caused it to change so much?! The once basic horse now had sharp teeth and bony spikesing out of its back. Less sitting room, but at least there was now something to hold onto.


    "Yo, how strong are you now? How many enemies can you defeat? Ten, forty, a few hundred, thousands?" Josh cheerfully inquired. The horse only rolled its eyes in exasperation.


    It neighed. ("Don''t expect so much of me. I''m just here to gallop and gallop I shall!")


    Oh well, there was always the third evolution, right? "I''ll be counting on you to be even faster than before!" Josh cheerfully told his pet, with it nodding understandingly. It was time to hunt some ghoul riders!


    Before long, he was being chased by a thousand ghouls once more. The situation was tense, and the enemies too numerous. It was a dark moment filled with the scent of death and ughter?! Josh could be seen standing on his mount, even dancing from the time?!


    "This feels like the old-school ck and white movies!" Josh remarked. There was the goofy chase scene, the funny insults, and it was only missing theedic music. He began to hum the Yakety Epic Sax tune ??.


    Wait, no. Something was missing. This was a party song, "Nightmare, neigh along!" The pet shook its head in clear refusal. It had its pride! After all, the music sounded way too silly!


    "Neigh along, and we''ll get lots of food by farming this ce!" Josh reiterated akin to a tempting devil.


    "?? Neigh ??!!" What had happened to its pride? Well, some things in life were more important, food for instance! Not only did it y along, but it even did its best, baited by gluttony!


    Great! Man and pet sang the hrious song while writing profanities all over the ce. Was there anything more beautiful than this in this world?


    At some point, they realized that the ghouls had abandoned their leader already. Wait, hadn''t it been a bit too fast? Ah! Josh realized that his dancing atop Nightmare had all been seen as taunts.


    "Screw you! Stop shaking your ass and fight me already! I will destroy you. I will tear you limb by limb and do the same to the worthless ghouls here!" The boss had been raging non-stop, not just at them but at its undeads too.


    Josh magnanimously allowed the poor boss to have the fight it so desperately longed for. It ended up being a one-sided thrashing following the music. The cutting of the flesh apanied every note, and it was great!


    The boss crumbled to literal pieces, having suffered even more mental injuries than physical ones. Who would be having fun while killing such a powerful creature?! Josh. The remaining ghouls could only stare in disbelief at this happy and insane "ghoul."


    Josh expected some more nightmare feed, but sadly there was no such thing. All that he got was a ring that was part of the Smelly set. Oh well, he would at leastplete the set! That is how Josh and Nightmare repeatedly toyed with the ghoulish army.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    It took many runs, but he did it!


    <Smelly Set Effect (3)>


    Stench of the Smelly Ghoul: Very smelly! Toggle


    <Smelly Set Effect (5)>


    Deadly Stench of the Smelly Ghoul: + Smelly


    <Smelly Set Effect (7)>


    Invisible Death: + Stench Bes Very Sneaky


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The magical item seemed to produce a disgusting smell all around him in a radius of about 20 meters. With the full set, it ended up being very potent and invisible, with the biggest caveat being theck of practicality.


    While it was highly unpleasant and even distracting, it didn''t seem to offer any hard crowd control ability. The poor Nightmare had to be the guinea horse for this and wanted nothing more than to cry.


    What was Josh supposed to do with this? Crash a party? Actually, it could be overpowered if he were to be faced with a creature with an over-developed sense of smell¡­.


    Either way, he would figure it outter. Josh happily exited the Tower, only for a man to holler at him. "Hey, man! I need to talk to you!" He wore an outfit that reminded one of a bodyguard: suit and sses!


    Josh curiously went toward him. Currently, he was wearing the appearance of the wanted man on the KFC forum. Had he already caught his first assassin? Wow, talk about effective!


    "Hey, there. Do we know each other?" Josh asked, visibly confused.


    "No time to talk! Come with me if you want to live!" He instructed.


    Wow! Josh would obviously follow anyone saying such an iconic line! The man showed slight surprise at how cooperative he was. Then, he began warily observing their surroundings while guiding them toward a less crowded district.


    Josh could only nod in approval. The guy wasn''t aplete amateur, for he at least knew how to be wary ofpetitors. After a few minutes, they finally arrived at a deste, empty building, the man locking the door behind them.


    From that point onward, Josh was stuck there with the man¡ª or more urately, the man was stuck with Josh. How great! Was this how a spider catching its first fly ever felt?


    The man turned toward Josh with a big smile: "Hehe, brother. I''m not sure if you''re aware, but there is a huge bounty on your head! HUGE!"


    "What?! That''s impossible!" Josh eximed, "astonished."


    "I''m telling you. Some guy out there is paying 100k Credits for someone to kill you. Do you know what one can do with 100k Credits!" He excitedly said.


    Josh couldn''t help but think: "I know one thing one can do at least."


    But instead, he replied while "shaking in fear.": "W-what will happen to me?!"


    "Don''t worry, brother. I''m no assassin. I''m an AA Ranked bodyguard!¡ª or I''d be if there were such a thing as AA bodyguards." He mumbled thest part under his breath.


    What the hell?! This was just his luck! Other people would have considered this lucky, but for Josh¡­this was such a waste! Why would he be hiding here with a bodyguard instead of out there fishing or Climbing?!


    "So, let me get this straight¡­you''re not here to kill me but to offer me protection? Wouldn''t it be more lucrative to kill me?" Josh asked, perplexed, all trace of tension in his body gone.


    "Of course! Life is precious and shouldn''t be needlessly extinguished! Ah, but don''t go rxing yet. Your life is still in danger. Who knows when¡ª" He was still talking when an incredible noise resounded!


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    Someone was banging on the door?!


    CLANG!


    BAM!


    Suddenly the entrance was kicked open as a man entered, evilly grinning. He had short hair, wore jeans, and could be seen dexterously ying with a ck dagger.


    "Hehe, you did good wannabe bodyguard. I didn''t even know that this guy had a bounty before seeing you run away with him." The man with the dagger gloated.


    "Tch¡ªthis is bad!" The wannabe bodyguard took out Brass Knuckles and assumed a fighting posture. "Young man, I''ll hold him off. Run while you still can!" He heroically shouted.


    "About that¡ª" Josh wanted to object. What was this guy doing?! This assassin looked like small fry, but perhaps he''d give him a lead? There was no way he was going away!


    "Don''t worry about payment. We can sort this out when we see each other again. Now, run!!!" He valiantly eximed in a wonderful spirit of self-sacrifice.


    On the one hand, it was very noble of his part. On the other hand, Josh didn''t give a fuck about this. But he could see how adamant the man was, so he pretended to sneak away.


    "Today, I will let you taste my dagger! This ought to shut you up!"


    "Bring it on! My fists are ready to beat your ass!"


    That is when the two began shing. These guys were probably level 20-40. It was hard to gauge since their movements seemed amateurish. Of course, this was only by Josh''s standards.


    Without realizing it, he had be way stronger. After all, Hellish indeed wasn''t simple¡ª even when it seemed like it to him.


    They were plenty of cool skills. The bodyguard was generating a bronze ethereal magical armor all around his body. Instead, his opponent enhanced his dagger with some bloody effect that made the enemy lose some flesh after blocking, even with no direct contact.


    They fought for a few minutes until the assassin used a trump card! His dagger began glowing blood-red, quickly prating the magical armor. His smile became even more profound as he was about to deal the killing blow.


    "I may die, but I''ve saved a life!" The bodyguard fearlessly shouted. Greatst words for a movie, kinda dumb IRL, to be honest¡­


    "Fool, I''ll track him and kill him too!" The assassin sniggered.


    That''s when the victim''s face changed entirely. He had just seen Joshing around the corner. Why was he here?! Would his sacrifice be useless?!


    What happened next felt like a dream. "How about you shut the fuck up." Josh pped the assassin to the ground before kicking his joints to paralyze him.


    Neither the assassin nor the bodyguard could understand what was happening. They looked bbergasted at Josh that was standing there rxedly. His appearance felt so surreal! His next words were even crazier:


    "Now, why don''t we have a little fun. Let''s y a small game. I''ll be torturing, and you''ll be telling me everything you know. Sounds fun, right?"


    "W-what do you mean?" The assassin on the ground was trying his best to repress screams of pain.


    "Everything! Now, let''s move toward the back" Josh looked akin to a devil as he dragged his prey in a remote corner of the building.


    The easy mark with an unbelievably high bounty was nowhere to be seen!


    The wannabe bodyguard kept staring, feeling quite useless. Was this the man he had fought so hard to save? He had just made a fool out of himself! Still, he couldn''t help but feel that this mysterious man was bound to be disappointed with this interrogation.


    The bodyguard knew this peculiar assassin. He was a lowlife, but one that was quite stubborn. There was no way that he would talk so easily and¡­


    "I''ll talk! I''ll tell you everything, please!" Came the desperate voice of the supposedly stubborn assassin¡­.What?! He had already cracked?! How the fuck?!


    Josh then reappeared a few minutester, looking slightly disappointed. "This one was a dud. Hopefully, the next assassin will be a stronger one." He sighed to himself as he left.


    The bodyguard was left standing therepletely stunned. Was this man just going back to the Tower?! This¡­this¡­.what the hell?!

 Chapter 274: Floor 21: Breakfast Preparation! (Not Really)

    <h4>Chapter 274: Floor 21: Breakfast Preparation! (Not Really)</h4>


    Floor 21 was quite peculiar and could prove troublesome for some groups. Josh was by the side of the road, actively researching it.


    He''d have to face flying enemies?! It was a good thing that he still had that Gnoll bow! If anything, it would make excellent shooting practice. "Teleport-in!" he confidently dered.


    [Wee to Floor 21 Hellish! Mission Crack Some Eggs ¡ª 6!]


    What?! Josh couldn''t help but frown.


    "What''s that about eggs? This challenge should be eagle hunting season. Are we going to make breakfast instead?" Josh retorted.


    [Exnation: This task has been deemed harder by the system!]


    [Good luck!]


    "Gotcha." In a way, it made sense. If the eggs were filled the progeniture of deadly giant eagles, then they were bound to be under strict guard. He would most likely have tomit genocide to reach them.


    Josh inspected his surroundings, noticing what seemed to be a mountain at the horizon. He started walking toward it, but there was alreadypany arriving. A shrill bird call was heard.


    SCREECH!


    In the reddish sky, there were now eight ginormous birds circling as they eyed him. They had quite noticeable features.


    - White heads.


    - Brown feathers.


    - Piercing green eyes.


    - Sharp talon and ws.


    - Wings spanning a few dozen meters.


    - Green energy was crackling around their bodies, seemingly increasing their speed. Was this wind magic?


    They looked even more deadly than majestic. Had these creatures been on Earth, they would never have been chosen as a symbol; Instead, they would have annihted humanity! Josh grabbed his bow hurriedly as he stared at them.


    <Hairy Giant Eagle Lv 24> (Umon)


    He then felt them dive toward him right after he had spawned! Their speed was incredible! They were even faster than a speedster trying to impress a sexy woman! Josh didn''t even bother shooting them. There was no time!


    He threw himself on the ground, feeling razor-sharp ws miss his back. He couldn''t even sigh in relief: he had to evade again! This time razor-sharp beaks missed him, but it wasn''t even over! That''s when razor-sharp wind des missed his head!


    Finally, it came to an end. The Giant Eagles didn''t linger and took flight once more, bing tiny dots in the sky. Josh didn''t let go of the opportunity and shot arrows, one lodging itself into the neck of one of them.


    It fell with Josh hacking it to pieces to get revenge for their attack. Seven eagles were remaining, and it seemed like they were guerri-type attackers. They would swoop in, give it their all, and retreat afterward.


    Right now, the green energy surrounding them was weaker, and they seemed to need to recharge it over time before they could attack again. Did Josh need to kill only one every attack? No, this didn''t make much sense.


    He would cut them melee range! The best-case scenario was to get all seven targets at once. How could he do this? It wasn''t like he could sh them all at once, right? ¡ª or could he?!


    Josh carefully concentrated on his morphing weapon. It perhaps wasn''t the highest grade, but it was so helpful! A few secondster, he was delighted. He intently watched the eagles pping their wings until they disappeared from his vision.


    Still, he knew this was only a trick. He sat down to rest, happily letting his guard down as he felt them creep back toward him. The creatures made sure to stay out of his line of sight. These birdbrains couldn''tprehend Josh''s sensing abilities!


    Then it was execution time. They dove once more, nning to get revenge for their fallen brethren. They all nicely lined up, ready to attack once after the other. Sadly for them, the n was only good in theory.


    The Giant Eagle leading the charge suddenly felt that something was amiss. This was because the human had thrown something toward his back without even looking.


    The approaching item seemed to be circr, had sharp edges, and was flying fast! Sadly for the eagle, it would remain puzzled forever. It didn''t have the time to evade that the chakram had opened its neck. It then followed its course toward the others behind.


    In total, four eagles fell from this single attack, with Josh taking out his bow and shooting the survivors. They aborted their assault and scattered all over, trying to save their feathers. What kind of monster was this?! It was everything but prey!


    With theirst dying breath, the eagles screeched loudly. It probably meant something like: "Fly you fools!" or maybe it was something less heroic like "We''re fucked!". But, Josh did not speak eagle and kept shooting, not a care in the world.


    Two more fell, full of magical arrows. One lone survivor managed to get out, staring onest time at Josh, giving him a look full of hate before leaving.


    "Tough luck birdie, you guys shouldn''t have attacked in the first ce." Josh shrugged. It seemed like it was fleeing toward the mountain at the horizon. It was time to follow the unfortunate guide!


    "Nightmare,e out! We''re going to make an omelet. Are you ready?" Josh summoned hispanion, and they galloped in the sunset (no sun, but the color was right).


    Before long, they managed to reach an extremely tall rocky peak. At the top, there were plenty of eagles circling. High up on the side, there were nests that definitely contained his targets.


    Wow, just wow. This mission was supposed to be a royal pain, wasn''t it? A regr Climber group would probably be pulling their hair out. Scaling a troublesome steep wall while fending attacks from flying monsters sounded like a nightmare!


    "System, I feel like there is something wrong with this mission of yours." Josh couldn''t help butment, for he had noticed something terribly wrong.


    [The Difficulty is exactly as it should be. It shall not be lowered.]


    Why did it feel like the system was happy about this statement? It was probably a misunderstanding. After all, its tone was too emotionlesspared to AT!


    "Lowered? I''m saying it seems too easy. There are a few dozen nests up there. Looking at how carefully the eagles are protecting them, I''m ready to bet there are way more than six eggs!" Josh exined.


    [...]


    "So, can we increase the difficulty for better reward?" Josh begged.


    [Mission Crack Lots of Eggs ¡ª 30!]


    "Thanks, system!" Josh waspletely satisfied.


    Now, was Climbing the rock peak hard? Yes! One could even say it was nearly damn impossible! Then why was Josh so confident? Well, he had never nned to scale it in the first ce.


    "Let''s get this party started, shall we?" Josh confidently walked forward, taking his True Pickaxe out. It was time to have fun!


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    SCREECH!


    At first, it was incredibly smooth sailing, but then the Eagles took offense to the noise pollution. They began organizing raids against him in groups of 10 but only suffered the same fate as before.


    CLANG!


    SCREECH!


    CLANG!


    SCREECH!


    For every swing of the pickaxe, he would now have to fend a group of enemies. Still, this didn''t dishearten him in the least. As long as he survived the guerri attacks, he would be fine afterward.


    SCREECH!


    CLANG!


    SCREECH!


    CLANG!


    SCREECH!


    Now, it wasn''t a group of bloodthirsty feathery creatures but a sea of them that he needed to face relentlessly. But, every time the crazed bird army came, he would hide in the rock to dodge their magical attacks!


    SCREECH!


    CLANG!


    SCREECH!


    SCREECH!


    CLANG!


    SCREECH!


    He was getting close to being done. He could feel it. He just needed to make sure he didn''t get crushed under the rubble as everything copsed. That''s why he was digging in a manner that made one side more stable than the other.


    SCREECH!


    SCREECH!


    CLANG!


    SCREECH!


    SCREECH!


    CLANG!


    SCREECH!


    SCREECH!


    Josh did the finishing touches. Thest swing was different than the ones before it. The foundation had finally been damaged enough that the entire peak copsed under its own weight. It did so at an angle as nned.


    CRUMBLE!


    CRUMBLE!


    CRUMBLE!


    CRUMBLE!


    The rock heavily fell to the ground, creating craters and making the entire Floor shake. Debris was sent flying all over the ce, with him having to move a bit to avoid it. Luckily, the epicenter was away from him, and he could happily enjoy the show.


    "Now, this is what I call exploiting," Joshmented with satisfaction. Meanwhile, the birds were going crazy. To be fair, the Apocalypse didn''t happen every day.


    SCREECH!


    SCREECH!


    SCREECH!


    SCREECH!


    There were cries of confusion, fright, despair, and anger that were music to his ears.


    He could almost hear the sound of dozens of eggs shattering all at once. The copse had been so sudden that the adult eagles didn''t have time to evacuate them. There was rubble everywhere!


    Once upon a time, 8 Giant Eagles had tried ambushing the gant prince. The prince then used his wits and hard work to destroy their entire habitat. The End!¡ª Or perhaps it wasn''t?


    That is when the screeches of anger became more and more prominent. They were so numerous that not a single instant of silence ever happened. It had a certain rhythm to it, akin to a chant.


    The eagles began circling as an organized swarm, the wind started madly howling, the green light from their magic suffused the entire Floor, and they never stopped screeching in unison. It was as if they were casting a humongous spell.


    There was trouble brewing!


    [Missionpleted! Part 2 Beginning now: Survive!]


    "Of course¡­" Josh gave a wry smile. It wouldn''t be that easy, right?


    That is when a screech resonated: It was deeper, stronger, and awe-inspiring! Instantly, all the other birds became silent as an enormous Eagle appeared on the horizon.


    This would be a challenging fight for sure!

 Chapter 275: Giant Eagle King!!!

    <h4>Chapter 275: Giant Eagle King!!!</h4>


    On Floor 21 appeared a humongous giant eagle.


    < Giant Eagle King Lv 34?>


    Just its wingspan alone was about 40 meters! Every p of its wings generated a mighty gale, one even reaching Josh on the ground.


    ¡ª SCREECH!!!¡ª


    It turned its gigantic head toward the shattered remains of their peak before turning it toward Josh. The creature was mad!


    ¡ª SCREECH!!!¡ª


    Without waiting, it prepared to dive at him as it began glowing green. Oh crap! What were his odds of victory against such a predator in a direct fair fight? Fucking nil!


    Josh bolted toward the closer debris, activating his white spider set. There was plenty of big rocks strewn about everywhere: he would hide in them. But, there still remained an issue: there were so many goddamn eagles!


    His only saving grace was that the rocks were clustered enough, forming paths simr to mining tunnels. Yes, he could work with this! What were flying creatures going to do indoor? Come one after the other to die!


    They looked akin to a bird sea as they kept pushing each other in, losing control of their bodies in the process. Josh kept retreating deeper and deeper into the natural rocky maze.


    ¡ªBAM BAM BAM!¡ª


    It sounded like the eagle king was grabbing at the terrain and cleaning it up forcefully. Every time it threw an enormous rock aside, it sent tremors into Josh''s current hiding spot.


    His time was limited. Eventually, he wouldn''t have any cover at all. No, this wouldn''t work. He needed to assassinate the king if he wanted to have a chance, but how? As long as he could scale its gigantic body, everything should be okay.


    Josh waited until the banging sound was right above him, found a new exit, and ran outside. He charged toward the king, only to have the shock of his life. The banging hadn''t been done by its ws, but with magic!


    It kept throwing wind des all over the ce as it flew high above. Fuck! This monster was a goddamn mage! Just reaching it would be an extremely high hurdle! The only good news was that mages were usually squishier¡ª if one could fucking get near them, of course!


    Josh hurriedly returned to the safety of the rocks, ughtering normal eagles over and over while running. If only he had a grappling hook or something!¡ª wait¡­maybe he could make one.


    He still had lots of spider thread. While it wasn''t that sturdy, it would be hard to notice the thin thread from a distance. As long as he could get a small window of opportunity, it could work.


    Josh re-summoned Nightmare. "I''m gonna need a great diversion once more." The poor horse could only shake its head in despair. It had to go against so many annoying birds?


    Josh found another exit, sending the poor Nightmare on its quest. As soon as it left, it was instantly barraged with deadly wind des. Barely dodging it all, it galloped for its life! It seemed like it had managed to grab the Boss''s attention.


    Now that the Boss was distracted, it was time for part B. Josh grabbed his trusty lifeless rat and threw it in the air with as much force as he could.


    The Eagle King was intently focused on the fleeing creature, trying to find the one that had killed its kind. Was it hiding below the horse''s belly? Suddenly, a rat appeared next to its beak. Instinctively, it gobbled it up¡ª wait, was was that?!


    It didn''t notice the line attached to its meal, now stuck in its beak. Without waiting, Josh scaled the spider thread as quickly as he could! Then, he finally reached the giant eagle''s back.


    The spider set would allow him to remain still on the flying creature! So anyway, he started shing! The eagle realized that something was wrong as sharp pain coursed through its body, but Josh was relentless and ruthless.


    Josh tried cutting its neck, but it protected it with a heavyyer of magical energy. If he couldn''t destroy this, he''d target the wings instead! He was fine with destroying either, but he had to hurry!


    He was under a time limit, after all. The regr Eagles were already gathering toward him. He needed a bit more time, just a bit more. Without hesitating, he quickly activated his newest set, the smelly one!


    An invisible cloud spread all around, one that felt akin to a biological weapon. As the birds approached, they would get surprised by the horrendous smell and forget to p their wings, crashing to the ground stunned.


    "Holy shit, this thing is nice!" Josh cackled.


    Birds didn''t have the most sensitive of noses, but they also weren''t used to strong odors. After all, in the sky, the wind would quickly scatter the smell of most things. This wasn''t the case for this magical fog at all!


    ¡ª SCREECH!!!¡ª


    The creature screeched in a mix of fury and suffering. But, it was toote. Josh had managed to destroy its wings entirely. It fell to the ground akin to a malfunctioning Boeing. Then came thending¡­crashing would be more urate.


    The huge body of the Boss slid all over the ground, creating a long depression in the ground. In the end, it could only twitch as it threw up blood from its beak¡ª and the mutted wings, more precisely the blood feather part.


    The regr eagles had by then finallye back to their senses, but so what?! Their leader was nothing more than a sitting eagle right now! Josh retreated toward the nearby rock debris, hiding while killing his pursuers.


    Every other minute, he would rush out and hit his nemesis. He had to dodge wind des, but it wasn''t that hard. Then, he would fall back toward the safety of the rocks and wait for another opportunity.


    It seemed like the birds sucked at protecting a target resting on the ground. They were too used to attacking ground targets and falling back. It took him a while, but Josh finally managed to extinguish the life of his prey.


    As their leader weakly screeched itsst, the eagle flock dispersed. Without anyone to order them and seeing all their brethren dying one after the other, they chose to retreat. They would save their species at the very least.


    Josh finally could catch his breath. Inspecting the loot, he had killed so many eagles that there were tons of feathers, eagle meat, and random loot. As for the Eagle King, it had dropped something that made his balls tingle with excitement.


    <Shattered Emblem of the Eagle King (1/50)>


    - Legends say this emblem increased the Eagle King''s magical power tremendously.


    Was this for real?! Was bing a human wind des generator possible?! For a short moment, the eagle had also used its wind magic to protect its neck! This could have so many applications, especially increasing his speed! Who wouldn''t desire this?!


    [Missionpleted! Managed to survive!]


    Right¡­Josh had totally forgotten that he was only supposed to run. To be fair, he had seen a method to kill his adversary, so of course, he would go for it! He wouldn''t be Josh Malum if he cowered against a birdbrain.


    [Please select 1: Wind Extract | Wind Stone | Blood-Feather | Wind de Manuscript]


    What the heck was this?! There was lots of wind for sure! Then there was the Blood-Feather¡­what could this be? Why would he want a growing feather? Could this thing contain a bloodline? Perhaps¡­


    Also, what was the difference between wind extract and wind stone? The extract could very well be a consumable or a crafting material. As for the stone, perhaps a piece of equipment ¡­or it could be used for crafting too.


    The only one that sounded straight-forward was the Wind de Manuscript. This would potentially increase his versatility by giving him magical attacks. Actually, were the arrows from the gnoll bow considered magical attacks?


    "System, can''t you tell me what these rewards entail? Pretty please." Josh pleaded.


    [Please select 1: "Wind Ex¡ª]


    "Fine, fine. I understand!" Josh grumbled. What to pick? Ah, whatever. It was pointless to overthink this.


    "Give me the Wind de Manuscript!" Josh requested.


    A few secondster, an old parchment-like book appeared in his hands in a sh of red light. Upon closer inspection, it contained tons of drawings of a stickman breathing in a precise manner.


    Overall it seemed like there were a few steps:


    1. Feel the wind energy in one''s surroundings by sensing the breeze.


    2. Associate it with one''s own energy via breathing.


    3. Generate the magic by using one''s mana.


    4. Visualize the intent of the wind de and throw it at one''s enemies with conviction.


    5. Profit as your adversaries are diced into pieces.


    While there were many steps, it didn''t appear tooplicated. Josh instantly sat down cross-legged and began training amidst the remains of the birds. From time to time, he would munch on raw bird meat.


    All the Floors dropping directly consumable food ingredients were the best!


    As he kept focusing, the seconds turned into minutes, the minutes into hours, and the hours into a huge fucking waste of time!


    Was there something Josh wasn''t doing right?! He was following the exact directives from the manual. This was bullshit!


    He took a deep breath and calmed himself. This was to be expected as he didn''t have memories of past heroes. He had finally managed to control mana, but now it was the wind element that eluded him.


    How was he supposed to fix this issue? Perhaps he should have started with something a bit easier.


    Perhaps an element-less spell? Another option was to find magic that worked simrly to killing intent. Maybe he could try summoning too? After all, he could still remember the feeling from using the Skeleton Summoning item vividly...


    Oh well, for now, he would farm the shit out of this Floor for the emblem. He teleported out...only to find that a certain bodyguard had been waiting for him...

 Chapter 276: A Little Sunshine Is Nice

    <h4>Chapter 276: A Little Sunshine Is Nice</h4>


    ****(POV)


    Metropolis-D seemed ever so tranquil, but unbeknown to most, it was full of undercurrents. For instance, there was currently a manhunt happening spearheaded by many killers.


    Eric was a young man that knew many of the gray areas in the City. One could say that he had been introduced to shady people early on in his life. His big brother had taught him about it before he could even speak.


    Eric''s first words had even been, "Where''s my fucking money!" not in that order, or any order for that matter. Yet, he had surprisingly grown-up pretty sheltered. In fact, his brother wasn''t even a bad buy. Nope, he was a simple nightclub owner.


    It was a series of coincidences that had led him to see the best in every situation. Where others saw a shitty establishment full of low lives, he had seen a wonderful ce full of joy. It was a recurring joke in their family that Eric could even see the positive in literal shit.


    That''s probably why he became a bodyguard, because to him, life itself was worth it. But, none of his professional experience had prepared him for this man. How could a man with a 100k Credits bounty on his head (and dick) be so calm?!


    He had handled the assassin that went after him with frighteningposure, saving Eric''s life in the process. The crazy part was that he had afterward resumed Climbing as if nothing had ever happened!


    Anyway, Eric had been waiting for him in front of the Tower patiently. As the mysterious man appeared, he seemed pensive. This was the look of a man pondering about a clear strategy for sure. Eric instantly rushed at him.


    "You''re back! We need to talk. This is urgent." He whispered with hints of worry in his voice while making sure no one was in the vicinity.


    "What''s up?" The protection target inquired.


    "This is serious, man. The bounty on your head blew up. It gained so much traction that people are looking for you everywhere. Quick, wear this!" Eric handed him a ski mask.


    "Ski mask? The climate here is rtively warm. Then again, there ought to be artificial snow or something." He mumbled, not worried in the least and even adding. "More people, right? I don''t really mind it."


    How could a man be so fearless?! Most of the time, Eric''s clients would be cowering just from the threat of assassination, but not this guy! This could actually be a huge problem! How could he exin it?


    "It''s not a matter of just having more people. Dealing with assassins, true ones, is vastly different. You can''t underestimate them as they won''t all be like that guy from back then."


    "Do you mean loud-mouthed or useless?" He curiously asked. This was besides the point! Eric sighed as he exined further.


    "Both! They''ll attack when you''ll least expect it and try to poison your food sneakily. This is noughing matter. Anyway,e with me, and I''ll help you hide for a little while. I know just the perfect ce!"


    Somehow, the man still seemed distracted, as if it was no big deal. He could be seen slightly smirking as he eyed the crowd of Climbers as if having noticed old friends. But he didn''t holler at anyone, and it''s only after a while that he wore the mask.


    "Alright, lead us to this hideout of yours." He instructed.


    Thank god he was finally listening to reason! Eric energetically nodded as he led the way, making sure they weren''t being tailed. He was extra careful this time around and sighed in relief as the coast was clear. It seemed he had intervened in time before anyone could recognize the man!


    Before long, they reached their destination. It was a nightclub located between the bustle of downtown and the rxing ambiance of the suburbs. It was perfect for Climbers to drink, party, and unwind after a long day of work.


    The first thing one would notice was definitely the bright, shy yellow holograms weing visitors. The second was indubitably the three muscr and stern bouncers that towered over the entrance, screening the potential entrants.


    "What''s with the name? It''s a nightclub called sunshine? Isn''t this ironic?" The man asked, amused as he stared at the yellow neon sign.


    "Climbers exit the Tower at any given time of the day or even at night. Celebrating and having fun is necessary for everyone''s well-being. It''s a bright ray of sunshine in their life¡­." Eric exined.


    "I''m not sure whether it''s beautiful, cringe, or both." Hemented.


    "Both? Not that it matters really. At least we should be safe here." Eric uttered.


    "So your hideout is at a nightclub, eh? Let''s go in: I can already hear the music. It sounds plenty jovial and yet rhythmic. Some kind of pop music?"


    "Actually, our destination is right under it. There''s an adjacent tiny basement apartment. The owner used to live there, but he''s since moved out to a bigger ce across the street. We can crash here for a while."


    "Just so we''re on the same page, your n is for me to hide next to a? strangers-filled nightclub? Wouldn''t that be pretty unsafe?" The man asked, perplexed.


    "Eh, there is more to it." Eric grinned confidently.


    "Let me guess. You know the bouncers here?" The man caught on quickly.


    "Even better, their boss is my brother. Also, don''t worry too much. I''m a small-time bodyguard, and no one would ever expect me to defend a high-ss client." Eric assured his friend. (?)


    "I see. So you take easy to defend clients, use your brother''s men to do the job, and then collect the payout?" He calmly remarked.


    "K-kinda¡­" The bodyguard gave an embarrassed expression.


    "Why didn''t you bring me herest time?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.


    "I''ll never bring someone I can''t trust home. You saved my life back there, so it''s the least I can do." Eric said with conviction.


    "I merely took care of a guy that wasing after me, nothing more." He shrugged.


    "Yes, but you could have left me to die. It would have been one less guy knowing about you. Thanks for back then, really." Eric said, serious.


    He fished his key and thus started an extremely short house tour. I included so many things to see!:


    1. A Sofa


    2. A HUB (TV)


    3. A Stove


    4. A Toilet


    That was it, nothing else. The walls were the same tacky yellow as the holograms outside. Eric gestured to the whole thing: "This is it. It''s not much, but it''s honest work!"


    "No problem, this will do. Right, there is something I have to buy. I''ll be right back. See youter." He casually waved as if this wasn''t a matter of life and death at all.


    He was heading out there again?! What was up with him and his suicidal tendencies?! For now, he''dpromise: "Wait, I''ll send someone to buy whatever you need. You can count on me!" Eric assured.


    "Alright, sounds good. Let''s party already! I''m heading to Sunshine."


    Oh well, it could be worst. As long as he kept his mask on, everything would be fine. Eric led the way toward the entrance, their arrival making the bouncers smile.


    The protection target swaggered toward the front of the queue happily. Why did it seem like he was enjoying the angry looks of the people waiting their turn to enter? He had the walk of a goddamn peacock!


    "This is quite pleasant, not having to wait in line." He offhandedly remarked as they were ushered in. "Ah, right. Who should I ask for the stuff I need?"


    "Jack here can do it. Just tell him." Eric pointed to the bouncer on the farthest right.


    The man approached the bouncer''s ear as he whispered a few things. At some point, he even began drawing stuff on a piece of paper. But, no matter how Eric looked at it, he couldn''t figure out what it was. But, the bouncer''s face became progressively more livid before he bolted away...frightened?!


    "What did you request of him?"


    "Nothing too big. You''ll see soon." He gave a mischievous smile.


    Eric couldn''t help but be puzzled. These guys were the defenders of this ce and had seen a lot in their careers. What could have made him react like this?! In any case, he would trust him for now. He had saved his life after all already.


    "Anyway, wee to Sunshine! Everyone working here is family, so feel free to ask if you need anything." Eric kindly offered.


    As they entered, the man beamed as he looked all around. It was as if it was his first time seeing a nightclub. Why was he staring so intensely at the 3D holographic dancefloor? He seemed particrly interested in the special effects of the AIs.


    Wait, was it possible that the man was a Fallen?! It would exin why he went back so quickly to the Tower to Climb. Perhaps this was why he was remaining calm too in the face of death: he was already cursed to die young!


    How harsh must it be for the morale to live with such a condition? Eric couldn''t even begin to imagine to. He could only silently resolve to help the poor guy.


    "Wow. What kind of crazy settings do you guys have for this decor? This one is like a 3D disco floor with flying ethereal cubes everywhere. This one is like we''re on an ocean floor with colorful fishes swimming above us!" He kept eximing in marvel.


    Meanwhile, many couldn''t help but scoff at this country bumpkin that didn''t even seem to understand holographic technology.


    "What a dumbass."


    "Is he retarded by any chance?"


    "What the fuck is this guy doing on the dancefloor?! This ain''t a show!"


    "Hehe, this must be his first time entering a ce like this. Wanna bet he usually gets turned down at the door?"


    Eric''s expression hardened as he went toward the bbermouths:


    "Next simrment, and you guys are banned for life from this ce. Understood?" They grimaced but eventually, most nodded as they recognized him as someone from management.


    Well, there was one guy that somehow didn''t get the hint as he began shouting: "It''s that one guy that should be banned. He''s one of those filthy Fallen, isn''t he? Why is he here at a nightclub when he should be doing what he''s been summoned for: Climbing!"


    Many held their breath, shocked. What was this guy saying?! But it wasn''t over as a few seemed to approve of this point of view.


    Eric felt his blood boiling. Who the fuck was this guy to disparage his guest?! He was a proud bodyguard, and no one would insult the people he had decided to protect!


    "You, apologize right now!" He growled with a meaningful tone.


    "As if! Why don''t you make me!" The troublemaker red up, not backing down in the least. Many seemed to be itching to start a fight.


    It seemed like a confrontation couldn''t be avoided...

 Chapter 277: Merry Fun Time!

    <h4>Chapter 277: Merry Fun Time!</h4>


    In the Sunshine nightclub, there was currently a standoff happening. A few patrons were looking at a young man in displeasure.


    "You Fallen should just go back to the Tower! That''s where you belong!" One of them belligerently spat out.


    Josh couldn''t help but shake his head, wondering who these fools were. Was this an advanced form of racism? What was their problem anyway? Why were people showing either pity or getting offended upon learning that he was a Fallen?


    "Take it back, you discriminating fuck. Someone throw out these fools!" The bodyguard instantly ordered, akin to a brave general.


    Josh still wasn''t sure why the man was so protective of him. It wasn''t like it was required or anything. He had only followed this Eric guy because he wanted to draw out the two assassins that were on his tail. A chaotic nightclub would work wonders to capture them.


    Somehow, Eric hadn''t seemed to notice anything. His heart seemed to be in the right ce, but he was obviouslycking fundamental skills. Even now, he seemed about to get into a fight for his sake.


    "Take what back? Fallens are the fucking worst! Theye into our world out of nowhere. They only Climb because they are forced to, and somehow they still get preferential treatment in guild recruitment. This is bullshit!" The troublemaker angrily dered.


    People of this world had forcefully summoned help, and now they wereining that the helpers were stealing their jobs? Talk about ridiculous!


    "You guys want to throw us out? Fuck that. I just paid for drinks!" Another inebriated guy summoned his Climber gear. He had a heavy shield that would excel at close range and seemed ready to draw blood.


    "Just try us, and we''ll burn this whole ce to the ground!" Another shouted while taking out a literal ming axe.


    Josh could only sigh. What were the odds that this whole thing would be a huge pain? He turned toward the angry men: "Now, now. Why don''t we all calm down and merrily drink instead? This round is on me!" It wasn''t like it would cost much anyway.


    The situation remained tense for a few seconds before a man chimed in excitedly: "Free drinks? Hell yeah!" This exmation seemed to defuse the situation, not that it changed the mind of the assholes.


    "Eh, talk about a pushover."


    "It''s only fair that he pays for us. We''re the ones offering the Fallen asylum."


    "For sure, they even get resources from the government directly when they immigrate! He''s just repaying his debt to society!"


    Hearing theirmentaries, Eric was about to blow his top. "Shut the hell up, or I''ll tell my men to beat you guys up and¡ª"


    But, Josh calmly ced his hand on his shoulder, signaling him to calm down. What good would insulting idiots do? No, there was something else he wanted to do for now.


    He moved toward the dance floor, enjoying the music and the holographic setup. His favorite had to be the oceanic one with the fishes seemingly swimming to the beat. They would yfullye near the dancers, shaking to the beat and scurrying away if someone tried catching them. Cute!


    From time to time, Josh would toast. He''d do so with anyone willing, no matter who. There was one guy that was extremely jovial about the whole thing. It was the smiling guy that had been so happy about the free booze.


    "Man, I really don''t get how anyone could hate you. You''re so chill! Here is a toast to you, brother! Let us enjoy the moment, Carpe Diem motherfucker!" The guy was slowly but surely "getting drunk" as he refilled both of their cups.


    Josh had to admit that said man was pretty good at convincing people to party with him. It would have been heartwarming had he not seen the guy poison his drink a few times. Instead of taking offense to it just yet, he decided to have fun with it.


    Josh approached the guys that kept ndering him. "Here you go, guys. This is a peace offering. Thank you all for allowing me to live on your." As he kept saying ridiculous stuff like this, he just handed them his poisoned drinks.


    On the side, the jovial-looking assassin couldn''t help but facepalm. Why was it that his target liked to share so much! He could only pitifully protest: "Brother, I poured this one especially for you¡­."


    "No worries! Good things should be shared, don''t you agree? To all of you, toast!" Josh mored loudly, generating a round of cheers.


    The assassin was finally about to seed. But, just as Josh was about to take arge gulp, he somehow managed to trip over his own feet while dancing, spitting his drink on the floor.


    Thus, a game of pouring and handing spiked drinks full of mystery substances continued. Josh would take small sips from time to time, making it look like the poisoning could work if the assassin kept at it long enough.


    The thing was, it wasn''t so easy to drug a Climber without their knowledge. Add too little drug, and it wouldn''t affect them. Add too much, and they would detect it or create a hugemotion as they fell. It had to be subtle.


    Josh was ying with the poor guy''s feelings. Meanwhile, the other assassin stayed far in a corner and didn''t seem to have any interest in such an indirect method.


    Nope, the guy had deeper killing intent. He was probably the kind to prefer ending his victim''s life with his own hands. He sat in the dark, brooding gloomily. Josh felt like a good Samaritan and sent a couple of gals his way.


    The assassin couldn''t help but frown as he just wanted to get out of there and kill his target. In no way did he wish to waste time on such trivial things. Why would he when he could get as many bitches as he desired once he secured the 100k bounty!


    Still, it wasn''t like he could simply tell them to go fuck themselves. He didn''t want to put his target on guard. He instead faked being extremely happy about the attention while in fact keeping his focus on the job at hand.


    Josh even kept taunting him "unconsciously" by waving at him and giving him thumbs up. He was as irritating as humanly possible while faking being the most innocent, naive, and well-intended human being ever. Looking at the reactions was he fun!


    At this point, the racists were happily drinking poison. Eric was in awe at his benevolence. The two assassins were annoyed as hell because their target just wouldn''t make it easy for them to do their job as he just kept partying.


    Overall it was fun, but every good night had to end. Josh didn''t want to waste too much time there either. The people that had insulted him were now knocked unconscious from whatever they had ingested, and it was time to wrap things up.


    "Well, this is it for me. You guys keep having fun, and I''ll see you all at ater date. Ah, Eric, why don''t we bring these drunk guys with us? They seem totally wasted." Josh proposed.


    "Even after all the crap they said, you still want to help them?! What kind of saint are you?!" Eric eximed. This guy wasn''t just calm about his own potential assassination. He was chill about every damn thing!


    "Ah, there''s three of them. Anyone wants to help us carry them home?" Josh casually asked.


    "Don''t worry about it. I can ask some muscles to take care of it." Eric assured.


    But were the assassins about to miss such a chance? No way! They instantly volunteered with so much conviction and empathy toward these total strangers.


    "No need! I''ll help! I''ll even carry the three of them if needed! It''s the least I can do for a drinking buddy!" ¡ªHe''d force poison down his target''s goddamn throat if he had to!


    "Same, I''ll help too! I know you''ve been trying to help me all night long, sending girls my way. I have to repay the favor!" ¡ªIt would be repaid very violently.


    Eric was left standing there in awe. What the hell?! Since when were people so generous?! Either way, he was in a great mood, so he happily led the way back home¡­.for a good 20 meters.


    "Alright, just put them inside so they can rest," Josh instructed.


    But, as they all entered the small apartment, they all recoiled in shock. What the fuck was this?! Large stic sheets covered the walls and every single piece of furniture. As if on cue, the drinking buddy suddenly felt weak at the knees.


    Oh god, no! He instantly recognized his state; this was from his own goddamn poison! How?! He had taken the antidote early on and wouldn''t be affected too much, but this meant something frightening. His target had known all along?!


    The killer instantly felt that something was incredibly wrong as he tried dodging, but he only ended up falling to the ground weekly on the side, having lost all power in his body. It had only taken a few hits at critical spots to disable him.


    Eric was left stunned on the side. "W-what is happening here? What''s with the sheets everywhere?!" How had the friendly and warm atmosphere suddenly turned so strange?!


    "Don''t worry about it. These two are assassins that have been following us ever since the Tower. Just taking care of a few things. Honestly, this ce is quite nice for fishing."


    "Fishing?" Eric asked, perplexed.


    "Yep, fishing for assassins. First, you use a modest bounty as bait, and then you bag them when they try to collect it. It''s way easier than actively looking for them. It''s like that one dance floor in Sunshine. You let the fishese to you."


    "T-this is crazy! Are you seriously calling 100k a modest bounty?!"


    "Yep. It''s rtively smaller than the one Markus has. I know this for a fact." Josh shrugged. This was how he had figured out the right amount.


    "Markus, the leader of Metropolis-D? That''s your standard?! ....Now, what happens? What are the sheets for?" Eric asked, still confused.


    "On Earth, we have that one show about a guy that works for the police and punishes criminals, killing them with none the wiser. It''s a simr setup, but this one will include even more fun."


    "W-what kind of fun?!" An assassin gulped loudly in fear.


    "C''mon, we both know it. The kind of fun that involves lots of blood and you telling me lots of things about your life. Isn''t it nice?"


    Oh crap! They had fallen in the hands of a total psycho! For once, the assassins didn''t feel like the bad guys at all. In retrospect, choosing this profession had been a monumental mistake!


    Luckily, or unluckily, the music from next door was enough to drown their muffled screams. This would be an excruciatingly long night¡­.

 Chapter 278: Bloody Torture Session!

    <h4>Chapter 278: Bloody Torture Session!</h4>


    In a tiny apartment, four men were shivering in a bathtub.


    They were tied up with no chance to escape their mad captor. Their souls almost left their bodies just thinking about the fate that awaited them.


    There were three things that they could hear:


    - The leaking faucet let through tiny droplets that would ssh right next to them. Drip drop drip drop. It represented their life that was about to be extinguished.


    - The upbeat music sting from the nearby club that they could hear even here. It shattered all their hopes of being rescued as no one would even hear their muffled screams for help. After all, they were all gagged.


    - The cries of pure anguishing from the nearby apartment room that had been turned into a torture chamber. Just the stic sheet had been enough to make them understand how bloody this torture session would be.


    The atmosphere was even gloomier than a funeral. What truly was the worst was the helplessness. They were forced to wait for their end without even being able to fight back. They had missed their only chance. No, this would assume they had one in the first ce.


    They had only been pawns in an insane sadist''s game. The ones that had badmouthed him felt regret. Were they seriously going to die for such a stupid reason?! As for the assassins, they couldn''t help but think it was karma¡ª and god, did they hate karma!


    They didn''t regret killing people for a living. No, they regretted targetting a man with a 100k bounty on his head. Of course, it wouldn''t be an easy thing to collect it!


    The muffled screams of the fifth member seemed to beden with tons of pleading. What horrors was the poor man currently going through?! The man in the other room sounded like he was getting cut to pieces while alive.


    Yet, all this guy had done was insult their target once! What would happen to them who had targeted his life?! The assassins felt like crying.


    It had only taken a few minutes for the man to break his victim. He had probably been confessing about everything he could think of and more. They couldn''t understand anything from their position, but they felt the man''s despair.


    After the torture, a long silence happened that wasn''t reassuring in the least. Life had been snuffed out so easily. The four men couldn''t help but look at others, seeing the same panic they felt in their eyes. Then, the madman entered the bathroom and grabbed another prey.


    The screams, the pleading, the confessing, and the deadly silence happened again. At this point, they all knew with certainty that this day would be theirst. They felt regret and emptiness.


    Some would die for petty insults over drinks, while others would perish because of their greed. They desired nothing more than a peaceful death instead of this terrifying fate.


    It soon appeared that the ones that confessed the quickest died the fastest. This meant suffering less horrible pain. How low had one fallen when they considered death to be a good thing?


    One after one, the men were tortured to death, with the assassins being the twost ones. They couldn''t help but share a nce, seeing the same despair on the other''s face. Then, it was the poison assassin''s turn.


    There was only one remaining. The man hadn''t even had the opportunity to strike and had caused no harm whatsoever so far. All that he had done was to follow his target home, even being used as a carry mule. This was so fucking unfair!


    As he was brought to the room, he couldn''t help but retch. The stench was too much even for him. There was bloody mush all over the ce. It wasn''t just a torture chamber; it had been turned into a human butchery.


    Was this karma? No, the man in front of him was evil incarnate! As the devil looked at him, he stopped breathing. This was too much, way too fucking much!


    He could feel his aura that was oppressing his very spirit. He could sense the ruthlessness, theplete disregard for human life, and darkness that made him want to hide. There was pressure too, so much of it! He was akin to a small animal frightened into submission.


    The man, no the monster, turned toward him with a smile:


    "Now, let''s y a game. The less interesting the information you tell me and the more I will y with you instead. Simple, right? Fun is guaranteed! Now, what do you know about the League of Assassins?" He asked in an icy tone.


    The League of Assassins? One would have to be an idiot to even bber about them! But, somehow, he felt that this single crazy guy was perhaps the worst evil of the two.


    The assassin instantly spilled everything he knew. But he didn''t fucking know anything of value! He was somewhat sessful in the assassination business, but joining the League was more about luck! No one had ever invited him!


    Could he just admit this? No fucking way! The monster in front of him had a butcher knife in one hand and healing pills in the other. He would heal him and break him relentlessly! No, he had to answer! But, what could he even say?! everything!


    "T-the only ones that know anything about it are its members! But I heard it''s impossible to torture any information out of them! They all are affected by memory-altering spells!" The assassin cried out. (A)


    "That''s obviously false. I''ve had people tell me about one of their meet-up spots before¡­." The man said as he frowned.


    "I''m telling the truth! It was probably a trap all along! They probably thought they were being truthful too. I swear, it''smon knowledge in our circle!" The assassin pleaded, hoping his captor would believe him. (A)


    He couldn''t help but shake as the man took out his UW and called someone. "Hey, just making sure, but did you guys check out the assassin''s story?" Then a few secondster, he sighed. "Alright, I understand."


    The devil hung up and turned toward the assassin: "Seems that your story checks out. Now, how would one go on about cracking this?" He seemed friendly, but it was obviously all a lie!


    The assassin couldn''t help but feel relieved. The pressure on him seemed slightly reduced. He would probably still die, but perhaps he could have an intact corpse and a peaceful death? He had to nail this question.


    "The only method would be to join them directly. For them to do business, they ought to have aplete system in ce. Wherever there is an organization, there are ws. If you can somehow exploit them, then you could be fine!" (A)


    "I see. Then how does one join?" The man curiously asked.


    "Rumors have it that the League has recruiters that will randomly invite people to join their ranks. No one knows who they invite or why, but it doesn''t seem to follow any set pattern." (A)


    "One requires luck, eh? What happens afterward?" The man clicked his tongue but still showed interest.


    "Every year, many assassins seem to either suddenly die while targeting people that didn''t have a bounty, or theye back home having forgotten a week of memories. There are theories out there that all these people are ones that failed the recruitment."(A)


    "So there is some test. Passing it shouldn''t be too hard, considering that some weaklings are in their midsts. It will all hang upon the luck to be chosen in the first ce, it seems. This shouldn''t be too big an issue¡­."


    The man was mumbling to himself, deep in thoughts. The assassin couldn''t help but feel the stress. What would happen to him now? He could only hope that his captor would be merciful.


    That''s when he suddenly turned his way, removing the bindings holding him, and putting a low-quality healing pill in his mouth. A few secondster, he had control of his body once more, but he didn''t dare even try to move.


    What the heck was happening? Was the man trying to reignite his hopes only to shatter them? He turned toward him: "What are you waiting for? You can go. just don''t go around bbing to people, or you know what will happen¡­."


    "W-what?! You aren''t going to kill me?" He asked, baffled while looking at the gore all over. (A)


    "Do you want to die or something?" Then the man followed his gaze, chuckling to himself as he picked a nearby piece of meat. "Oh, you mean this?" He then slowly brought it to his mouth, gobbling the bloody mush up.


    The assassin couldn''t help but tremble, seeing such an insane scene. But then the man''s words made him feel silly: "It''s just pork. I grabbed a bunch at a local butcher. Want some?" He even pleasantly offered him some.


    How could have the assassin mistaken pork for human remains?! No, it was all because of the man. He had made it sound so believable! He stiffly put one foot in front of the other, somehow leaving with his life.


    He felt relief as he was out in the open. He was alive! The usual him would have wanted to get revenge, but somehow he just felt like getting as far as possible from this monster!


    What had even happened to the others? Were they alive? Had he survived because he had given valuable information? He had no clue, but he wouldn''t look into it.


    Hell, there was no way he wanted to be mixed up with someone nning to tackle the League of Assassins! This would probably end up as such a colossal mess¡­.

 Chapter 279: Clang Clang Motherfucker!

    <h4>Chapter 279: ng ng Motherfucker!</h4>


    On Floor 21, a man could be seen happily swinging a pickaxe as he sang a discordant tune in a discordant voice.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh was improvising the lyrics as he dodged the onught of giant eagles.


    ??


    Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho!


    Watch and enjoy this great show!


    ??


    ng ng, Motherfucker


    It''s the amazing digging song!


    Climbing the peak? That''s wrong!


    We''re here to take down some suckers.


    ??


    These birdbrains are all dunces!


    Soon will be toppled all at once!


    Are you ready for mass destruction?


    This will be aplete annihtion!


    ??


    The young and old soon gone.


    No mercy for any of the NPCs!


    Shattered eggs all one can see


    Feel free to enjoy and look on!


    ??


    ng ng Motherfucker


    Soon we''ll pluck their feathers


    Takedown their strong leader


    Akin to the deadly Grim Reaper


    ??


    It''s time to go. You ain''t Rocs


    It''s horrifically dying O''clock


    For I''m destroying this big ass rock


    And with it, will disappears your flock


    ??


    ng ng, Motherfucker


    It''s the amazing digging song!


    Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho!


    I hope you enjoyed this great show!


    ??


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    As he sang thest verse, the peak copsed entirely under its own weight. Thus the digging session came to an end. It was time for the fun part with Josh running for his fucking life! This included summoning thest boss, of course!


    The eagles may have been birdbrains, but they knew how to dive his way with incredible speed. What they struggled with was actually navigating the rocky pathways. Josh resumed his kiting in there once more.


    This time, however, he already knew the trick to winning the fight. Without hesitating, he repeated the same strategy as he had done earlier. The key difference was that he was getting used to the attack pattern of all these creatures.


    While he kept attacking the boss''s wings, he couldn''t help but feel that this ce offered great training possibilities. It was extremely chaotic and brought the flying element to the table. It would be entertaining to watch random Climbers try it.


    It wouldn''t surprise him if he were one day to learn that Climbing the Tower was all a big betting game for the gods. Of course, a part of him wanted to believe there was more to it, but the few gods he had heard had seemed extremely petty.


    Then again, it wasn''t like it truly mattered to him. After a while, he took care of everything only to receive two emblem fragments. He still needed 47. This was BS! He was almost tempted to request the system for increased challenge.


    He could already picture endless Boss Eagles spawning on his ass as they threw infinite projectiles. Wouldn''t that be a great dodging training opportunity? He''d have to share it with AT.


    But, it truly wasn''t viable for the current him. Josh was currently missing some gap closer. This would prove especially true if he tried reaching flying monsters.


    He could be extremely resistant for a fraction of a second, could navigate the terrain with the white spider set, and deal decent damage. Yet, all of this would be useless if he remained a sitting duck on the ground.


    Josh could only resolve himself to slowly farm it instead, grumbling a bit in passing. Hepletely disregarded the fact that he was already "cheating" so much with his clear method.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    A whileter, Josh could be seen crouching on the boss''s corpse as he saw it disappear for the veryst time. He wasughing out loud, in pure gleefulness!


    "Finally! I have done it!"


    <Emblem of the Eagle King>


    - Imbues its wearer with the power of the wind. Bound to the user.


    Bound to the user? This wasn''t an issue! Josh shakily willed to equip it. He couldn''t help but be stunned as the system showed up at the party.


    [Congrattion on being the first human to unlock the emblem slot!]


    "Emblem slot?" Josh curiously checked his status screen, and indeed it seemed to be apletely new and unique category akin to the special pet one.


    "Wait, you said human, right? This means other races are Climbing faster than us, right? What''s their progress like?"


    [Insufficient data. Information unavable. Please ask again never!]


    "¡­Sure."


    Josh felt at a loss. What kind of game were these gods running? They didn''t even have a leaderboard for the yers! Either there wasn''t one, or they simply hadn''t unlocked it. Either way, he would keep Climbing the best he could.


    He began inspecting his body, yet he didn''t feel any different. But suddenly, he felt the wind on his skin. Had it always felt this vivid? He could sense his hair getting ruffled by the breeze. Was that it?


    There probably was more to it, for instance, increasing his affinity toward the wind. He slowly sat down and began training magic once again¡­.only for it to end in another failure. Goddammit!


    Josh went for a run to stretch his legs as he thought about the future. Perhaps he could ask that one appraiser old dude to try and help him figure out the magical element that suited him best?


    But suddenly, he came to a shocking realization. Was he going crazy, or was he faster than before?! He could swear that he was 0.05% faster! For sure! ¡­Or was he imagining it all? It was the kind of thing that probably would be a waste of time to test.


    He happily left the Tower, feeling good about his phenomenal movement speed increase. He was being a bit optimistic on this one, but who cared. That is how he went for a short walk once more to fish for some assassins.


    He managed to lure three in, but they were frankly all bottom of the barrel level. They weren''t even hiding as they followed him directly! What grantck of professionalism was this?!


    Josh grabbed them, brought them to his yroom, and gave them a stern lecture about being conscientious about work. Somehow, he managed topletely intimidate them into submission even with such a goofy topic.


    They left shaking in their boots as Josh returned to the Tower. This new Floor would be another bug Floor: how time flew! He felt like it was only yesterday that he had faced the giant beetles!


    It was showtime!

 Chapter 280: Tower Update!

    <h4>Chapter 280: Tower Update!</h4>


    With a sh of red light, a man spawned in the rocky world that was Floor 22.


    Josh quickly observed his surroundings, only toe face to face with a hideous creature. Right in front of him, there was a human-sized cockroach that was standing on its hind legs.


    0_0


    It was brown, had six spiky legs, a dark sturdy-looking carapace, two long antennas, and two mandibles that could crack a skull open with ease. The weird thing was that it was just staring at him! It didn''t seem aggressive in the least!


    It was so steady that he could even see his own reflection in the creature''s ck soulless shiny eyes. Josh tentatively moved closer, wondering what was up with it. That''s when it opened its mandibles wide. Was it trying to devour him?!


    A secondter, he could hear this:


    "HeLlO FeLlOw tRaVeLeR." It said.


    Oh boy, there it was! The "fellow" was making another appearance with a slight variation this time. The cockroach even waved at him with one of its legs, weing.


    "Hey there, fellow traveler," Josh replied in kind.


    He then stood there for a few seconds. What was up with these NPCs? Also, what was up with the system? Where was his mission? Josh felt at a loss as to what he should be doing. It most definitely had something to do with this cockroach.


    "Can you understand me?" He tentatively asked but didn''t receive an answer. That''s when he figured out that he may as well try everything at his disposal. He began gesturing to the best of his abilities.


    Josh was relentlessly moving his arms all over the ce, trying to get his point across. He was doing it with such intensity that he would have put to shame a French mime¡­or any Italian. Yet, the NPC only fluttered its antennas in confusion.


    [Mission: Escort your fellow traveler toward its destination safely!]


    "It took you so long toe only to say this?!" Josh could already feel a headache iing. Theck of avablemunication methods would probably be a massive issue for this quest.


    [Update: Significantly improved the sturdiness of rocky terrain!]


    "Are you shitting me?! Hey system, are you targeting me with this one?!" Had he exaggerated a bit too much with the previous Floor? He still believed that such smart use of the environment should be fair game!


    [Update: Significantly improved possible interactions with the generated monsters!]


    "Okay, never mind." This could potentially open new clear options. Josh couldn''t help but feel extremely excited about this one.


    It seemed like the Tower was just updating itself entirely, not targeting him at all. Was this why it had been slightlyte to announce his mission?


    [Update: Significantly enhanced the appearance of diverse Floors!]


    "¡­." Why was this beginning to feel like a patch-note?


    Was the Tower trying to prove that it wasn''t cking since Josh had criticized itsteing? Also, was this update list for internal purposes, or did the Tower Protocol have to submit reports to gods?


    "Anything else?" Josh asked with expectation, only for the system to give him the silent treatment. He could only sigh as he turned toward his new NPCpanion. "Oh well, now it''s just you and me, buddy. Do you know where we are supposed to go?"


    "HeLlO FeLlOw tRaVeLeR."


    "¡­.Truly helpful. Never have I heard such eloquent and brilliant speech! I am inplete awe at how confident you are saying it, and I bow to your greatness!" Josh sarcastically replied the cockroach.


    "HeLlO FeL¡ª"


    "I got it! Shut up now!" Josh brandished the tip of a spear toward it, and it seemed to get his point across. He then chose a random direction and began walking, with hispanion silently following. At some point, he was bound to find a clue, right?


    It didn''t take long for their party to encounter something. Slightly in front, there were a dozen cockroaches that seemed to be scurrying around, looking for something. The difference was that those were ck instead of brown.


    <Big ck Cockroach Lv 22>


    As soon as they came near, the NPC began moving its antennas wildly from side to side as it froze. Then it seemed to realize their presence as it began shaking in fright while hurriedly hiding behind Josh''s back. Other heroes defended princesses, and he defended cockroaches¡­


    Josh charged at them while he looked for a weak spot. As he saw it, he had a few options. To break their natural armor, he could use blunt force to crush their insides, but he figured out he was better off trying to pierce their heads with a spear: precision over raw power.


    The creatures began throwing themselves at him, trying to devour him. But, their movements were highly telegraphic. The weird part was that they would generally move erratically but would only charge in a straight line. Whoever had trained them had failed its job!


    They would relentlessly screech over and over too, which was highly unpleasant. Why couldn''t they be silent and remain in hiding like their smaller brethren? Then again, ambushes everywhere could be even more of a pain.


    As he kept thrusting and piercing their heads, the monsters fell one after the other. Their blue blood would stter all over, and yet it didn''t dampen their spirit in the least. It was as if they were too primitive to grasp the concept of death properly.


    Soon enough, they were all dead. As Josh stood upon their body, he couldn''t help but feel that something was amiss. First, the fight had been way too easy. Second, the corpses weren''t disappearing. Was this because of the update?


    He began digging a body, happily grabbing the meat inside. It was rtively odorless as he tentatively brought it to his mouth, biting a chunk of it. He felt a pleasant heat spread from his stomach, sighing in satisfaction.


    This single point easily offset the nerf to his pickaxe as this would give him incredible sustain on any life-based Floor. This would include the animal ones, the bug ones, and any of the humanoid ones!


    As for how easy the monsters had been to kill, he already had an inkling of the reason. They weremon enemies. This meant that he would most likely encounter a shitload of them here shortly. (Simrly to that one rat Floor)


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder if perhaps it was time to train an AoE ability. On the one hand, it would probably work wonders on such Floors. On the other hand, it would likely consume a lot of mana.


    The more they progressed and the stronger this thought became. Those cockroaches were getting he numerous! He would have to show them that he wouldn''t cower no matter their numbers...

 Chapter 281: Cockroach Land

    <h4>Chapter 281: Cockroach Land</h4>


    On Floor 22, a man and a cockroach were progressing at a steady pace.


    They would encounter enemy cockroaches that would block their way from time to time, but Josh would make quick work of them. However, the more they walked and the more monsters there were.


    The packs of a dozen enemies grew to 100 of them at once! He had to somehow prevent them from reaching hispanion. The way he did it was to charge ahead to grab the aggro.


    It worked wonders initially, but at some point, it just failed. The backline would simply ignore Josh once he was already surrounded. Instead, they would scuttle toward the friendly NPC.


    This guy had no survival instinct whatsoever! It would just stand there in ce, shivering endlessly. What kind of useless cockroach was this? Their species was supposed to be speed itself! (for their size anyway)


    The creatures'' decision-making seemed primitive but correct in such a case. After all, they stood no chance in a direct confrontation, and attacking the weakest link was correct. Well, they probably just thought, ''we got enough mandibles on this guy''.


    One also had to know that many monsters would keep roaming around. This meant that Josh couldn''t just tie the NPC and leave him alone or who knew when it would perish from a wanderer.


    He reluctantly went toward the giant insect and grabbed it under his arm like one would carry a body pillow. It felt cold to the touch and way too hard. This allowed Josh to reach an important conclusion: big ck cockroaches would make poor beds, unlike hairy spiders.


    Anyway, fighting with such a weight was troublesome as it evidently restricted his amplitude of movement. Nheless, he kept struggling, one stab at a time, until he had defeated all his foes.


    Would he repeat such a dumb fighting method the next time? Nope! Now that he knew how the NPC reacted to big groups, he summoned Nightmare and strapped it onto its back. It seemed that his previous worries of it freeing itself were unfounded.


    "Here you go. Take care of this one for me. If it dies, we''re screwed. I hereby grant you the title of Nightmare bodyguard!" Josh dly delegated his protection duties.


    The horse could only scoff as it heard this. Nightmare bodyguard?! Nightmares were powerful creatures that would devour the living and snuff all hopes! None would even bother protecting anyone. This title was BS and almost an insult!


    Soon they encountered something that made them all stop dead in their tracks. The rocky floor was split in half by an enormous abyss. This reminded Josh of the Grand Canyon¡ª minus the tourists, of course.


    One couldn''t see the bottom as it seemed to be filled with some kind of ominous fog. No one sane would approach it, and Josh made sure to order Nightmare not to go anywhere near. Who knew if the NPC wouldn''t just fall in by mistake?


    Josh had the nagging feeling that his destination was supposed to be on the other side of this abyss. The only question was, how were they supposed to cross? It was far too wide for him to try and cross above by making a spider thread rope.


    He could always climb the rocky wall downward toward the area in there. He could even use the spider set to aplish this task. Still, it would be troublesome to do so while carrying the NPC, with the ascension on the other side even harder.


    For now, his priority was really to avoid danger as much as possible. It wouldn''t be toote to explore this realm once he had brought his target to safety. If it was anything like the shroom Floor, there would be a Boss at the end in any case.


    "Alright, Nightmare. Follow this canyon carefully. Let''s figure out if it has an end." Josh instructed.


    They rode in style, and it was extremely peaceful for a while. Then at some point, they encountered another pack of 100 critters. Josh onlyughed as they proceeded to outrun them thanks to Nightmare.


    But soon, they had to stop. When the enemies realized that they were getting left in the dust by their prey, they acted.


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    Goddamnit! The way they shrieked as they were watching them disappear on the horizon was so damn grating: it was shrill, deafening, and cacophonic! A few secondster, more shrieks resounded in the distance.


    Well, fuck! Josh could only curse in dissatisfaction. These creatures would never stop chasing their prey and would also resort to calling for help.


    Usually, he would have scoffed at such a silly tactic, and he would have cleaned them all up at once. However, he needed to protect and wouldn''t take the risk.


    "Stay nearby and kite. I''ll take care of them before they be a problem." Josh instructed, sighing as he jumped off. Then he turned toward the bloodthirsty insect swarm. "Bring it on, you cocky bastards!"


    Exactly 23 stabster. The cockroach reinforcements showed up. They almost managed to get to Nightmare via their pincer attack, but luckily it reacted in time and bolted away. Then, it all ended 77 stabs and an insect sashimi degustationter.


    Nightmare was looking at its owner, who was gluttonously devouring insects while shaking its head. As a pure and noble creature that could live solely on mana, it looked down on such eating!


    As for the NPC, it didn''t seem to have any gripe with its cousins being eaten. It was rxedlymenting "HeLl¡ª" only to be stopped promptly.


    The more they kept going and the more groups they encountered. Their numbers were steadily increasing too. Josh would dismount, ughter them, and they would resume their journey.


    Then, they eventually reached a bridge that seemed to lead to the other side. It was rtively thin and very long, so long that it pretty much defied thews of physics.


    "Let me guess. There will be a huge bossing out from below at the middle point, right?" Josh hypothesized. This was usually how those things were designed.


    Now how was he supposed to approach this obvious trap?

 Chapter 282: Deadly Bridge!

    <h4>Chapter 282: Deadly Bridge!</h4>


    In front of the natural rocky bridge, there was a nightmare getting lectured by an overenthusiastic man.


    "Every ma¡ªhorse has the potential to be a great hero! But, how does one be such a legendary being? Easy, it all boils down to unearthing one''s potential in the moments that count the most!" Josh preached.


    The nightmare on the receiving end of this speech was trying to figure out what Josh was talking about. It was much more interested in knowing how much longer it had to carry this annoying cockroach. But, the tirade was far from over¡­


    "Today is one of these moments! Do you see this bridge? ¡­Yes? Perfect, it means you have eyes! But, this path isn''t as simple as it seems. It is not only a bridge but also a challenge. Would there be such a thing in the Tower just for decoration? Of course not!"


    Nightmare was at a loss. A bridge that wasn''t a bridge? What was its master even rambling about? It patiently waited for it all to make sense.


    "Today is your time to shine! I believe in you: you will gallop through this no matter what awaits us! You will show the Tower how unbeatable we are! At my signal, run straight, fast and true! Also, do not gaze at the abyss either." Josh instructed.


    On that note, he mounted, making sure that the NPC was solidly secured. He then uttered. "Are you prepared? Ready, set¡­Go!!" Josh shouted with enthusiasm, the horse bolting forward as quickly as horsely possible.


    What kind of idiot would just charge on a bridge with an unknown sturdiness level? This one! Josh only hoped that it would hold and that their burst of speed would allow them to bypass any potential guardian.


    He could feel the wind pass near his body as they suddenly elerated. A sense of exhration apanied him as he felt so free. He was ready to face whatever horror would jump at them from the abyss.


    As they reached a quarter of the distance, he held his breath in anticipation as he warily watched the surroundings.


    As they reached the third of it, he steadied his grip on his spear. Control over his attacks would be more challenging while in movement.


    As they reached halfway, he prepared to activate his set items. He wouldn''t get taken by surprise.


    As they crossed the bridge entirely, he felt as if the world itself was a lie. What the fuck?! How hadn''t there been any danger at all?! Was the bridge purely cosmetic?! What kind of shitty Floor design was this! There went all the tension¡­


    Nightmare was sneering as it kept thinking about that previous heroic speech. It was a good thing that it couldn''t speak, or Josh would never hear the end of it! But, as the master, he couldn''t just let such a mistake stop him, so he yed a wise character.


    ¡ªCough cough¡ª


    "This was a test run, quite like a fire drill. Now, if a situation like this ever happens again, run as fast as you just did. It is all going ording to n." Josh bullshitted through his teeth.


    On the one hand, Nightmare seemed to be believing him. On the other hand, what did Josh tricking a horse say about him? Ah, whatever. He turned his shame into vengeful energy as he annihted the cockroaches that they soon encountered.


    The groups were beginning to be massive, approaching 200 individuals per encounter. Josh had to carefully navigate eachbat, climbing atop the bodies of the mosnters to evade their attacks.


    It took him a long time, but he did manage to clear them all. Anyone else would have long be weary and too tired to fight, or even worse, died already. The passive devouring regeneration was saving him once more with the insane sustain.


    "Great job, Nightmare!" He praised.


    Thanks to his pet, he could afford to take his time to kill all the enemies rxedly. Many said that dogs were a man''s best friend but to Josh Nightmare was even better.


    They kept going, literally painting the rocky ground entirely blue. After a few hours of sshing blood all over, a colossal cockroach became visible over the horizon. Was a 40 meters tall cockroach threatening? Obviously!


    But Josh was already thinking of methods to defeat it. Most likely, its armor would be incredibly sturdy, given that it was a bug. Perhaps he could try and use its enormous size against it by remaining in its blind spot?


    Also, was it a good idea to fight it now? He was probably better offpleting the mission first. However, he couldn''t help but be taken aback by the NPC''s reaction as it saw the monster.


    It began moring as it tried freeing itself from its bindings. Yet, the way it acted seemed strange. The friendly cockroach wasn''t fearful but excited instead?! Josh carefully instructed Nightmare to head toward it slowly.


    As soon as they came close, Josh realized what was happening. The humongous creature was nothing more than a statue with insane details. It felt like a real cockroach, so real that it almost seemed like it would wake up any time¡ª perhaps it really would.


    He freed the NPC, who instantly ran toward it, prostrating itself in front of it in a worship motion. Was this some pilgrimage?! Either way, he remained on guard, who knew what would happen next.


    That''s when the NPC suddenly seemed to notice something as it began iling its limbs once more. It was pointing at the middle of the statue. In its chest, there was arge cavity like the one where someone would fit a gem.


    "Let me guess¡­this used to be the safe zone, but it''s no longer effective?" Josh gambled aloud. For the first time in forever on this Floor, it seemed like he was right.


    [Protect the allied cockroach until it is done praying!]


    Was he really supposed to protect it while it prayed?! Just the fact that there was a cockroach god was already shocking, but that the NPC would risk its life was even worse! Ridiculous! But, a mission was a mission. He could only harden his heart.


    But then, this happened:


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    ¡ªSHRIEK!!!¡ª


    Oh god! Josh couldn''t help but twitch as he heard the countless shrieks. How many cockroaches were now targeting them?!


    This would be anything but pleasant¡­.

 Chapter 283: Get Baited

    <h4>Chapter 283: Get Baited</h4>


    There were big ck cockroaches as far as the eye could see. They would bob their heads menacingly as they charged forward.


    The shrieks had been frightening, but the sound of them trampling the ground and their sight was even more so. Somehow, the NPC roach didn''t seem disturbed in the least. Seeing the sea of creatures, Josh instantly came to one conclusion: he was royally fucked!


    No, seriously, how was he supposed to defend against such an onught?! At this rate, this whole ce would soon be submerged in an ocean of enemies! They would be akin to pebbles trying to learn how to swim: a goddamn lost cause!


    "I really hope your god has some magical powers. A barrier around this ce would be super helpful right now!" Josh shouted at the NPC, but it kept doing its business: the balls on this guy!


    He could only cross his fingers, hoping that some hidden mechanic woulde and save the day. All he needed was a small help to stall them so he could go out there and start a tiresome killing spree.


    He watched the cockroachese closer and closer in apprehension, keeping track of their progress. 200m, 150m, 100m, 80m, 60m, 40m, 20m¡­of fuck! Conclusion: this ce was utterly defenseless, and they were screwed!


    "This sucks¡­" Josh could only sigh. It was time to use hisst resort. He sent mana toward his Smelly set, an invisible cloud spreading around him. Would it affect the creatures? A secondter, he already had an answer. Big Nope!


    Not only were the monsters not stopping, but they were even charging straight at him with reckless abandon. For the insects, there wasn''t any fear of death as they were intent on devouring him.


    Now, how the hell was he supposed to get out of there? He would surf across their bodies. His saving grace would be to take them by surprise with such a sudden maneuver. By the time he would be done, he would be to safety¡ª or so was the n.


    He dived forward, only to quickly realize that the creatures were acting exceptionally weird. For some reason, they were all turning toward him. Why?! Wait, was it because of his smelly ability?! Their movement pattern had changed as soon as he had activated it!


    Holy crap! Any typical Climber would have been scared shitless, but for him, it was great news! Without waiting further, he made sure to make rounds all around the ce, drawing as much aggro as possible.


    "Nightmare, deal with the stragglers!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, only to notice that there were absolutely none!


    He finally understood. Cockroaches back on Earth had been thriving in filth and would be attracted to garbage. This smell was reminding them of what they had been looking for all their lives. After all, this ce was very deste.


    Josh kept fleeing as fast as possible while avoiding the deadly melee. Behind his back, he could hear the sound of bodies colliding with one another. He felt like a football yer who everyone and their mother tried tackling.


    Slowing down a single second would mean getting crushed to paste and devoured. Sadly, his current killing rate was pretty much 0. He couldn''t afford to get his weapon stuck in a creature, even for a millisecond. Instead, he used his spear to propel himself forward.


    He already had a n in mind, a very dubious and insane one, but he felt the need to try. The current status quo would mean him getting stuck here so long that his lifespan may as well run out. He had to try something risky!


    It took lots of time, but after a while, he finally could notice his destination: the super safe bridge! As he reached the center, he turned around to focus on the creatures. It was crazy: they were crawling on, under, and on the sides!


    Even then, there was a limit to how many could fit, but it was still too high a number for him to face alone without being pushed back. The priority was to get them all away from the prayer spot. He could only hope that there wouldn''t be a second enemy wave.


    "You critters seem really motivated to eat me, don''t you? Come and get me! We''ll see who will end up eating who soon enough!" Josh taunted them. As he watched their insane numbers, he steadied his resolve, remembering his own heroic speech from earlier.


    That''s when he jumped straight at the abyss. Behind him, the monsters were following. Some jumped, while others began Climbing the rocky wall near the entrance of the bridge. Had he gone insane? Close but not quite.


    He made sure to slow down his fall with his cloak, using it akin to a parachute. Hopefully, this would work out, but he would have to hope that Nightmare could deal with things up there.


    The environment was extremely dark, the fog ever-present. But as Josh activated his magical vision, he couldn''t help but shiver in apprehension at what was toe. He soon began to notice small dots rushing around as he heard a faint but constant shrieking.


    But, he soon recoiled in shock as he came to understand that what he had taken for the floor seemed to be in fact tons of slumbering cockroaches. Oh god! At this rate, he wouldnd in their midst in less than a minute.


    As he dropped, he made sure to swerve toward the wall opposite from his pursuers. Soon, he wasnding in what was an obvious death trap.


    He instantly became public enemy number one as all the creatures awakened. They turned toward what they considered a delicious moving meal. What was Josh supposed to do now?


    Even in such a tense situation, he couldn''t help but slightly smile to himself as he grabbed his pickaxe. The Tower had made the ground sturdier, right? He would freaking use this to his advantage!


    Josh rushed toward the nearby wall and dug as quickly as possible. With the old Tower, the entire wall would have been shattering to pieces. However, all that he managed to do at this one moment was to create a short tunnel.


    A few seconds of diggingter, he turned toward the entrance of his temporary fortress. Now, only a few enemies would be able to crash into him at a time. Thus he would be able to focus entirely on the offensive. This would be one he long fight, but he was ready.


    "This is Josh Motherfucking Malum, and wee to cockroach grinder!" He was ready to have some fun¡­

 Chapter 284: One Tight Hole

    <h4>Chapter 284: One Tight Hole</h4>


    On Floor 22, countless cockroaches seemed to be shrieking at a wall. But why?!


    Were they trying to unearth a treasure? Nope, they were trying to reach a human hiding in a small hole in the wall. But, from an external gaze, neither Josh nor his temporary fortress were visible.


    All he could see in front of him was a ck wriggling wall as the creatures tried pushing their way forward. Luckily, they didn''t seem strong enough to dig the incredibly hard rock in the surroundings.


    With every thrust of his spear, Josh would pierce through an enemy. Then he would use his feet to kick the corpses backward, creating a makeshift barricade. As for his other hand, he would use it to butcher some of the fallen monsters for snacks.


    Such a situation could easily plunge people into despair. How was one supposed to remain physically as well as mentally strong? The enemies could as well be endless!


    Josh analyzed the situation extremely carefully.


    Pros:


    + Handsome Main protagonist


    + Free Food to regain his energy.


    + Non-stop cockroach shrieking, adding background music.


    + Infinite number of bloodthirsty enemies to use as training dummies.


    + Stuck in a very tight hole. While it didn''t beat a cultivator dwelling, it was pretty close.


    Cons:


    - Hecked the seasonings to turn the insect meat into a delicacy.


    - The cockroaches weren''t that good at shrieking. It was quite frankly a cacophony.


    Overall, everything was going well. But, what kind of skill should he try to learn? It had to be something rted to mana.


    Should he perhaps try once more the wind des, but this time in activebat? Maybe he could even replicate the feat known as reaching enlightenment in a life or death battle.


    That''s when he suddenly remembered the day he had spent with Liam, watching him use mana sh over and over until he had ended up in the hospital from mana deficiency.


    Back then, he hadn''t been able to make sense of the technique at all. However, it was before he had figured out his mana maniption skill. It was time to try once more!


    As he ughtered the invaders, he pictured his mana flowing from his body through his spear. He had used a rustic version of this technique before, but now he needed to turn it into a genuine battle skill.


    At this point, he had deactivated his smelly aura since it was consuming too much mana. He could only hope that the monsters outside wouldn''t give up and wander back above the canyon. He would wholeheartedly focus on his training.


    There were a few things to keep in mind:


    - Too much mana, and he would lose control of it.


    - Too little mana, and it proved utterly useless.


    - Moving the mana too fast made it lose any enhancement property.


    - Moving the mana too slowly also made it lose all effectiveness.


    - Attacking with his spear too quickly snuffed the mana out.


    - Attacking too slowly would mean death and wasn''t an option.


    What the Hell?! This was soplicated and required insane control! His feeling of helplessness was probably akin to a heart surgeon forced to operate with a jackhammer! No, perhaps thetter would be easier!


    Mana Training in a Nutshell:


    (¨s¡ã¡õ¡ã£©¨s©ß©¥©ß


    Still, would this be enough to convince him to give up? Hell the fuck no!


    He kept struggling even when the task at hand seemed monumentally challenging. Instead, he opted for a meticulous mana maniption approach. He was even more prudent than a man shaving his balls.


    He was only getting started!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    In a small cave, there was a being that was entirely blue from head to toes.


    In his hand, there was a ck spear that crackled with bright purple energy. It would create mirage light rays as the man kept thrusting with power yet meticulous control. Every time he did, a new cockroach would fall dead with its head destroyed.


    The peculiar thing was that the man''s eyes were currently unfocused. How was it possible? He wouldn''t have been able to exin it. He barely registered the creatures appearing even as he killed them and a freshyer of blue blood coated him.


    He was instead looking at the mana in his spear. Well, sensing would have been more urate. At first, he had beenpletely overwhelmed with all the variables he had to ount for: quantity, speed, trajectory, motion, and more.


    However, he had finally figured something out. He had approached the problem with the wrong mindset from the start. His initial tactic of logically figuring out everything wasn''t working at all.


    No, using mana was akin to creating a musical masterpiece. Perhaps it was possible to rationalize it all, but instinct worked even better! Overthinking it all prevented him from truly resonating with the mana.


    He needed to feel what was right. That was it. There was no mystical hidden secret, nope! That is how he spent minutes, hours, days? However long it was, he wasn''t regretting it in the least.


    Time kept trickling, and cockroaches kept dying.


    Finally, after lots of effort, Josh was finally done. He didn''t feel any different, and he didn''t see any visible difference either. He simply knew it. One could say that his strikes were now cleaner. It would be evident against stronger enemies, most probably.


    That is when a system message appeared. Seeing it, Josh couldn''t help but grin.


    [Detected a new user created active skill! Congrattion!]


    [Do you wish to register it with the system?]


    "What does this mean?" Josh asked, puzzled. Of course, he kept ughtering the cockroaches as he spoke with the Tower Protocol.


    [Only active skills can be registered. It allows one to use their full potential in the Tower.]


    "What about my other skills? Can''t they be registered too?"


    [Bloodline skills are unavable for enhancement.]


    "Alright. Are there any drawbacks then?"


    [Skill Points will be consumed!]


    "Alright, register it." Josh decisively instructed. While basic, this new skill would work incredibly well with his fighting style.


    [Sessfully created new skill! Please select a name!]


    Josh didn''t hesitate in the least. This was a simple skill meant to coat weapons with mana.


    "Mana Coating." He confidently answered.


    It was most definitely the most unsophisticated sounded name he coulde up with, yet he preferred it this way. It was a simple skill for a straightforward method of killing. This basic name would serve as a reminder for his first original skill of starting from zero.


    There was now a new entry in his status screen:


    -D Mana Coating*


    This was officially his first active skill that wasn''t from a bloodline. He couldn''t help but feel proud of himself. He still remembered the people that had looked at him with pity and disdain at the weing ceremony. Well, screw them all!


    As for his skills points, they had gone down, but he didn''t mind it one bit. This was better than just having them sit on his status screen.


    #SKILLS# (46) ¡ª> (41)


    When he came back to D-23, the first thing he would do was finally duel Liam. He was eager to show him how he had turned the mana sh he had shown him into his very own personal skill.


    As for this new ability, he instantly noticed a big difference. It being registered seemed to change the ease at which he could perform it. This meant that he''d be able to drive more mana into his weapon without a bacsh.


    It was as if the Tower had been running interference on his technique all along. It was only now that it was gone that he could sense it, however.


    Thus he kept happily ughtering while thinking about how he was going to get out of his current trapped predicament. He began to push back his enemies for the first time with his new power.


    He wasn''t passive anymore. It was time to go on the offensive! He would kill many of them, clear the exit, observe his surroundings for a few seconds and then fall back. Visibility was low thanks to the fog but whatever.


    He began mentally mapping the interior of the canyon, slowly getting ready to head out. Just as he was about to leave confidently, he suddenly heard a tremor as something heavy seemed to be heading his way.


    As he peeked outside to figure out what it was, he couldn''t help but cry in shock. "Holy fuck!"


    In front of him, there was a creature that definitely wasn''t a critter!

 Chapter 285: Do You Even— ZOOOM

    <h4>Chapter 285: Do You Even¡ª ZOOOM</h4>


    In the canyon, there was a sea of cockroaches. Amidst these critters, there was now one gigantic creature that stood out.


    It was shiny ck, stood on its hind legs, was the size of a few dozen enemies put together and it was intently staring at the tiny human that had rudely intruded upon its domain. How did it dare disregard it!


    <Big Papa Roach Lv 36??>


    What was up with this name?! This sounded way too friendly! For an instant, there was an intense staredown between the two. For some weird reason, all the critters scurried away hurriedly.


    But it all changed as Josh could feel the killing intent oozing from the Boss. It moved one of its powerful-looking hind legs backward. What was it trying to¡ª oh crap! Josh ran toward the side as fast as he could as the creature zoomed his way.


    ¡ª ZOOOM!! ¡ª


    This thing had charged with a speed rivaling its momentum. Wouldn''t it collide headfirst into the cliff this way? Josh would be able to exploit this moment of vulnerability to counterattack. But, just as he was getting ready the creature crashed into the cliff.


    ¡ª CRASH!! ¡ª


    The impact made the entire cliffside tremble. Josh couldn''t believe his eyes. He could almost picture a wail¡ªing from the rocks!


    ¡ª CRUMBLE ¡ª


    Rock debris and powder flew everywhere in the surroundings.


    The tight hole that he had upied earlier was nowhere to be seen. It was nowpletely gaping, split open by the thick ck monster. Josh couldn''t help but gulp, this thing was so damn powerful!


    For a second he was extremely impressed, but then he burst outughing. It seemed like he had just found a solution to his roach infestation problem. Josh began taunting the creature.


    "Oh? Is digging all you can do, big guy? Then again, I guess there are worse skills to have. How about you work for me? Don''t worry, if you do a good job I''ll feed you." Josh happily disparaged it.


    Could the creature understand him? While it was doubtful at best that it could understand the words, it was different for the tone. It felt how much Josh was looking down on it as if the Boss was nothing more than any regr cockroach.


    This enraged it to no end as it opened its mouth in fury, showing razor-sharp teeth.


    ¡ª SHRIEK!! ¡ª


    "Yeah, no. You really should stick to digging. Singing really isn''t your thing." Josh rxedlymented¡ª or so it seemed. He was in fact, carefully observing the creature while making his way over to the critters.


    The Boss stood still for a second, not doing anything. Yet, Josh sprinted out of the way, apparently randomly.


    ¡ª ZOOOM!! ¡ª


    The Boss passed right next to him: it had charged again! There hadn''t been a wind-up animation at all! Such an incredibly sneaky attack pattern! Thanks to his sharp senses, he had avoided sure death.


    Sadly, the same couldn''t be said about the cockroaches. They had been ttened to pancakes or hadpletely disappeared! How would Papa Roach react as it saw how many baby roaches it had ttened? The answer was¡­


    ¡ª ZOOOM!! ¡ª


    Papa Roach didn''t give a single fuck! It had charged again, not bothering about all the casualties. Sad to say, but this one Boss was so much faster at killing monsters than Josh could be. The creature was far from done too!


    Thus began ZOOOM-Ageddon, or so it must have felt to the poor sacrificed creatures. Value of their lives? Zero!


    Their supposed leader kept trying to kill Josh the best it could. Meanwhile, he kept acting like a livementator to piss it off further.


    ¡ª ZOOOM!! ¡ª


    "Killing spree! Look at it go, such a majestic charging form!"


    ¡ª ZOOOM!! ¡ª


    "Rampage! Look at the state of the cockroaches it trampled! What cockroaches you might ask? That''s right, they''re gone!


    ¡ª ZOOOM!! ¡ª


    "Unstoppable! Will it ever be stopped? Find out after themercial break! Brought to you by Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer!"


    ¡ª ZOOOM!! ¡ª


    "Dominating! Wow, so efficient! We have ns to beunching our own brand of cockroach flour soon! It''s a great source of protein and iron!"


    ¡ª ZOOOM!! ¡ª


    ¡ª CRASH!! ¡ª


    "Godlike! Oh my god! Such a great multitasker: trampling AND digging at the same time! Get your own dwelling with Big Papa Roach construction!"


    ¡ª ZOOOM!! ¡ª


    ¡ª CRASH!! ¡ª


    "Legendary! We are simply unbeatable! We can also take care of any demolition, please contact us for an estimate!"


    Apparently, the boss didn''t seem amused in the least as Josh kept having a ton of fun. Sadly for it, there was nothing it could do. It just happened that the man countered it since its deadliest aspect was how unpredictably it would begin its charges.


    At some point, Josh realized that the critters were all gone. To be fair, it was bound to happen since they kept dying from friendly (?) fire. They had probably gone into hiding, pondering over the meaning of their miserable existence.


    There was only one thing that remained to do. This time, it was Josh''s turn to charge at the creature. It seemed shocked for a second, the slippery human wasing its way? Seriously?!


    Josh could feel the confidence oozing out of the creature. Its body was incredibly sturdy and it was perfectly aware of it.


    Once he was in range, he ran toward the creature''s back. A secondter, he had to fall back with urgency. The creature had tried impaling him using its limbs with barbed tips. How was he supposed to deal with this?


    Luckily, itcked overall mobility except for that one predictable charge. Josh began hovering around it until it finally lost its cool and charged once more! This time, he wouldn''t let the asion slip.


    He switched his morphing weapon for a scimitar, worried the spear would get lodged inside the creature and break as it ran. Then, as the creature passed by, he shed it as heavily as he could.


    ¡ª CLANG!! ¡ª


    It didn''t even leave a mark on the creature! It was now watching him as if jeering, shrieking. Was it trying to get revenge for all the taunts?


    ¡ª SHRIEK!! ¡ª


    ¡ª Stares!!¡ª


    ¡ª Shrieks harder!! ¡ª


    ¡ª Stares harder!! ¡ª


    But, josh hadn''t said hisst word yet! He made it so the same situation as earlier happened, the creature once more tried its luck as it charged with wild abandon.


    Except that this time, Josh used his Mana Coating ability. He felt his de prate the armor and bite the flesh. Sess!


    From this moment onward, the taunting shrieks became shrieks of suffering. A littleter they once more changed as they became shrieks of despair.


    All the while, Josh''s evilughter resounded in the now-empty canyon¡­

 Chapter 286: Why Are You Running!

    <h4>Chapter 286: Why Are You Running!</h4>


    Once upon a time, there was a blue canyon full of holes. In there was a man towering above a gigantic cockroach he had killed.


    It had taken him a while, but Josh had finally managed to extinguish his foe''s life after toying with it. In a sh of red light appeared a single piece of equipment. It was sleek, ck, and had antennas on top.


    - Part of the Papa Roach set that allows its user to charge forward with incredible momentum.


    Josh had many concerns:


    1. Would there be a cooldown?


    2. Would it add a bonus to defense?


    3. Would it be possible to control the direction of the charge?


    These criteria would be the determining ones in figuring out if it was even worth farming. Either way, it was better to get it now than to miss itter.


    Josh kept ncing at the air, visibly puzzled. "System, shouldn''t you be announcing a feat or something? Did someone solo murder this Boss already?!" While it wasn''t impossible, it seemed most unlikely. What kind of dumbass would risk his life like this?


    Sadly, Josh was bound to be disappointed as it seemed like the system had forgotten him. He reluctantly climbed the cliff, returning to the quest objective hoping for the best. As soon as it came into sight, the system finally made an apparition.


    [Mission Completed, Congrattion!]


    Looking at how rxed Nightmare was, the two of them probably hadn''t seen an enemy in a long while. The NPC headed straight to him, greeting him with a "HeL¡ª" cut short, of course.


    But, the Tower Protocol surprisingly wasn''t done:


    [Mission Part 2: Run!!!!]


    [Error¡ª Error¡ª Error!]


    [Mission Part 2: Run!!!!]


    Josh couldn''t help but be taken aback. What the heck was happening?! Wait, could it be that he hadn''t been supposed to head in the canyon? Had this somehow caused a bug to happen? Was it possible that the Boss he had killed was the one that was supposed to chase them?


    What now? "Hey, system! What are we supposed to be running away from?" Josh asked, annoyed as nothing at all happened.


    Unsure what was happening, he led his party back to the spawn. He figured that this probably was where they were supposed to be running to, right? They galloped there at full speed.


    As soon as they arrived, the system chimed in with another peculiar message:


    [Mission: Escort your fellow traveler toward its destination safely!]


    Wasn''t this the exact same mission he had already done?! Wait, what if¡­.without waiting, Josh ordered Nightmare to head back to the statue. As they came near it, a familiar message once more appeared.


    [Protect the allied cockroach until it is done praying!]


    Josh bolted toward the canyon. He would soon know if he was trapped here or if this was instead an incredible opportunity. As he reached the bottom, he began wandering about until finally, he found a massive creature that had conveniently just respawned.


    <Big Papa Roach Lv 36??>


    Oh my fucking god! How awesome was this?! Without waiting any further, Josh charged at it and began harassing it one sh at a time. Not long afterward, it was down.


    He had a way to refresh the Boss in less than an hour! How great was this? Plus, this wasn''t any random Boss, but a Hellish one that dropped an armor set! Hellish really felt like its own game mode that made you face everything at once, and then it was over¡ª except now!


    Josh began exploiting the shit out of it. By rushing from point A to point B over and over, he was able to make the Boss respawn at an unprecedented rate. It was swift because he had already cleared all the regr creeps.


    The more he did it, and the more Josh noticed the enemy''s attitude change. It was very subtle, and it didn''t seem conscious of it itself, but it showed unwillingness to fight him.


    Every 30 minutes, he would get a new piece of equipment. He was soon the proud owner of a beautiful ck roach set. He couldn''t help but smile as he tried it out. This one surprisingly only had one ability.


    CHARGE!!!! : Dash forward with incredible power. Speed, power, and length of the charge are based on the number of pieces equipped.


    As Josh tried using it, he was delighted that he had looted it. While he could see it being useful, the main point was that it was so damn fun! It gave him the feeling of turning his body into a race car.


    He loved it so much that for a little while, his body zooming across the canyon was the only thing that could be seen. He would encounter regr cockroaches from time to time, but they would flee instantly upon sighting him.


    This had to be one of the best clears of all time! Josh returned to the surface, reset the Boss once more, and headed back to the statue. Except, this time around, he didn''t skip any step and remained at the NPC''s side to protect it.


    It took 15 minutes for it to end praying. Funny how much time Josh had actually spent down in the canyon: many and many hours!


    [Mission Part 2: Run!!!!]


    As the message appeared, a shrill and loud shriek resounded.


    ¡ª SHRIEK!! ¡ª


    Josh could recognize this noise anywhere by now. The Boss was on its way. Instead of running, he stood in ce as the creature climbed the rocky walls, leaving the canyon. As it appeared in front of them, the NPC began trembling like never before.


    Josh had already tasked Nightmare with protection duty once more. It would await his orders and be ready to run whenever the Boss would initiate a charge. The n was supposed to be perfect, but it all ended up as a colossal waste for one reason.


    Josh and the Boss made eye contact. Instantly the monster froze as it seemed to remember all its previous deaths suddenly. That''s when it turned tail and ran as quickly as it could¡­with Josh right on its heels!


    "Why are you running!" He shouted from time to time.


    The chase kept going until the monster dashed right down in the abyss. Josh couldn''t help but chuckle, seeing how hurried it had been.


    "Whatever, you can live this once."


    Josh sounded magnanimous, but the true reason for this was that he was out of storage already. He had strapped plenty of gear on Nightmare already. Still, it wasn''t like he could bring his pet into Metropolis-D. He would have been arrested soon enough otherwise.


    So yeah, he would be forced to carry all of it out. He soon reached the spawn once more.


    [Missionpleted!]


    [Analysis¡­.The enemy ran from yer?!]


    [First to instill fear into the guardian of Floor 22]


    [Calcting¡­.Calcting¡­.]


    [Please select a reward category: Bloodline | Equipment | Skill | Material | Special]


    Josh didn''t know enough about crafting to pick material, he didn''t want anyone''s memories, and he had enough equipment already. What would be the best bet between Bloodline and Special?


    He already knew that bloodlines could be extremely overpowered. Still, special was quite intriguing. Perhaps it would bring about an incredibly rare opportunity. What if it was based on the Floor itself?


    Bloodline: Cockroach Bloodline? Special: Rted to that statue, maybe? Ah, whatever. There was no point agonizing over this decision.


    "Give me the Bloodline one." Josh chose.


    [Reward: random bloodline box!]


    Uh¡­alright. In front of Josh, there was now an intricate ck box that seemed to be made of chitin. Josh activated it with expectation.


    <Rank D- Bloodline Pearl of the Great Cockroach>


    - Gives the user the ideal cockroach body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like.


    "¡­.Seriously?!"


    At first, Josh had been overjoyed. A bloodline that was D-Rank, how strong would this be?! But as he kept reading, he began having reservations. Ideal cockroach body¡­there was no way he would want to be a damn cockroach!


    He could already picture himself reaching the top of the Tower and wishing to have her back only to look like a damn cockroach! What would be the odds that she''d assault him with a newspaper?!


    All kidding aside, it would also be throwing all his advantages through the window, especially his weapon mastery. He couldn''t ept this. Still, perhaps he could try and trade it for another¡­


    Josh could only sigh as he uttered: "teleport out."


    He spawned outside the Tower, carrying a few huge bags with him. This roach set was so much fun that he had made sure to bring plenty along with him. He already had ns for it.


    As he happily went back toward the failed bodyguard''s ce, he was tailed as usual¡­

 Chapter 287: Mystical Orator

    <h4>Chapter 287: Mystical Orator</h4>


    Josh was happily putting his new loot away when a knock resounded at the apartment door.


    ¡ª Knock Knock ¡ª


    He interrupted his task and went to open, knowing perfectly who the man there would be. It was someone he had been expecting, a man that had followed him all the way next to Sunshine.


    The man obviously was an assassin, was rtively young, well dressed, and carried around a brown suitcase. His smile was so radiant that it would have put a shlight to shame.


    "Hello there, how are you doing on this wonderful day?" He began his speech warmly.


    "Oh, you know. Just rxing. Anyway, what brings you here, brother?" Josh warmly inquired.


    He couldn''t wait but hear the excuse that the man had prepared. He would probably try to be invited inside to either kill or kidnap him, right?


    "Are you aware of the recent Sloth incident that happened in our beloved Metropolis? It caused too much trouble, so the MTA is taking action. I am tasked with taking a census of all citizens to give thempensation." (A)


    If Josh wasn''t aware of the sloths, then no one was.


    It seemed like the man wanted to worm his way inside using the promise of free credits. While it wasn''t too original, it would probably work in most cases. He looked harmless enough not to put anyone on their guard.


    "Oh, seriously?!" Josh faked incredible interest.


    "Of course! Don''t worry, I only have a few questions to ask, and you''ll be eligible for the full amount. Can we sit inside while filling the form?" He asked seemingly innocently. (A)


    "Sure! I''ll make us some coffee too. Make yourself at home." Josh weed him like an impable host. A few secondster, they were both sitting on the sofa, cup in hand.


    In the man''s eyes, Josh could detect a faint glimmer. The assassin was rejoicing, for he was so close to his "unsuspecting" target. He was already celebrating inside, gloating at how incredibly naive this new target was. He was so close to the 100k bounty!


    Josh amusedly watched the man who seemed to be scheming but was currently drinking his spiked coffee. In it, there was the same sleeping drug the other assassin had used. He had confiscated it on the man''s body.


    Why would a professional assassin ept such a thing from a stranger? Well, Josh also had a coffee with added "vor". The man had wrongly assumed that Josh wouldn''t just straight-up poison the coffee pot. Plus, he still believed he hadn''t been noticed during his earlier stalking.


    Since the poison would take time to take effect, they could perfectly begin the so-called census. At first, Josh had been sure that it would only be a facade, but the man seemed serious about it.


    "First question: How long have you been living here?" (A)


    "Less than a month."


    "Were you in the area when the sloth incident happened?" (A)


    "Indeed I was."


    "Next, there will be a few questions about your family to understand your background better." (A)


    That''s when Josh understood. This man wasn''t aplete fool and had realized that there ought to be something more to the eye to a 100k bounty. He seemed to be worried about revenge from kins.


    It would make sense. The bounty didn''t mention any fighting power at all. Missing such information could very well jeopardize the entire assassination and could even lead to the contract being nullified with the deposit kept.


    But, what if this 100k youngster truly was weak and the danger was a powerful, vengeful family? The assassination would be a sess, and the assassin would end up as the scapegoat! This would exin hiring through KFC instead of the better League of Assassins.


    Good thinking, but the man was overthinking this so much! Before he could say another word, Josh noticed the signs of the drugs working. From that point onward, he knew that he''d be able to neutralize the man reasonably easily.


    "So, how long have you been an assassin? Are you from KFC?" Josh calmly asked.


    The man instantly tried springing to his feet, only to find himself partially paralyzed, his limbs unresponding. Immediately, his eyelids began fluttering in panic as regret showed in his eyes. Who was the madman that posted this crazy mission?!


    "Anyway, let''s not waste any time, shall we. How about you tell me all that you know about the League of Assassins." Josh casually asked. However, he noticed the man twitching slightly at this mention.


    "Oh? You know something about them." Josh happily concluded. "What exactly do you know?"


    The man was trying his best to control his reactions, but it was hard while drugged. He could only freak out internally. How unlucky was he to have met this supposedly easy target by chance! He hadn''t even nned to participate in that hunt!


    "Have you ever met a recruiter?" The man''s reaction was strange. His subtle bodynguage both said yes and no at the same time.


    "Ah, have you received an invitation from a recruiter?" Josh tentatively asked. Yep, this was it! This guy really wouldn''t be able to be an actor. Suddenly Josh thought of something.


    "Wait, don''t tell me you just received an invitation?!" The remorse in the man''s eyes was telling enough. It was the kind of regret that still showed hope toward the future, only grieving over his current predicament.


    "So, when is your test?" Josh inquired. "C''mon, just answer truthfully, and we can have a pleasant conversation."


    "S-soon. I don''t know. They''re supposed to contact me." He uttered with difficulty. (A)


    "Is that so? Why do you wish to join the League of Assassin in the first ce?" Josh curiously asked.


    "To live well." He curtly answered. (A)


    "So in order to live well, you will take plenty of lives?" Josh raised an eyebrow, pointing the hypocrisy out.


    "That''s my only option...I can''t Climb." The assassin deplored. (A)


    "Why not?" Josh countered.


    "Because I have a shitty ss." (A)


    "Oh? Which one?"


    "This one." (A)


    That''s when the assassin began grinning. He looked like a master strategist that had just won a war. Hisst words resounded in the room akin to an echo.


    That''s when Josh suddenly lost control of his entire body except for his mouth. How?! This ability was almost as powerful as the sloth soul attacks in D-23! How was this shitty at all?!


    The both of them were stuck paralyzed next to one another: one from poison and the other from magic. At the very least, the sofa felt extremelyfortable, and they were both sinking into it. Since he had the upper hand, the assassin exined further.


    "The ss is called Orator, and it''s the worst of the worst. Well, it does allow some nice tricks, but the enemy has to be able to understand you for it to work. Against monsters, it''spletely useless." (A)


    "Oh? That''s interesting. I wonder all that one could do with such an ability." Josh thought aloud.


    "How are you still sounding so rxed?!" (A)


    "I mean, the sofa is prettyfortable, isn''t it?"


    "That''s beside the point!" (A)


    "Oh? What''s the point then?"


    "I''m about to regain control of my body, you know." (A)


    "You are?"


    "It''s a given for anyone wanting to go into the business to develop an immunity tomon poisons!"(A)


    "Talk about professionalism! Pretty awe-inspiring."


    The assassin was gazing at Josh at aplete loss. How was he so calm? Did he perhaps think that he was bluffing?! Then came the moment when he freed himself.


    He took a few unsteady steps toward the kitchen, grabbing a knife. Coming back, he pointed it at the immobilized man while grinning.


    "How about now? Are you worried?" He uttered. (A)


    "Guess I''ll die today. It''s a shame. Still, are you sure you want to head into this path?" Josh sighed lightly.


    "It''s not a matter of want. It''s a matter of being realistic." He clicked his tongue. (A)


    "Is it really?"


    "You don''t know what it''s like to struggle with a bad ss!" (A)


    "You''re right since I don''t have one."


    "What?! That''s impossible, I saw you exit the Tower! You were Climbing!" (A)


    "Yes, I was Climbing. So?"


    "This is impossible..." The assassin kept mumbling this aloud. (A)


    "If you think it is, then it will be. Otherwise, you can work even harder."


    The man seemed shaken by such revtion. Part of him was in disbelief while the other part hoped it to be true. He hesitated for a few seconds, holding the knife in ce, but then he lowered his arm and dropped the weapon. He even began walking away.


    "Aren''t you going to kill me?"


    "No." (A)


    "Why not?"


    "Because I don''t feel like it, that''s all." He said akin to a tsundere. (A)


    "Are you sure?"


    The assassin turned around to face Josh in an outburst:


    "Look, man, stop trying to taunt me and just¡ª" But what he saw made him freeze. (A)


    Josh was not only up, but right behind him?! How the hell had he managed to sneak up on him?!


    Not only wasn''t he paralyzed in the least, but he was even sipping on what remained of the coffee, a coffee he knew for a fact was poisoned. Was he even human anymore?!


    But, this wasn''t the worst. Josh was looking as rxed as ever with a slight smile on his face. The assassin couldn''t help but gulp as he suddenly realized how ridiculous his decision to "let the man live" had been.


    "Now, why don''t we have a small chat?" The smiling Josh proposed. The assassin could only nod in the most demure of fashion,pletely overwhelmed by the events.


    Josh had already had a n figured out...

 Chapter 288: Shoot You to Death!

    <h4>Chapter 288: Shoot You to Death!</h4>


    A man could be seen rxedly heading to the Tower, a relieved smile on his face. He was the Orator that had just visited Josh¡ªor so it appeared.


    Josh had made himself look like the assassin. AT''s gift made it so easy! It was crazy how useful it had already been, especially that he had gotten it from clearing a few easy trials.


    He was gleeful, for he had managed to secure his ess to the League of Assassins, convincing the young assassin to skip his uing entrance test. The man would be disappearing in the Alter Tower for a while instead.


    He could remember the assassin''s shock as he had realized that Josh intended to go against the League. But, the man had then "figured out" that he was working for the school, probably with the MTAs'' blessings.


    There already was tons of gossip about the rivalries between the two organizations. It made everything easier to believe, for there usually wasn''t smoke without a fire. He was also looking for an alternative to being a killer so it made it easy.


    The man had a few worries, but Josh''s confidence quickly crushed them. He had been assured that D-23 would be League of Assassin free and that everything would work out. The least he knew, the better.


    The rest was only to wait for the test to begin, as he would impersonate the young man from this point onward.


    In the meantime, he would be Climbing. His next challenge would be one that happened in a forest. As he scoured a random forum, he couldn''t help but think that there was something strange about it.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Climbing For Dummies¡ª Forum Edition!


    - CityGuy: This Floor is such a painful waste of time! I swear a white dude designed it for sure!


    - FishInShips: What?! Please, as if it was a white thing just cause of the scavenger hunt and the hiking involved!


    - CityGuy: ¡­I rest my case.


    - MidriffFTW: @CityGuy Bro, what are you talking about? Who cares about the Mission when there are dryads!! Have you seen how lean and beautiful they are?!


    - TruthDispenser: Those monsters are to real dryads what dolls are to human women.


    - AntiBonkSquad: So¡­a slightly more challenging wank? I don''t really see the issue¡­


    - BonkSquad: You fiend!


    - ProClimber: ¡­..Guys, can we talk about the actual Floor? What am I supposed to do for this Mission? Finding them is so freaking hard! My team spent three days inside, finally managing to clear the extraction mission, but not the true one.


    - Dragoooon: You should have called yourself NewbieClimber instead. The answer is easy, get a better scout.


    - ProClimber: 0_0 ¡­.I''m the scout. What should I do?! Please give me tips!


    - LifeCoach: Here''s a great idea: search for a new job!


    - ProClimber: T_T Anyone else?


    - JurassicEgg: How about you keep trying until you seed? What''s the worse that could happen? Yes, the answer is dying to the protectors, but that''s only a tiny detail in pursuit of greatness!


    - CatOnSteroids: It''s not like there''s a pattern to the Floor itself. You''ll have to git gud. There really isn''t anything we can do to help.


    Then it went on with lots of random chatter.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh couldn''t help but be taken aback: dryads, an extraction mission, and a treasure hunt?! What could this all possibly be? He was already hyped!


    This would be a drastic change of scenerypared to the cockroaches. Without waiting any further, he entered the Tower. Floor 23, there he came!


    He found himself weed by the delightful scent of pine. The world was entirely green asrge trees surrounded him. The spawn was peaceful and right under the cover of a green giant.


    [Mission: follow the clues and find all the dryads!]


    "Clues? What about the mid-clear extraction mission?" Josh asked, curious. Also, a search was a breath of fresh airpared to the usual killing.


    [Extraction Unavable in Hellish!]


    Alright, it did make sense. If people could exit any time they wanted, it would be too overpowered. While he did have a dimensional belt, it had restrictions: the 1-day duration before using it and the recharge period.


    Now, where was he supposed to start? He explored the nearby area, finding a message carved in the bark of a tree. The cuts were dark and a clear contrast to the rest.


    <We are silent protectors, forever watching over the ones who bring life to the forest.>


    Okay¡­.What was he supposed to make of this? Was this a riddle? But then he noticed something. Life was written l¡üfe with an arrow instead of an "i." Should he follow it?


    For now, he had nothing to lose, so he began trekking the woods. There were endless trees as far as the eye could see and there wasn''t an enemy to be seen. Was he lost? Just as he was feeling doubtful, he noticed a peculiar sight.


    On the bark of a pine tree, there was a ckish handprint. Josh almost expected to see a "We-know" under it. He carefully inspected the surroundings, but there wasn''t anything of interest at all.


    This new clue was puzzling, to say the least. He approached it and nonchntlyid his hand atop it; somehow, it was a perfect fit. As he made contact, he felt a tingling sensation on his skin.


    Suddenly, the handprint began glowing. It was a green light that seemed to be pulsating. Josh quickly retreated, on his guard. The disturbance instantly stopped. What kind of event was this?


    Josh came closer once more and resumed contact. He couldn''t help but smile wryly as the green light emerged once more. The longer he held, and the stronger and bigger the effect became. Yet, it didn''t hurt him in the slightest. It felt rtively warm too.


    It seemed to build up for a few seconds, and then it suddenly erupted as a massive wave that propagated across the entire forest. Not only did it not hurt the vegetation, but it also seemed more vibrant.


    Just as he was curiously observing the changes, he felt killing intent. He instantly retreated¡ª or tried, but he was stuck!


    It was as if the bark was trying to devour his hand. He grabbed his weapon, turned it into an axe, and swung it with all his power. As he did so, there was movement as all the branches nearby began swaying.


    Then the wooden appendages moved before suddenly thrusting toward him akin to deadly spears! Crap! Josh barely managed to free himself, but it would be far toote to avoid. He activated his cloak effect in panic while fleeing.


    ¡ª BAM!!¡ª


    Josh felt his body being swatted away, surviving thanks to the skill. But the second wave of attack was alreadying! This time he was farther away and had more room for dodging. He twisted his body, feeling a sharp pain in both his shoulders.


    Even then, he didn''t stop in the least, finally reaching safety. He was wounded, but it would regenerate slowly. The important detail was that he was out of the monster''s range.


    <Deadly Pine Tree Lv 28>


    Talk about a deadly ambush! For most Climbers, it would have probably been impossible to react in time. This was especially true given the unexpected hand-grabbing trap.


    "Talk about rude! I ever so gently woke you up. I even shared the warmth of my body with you, and this is how you repay me?!" Josh was shaking his head in disappointment while he scolded the magical tree.


    It only swung its branches all around in murderous anger! Anyone else would have had trouble reading the bodynguage of a tree, but it emitted enough killing intent to make it clear.


    "Why would you even do such a thing?" Josh harshly reproached. But then he suddenly remembered one very small tiny detail.


    - S Curse of the Greenwood Lord: Active


    Yep, there was still this one line in his status screen. Then again, chances were that they would react the same against any human. It was probably just exacerbating it¡ª not that it mattered much. What would an immobile tree even do?!


    Josh smiled as he grabbed his bow, aiming it at the creature. He was actually targetting the palm imprint. He released his attack, the mana arrow flying fast and true. Sck! It lodged itself into the creature.


    The mana arrow broke the outeryer of its bark, sap gushing out. The creature iled its branches around in pain while screeching. What good would this even do?


    ¡ª Screech!!¡ª


    Josh instantly realized something crazy. A screeching tree would be so damn popr! He had to get some of its pine cones for sure. With a little bit of training, this would make the perfect watch tree to protect his home!


    What if he could get an entire forest of it? Heck, he''d even be able to start a vegetation Acape group! Josh grinned as he pictured the possibilities. For now, he''d try killing this one. With a bit of luck, it would drop some.


    He aimed carefully once more, shooting vigorously. Except, this time, the tree swung its branches and used them to block.


    "Nice block, but how long can you keep it up, eh? You''re nothing but a sitting duck....Wait, no, you can''t even move!" Josh remarked.


    He kept shooting, with the creature swaying full speed. It reminded him of that one futuristic space movie with dudes blocking ster shots with neon lights¡ª or something simr. If it were a duel of patience that it wanted, Josh would deliver!


    At first, the tree seemed spirited (?) as it was probably expecting him to run out of arrows at some point. The fool! Josh had infinite arrows, hahaha¡ª well, as long as he still had mana anyway. But he was really good at faking that he could go on forever.


    The nt eventually seemed to realize that there was an issue. It suddenly stopped moving entirely. Was it trying to surrender? Was it scared? Josh stared at it, wondering what it was doing. Wait¡­was it ying dead?! A tree was fucking ying dead. Wow!


    Would Josh show leniency just because it had seemingly given up? No way!


    "Welp, don''t mind if I practice my aim then. you will make the perfect training target!" Josh began shooting a flurry of arrows once more. However, this time was different. Instead of prating the tree, the projectiles disappeared on impact.


    Was it possible that there was more to its immobility? Was it perhaps now in a defensive mode that gave it more resistance. Was there any method avable to him to counter this? His new Mana Coating skill didn''t work on the arrows, probably because they were generated via an item.


    Josh slowly approached the monster, tiptoeing. This had to be a first: sneaking up on a goddamn tree! How was it even perceiving things, and was this a new trap? Either way, he would soon find out¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Can you picture dying on Floor 23? How mortifying it must be to break the news to the family of the deceased. "I''m sorry. We did everything we could, but the tree got him in the end." Would a hippie show up to the funeral screaming "This is mother nature''s revenge!!!"

 Chapter 289: Bullying a Tree

    <h4>Chapter 289: Bullying a Tree</h4>


    Legends say that on Floor 23, there was a tranquil and serene forest. It was the perfect ce to find inner peace and was filled with beauty.


    There really was one, but the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by the loud sound of an animal getting ughtered violently¡ªat least that''s what it sounded like.


    ¡ª Screech!!¡ª


    "Oh, c''mon! I barely touched you, and you know it! What kind of tree is this soft?! You''re a disgrace to your ancestors!" Yes, Josh was currently bullying a tree.


    Hearing this was very peculiar, but seeing Josh in action was even more disturbingly memorable.


    He was facing an onught of branches swinging his way akin to thousand of deadly demonic snakes! Anyone would have been livid, but not this man. He was fucking grinning!


    He had figured out the crux of this monster:


    1. It couldn''t be cheesed solely with ranged attacks thanks to its defensive mode. It would just be pretty much unkible and would regenerate its HP too.


    2. At close range, it was an impressive killing machine. It made one feel like they were facing an entire army. Not only did the branches move quickly, but their pattern would be highly unpredictable.


    3. Clearing this would usually require a party working together in harmony. Someone would attract its attention while the others would remain a distance away and st it to oblivion, preferably with fire magic.


    All things considered, this was a hazardous monster to face solo¡­ and yet Josh was having fun. He could be seen right in the creature''s face as he chopped branches, poked its sturdy body, and ¡­licked its bark?!


    Yes, the man was at nk range and was drinking the tree''s sap in satisfaction?! Then, he would twist his body, evading sure death. Was such reckless behavior even worth it?


    But, the tree was far from done! It slowly borated a death trap for this pesky creature. It didn''t know why, but it hated the man to the bone and understood that it had to rid the world of this evil¡ª not that it could articte its thoughts.


    Josh slowly saw it alling. But, there was a difference between observing it and being able to react in time. The tree believed that its victory was close as its branches were about to pierce the invader. But then, something weird happened.


    Josh elerated in a sudden charge! He had so much speed that he avoided all the attacks like a goddamn ninja! He couldn''t help butugh out loud as he felt his body go through the incredible motion.


    ¡ª ZOOOM!! ¡ª


    But, his fun was short-lived, for this thing was moreplex than it seemed, and harder to control! Without being able to veer, he crashed right into a nearby tree, making it tremble.


    ¡ª CRASH!! ¡ª


    For a few minutes, hey on the ground, just trying to recuperate. Many of his bones were broken!


    He couldn''t but chuckle. If he were to write an autobiography, should he include this part too? Remember, kids, be careful when speeding¡ª actually don''t speed at all!


    As he got back up, he was ready for round two. This time around, he would make sure that hisnding would be more graceful. After all, this faux pas had allowed his enemy to heal entirely.


    Josh and the tree both had a point inmon: their healing capabilities. He would have to make sure to press the attack not to allow it to return to its peak form. Funny how back on Earth, this single ability would have been enough to join the X, Y or Z-Men.


    This time around, he engaged and disengaged promptly with great control. His challenge was to minimize the number of unnecessary movements. He felt like he was back on the rift, heading in and out of tower range to harass the enemy champions.


    It was all a question of distance, distance, and distance! Why was it so important?


    - The length of the branches was constant, and he had to remember the attack range.


    - The range at which it switched to defensive/regeneration mode was another distance to keep in mind.


    - Then there was the distance at which he could drink the delicious sap after every critical hit. It surprisingly reminded him of honey for some reason. Okay, maybe this one was a tiny bit less relevant.


    After a while of ying, Josh finally managed to take the creature down. It only took him so long because he trained his reaction speed with the unfortunate monster toward the end. Had the poor thing even realized how pitiful its ending had been?


    Now, what was he supposed to do? Josh inspected the corpse of the creature: there were many cords of wood in there! Sadly, it didn''t look like anything was happening¡­


    Just as he wasmenting hisck of luck, a green light rose up from the wood and flew toward the sky. Then a few secondster, this showed up.


    [Killed a protector. The yer is now considered evil by the dryad faction.]


    [Temporarily acquired the status: the scent of evil.]


    [Mission: follow the clues and find all the dryads!]


    Wow. Why would it matter if they considered him evil or not? They already wanted to kill him thanks to that BS Greenwood Lord curse! Talk about ridiculous! Was the system expecting him just to take their onught lying down?


    One could have argued that he could have been the bigger man and just left since a tree couldn''t move. Yeah, screw this! He was still angry at being ambushed, but it was just a detail.


    Just as he was lost in his thought, he suddenly felt something! There was killing intent targeting his position?! No, many different intents! Chances were that there was a monster in the enemy''s midst that could use scouting magic or something simr.


    But then he had another surprise. Those angry neers were moving toward him as if he were a beacon showing them the light in the darkness. To put things into perspective, Josh was akin to a furry on an anti-furry board, aka a clear target!


    Except¡­why were they so slow?! He could only shrug as he resolved to take a nap. Luckily, the ground was full of luscious grass that felt soft to the touch and veryfortable. As expected of a Floor with dryads!


    He slowly closed his eyes, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    I really don''t suggest drinking sap from the Tower trees directly, at least without possessing a gluttony bloodline. One could end up in a pretty terrible condition. But for anyone that is wondering, picture honeyed water, with berries and an aftertaste of mysterious grass.

 Chapter 290: Magical Miss Dryad

    <h4>Chapter 290: Magical Miss Dryad</h4>


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    His day started with an overexcited rm clock: a small human that was giggling to herself in happiness.


    "Josh, Josh, Josh! Wake up! Today''s the day!" The little one''s voice pulled him away from his dreams.


    "Is it the weekend?" He grumbled. She wouldn''t be this excited for school, right?


    "No! Today''s the school trip! Remember, you''re going with us, and it will be awesome! Hurry up and get dressed already!" She eximed with so much drive that it was almost unreal.


    "Fine, fine, fine. Just let me drink a couple of gallons of coffee and I''ll be right there." He sleepily mumbled while driving his body away from the warmth at his side.


    The woman he loved was asleep, her breathing serene and her face more beautiful than anything. The creases of worries were slowly disappearing as they settled in their new life. They were poor, but they had everything they needed.


    Her breathing indeed was serene¡­actually maybe a bit too much. He suddenly peered at her suspiciously. Yep, she was faking being asleep for sure! Without waiting, he reached for her delicate lips, using his tongue to pry them open tenderly.


    Before long, he was thoroughly exploring her mouth, invading until he tasted the sweetness that she had to offer. She was still pretending outwardly to be sleeping, but her tongue that intertwined around his betrayed her.


    Her breathing was bing rougher by the second. Driving his hand under the covers, he found a soft body eager for his touch. She was acting coy, but she was evidently getting in the mood for some fun. They probably had a few minutes before leaving, right?


    But the little one suddenly barged in, pointing to her sister: "You promised not to tempt him! What happened to you remaining asleep? Let him go, vixen! Anyway, c''mon Josh, we''re gonna bete!" She used.


    "I''ll have you know that I''m innocent! My sleeping face was enough to charm him. Your n backfired on you!" She shrugged, showing innocence but her huge smile and stifledughter didn''t fool anyone.


    She even whispered a low: "Why don''t we postpone this till tonight? Oh, conserve your energy because there won''t be any sleeping. ;)" She proposed while winking and pushing him toward the exit.


    Josh was dragged out by an excited little girl all the way to her school, where bright yellow buses awaited them orderly, akin to soldiers. There were a few teachers, many parents, and a shitload of hyper younglings.


    Oh, and the ride was a wonderful concerto of awful summer camp songs that were enough to turn even the happiest of man depressive. How did kids love these so much?! After a ride that was far too long, they finally arrived at their destination.


    That day they were visiting the city''s Botanical Garden. It felt like they were immersed in an entirely different new world. The gray and straight lines of the modern buildings were reced by colorful flowers and nts of all kinds.


    But, the best was seen a bitter when they arrived at the most outstanding attraction of the entireplex: the mosa?cultures. If taking care of nts was an art, this was simply godlike. The nts were carefully trimmed in incredible shapes.


    There were all kinds of unbelievable sculptures: peacocks, lions, goldfishes, horses, frogs, old fishermen, and even one gigantic one that represented Gaia herself with a fountaining out of her hand.


    "Wow!" That is all the little one said as her eyes sparkled brighter than diamond.


    "So, was I right that this ce is great? What do you think?" Josh teased her.


    "Wow!"


    "That''s it? Nothing else." He asked.


    "It''s just wow. It''s so amazing!" She happily eximed.


    She then spent a long while observing in great detail every single artwork. She would especially grin at the top of the food chain carnivores. How ironic that they were made of nts!


    The two looked likeplete tourists as they would point to every sculpture, judging them as if proud art critics.


    "This one is a green frog that used leaves to camouge itself here. It might just jump away at any moment!" Shemented.


    "Perhaps."


    "This one is a struggling vegan lion. He had a crazy owner and died of starvation only to be reincarnated as a nt. But even then, the proud spirit of the lion lives on!"


    "So that''s how it is. Such determination! How praiseworthy!"


    "This one is an old fisherman that stayed in ce so long that grass grew on him. As soon as he catches something, he''ll move as if nothing had ever happened."


    "Makes sense!"


    That''s when an olddy heartily chuckled at seeing the little one. She couldn''t help butment. "Don''t be too disappointed, little girl, but they really are all just nts. But, the secret ingredient is love. This is my husband''s garden, or used to be anyway."


    "Oh? Is he on vacation or something?" She thoughtlessly asked.


    "No¡­well yes. It''s a very long vacation. Perhaps I''ll join him soon¡­." Her mncholic tone and her reminiscing gaze were so pronounced. Even the little one understood that the man was dead. But then, she turned toward the olddy.


    "You''re actually wrong about something. Those are not just nts: it''s magic!" She reiterated.


    "What do you¡­?" The olddy seemed perplexed for a second.


    "I agree. It truly is magic. There isn''t any other term to describe it. You''ve done such a great job that it''s a magical garden, truly." Josh nodded with confidence.


    The olddy began crying, but it was tears of joy. "Magical. Magical. Yes, it really is. You''re right." She then gave them a beaming smile, one that was even more magical than the surrounding wonders.


    "Alright, we have to go back, or the teachers won''t be happy with us. Have a great day, miss dryad, and thank you for everything." Josh nodded to her before heading away.


    "Later, miss dryad!" The little one chimed in too.


    "M-miss dryad?" The olddy was astonished. Dryad?" Weren''t dryads usually beautiful? She was just an olddy!


    The olddy watched the two weirdos leave, her old heart suddenly thumping in her old body with renewed hope. She still looked forward to when her vacation woulde, but perhaps she could keep living a bit longer.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Dryad? Now that Josh thought about it, this term sure was nostalgic. He couldn''t help but wonder if this olddy had survived the transmigration. Perhaps she would meet true magical nts.


    Would the dryads measure up to their reputation on Earth? He would soon know...


    Creator''s Thought


    If presented with two choices: - A sculpture that someone put his heart and soul into creating. - A magical skill that one was given by the Tower for free. I''d say the first one is truly the magical one. It''s magical how much human effort can aplish. It is also what needs to be celebrated. Maybe I''m just old-fashioned...

 Chapter 291: Dryads Want Him!

    <h4>Chapter 291: Dryads Want Him!</h4>


    In a peaceful forest, a man was slowly awakening as he sensed killing intent nearby.


    Napping was definitely the best activity while waiting! Climbers still had to sleep from time to time, just very, very rarely. Or was this only true for him?


    Josh observed his surroundings with trepidation. He would add meeting dryads to the list of stories to tell the little one. A few secondster, one appeared from behind a tree¡­no, from inside the tree!


    A delicate face emerged the wood as if water. The neer''s skin was light brown with timber texture, her eyes were a shimmering green, her lengthy hair seemed to be made of leaves, her mouth was in an O shape, and her face expressionless.


    As the creature fully exited the tree, her full body appeared. She waspletely naked, had a female silhouette, and onlycked genitalia. She slowly strode his way, her hips swaying as she did so.


    <Rejuvenation Dryad Lv 23>


    As soon as she came close, she stood still and then waved a hand. Suddenly green light inundated the entire area. Josh never had the chance to dodge! It instantly prated all his defenses and ¡­.did jack shit.


    If anything, the grass looked a little greener. Without waiting, the dryad began spamming the green light over and over. After a few tries, she stood in ce puzzled, then remained unmoving as she stared at him.


    What now? Had she given up? Apparently, she had been waiting for reinforcement as another dryad showed up. She came closer with purpose but only copied the previous one! What was insanity? To keep doing the same thing while expecting a different result.


    More dryads showed up as they too began bathing the area in green light. At this point, the air itself was green. They kept tirelessly casting even with zero results.


    Conclusion: the dryads were 100% support creatures. Perhaps they could be a force to reckon with if they stayed together with the protectors, but right now they were utterly useless!


    The Greenwood Lord curse had managed to aggro them all. They wanted to kill Josh so severely that they had all instantly charged his way. The protectors had been left behind, and the dryads couldn''t kill personally.


    It was pretty hrious and ironic how the curse was actually helping him. To be fair, it seemed that there was nomunication between the gods and the Tower Protocol who designed the challenges. Hell, the Tower couldn''t even hear them!


    It was one huge andical coincidence! It gave rise to the pathetic scene that was currently happening. Josh took a deep breath, enjoying this feeling of invincibility.


    "Go on! Bring it on, do your best!" He valiantly roared at them. Would others believe him if he were to recount this?


    "Navi, make sure you record this."


    At some point, a dryad seemed to realize that her actions weren''t working. It had only taken her dozens of casts. She tentatively approached and punched him! Josh carefully blocked her fist, but there didn''t seem to be any power behind it.


    The next onended on his chest, not producing any result. She seemed torn between what to do as she alternated between a useless punch and a useless green glow. Had he activated god mode by mistake? The point was, Josh had lots of fun for a while.


    Eventually, all the dryads reached him, prompting the system to make another appearance.


    [Found all the dryads! Congrattion!]


    [Phase 2 starting: cause at least 30% of damage!]


    What did the 30% mean? Did he only have to weaken the boss that was surely about to spawn? But suddenly, an earth-shattering cry resounded in the realm.


    ¡ª ????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????¡ª


    ¡ª ????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????¡ª


    ¡ª ????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????¡ª


    The entire forest seemed to quiver following the appearance of a creature. Josh could feel it. This thing had spawned right next to him! Crap, this would be extremely bad! There were so many dryads all around!


    There was no way he would fight a Boss if it had dozens and dozens of dedicated healers. It would be pure suicide as he''d die of old age! He decisively decided to break the dryad next to him, but just as he was about to sh, he saw the new enemy out of the corner of his eye.


    What the fuck was this?! There was a creature that seemed to be a mix between a dryad and a tree. It had lots of grassy leaves that looked like chest hair along with fists that looked like bark. But why was it not even a meter tall?!


    As he cut the dryad next to him, the neer seemed to suddenly grow, now barely reaching 1 meter tall. Wait, this thing had cried out revenge for the fallen as it had spawned, right?! Was it bing stronger the more creatures he killed?!


    Without waiting further, Josh charged at it, grabbing an axe. He used his momentum to jump and made a dunking motion. His weapon drew an arc in the air before falling right on the creature''s head, splitting the entire body in half.


    [Completed the Mission!]


    Josh was staring at the victory screen,pletely bbergasted. In the background, dryads were celebrating his victory with their green glow¡ª aka still trying to kill him with a healing spell (?).


    Was this still Hellish?!


    [First to solo clear at Hellish!]


    [First to one-shot the boss!]


    The curse had drawn them all out, making it so he only killed a single protector and dryad. This, in turn, had reduced to null the difficultly of the boss. Perhaps this was why it hadn''t dropped anything. But, there was still the mission reward!


    [Please select 2 | Amazing Branch | Dryad Breath | Dryad Bloodline Pearl | Glistering Fruit | Magical Leaf | Rejuvenation Jewel | Weed Killer]


    Josh couldn''t help but give a wry smile. Picking a reward would be the most challenging part of this Floor, and he would have to proceed through elimination.


    Amazing Branch: Would this be the return of campfire-less OP Josh?


    Dryad Breath: Right now, he was getting bathed in their magic, and it didn''t do shit. It was quite probably some healing item. Hard Pass!


    Dryad Bloodline Pearl: This one was even worse! What if he were to sprout grass on his body?


    Glistering Fruit: This one was probably something edible. Would it give a temporary buff or a permanent stat increase? It could be interesting.


    Magical Leaf: Same as the previous one, this one sounded a bit more like a crafting ingredient.


    Rejuvenation Jewel: Probably would be equipable on gear to increase regeneration. With the Devour Passive, Josh didn''t need it.


    Weed Killer: Perhaps a weapon or a consumable? Either way, this one sounded like it had potential.


    "I''ll pick the weed killer and¡­."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


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    .


    .


    "Ah, fuck it. Give me the branch too!" Josh uttered after a long reflection.


    He couldn''t resist selecting this one simply because it had "amazing" in the name. This ought to count for something, right? With expectation, he unveiled his new items.


    The first was a small tool that looked like a Hand Weeder. It had a wooden handle along with a long and thin metallic part. It looked like a big pirate hook and was made to overturn the roots of small nts easily.


    <D Weed Killer>


    - Increases damage dealt against weeds. Ineffective against anything else.


    Now, the only question was: what was even considered weeds? Was it anything nt-based, or was it more troublesome? He would have to do some testing, but he still had high hopes. This description resembled the one for the True Pickaxe very much.


    At this rate, Josh would soon be the ultimate gardener. He would be able to remove all unwanted rocks and weeds from any field with incredible efficiency. #Road To Millionaire #Climbing As a Side Hussle!


    Anyway, next came the branch. It was a simple stick that had nothing much going for it besides being rtively long and thin. It looked like something one would use as a firestarter. His heart was thumping as he inspected it.


    <?!? Amazing Branch>


    - Send mana into it along with the activation phrase to generate an instant protector that protects its summoner. The strength of the protector is based on the amount of mana invested.


    Holy shit! It could generate a protector?! Wait, no. There was a huge issue. What was the goddamn activation phrase?! He tried clicking the description, but nothing happened.


    "Hey, system. Any possibility of receiving a hint or something? Where am I supposed to find it?" He tried, but there was no answer with the system long gone.


    Not willing to give up just yet, he turned the branch in all directions, trying to get a clue. He did it so much that a piece of the outer bark fell off. He probably ought to be more careful....or not?! There were words written under the bark!


    He quickly peeled the rest of it off, revealing the light beige wood underneath. All of it formed a message that was quite frankly embarrassing, far too embarrassing.


    He quickly got rid of all the dryads. They may have once looked like pretty dolls, but they were now nothing but timber.


    He then slowly began reading it all, observing his surroundings onest time to make sure he was truly alone.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Summoning Chant!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Oh mighty stick


    Take this pure mana of mine


    Let me fill you up to the brim


    Take me so very deep inside you


    Show me how big and hard you can get


    Let the world witness your magnificence


    Together we shall have so much incredible fun


    I summon you, big stick, the most amazing protector!


    *PS: Requires one to hold it firmly with one''s right hand.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    As soon as he was done reading, he could feel the mana inside him being quickly drained...


    Creator''s Thought


    Not going to lie, I''m convinced there were only two strange choices and I just happened to pick both. The Amazing Branch seemed to be an exclusive reward for one-shotting the Boss: something impossible without a method to make the dryads voluntarily leave safety.

 Chapter 292: A Stick Broke the Tower?!

    <h4>Chapter 292: A Stick Broke the Tower?!</h4>


    [A/N] Special characters are used in this chap. Check paragraphment if it''s too hard to read ;)


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    In a forestden with the remains of too many dryads, a man stood holding a glowing branch.


    Josh had just finished reading the incantation that he felt an enormous pull on his mana. It was as if this little stick was a ravenous monster that would devour all energy. This was crazy! He felt like he would soon be entirely mana less at this rate.


    "Enough, I''ve already given you plenty!" He chastised the stick. This felt bad! At this moment, he couldn''t help but give a wry smile. #When you nut, but she keeps sucking!


    As he was about to go crazy, it finally stopped. The branch was now glowing a deep purple as it levitated. It appeared pretty frankly amazing and emitted an intimidating aura.


    That''s when it suddenly began to radiate outwardly before an incredible suction happened toward the environment. The grass, the leaves, the fallen branches, and everything remotely simr got aspired in!


    All these materials began hovering around the floating stick, akin to a miniature tornado. Josh couldn''t help but be impressed. This was a goddamn Weednado! At this point, this item was worth it just for the production value!


    It just kept spinning in ce for about a minute, akin to a very high-quality spinner. Then there was a sh of purple light that reminded him of the dryad spells. As the light faded away, a creature appeared in all its glory.


    It radiated incredible power, far more than anything it should have and far more than the mana he had invested. He could feel the thing''s presence weight heavily on the realm itself. Was he imagining it or was it even showing signs of breaking?!


    As it appeared, the entire atmosphere changedpletely. The air began to quiver as the countless nts seemed toe alive as they all tried running away from the being.


    Something was incredibly wrong here! What the fuck was happening?! His only constion was that the summoned being wouldn''t be able to hurt its owner. (ording to the item description)


    He was akin to standing in the eye of a storm as the nts all around began dying at an incredible rate. Green energy woulde out of them as they disintegrated into magical particles that flew toward the creature.


    Was this still Floor 23?! Wasn''t this a bit too over the top! There was finally an opponent to AT''s over-the-top scenarios! Holy fuck!


    That is when the lightpletely rescinded, and he was able to peer into the monster''s features. It looked like a rtively young man that had an easygoing air about him. Its entire body was extremely high definition. It was made entirely of taut grass that formed a regal-looking face.


    It was way different than the crude creatures he had seen so far! It finally opened its eyes as it stared at him, unfocused. Was this thing blind?! It waved its hand slightly, and instantly thousands of weed tentacles crawled his way.


    Josh tried evading. But, he was akin to a pebble trying to avoid a tsunami: fucked! He was instantly caught without even being able to counterattack. He was holstered in the air akin to a Japanese heroine!


    Just as he tried to talk to the creature, a weed blocked his mouth, making only an unintelligible mumblee out. What the fuck?! It was time for him to leave! He tried using his will to request a teleport out, but it didn''t work.


    Had it been a full day yet? If yes, he could activate his dimensional belt. Sadly, even this failed him. No matter. Long ago, Josh had received a dimensional escape pearl, one that he still possessed. Without waiting any further, he activated it!


    "???????????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ?????????????????"


    Trying to run away? Of fucking course! Who would remain here at this thing''s mercy?! But the being waved his hand, and the pearl that Josh had hidden in his pocket shattered. Oh crap! What kind of overpowered thing was this?!


    "???? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ????????????, ???????????????????????????????????? ????????????????."


    What?! This guy believed Josh to be the Greenwood Lord? How?! Couldn''t he tell them apart?! There was a limit to blindness! Josh had the god''s curse, but that was it!


    "???????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????? "????????????????????" ???????????? ????????????????????????????????."


    Revenge for trampling weeds? Who hadn''t trampled weeds while hiking?! As for any sentient forest creature, it was all self-defense! Josh could only swear internally as the thing didn''t give him the chance to exin himself.


    ???? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ???? ???????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????. ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????????! ????????????????????????????????????????


    This weed? Was this monster originally a weed or something?! It was fine if it wanted to kill the Greenwood Lord, but it should freaking make sure it had the right target first!


    ???????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????? ???? ???????????? ???????????????? ????????????. ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????? ????????????????????????!


    An attack designed to kill a god?! That''s when the creature pointed its hand at him...then came the deadly green light. The Floor disappeared as only green light remained, nothing else. Josh was nowhere to be seen¡­


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Oh, Josh was still there,pletely intact. He just couldn''t be seen.¡­


    This thing hade out of nowhere, had mistaken him for the Greenwood Lord, and tried to kill him with a special suicidal anti-god attack. What the fuck?!


    Josh felt that this Floor had been a roller-coaster of weird things happening. It was as if the S-ranked curse had thrown everything in disarray. From him one-shotting a boss to surviving a blow designed only to affect a specific god.


    It took a while for the green light to recede, but as it did, Josh couldn''t help but gasp in astonishment.


    The ce waspletely falling apart. There were dimensional tears in the surrounding space that led to god knew where! They were ck akin to a dark hole and seemed full of sharp wind that could cut anything in existence.


    As for the forest...Well, there was no forest. Everything was gone, with the ground covered in ashes. Josh could only stand there bbergasted as he observed the realm that was utterly trashed. This single attack had wiped every nt and disrupted space itself.


    "Teleport me the fuck out!" He shouted, but nothing happened. Luckily he still had his dimensional belt. Hopefully, it would work when the first day was finally over.


    Still, he couldn''t help but gulp. This had been one insane annihtion spell! Not only was it unavoidable, but it would vanquish all its targets instantly. This was the power he aspired to gain. It would allow him to reach the top, right? All he wanted was to have them back, really...


    Just as he was about to walk to a safer spot, something attracted his gaze. Amidst the ash, there was a shimmering purple light, one surrounded by plenty of spacial tears. He carefully went forward and began digging, grabbing the badly beaten branch and retreating to safety.


    There were cuts along its entire surface as if it had been ced in a grinder. In some ces, the damage was almost enough for it to have been reduced to splinters.


    Suddenly, he felt the thing begin to drain his mana once more. It did so far too quickly! He instantly swung his arm to throw it away. He wasn''t going to risk falling here from mana deficiency. Who knew if he would even survive it?


    But he then realized with horror that the damn thing was glued to his hand! He would skip to his n B. If he couldn''t remove it, he would hack it to pieces! Without hesitating, Josh swung his axe toward it.


    As it made contact, he grinned. This would teach it to go against him and¡ª but his body suddenly twisted in incredible pain. Lots of blood poured out of his abdomen. The pain wasn''t the worst: his new injury was at the exact spot he had attacked the stick.


    Oh god! What was this, a voodoo stick?! It seemed like they were linked as the mana-sharing process was ongoing. Luckily his passive was healing him with thest of his energy.


    1. He could destroy it and potentially die from the recoil. This sure would be a pitiful ending.


    2. He could try and oust the drain somehow. He didn''t know what to do at all!


    Clear strategies never covered this kind of stuff! He began eating the little food he had on him, but it was akin to a drop of water in a desert.


    "Navi,e out! Do you have anything useful for this situation in your database?!" But, the fairy was unresponsive entirely. Now even this was failing!


    Should Josh summon his pets? It would take mana. He could always try to eat Nightmare to regain a smidgen of mana through devouring. Just as he had the thought, he pushed it away. The creature had saved his life many times. He wouldn''t treat it like this.


    He turned to his old gear. He just had to remember that one time he had eaten Iron. He slowly began munching on literal metal and regained a small amount of mana.


    But eating this also hurt him, making it so most of the mana gain was used for regeneration. But he wouldn''t stop. He would devour it all! He kept going until there only remained the few item sets he used daily.


    He kept ncing at them with a heavy heart. He was ready to throw it all away if it meant surviving, but he would wait till the veryst moment. Heid on the ground, feeling more and more lightheaded as his mana kept getting sucked in, observing the space fluctuations.


    He sighed. This damn stick really was amazing! There was a saying that said: birds die for food, and humans die for wealth. Well, in this case, all could potentially die from the same cause. He could picture a bird bringing a stick back home to build its nest, only for it to be this stick.


    Was this even relevant? Josh was beginning to feel delirious. Or perhaps was he still fine since he was conscient that his mental state was wacky? Who fucking knew.


    He kept munching on the Zoom set like a trooper. But at some point, he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. There was an ever slight green glow that had just appeared! Wait, this was the same glow as the creature''s attack!


    He instinctively felt it. This thing was its remnant energy. He finished eating a piece of armor, using the energy to rise. He looked like a zombie, groaned like a zombie, and walked like a zombie, but he slowly made his way to it.


    There came a tiny voice from the green light. It seemed to be rejoicing that it had survived. Josh didn''t give a fuck about it.


    "Screw you!"


    He ate the thing, instantly feeling a burst of energy! So much energy that it was euphoric! And this was only a tiny remnant of the being too! It was phenomenal. In a matter of seconds, the stick had absorbed it all!


    The stick emergency finally stopped. He would survive, and so would his item sets. He patiently waited for his dimensional belt to be avable and activated it while crossing his fingers. As he disappeared from the Tower, he sighed in relief.


    In his wake, there remained only a scene of destruction and a Tower falling to pieces. As soon as he was out, he quickly realized that the outside world was going crazy too...


    Creator''s Thought


    This is something I only learned wayter: The best way to trick a god is to bepletely unpredictable and to do something utterly stupid. (Like sealing oneself into a random stick). They don''t see iting because it''s dumb. Still, one shouldn''t do it precisely because it''s dumb...

 Chapter 293: Just Checking The Mail...

    <h4>Chapter 293: Just Checking The Mail...</h4>


    The usual peaceful Tower za was nowhere to be seen.


    It was a huge mess! Josh calmly observed his surroundings, having already ovee the mental trauma of the previous events. After all, he had already taken revenge on the being who had caused it all.


    Bloodied Climbers were exiting the Tower one after the other in a rush. Many were missing limbs, and some were barely clinging to life while carried by a friend. Plenty of parties were sobbing from the loss of a friend.


    The strident sound of ambnce sirens was ever-present. The flying vehicles would show up one after the other, with medics grabbing the injured and leaving in a hurry. The ordinarily empty sky was full of these!


    On the side were people losing their minds, some trashing around while being held by bystanders. Many were screaming at the top of their lungs toward the crowd.


    "The end is near! We''re all going to die!"


    "The gods want us smitten. We need to pray for forgiveness right now!


    "Please, oh mighty gods! Please pardon this sinner. Just say the word, and I''ll do whatever you beseech of me! Please, please, please!"


    Josh clicked his tongue. As usual, madness would spread in the darkest of times. They needed an answer to their chaotic and miserable lives. They wanted something to drive the fear away. The truth didn''t matter much to them.


    That''s when a powerful shout was heard. It resounded across the za, bringing a semnce of calm to it for an instant:


    "The MTA will take care of things! Move out! No one near the Tower!"


    Dozens of soldiers marched forward and began clearing the ce up. Military flying ships soon came over as they began hovering next to the Tower.


    "Exit the premises, bring the injured to the newly set-up medical tents, and cooperate with our investigation! In the meantime, Climbing is temporarily canceled!" Their leader barked orders.


    The army was moving fast. Before long, Josh was pushed outward along with many others. He was still wearing the face of that youngster orator assassin and went unnoticed in the crowd.


    The more he listened and the more he understood what exactly had happened. The dimensional fissures hadn''t only urred on his Floor. It had been the same on the others too!


    Some Floors had only seen a few, while others had looked simr to the one he was on. The issue was that many of these Climbers had already been fighting when the apocalypse had happened.


    Many believed the Tower to be unchanging and nned ordingly. What would happen when parties suddenly lost their front line to a fissure? A wipe¡ª or close! It had just been a disturbance for the lucky ones, but others had been cleaved in half by their appearance.


    Many wereining, sobbing, and even despairing.


    "This is unfair! It fucking killed him! This wasn''t supposed to happen!"


    "Is humanity doomed?! This can''t be! I can''t ept this. I''m still young!!"


    "This was supposed to be a normal farming day. They''re all dead. All of them."


    "It''s like everything fucking turned to Hellish difficulty. The Floor itself was trying to murder us!"


    "One touch was enough to maim. These things were death itself. That''s the only way to describe them."


    "The space fucking began shattering. Does that mean the Tower is about to be destroyed? Are the gods really punishing us?!"


    "What''s the fucking point of training so hard if the Tower can kill us all on a whim?! Fuck the Tower, fuck the gods, fuck his world!"


    Josh could only sigh. This had all begun with that one stick he had looted, but truthfully he didn''t feel guilty in the least. How was he supposed to know that an item given by the Tower would cause so much chaos?!


    During these events, the Tower Protocol hadn''t intervened a single time. Was it even fine? The attack in there had been pretty fucking intense, enough to wreck the Floorpletely. Would such damage affect it?


    That''s when he heard the sound of a flurry of notifications, tons of people were messaging him.


    ¡ª Ding-Ding-Ding ¡ª


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    - Frank the Recruiter: Holy shit, Boss, big news! The Tower is having a problem, and it will be restricted from now on. This is huge! People are going to be flooding to the Alter Tower like crazy!


    - Josh MF Malum: What about that new one? The underwater Tower¡­


    - Frank the Recruiter: Who cares about this one! It''s rtively far from us, and it''s still unexplored. Climbers have slowly begun entering it, but so far, no one hase out yet. We''ll have to wait to know more.


    - Josh MF Malum: There is still the issue of experience: AT doesn''t give any. There also isn''t any loot in the Training Tower. People have no reason to Climb it besides training. It can''t act as a recement for the real Tower¡­


    - Frank the Recruiter: Sure, but now tons of Climbers will have lots of time on their hands until the situation with the Tower is investigated. Can I make a special sale about it? A limited: "Try our Tower while the other is down" special!


    - Josh MF Malum: Sure, go crazy.


    - Frank the Recruiter: Hehe, I will go crazy, but so will the entire world! They''ll get addicted to training here! Alright,ter...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    - Gorgeous Kasha: I''ve seen the news, what did you do this time?


    - Josh MF Malum: What? Why are you just assuming that I have something to do with this situation?!


    - Gorgeous Kasha: Please, don''t act like I''m wrong, haha. We both know that you''re a ma for this kind of stuff. Still, it''s a shame¡­I was just about to go back to Climbing too. I''ve entirely given up on beating your high scores here.


    - Josh MF Malum: The cause of the disturbance is already dead. I''m just not sure how well the Tower will recover from the aftermath. Hopefully, there won''t be any furtherplications¡­


    - Gorgeous Kasha: Hehe, so you really were involved! Alright, thanks for the info. I''ll start preparing to Climb again then!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    - Unlucky Monk: Hey Boss! I''m finally out of the Tower! I''m currently resting in the hospital, but I''ll be released soon. It''s just my luck, but some crazy shit happened. Just as I was leaving, the space began shattering around me, can you believe it!


    - Josh MF Malum: ¡­. Yes, it''s also all over the news¡­


    - Unlucky Monk: Oh wow. The more you know¡­Alright, afterward, should we meet at Draconic as usual?


    - Josh MF Malum: Shit happened, and I now have a Climber school in D-23. You should check it out. It will help with your training for sure. It''s a good thing to do while the Tower is down.


    - Unlucky Monk: Oh wow. That''s cool! I''ll conquer this one too, Boss!


    - Josh MF Malum: Good luck then ;)


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. The poor monk had been convinced that the whole disaster had only happened to him because of his bad luck. Funnily he hadn''t made a big deal out of it either. He was simply eager to share the experience!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    - Markus: Hey Josh, are you anywhere near the Tower? I want to send troops to figure out what is happening. I want you to lead a group toward the bottom Floors. Can you do it?


    - Josh MF Malum: I really wouldn''t know how to fix the dimensional fissures inside. Honestly, just wait and see if the Tower Protocol manages to repair it all by itself. Hopefully, everything will go back to normal soon.


    - Markus: We cannot just do nothing¡­


    - Josh MF Malum: You''re right. I suggest going for a drink, watching a movie or perhaps ying a game of poker with some friends. I''m sure you''ll figure something out.


    - Markus: This is not what I meant at all...Fine, tell me if you change your mind.


    Josh always had the option to join the expedition and fake being surprised by the situation. Honestly, he couldn''t even be bothered. It wasn''t like it would change anything even if people suspected his involvement.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    - Reformed Assassin: Sir, this Alter Tower is exceptionally frightening. Thanks again for this opportunity!


    - Josh MF Malum: New phone who this? Oh wait, never mind. d you like it!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh quickly replied to many that had texted him. It wasn''t just Kasha and Markus that wanted more info about what was happening in the Tower. Frankly, he couldn''t be bothered to exin everything in detail.


    Would he need to hire an assistant just to sort the messages? It would be a thought for the future. For now, he slowly made his way back to the tiny apartment that served as his current dwelling.


    As soon as he was safely inside, away from all prying gazes, he instantly brought the stick out. Had it changed at all, or was it the same old branch as before?


    <?!? Sealed Amazing ?!?>


    - ???? ???? ???? ???


    What the heck was this?! Why had the disynguage changed all of a sudden?! Also, what was wrong with the name? The amazing was still there, but that was all? Had it stopped being a branch or something?


    Josh could only sigh. This was probably because the branch had absorbed the energy from the mysterious being causing it to evolve. He just had to figure out how to use it now. He was almost tempted to try the summon in the apartment but didn''t want to cause amotion.


    Afterward, he turned toward his status screen, trying to check if there was anything out of ce.


    #SPECIAL#


    - S Curse of the Greenwood Lord: Active


    - ?!? Devoured Part of the Will of Iron


    - ?!? ???? ???? ??


    -_-


    How was this any use? He now had a mystery line in his status. Wait, it had a simr format to the one right above. Maybe it just mentioned that he had devoured that glowing green light. Hopefully, this was all it meant...


    Just as he was worrying over this, he heard a small knock on the door. As he went to open it, there was a single ck envelop that was delicately ced at the entrance. On it was a dagger symbol...


    The League of Assassins!


    Creator''s Thought


    This was my first encounter with runes and yet it wasn''t that memorable. I only thought it to be a bug. Oh boy, was I wrong! Then again, the invitation from the League of Assassins also seemed more important at the time.

 Chapter 294: Is This the Usual Test?!

    <h4>Chapter 294: Is This the Usual Test?!</h4>


    Right next to the Sunny nightclub was a small apartment. Right by the door, someone had left a letter inconspicuously.


    Josh was currently inspecting the ck envelope with interest. There was a thin and elegant silver dagger print on the outside. The presentation was on point, but was it fine just to leave it there?!


    He slowly opened it with trembling fingers. He couldn''t wait to infiltrate their base and hopefully figure out who had ordered the messy raid on his school. Had the sloths not been there, it could have been highly troublesome instead.


    The content was simple:


    ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????? ???? ???????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????. ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ????????????????????????????????...


    - ???????????? ????????????


    There was so much wrong with it. The address was pretty straightforward, but then there was the LoA part. Couldn''t they have written League of Assassin in full? How much longer would it have taken them?


    Then there was the "we will be watching" part. Was this supposed to be intimidating? Wouldn''t it be weird if they weren''t? This would be an evaluation, after all!


    Josh could only sigh as he shook his head. An hour, was it? He''d head there right now! It wasn''t like he had anything better to do. As for preparations, he really had no clue what he would soon face, but he wasn''t overly worried.


    He reced the pieces of the Zoom set he had eaten and went on his journey! As he left, there was even heavenly music to celebrate his departure¡­aka the one always ying at the nearby nightclub.


    He followed his UW GPS until he finally reached his destination. He could only check and double-check in confusion. He could peer into it thanks torge windows letting plenty of sunlight inside.


    The interior was extremely colorful, with various animals painted on the walls: bunnies, chickens, ducks, etc. There were plenty of toys strewn on the floor, along with kids happily running around. This was an extreme shpared to the earlier scene with the Climbers going crazy!


    This ce was a daycare?! What the hell?!


    Josh couldn''t help but be taken aback. Was he at the right ce? He only hoped that the test wouldn''t involve killing younglings. Otherwise, he''d have to give up: professionals had standards after all!


    For now, he bought some burgers from a street vendor, sat on a nearby bench, and waited for time to pass while keeping the daycare in his sight. At some point, an amicabledy took ce right next to him.


    "Hey there, it''s a great day, isn''t it?" She happily chimed in.


    Great day? People were dying by the dozen just in Metropolis-D alone. Damn, this woman was definitely from the Assassin League! Only they would happily revel in the suffering of others.


    Surprisingly, Josh couldn''t detect any hint of evilness in her, she looked too innocent. He would never have doubted her had she not opened her mouth.


    "Of course, it''s a great day. I''m lucky to have survived the Tower." Josh chuckled lightly.


    "Oh, so you''re a Climber? That''s awesome! You''re right. We need to be grateful for every day we live. My husband is a Climber too! Well, he takes a lot of jobs outside the Tower too¡­." She happily shared.


    So he was an assassin... Was it fine for her to talk so wantonly about her husband''s assassination contracts? Perhaps it was eptable as long as nothing incriminating was said?


    "That''s great. I''ve been trying to get into these kinds of jobs, if you know what I mean." Josh shared his desire to join the League. How would she react?


    "That''s wonderful news! If you want, I''ll introduce you both." She excitedly offered.


    "That would be nice," Josh admitted.


    "Anyway, which one is yours?" She curiously asked.


    "What?" He couldn''t help but be taken aback.


    "Which kid is yours?" She pointed at the inside of the daycare.


    "Oh, none. I don''t have a kid." Josh truthfully replied.


    "Ah, are you babysitting?" She kept going.


    "No? I guess I have a few men under me, but that''s as close as it gets to babysitting¡­." His subordinates were all pretty much all at his school, and they were independent enough.


    "Oh, I see¡­." Thedy''s face twisted in a grimace for an instant before she showed a forced smile and rose.


    Josh could only see her walk a distance away as she began calling the MTA¡­.That''s when he realized the blunder. Apparently, she was just a crazy mom that seemed utterly ignorant of the tragedy that had just happened in the Tower.


    Right now was the time of the meeting too. It had just happened that an utterly unrteddy had chanced upon him. Not only had she been misleading, but she was now jumping to conclusions.


    She was talking in a hushed voice as she faced his direction. He could read her lips and follow the entire conversation. She was arguing with someone on the line. She wanted the MTA to take care of the one she called a public danger.


    She insisted that they send someone from the MTA to take care of it since Josh had told her that he was a Climber. He could only picture the poor phone operator trying to exin how thin their avable manpower was during this crisis.


    But the woman pushed through, using the superpower known as entitlement and exaggeration. She had now gone from calling him a deviant stalker to a potential kidnapper. Wow, talk about an upgrade!


    Josh kept devouring his burgers happily. What was the worst that could happen? They''d send someone to check up on the situation. He was only sitting on a bench, eating while waiting. It wasn''t like he was hurting anyone¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    A few minutester, the MTA had already sent someone¡ª or so it seemed at first nce. The uniform was the same, but there were too many discrepancies.


    Josh knew better, for he had interacted with many MTA soldiers at his school. The standard soldier equipment while in the city included a baton for close-quarterbat and a ster with various settings going from paralyzing to lethal.


    Not only wasn''t this guy armed at all, but he wasn''t even wearing the conventional helmet. Plus, his posture also gave him away. He was too casual, slovenly even, andcked the usual ramrod straight posture that his colleagues all had.


    This guy was a sham! There was no way that he was with the MTA! As soon as he appeared, the crazydy rushed toward him.


    "Thank god you''re here, officer! This is the guy that''s been lurking while coveting our children. Please handle the issue so our kids can remain safe!"


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle, seeing how relieved she was. This guy was most definitely someone the LoA had sent. The timing was way too surreal for it to be a coincidence. How would she react were she to know?


    The man looked his way, acting all serious.


    "Sir, I''ll have to ask you toe with me for interrogation."


    "Sure, let''s go!" Josh happilyplied, surprising the woman who was at a distance away. Her mouth was open in consternation. Why wasn''t he trying to escape?! The letter had said to follow the instructions!


    A bunch of kids watched them leave as they excitedly pointed at the MTA officer through the window as he led the way. They walked in silence as the man seemed lost in his thoughts. He simply whispered a small "follow me. We''ll make this quick."


    Josh couldn''t help but rejoice. He had hit the jackpot. This recruiter was just trying to finish this as fast as possible. It would allow him toplete this trial quickly.


    Eventually, they reached their destination. Josh couldn''t help but wince as he saw where it was: the goddamn Metropolis-D MTA! They were heading to a small building nearby that was well guarded.


    Josh couldn''t but gulp at their audacity: the test would be held at the MTA?! It seemed like it was true that the darkest shadows were present right next to the brightest of lights.


    As they cleared one securityyer after the other, he was brought to what could only be an interrogation room. It was very simr to the one he had already experienced and was filled with blinding white light.


    The man slightly grumbled as he left: "This is bullshit! I should be doing office work. Why the heck are they making me their errand boy? Yes, yes, the MTA is overworked but so what! Ah, whatever..."


    Josh was left alone in the room, not sure whether tough or cry. It seemed like this wasn''t the LoA but truly the MTA. Had he just stumbled upon the worst recruiter of all time? Which dumbass had selected a daycare as the meeting spot?


    Either way, Josh peacefully closed his eyes for a nap. He still had his UW but couldn''t connect to the in there either way.


    The sound of a door opening woke him up.


    ¡ªng!¡ª


    Then he heard high heels tapping on the ground with every assured step the neer took. Whoever was approaching was confident and displeased with him. He could feel this much.


    "Wake up, lowlife! Are you ready to confess?!"


    Josh slowly raised opened his eyes and zeroed in on the neer. As he saw her, he couldn''t help but freeze a second before a chuckle escaped him.


    There stood a tall and fit youngdy wearing a ck uniform. She had braided hair and was still wearing simr shades asst time. Yes,st time!


    This was thedy that had tried interrogating him ages ago in Metropolis-C! What was she even doing here? Had she been forcefully transferred here, or had it been of her own volition?


    He couldn''t help but feel like teasing her a bit...


    Creator''s Thought


    I take no responsibility for this misunderstanding! Whoever wrote that shitpletely screwed their job! My only worry was whether I would have to find a new assassin to impersonate to receive a new invitation. Still, life sure can be strange at times...

 Chapter 295: Nice Lawyer?

    <h4>Chapter 295: Nice Lawyer?</h4>


    In a small, far too bright interrogation room, a woman was doing her best to intimidate a young man.


    "We have you on camera right in front of the daycare. You almost spent an hour on a bench staring at the poor kids inside! What were you nning?! Do you have any aplices?!"


    She apanied her speech with a m of the table, sending vibration across it. Josh couldn''t help but give a wry smile: she hadn''t changed at all! He wouldn''t even deign to answer this ridiculous usation. As she noticed his smirk, her face flushed red in anger.


    "Do you think this is a joke? Do you know how serious kidnapping is? It is far from a joking matter. I really wouldn''t want to be in your shoes right now!"


    "Of course, you wouldn''t want to be in my shoes! You prefer wearing unpractical high heels. Is fashion really so important at work?" Josh criticized before jumping up in exaggerated "realization".


    "Wait! The ck uniform, the carefully made braids, the high heels, and the unnecessary shades¡­.are you trying to seduce me?! Sister, if that''s your intention, you should smile a little and show more skin¡­" Josh sighed as he "amicably" advised her.


    "Great! Now I can definitely add refusing to cooperate with the agents of thew to the list of charges! You enjoy digging your own grave, don''t you?" She spat with her teeth clenched. Josh nonchntly replied.


    "You said something about kidnapping, right? The guy who you sent to escort me was an office worker. Isn''t this breaking protocol? Could it be considered kidnapping if such task is not in his job definition?" Josh innocently inquired.


    "Don''t try this on me! Do you seriously think that you can rattle me with such bullshit?! We''re in an emergency crisis right now! This means that exceptions have to be made. You should worry about yourself: you chose the worst timing to make a move!"


    "How so, oh failed temptress?" Josh yfully asked.


    "You''ve tried using the chaos caused by the tragedy in the Tower tomit a crime! Do you enjoy preying on the misfortune of others?! Do you¡ª" She began shouting heatedly only to stop abruptly. A neer had just entered the interrogation room!


    It was another woman who was frowning at the shade wearing one. She was evidently displeased with thetter''s performance. She clicked her tongue as she uttered slowly:


    "Are you back to your old habits? We work for the government, not the mafia. If you don''t behave, we''ll send you back to Metropolis-C. Now, leave us!"


    "Y-yes, Maam, but¡­" She awkwardly replied.


    "Stop screwing around and get out." She sharply stopped her mid-sentence as she pointed to the door. The troublemaker had no choice but to leave with her tail between her legs.


    Josh couldn''t help but nod in approval. This was more professional! One could count on Markus to have reliable workers, not all bipr idiots.


    This woman appeared to be in her twenties, but she had the confidence of someone older. Her long brown hair was left hanging, and she didn''t seem overly fixated on her appearance. She opened a case file, reading it for a minute before turning his way.


    "Hello there, young man. From now on, I''ll be in charge of this interrogation. I think you have a few things to tell me, don''t you?"


    "Hey there. What do you even want to know? I was told this would be quick." Josh calmlymented.


    "Well, you have been reported by a concerned citizen and brought here for further questioning. ording to your file, you''ve been loitering outside a daycare and showing suspicious activity."


    "Wow. I wasn''t aware that eating burgers in public was suspicious. Can I get immunity if I denounce the guy who sold me the burgers?!" Josh inquired, ready to be an informer.


    "¡­.I''ll be right back." The woman elegantly rose and left the room, surprisingly keeping her cool.


    Josh couldn''t help but admire how her expression didn''t fluctuate in the least. She had to deal with the mess her colleagues had created. This was definitely a waste of timepared to what was happening in the Tower.


    A few minutes was all it took for everything to be sorted out. The responsible woman came back, dragging along the gun-hody who was hanging her head in shame. Ah, but there was also another man with them!


    He was wearing a navy suit and oozed with confidence. It was as if he was ready to face the entire world without fear. This man was obviously awyer, but there was something off about him. What was he doing here, and why was he staring at him so much?


    "Do not worry, young man. They won''t be able to keep you here on such silly charges. I cannot even believe that they brought you in without any evidence whatsoever!" He thundered with assurance.


    "Eh¡­thanks, I guess?" Josh awkwardly replied, puzzled. Who was this guy? Did he know the orator assassin?


    The maturedy then pushed her subordinate forward while politely uttering: "I apologize for how inconsiderate this girl has been."


    "I-I''m sorry.." She mumbled with the sincerity of apulsive liar.


    "No worry, but are you really sorry about jumping to conclusions?" Josh yfully asked the girl.


    "Y-yes¡­" She had to force herself to utter that simple word.


    Josh smiled brightly before putting his arm forward in an obvious "show the money" gesture.


    "Great! How about somepensation for making me waste my time?" He shamelessly requested. Her face could only change as a hint of anger appeared in her eyes. But, she remained still.


    "Not to worry! We can ask for thister on with interest. It''s better for our case if she doesn''t want toply. Let''s leave for now!" Thewyer happily chimed in.


    The violent woman seemed to realize the trouble she would soon be in. Perhaps showing goodwill now would help her case. She clenched her teeth before initiating a credit transfer. She approached her UW from his, and there was a notification sound as she sent some funds.


    ¡ª Ding¡ª


    +100 Credits


    "This should do, right?" She muttered.


    "Great! What about my emotional trauma from all the shouting?" Josh innocently added.


    She gasped for a second. Was this asshole for real?! Would there be a limit to his demands?! There was no way that she would¡­.but then she saw the grinningwyer and changed her mind.


    ¡ª Ding!¡ª


    +100 Credits


    "Now you won''t have any moreints, right?!" She spat while frowning.


    "Great! But what about the ndering? You said something about attempted kidnapping while all I did was sit on a bench. This has caused me evident emotional distress." Josh added in the most pitiful tone he could muster.


    She seemed about to blow up. She had to control herself not to punch him in the face. Josh couldn''t help but chuckle at how reticent she appeared. After a few moments of hesitation, she finally transferred credits again.


    ¡ª Ding!¡ª


    +100 Credits


    "Great!¡­" Josh had only begun that he was instantly interrupted.


    "It''s enough!!!" She half-shouted, half-pleaded before turning heels and running away, huffing and puffing.


    "I was just going about to wish everyone a great day....what is wrong with her?" Josh casually asked, seemingly wronged.


    Thewyer looked at her leaving as he chuckled:


    "I heard about thisdy. She keeps getting retrograded ever since her arrival here. If the rumors are true, she''s following her nemesis in order to arrest him the day he inevitably slips up. I''m surprised she hasn''t been fired yet."


    Seriously?! Who had a nemesis nowadays? Josh really couldn''t understand it, but he knew this wasn''t a reason to unleash her anger on innocent people.


    "Please, do not spread misinformation about our employees. In the meantime, please follow. I will escort the both of you outside." Thedy diligently did her job.


    A few minutester, the two were outside and free. Thewyer nodded at him: "You''re lucky I heard about your predicament. Anyway, follow me. Let''s talk somewhere more private."


    The man then guided him toward a small district filled with twisting streets and small shops at the city''s heart. Both men appeared to be walking casually, but Josh noticed hispanion frown a few times for a very obvious reason: they were being followed.


    "Is there something wrong?" Josh so very innocently asked.


    "You tell me, you''re being tailed. Do you have any idea who might want to do such a thing?" He asked in a hushed voice.


    Josh couldn''t help but think that there were a few possibilities. It could be someone looking for that assassin guy, it could be someone looking for him, or it could be the LoA.


    "Nope..." He rxedly answered.


    "No matter. We''ll leave them in the dust soon." He then led them through many twists and turns until they finally lost their pursuers.


    They stopped at a tiny road stall, one selling hamburgers. Thewyer guy shed him a relieved smile. "We should be safe here, young man. Shall we celebrate your freedom? Apparently, the food here is tasty-licious! My treat!"


    "Is that even a word? But sure, let''s eat!" Josh eagerly replied.


    He still had no idea who this stranger was. He was calling him young man yet had gotten him out of the MTA of his own volition, without asking for any payment.


    Then, he kindly handed him a burger that smelled so damn heavenly! It was the perfectbination of steaming heated meat on a tender bun along with a spicy mayonnaise sauce¡ªand some sleeping drugs the man had "subtly" added.


    They both devoured their meal akin to starving dogs, relishing in the momentary happiness. Then, Josh''s body slumped to the ground, the man grabbing him.


    "Talk about a shitty day. First this Tower madness, then my candidate getting nabbed by the MTA, and now I''m fuckingte. I just hope they haven''t started the test yet or we''re both screwed." The wyer" grumbled.


    Things were on track once more, it seemed...


    Creator''s Thought


    How silly is it for an assassin to y awyer? The first one is a cold-hearted criminal while the second one is....actually, never mind. Being ruthless would definitely allow one to earn big bucks in court. It is sad to say, but defending the innocent isn''t usually very lucrative.

 Chapter 296: First Test!

    <h4>Chapter 296: First Test!</h4>


    Somewhere in Metropolis-D, a man was pushing a rusty basement door open as he carried arge sports bag inside.


    One could hear him mumble, stressed. "I really hope we''re not toote!" He quickly opened the bag and prepared to wake the man inside, but Josh simply rose, even rxedly stretching.


    "It sure was cramped in there." He nonchntlymented.


    "H-how are you awake so soon?" The man asked, astonished.


    "Awake? I just closed my eyes for a minute. Anyway, what will the tests be?" He inquired.


    "There''s no way I can tell you! Now, how the fuck are you awake, seriously?!"


    "Please, a good assassin needs to build resistance to drugs. Don''t you even know this? Don''t worry. I won''t tell the others that you''ve grossly disregarded protocol in your hurry." Josh "reassured" him.


    The man gulped hard. Was his candidate already trying to ckmail him?! He seemed to be in a profound dilemma for a few instants. But, he concluded that it was no use getting hung over the details.


    If Josh wasn''t mistaken, every recruiter had their candidate. He wasn''t sure about the stakes involved, but it would be good for one''s candidate toe on top. The man proceeded to lead the way, running.


    They quickly followed a dark and stuffy underground tunnel until they finally arrived at a medium-sized room. It was totally empty besides five chairs and a small table. Four men were in the process of heatedly discussing, but they stopped as soon as the two entered.


    One of them instantly sneered at the fakewyer:


    "Oh? Look who finally showed up! The poor thing still thinks he has a chance! Is that your candidate hiding behind you? In which garbage pile did you find him?"


    But, the fakewyer didn''t even bother to reply. Hell, he didn''t even acknowledge anyone''s presence. He guided Josh toward the table. On it rested a magical contract and a quill. Seriously, a quill?! Apparently yes.


    "Sign this and leave as soon as possible for the first test. We may still have a chance!" His recruiter pressured him.


    Josh nodded, grabbed the contract, and began reading it extremely carefully. The men by the side couldn''t help but chuckle as they saw him waste so much time.


    "Just sign and go. Time is already running out!"


    "So what? I need to read it so I can sign it." Josh serenely replied.


    "You don''t understand. One can only take the test once in their life. If you fail this one then¡­."


    "Just let me read. You''re distracting me." Josh stayed adamant.


    At this point, the other recruiters wereughing out loud. Some were even celebrating their candidate''s uing sess. Did this mean that there would only be one elimination this round? It would make things easier!


    It took Josh 5 minutes to finish reading, yet it seemed to be very tortuous for his recruiter. He could be seen holding his head to cope with the stress, and he sighted in profound relief once he saw Josh pick up the quill.


    The document was pretty standard and was surprisingly lenient. Well, lenient whenparing it to the ones Josh made people sign left and right. It mainly was a secrecy use. But, just as he was about to sign, he suddenly stopped his hand.


    "Is there an issue?!" His recruiter asked in fear.


    "I''m not used to writing with a quill. Does anyone have some paper for me to test my calligraphy? I would be thankful if any of you could¡ª" But he was suddenly interrupted.


    "Just sign the damn thing! Please! For the love of God, just do it!" The recruiter screamed, iling his arms on both sides in desperation.


    "Fine¡­fine¡­what is the world bing nowadays? Everyone is rushing things, and people don''t even know how to pay attention to the small details," Joshined, shaking his head in disapproval.


    This sent scene provoked the disdain of the others:


    "Haha, this candidate of yours sure is ¡­unique."


    "While he''s wondering about his signature being pretty, mine is probably about toe back."


    "It''s your first year as a recruiter, and you''re already screwing up so much. I would be embarrassed if I were you."


    "Young man, you should try harder. He went through some trouble picking you as his candidate. Can you at least try not to let him down?"


    The others scoffed at the one guy who was trying to be helpful. Anyway, Josh quickly finished filling the contract.


    "Your first mission is to steal aplete MTA uniform to be able to navigate in their midst without attracting any attention. Be careful as every uniform includes an anti-theft measure."


    "How does that even work? Does it start beeping?" Josh asked, puzzled.


    "As soon as it is reported stolen, the city will be able to track its location. It is imperative not to be busted as it will be necessary for the uing tests. Do you understand? Also, one more thing, make sure you aren''t thest one toe back."


    "Aye aye, captain!" Josh enthusiastically left.


    Behind him, he could hear the many sneers and could picture the facepalms. Either way, it didn''t bother him much. These guys hadn''t even seen through his disguise! They weren''t anyone important he would bet.


    But instead of heading for the mission, Josh just loitered near the entrance. The basement was located in an alley, and there were three ess points to reach it from the main street. Josh picked one at random and camped there.


    Why would he even bother finding an outfit when he could simply steal one from a contestant? He was bewildered as to why the others weren''t doing the same. Wasn''t this expected from assassins?


    No, wait! There were five of them. There was bound to be another one that had wanted to try this, right? Oh, but they wouldn''t remain here since the targets would be on guard. What if they were waiting somece nearby instead?


    Josh began walking around the ce, leaving the dested alleys. He was on the hunt, but he didn''t know for who. All until he finally found his target. It was a man that was confidently drinking coffee at a nearby terrace.


    He was a middle-aged man, easily forgettable. But there was something peculiar with the way he stared at the crowd. This guy was also hunting! Josh kept walking, not paying the man any apparent attention.


    As soon as he passed near him, the man sent slight killing intent his way. He had recognized him as apetitor. This meant that he had an intelligence source who had informed him about Josh. Well, not that it mattered.


    This slight killing intent had just doomed the man, making him a target with no doubt whatsoever. Josh pretended to leave that street and came back sneakily. He would lurk in the shadows and im his prize when the time was ripe.


    He only had to wait half an hour for the prey to make his move. He could be seen smirking as he had spotted one of theirpetitors. A young man was seriously watching his surroundings, but this only made him stand out to anyone perceptive.


    The young man was carrying a small backpack that was bound to contain the MTA outfit. To quote any cultivation story: the mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Josh happily positioned himself.


    Soon enough, there was a confrontation. The predator dashed toward the youngster and tried to ughter him with a¡­small war hammer?! What kind of assassin''s weapon was this?!


    The young man quickly reacted and dodged but screwed up by doing so. With their new positioning, the scheming man was now blocking the way toward the objective. This meant that a fight would be unavoidable.


    Josh couldn''t say who was the deadliest assassin between the two, but the powerful guy with the hammer definitely had the advantage in a head-on fight. The young guy quickly realized this as his face turned livid.


    Yet, he didn''t give up. He stared at the door behind the man as if in a trance. Josh couldn''t help butment how the kid had obviously lost his mind. Why would he fight when he could just run away? Someone else could fight in his stead!


    Then it began. The two charged toward each other, and ¡­wait a goddamn minute! The youngster made a feint before rushing backward and fleeing as fast as he could! Wow! To fool Josh, his bluffing skills were on point!


    The face of the guy with the hammer was priceless. He began lowly cursing, incredibly incensed as he followed. But a few secondster, he started grinning again and even slowed down. Was there another reversal?


    That''s when Josh noticed a dozen Climbers approaching. It was hard to judge their power from a distance, but they were probably from a D or C-Ranked guild and were probably around level 30-45.


    With such numbers, even Josh wouldn''t be able to fight them all at once. It was even worse for the youngster who was probably level 30. Instantly, he showed despair as all the exits to this ce were blocked.


    At this moment, everyone present realized that there was only one way for the youngster toe out of this alive. He would have to bypass his opponent and enter the test location. Only there would he be safe.


    Yet, this simple task appeared as harsh as scaling the Everest naked. He could have given up at this moment, but he instead showed fighting spirit.


    There was just one problem: Josh didn''t have any popcorn! Either way, this would be fun to watch¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Assassins having to steal as a first mission is fine. As much as some hate it, there is definitely a big ovep between a thief and an assassin. More often than not, sleight of hand can be used to poison one''s target. It also allows getting rid of incriminating evidence or nting some...

 Chapter 297: Naive Newcomer!

    <h4>Chapter 297: Naive Neer!</h4>


    ****(POV)


    There was once a young orphan that had grown up to be a petty thief. He had refused to curl up and die, thus had taken his survival into his own hands.


    Then, one day, his entire existence changed. This happened before the Credits, the Tower, and the Climbers. It was a far simpler time: when nimble fingers and quick wits could feed someone. It was before currency became virtual.


    On that one fateful day, this thief was scouring the streets in search of a good mark. The morality aside, it was lucrative enough, and the profession itself was an art. Picking the right target was the first step that one had to master.


    The thief just happened to notice a man who seemed particrly agitated and lost in thoughts. He was wearing a leather jacket that wasn''t fashionable but was expensive nheless.


    What made him a good mark was that he was unconsciously holding his right pocket. Knowing where to strike was vital for a thief. Every encounter needed to be as brief as possible, making a search impossible.


    After finding the mark came the next step: waiting for the perfect opportunity. At some point, the man arrived near a pedestrian crosswalk. He went to push the button that would control the traffic light and allow him safe passage.


    Without waiting, the kid exploited the weakness! The man wasn''t holding his pocket anymore and was distracted. A discrete and swift fluid motionter, the thief was walking away smoothly. In pickpocketing, one had to be lightning fast. Get the loot and get out!


    He finally stopped in a small alley nearby, observing his bounty: it was a weird ck envelope with a silver dagger inscribed on top. The thief quickly opened it, hoping for valuable notes, but nope! It was a letter featuring a single address.


    He could only sigh,menting his bad luck. What was the point of owning this? This information was probably valuable in the right hands but was useless to a street rat like him. It was such a waste!


    Just as he turned around to resume his hunt, he abruptly froze and almost pissed himself. In front of his eyes, there was a dagger. A man he recognized very well stood there with a calm grin. The thief''s life was now at the mercy of the man he had just robbed!


    The child felt like crying. This was such a disaster! Had he known about the item, he wouldn''t have bothered. Would the man kill him? Would he deliver him to the authorities? Either way, the thief wouldn''t have a good ending.


    The cold glint of the dagger seemed to announce his uing demise. The man slowly uttered:


    "I believe you have something that belongs to me." His voice was far too calm. There was no trace of anger or stress. It was as if he threatened people with a dagger on a daily basis.


    The kid could only gulp before handing the small letter over. The man had seen it, so he couldn''t even try to bluff his way out. He was utterly helpless. The man grabbed it, slowly nodding, but didn''t move the weapon.


    "A-are you going to kill me?" The kid asked.


    "Should I?" He nonchntly replied.


    How was he supposed to reply to this? Whether the man should or not, he didn''t know. Right or wrong were foreign concepts to someone just trying to survive. But there was one thing he was certain of: "I want to live." was all that he said.


    The man sized the youngster:


    "You''re pretty good at pickpocketing. I may have been distracted, but you still managed to fool me for a little while. How long have you been doing this?" He asked.


    "T-three years."


    "Three years, and you''re already this proficient. You''ve been stealing every single day, haven''t you? I''ll tell you what. I''ll give you a choice. Either you can work for me, or you can leave right now, and we shall never meet again."


    The kid felt at a loss. Was he getting offered a job? What could it even be? The man continued.


    "Of course, if you steal from me again, I will kill you." It wasn''t a threat. It was a promise.


    The kid had no idea what was happening, but there was one thing he was sure of: he was nothing but trash. He was a gue for society, one that no one cared about. He thus decided to roll the dice with this mysterious man.


    "I''ll work for you¡­."


    The man chuckled as he smiled at him. "Aren''t you going to ask me what the job entails? What if I want you to kill people?" He mischievously added.


    "Then I''ll learn how to kill people." The kid replied with conviction.


    "Damn, chill out, kid. That''s way too gloomy for someone your age! Anyway, follow me. Let''s eat something, shall we? You''re way too scrawny!" The man eximed.


    This single decision would change his life forever...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    After a few years, the young thief had grown until it was his turn to join the test for the LoA.


    Only recently had he learned the true meaning of the letter he had seen long ago. He was now determined to pass this evaluation so he could follow in his mentor''s footsteps. But, he had already reached a seemingly insurmountable wall.


    In front of him was another candidate blocking his way, the most violent of them all. He knew he wouldn''t be able to defeat him in a head-on battle as his specialty wasrceny. That''s why he had resolved to flee.


    But, the man had reinforcements who blocked the exits. What were the chances of victory of a lone thief versus a dozen Climbers? Fucking nil! This was a deadly trap. All he could do was grit his teeth and put his life on the line.


    He locked his gaze to the enemy candidate in front. Never had he been so focused! He charged forward using all the speed he could muster. The savage hammer drew an arc in the air, aiming for his chest. The thief waited until the veryst moment and suddenly changed direction!


    He could feel the gale from the swing ruffle his clothes as he dodged the deadly blow. He had avoided it! He only had a few meters left to run, and everything would be fine!


    But suddenly, he felt intense pain as his body wasunched in the air, catapulted like a cannonball. The powerful blow shattered both his shoulder and hopes. He then crashed heavily into a few garbage bins.


    ¡ª ng ng!¡ª


    The man was smirking, his n working perfectly: The hammer swing had been a feint from the start. The real danger had been the mighty fist following. The thief was sorelyckingbat experience, and it would be his downfall.


    The thief slowly rose with his legs shaking as his body felt so heavy! He wouldn''t ept dying on the floor. He had to make the opponent leave some flesh!


    The man approached, striding forward with the confidence of a conqueror: "Did you really think you stood a chance?" He looked at him as if he was looking at garbage.


    But suddenly, the tension was broken by an incredibly calm voice that felt so out of ce.


    "That punch was pretty good." A young-looking man wasing out of the shadows,zily pping.


    Everyone present couldn''t help but jump. Had this guy been spectating the whole time?!


    "Who might you be?" The hammer guy asked with suspicion.


    "Me? Don''t worry, Ie in peace. As long as someone gets eliminated and my spot is secured, then everything''s fine." The neer amicably said.


    He was a contestant?! Wait, this could only mean that he was the one who had been missing earlier. Both the thief and the hammer-wielding guy reacted strongly to this revtion. Thetter spoke first.


    "So you''re the fifth contestant! You seem like a smart fellow. I have some beef with this little guy in the garbage. You don''t mind, right?" He carefully asked.


    "Nope. You kids have fun now!" His smile was so bright.


    The thief was bbergasted. Who was this guy calling kids?! The hammer guy could be seen twitching upon hearing this, but he didn''t make a fuss either.


    The thief was bound to die, but he would at least do onest thing before he kicked the bucket. He shouted a warning at the mysterious man:


    "Be careful. All the recruiters hate the guy who recruited you to the bone. Well, all besides my mentor. Anyway, there''s a bounty on your head, so never turn your back to any other candidates."


    "A bounty?" He looked at him, puzzled but not scared.


    "They want you to die in the first rounds to shame your recruiter. I''m not privy to the specifics. All I know is that there will be plenty of troubleing your way!"


    The man turned to the hammer guy: "Is this true?" He nonchntly asked.


    Would the assassin even tell him the truth? What was the point of asking?! But instead of denying, the man nodded in agreement.


    "Indeed. Hate is even an understatement. I''m not sure what happened between them all, but they really are vindictive." He shrugged casually.


    "I see. What''s the bounty reward then?" The mysterious man asked.


    "A few thousand credits. Anyway, you can rx. I don''t care about such a paltry sum. Just look around you." He pointed toward the dozen Climbers who were obeying his orders.


    "A few thousand Credits?! Damn, those assholes sure are stingy! If it''s not close to a million, why would people even bother?" The mysterious man was shaking his head.


    Everyone spectating couldn''t help but be taken aback as some began giggling madly. Was this guy dumb?! A life was worth way less than a million Credits! Hell, an MTA leader was only worth a few hundred thousand, it didn''t get more expensive.


    "Brother,e stand behind me so we don''t hit you with our skills by mistake." The hammer guy amicably said.


    The thief tried his best to help onest time: "Don''t go, it''s a trap!" He whispered as the man happily ignored him and walked forward.


    He watched in horror as the mysterious man walked next to the hammer guy and even went for a handshake. As the two shook hands, the thief was expecting the man to kill the neer at any moment.


    But...nothing happened. Had he misjudged him? Had this guy suddenly turned kind? No, he was still watching him with the yful gaze of a predator. The man''s smirk became evenrger, and he suddenly made his move.


    His hammer moved lightning fast toward the neer''s head. Thetter was so surprised that he didn''t move in the slightest.


    "Quick, dodge!" The thief shouted, but it was far toote. At such close range, it was already over.


    But then, right before impact, the hammer slipped from the man''s hand. That''s when the thief noticed the blood, so much blood! It was gushing from the assant''s neck, one that was punctured by a green ss shard.


    Through the blood fountain, he could distinguish the neer serenely smiling. Where had this devile from?!


    But, there were still so many Climbers remaining...


    Creator''s Thought


    How nice of him to warn me! Honestly, this hammer guy was kind of an idiot. I had no reason to kill him before that stupid move of his. What''s the point of being lightning fast if you emit clear killing intent a minute before acting?! So dumb!

 Chapter 298: Lady In Blue

    <h4>Chapter 298: Lady In Blue</h4>


    In a random alley in Metropolis-D, a dozen Climbers watched the blood gush out of their leader''s throat, horrified.


    Josh was rxedly standing right behind the body that was now slumping to the ground. The victim had its throat perforated by the remnants of a dumpster wine bottle. Talk about a tragic ending!


    There was a moment of silence, the others freezing as the harsh reality was slowly setting in. Josh was near the door leading to the LoA''s test. Should he fight them or retreat underground? Estimating their exact strength would be hard.


    One of the Climbers had a vein popping on his forehead as he bellowed: "How dare you!! Kill this fucker, or the boss won''t forgive us!!"


    Josh made a mental note. No matter the oue of this fight, he would have a target to handle. He couldn''t simply give up this face for now, not until he was done with the LoA. He could only grit his teeth and willed his set-items to cover his body. He would fight!


    The shiny ck Zoom armor enveloped his body. It had by far the highest stats of all the sets he owned. It looked very simr to the gear that dropped in the normal version. Only its sheen was slightly different.


    However, only the thief barely noticed this small detail. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. Then, he took a step forward, fully prepared to help his savior. But, Josh signaled him to stay where he was. He didn''t need an unreliable ally in the uing fight.


    His enemies summoned their gear in a hurry as they zeroed in on him. Seven of them charged forward, with five remaining behind. He could notice a mage, an archer, and three others that he wasn''t sure what their ss was.


    The melee ones had a wide variety of weapons: sword, spear, hammer, and even a whip. This would make for a chaotic fight.


    Should he focus on the ranged targets or the melee ones? His strongest gap closer was the Zoom set, but it only allowed him to go in a straight line. Swerving around the vanguard would be too hard, so using them as cover for the ranged attacks would have to do.


    His greatest fear was Crowd Control. It would only take a few seconds of reduced mobility to cause his demise. He couldn''t help but feel wary of this. This was the danger of facing Climbers!


    How could he minimize the risks? He acted meek and uncertain. Josh had the look of a rabbit that was caught between a group of wolves. He appeared panicked and unsure what to do. The thief was the only one that was gasping at him in utter awe, realizing what was happening.


    He waited until they were in the perfect range. That''s when he suddenly activated his smelly set and his Zoom set all at once! He rushed with the speed of a rocket.


    Meanwhile, the invisible poisonous cloud spread in his surroundings, barely reaching them. Would it be enough to make them lose focus for just an instant? Most probably! It wasn''t about how strong it was, but about how unexpected!


    He would use the confusion to get a few kills. Then he would use the opportunity topletely overturn the battlefield until none knew what was happening anymore-. He would turn this 12 versus one into plenty of short 1 v 1s!


    As he saw them all uncontrobly twitch, he knew that his gamble had been sessful! His sword punctured an enemy''s throat, and he was ready to go for the next victim but abruptly froze¡ª what was happening?!


    Josh suddenly realized that it seemed like he had underestimated the smelly set. Before, he had been convinced that it would only show significant effects against dumb monsters with a great sense of smell. The scene in front painted a different portrait.


    The enemies weren''t just feeling slight difort: they were bent as they relentlessly hurled while clutching their stomachs. Their faces were a mask of disgust, sickness, and pain. Had this simple ability really reduced them to this pitiful state?!


    Josh used the opportunity to attack them. Needless to say, they didn''t manage to put much of a fight as their heads were severed. He was putting them out of their misery so quickly!


    As soon as he was done, he charged toward the bbergasted ranged targets. But, the five quickly came back to their senses as their survival instinct kicked in. Without waiting, they instantly bolted away, trying to save their lives at all cost.


    Just as he was about to catch one, Josh was met with a fireball barrage and a massive arrow almost impaling him entirely. He had to stop his charge ability early on before he collided with the attacks. This was the weakness of the set: it could only work in a straight line.


    This was why fighting humans was troublesome. They had already noticed this point and were making use of it topletely stop him from using his charge ability by throwing projectiles right in front of him.


    This was a race against time. Would he catch up to them, or would they manage to leave the dested alleyways? Josh didn''t give up as he kept chasing. Since they knew to keep their distance, he would resort to an alternative.


    He grabbed his bow as he began shooting their way. Many instantly quickly took cover, but two of them didn''t react in time and were pierced full of mana arrows. They fell feeling indignant: how the fuck was he also an archer?!


    The chase continued. As one of them exited his cover, he tripped. Josh didn''t wait and used his charge ability. He reached the poor man and crushed his neck before turning toward the others. At this rate, he would manage to kill them all!


    But just as the fighting was about to reach its peak, footsteps were heard, tons of them! Fuck! The Climbers smiled in relief as Josh wouldn''t be able to kill them if there were spectators. They hurriedly went toward the noise.


    Josh kept pursuing. So what if there were witnesses? He could silence them afterward! He knew how to be very convincing, after all. But as the prey and predator turned the corner, they were faced with an entire group of tourists.


    There were about 30 of them with many wearing shirts with the caption < I ?? the D Metropolis >. their guide was enthusiastically leading them through a shortcut toward their next stop. Josh couldn''t help but sigh deeply. His targetsughed in relief as they joined the group.


    Could he silence? 30 climbers? Well, yes, but it wouldn''t be that easy. Plus, he was still in the middle of the LoA evaluation. It was one thing to act in self-defense and kill his enemies to prevent further problems, but another to brainwash an entire group.


    He could only give up as he turned tail to return toward the thief who had been subtly following behind all this time. The youngster showed a worried expression:


    "This could be troublesome. The members of that guild will probably want revenge for their members. If I''m not mistaken, they belong to High Octane. It''s a C Ranked guild. While they aren''t that strong, they are vindicative. Do you have any backing you can rely on?" He worriedly asked.


    "C-Rank? Then it''s not a big deal." Josh shrugged. He would leave this problem to a good friend of his: Future Josh. The youngster then continued.


    "By the way, thanks for saving my life. I wonder if this is fate? Our respective mentors are close to one another, and here you are,ing to my rescue. From now on, you are my brother! Let''s help each other!" He enthusiastically cried out.


    "You seem mistaken about something. I didn''t rescue you. I simply killed an idiot in self-defense. The same goes for the other idiots who tried to avenge him. I don''t give a fuck about this mentor BS, and I already have a brother, so fuck off!" Josh made things clear with him.


    The youngster recoiled back in disappointment, not that Josh would care about his mood. No, he was more concerned about the neer that had just turned the corner.


    A veiled woman had appeared. She was wearing a long blue mantle and seemed so serene. As she passed next to them, Josh couldn''t help but notice herck of footsteps. It was as if she was gliding over the ground, akin to a specter.


    She didn''t pay attention to any of them at first nce, ignoring them entirely. Yet, this wasn''t the case at all. Josh could sense something from her. It almost felt like there was an immaterial wind drifting about following her will.


    Josh couldn''t help but nce at this in stupefaction. Seeing his reaction, she lost her cool. Under the veil came a gasp so faint that it almost seemed imaginary. Yet, she wasn''t emitting killing intent, only pure and unadulterated curiosity.


    Josh rested his gaze on her as she slowly left, heading in the direction they had juste from. The youngster seemed totally oblivious to what had truly happened there as hemented.


    "She''s one of the candidates. She never speaks, she doesn''t let anyone see her face, and she''s aplete mystery overall. I think that not even her recruiter truly knows who she is. She''s one of the few that are considered to have a high chance at joining the LoA."


    "I see..." Josh slowly mumbled.


    "Oh? Are you interested in her? Wait, seriously?!" The youngster misunderstood on his own.


    Was Josh interested? Yes, he was interested in this power...


    Creator''s Thought


    There is a theory that supposes that nothing the human ever invents is truly fictive. We just happen to have enlightened glimpsed at an alternate reality or another world entirely. This would exin why I had read about this earlier in my life...

 Chapter 299: MTA Outfit? Easy!

    <h4>Chapter 299: MTA Outfit? Easy!</h4>


    In the middle of an alley in Metropolis-D, a man was deep in thoughts until he was interrupted by a bubbly young thief.


    "Don''t tell me that she''s charmed you?! Doesn''t she seem arrogant, not even showing her face? Anyway, you should be careful. I heard that she has contacts in the LoA, high ranking ones!" The thief excitedly told Josh.


    "You didn''t feel anything from her at all?" Josh confirmed.


    "Felt what?" The youngster was utterly confused.


    "You rely too much on your actual senses. Either way, I''m sure we''ll meetter on." Josh shrugged.


    "Wait¡­you still need to grab an MTA outfit?! There''s still some time left, but it''s really challenging." The thief seemed concerned. "Do you want me to get you one? I''ll take the risk if it''s for you. I''m 60% sure I can do it again." He offered.


    "No need. I''ll get one myself. It''s not especially hard." Josh nonchntly remarked.


    The thief''s eyes bulged in surprise. This guy could fight so well, and he could steal too?! Was there anything that he couldn''t do? He stayed rooted in ce as the mysterious man rxedly left¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh was internallyughing. This mission that others considered challenging was nothing but a formality to him. He decisively rushed toward D-23. The trip back and forth wouldn''t take too long with a flying car.


    A few minutester, he was already at the edge of the forest. What made things even easier was that the guards "recognized" him since the real assassin was now a student here. As he waltzed in unobstructed, he couldn''t help but worry about his school having security issues.


    What should he do to remedy it? AT had a way to recognize the Climbers without error. Perhaps he could ask him for tips? As he was pondering, he suddenly noticed that something wasn''t right.


    People were getting out of his way and were sending covert nces toward him. What was happening? Then a few secondster, he understood that his cover had been blown. They somehow knew that he was an "intruder".


    Josh couldn''t help but feel proud. However they had done it, it was admirable of them. He couldn''t help but give a wry smile. Should he reveal his appearance right now or wait for a big reveal? He almost felt like he was on that one show with bosses going undercover in their ownpany.


    He kept walking, seemingly not noticing the faint clues that everyone was giving out. The ce definitely was even livelier than what he remembered. Before, there had been hundreds of Climbers, but now there had to be close to a thousand!


    Some were obviously students, while others had a visitor pass around their necks. It made for a very colorful scene.


    If the ce had looked deste before, it now appeared like a small town. Well, a peculiar one with giant slothszily sleeping all over the ce. Some students would feed them steaks as they ate in their sleep.


    Josh quickly reached the Alter Tower. He fondly smiled as he noticed that they had set up arge leaderboard. It seemed to be updated in real-time. How had they even managed this?!


    Climbers could be seen excitedly pointing at it, proud as they found their names on it. One side showed the top 100 while the other the top 200. Of course, the same name was at the top of every ranking "Josh MF Malum".


    From time to time, some would heatedly stare at it with admiration. It seemed that he had gained some fame ever since he had gone away. Many of the new students had never met him, and he was bing a local legend.


    He would have to make sure to crush any challenge AT came up with in the future to keep the myth going. He had pressure on his shoulders now, haha.


    Just as he was happily taking the sights in, he noticed someone familiar, steadily making his way toward him. Roderick was sporting a kind smile as he approached him: "Hey Phil, how have you been?!"


    Only now was Josh realizing that he had never asked the assassin''s name. Phil, was it? Somehow, the orator didn''t seem like a Phil to him. For now, he replied, "Are you asking me? You know how it is. I''m always trying to improve¡­."


    "Makes sense. Still, do you want me to help you train? I''ve got a bit of time right now." Roderick amicably offered.


    "Sounds perfect! Let''s go!" Josh enthusiastically agreed.


    Roderick didn''t flinch, but Josh could sense his surprise. He had probably expected him to use any excuse to avoid him. The general slowly escorted him toward a newly builtrge building with many Climbers going in and out.


    Josh soon understood what this ce was. Wow! They had built a high-tech training center! Here the students could practice theirbat moves in preparation for delving into the Training Tower. This ce featured immersive holograms and gravity chambers!


    It soon became obvious who had been responsible for this project. In the main hall, there was a giant statue of a pink-haireddy. She had her arms crossed, a heroic gaze, and a badass smirk. It was a fantastic rendition of Alexa the Tech Queen!


    "This statue is wonderful, am I right?!" Roderick offhandedlymented.


    "For sure. It''s pretty neat." Josh couldn''t help but agree.


    As soon as he said that, he felt Roderick harden. Had there been anything wrong with Josh''s statement? He really couldn''t figure it out. They soon reached a training room, the general fiddling with a control panel on the wall.


    What happened next looked so damn impressive. The floor changed as a vivid mountaintop scenery reced the entire room. Snow started blowing across the room as an icy gale rose. Disregarding if this was useful, it was so damn cool!


    Roderick took position on the other side as he gestured to attack him. "Come, let''s do this."


    Josh couldn''t help but grin. If this could help him judge his own progress, then he was all for it. He charged at the man, fists first. He began sending punch after punch, purple energy covering his hands.


    Roderick narrowed his eyes as he quickly dodged the attack, even counter-attacking. The man was stronger and faster than Josh and kept pushing him back. But, every time he went for a decisive blow, his target would somehow twist and evade.


    Josh quickly realized an issue. Even with a sessful feint, delivering a blow powerful enough would be hard. This was because of the raw stat difference. It was time to test his smelly set once more.


    As Roderick punched toward his face, Josh activated it. Instantly the general lost his bearings if only a fraction of a second. But, this was enough for Josh to put him into a choke-hold. After targeting a few pressure points, the general lost all power.


    "Youmitted a grave mistake on that one." Josh slowly chuckled.


    But suddenly the sound a mechanical sound was heard as countless sma guns came out of seemingly every inch of the walls. Then a mischievous voice was heard as a pink-haired girl appeared. "I happen to think that you''re the one who''smitted one." She giggled.


    Joshpletely disregarded Alexa, who was holding him at gunpoint. Instead, he kept lecturing Roderick without a care in the world. "You need to learn to fight even when incapacitated. A good trick is to practice fighting while sleeping."


    The general and the tech magnate were both left speechless. What the heck was wrong with this spy?! How was he so calm? Was this all a bluff? Should they shoot him now? Their instinct was telling them that this guy was bad news. As if he had everything under control.


    "How did you figure out that I was an intruder?" Josh casually asked.


    "Why would we ever answer that?!" Alexa spat out with animosity.


    "We have our ways." Roderick cautiously answered. This man was giving him such a strange feeling for some reason.


    "Here." Josh extended his hand to help Roderick get up.


    "You, what are you¡ª?!" Alexa was about to interject when Roderick stopped her.


    The general slowly grabbed the man''s hand. Then a few secondster, he was back on his feet, the man shing him a radiant smile. Then he spoke again, addressing him as if an old friend.


    "I like what you''ve done with the ce. It''s way better than how I left it. Anything interesting happenedtely? I mean, besides that promotion that good old Recruiter Frank is running." Josh happily asked.


    "Wait, you''re¡­?!" Roderick seemed to have figured it out.


    "What?! Roderick, what is he talking about?!" Alexa cried out.


    Josh yfully looked at her as he released his killing intent at full power. She stared at him in shock. This was all the proof he needed for his identity. A puddleter, she was giving him an embarrassed and reproachful re.


    "Where the heck have you been?! Also, what''s with this appearance?! This is the guy you sent to train with us, isn''t it?!"


    "Long story short, I''m joining the LoA at the moment. He already had an invite to it, so we made a deal." Josh then turned to Roderick. "This brings me to my reason here. I''ll need your clothes."


    "?!" He hadn''t expected such a thing at all!


    "Yep! As I said, it''s a long story." Josh reiterated.


    Roderick only hesitated for a second before he sighed and began undressing. What was up with this man? First, he had sent a questionable message to Allistair, and now he was asking him to undress. People could easily get the wrong idea!


    Josh appeared slightly confused. "Don''t you have any spare ones?"


    "What?! Don''t you need clothes with my DNA on them to prove they''re mine or something?" Roderick asked, puzzled.


    "No? I just need the outfit¡­."


    "¡­."


    "¡­"


    A half-naked Roderick and an awkward Josh were staring at each other in silence. Then they shared a silent understanding. They wouldn''t speak about this. The general conscientiously changed the topic.


    "What did you mean by fight while sleeping?"


    "Easy, first you develop the instinct to wake up when danger is near. Then you push it a step further and train until you can crush small enemies in your sleep. It works wonder in the Tower while waiting for a Boss to spawn or respawn." Josh happily shared.


    He then proceeded to further develop his point by recounting some of his Tower experiences in detail. Roderick listened exceptionally diligently. At times, he would even be taking notes on his UW.


    Meanwhile, Alexa on the side didn''t know whether tough or cry. This lesson sounded like the ramblings of a delusional madman. Yet, she trusted that Josh had truly mastered such mystical skills.


    After the lesson was done, Josh excused himself. It was time to go back to his LoA test for his victorious return! He could only wonder what the second trial would be¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Delegating is the best! Would I have been able to develop things so well on my own? Maybe, but it would have been a royal pain! Instead, I could rxedly take care of my own issues and have a surprise waiting for me every time I visited.

 Chapter 300: Nice Outfit!

    <h4>Chapter 300: Nice Outfit!</h4>


    In the underground room used for the LoA test, nine individuals were waiting for thest candidate to return. A few were happily badmouthing the guy, especially the recruiter of that one deceased hammer guy.


    "Why are we even bothering to wait? He''s just a loser!"


    "You say this, but he did kill a candidate already."


    "Please, did you see the mess that he made outside?!"


    "This just means that he''s strong since he survived."


    "Bullshit! He''s no assassin. He''s a fucking butcher! He has no finesse at all!"


    This was ironicing from the recruiter whose prot¨¦g¨¦ had literately brought his squad along to get an edge. As Josh entered, all eyes turned toward him.


    There were five recruiters and four contestants present. Did one recruiter bring two candidates?!


    Anyway, he slowly observed them. There was the thief and thedy in blue he had met earlier. Then, there was a man and a woman, both looking at him with disdain. They stood far apart, but Josh had the feeling that they knew each other very well.


    The "fakewyer" turned toward him with slight worry in his tone. "How was it? Did you manage to aplish the mission?"


    "Of course, Ipleted it! Who do you take me for?!" Josh shook his head as if this oue was only natural¡ª well, it was.


    A man that appeared to be the thief''s mentor smiled at him encouragingly before uttering: "Let us be the judges of your efforts. All of you, wear the MTA outfit you stole and own it!"


    Own it? As in, they needed to act the part of an MTA soldier, right? Josh had this in the bag! Without waiting any further, he grabbed the clothes and began to imitate Roderick. Who knew that the LoA would have a cosy evaluation!


    There were many eyes on him, mostly ones that hoped for his failure. As he seemed to transform into someone else entirely, they gasped in shock. Was this new guy actually that talented?!


    But then their gaze was attracted to the design of the clothes. Their bodies went rigid as their eyes became glued to the outfit. There was something incredibly wrong here! One pointed a shaky finger toward Josh.


    "G-general outfit?!" A man with eyes now rivaling a toad shouted.


    The room was instantly plunged intoplete silence, the air bing chilly and oppressive. For a second, they all lost their bearings as their brains couldn''tprehend the situation.


    He was a general! At least he looked like one and felt like one! What kind of genius conman was he?! Their experienced gazes rested on Josh, but this outfit was real no matter how they looked at him.


    Then their thoughts began swirling in another direction. What if he truly was an army general and had been infiltrating them since the very beginning?! The master of the deceased suddenly charged at him!


    "Sneaky MTA dog! Trying to infiltrate us?! Die!!" He shouted with wild abandon as he charged at him.


    The man had a battle-axe that he swung toward Josh with full force, trying to cleave him in half. Josh couldn''t help but twitch. What was wrong with this guy?! He was emitting true killing intent! What the hell?!


    Josh summoned his weapon but realized that he couldn''t block this with normal means. The man''s momentum was too strong. Should he use his cloak''s unique ability to tank this one hit? How would the other recruiters react to this act of self-defense?!


    Just as he was agonizing over the best solution, the recruiters acted! His own recruiter and the one in charge of the thief attacked the shouting man! The other guy was using a standard dagger that the enemy side-stepped, but this allowed the fakewyer to strike.


    Silver bolts flew toward the man''s neck, shoulder, and arm. The berserk recruiter barely managed to block them all, obviously feeling the strain. But that''s when Josh noticed the fakewyer''s huge smile as his crossbow delivered onest attack.


    That''s when the axe wielder released an ear-piercing scream filled with agony. He could now be seen clutching the gory mess right under his belt. The fakewyer had shot his dick off?! Talk about savage!


    The axe-wielding man screamed in anguish and fury: "What are you all waiting for?! These two lunatics attacked me! Kill them! Kill that spy too! Don''t just stand there!"


    The other recruiters could only shake their heads while clicking their tongues reproachfully. "Why are you even attacking a candidate in the first ce?"


    "Look at him! He''s obviously part of the MTA! How else could he have this?! Just fucking look at him. It''s obvious!!" He roared, raging. One slowly and calmly replied.


    "No way, the magical contract he signed at the beginning prevents such issue. Still, it''s true that it''s odd." He then turned toward Josh, asking with suspicion, "How did you acquire it?"


    At this point, the other candidates didn''t know whether to crawl into a hole and hide or not. They had been proud of their sessful heists. Yet, there he was, one-upping thempletely!


    "Easy, I challenged the owner to a private duel." Josh shrugged.


    "That''s it?" One recruiter incredulously stared at him.


    "Yep. He thought he''d win, so he agreed to fight me. Then, I stripped him and hid his body in a remote location." Josh exined.


    The entire room was now gawking at him. They couldn''t help but shake just thinking about the implications. Had he single-handedly dered war on the MTA?! There was no way they would leave such shameful conduct unpunished!


    Meanwhile, the axe-wielding guy had excused himself. He had probably left to try and salvage his manhood. Josh wished him to fail. This would be well deserved¡­


    On the side, the young thief couldn''t help but mutter: "This is so fucking ballsy! Targeting a freaking general!"


    The more experienced recruiters were already feeling a headacheing. Would this all end up blowing up in their faces?! One reproachfully spoke: "Why couldn''t you just target a regr foot soldier?!"


    "This is a test. Isn''t a general better than amon foot soldier? Since I would likely bete with the delivery, I had to step up my game. After all, you guys were all sneering when I came." Josh exined.


    Was he deflecting the me back at them?! How the fuck were they supposed to know that he would end up doing that?! This wasn''t logical at all! They felt their blood pressure rise drastically. They could only sigh, half crying.


    "So, this means that I passed the first round, right?" Josh had the nerve to ask innocently!


    "Of course you fucking pass, you bastard!!" How long had it been since recruiters had been so agitated for a test? They hadpletely lost all dignity. They were supposed to y the wise masters as they sat in their chairs¡­and yet¡­how could they now?!


    They soon checked the other candidates. Everyone that was still alive had seeded and would proceed to the next round. This was quite anticlimactic for sure. Where was thest minute who''s getting kicked drama?!


    Then came the moment of truth. A recruiter approached to exin the details of the second test.


    "You guys will have to infiltrate the vi of a woman who has been making waves recently. She is leading an anti-LoA campaign. Once you''re there, you''ll have to send her a clear message: she needs to stop. Be careful as she''s requested protection from the MTA."


    This exined the uniforms. Still, since when did the MTA do bodyguard jobs? Then again, they were probably receiving funding in exchange for this service.


    "So, we intimidate her. That''s all?" Josh raised an eyebrow.


    "That''s it. You guys can figure out the best method. Check your UW for the address. Here''s all you''ll need." The recruiter handed each of them a small circr metallic device. "Good luck! Your results will be based on your contribution to the mission."


    The candidates hurriedly left as soon as the man was done. Only Josh was left standing, wondering what the hell this device was and how to use it. That''s when the thief gestured him toe along.


    As Josh followed, the thief had a peculiar expression: "It''s your first time working with this? Don''t worry, just equip the Jammer, and it will work its magic."


    A Jammer, eh? So this thing would make them invisible to regr technological equipment. Neat! Hopefully, it would work as intended, and there wouldn''t be anyplications.


    "How will they judge the contribution?" Josh asked, curious.


    "There is bound to be a recording device built inside that Jammer. They''ll probably just watch the footage and kick out whoever performed the worst. I''m just happy that this mission doesn''t necessarily involve direct fighting." The thief sighed in relief.


    Josh could only nod as he followed his wannabe guide until they reached their destination. It was a vi on the edge of Metropolis-D with tall walls and many patrolling guards. From time to time, an MTA soldier could be seen in their midsts.


    "It seems like the MTA peeps are mostly here to help with coordination. Then again, it''s already pretty good considering that they''re busy with the Tower at the moment." Josh murmured.


    "Indeed, but we still need to be extremely careful. If they sound the rm and request reinforcements, it would be over for us real quick. The hardest part will be to infiltrate with none the wiser." The thief was frowning as he pondered.


    "Hum, how about we just go through the front door?" Josh proposed, his tone not changing in the least.


    On the side, the thief couldn''t help but chuckle. What a jokester! But a secondter, he suddenly gasped as he realized that Josh was actually serious!


    "H-how are we even supposed to do that?!" He cried out.


    "Don''t worry too much about it. Just follow my lead."


    Creator''s Thought


    This is such a rookie mistake. When designing a test, one should ount for what the candidates might try. How were they getting so surprised at seeing a slightly different outfit? These guyscked prescience.

 Chapter 301: Waltzing Through The Front Door!

    <h4>Chapter 301: Waltzing Through The Front Door!</h4>


    Near a wealthy-looking vi, two men were preparing for their uing assault.


    A young thief was eximing: "What do you mean, don''t worry about it?! Do you really want to enter through the front gate?"


    "Sure, why not?" Josh retorted without any trace of doubt. After all, he already had all the tools he needed for the job. What hecked the most was information. "Anyway, we need to research our target and¡ª"


    "You''re not even sure who we''re targeting?! Isn''t this basic?!" The thief cried out.


    "Basic? Then, I''ll trust in you to quickly bring me up to speed." He even winked as hispanion.


    The thief could only sigh: "Fine! The one owning this ce is called Madam Evelynn and owns many specialized medicinal fields. Thus she''s a powerful woman. Honestly, assassinating her would have been easier than trying to intimidate her!"


    "Is she renowned for being stubborn or something?" Josh raised an eyebrow.


    "She''s also arrogant. It''s a nastybination. Now, what''s your n?"


    "Oh, it''s simple. If they are wary of intruders, then we''ll give them a guest of honor. It will be time for a real general to show up. ;)" Josh grinned.


    "No, it won''t work. They''ll ask for a proof of identity, and we''ll be in deep shit afterward." The thief shook his head in denial.


    "Wanna bet it will work then?" Josh yfully offered.


    "What''s the point? Either I win, and we both die, or you win, and I''m broke. This is ridiculous!" The thief clicked his tongue.


    "Alright, just forget about that one detail. Is there anything else that risks causing us trouble, in your opinion?" Josh earnestly asked.


    "The Jammers will be an issue. It would be weird to show up to an "allied" base with this technology. But without them, their sma cannons can turn us into gooey melted flesh!" The thief shivered as he pictured it.


    "Oh? Gooey melted flesh sure sounds like a colorful way to die. Anyway, don''t worry too much about it and follow my lead. First, let''s do this¡­."


    In a sh, Josh picked up both Jammers and put them away. Then he excused himself for a few seconds beforeing back. Suddenly, he was wearing the general outfit¡­and his face had changed?! How?!


    The thief was looking at him with bulging eyes: "H-how?!"


    "Skin mask. While it won''t stand scrutiny, it will be enough to fool anyone at first nce. This is all we need. C''mon, let''s go! You''re ying an eager student from the D-23 school."


    Josh enthusiastically headed toward the vi''s main gates with the puzzled thief following in his footsteps. A D-23 student? This was that weird Alter Tower school, right? While he had seen a few ads about it, it didn''t seem helpful for his line of work.


    Not long afterward, they were already getting stopped by angry-looking guards. "Halt! Stop at once, or we will shoot you!" They bellowed as they aimed their sters at them.


    Josh serenely nced at the soldiers atop the walls. "Stop me at once, and it''s your own boss that will shoot you." He even rxedly chuckled at the end.


    "Who are you, what do you ¡ª"


    "I''m off-duty and only here because of Sir Markus''s sincere request, so let''s skip the formalities. Tell Madam Evelynn that Roderick is here." He calmly uttered before turning to the thief nearby. "See, it''s not thatplicated."


    Hispanion couldn''t help but ask. "What if she doesn''t want to meet us?"


    "What do you mean? We leave." Josh replied without missing a beat.


    The youngster couldn''t help but give an awkward smile. He understood the basis of reverse psychology, but wasn''t this pushing it a bit too far?! That''s when the guards hollered at them again.


    "How can you prove your identity and¡ª"


    Josh didn''t even wait for him to finish his sentence. He turned his heels and began leaving in the most rxed way possible. He even seemed to be beaming in happiness at being rejected, as if he had just dodged a troublesome task.


    "Are we seriously leaving?!" The thief cried out in shock.


    "Haha. Yes, newbie. The ck Legion was created to defend the CDE area. Being a bodyguard is clearly out of our job description." Josh boisterouslyughed, pping the thief''s back amicably.


    Hisughter resonated in the air, astonishing the guards. What was up with this man?! Only a con artist would show up unannounced, right?! But in the back of their heads, there was a little voice whispering: yes, but what if he''s real?


    "P-please wait!" One of them worriedly shouted as he turned to hispanions, ushering them to contact their master. She would end up making thest decision.


    Joshzily stopped, turned back, waved toward themzily, and showed two fingers. He would wait two minutes. Not a single second more. Somehow, his calm assurance had already made the guards believe that he was the real deal.


    Not even a minute afterward, an MTA soldier was exiting the premises. He stopped in front of him, giving him a military salute. "General Roderick, please follow me!"


    "At ease, soldier. I''m off-duty right now. Anyway, how are things here? How are your defenses set up?" Josh rxedly asked.


    "Oh, you know. Everything is well." He gave a perfunctory answer, his brows twitching. Asking about their defensive measures was so damn suspicious!


    "Well? Well, you say? The LoA has ced a bounty on the owner of the vi, and you consider this to be fine?" Josh shook his head with disdain at the man''s misced nonchnce.


    "What?!" The soldier gasped along with this revtion.


    At this point, they arrived at the gates, the guards letting them through. But just as they arrived on the other side, there was a surprise awaiting them. About fifty guards stood in a circle as they pointed deadly sters at them.


    The thief instantly became nervous, he who wasn''t used to fighting in the first ce. But, it was theplete opposite for Josh. He smiled radiantly at them all, nodding appreciatively.


    "Nice, there''s even a weing party!" He happily uttered.


    The guards could only stare bbergasted. Was this man mentally stable? Didn''t he realize the trouble he was in?! Instead of pleading for mercy, he was carefully observing the surroundings with a judgmental gaze.


    Then he turned toward them, seemingly feeling the urge to facepalm.


    "Now, if you guys are here, then who''s watching the walls?"


    That''s when the sound of footsteps was heard as an arrogant-looking woman showed up. She was raising her chin high up, seemingly to look down on the world¡ª except she was 5 feet tall at best.


    She wore glistering gold trinkets embedded with gems: rings, nes, and even bracelets. Her hair was raised in a bun that shook as she nced at her two peculiar visitors.


    "You actually dare to intrude upon my domain? Who are you trying to fool with such a shoddy disguise!" Josh didn''t even retort as she continued her heated tirade.


    "There is no way the MTA would have sent you alone with only this weak child as a backup. Not for something as serious as an LoA bounty! The kid is shaking in his boots, haha!"


    The thief felt like crying. Why did she have to add insult to the sure-toe injury? Even then, Josh remained silent as she kept going. Wow, it was impressive how much she could spew bullshit!


    "I''ve met General Roderick in the past, and he is a man with boundless duty sense. He would never walk away from a task. You''re nothing but a worthless sham!" She pointed at him in scorn.


    Josh was seriously beginning to wonder how she was so courageous. She stood out in the open, standing in ce while she shouted. Any sniper could have quickly taken her out. Perhaps even he could kill her if he acted fast enough.


    "Soon enough, you shall reveal all of your secrets. My men will bring you to a nice obscure room and gently pry answers out of you. Plus, no one knows you''re here." She added with a sadistic smile.


    Josh could understand why the MTA hadn''t bothered sending her more men. She was frankly crazy. At least, he had a cause of celebration. It seemed like her tirade wasing to an end!


    "Men, grab them and¡ª" She ordered but was suddenly interrupted by a deafening rm sounding.


    The guards warily adopted defensive positions. That''s when one of their colleagues came running over in an utter panic. "Our defense perimeter has been breached! There are intruders!"


    The soldiers didn''t panic too much as they began messaging the MTA for reinforcements¡ª or they tried to. One of them shouted with horror: "Communications are down!"


    Another shouted loudly in consternation. "The auto-turrets and the cameras are all failing! That''s way too fast! How''s this even possible?!"


    Lastly, a bright orange energy shield rose around the entire vi. This was the powerful military-grade technology that the ck Legion had used in theirtest campaign. It was extremely sturdy and would be hard to take down.


    One soldier solemnly spoke: "We''re locked in here with whoever is invading." Everyone could understand how serious this was. All these measures couldn''t be coincidences.


    The arrogantdy couldn''t help but shout in fright: "Someone, tell me what the hell is going on?!" But, no one dared to answer. "Say something goddammit!"


    That''s when a soldier shyly chimed in: "Madam, perhaps there really is an LoA bounty on your head¡­."


    She instantly became livid before nodding in realization. She then beamed as she saw Josh. "You, Roderick, right? How will you deal with them?"


    Really?¡­.Really?! Josh looked at her straight in the eyes, smiling brightly.


    "Sorry, I''m actually not Roderick. You see, I''m just a sham with a shoddy disguise who babysits as a hobby. No, I think I''ll take a pleasant nap somewhere obscure instead." He calmly retorted.


    As a finishing touch, Josh sent killing intent her way. In her confusion, she mistook it for the impressive aura of a Ranker.


    That''s when she realized she had fucked up¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    At this point, I was given a choice. I could literally do whatever I wanted with her. She was confused, scared, and had just fallen from her high horse (a gigantic one). What was the best oue for the evaluation? Also, could I somehow profit from this opportunity?

 Chapter 302: This Guy Is a General?!

    <h4>Chapter 302: This Guy Is a General?!</h4>


    The vi belonging to Madam Evelynn in Metropolis-D was going as crazy as its owner!


    Guards were trying their best to find the intruders as they roamed the ce. Their shouts echoed every second as they checked every new emcement. But the more time passed, and the more uneasy they were getting. Where the fuck were the enemies?!


    They all had the feeling that a sharp de was hovering right above their heads yet had no way to get rid of it. From time to time, they would find corpses, badly mutted ones. How was this possible?! They were always walking together!¡ª or they were supposed to.


    The warriors did their best to keep their mistress informed of thetest news. But, every new death only served to dig into her already faltering heart. It had reached a point where she was convinced she would die.


    The once arrogant woman was shaking, barely resisting wetting herself, with tears streaming on her cheeks. Amidst her blurry vision, she could only distinguish one man. He casually stood there, the only sign of calm in the chaos.


    She found herself repeating like a mantra: "General Roderick, please help me! Please help me. I''ll do anything, please!"


    The soldiers nearby were gasping in shock at this scene. What the hell was going on?! Their extremely arrogant boss was begging someone else?! Even being slightly humble was "beneath" her! But, they couldn''t understand, for they hadn''t felt that killing intent.


    Josh had wisely sent it her way alone. Since no one else had felt it, they didn''t suspect foul y. Sure, his appearance and timing were awfully suspicious, but he hadn''t shown any sign of being their enemy¡ª even with how the mistress had treated him!


    "What happened to me being a fake?" Josh slowly uttered with exaggerated confusion.


    "I was mistaken! I was blind. Please forgive me! Please help me! I don''t want to die!" She even crawled his way. In her shaken mind, he was her only path to survival.


    Guards tried to take her away, to escort her to her safe house as per protocol, but the crying mess that she had be objected: "No! I need to convince the general first! I''ll go if he escorts me there!"


    Her men stared at her in shock. Should they force her to apany them?! Some started giving pitiful looks to Josh, begging him to say something. They couldn''t help but get their hopes up when the man sighed before speaking up.


    "I was ready to help as a favor to Markus, but after the insults, this option isn''t avable anymore. Lip service won''t fix it either. Here, this is what it will take for me to help." Josh handed her a magical contract.


    But, this action instantly put the members of her staff on high alert. Would the real General be so scheming? No way! "Mistress, be careful! He''s trying to scam you!!" Signing a magical contract was an incredibly unforgiving matter.


    The arrogantdy seemed to suddenlye back to her senses, her business instincts kicking in. Even in her panicking state, she managed to scan the whole thing. She had unconsciously switched to bushiness mode!


    She nced at Josh, her eyes showing rity for the first time. The thief by the side felt like crying. They had been so close! Before, she considered him a true general, but now she had seen through the ruse! What would happen to them?


    The soldiers also heaved a sigh of relief. Their calctive and bitch of a mistress was back to her senses. They couldn''t even picture the fate that would await them were they to allow her to get scammed under their watch!


    But what followed next rendered them all speechless. She hurriedly signed it seemingly without an afterthought! They couldn''t help but feel like going insane as the magical contract disappeared into light particles.


    She sighed profoundly, standing straight for the first time. "I apologize for my earlier disgraceful disy and all the insults. Thank you for your help, General Roderick. Now, shall we head to the bunker?" She proposed as everyone soon began moving.


    The bystanders couldn''t understand anything that was happening. How had she concluded that he was an ally after all this?! What the hell had been on that one magical contract?! The guards knew better than to ask, but the thief couldn''t resist the temptation.


    "Psst¡ª what happened just there?!"


    "You mean the contract? It''s just a small deal that will profit both the MTA and one of our allies. This is the least I can do as a general, don''t you think." Josh winked at him.


    At this moment, the guards that overheard them finally understood. This "scam" was one that only a member of the MTA would try pulling. Was there any better guarantee of his identity?!


    A few shrewd ones couldn''t help but wonder if this had been his n all along. Was this why he hadn''t produced an identity token in the first ce? Had he been baiting them all along for their mistress to contribute more to the MTA?!


    Others couldn''t help but find it strange. Would a general be so scheming?! But then they suddenly remembered that he hade here under the order of Markus. The man may be considered benevolent, but he remained a politician. Was this his doing?!


    In any case, the many parties were in awe at both Roderick and Markus for pulling such a stunt.


    The mistress didn''t even mind such a slight loss. It even reassured her: the General was legit, and this new ally wasn''t stupid either. How would she react if she learned that neither Roderick nor Markus had anything to do with this?!


    The thief couldn''t help but be mind-blown. Had this guy just pushed a deal that was worthless to him to "prove" his identity?! What a freaking mad genius! Wait, what if he really was a general? Oh god, even he was beginning to be swayed! The mind games!


    Amidst the constant shouts of the guards, they made their way toward the safe house. It was situated right in the middle of the vi''s manor and could only be opened by the mistress herself.


    During the whole trip there, everyone was agitated¡ª well, almost. Josh was happily looking everywhere rxedly as if on a museum tour. This manor exuded wealth, with gorgeous art pieces everywhere! He would excitingly point at them andment.


    The guards were about to go insane. What the fuck was he doing?! Just as they were about to protest, he suddenly stopped them. The General grabbed a nearby decorative golden chandelier and threw it forward to everyone''s consternation.


    As it met the floor, there was a click sound and then¡­..BOOOOMMM! A pressure mine exploded. What the fuck?! As they all turned livid, they heard the man''s calm voice resounding once more.


    "I know I''m handsome, but don''t just stare at me. You should observe the surroundings too." They were all frozen in ce as they finally realized how mistaken they had been about him! "How about we keep going?" Josh nonchntly proposed.


    They spent the rest of the journey looking at their surroundings with paranoiac tendencies. That''s how they managed to avoid a total of 3 more mines.


    This whole thing was eerily scary. The entire way toward the bunker was booby-trapped, and yet none of the other guards had triggered it?! How?! Was their destination a trap too? Was the enemy just trying to scare them away from this safe zone?!


    They felt lost, fearful, stressed, and confused. In contrast, the General was living his best life! He still looked like he was touring the ce! He remained strangely calm, all until they reached their destination.


    The guards couldn''t help but sigh in relief. The door the bunker sported was so thick that it wouldn''t be breached! The mistress opened it, and then was the time to enter it. "General, let''s go inside together." She begged.


    "Sure." Josh nodded, turning to the thief. "Are youing, kid?"


    The thief could only nod awkwardly. The owner seemed slightly displeased with this arrangement, but she didn''t contest it.


    As the trio went inside the bunker, they were weed by opulence. This didn''t feel underground at all! No, it looked like a goddamn penthouse! The door closed behind them, and it was as if they had entered a new world entirely.


    Madam Evelynn instantly headed to the nearby mini-bar. It had seemingly been carved out of precious stones, and who knew what was more expensive between it and its content.


    She began fixing herself a cocktail. As she vigorously shook it, she started coughing from the exertion. As soon as she regained her bearings, she kindly offered:


    "Would you like one too, General? Any preference?"


    "I''ll have what you''re having. I have to admit. You sure have good taste in bunker design." Joshmented as he headed to the heated jacuzzi in the middle of the room with a smile.


    The thief remained frozen in ce near the entrance as he gawked at this ce,pletely bbergasted. What the heck was wrong with this ce?! Why was it so over the top?! What was wrong with these people?! How could they enjoy themselves at such a time?!


    He felt as if his worldview was copsing. Was this how it was for the rich? He felt this scene was so surreal. Once again, he couldn''t help but feel so confused. Who was this man he had followed here?!


    Was he just a regr candidate? Why did it seem like everything that was happening was under his control?! No, this wasn''t possible. He hadn''t seemed to have a solid grasp over the evaluation. Then, how?!


    The thief didn''t know what to think or what to do with his own body. He sat near the bunker''s entrance, wondering how his colleague would deal with their present mission.


    Meanwhile, the other two were now happily swimming and drinking. Was now a good time for such frivolities?! At least, they had an incredible lead on the other candidates. No matter what they tried, they wouldn''t be able to enter this ce.


    Their sess was just a matter of time!¡ª or so he naively assumed.


    Suddenly he heard a noise. ncing at the source of it, he couldn''t help but shake in fear. Josh, who had been blissfully soaking in the jacuzzi, could now be seen spitting a mouthful of blood.


    The red liquid blended with the water, giving it an ominous look. That''s when he noticed their host. She had been smiling, but she was now grinning. Her face seemed to be constricting, giving her an incredibly unnatural look.


    What the heck was this?! It was as if she had been turned into a puppet. Then, she turned toward him, stiffly winking. The thief''s heart began thumping in unease, but it was toote.


    That''s when he heard the sound of the bunker door opening¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    Do you know how annoying it is to be poisoned to death while you''re just minding your own business?! This is even truer for when you''re just soaking! It''s so damn rude! Sometimes, I truly wonder about the future of the LoA. Poison this, poison that, what happened to good old-school murdering?!

 Chapter 303: Josh Died, Yet Again!

    <h4>Chapter 303: Josh Died, Yet Again!</h4>


    As the door to the bunker began to open, the upants could only panic. How the hell had this been breached?!


    But this wasn''t the worst. No, Josh was lying in a literal pool of his blood, the jacuzzi jets swirling the crimson liquid mesmerizingly. What had happened?! This was bound to be Madam Everlynn''s doing, right?! But why?!


    The thief felt himselfcking air. This opulent bunker had just turned into an expensive tomb! As he nced at the madam, he felt a chill. She didn''t look like herself at all. It was as if she was controlled, as she stiffly went near the mini-bar, grabbing a knife.


    Was she going to attack him too?! Then with incredible decisiveness, she began stabbing her legs! What?! As her blood flowed, creating a puddle on the floor, she gave a broken but satisfied smile as she slumped to the ground.


    It''s only then that she seemed to regain her spirit. Her eyes slowly began quivering as ifing out of a dream. No, this one had to be a nightmare! Her face became livid as she repressed a scream of agony.


    Then she seemed to be conscious of all she had done. She turned toward the immobile Josh and began shaking. What had she done?! She slowly raised her hands to her face, spasming. On her finger was a special ring with a now-empty poison container.


    The thief realized how bad their situation was. Their target was nothing but a broken, bloody mess, and his colleague was probably dead. He felt fury and fear cohabit inside his heart.


    His eyes were peeled on the door before widening in shock. Two of the candidates from the LoA test stood there. They had looked like enemies earlier, but they were so close now! Had they been working together from the start?!


    What could he even do in a 1 v 2?! Most probably die and nothing else. Perhaps he could flee too. He couldn''t help but nce at the out-ofmission Josh. Was he still alive? Maybe he could still be saved.


    The thief''s brain was akin to a hamster spinning in a wheel, working as fast as it bloody could! But, he always arrived at the same conclusion: as long as they stood at the entrance, he couldn''t run away.


    No, right now, he needed to buy time. As long as he could stall long enough, then thedy in blue would show up. If she had higher-up rtives in the association, she probably wouldn''t feel the need to team up with the two invaders.


    "Whaaatt! You guys are working together?!" The thief exaggeratedly shouted.


    He needed to stroke their ego right now. He wanted them tough at him and disregard him as a potential threat. He had no choice.


    "Hehe, how does it even surprise you? Aren''t you doing the very same? You''re not the brightest, are you?" The man chuckled like a third-rate viin.


    "B-but, how?! This door should be impossible to breach, right?!" The thief eximed.


    "Idiot, she''s the one that so kindly opened it." The girl pointed to the madam, who had somehow stopped most of her bleeding.


    He realized that she was speaking the truth, but this was so damn scary! How the heck had this even happened?! They were only giving a teasing smile that meant: "Wouldn''t you like to know?"


    "Whaaatt?! How did you convince her to open it?!" He asked like an idiot. Of course, he realized that there had to be magic involved, especially after the knives in the legs.


    "Hehe, I have my ways. Still, do you think I''m not aware that you''re only trying to buy time?" She chuckled, giving him a smirk.


    The thief quickly retorted: "Buying time? What would buying time possibly aplish? This is just so impressive that I''m incredibly curious!"


    "Trying to stall and kiss ass to survive. That''s quite shameless, even by my standards! Then again, as expected of a man who leeched his way here. You wouldn''t even be alive if that other guy hadn''t saved you. How worthless!"


    "W-what? No I¡­I just wanted to¡­It''s ¡­!" the thief stammered iprehensible stuff. Yet, in his head, he was begging for them to insult him more. Insults took time!


    Sadly, the two saw through him as they began heading toward him. Now, he only had one course of action to follow. With a valiant shout, he charged right at ¡­the madam! He then ced a dagger right at her neck.


    "One more step, and I''ll slit her throat! You''ll fail the mission!" He bellowed.


    That''s when the two enemies took a single step forward with yful smiles. Then they slowly andzily resumed their pace.


    "I''ll really do it!" The thief shouted once more.


    But, his words had zero impact on the opponents. They just gave a disdainful smile as they kept moving his way. Fuck! He could instinctively feel it. They didn''t care one bit about the mission. What were they even nning?!


    "How about we let you go if you mutte your friend''s body?" The man taunted.


    "How about you go fuck yourself!" The thief answered by reflex, not missing a beat.


    For now, he would move and¡­.but then the thief found that his body wasn''t responding. Oh god, no! He trembled as he realized that he had fallen to whatever magic they used. That''s when he noticed the girl. Her eyes were glowing orange as she stared straight his way.


    "This is a fun power, isn''t it? I''d say it is quite convenient to restrain little rats that want nothing but to flee for their lives." The man slowly approached as he ridiculed him. At this rate, the thief would die!


    No way, no fucking way! Could he ept leaving the world like that?! Hell no! He had to make them pay, to make these fucker suffer! They had killed his savior, and he had to get revenge!


    The man grabbed his head, raising his entire unmoving body in the air. Then with the other, he took out a short barbed gauntlet. He grinned: "Believe me, this will hurt a lot!"


    What the fuck was that weapon?! A freaking gauntlet?! Was this guy a street thug? He was bringing shame to all assassins! That''s when the thief saw a punch with incredible momentum approach his face.


    An earth-shattering sound resounded as the victim had his entire head blown off! Well, not that head. At the veryst moment, the thief had managed to kick the man''s dick!


    All the rage at losing his friend, at his helplessness, and finally that righteous fury over the gauntlets had been enough for him to fight back the magical spell! Without waiting, he began shing the man who was now on the ground! He would murder him!


    But the thief wasn''t a fighter. As he was shing for the third time, the man regained his bearings and punched his chest heavily, sending him flying. As the thief collided with a wall, he felt his breath leave him. Heid there, unable to move.


    Was this the end? The man''s injuries weren''t life-threatening, and he only wouldn''t be able to walk for a while. The thief felt regret. He had been so close to getting one of them!


    "What?! How did he free himself?!" the girl uttered in surprise. "Ah, whatever. He won''t be moving anytime soon." She shrugged, without pity for her colleague who was holding what once used to be his genitals.


    But suddenly, she turned behind her. At the bunker entrance, there was a woman that had appeared, one dressed fully in blue.


    The thief couldn''t help but lowly chuckle, wincing from the pain. No one could fight besides that one weird puppeteerdy. In a 1 v 1, he estimated the chances of victory of thedy in blue to be higher. These assholes would face retribution!


    Thedy in blue remained utterly silent.


    "You, this is a matter you shouldn''t meddle with. As there are two fewer candidates, we will all be progressing to the next round. Whatever happens, you''ll have your ce in the LoA anyway, am I right?"


    Thedy in blue didn''t even bother answering, or perhaps her silence was her reply.


    "How about we each mind our business? Live and let live. Who knows who will survive if we both fight!" She insisted.


    Thedy in blue nced all around the room, analyzing the situation. The thief was confident she would determine that the danger was minimal. Her gaze especially lingered on the dead Josh.


    She would probably kill these guys simply because they were currently the stronger candidates! But then, she nodded, turned heels, and backtracked. No! Fucking bullshit! Why?! The thief had gone from extreme happiness to great despair.


    Thedy in blue even closed the bunker door behind her. She was gone!


    His opponent turned his way with a sadistic smile. "Now, it''s just you and me, and we''ll have so much fun! There is nothing in existence that can save you now¡­." She cackled.


    Just as the thief was at the very bottom of despair, he suddenly saw a scene that made his eyes bulge and his heart almost explode from excitement. He tried to hide his reaction, but he simply wasn''t able to.


    Behind the enemy, apletely fine Josh had just appeared, somehow charging with incredible speed. What?! How?! Had he been ying dead all along?! Why?! So many questions swirled in the thief''s head.


    Josh didn''t even bother taking a weapon out. He just punched her with so much force that she flew like a cannonball, her body impaled on a decorative stuffed antelope head. Wow!


    "You talk a lot of shit for someone so weak." Josh''s nonchnt voice sounded like heavenly music to the thief''s ears. They were saved!¡ª or so he thought.


    As she was profusely bleeding, the girl''s eyes turned entirely orange as she stared at Josh. This spell had obviously paralyzed him! Then again, what was the point? It wasn''t like she could do much harm in her current state, right?


    Sadly, the thief had disregarded one detail. The man was still alive. His lower half was busted, but he could still crawl! He slowly but surely made his way toward Josh, the thief wished so much to be able to move. But, he could only watch in despair.


    Finally, the man reached the frozen Josh. No, why did it have to end this way?! He gave a sinister grin¡­that was suddenly wiped off as Josh stomped hard on his head.


    "What?! You can move?! How?!" The girl''s bbergasted voice echoed.


    "Why wouldn''t I be able to? Do you mean because of your shitty and useless skill?" Josh spat out with disdain.


    Then he nced at the two of them, uttering words that felt so damn familiar!


    "Now, it''s just you and me, and we''ll have so much fun! Why don''t you slowly tell me about this power of yours? It seems very, very interesting."


    Screams of despair soon resounded as evil had met far greater evil. The thief could only smile wryly.


    The man had never needed any saving¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    I wanted to see how the thief would react to my demise. Even as he was confronted with the option to mutte my corpse for his freedom, he refused. Now, it was obviously a false hope but humans easily cling to anything in desperation. He handled it pretty well considering he was obviously inexperienced with soul attacks.

 Chapter 304: Busted, Hes No Assassin!

    <h4>Chapter 304: Busted, He''s No Assassin!</h4>


    In avish bunker, a wealthy woman and a small thief couldn''t take their eyes off a single man as they shivered endlessly.


    From time to time, they would nce at the two corpses nearby, ones who had to beg for the sweet release of death. No, they had even needed to buy the end of their constant suffering. They had targeted the wrong candidate!


    The man was now eagerly sipping on a drink, with no trace of any tension in his body. They couldn''t rte this calm man to the devil who had tortured his captives through some mystical technique.


    Josh had been slightly intrigued by the woman''s ability. Her puppeteering gave herplete control over others'' actions but could be countered by a strong will or survival instincts. It was definitely peculiar enough that it could surprise enemies!


    For an instant, he had even entertained the idea to recruit her. But, he had decided otherwise in the end. After all, he had perceived too much resentment in her eyes. Hence he had ended them both, her and her worthlesspanion.


    They had told him many things before kicking the bucket. For instance, where their headquarters was, all that they had recently done and even enlightened him on the inner workings of the LoA test.


    Sure, it tested the candidates, but it was actually designed to evaluate the recruiters. It was all about their capacities to find, train and use talent. Josh''s recruiter was frankly an aberration in their midsts. He had gambled it all with a man he knew nothing about!


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. This recruiter''s luck had to be heavenly! He was supposed to end up with a decent assassin and had ended up with him instead. How would they all react once they learned that he had killed two more candidates?


    "Well, this was fun." Josh sighed softly. The other two by the side were still trembling as they wondered how he could be so rxed.


    "Thank you for everything, General. Else I would have been¡­." Madam Evelynn uttered, her voice breaking. This experience had been a traumatizing one. Losing control of one''s body was quite terrifying.


    "Don''t worry about it. This is all a ploy by the LoA. Make sure that you don''t cause any wave for a while, and I''ll take care of the issue. Is that understood?" Josh instructed.


    "I''ll do as you say, General." She instantly agreed. She wanted to live and now hadplete trust in the man.


    On the side, the thief slowly came back to his senses. Wait, this had been their mission all along! Josh had convinced her as he was supposed to, but what kind of convoluted clear process was this?! He had gained her trust by ughtering hispetitors!


    "Anyway, time for us to go. We''ll investigate this whole incident and find the culprits." Josh heroically dered while he fed the thief a healing pill, then grabbed him.


    As they exited the bunker, leaving behind their host, they could hear an extremely faint voice.


    "General Roderick, General Roderick, General Roderick¡­" She was repeating the name as if a mantra. She would never forget her dashing savior! How would the real Roderick deal with this new fan-girl in the future? Who knew and who cared!


    As they left, they got the royal treatment. The guards had learned what had transpired from their mistress, and they were so damn grateful! Had anything happened to her, they would have been the ones responsible.


    Josh could feel their burning eyes on him all until they left the premises. All the guards had failed, yet he had singlehandedly seeded!


    The duo went straight toward the LoA test area. As they entered, angry voices echoed in the underground room. They had intruded on an incredibly heated debate.


    "They should be disqualified! What kind of crazy stunt is this?! Assassins live in the shadows! Why the heck would one volunteer to act as a bodyguard?!"


    "There''s something fishy about the guy! Do we even know who he is?! First, he shows up with a general MTA outfit, and then he kills our people left and right?! His body count is already at 3!"


    "So, let me get this straight¡­you want to disqualify an assassin for killing? Doesn''t that defy the whole purpose of this evaluation?"


    "That''s not what I¡ª"


    "How about keeping quiet in the presence of candidates?" Only then did the bickeringe to a stop.


    Josh casually entered the room, only to be angrily red at by 3 of the recruiters. This much was to be expected since he had murdered their chances at a promotion along with their candidates.


    The atmosphere was highly intimidating¡ª or it should have been. Josh didn''t seem bothered by it at all!


    "Hey guys, how are you all doing? We''re just missing thedy in blue, and we can start the next test, am I right?" His enthusiastic voice felt so out of ce!


    But, this wouldn''t be so simple. The thief''s recruiter addressed him with an incredibly stern face:


    "First, you''ll have to answer a few questions. There is just too much that doesn''t add up. How were you able to impersonate someone like General Roderick? It should be hard to evene into contact with him, much less sessfully steal his identity!"


    "¡­Really? Aren''t we assassins supposed to be good at information gathering? The man is extremely easy to meet. He''s always at the D-23 school, don''t you guys know this?" Josh had the look of an old man disappointed in the new generation.


    They looked surprised but then realized this to be true. Still, they weren''t done.


    "We heard about the contract. Why did you do something that profits the MTA? Exin yourself!" Some recruiters were preparing themselves to attack if he tried to run.


    "¡­Really? I''m going to make bank on that one! The whole contract can be voided any time I desire. Either they''ll pay me, or there won''t be any benefits for them!" Josh grinned happily.


    "How do you exin having the contacts required to do business with the MTA then?" The recruiter remarked, convinced that the troublesome recruit had just dug its grave.


    "MTA? Why would I sell it to them when I can sell it to the D-23 school? They''re the only party I actually want to do business with. Don''t you know how greedy those guys are? It costs 10 000 Credits just to study there full-time!!" Josh eximed heatedly.


    The recruiters felt at a loss. Their information about the contract wascking, and they couldn''t even confirm if this was true or not. Could the MTA part only be smoke and mirrors? Why did it seem like this guy was doing whatever he pleased?! This was a test!


    "There is still one thing that doesn''t make sense¡­." One slowly uttered with everyone holding their breath. Had he figured something out?! "Why the hell are you an assassin when you''re that good at scamming people?!"


    "What do you mean scamming?! I saved that woman''s life today! To the eyes of the world, I''m¡ª General Roderick is a hero! This is nder!" Josh loudly protested.


    The recruiters who had lost their candidates felt themselves tearing up. How had they suffered such losses to this jokester?! Couldn''t he at least fake to take this evaluation seriously?!


    They all nced at the fakewyer with reproachful gazes. Where had he even gotten this perversely strong buffoon?! Did they have the courage to witness all the mayhem that he would inevitably causeter?


    There were supposed to be four tests that would end up leaving only two candidates. Hell, the final one was even supposed to be a deathmatch between the three finalists!


    During the first test, this madman had killed one guy and two during the second. Would there remain anyone alive if they conducted the third one?


    The recruiters shared a nce. At this moment, something magical happened. They put their differences aside and wordlessly decided to skip the two remaining evaluations directly!


    That''s when the woman in blue arrived. She seemed as peaceful as before as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened to her today. She barely nced at Josh, not lingering. The recruiters nodded at her, not even bothering to figure out if she had seeded or failed the mission.


    It really seemed like the rumor of her having connections was true. Josh had to admit that he wascking in that regard. He definitely had to increase the number of his acquaintances in the underground world. After all, the MTA had to follow thew hence was restricted in its actions.


    Josh''s recruiter was lowkey beaming in happiness. Now that his candidate had been cleared of immediate suspicion, this test was going exceptionally well! He happily took the spotlight, volunteering to exin the rest:


    "Congrattion. From now on, you are henceforth epted as probatory members of the LoA. Be proud, for you have all shown great potential!"


    Thedy in blue was ever so indifferent while the thief could only rub his head awkwardly. He had achieved his ce among the finalist by not pissing Josh off. This....was so simple, and yet so many had fucked it up.


    "Your next assignment will decide whether you are worthy to be a true assassin. But, there are many kinds of assassins in the LoA. There are the puny ones that feed off the scraps, and there are the true assassins, the ones that are feared worldwide."


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder. Where was he even going with such a lengthy exposition?


    "As such, you can decide whether you want to take the easy test or an impossibly hard one, aka The Assassin''s Promise." The fakewyer concluded solemnly.


    As soon as the term Assassin''s Promise came out, the thief gasped in shock. The recruiter nced at the two, who hadn''t reacted. This didn''t even phase them?! How courageous! But then he heard his candidate mumble to the nearby thief.


    "Psst¡ª what''s that promise thingy again?"


    How did he not know this?! Was this guy seriously trying to be a professional assassin?! The recruiter felt like facepalming...


    Creator''s Thought


    There is some real money to be made by selling contracts. It allows for one to get benefits without actually being the one taking care of it. This was the only logical exnation for an assassin going out of his way to sign one. As for proving my real identity.... good luck!

 Chapter 305: Assassins Promise!

    <h4>Chapter 305: Assassin''s Promise!</h4>


    In an underground room, many LoA recruiters were left speechless by a single candidate''s ignorance. They were all staring at him, feeling at an extreme loss. This dumbass had already killed more than half the candidates! How?!


    "Why don''t you enlighten him since you seem to understand what the next test entails." The fakewyer told the thief, resisting the urge to curse the oblivious one aloud.


    The thief could only awkwardly smile as heplied: "The Assassin''s Promise is an extremely serious affair. It consists in informing one''s target about their uing demise via a special letter. This is the actual Promise."


    "Oh, I see, ever more letters! What about texting them? Wouldn''t it do the same?" Josh carelessly replied.


    "No way! It wouldn''t have the same impact, and it''s a matter of honor! It''s a tradition as old as the assassin profession itself!" The thief eximed heatedly.


    "I get it. I get it. Still, I''m surprised that its credibility hasn''t been called into question by pranksters sending false ones for the fun of it..." Josh murmured.


    "It would be suicide! Anyone breaking the sacred rules will be hunted. There are only two potential oues to an Assassin''s Promise: either the assassin seeds or dies. There is no in-between."


    "So, in short, I just need to send a fancy yet serious death threat?" Josh summarized.


    The recruiter then chimed in:


    "If you so ept this trial, you will have a few target choices. However, just know that all the marks will be powerful and well-connected. Plus, they''ll be aware of your intentions, thus negating the most powerful tool in a killer''s kit: surprise attack!"


    He then took a solemn look once more:


    "What will you guys pick? Will it be the easiest option or the extremely challenging one?" He stared at them with great intensity as he awaited their reply. For them, it was bound to be a tough choice!


    But he was barely done with his question that two were replying, not an ounce of worry in their tone:


    "Assassin''s Promise." Thedy in blue murmured.


    "The hardest one, obviously!" Joshmented.


    The fakewyer didn''t know how to react. How could they be so nonchnt about it all?! It was as if this was nothing but a routine procedure to them! Then, even the thief followed their lead!


    "This is so risky! ...Ah, whatever, count me in too!" While he was nowhere near confident, he was ready to die for his dreams if it was required.


    The fakewyer could only put his restlessness aside as he kept following the established protocol. "I will now send you a short target list. You can only pick one amongst them. Choose wisely, for this will determine your life or death!"


    Josh received a message on his UW.


    ¡ª Ding! ¡ª


    <Target List Received, ept?>


    A clickter, he could now easily visualize who he would soon have the pleasure to kill. Apparently, they were ssified by difficulty level from easiest to hardest:


    - Twin-Knife Jackson ¡ª Cleaner, Cutting Edge (A)


    - Holy Pdin Joseph ¡ª Adamantium Wolves (A)


    - Unkible Harry ¡ª Lucky charm, Tortoise (A)


    - Runic Knight Phillips ¡ª Recruiter, Gemini (A)


    The first one was a cleaner, aka the kind of shady individual that made people disappear. Due to his profession, his guild likely wouldn''t help too much¡ª it would be admitting their connection.


    The second one was a regr member of a well-organized mercenary guild. Their specialty was clearing the Tower, and they would probably be easy to infiltrate given that they had a shitload of members.


    The Unkible Harry guy was apparently a symbol for his guild and guarded 24/7. He didn''t even have an official position. He was simply liked!


    Then finally, there was the recruiter for Gemini. Josh couldn''t help but raise a brow at this one. Was this that one arrogant guy who had looked down on him? Either way, that one guild probably had the most connections and would prove highly challenging.


    The other two candidates quickly selected their preferred targets. It seemed like they all had different lists too. The thief went with the one that seemed the easiest to take down while thedy in blue decisively chose one randomly.


    Only Josh was left staring at his UW. Which one should he pick?!


    The fakewyer smiled seeing this. "Just select any. The difficulty of each isn''t that far apart. What makes you hesitate? Are you worried about them belonging to A-Ranked guilds?"


    "Not at all. Honestly, I''m surprised there are no Rankers in there. I''m just trying to figure out which one of them I like the least. The problem is that I sorelyck information." Josh answered while clicking his tongue.


    It seemed like the recruiter had misunderstood once again. Most chose based on difficulty, and he was freaking picking based on his mood?! He couldn''t help butin: "You''re an assassin, not a Death God! Just pick one!"


    A Death God, was it? Somehow these words resonated with him. The whole point of this evaluation was to impress the LoA bigshots, right? They had probably seen countless assassinations. Would one more even make an impact? No way!


    He had just the perfect idea! That''s when Josh began smiling, a radiant smile that put all the recruiters on edge. They felt that something was very wrong with him¡­quite possibly his brain! They could already feel the crazy oozing out of him!


    "I''ve decided. Send an Assassin''s Promise to the four of them. But, instead of the regr caption promising them death, write that the Death God will visit them. Their lives will cease to be their own as they face judgment." Josh heroically ordered.


    The bystanders could only stare at him in shock. What the hell was he trying to pull?! One shouted, brandishing his fist in the air. "This is an Assassin''s Promise we''re talking about! We won''t be freaking changing it just because you feel like it!"


    "Why not?"


    "Because it''s shameful! Assassins kill. They don''t judge!"


    "I''ll do both. This whole practice is meant to terrify the world into submission, am I right? No matter what the victim tries, if the LoA wants them dead, they will die! Because of this, they fear going against us." Josh calmly spoke.


    "Yes¡­." He grumbled.


    "So, which one is the most terrifying: kill one guy with lots of effort or kidnap four and kill whoever the fuck you want as easily as ughtering chickens?"


    "¡­Thetter, I guess." The recruiter reluctantly admitted.


    "Great!" Josh pped his hands happily.


    Meanwhile, the recruiters sent a few messages. They were all asking the higher-ups to know if Josh''s proposal was considered valid. Soon, they had their reply with the fakewyer delivering it:


    "Permission has been granted. However, you need to kidnap all of them, kill at least one of them, and you need to put on a good show. You will be graded based on how big of a wave it makes on the news." He solemnly dered.


    The others were all staring at Josh while drawing a cold breath. Kidnapping four members of A-Ranked guilds, some even core ones?! He had just dug his own grave! How was he supposed to aplish something like this?!


    Yet, Josh was satisfyingly smiling. His main concern was to decide who he wanted to kill. He wouldn''t just take a life because someone had ordered him to do so. He would follow his judgment.


    Once again, the recruiters didn''t know how to react to his nonchnce. Hence they did the only thing they could think of: "Alright, time to get out! You all have a month to finish this assignment. Once you''re done, we''ll contact you for a follow-up!


    Thedy in blue hurriedly left on her own, barely ncing at Josh. The thief, on the other hand, couldn''t help but stick around toment:


    "Brother, this is the most insane n I''ve ever heard. You should probably start with the harder targets. The more you kidnap and the more the targets will invest in protection." He earnestly advised.


    "Thanks for the thought, but what about you? How will you proceed?" Josh asked rxedly.


    "I''m a thief, so I''ll do thief things. I''ll probably do some reverse-pickpocketing and hope for the best." He sighed as he pictured the dangerous task ahead.


    Reverse-pickpocketing? He probably meant poisoning something the target would eat/drink ahead of time. Either way, it was his problem to deal with. Josh would be plenty busy as it was.


    He quickly waved the thief goodbye and began walking away, checking his UW for information. But suddenly, plenty of messages came through, all from the same guy.


    ¡ª Ding! ¡ª


    ¡ª Ding! ¡ª


    ¡ª Ding! ¡ª


    - Frank the Recruiter: Holy shit! We just hit the jackpot once again! Look at the news. This is crazy! I can already picture all the new Climbers queuing at our doors to buy their entry to the Alter Tower!


    - Frank the Recruiter: Okay, here''s the summary. Remember the underwater Tower? Well, they''re calling it Antis Tower now. Apparently, it''s extremely deadly! A bunch of people entered it, and they''re all getting thrown out...Well, their corpses are!


    - Frank the Recruiter: I managed to find a picture, look at this! <BloatedCorpse.Png> They all came out looking like that, and the autopsy revealed that they died mere minutes after entering the Tower. They all drowned! Do you know what that means?! Yes, $$$ Haha!


    Spitting corpses out? Why?! How?!


    As Josh opened the attached picture, he couldn''t help but frown. The corpse was so swollen that it was hard to recognize it as a human being. The white-ckish remnants of flesh were peeling off and wrinkly beyond belief.


    There were green spots around its limbs and neck. It was as if algae had choked out the Climber. All in all, the whole corpse was as disgusting as grotesque! It made one''s stomach turn up just looking at it!


    He shivered slightly. Aquatic levels were so terrifying! Humans not only would have trouble surviving while submerged in water, but they also wouldn''t be able to apply any force. It was simple but so deadly!


    It was always possible that it was a Floor akin to all the others and that monsters with water abilities- inhabited it, but it was doubtful. Would the regr Tower show such characteristics at some point? How could they even deal with it as and-based species?!


    Josh couldn''t help but wonder what would have happened to him if he had gone there. Would he be just another unrecognizable bloated corpse to add to the collection? He had a dimensional belt, but could he even survive a full day in the water?


    There were so many unknown variables! He would have to remain informed for sure!


    - Josh MF Malum: Take care of it and update me on the news. Feel free to do any pub you want. For instance,e to the Alter Tower: 99 ways to die, but drowning ain''t one!


    After sending this message, he pushed the issue away for now. It was time to focus on some incredibly high-key kidnapping¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    The scariest about the Tower is definitely the unknown. This made Antis Tower extremely dangerous. As a species, we had to explore it to further our knowledge, but at this moment it was pretty much a death sentence. It was a repeat of the early ranker days over again, tons of deaths...

 Chapter 306: Old/New Helper!

    <h4>Chapter 306: Old/New Helper!</h4>


    Many look down on kidnapping since it''s illegal and all, but it''s an art! In fact, there are many vital points to such an activity:


    1. Pick the right mark.


    2. Strike swiftly and without hesitation.


    3. Remain anonymous during the entire process.


    4. Aplish one''s goal without getting too distracted.


    Honestly, most people fail at point 1 or 4. One needs to know one''s limits when deciding on who to target. This point wasn''t too much of an issue for Josh since he aimed for A-Ranked Climbers, not even S-Ranked!


    How would they have felt if they knew his current thoughts? In the eyes of the world, joining an A-ranked guild was prestigious and meant one had won at life. Perhaps only an aberration like Josh could consider joining an S one easy.


    Decisiveness and anonymity wouldn''t be too much of an issue. He now had a Jammer to prevent basic technology from even detecting him. This would mean that all the random cameras in the city wouldn''t be an issue at all. Plus, even his current face was fake!


    Thest point was usually harsh. Most kidnappings had the goal to make money, and it would be the riskiest part of the operation. After all, it was hard to establish trust between ransomer and ransomed when it came to the exchange.


    But, what about Josh? He wouldn''t have such a problem. Demands? Deals with the family? Careful torture?? He wouldn''t care! This was what made such an operation so fun.


    At that moment, he was sitting in the dark as he yed around with a small letter. It was ck with a silver dagger, simr to the test invitation. The difference was that this one was an omen of despair.


    He nodded, satisfied at the content. It was short, elegant, and to the point. One had to admit that the LoA knew letter esthetics. Josh couldn''t help but wonder if arge part of the league''s ie didn''t low-keye from a side lettering business¡­


    Either way, he was happy with what his targets would receive. It went:


    "???????????? ???????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????. ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????", signed the LoA.


    Now, who should he target first?


    The cleaner guy, perhaps? He was already in Metropolis-D, and it would be a very short trip. He could be done with it soon if he hurried.


    The holy pdin, maybe? He had that one acquaintance who kinda owed him for saving his life. He could ask him for help with the infiltration.


    The tortoise guy? He''d keep this one forst because the guy was out in the open. Finding him would be easy. The issue would most likely be the man''s whole guilding to his rescue. Yep, deadst it would be!


    The runic knight guy belonged to Gemini. Josh could use this opportunity to contact an old friend. Well, a friend would be pushing it for sure. Still, she had extended help when she thought he needed it and all.


    This one would be one of thest ones, so he could catch up a bit without being pressed by time. After all, grabbing coffee with someone who was hurrying was quite annoying.


    Thus he had decided:


    Cleaner ¡ª> Wolf ¡ª> Gemini ¡ª> Tortoise


    Now that he had an immediate purpose, he had to get as much information as possible! Who could he even ask for this? Oh, he had just the guy in mind! That''s how he made his way toward the Sunny Nightclub.


    As he came nearby, the bouncers threw him dirty looks. Their eyes seemed to convey: "Who are you, and why have you been lurking around our ce." To which Josh just red at them before requesting to see that one bodyguard.


    Even as they growled at him, they did send someone to get the naive guy. As he showed up, he stared at Josh with hope and suspicion. This was weird since he usually was the one finding clients, not the other way around!? Was he finally gaining recognition as a bodyguard?!


    "You''ve been looking for me?" He asked skeptic.


    "Yep, let''s talk at your ce!" Josh didn''t even let him object that he was already on the move. As soon as they were sitting at the kitchen table, he spoke once more. "Alright, here''s the deal. I need to kidnap someone, and you''ll help me." Josh dered.


    "¡­.I think you have the wrong guy. I''m a bodyguard, a bodyguard! Plus, kidnapping is a crime!" He vehemently objected.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll pay. Plus, it''s only a crime if you get caught." Josh shrugged.


    "That''s not how it works!"


    "Who cares. The point is, you learned how to protect people. You may not be that good at it, but you understand the theory very well. I''m sure you can be an asset to deal with this first target." Josh enthusiastically spoke.


    "First target?! How many are involved in your devious n? Why would I stoop so low as to participate in this?! Now, I can just warn him and make money! " The bodyguard eximed.


    "Sure, but I have something to offer that might very well interest you. In your line of work, it''s but a question of time before someone puts a contract on your head. I can intercept such bounty from the inside and help when the timees." Josh gently smiled.


    "From the inside?! Wait, do you mean the League of Assassins?! Aren''t you guys all sworn by secret or something?!" He eximed in shock.


    "I cannot confirm or deny it. But, if anyone asks, I''ve never mentioned anything about the topic. Anyway, are you in, or are you in?" Josh gave him a ridiculous choice.


    "I''m totally out! No way that I''m doing something so shady, no matter what you say!" The bodyguard shook his head in denial.


    "Look, let''s not do that bit where you refuse, and then I slowly but surely convince you by making a BS emotional speech. Here, look at this. Afterward, you''re helping me either way." Josh assertively dered.


    "There''s no way that¡ª" The bodyguard wanted to object, but he became speechless when he saw the two items that the man had thrown toward him.


    The first was an Assassin''s Promise letter. If before it had been likely that he was rted to the LoA, it was now pretty much confirmed. Well, not that he would ever truly admit it.


    The second was an MTA outfit. Why was he even bothering to¡­.oh crap! It was a General''s outfit?! The bodyguard stared in awe. This wasn''t the type of thing one could easily fake.


    Wait, how could he possess both?! Either the man was ying him for a fool....or he was working undercover! Could he be trying to unearth the secrets of the LoA from the inside by joining?!


    "So, are you in?" Josh asked.


    "I need to know something first. There will be more than just kidnapping, am I right?!" The bodyguard frowned deeply.


    "I''ll be kidnapping four and probably killing 1 of them, aka whoever pisses me off. Knowing people in general, I''m sure one of them somewhat deserves it. Or maybe I''ll fake it, not sure yet." Josh shrugged.


    The bodyguard hesitated for a few seconds but then spoke with incredible resolve. "Fine, I''ll help. But, I''ll ask for premium remuneration! I want 8k for this job!"


    "Sure." Josh directly agreed.


    The man''s face changed. Wait, he agreed so quickly?! This was 8k credits! He began regretting not asking for more. He could only sigh in regret as Josh spoke once more.


    "Alright, our first target is a Cleaner from Cutting Edge. He''s called knife something¡­."


    "Twice-Knife Jackson! They say he stabs people whenever he disagrees with them. But he only ever does so twice. The third time¡­well, you don''t want to reach the third time!" The bodyguard shivered.


    "Gotcha, so how do we get him somewhere alone? Can we use the fact that he''s a cleaner? You know, maybe find him a remote job somewhere, with us lying in wait." Josh proposed.


    "I know how he operates. They use donut boxes to exchange messages. You''re in luck as I just happen to know their code. I can make hime wherever you want." He proudly dered. Well, with reason since counterintelligence won wars!


    "Oh? Nice! Just make hime here then."


    "Hell no! I use this ce with my clients! I''m not about tomit such a rookie mistake!" The bodyguard shouted.


    "Haha, I''m just kidding. Anyway, let''s rent a nice little apartment. As for the decoration, how about stic sheets everywhere? It helps a lot with the blood." Josh proposed.


    "¡­.You remind me of someone. How many stic sheets freaks are there out there?! Is this supposed to be normal?!" The man asked, baffled.


    "Why reinvent the wheel? It gets the job done, so why change it? There''s even a whole forum about it!" Josh happily bullshitted. Was there really one? Probably?


    Afterward, it was time to prepare everything real quick! Josh rented a ce nearby, did the decoration himself, and they were ready to begin.


    "Now, I can ask him toe to this ce, but you''re on your own afterward. The guy is powerful enough to be in an A-Ranked guild. Are you sure about this?"


    "Are we really sure of anything in life? Sometimes something good isn''t as it seems, and something bad can lead to progress." Josh sighed, akin to a philosopher as he looked deep in thoughts.


    "No, seriously! I''ll almost feel bad if you get killed because of me¡­."


    "You worry too much."


    They shared a nod, and then the bodyguard wrote something in a box of donuts. Then he left to deliver it as Josh remained alone in the dark, just waiting.


    An hourter, his first target was willingly knocking at the door. Josh opened it and saw the stern face of a man who thought he wasing for a job as usual. This would be fun¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    So far everything was going well. Why work hard when you can work smart? As for how the bodyguard knew about the guild''s code? Well, he had been studying cryptology for his job. How could he be so bad at it if he was that diligent? This was a profound mystery of life!

 Chapter 307: Cleaner Jackson

    <h4>Chapter 307: Cleaner Jackson</h4>


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    At the door of a deste building, a man was scratching his head in annoyance. It was supposed to be his day off, yet he had received a new job out of the blue!


    The message Jackson had received was concise yet cryptic. Apparently, there was a VIP in town who needed his help. He didn''t know the client nor the job but he hoped there wouldn''t be too many bodies.


    It took him a while to find the right ce, one that was on the outskirt of Metropolis-D. It was frankly one that would have the brain of anyone attentive ringing with rm bells. It was the perfect ce for a murder.


    He couldn''t fathom what kind of dumbass would willinglye to this obviously sketchy ce. Did this mean that this new client had forcefully kidnapped someone? Was this all premeditated? Couldn''t the client finish the job himself?


    He could only sigh as he knocked on the door. Soon, a man came to open. Jackson had seen a lot of shit in his life, but what the fuck was this?! In the entrance stood a man wearing aically huge burger mask.


    "Oh, you''re here! Great, I need your expertise!" The man happily spoke, entering the building again.


    Was the burger guy trying to stay anonymous? Would there be a dead miss burger inside? Was the man simply a deviant that enjoyed killing? Jackson had the feeling that this job would be another addition to the ''I''d rather forget'' memories.


    "Fine, let''s finish this quickly," Jackson grumbled as he followed the man inside.


    After entering, he closed the door behind him. His priority was always secrecy. Often, Climbers who could afford his services could afford to get away with murder. They employed him to preserve their pristine righteous reputation, to avoid scandals.


    Some had naively thought that the Tower would be a vector for human greatness. People were more powerful, and there was magic in the world, but what for? They still enjoyed killing one another, hence why he had a job in the first ce.


    "Here we are!" Came the voice inside.


    As Jackson followed, he couldn''t help but be taken aback. Not only was the owner weird, but so was the ce. There were stic sheets on the walls, and the only furniture was a small table with two chairs.


    There was a tea set on the table and no corpse in sight. What the heck was going on?! Had he been called here for a drink?!


    "So, where''s the job?" He warily asked.


    "Right here. Ever worked as a consultant?" The man gently gestured him to sit.


    A consultant? Did the man want to get rid of whatever body he had himself? Was it a matter of trust? Then again, looking at the clean environment, the man probably hadn''t acted yet.


    "A few times. I can do it, but I''m going to charge you full price either way: 10k Chaotic Credits." Jackson added.


    He expected the strange man to try and negotiate, but he didn''t object at all. "What''s your wallet address? I''ll send it right now." He was even awfully cooperative.


    This guy was rich! No one would usually pay so much for consulting as this was the price of a C-Ranked item. They were so hard toe by that only a few yers in his guild had some. After all, they only started dropping after Floor 50.


    This was so fishy! Why would anyone that foolish be that rich?! Either this was a set-up, or someone wanted to give him credits. Wait, the guild leader of Cutting Edge had said something about rewarding him for years of loyal service. Was this it?!


    Had he disguised it as a job not to make him feel like it was charity?! That could be possible. A few secondster, the transaction was done. Even the stern Jackson couldn''t help but grin as he watched the funds disyed on his UW.


    At this point, he didn''t care about whatever the burger man was wearing. He could have been naked that he wouldn''t have batted an eye!


    "What do you wish to know, Sir?" He enthusiastically inquired.


    "It goes like this. I have four people to dispatch. Can you give me tricks on how to do it as discreetly as possible? Just assume that I''m three years old when you exin it and make it as detailed as possible."


    Three years old? What kind of precocious child would begin murdering that soon?! Anyway, Jackson started the lesson, an in-depth one covering multiple topics:


    - How to best avoid cameras.


    - How to trick U-bots into not reporting a murder.


    - How to increase one''s reputation as a cleaner to receive better jobs.


    - How to make the rtives think their kin was still alive, for years even.


    - How to remove the pesky traces inevitably present at any crime scene.


    - How to get rid of a body: acid soaking, butchering, and even stuffing and selling on the Chaotic Neutral Net.


    At first, Jackson had been on his guard, but he soon found that the burger man was a fantastic student. Many just saw a cleaner''s job as lowly and vile, but this guy showed incredible curiosity toward it. He understood that it was art!


    He would ask relevant questions, even making links with the previous topics. Jackson felt like he was seeing the old him. Back then, he had stumbled upon the profession due to a nasty twist of fate, one that had set him on his course through life.


    The burger man even had grander designs:


    "If I do all this, I could even add a step and frame anyone I wanted, right? This ought toe useful in the future!"


    "You''re a fast learner. But, make sure you don''t steal all the jobs in the area. I need to make a living after all." Jackson sighed as he praised him.


    "Haha, you don''t have to worry. This is more of a hobby for me. I prefer to Climb by far. It just so happens that right now, the ce is closed as they investigate it." The burger manined.


    "If you ask me, they should just keep it open since people will die either way. Since its temporary closure, there have been more fights and murders, not that anyone talks about it. Hell, the berserkers are worse off. They''re addicted to killing, and now¡­."


    "The whole theory of sses affecting people, right? I heard about it! Anyway, let''s keep the lesson going!" The man enthusiastically chimed in.


    "Frankly, I don''t have anything more to teach you. How you managed to assimte so much information in thest few hours is beyond me! But, that''s pretty much all there is to a cleaner." Jackson admitted.


    "I see¡­" The burger man sighed in disappointment before cheering up once more. "I guess me learning it all is cause for celebration." He excused himself,ing back with a bottle of vodka.


    "Drinking? You should avoid it as much as possible. Even with a Climber''s increased metabolism, it still dulls the senses." The cleaner advised.


    "Thanks for the advice, but I''m only doing this as a hobby anyway. Here''s a toast. Thank you for all the help! May my future endeavors be as unseen as the color of this clear vodka!" He looked so happy.


    As unseen as the color of vodka? What a creative way to put it! That''s when the man suddenly seemed to realize an issue. How was he supposed to drink with the burger mask on?!


    He very soon came to a decision. While chuckling lowly, he removed his mask, showing a young face with beautiful blond short hair.


    "I guess it''s fine to remove it. You aren''t nning on telling anyone about our little chat here, right?" He asked while chuckling.


    "No, you can rest assured. Secrecy is always my priority." Jackson reassured. He had already gotten paid, and he had professional ethic. The man happily nodded as he drank.


    Jackson felt great. For the first time in forever, he felt proud to be a cleaner. As he saw the man chug the alcohol with gasps of satisfaction, he couldn''t help but crave some too. Perhaps he could make an exception for today?


    Even then, he would be careful. He knew the bottle was safe since he had seen the man drink from it. However, he wouldn''t use the teacup in front of him, as it was too easy to poison.


    "Pass it to me." He spoke, making his new drinking buddy happy. Jackson then raised the bottle in the air. "This is to the birth of a great hobbyist cleaner. Hell, I didn''t even know this could be a thing, haha!"


    That is how Jackson soon found himself ever so tipsy. That''s when he remembered to ask: "You said something about four targets, right? How did youe to that number? Is it for a job or a personal goal? Ah, you don''t have to share if you don''t want to."


    "Oh, it''s fine. In fact, you know one of them very well. Some call him Twin-Knife Jackson. ;)" The man yfully replied.


    "Haha, don''t try to scare me, kid. I''m an A-Ranked Climber, even if I don''t look like it. You wouldn''t stand a chance."


    The man only gave him a derisive smile as he pointed to the vodka bottle. That''s when Jackson finally realized. The grogginess he felt wasn''t from the alcohol but from something else! His body was paralyzed!


    "How?! I watched you drink straight from it?!" He uttered, shellshocked.


    "Poison immunity." The man shrugged. "How were you not on your guard even after receiving an Assassin''s Promise is beyond me, haha!"


    Assassin''s Promise?! What?! These were his four targets?! This kid was an assassin?! Fuck! But, he hadn''t received anything, what the hell?!


    That''s when the man''s face changed. "Wait, don''t tell me you didn''t receive it?! What the fuck is the LoA doing?! They only had one job!" He heatedlyined before giving an apologetic smile, scratching his head:


    "Well, this is awkward. The good news is your eyes still work. Here, read this." The madman ced a ck letter in front of his eyes.


    Sure enough, it was from the LoA. That''s when Jackson understood that he was fucked, royally fucked! He had been so happy to share all his knowledge a second ago too!


    The youngster happily got to work, covering all the bases he had just learned about:


    - You avoided cameras here, so we''re good.


    - My Jammer should take care of any nearby invasive technology.


    - I guess I don''t have to worry too much about reputation since this is a hobby.


    - What should I send to your guild as an exnation? How do you feel about eloping?


    - For the traces, it should be easy with all the stic sheets. I guess I can do another thorough cleaning afterward.


    - This only leaves us with getting rid of the body. Do you have any preference? I kinda like the ssic butchering one.


    As he listened to him, Jackson became livid. This had to be the most ironic and cruel ending for his life! What kind of psycho was this guy?! But, there was something he had to know.


    "Who betrayed me? Was it the guild leader? Was it that asshole that keeps saying I''m nothing but a stain on the guild?! Please tell me honestly!" Jackson begged, only for the psycho to stop him.


    He was ready for many possibilities. After all, there were so many who hated him that their names would fill a long list. The only reason he was still alive was his guild''s backing. But now, he had been betrayed! But the answer surprised him:


    "Betrayed? I''m pretty sure no one betrayed you. You guys just use donuts boxes to send coded messages, right? Either it''s too easy to crack, or I unknowingly know a cryptology expert. I guess you could call it dumb luck on my part either way." The man shrugged.


    Dumb luck, dumb luck, dumb fucking luck! Jackson felt like crying. What kind of fool would willinglye here to die? A cleaner called Jackson, apparently....and probably many others very soon.


    That''s when he sumbed to oblivion...


    Creator''s Thought


    Not gonna lie, this guy had pretty good tricks. Most of it was stuff I already knew from my time on Earth, but I still had to adapt to this new world. I internally cheered when I saw him drink the vodka. Poison resistance for the win! ^_^v

 Chapter 308: Meeting An Acquaintance....WTF?!

    <h4>Chapter 308: Meeting An Acquaintance....WTF?!</h4>


    A lone yellow car flew at high speed toward Metropolis-C. How long had it been since Josh hadst visited? He almost felt emotional, almost.


    He had two targets to hunt here. As for Cleaner Jackson? Josh had left him behind, alive and in a temporarya. He would fetch him again when he was done with the others.


    As he arrived in the city, he smiled at the familiar efficiently organized districts.? He picked up his UW, typing in the general Draconic guild chat:


    - Josh MF Malum: I''m back! @Jack the Healer, I have some business with you. Come to the Unstoppable Diner asap.


    - Tank Barbara: Oh crap, run! The devil''s back! =P


    - Dimitri the Musician: Jack, you better y dead!!


    - Joel the Explorer: Jack will be exploring the afterlife soon¡­ RIP ~ F!


    - Raffa Loves Kunais: Hello, Sir! Wee back, and I hope your trip was fun! Please forgive my friends. It''s in their nature to court death.


    Josh closed the chat while shaking his head. These guys sure were lively. How was he a devil?! He was super friendly! In any case, he headed to the meeting spot.


    As he entered the restaurant, he was weed by theforting smell of homemade meat pie. Instantly his stomach rumbled as he hollered at the waitress. A few minutester, he was already devouring te after te contentedly. He had missed the old man''s cooking.


    He kept going until Jack arrived. The youngster was nervously looking around as he twirled his fingers. Why was he so stressed? Hadn''t theirst interaction been pretty friendly?


    - Jack the Healer: I''m here. What now?


    - Josh MF Malum: There''s a man with many tes on his table, do your best to help him. That will be all.


    The youngster noticed the disguised Josh, headed his way, and took a seat with great unease. He seemed utterly confused about what he was doing there.


    Josh calmly enlightened him:


    "Bring me to that to that one friend of yours. The guy who used to be part of the Golden Wolves and who apanied you to the Gene Corp''s base."


    "What?! Oh...alright...but I doubt he''ll be very helpful. He''s been cooped up in his house ever sinceing back..." He sighed.


    "No matter, I''ll convince him. Alright, let''s go!" Josh left a fat tip for the chef, adding ¡ª I like your cooking, old man, I''ll be back to it. ;) J.


    It didn''t take long for the youngster to bring him to a small building at the city''s periphery. The quiet was all it had going for it. Such a dwelling wasn''t worthy of a sessful Climber. What had happened to him? Was it PTSD?


    The youngster pressed on the inte: "Hey, it''s me. Look, I know that you¡ª" but he was suddenly interrupted by a strident sound.


    ¡ª Screech! ¡ª


    "LeAvE Me aLoNe!" came a high-pitched voice with a changing tone. It didn''t sound human one bit! What the hell?! But the being coughed, speaking again, clearly this time: "Go, I''m not fit for civilization anymore. Let me rot away here till I die¡­." Talk about gloomy and melodramatic!


    "You can go back to Draconic. I''ll handle things here." Josh waved the youngster goodbye, who hurriedly left as if pardoned of a crime! He then turned to the inte again. "Open up, and let me in."


    "Or what? I have nothing to lose anymore¡­." The weird voice scoffed.


    "Oh, believe me, one always has something to lose. Anyway, open up, or you''ll have to face Josh Malum''s wrath! Muahahahaha!" He yfully added. He was about to continue when came the shouts:


    "Eeek, J-josh Malum?! He sent you here?! WhAt pRoOf dO YoU HaVe?! WhAt dO YoU WaNt?!"


    "Rx, I''m just here to talk about your old guild, that''s all," Josh reassured.


    "You promise?" A calm voice resounded again.


    "I promise on my own head!" Josh swore.


    "No, promise on Josh Malum''s head! No one crosses him without having a horrible ending!" Said the man. This felt rather weird, but whatever.


    "Fine! ¡­.I promise on Josh''s Malum''s head!"


    That''s when the door was remotely opened. Peering inside, Josh was confronted with a world of darkness. Had the electricity bill not been paid or something? No, there was something else that felt very wrong.


    He could distinguish dust, trash, and even rat remains. What the hell?! It would have been a roon''s dream house! Then the walls and furniture were all scratched as if by sharp nails.


    But, the most disturbing thing had to be the floor. Josh suddenly realized that it was covered in a thinyer of a viscous substance, one that smelled slightly fruity but sour at the same time. What was that?!


    The slimy stuff seemed to be more concentrated toward a particr door, one that led to the basement. As Josh went to open it, he heard a scream once more:


    "StAy wHeRe yOu aRe! ¡­We''ll talk from there, don''te in!"


    "No thanks, I''m not sure what happened to you, but now I''m curious. Don''t worry. I won''t judge."


    Josh decisively opened the door, only to be attacked! In the entrance, there were now spiky fleshy appendages trying to swat him away! He instantly blocked, not losing any ground at all. He even slowly began fighting his way inside.


    It was even darker there. As Josh activated his piercing eyes'' ability, he couldn''t help but gasp. There he was. The man still had the same face, but his body waspletely different!


    His limbs were goddamn tentacles! There were even someing out of his back and torso! It was all wriggling, seemingly twisting in horror after seeing the red glow of his eyes.


    "Y-YoU! hE DiDn''t sEnD YoU, yOu''rE HiM!" The creature recoiled in fright, taking a few steps back toward the corner of the room. Yeah, the eyes had given him away. It was eyes he would never forget.


    But then suddenly, the fright seemed to turn to anger as the thing began growling: "YoU''Re hIm. It''s aLl yOuR FaUlT ThAt I''m lIkE ThIs! It''s aLl bEcAuSe oF YoU ThAt I''m nOtHiNg bUt a fReAk!"


    What?! Had he been affected by the chaos pearl?! This had to be the exnation. But, how?! Three of them had escaped alive. How had he been the only one to show any sign of mutation?! Did he have a special genome or something?!


    As the countless tentacles charged his way, Josh began parrying them all before emitting pure unrestrained killing intent. It seemed to carry terrifying memories for the opponent as he began cowering and even sobbing in a fetal position.


    Josh could only sigh. How was he supposed to deal with this? That''s when he remembered the yers that had shown simr signs of breaking down and how they had ovee it. He left for a few minutes,ing back with a piping hot cup of hot cocoa.


    Josh forcefully handed it to the poor half-man half-monster. "Drink. It will make you feel better."


    As the creature forced itself to sip on the beverage, Josh inquired: "So, start from the beginning, what happened to you exactly?"


    "It''s all from that dark purple light from back then. It stuck to me, invaded my body, and changed it, all until I became like this. I tried to treat it, but nothing worked! Now, I''m nothing but an abomination, underserving of living." He cried out.


    "Now, now. Don''t exaggerate. It just means you have enormoustent power, one that you can''t control just yet." Joshforted as he patted the man''s back, swarming with tentacles.


    "What''s the point?! I couldn''t even keep you away from this ce!"


    "Well, yeah. But how long haven''t you been Climbing? Not only did you fall behind, but you''re getting rusty too. Plus, you obviously have difficulty controlling these new limbs. It will all get sorted with training. Stop over-worrying."


    "What''s the freaking point?! I''m a monster! I''m a stain to society!" He barely kept his calm.


    "You''re exaggerating so much! Here, let me show you something that will cheer you up." Josh carefully searched on his UW. He soon realized that such godly knowledge wasn''t as popr here. Nheless, he still found what he was looking for. The fallen had brought it over!


    "Here, watch this. It will give you hope and strength!" Josh wisely nodded.


    At this moment, the man felt confidence in his voice. Did he have a solution?! Was it even possible?! But then he remembered who the guy was. He had in the entirety of the Gene Corp faction alone and had caused the incident in the first ce.


    His hopeful eyes finallynded on the screen¡­.what the fuck was this?! There, an 18+ video was ying. It featured a cute brte getting all her holes filled to the very brim with tentacles?!


    "W-what is this?!"


    "This? It''s called tentacle hentai, and I''ll let you in on a secret. Chicks dig tentacles! Well, some of them do." Josh happily shared. Whether it was true or not didn''t even matter, as long as it could give the man hope.


    "S-she definitely seems to be enjoying it¡­." He murmured.


    "For sure! So don''t worry too much. So what if you don''t look human? You can still find love. You can also Climb. You just need to get used to a new fighting style! As for friendship, this won''t be a problem. Aren''t we talking just fine right now?" Josh remarked.


    That''s when the man realized with a jolt that this was true. He just needed to find more weirdos like this crazy man!


    "By the way, have you heard that I opened a Climber''s school? You can head there for training if you want. How about it?"


    "Y-yes¡­.Yes!"


    "Great, then let''s prepare for it. But first, you''ll have to help me with something. Tell me all you can about the Adamantium Wolves and the Holy Pdin Joseph!"


    "Sure¡­.but his name is actually Josef¡­." He weakly remarked.


    "Great! I knew it was a good idea to ask for your help!" Thus, a tentacle monster and a true monster began scheming their next move¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    Once again, kids, do not use chaos items without knowing what you''re doing! It can cause a lot of destruction, both direct and indirect. All it takes is a bit of corruption to turn plenty of people into freaks even worse than the Gene Corp ones.

 Chapter 309: Fake Holy Paladin!

    <h4>Chapter 309: Fake Holy Pdin!</h4>


    In a house in the periphery of Metropolis-C, two monsters lied in wait. They were both expecting their prey to appear at any moment now.


    Then finally came the knocking sound they had been expecting. "Hey, Brad! I''m here! Let''s do this quickly. I don''t have all day!" The tentacle man had organized a meeting with a previous colleague from Golden wolves, and the young Climber had naively taken the bait.


    Josh happily opened the door.


    "You, who are you? Where''s Brad?" The man asked, on edge.


    "Juste in, and we''ll talk. He''s waiting for you inside." Josh shook his head. How impatient the younger generation was!


    The man could instinctively faintly feel that something was wrong. But, just as he wanted to fall back, he remembered the debt he owed and reluctantly stepped forward. That''s when Josh mmed the door shut.


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    The neer couldn''t help but shiver as his eyes warily checked his surrounding. He tried to shrug off the fear, but then he saw the floor, and the walls, and the whole fucking room! Nothing looked as it should have.


    As he turned around hastily, he saw the man who had just weed him. No, he didn''t look like a man at all! The red glowing eyes weren''t ones a human could have! There was also this malevnt aura! That''s when the devil''s face began morphing.


    It was as if his skin was melting! The face was ever-changing as if it couldn''t settle on one appearance! But then it suddenly stopped. Yet, this respite filled the man with profound dread. In front of him appeared his own face. How?!


    "You seem stressed. Are you alright?" The devil grinned at him, probably nning to devour his soul! He wasn''t ready to die just yet! He was far too young! He still had to build himself a harem! That''s when he found salvation.


    In the corner of the room was a door. Without waiting, the man ran through it, making it explode in the process! Somehow, he just knew that he didn''t stand a chance against the devil.


    He began searching all over, trying to find an exit or anything he could use! He searched so frantically while keeping an eye on the now empty door frame. Wait, why wasn''t the evil creature following him?!


    At that very moment, he felt something squishy, wriggly, and wet make contact with his ankle. He was instantly invaded by fear and tried running away. But, it was already toote, far toote! The tentacles crawled his way as fast as lighting, wrapping around his limbs and holding him in the air.


    Then he saw him. No, he saw it. He faintly recognized the creature before him, one that used to be human, one that used to be Brad. That''s when he lost consciousness¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. That guy had run straight to his helper, how nice!


    Now that he wore the man''s face, he was ready to begin his n. He headed to the H district, where he found the training ground for the Golden Wolves, infiltrating it. Once again, he was so d to have that one appearance-changing medallion!


    In the main courtyard of the guild, he found about a hundred Climbers who seemed extremely restless for some reason. As he walked near them, he heard their hushed voices as they shared the news, making him smile.


    "Hey, did you hear?! The LoA sent Josef an Assassin''s Promise!"


    "What?! Are you kidding me?! Do they have a death wish?!"


    "Whoever that assassin is, he''s gonna have a really bad time!"


    "Guys, I''m worried. Would they really send it without confidence?!"


    "I heard that other guilds received it at the same time too! Is it a coincidence?"


    Josh couldn''t help but notice something peculiar. There wasn''t any news about the custom message his targets were receiving? He had the whole Death concept too! Such a waste for it to be ignored so easily! He could only sigh.


    That''s when an old Climber came running!


    "Guys, Josef ising! Quick, form ranks!" He shouted fearfully. How ironic that a holy pdin inspired such fright from his own men.


    The guild members all looked like scared kids who had just heard that their parents were on their way. Without waiting, they all took stood up in lines as if awaiting roll call. Naturally, Josh followed along smoothly with none the wiser about his infiltration.


    They waited a few minutes under the zing sun before they finally heard the nging of heavy armor as a man appeared.


    No one dared to look his way at all! Well, except one very stupid-looking Climber who just happened to be Josh. He shed a gaze of pity toward the iing pdin before hurriedly looking away.


    Josef was renowned for being prideful and a discipline freak. To him, Josh''s innocent and fleeting look had already been considered a grave insult! The man quickly made his way toward the tactless gold member.


    "You, what''s with your eyes?" He growled, intimidatingly.


    "W-what do you mean, Sir?!" Josh questioned, his voice breaking from the panic.


    "I saw the way you looked at me, you know! Do you think that I''m blind or weak?" He chuckled with an ominous voice.


    "That''s not it, Sir! I''m just worried because the LoA are vile creatures that won''t ever fight fairly!" Josh screamed, trying to salvage the situation.


    "Oh? So you''re worried about me? How nice! After this inspection, let''s train together! I''ll show you a sliver of my strength so you can rest easy. Aren''t I a great boss?" Josef almost looked well-intentioned.


    "Yes, Sir!" Josh happily replied.


    At the same time, the others were resisting the urge to facepalm as they raised their eyes to the sky. How could this guy be so stupid?! He was 100% going to get beaten up.


    "Good!" Josef was smiling, but his eyes weren''t.


    Nevertheless, he kept working, inspecting the troops, seemingly ignoring the earlier incident. From time to time, he would slightly redress the posture of a member, test their prowesses, and even kick some out of the guild if they disappointed him!


    This was truly a case of a few elites exercising ultimate power on a minority of others. Fairness? What was that? Could it be eaten?


    The man reveled in the people''s fear, and he seemed to associate it with respect. He even began a long speech on how he wouldn''t cower in the face of dumb assassins!


    Josh couldn''t help but find it hypocritical. Normally there was only one supervisor that was inspecting the ce at once. But not this time. When Josh had insinuated that they should be afraid of the assassin, two extra strands of killing intent had locked on him.


    There was a man hiding in the ancestral tree that stood in the training courtyard. To be fair, the leaves were luscious, and he seemed to be using a magical technique to hide from mana sense.


    This one was probably the one Brad had called Daryl, aka the bored mercenary. It wouldn''t be the first time he was hiding in that very tree, after all.


    Then, in a nearbyrge building was another one. This guy ought to be Joey, the one that he had been warned to be careful of. This guy had a hobby that included targeting weaker members'' Chrysalises!


    So in total, there were two protectors who were likely as strong as the target. This wouldplicate a clueless assassin''s task so damn much" But Josh had seen through it. So much for their im that they weren''t scared of their opponents!


    This guy being here was all a trap! But, as if he''d stupidly spring it open!


    For now, he would observe and remain patient. As long as he wasn''t too out of line, they wouldn''t suspect him. After all, to them, he was nothing but cannon fodder.


    After a bit of bullying disguised as training, Josef gestured Josh to follow him, bringing him to a smaller private courtyard next to the big building. Josh had only taken a few steps inside that the man began to use him as a punching bag.


    Every insult was apanied by an incredibly heavy punch or a kick.


    ¡ª Bam! ¡ª


    "Do you really think that I''m weak?!"


    ¡ª Bam! ¡ª


    "Do you really think I fear assassins?!"


    ¡ª Bam! ¡ª


    "I''m part of the goddamn Adamantium Wolves, you shit-head!"


    ¡ª Bam! ¡ª


    Only when Josh was lying on the ground in a pool of his blood did the man stop.


    "Let this be a lesson. No one disses the elite members!" Josef spat out with a look of superiority.


    "I''m sorry! I''ll be careful in the future! please spare me!" Josh begged vehemently while breaking down.


    "Fine, but just this once. Be careful in the future." He scoffed.


    "Thank you! Thank you so much! You''re a great hero in our guild!" Josh began to kiss his ass, but then "identally" misspoke "All the people that say you''re a power-hungry idiot that only knows how to bully the weak are all wrong and¡ª"


    Josh didn''t even get to finish his sentence. The man had violently grabbed him, carrying him inside. "It seems you need more teaching. Lucky for you, I am very benevolent. I''ll only leave you half dead." He promised.


    Just as he was about to bring him into an individual room, a tall and handsome man appeared. "How about you let me punish him instead?" He lecherously grinned at Josh, staring at his ass.


    "I can let you y with him once I''m done. You can have all the fun you want then." Josef shrugged. Just like that, Josh''s fate was sealed. It was as if he was nothing but merchandise. What the fuck was wrong with these people?!


    As they entered a room, Josef quickly closed the metallic door it sported.


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    This ce even seemed soundproof!


    Josef gave a bright smile. "Now, let''s teach you to keep your mouth shut, shall we? Every time you speak, shout or cry, I''ll help your body remember how bad such conduct is!"


    It was time for him to vent all the frustration he had umted! The whole teaching part was frankly nothing more than an excuse. It was tiresome to fake righteousness after all. He truly hated his ss of (Fake) Holy Pdin at times!


    As Josh began begging in front of him once more, he happily enjoyed it. He simply loved this feeling of power so damn much! His smile was as sadistic as huge.


    His smile persisted as he swung his mighty fist toward his target and it persisted when a dagger perforated his throat. He barely had the time to register what was happening.


    "Now, let''s have some fun, shall we?" Josh''s smile was even brighter than the man''s...


    Creator''s Thought


    There is nothing more fun than sweet instant revenge. Honestly, part of me couldn''t fathom how this guy wasn''t in jail already! Then again, if he only ever brutalized guild members, would they everin? Perhaps they didn''t want to be kicked out and they learned not to anger him...

 Chapter 310: We Done Here?

    <h4>Chapter 310: We Done Here?</h4>


    In a small training room stood two men, with one about to roughly pummel the other.


    Seeing therge fist headed for his face, Josh counterattacked for the first time. He suddenly drove his dagger in the man''s throat. The feeling of the soft flesh getting pierced was so liberating!


    The holy pdin''s eyes were now as big as the cocky man''s ego. Josh retracted his weapon, and with it came a fountain of blood. The man tried calling for help, but only a low gurgle resounded.


    Even then, he was still alive. The vitality of a Climber was just that amazing! He was already fishing for healing items in his inventory. As he saw a healing pill appear in the man''s hand, Josh decisively kicked!


    But suddenly, a golden light radiated from the man''s skin! Josh''s kicknded squarely but didn''t move the man one bit. Crap! In a few seconds, he''d devour the medicine, and Josh would be fucked!


    How tragic would it be for him to be defeated after such a sudden reversal?!


    The man''s eyes glowed in relief as he realized that this assassin was too weak to pierce his strongest defense. He had only seeded with his first blow because he had taken him by surprise. But he would soon recuperate before counterattacking!


    Josh couldn''t allow this to happen! He reacted on instinct, as he summoned the rat. He instantly pushed it straight toward the man''s mouth as he had done in the past with monsters!


    The victim grimaced under this new threat. He felt the rough fur irritate his skin as a long appendage suddenly filled his mouth! What the fuck was that?! The creature was remainingpletely steady.


    Breathing became hard, and he retreated or tried to. Suddenly a smell spread in the room. It was so horrendous that he faltered for a second as he began choking on the fat piece of flesh in his mouth.


    Meanwhile, his attacker was smiling peacefully. "You really can deep-throat dagger and rat alike! You have great potential!" That fucker was taunting him! Even as he clutched his stomach, the victim realized that there was something painfully wrong here.


    What the fuck was this crazy guy saying? No, there was something more: he was too calm! It wasn''t the voice of someone that had lost control and had attacked out of desperation. No, this had been deliberate!


    That''s when Josh chuckled lightly:


    "What was it again? You won''t cower against an assassin? You truly weren''t kidding. You''re fighting tooth and nail to survive! Even now, you''re crushing that pill and trying to inject it in your bloodstream." The assassinmented.


    Josef forcefully rose to his feet, only to be knocked down again. Josh didn''t have the power to affect him too much, but he was getting creative.


    He summoned Nightmare to straddle the man with its whole body! The pet wasn''t too strong at that moment, but it still weighed a lot!


    Afterward came the fun part! Josh began stabbing the man over and over while spreading poison his way. He had no choice but to keep his magical armor going to survive. But, how long could he keep it up?


    The answer was 7 minutes and 23 seconds. Then Josh finally managed to pierce the man''s skull. It was a shame as he had wanted to capture him alive, but he couldn''t afford to risk it: that man''s defense was too perverse!


    Just as he was sighing, he suddenly realized that he had a huge issue! He had to decide what to leave as a calling card! Would he leave a message? Would he slice the cadaver in a special manner? The options were endless!


    After a few seconds of pondering, he finally decided to go for something simple. He inscribed on the man''s forehead: "Guilty!" After all, his whole letter had involved the word judgment.


    Josh pushed the corpse toward a corner before he opened the metallic door, ready to leave. Except there was an ambush! On the other side was the perverse guy that eyed him with a huge grin.


    "Oh, trying to sneak away? Josef, you''re done with him, right? Why didn''t you tell me!" He hollered at his friend inside.


    Oh god! At any moment, the man would realize that his friend had died. How could Josh deal with him? If he was the same level as the other fucker, this would be so troublesome for many reasons!


    1. This one seemed more alert, probably because he was interested in his body. He seemed to be observing his bodynguage carefully.


    2. He would be able to scream for reinforcement since they weren''t inside a soundproof room anymore.


    3. He was now on a timer. The guild would probably realize soon that their holy pdin was missing. This meant less time to look for the perfect assassination opportunity.


    Josh began shaking to buy himself some time to decide.


    As he saw this, the man sniffed exaggeratedly. "Ah, the sweet scent of innocence. Ah, and blood. Josef has really hurt you a lot, didn''t he? Don''t worry. I''ll help you bandage your wounds. Why don''t we head to my room." He offered with a lecherous gaze.


    Now, there was an obvious method that he could use to get out of there alive. Act meek, follow the man, y along, and finally strike at the first opportunity. But¡­fuck that n! It was too risky for he could end up the one getting butt fucked!


    "B-be right back. I have to apologize a bit more to sir Josef!" Josh''s entire body visibly shook as he retreated back inside the room, closing the door behind him.


    The other guy remained outside, chuckling to himself. He couldn''t help but find this guy''s reactions cute. He was so naive that he had mistakenly incurred Josef''s wrath, getting tortured in the process.


    This was great! Josef had taught him fear, and he would show him kindness instead. This would make it easier for him to make him his. Well, not that he really needed it since he was an A-ranked Climber, one that stood close to the top of the food chain.


    Oh, they would have lots of fun together!


    But as time passed, he couldn''t help but grumble. What was taking so long?! Did Josef decide to begin another round of torture? Was he happily watching him beg at his feet? What if he had killed the man he wanted as a pet?


    He resolutely kicked the door open, ready toin to his colleague. "Hey, you had your fun, but now it''s my turn to¡­.what the hell?!" He couldn''t help but cry out.


    On the ground, there was a corpse. The problem was its identity. Josef was dead!!?! This could only mean that the youngster had killed him! Wait, was he already dead when they had spoken about an hour ago?! This was batshit insane!


    The problem was that the room waspletely void of his presence. No matter how he searched, he couldn''t find him at all! Just as he was about to go crazy, his foot sank into the ground.


    Hidden below a thinyer of rock was an underground tunnel, one that led to the outside¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    As Josh exited the tunnel he had just created, he couldn''t help but smile to himself.


    Once more, his pickaxe was saving his ass! The soundproof room had really helped him, or the sound would have busted him instantly!


    At that moment, he was right outside therge building he had been in before. Now there only remained for him to leave asap, and everything would be fine. But, of course, life was never that easy.


    Josh felt a neer approach. It was the first time he saw him, but he instantly recognized him. It was the guy who had been hiding in the tree earlier! He opened his mouth and spoke softly:


    "Seeing as you''re here, I take it that Josef didn''t make it. Assassins truly are bold nowadays to dare attack A-Ranked guilds." Hemented.


    "Bold?? It could have been an S-ranked one instead." Josh shrugged as he made sure to look as calm as possible.


    There was something strange about this Climber. Why hadn''t he already sounded the rm if he had solved the crime? Why was he still here talking to him? Also, how had he found him?!


    "You seem awfully calm for a man that is stranded alone into enemy territory." He remarked.


    "Oh? Are you implying that freaking out would help in any way? Plus, whether I''m truly stranded or not depends on my ability to kill my way out of here." Josh shrugged once more.


    This guy didn''t feel like he was stalling for reinforcements. No, he didn''t even seem surprised by this oue.


    "How did you know?" Josh casually asked to keep the conversation going.


    "It was obvious. Contrary to the other two, I actually pay attention to the recruits in Golden Wolves. After all, they are the ones that will join our ranks eventually. As for you, you obviously don''t belong here."


    "Is that so? Was I that obvious?" Josh sighed.


    "How does it feel to know that your career as an assassin is ending?"


    Josh observed the man carefully. That''s when it hit him. The guy had hoped for someone to kill the asshole and had probably rejoiced about the uing assassination. No, he wasn''t here to get revenge, far from it.


    Out of the three Adamantium Wolves members:


    1. The first one had died to his surprise attack.


    2. The second one had been avoided by digging his way out.


    3. What about this one?


    Josh suddenly showed enormous confidence as he released a tinge of killing intent. Then he stared the man straight in the eyes before uttering.


    "I can assure you that you''ll let me pass!..."


    Creator''s Thought


    It was my first time dealing with an assassination. I have to admit that I had been extremely lucky when escorted by my target to a secluded location. It was just getting out that proved more troublesome. Well, if it was that easy everyone and their mother would be assassins!"

 Chapter 311: New Slaves

    <h4>Chapter 311: New ves</h4>


    A man could be seen peacefully exiting the golden Wolves'' training area.


    A few minutes ago, Josh had been in a life-or-death staring contest with a Climber from Adamantium Wolves. This was right after he had killed one of their members! One would have expected an epic showdown of good versus evil! Nope...


    The reality was far more pragmatic. To better understand the event, one needed to know that for true mercenaries, loyalty was everything! ...Well, in theory.


    They really had to be loyal:


    1. Loyal to the coins¡ª or credits in this case. Getting paid was the prerequisite of any job in the circle. They were putting their lives on the line, so the remuneration had to be there!


    2. Loyal toward the guild. Traitors would be found out and made an example off. Well, this one was quite simr in all organizations.


    3. Loyal to their brothers in arm. The whole point of joining a group was to have people they could rely on. This meant having ess to the power of many, giving them the ability to take on more challenging and rewarding tasks.


    Knowing this allowed him to borate a n to leave with his head attached to his shoulders.


    A) Josh bluffed his ass off! He tricked the man into believing that he was someone powerful. Obtaining this effect was simple. First, was his confident smile, followed by a disdainful gaze...oh, and a shitload of killing intent!


    This point changed everything. If Josh had been weak, the man could have killed him and used his corpse to prove himself as a hero. But, since Josh was strong, he had to call for reinforcements if he wanted to deal with him.


    This meant that Josh would have the opportunity to talk to other guild members before his demise. This would allow him to share the dirt he had just obtained on the mercenary!


    The man had guessed that Josh was an assassin yet hadn''t acted. The mercenary could always argue that he only had a doubt, but even that would be hard to believe considering the earlier death threat.


    As long as there was suspicion, plenty of magical means could be used to learn the truth. This would soon point out that the man had knowingly let his colleague die.


    B) Josh reminded the man how he had utterly failed his guild. This was a dereliction of duty for sure! Chances were that Josh would die if he was captured, but he would bring this guy down with him!


    C) Afterward, he raised another point. Was Josh getting caught good, or was it nothing else but a source of trouble? What would happen if the LoA decided to target the Adamantium Wolves for revenge? (This point was total BS, but Josh seemed convincing)


    D) Finally, Josh gave the man a few credits (or a lot by normal standards) for keeping his mouth shut. This was probably the easiest job the mercenary had ever done!


    So yeah, Josh bought the guy! It was the usual carrot and stick situation:


    If the man held him there, they would both go down with Josh dying. But if he kept his damn mouth shut, then he''d receive credits, and none would be the wiser! Thanks to his Jammer, Josh hadn''t left any trace on the ce''s cameras after all.


    Overall, his n had been simple but effective and had required incredible confidence. But, it had allowed him to just walk out of there without being stopped.


    Ah, life sure was beautiful!


    That''s how Josh was happily walking away, even casually browsing his UW, checking thetest news. The inte was going crazy, with some calling it the revival of the LoA. They had been more active recently but had never been that high profile!


    The main point of interest mainly was the ssic Assassin''s Promises resurfacing. Apparently, the LoA had just reinstated this practice now after a long time of silence.


    It was one thing for the LoA to kill people without iming the credit, but another to warn their victim in advance! It was a power move to establish their dominance!


    This time was extraordinary because of how many targets were from A-Rank guilds! It was unbelievable, five at once! Was the LoA trying to dere war on the A-Rank guilds?! historically, they had never targeted more than tworge groups at once.


    Josh couldn''t help but scratch his head awkwardly. Did this mean that he alone was causing more ruckus than the entire LoA historically?! Oh well...


    That''s when he suddenly noticed an advertisement shing boldly with a face he recognized.


    < Breaking news! The Adamantium Wolves have invited us to film the Holy Knight Josef! He''s supposedly received an Assassin''s Promise! Watch how he survives it! >


    Pfft! Seriously?! Josh eruptedughing. Clicking on the article, the journalist had apparently recently spoken to the man. He had, of his own initiative, invited the media. Well....good luck to interrogate him, haha! They would need an ouija board!


    He then checked the other guilds that had received a simr letter, and there was one missing. That tortoise guy hadn''t received his? Either that or he had simply kept it a secret. Either way, Josh would visit himst.


    As for the Jackson guy he had taken care of in Metropolis-D, a maid had found the letter, and he was already considered missing and quite possibly dead!


    But, for now, he had to focus. His next target was the Gemini guild. They were one of the most sessful jewelers in Metropolis-C, thus making it, so they had a wide contactwork. Now, how would they react in this situation?


    Josh couldn''t help but be shocked at what he saw.


    Instead of going into hiding, Gemini was hosting a recruitment event. What kind of madness was this?! The recruiter would inevitably have to attend, and it would make him an easy target.


    Wait, no. It wasn''t just any kind of event. This one was for the recently summoned Fallen: it was a goddamn reunion party for Earthlings! How would they even verify people''s identity? As he was puzzled, he suddenly thought of something.


    The candidates of the current LoA evaluation were all native to this world, including the man he wore the face of! Was it a coincidence or a recruitment policy? What if the LoA didn''t want Fallens in its midst because of their dependency on the Tower?


    What if this event was one huge trap?! Did they have a way to detect any non-Fallen intruding on the premises? This would mean that an assassin mixing in the crowd would instantly be singled out and eliminated.


    Plus, as a recruitment event, the attendees would likely be powerful and trying to make a good impression. They''d volunteer to take care of the issue.


    Well, maybe he was overthinking this...


    The event was scheduled to begin a dayter, and Josh didn''t feel like assaulting the guild directly, so he headed for his oldir, entering the good old sewers!


    Just as he was about to arrive at his ce, he heard annoyingughs echo in the area. From where it wasing from, there seemed to be people squatting in front of his room! He carefully approached, slowly peeking around the corner to observe.


    There were a bunch of teenagers, all equipped with spray paint cans, eagerly filling the entrance with wonderful and tasteful art¡ª 10% luck, 20% skills, 70% spray paint, and 100% dicks.


    They were evenmenting on it all:


    "Look at how huge mine is!"


    "Mine''s bigger! Just look at it!"


    "Yes, but it''s not about how big it is, but how well-drawn the pubes are!"


    "You guys are disgusting. Do you know that?! Plus, we really shouldn''t be here!"


    "Yes, I heard that there is a secretboratory that tests on aliens behind that door!"


    "What, are you scared? There is nothing remotely frightening here as even the U-bot don''t¡ª"


    Thest one suddenly stopped mid-sentence as his face turned into a mask of horror. His brows instantly became damp with sweat as his lips began shivering from the cold he suddenly felt.


    He had just noticed a man, one who was very ordinary and yet had terrified him with just a look. He really couldn''t stand it anymore as he fell to his knees, losingplete control over his motor functions.


    His friends showed concerned expressions as they tried to figure out what was wrong with him. But then, one by one, they turned to look behind them and reacted in the same manner.


    Josh didn''t know whether tough or cry. Now, his ce was totally trashed, but he had just gotten his hand on many helpers that he could order around. Now, he wouldn''t even need to order food delivery as he could send them.


    "W-who are you?!" One cried out.


    But all Josh did was slightly increase the killing intent, just enough for them not to wet themselves...but close.


    "P-please don''t kill us!" Another begged, with tears streaming down his face.


    Josh suddenly felt like teasing them as he slowly and carefully walked to open the door that only responded to his presence. With a swoosh sound, it revealed the interior.


    "Weren''t you wondering what''s inside? You can look all you want and I can even show you how everything works." Josh happily gestured them to step inside, lightly reducing the killing intent.


    But, as they finally saw the decor in there, they almost had heart attacks. These were all torture equipment?! They were fucked! Their faces were quite hrious: livid, hopeless, and with regret in their eyes. Life lesson: don''t randomly draw paint dicks.


    As for Josh, he was gleefully thinking about all the tasks he would have them do to repay the damage they had done. Tomorrow he would attend this recruiting event for sure.


    He couldn''t help but wonder how the others from the tutorial were doing...


    Creator''s Thought


    Sometimes life can be unpredictable, I didn''t expect such an event to be hosted. Part of me couldn''t help but wonder what they were up to. Did they also want to create a Fallen Legion or something?

 Chapter 312: Friendly Fallen Event!

    <h4>Chapter 312: Friendly Fallen Event!</h4>


    Deep in the sewers, a man was slowly opening his eyes contently.


    Josh rose from his slumber,zily stretched, and rxedly opened his door. On the other side, a group of shivering teenagers stood at attention withrge baskets in their hands.


    "It''s a wonderful morning, isn''t it? Time to eat!" He happilymented.


    That''s when the tremblings teenagers slowly entered Josh''s dwelling and began setting up the most sumptuous of feasts: Pancakes, waffles, French toasts, poached eggs, pizza, sushi, and many more!


    Josh began devouring it all, enjoying the wonderful goodness. This was life! On the side, the teenagers felt like crying as they watched shellshocked. They saw all of their allowance being swallowed at an unbelievable rate.


    They were anxiously hoping that everything would be to the man''s liking. They had been so unlucky! Not only was he impossibly strong, but he had marked them with a tracking spell!


    Their only path to survival was to repay him for their graffiti crime!


    Painting dicks on the sewer walls was supposed to be hrious! How had it ended up this way?! What would they do if he wasn''t satisfied?! He ate in silence, all until he waspletely done.


    "This was pretty good. The custard and fruits were a nice touch." They sighed in relief.


    "It''s a shame that there are none left¡­." Oh no, oh god no!


    "¡­I guess it shall do for now..." Their breathing rxed slightly.


    "Even then, I can''t just let you guys go so easily..." Their hearts clenched in their chest.


    "Well, you did clean the paint already, so that''s great!" They didn''t dare rx anymore.


    "Say, will you behave in the future?" Josh casually asked them.


    They didn''t know if they were allowed to speak. Instead, they nodded with so much intensity that they put bubbleheads to shame! As Josh saw the fear in their eyes, he knew that his job was done.


    "Fine, you can go." He finally relented. They all ran away, faster than a kid chasing his red ball in the middle of traffic!


    He felt good with himself. If anyone asked, he had done it to set them straight! This included having them scrub the walls, clean his room, bring him breakfast, give him shoulder massages, and some other minor stuff.


    But now wasn''t the time for good actions no more. It was time to join the Gemini recruitment meet! But first, he needed more information. He knew just who to contact for it. Luckily he was bound to be avable since the Tower was closed too!


    - Josh MF Malum: Hey man, got any news on the event Gemini is organizing?


    - Liam the Ultimate Samurai: Event, what event?!


    - Josh MF Malum: Never mind then¡­.


    For now, he''d simply show up at the venue, which was surprisingly a goddamn pce just outside Metropolis-C! The entire ce was locked tight with energy barriers. There was only a tiny entrance, guarded by a dozen of diligent-looking Climbers.


    Many visitors awaited their turn to go through check-in. As he waited in the queue, he listened intently to the conversations.


    "Look at this perimeter. It''s so high-tech!"


    "I freaking love this world! Did you guys try the VR and the holograms?!"


    "Do you guys have any idea what kind of recruiting Gemini is nning?"


    "I don''t know, but everyone here has a freaking guild already. It makes no sense."


    "Then why did you evene? Wait, I recognize you. You''re in Need Healing, right?"


    "Hehe, stop guessing. We all came here out of curiosity and a penchant for nostalgia."


    So many nodded in agreement to thatst statement. Being a Fallen in an entirely new world was extremely daunting. They had all survived and adapted, but it didn''t change their roots.


    That''s when an old man addressed him:


    "Youngster, you seem so silent and pensive. What are you thinking about?"


    Josh turned toward the man who had a kind smile and was wearing an armband that said ''volunteer''. He seemed so happy to dedicate himself to making this event a sess.


    "I''m a bit worried, to be honest. How will they even check our identity? Is the government tracking us? Also, isn''t grouping at one spot painting a target on our backs. I heard some people dislike Fallens." Josh replied while frowning.


    "Haha, you''re overthinking this too much. Don''t worry about security, there''s so many of us, and the MTA is backing this." He confidently reassured with the surrounding Climbers nodding, some even flexing their muscles. Then he kept going.


    "As for the entry, the arches over there detect who''s a Fallen. Our soul is different from going through transmigration. However, I''m really not sure how it works, haha. But fear not, this is just a friendly gathering¡­on arge scale." He concluded.


    The more he heard and the more suspicious Josh became of the whole thing. The positive discrimination was utter BS. Why would only they be able to attend? It was preparing the stage for a catastrophe to happen.


    But, he wouldn''t be a killjoy as he even gave a quick perfunctory "Oh, I see! It sounds nice!" as a reply. Soon enough, it was his turn to enter the premises. Now, this would be the decisive moment.


    He had to admit, this ce looked so professional! Banners represented a few of the most important guilds of Metropolis-C and the ???????????? symbol associated with the MTA. Once one factored in that Gemini was the host, then it was obviously safe¡­right?


    This ce looked so friendly too! The volunteers'' smiles were as radiant as warm. There was even a table with free muffins and free medallions that were Earth-shaped. There was no way that these people were ill-intended!


    But as he came closer, he sensed something. It was a feeling he was extremely familiar with, one that took him a few seconds to pinpoint what it was. It was hidden so deep that it was almost undetectable.


    Josh felt his bloodpletely freeze over as he involuntarily shivered. He unconsciously clenched his fists, refraining from making a scene. This thing was terrifying and so fucking wrong!


    This arch gave him the same feeling as a freaking magical contract! He would know, given how many he had been using recently. Could it all be a misunderstanding? No goddamn way!


    He could almost hear the arch asking him if he wanted to establish a magical contract with it. He felt its pull, seemingly trying to get him into a contract with it. That''s when a young and pretty volunteer shed him a beautiful smile.


    "Hello, Sir! Once inside, just follow the directives of the ones in charge, treat your fellow Climbers with respect and have fun!" She happily uttered.


    Who the fuck were the ones in charge in such a case? The volunteers? The organizers? Whoever this arch belonged to? This extremely vague agreement felt so damn sketchy!


    "Sir? Please step forward. The others behind you are waiting," She gently reminded him as she looked so innocent!¡ª and probably was.


    All of this had been designed to lower their mental barriers! Josh couldn''t help but shudder at how scheming this was. What should he do?! He hesitated but then realized that this thing worked exactly like a magical contract. He could feel it!


    These things only worked when one wholeheartedly signed them. This had to work in the same manner! That''s how he stepped forward while repeating internally akin to a protective mantra: "I don''t want your bullshit contract!"


    The passage to the other side only took a second, but it was one of the longest seconds of his life. He felt the arch try to establish a contract with him, sending tendrils of energy his way, trying to bind him to its magic.


    Yet, his convictions allowed him to shrug it all off. To the troublesome contract arch, Josh internally mumbled: "You have no power here!" Then it was over, just like that.


    He found himself in a colorful and beautiful world, with a garden full of sunflowers. It was akin to a fairy tale: so very pretty and dark at its core! Josh could only hope to be wrong but he had seen too much of the world to believe it.


    The Climbers were happily strolling all over the ce while the ones outside were so eager to enter. This would be their refuge from the outside world, or so they naively hoped. Now the question was, what would he do about it?!


    He had a moral duty to warn people about it! But, would it aplish anything? Would his word alone be enough to convince people to steer clear of this ce? He could see the way they gazed at it, probably not!


    Josh definitely had made a reputation for himself. If he were to reveal his identity right now, he could probably save a few. However, he would get kicked out of the event and he alsocked concrete proof.


    What was he going to say? That he could feel it? Many Rankers couldn''t even sense killing intent! He could always request that one appraiser to confirm it, but how long would that even take?


    He decisively took his UW out before messaging an old friend:


    - Josh MF Malum: Hey, do you know anything about the Gemini Fallen event? Tell me honestly what''s going on.


    - Dario the Dragon: For you to message me out of the blue, it must be serious. They received authorization from the MTA to host it. Is there anyone targeting it?


    - Josh MF Malum: The entrance is an artifact that works just like a magical contract. Do you know what this means?


    - Dario the Dragon: It means that we have a huge fucking problem¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    As much as I wanted to warn them all, it probably wouldn''t have worked. Humans are quick to judge and biased as fuck! Considering the mood, the crowd would have definitelyshed at me. I didn''t feel like dealing with a mindless mob.

 Chapter 313: The Dragon and the Princess (1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 313: The Dragon and the Princess (1/2)</h4>


    [A/N] Includes a short story =P


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    All the Climbers were merry at the Fallen event except for one man who was solemnly staring at his UW.


    - Dario the Dragon: It means that we have a huge fucking problem. I haven''t received any news and Allistair should have warned us if the initiative came from his side¡­


    - Josh MF Malum: Do you think it could be a power y? As long as Gemini manages to contract all the Fallen, it would gain a level of strength equal to an S-Ranked guild, right? However, would they really risk offending all other guilds?!


    - Dario the Dragon: I don''t know. It doesn''t make any sense, unless¡­


    - Josh MF Malum: Unless they allied with foreign guilds?


    - Dario the Dragon: I''ll investigate. In the meantime, stay put. Hopefully, we can solve this asap, and maybe it''s just a misunderstanding.


    As Josh put down his UW, he couldn''t help but sigh. Meanwhile, everyone around was blissfully ignorant as they were happily heading to a castle a distance away.


    It had an olden day''s architectural style but showed signs of being brand new. Hell, the construction had probably been done with U-bots. He slowly made his way over amidst the excited chatter of the crowd.


    The entrance featured wide open wooden double doors, letting through loud music, familiar tunes from his past, along with colorful light. This thing was a goddamn party! A few volunteers instantly ambushed him.


    "Wee! Take this punch. It''s delicious!" One said, handing him a cup. "Also, here''s a flyer with all the activities nned! Have fun!" One gave him a paper that looked like the surface of a smartphone, interactive and all.


    Josh couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. Music, dancing, party games, sports, movies, and all kinds of earthling bullshit. Hell, some madd had even recreated a few ssics with AI-assisted rendering. There was no stopping progress¡­except nostalgia!


    People were so drunk on nostalgia that their faces radiated! Or perhaps was that the punch? It tasted of berries and liquor and somehow made the other Climbers very happy, a little too much even. Had someone spiked the punch?


    In any case, Josh wasn''t there for the fun times. His objective, for now, was that one guy from Gemini. As for saving all the others? Well, the only Fallen he was genuinely close with was Liam¡­and he seemed busy anyway.


    He approached a random volunteer.


    "Hey there, youngdy. Gemini organizes this party, right? Do you have any idea where our hosts are so that I can thank them for all they''ve done?" Josh amicably inquired.


    "Aren''t they the greatest! But they aren''t here yet. It''s only us volunteers who are setting things up. I reckon that in an hour or so, everyone should be here. If I knew about it before, I would have joined Gemini!" She replied with stars in her eyes.


    They had barely invested anything, and it was already a PR miracle. From that point onward, Fallens would probably hold them in high esteem¡­well until they sprung a surprise contract on them.


    Since he had nothing else better to do, Josh began roaming the castle. He was akin to a ghost, the kind that avoided the livings. The whole ce looked as wonderful as the castle in the movie with a beast and a beauty.


    If one thing stood out, it was probably the old and rusty decorative metallic armor sets. He couldn''t help but give a self-derisive smile as he looked at them, even freezing for a second.


    That''s when a voice surprised him.


    "That smile of yours is very peculiar, you know." From a nearby corridor came forward an olddy, one that he had met before. She still had that cane-sword of hers, the same shadow of a smile, but way fewer wrinkles than before.


    "Is that so?" Josh replied nomittally.


    "Yes, it feels to me like you both love and hates this piece at the same time. Would you mind sharing? I may be old, but my ears still work, haha." The granny chuckled heartily.


    "I just feel like I may be simr to this armor.


    "Oh? How so?"


    "Just a vestige of another world, of another time. One that shows the scars of countless battles, contains endless memories, and is slowly getting eroded by a world that tries to change him¡­." He uttered profoundly.


    "So you''re unyielding metal while this world is the air trying to oxidize you into nothingness?" She summarized while gazing into his eyes.


    "Something like that." Josh nodded.


    "Young, yet sounding a millennium old. You remind me of someone." She shook her head slightly. "I won''t pretend to be wise just because of my age, but I do have one piece of advice for you."


    "What is it?" Josh couldn''t help but feel curious.


    "It''s something to make the eroding less painful¡­Getid!" She said with a straight face. Josh couldn''t help but cough in surprise but regained his calm.


    "That''s the thing. The one I love is already gone and¡ª" He uttered only to be interrupted.


    "Who said anything about love? I just told you to getid! So young and already hard of hearing! Anyway, if you''ve got nothing better to do, then follow me." She shed him a smile before leading the way.


    He had an hour to kill, so he followed. Where were they even heading? She expertly navigated the ce until they reached a room with a very simple door.


    The first thing that Josh noticed upon entering was the smell. The nostalgic scent of paper assaulted him. This ce was an enormous library! There were tall bookshelves all around and a few tables set up in the middle of the room.


    There, a child was sitting, one that he had saved from a pack of bloodthirsty cerberuses back in the tutorial. In her hands, she had a book as she was slowly turning every page.


    The old woman slowly approached and sat next to the kid. Only then did she realize that there was someone else as she eximed in surprise: "Lana, you''re back! You''re just in time to read me this story!"


    "Haha, aren''t you reading it just fine on your own?"


    "Yes, but it''s not the same! When you read it¡­ites alive!"


    "Oh, is that so? I brought someone else with me. Perhaps he''d volunteer." She shrugged off while yfully sticking her tongue out.


    "What?!" Only then did the kid realize his presence. "Hello, mister! There are plenty of wonderful stories here. Would you like to read one?" She was half-offering, half pleading.


    "Alright, I can do one. But, I''ll go out there when Gemini arrives." Josh agreed. The olddy seemed so familiar with the ce that she could potentially tell him a lot.


    "Of course! We''ll be going out at that time too! Lana is actually in Gemini! We can even bring you along for VIP ces, right Lana?!" The kid excitedly uttered with her arms iling around.


    "S-sure¡­" The enthusiasm of the young girl soon defeated the olddy.


    "Here, read this, Mister!" She happily handed him a book.


    Josh didn''t know whether tough or cry. Had he just gained direct ess to the staff from Gemini and his target at the same time?!


    Either this was an enormous coincidence, or she knew this would happen and wanted to keep an eye on him. To be fair, exploring the castle alone did seem slightly suspicious.


    Josh focused on the task at hand, slowly skimming the first page, grimacing in disgust. It seemed like a third-rate fairy tale with a fourth-rate writing style!¡ª well, art was subjective.


    "Is there something wrong with it?" the kid asked with fright.


    "No, it''s just it''s not the style of stories I''m used to reading, that''s all. Ah, but it''s fine, don''t worry." Josh reassured her.


    "Mister, how about you tell me a story you know then?" She asked with her eyes glowing.


    A story he knew? He could do that. Josh slowly nodded as he searched his memory for a good one. Then he began narrating with a deep and melodious voice¡ª one surprisingly good for a guy that couldn''t sing.


    But very quickly the story brought back memories¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The little one''s voice resounded in her tiny room.


    "One more story! Thatst one didn''t count!" She affirmed.


    "What do you mean by it didn''t count?!"


    "It was a boring idiotic princess one. I want one of your stories instead!" She vehemently requested.


    "If it''s boring, why did you let meplete it?!" Josh remarked while clicking his tongue.


    "To have two stories, obviously!" She replied proudly.


    This girl! How was she so scheming at such a young age?! But then he could only relent: "Fine. One story, and then it''s bedtime!"


    "Of course! I love you, Josh!" She cutely added.


    Damn, scheming AND maniptive! At the very least, he wouldn''t have to worry too much about her future. Thus he began reading in the best narrator voice he could muster.


    "Once upon a time, there was a princess that everyone adored who resided in the castle. She lived there with her father, the king, who spoiled her silly.


    The princess was as wealthy as refined, and princes across all nations woulde to ask her hand in marriage. But, she refused them all because none were wealthy enough or sophisticated enough to match her.


    Then, one day, a dangerous and mighty dragon invaded a nearby mountain and made it its dwelling. It lived alone in the mountain, on a pile of coins (or so everyone said), and loved to fly around. But every flight scared the vigers nearby and their cattle, traumatizing them.


    The vigers went to visit the wise king to ask for help. But, he quickly realized that the dragon was only flying. It hadn''t caused a single casualty! He categorically refused to go to war for such a ridiculous reason!


    In turn, the vigers decided to ask the elegant princess for help¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Snooping in a castle is the fastest way to meet whoever is in charge of security. Except Lana came. Was she even affiliated with this event? Sure she was in Gemini but she didn''t seem like the type to force people into epting shaddy contracts.

 Chapter 314: The Dragon and the Princess (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 314: The Dragon and the Princess (2/2)</h4>


    The king categorically refused to go to war for such a ridiculous reason!


    In turn, the vigers decided to ask the elegant princess for help. They wanted her to convince her father in their stead. At first, she did not care, but they described its mountain of wealth as well as how valuable the creature''s body was.


    Each scale was akin to scintiting ruby, and all of its body parts could be used to craft legendary equipment. Blinded by greed, she agreed to beg her father to send the army to subjugate the monster. But, for the first time in her life, her father denied her request.


    She pouted, screamed, and cried, but he did not change his mind no matter what. She thought he had stopped loving her, but it was quite the contrary. The king knew perfectly how deadly a dragon could be. They even knew magic!


    He didn''t want to risk the kingdom and didn''t want to risk his daughter. Thus, he resolutely told her that he would only make a move if the dragon became violent. That day the princess smiled understandably but began plotting.


    All that she needed was for the dragon to turn vicious. Her father would then send the army, and she would have its treasure and beautiful scales to make jewelry. But, how was she supposed to anger the dragon without mobilizing the army?


    She initially was at a loss, but then she suddenly had a sh of genius! She didn''t need to do anything to the dragon at all! All that she needed to do was y a little trick! That night she asked one of her knights to meet her.


    He was a young man that was head over heels in love with her. He would have done anything for a smile from her. That''s all she gave him, a single smile, and it was sufficient to send him on a secret mission.


    This mission couldn''t be known to the public, or the vigers would lose faith in the crown. She told the brave that a god had given her a divinemandment. She had to get rid of the dragon, for it would bring disaster to theirnd!


    She chuckled to herself, driven by the god called greed. She chuckled as her knight left, she chuckled as he came back half-dead, and she chuckled as he told her of the sess of the mission.


    The kingdom soon became a royal mess. Five viges had been burnt to the ground, and it was all the doing of the vile dragon! After, all who else but the creature would do such a dreadful thing! There was no need for any more proof!


    Some argued that the whole event was strange, but they kept quiet. Silence soon became the preferred option, especially after a few had beenpidated for heresy. The only voices that were still heard all called for the subjugation of the monster.


    The king found it quite strange but didn''t suspect foul y in the least. After all, their borders were properly defended, his poption had been happy, and no one from his court would have gained from such a thing.


    His daughter seemed to have matured too as she saw the army assemble. This was the first time she was confronted with war, and she did all she could to help the soldiers. She would oversee their training and cheer them up!


    She had believed all along the dragon to be dangerous, and it seemed that she had been right. The king couldn''t help but admire her prescience. But now wasn''t a time to rejoice; death and suffering woulde.


    In order to have enough troops, they even recruited from the popce. Many young men answered the king''s call. They volunteered to y the foul dragon, but most importantly for their kingdom! They soon departed, thousands of them!


    The march was long and arduous they had to scale a mountain that wasn''t suited for humanity. But, they didn''t have a choice. They had to fight the dragon by trapping it in itsir, or it would burn more viges.


    Many died during the climb, but they finally reached the top. There, an epic fight happened. For three days and night, the mountain itself shook as it began dripping with so much blood that it turned red.


    The dragon''s ws were incredibly sharp, its tail was akin to a titanic whip, its fangs could bite through anything, its scales were almost impossible to pierce, and the worst was its breath attack. Dragons always breathed thrice!


    Out of the thousands of soldiers, 234 survived. Even the ones that survived were so wounded that they weren''t sure if they would survive the journey back. But, they were valiant, and they loved their country!


    They somehow managed toe back! Well, 42 of them did. Out of thousands of them, 42 of them came back to the city. They had spent so much energy in this single expedition that the young soldiers now looked like old men.


    The king cried when they came back. They had proud smiles, but they had suffered so much! But the princess cried even more. She cried as they presented her the beast''s head, one with the color of dust.


    It had been a vibrant red when the creature had been alive, but theck of proper care method and the long journey had rendered it worthless.?Even then, it was proof that their kingdom was safe! They would hang it on the pce wall and keep it there, even when it would be full of flies!


    As for the treasure¡­what treasure?! This creature was a huge fire-breathing lizard! It couldn''t produce coins! As for piging? It had been azy dragon, one that loved to sleep and fly, nothing else.


    At that moment, the princess''s heart was about to explode from the rage. They had spent so much time and hadn''t brought back a single thing of value?! How had they not realized that the dragon head was losing its shine? Were they retarded?!


    But it was even worse! Their tales truly described the scales as the most amazing of treasures! The greed she had once felt was in no way lower. She needed at least one brooch with a dragon scale! She didn''t need more than that!


    But, not only didn''t they have an army anymore, but they didn''t have a dragon either. What was she supposed to do? That''s when she had a sh of genius. She could use other people! She ordered bards to attend her.


    She gave them the task to create the most fantastic of odes about the red dragon. How amazing it was and how wonderful it was to y one! Then, they would travel the world, spreading tales about it.


    Then, they had to find her a new dragon and adventurers that would y the beast. They all epted their mission. The king soon learned about it and was utterly confused. Why did she want to kill dragons outside their territory?


    She lied about wanting to avenge their soldiers. Humanity would only be safe when all dragons were eradicated. She showed so much conviction that he agreed with her n but made the bards swear to keep the events of the dragon raid to themselves.


    Except, the princess couldn''t ept this. She met the bards in secret and stressed that they absolutely had to stress how amazing of a creature to generate hype about the whole quest. They had to! They left with her blessings.


    The king used most of his wealth to quickly invest in the people and help all the families who had lost their kin to the dragon raid. They were now poor with an army that was slowly recovering, but in a few years, they would be alright.


    That''s when the bards arrived at the other kingdoms. They began recounting the incredible things that had happened, especially with the dragon! When asked if this was fiction, they answered that it was all true and gave details!


    Thanks to the princess''s n, the bards truly made the dragons popr! Oh, and advertised to all the kingdom''s enemies that they were at their weakest and easy to invade. Without waiting, the opposing factions made their move!


    This was a golden opportunity! The king saw them approach filled with despair. He could only curse this god-forsaken dragon! If only it had never attacked hisnd!


    The benevolent king died on his throne, killed by an angry general who had hoped to get some dragon scales and had found the dragon head full of maggots instead.


    All he could do was to save his only daughter as the kingdom fell to the invaders. She disappeared, never to be found¡ª or so most think. In fact, if one listens closely, there are whispers about her.


    Legends say that she can be seen from time to time, still searching for that one dragon scale brooch¡­


    "Wow, that was great!" The little one happily chimed in.


    "So, what do you think the moral of the story is?" Josh calmly asked.


    She thought about it for a few seconds, seemingly finding the best words:


    "Information gathering is critical! The princess didn''t bother about understanding the dragon''s power. She didn''t properly research how to take care of dragon materials, and worse of all, she didn''t even know about the affairs of the kingdom!"


    "That''s your biggest takeaway?" Josh asked while raising a brow.


    "Yep!" She confidently replied.


    "Smart girl!" He praised.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh came back to his senses as he finally concluded his story.


    "This was the story of the dragon and the princess." In front of him, the kid seemed utterly speechless as she stared at him.


    "This sure was different than the usual happily ever after ones¡­." The granny chuckled.


    The young one seemed to be processing it all. What kind of ending was this?! But she eventually came to ept that this was it. Still, she couldn''t help but exim:


    "T-that princess isn''t a good princess at all! She''s the bad guy, right?! Also, wasn''t the dragon nice?! Why did it have to die?!" She was slightly pouting.


    "Well, that''s how it goes. Anyway, did you learn anything with this?" Josh nonchntly asked.


    "Greed is evil!" The kid confidently dered.


    "Naw, it''s mostly about preparing ordingly to the situation, but close." Josh praised.


    The old and the young could only stare at him perplexed. Who was this weirdo?! But suddenly, Lana''s UW beeped.


    ¡ª Ding¡ª


    "It seems that the others from Gemini are here. Things are about to start," She said.


    As he heard this, Josh knew that this could easily be a monumental shitshow. Dario was still investigating, but what would happen if this turned out to be aplot?!


    Would Draconic or even the MTAe to terminate the event? Josh could only wait and move with the flow¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Honestly, greed isn''t always bad. It can serve as incredible motivation, it''s the basis of capitalism after all. But, there is a big difference between feeling greed and letting oneself be controlled by such dark emotion. Was greed motivating whatever was happening there?!

 Chapter 315: Great Movie, Shit Spectators!

    <h4>Chapter 315: Great Movie, Shit Spectators!</h4>


    At the Fallen event, Gemini was about to arrive!


    Josh trailed behind the old woman until they reached arge castle ballroom. It was so sumptuous that the little girl apanying them couldn''t help but utter excitedly.


    "Wow! It''s like a true fairy tale!"


    Was all this nothing but a deceptive front? Dario hadn''t given him any news yet, and no one seemed to realize that there was anything wrong.


    Josh''s gaze darted everywhere. There were only happy people in colorful clothes, dancing to the music.


    "They should be there any second now." The olddy softly mumble.


    That''s when the lights went out, and the music abruptly stopped! A spotlight then lit up as a man slowly appeared in a corner. Josh instantly recognized him as that one recruiter from Gemini who had looked down on him.


    But, there was something strange. His mannerism was utterly different. The previous meek appearance he had shown on Arcadia was nowhere to be seen. He moved confidently and fearlessly. How strange from a man with a target on his back.


    Perhaps it was thanks to the four Climbers that could be faintly discerned on the side. They moved along with him while assuring his protection. They appeared extremely alert, and it would be hard to bypass them.


    Josh mumbled a low: "Who''s this?" After all, he was donning a different appearance at the moment.


    "This is the man who had the wonderful idea to organize this reunion." The old woman softly murmured.


    So it was. A man who ssified people by their usefulness just happened to be the host of an event with a sketchy contract entry gate? Very sus!


    He stopped in the center of the room before addressing the crowd:


    "Thank you all foring today! Gemini is happy to be receiving everyone. I would like to raise a toast to humanity. Because no matter where we hail from, we are all part of the same family. Enjoy!"


    Then came the explosive sound of pping.


    ¡ª p p p! ¡ª


    Everyone around was all smiles, praising this short speech as if it were great. The little girl was already leaving to enjoy the party. Josh stayed behind, shaking his head slightly.


    "What are you thinking?" The old woman gently asked him, grabbing some punch for the both of them in passing.


    "We''re all part of the same family is what he said¡­.then why is it only us Fallen here?" He uttered with a sigh.


    "Because they can''t understand. Could you imagine the people of this world''s reaction to what we consider great? Superheroes? They''re nothing more than cosying Climbers. An old ship and an iceberg? Who cares! Some guys ying with lightsabers¡ª"


    "I get it. But the people of this world aren''t so different from us. Hell, at this point, we are the people of this world already." Josh sighed once more, taking a sip.


    "Don''t you sometimes miss the Earth?" She asked.


    "The Earth? No. I miss people. But, I''ll get them back one way or another." Josh stated with conviction.


    "How?" She raised an eyebrow.


    "I''ll get to the top, get that wish and bring them back." He borated his "simple" n.


    "What makes you think that the wish thing is even real? Isn''t that pretty much a rumor? What if even the gods can''t bring them back?"


    A rumor, was it? Josh was half-asleep when it had happened, but the voice had been real. The promise had been real too. Either they could bring his loved ones back, or they had been lying from the start.


    "Then I''ll make them pay." Josh nonchntly, stating a fact.


    "The gods?!" She jumped in surprise.


    "The gods."


    "O_O" She froze.


    He sounded so serious! In his voice was confidence that bordered insanity. It was way too powerful! It reminded her so much of herte husband. It was that confidence of his that had caused the old fool''s demise.


    She lowly chuckled while wrylymenting: "Hearing you talk, it sounds like you''ve met them."


    "Clear more Hellish Floors, and you will too." Josh casually dropped this bomb.


    "What?!" She spat out some punch, gasping.


    "I''ll be exploring the ce for a little bit. Talkter." Josh excused himself, not letting her ce any question, leaving a bbergasted old woman behind.


    He could feel her heated gaze on his back as he decisively left. She was hooked and would probably ry that information to her superiors, right?


    His previous target was brash and had been easy to goad into meeting him alone. This one was guarded and would be more troublesome. Even if he took the appearance of a member of Gemini, it would be hard to make the others leave.


    He had to make it so the careful man would wish to meet him in private. He would let the recruiter be the one toe to him.


    "Ah, this sure is nostalgic, well maybe not the good kind of nostalgic." Josh shook his head, observing his surroundings.


    A song about being blue was ying, and the horrid dances from Earth were back. Then there were the boring chips too. Why couldn''t they have the spicy ones he had eaten at the arcade?!


    The olddy made her way toward his target before whispering something in his ears. That''s when the man turned his way. Of course, Josh didn''t notice at all¡ª or so it seemed.


    That''s when the Gemini peeps made their way toward him. The recruiter was showing a bright smile.


    "Hey there. What do you think of the event so far?"


    "It''s fine." Josh perfunctory replied.


    "Fine, not good or great? I''ll definitely need to improve the next time I organize it then, haha." He happily bullshitted.


    How annoying! Was there a need for all this small talk?


    "Did you need something?" Josh asked, perplexed.


    "Lana told me that you might know some things about the Tower. How would you like to discuss for a bit?" He requested with the best business smile ever.


    "Isn''t Gemini a big guild? I''m sure you guys know more than I do¡­." Josh replied, reluctant. He even gave a "reproachful" nce at the old woman for bringing the attention to him.


    "Haha, being big doesn''t mean that we know everything. Please, I''d be happy for us to have a mealter. Would you give me this pleasure?"


    "A-alright." Josh reluctantly nodded.


    "Perfect! I''ll see youter then. I just have a few things to take care of for now." Just like that, he was gone.


    Later, was it? Would the MTAe knocking before their meeting? What if he made a deal with Allistair directly? If Gemini was plotting against Metropolis-C, then perhaps he could "borrow" his target toplete his mission.


    As the group left, Josh saw the recruiter whisper at Lana. It was probably something simr to "You better be right about that guy. He seems like a fool."


    What now? If he kept pushing, it would only seem suspicious. The best thing he could do right now was to wait and stay in touch with Dario.


    He slowly went for a walk, finally stopping in a room converted into a small movie theater. It was currently ying that film about a robot terminating people. Perhaps this was where his love of killer robots stemmed from?


    He could already hear some people lowly whispering:


    "Yeah, this model of terminating robot was designed by X and cost Y to make..."


    "This movie broke the box office, it was huge!"


    "I love this actress, for two amazing reasons..."


    Talk about dumbasses! Sure, they were whispering, but at a regr human level. Climber senses could pick it all up easily. Luckily for them, Josh didn''t care as he sat in a corner, minding his own business.


    He checked his UW:


    - Josh MF Malum: Any news?


    He had to wait for a few minutes before a reply finally came.


    - Dario the Dragon: We''ve requested help from a renowned appraiser. Hopefully, he''ll be able to tell us what we''re dealing with exactly. He''s on his way as we speak.


    - Josh MF Malum: Is it the owner of Eons by any chance? If it is, I''ll have to say Hi.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Ahem, do you mind!"? A random guy interrupted Josh while pointing at the soft lighting out of his UW.


    "What? I''m in thest row, just look forward..." He replied.


    "It breaks the immersion! There weren''t any UW on Earth!" The man righteously said.


    "Yeah, how about you shut up and watch the movie." Josh sighed, ignoring the idiot.


    (The man began huffing and puffing but who cared.)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    - Dario the Dragon: You know the old man from Eons?!


    - Josh MF Malum: Oh yeah, we''re totally friends. So, what happens if he determines it''s something evil?


    - Dario the Dragon: Then the MTA and Draconic will be moving to subdue everyone involved.


    Subdue everyone involved? Oh wow. Would Gemini fight back? What about the Fallens? He felt like today had been way too much waiting. This was why he loved Climbing. There was no bullshit. Mission ¡ª> Rewards, that was all!


    Humanity was the oneplicating everything. Men had added a credit cost to the entrance, men had established a guild Ranking based on the Floors cleared, and men were currently blocking it for investigation.


    Humanity was a royal pain in the ass at times! Just as he was lost in thoughts, a deafening explosion sound resounded!


    ¡ª Boom!¡ª


    Ah, this sure was nice! On the screen, a T-8000 was getting blown to smithereens. Where it once stood was now arge quantity of gray smoke filling the entire shot. Wait, no, it wasn''t limited to the screen!


    From every corner of the room, smoke began to gush out. The spectators couldn''t help but cheer as they witnessed such lovely attention to detail. It made them feel as if they were in the movie, how wonderful!


    Well, there were a few snowkes: "My popcorn! There''s gonna be smoke in it! Noooo!" Yep...first world problem.


    Josh couldn''t help but praise the effort silently. The fog was subtle but didn''t break the immersion. After all, anything too high-tech would have destroyed the retro feel. Well done!


    But suddenly, the huge smile on his face turned a little stiff as he noticed how the other Fallens reacted:


    "Cough¡ª cough¡ª what the hell is this?!"


    "My throat hurts so much! Wait, it''s the gas!!"


    "Don''t breathe! Anyone has poison resistance pills?!"


    "I have some, but they''re not fucking working! We need gas masks!"


    That''s when one of them turned toward Josh, who was still on his seat, not showing any difort.


    "You! How the hell are you still fine?! Help us!"


    "Yeah, sorry, but I can''t help¡­." Josh shook his head.


    "Stop bullshiting me! Fucking do something!"


    That''s when a wobbly Climber seemed to have a sh of insight. He pointed at Josh, his face distorted in rage.


    "He''s the culprit! He''s the one that released the gas!"


    "He''s the asshole that was on his UW the whole movie!"


    "Hand over the antidote right now!"


    "Get him, talkter!"


    "Fuck him up!"


    That''s when about 20 Climbers of various levels charged his way, screaming at the top of their lungs only to violently cough from the smoke.


    "C''mon, give me a break." Josh could only sigh¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    This is why I hate mobs. One idiot will scream something dumb, then another idiot will scream something even dumber. After a few rounds of retarded screeching...Bam! There''s a crowd that wants to beat me up because I resist poisons. Fuck them! No, seriously, fuck them!

 Chapter 316: I’m Not a Bad Guy!

    <h4>Chapter 316: I¡¯m Not a Bad Guy!</h4>


    In the room turned into a movie theater, twenty-ish Climbers aggressively charged toward a lone man amidst the gas.


    ¡ª Wooosshhhh! ¡ª


    "C''mon, give me a break!" Joshined as they all charged at him, equipping all their gear!


    Without waiting, he used his secret weapon: the smelly set! As the invisible smelly domain formed¡­.nothing at all happened. These fuckers were all holding their breath to resist the gas.


    He wouldn''t waste time with them as he used the Zoom ability to dash away, heading in a straight line for the exit. But suddenly, he felt a magical projectile bypass him, one so perversely cold! The ear it had passed near was already frostbitten!


    But then itnded, right at his destination, exploding all over. Oh god! It blossomed into an enormous ice flowerden with ice pricks that looked insanely sharp¡ª and he was heading straight for them!


    Of crap! He had to stop himself, but it wasn''t that easy. Without waiting, Josh transformed his weapon into a spear and used it to redirect his movement. A secondter, his body was ttened on the ceiling, all his bones creaking.


    Below the enemies were alreadying over. Screw this. He was getting the fuck away from this ce! Josh hurriedly attacked the ceiling. He''d make a hole in it and escape to the floor above.


    ¡ª CLANG! ¡ª


    But as he swung with all his might, an orange light appeared and blocked it. An invisible barrier protected the structure?!


    "Quick, kill him!"


    "Be ready! He''ll fall back down!"


    "Grab the antidote on his body if you have to!"


    What motherfucking antidote?! Also, he wasn''ting down!


    He used the Equipment Changers he possessed to don the spider set quickly. The Climbers couldn''t help but stare in shock as they saw Josh run away on the ceiling.


    "What the heck is his ss?!"


    "Is that asshole a cockroach or something?!"


    "Who cares! Shoot him down and beat him up!"


    That''s when tons of unidentified objects began flying at him. There were arrows, magical projectiles, swords, seats, and one guy was even throwing shit at him?! What was wrong with those people?!


    "He''s moving like an insect too!"


    "Cough cough. We gotta hurry up!"


    "Stop running, you bastard, ande down!"


    The mob was still intent on killing him for an antidote that didn''t exist. That''s when one of them couldn''t take it anymore as he opened his mouth wide and¡ª began screeching deafeningly!


    All the Climbers instantly held their heads in their hands, Josh included. He fell from the ceiling,nding heavily on his back. His spine cracked, and his eardrums shattered.


    Hey there bloodied and groggy. The cause of it all slowly approached him while cackling happily:


    "Screw you. How do you like that, eh? My sonic attack is pretty great, ain''t it! With that much damage, you won''t be able to move! This will teach you to poison us, hehe. You get what you fucking deserve."


    He then began rummaging Josh''s pockets. There were a few odd things and a few generic pills, but no antidote. That''s when the guy started grimacing.


    "It''s in your freaking inventory, isn''t it? Go on, spit it out! I see that defiant look in your eyes, haha. But so what?! You''re at my mercy right now. Either you y nice and give me what I want or¡ª


    But his sentence was rudely interrupted by a de in his throat. The dying man stared at Josh with bulging eyes and iprehension. "Passive regeneration, bitch." Josh spat out with the man falling to the ground.


    He then turned to the others. They were still wriggling on the ground, all thanks to that guy''s attack. How ironic that the one who wanted him dead had unintendedly helped him.? They were staring at him with so much hate!


    "Listen up, you dumbasses. I didn''t poison anyone. I just have an insect-based ss, one that''s immune to poison and allows me to walk on walls. How about you mind your own fucking business and leave me alone?"


    Some showed regret, others uncertainty, but many kept showering him in killing intent. As if they''d believe him! Josh could only sigh as he headed toward the exit, forcefully hacking the ice away little by little. But before leaving, he turned around.


    Out of the 20, there were seven that were still sending killing intent his way. They were only fools who were sorely mistaken. Of course, he would spare them¡­.from living their pitiful existence.


    Josh quickly got rid of them, leaving helpless and despairing Climbers behind.


    The corridor was full of the same gray fog, the visibility extremely bad. If anything, it tasted a bit like pepper, or perhaps that was just him. Josh checked his UW real quick.


    - Josh MF Malum: Are you guys the ones attacking the ce?


    - Dario the Dragon: What?! There''s an attack?! What''s happening?!


    - Josh MF Malum: Guess that''s a no¡­


    - Dario the Dragon: What the hell is going on¡ª


    Josh closed the chat without a second thought. What was he going to write? That there was smoke? That he had killed a few pricks? Either way, who could be behind this if it wasn''t the MTA?


    This could potentially be an opportunity. He headed toward the ballroom, looking for his target. That''s when he encountered a small group of Climbers who all had gas masks. They instantly pointed their weapons at him.


    "Who goes there!"


    "This guy doesn''t have a gas mask! How is he fine?!"


    "Either he''s one of the invaders, or he has a way to resist this thing."


    Josh gave them a quick look before uttering displeased:


    "Look, guys. I''m trying to figure out what''s going on here. Eithere along or get out of my fucking way." He kept walking, ignoring them.


    A few of them seemed about to attack him, but their leader stopped them.


    "There''s no need to fight him for now. It would just weaken us."


    "Boss? There are 10 of us and only one of him! What do we have to fear?!"


    "He didn''t even twitch as he saw us all. He''s not your run of the mill weakling."


    The inexperienced man nodded in understanding, warily eyeing Josh nheless. Nice, finally someone with a brain!


    "I''m Klein D¡ª" Their leader began to introduce himself.


    "I don''t care." Josh stopped him abruptly.


    A few Climbers seemed outraged, but they were urged to follow him without making a scene. Time was of the essence¡ª well, maybe? No one really knew what the fuck was going on.


    From time to time, they would encounter lone or small groups of Fallens. They all had their own ways to resist the poison and would get agitated upon meeting them. But, the Klein D man would disarm the situation quickly, offering them to join them.


    That''s how Josh found himself leading a group of a few dozen Climbers. Well, he really was going his own way, and they were following behind. Eventually, they reached their destination.


    But, they stopped, listening to the voices that were echoing inside:


    "Gemini really stooped so fucking low on this one. Can you imagine how shocked I was when I learned that you were organizing a Fallen-only party? I was like¡­really?! They''re doing what?!"


    "Who are you people?!" The Gemini recruiter growled.


    "Who are we? Isn''t that obvious? We''re the good guys! We''re the ones that can''t stand you guys catering to these illegal aliens. Think about it. This isn''t their home, not at all! What are they doing here in the first ce?!"


    "They''re helping us all clear the Tower, you idiots! We''re the ones that invited them here!"


    "You invited them. We never did! They''re nothing but filthy vermin guing our great Metropolises! Don''t you see? At every chance they get, they try to corrupt our civilization. Open your eyes and witness how trashy their culture is!"


    "Tch¡ª Another crazed extremist. There''s a reason everyone hates you. If you think that you''ll be able to defeat Gemini, then you''re dead wrong!"


    "Defeat you? HAHAHAHA! We don''t have to defeat you directly. As we speak, gas is slowly spreading, affecting all those maggots you invited here. Before long, they will all be paralyzed, for life! How great, am I right?!"


    "You insane bastard!"


    Whoever was in there was aplete nutjob. One so crazy that reality had lost all meaning. Logical thinking? Sense of judgment? All gone!


    Josh''s group gasped in shock at hearing this. They could be seen shivering in rage as they red at the fog in front. They were so eager to fight.


    "Whatever, just go already." Josh gestured to them.


    They charged akin to mad dogs, driven by their fury. Coincidentally, the song currently ying was a remix of "Who Let the Doggos Out!"


    Soon enough came the sound of intense fighting! Josh, like a brave man...went to the side. He had no intention of joining a chaotic and blind melee. Hell no!


    A few secondster, the crisp crunch sound of chips resounded, adding to the magical explosions, the steel nging, and the dying screams.


    "Oh well, it''s not popcorn, but it''s better than nothing." Josh sighed to himself. He intently listened to the fight. Was this how blind men watched MMA shows?


    All that he knew was that the mad guy was still cackling as much as earlier, that his target was still alive, and that there were tons of people grunting in there as they exerted themselves.


    But suddenly, shadows left the fog, led by an olddy that he recognized instantly. That''s when the man eating chips and the bloodied Climber made eye contact.


    Oh? An opportunity? Would you look at that¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    From my experience, too many good men died from stray bullets. I wasn''t about to risk my life for an LoA mission! I had my reasons to join them, but it wasn''t that big a deal if I failed¡ª or so I naively thought back then...

 Chapter 317: Over-Nonchalant Josh

    <h4>Chapter 317: Over-Nonchnt Josh</h4>


    At the Fallen event, the Gemini group was barely making it out of the main room that they encountered a man nonchntly eating chips.


    All that Josh did upon noticing them was to wave gently. It was as if he was meeting some acquaintances on a sunny day off. He was so serene that the Climbers couldn''t help but eye him warily, one even shouting.


    "Careful, he''s with them!"


    "Poor guy ran out of brain cells." Josh sighed withpassion.


    "W-what?! How dare you¡ª"


    "Worry not. I have a trick for you. If you shut up, you won''t sound as dumb." Josh advised.


    "Who the fuck do you think¡ª"


    "Enough!" That''s when the olddy interrupted before turning toward Josh. "You, what''s the name of the boat that perished to an iceberg?"


    "Titani¡ª" Josh replied by reflex.


    "Good. See, he''s a Fallen. Let''s go!"


    Josh couldn''t help but smile wryly at this identification method. He then began following Gemini from a distance, receiving dirty looks from that one Climber. But, once more, Lana intervened.


    "Stop lurking behind ande closer. You better fight with us if we''re attacked."


    "Fine." Josh couldn''t help but grumble.


    In total, there were 6 Climbers, meaning he''d need to get rid of 5 to handle his target. How was he supposed to do such a thing? Right now, he was getting suspicious looks from all of them beside Lana.


    The olddy was instead staring straight in front, peering at the fog warily. The smoke bombs of this world were definitely better than the ones he knew.


    Actually, what if he yanked out Gemini''s gas mask? Would it disable them? It could quickly turn awkward, especially if they had spares in their inventory. No, for now, he would bide his time.


    Suddenly Josh felt something. Enemies were approaching, four of them. Any second, they would turn the corner and be upon them. But he didn''t say anything and ever so slightly slowed his pace.


    A few instantster, the sound of projectiles whooshing forward resounded. ng¡ªng¡ª ARGG! Their group almost blocked them all. Almost, for one of them had turned into a porcupine but was surprisingly still alive.


    There was no respite. As soon as their sneak attack failed, the enemies pushed forward! Three became extremely visible as they were enveloped in glowing green light. Thest one was missing, but it was even more remarkable how the light spread akin to chains linking them all.


    The one at the very front swung a colossal axe in an arc. A Gemini Climber smirked as he made arge shield appear and executed a perfect block.


    But suddenly, the olddy cried out: "Don''t block, dodge!"


    A few secondster, the shield and its owner were both cleanly cleaved in half.


    "Nooooo! Jerome!!!" One of them shouted, heartbroken.


    RIP extra character. You shall not be missed.


    Josh couldn''t help but be impressed. The power in that one blow had been so intense! The volunteer was most definitely a tank, and yet he had been one-shot?! Gemini was an A-ranked guild. Such strength was probably even beyond S-rank!


    But, it became even stranger. After such an impossibly strong attack, the attacker didn''t even seem tired. How?! but then Josh understood it all. The men linked to him were actually panting. He wasn''t sure how that worked, but they could visibly help one another.


    "Careful! Ignore this guy and attack the ones behind!" the olddy instructed.


    Wow, she had seen through it. This was pretty good judgment right there.


    The Gemini members showed excellent coordination as they quickly spread out. They charged forward while shing and hammering with their respective weapons. They fought bravely, but the enemies quickly overpowered them, pushing them back.


    As they regrouped, they couldn''t help but curse:


    "How the fuck are they that strong?!"


    "I think it''s that link between them. It''s some kind of buff, and it''s huge!"


    "It gives them a defensive barrier too. I couldn''t prate it even with my strongest attack."


    "That''s not all. They can draw on the strength of the others. It''s impossible to gang up on only one of them, no matter how great our positioning is."


    "I tried cutting the link, and I couldn''t. It''s not physical at all. Heck, even magic doesn''t seem to work against it."


    "This is crazy, there''s three of them against the five of us, and we''re still the weaker side. What the hell are we supposed to do?


    That''s when the olddy turned Josh''s way, visible displeasure on her face: "Are you going to help any time soon?"


    Now came the troublesome part. The olddy was rtively nice, and it would be nice if she could survive. But, it was definitively better for him if more people from Gemini could die. After all, there were still four standing between him and his target.


    Then again, these guys could be annoying too. They were anti-Fallen extremists, right? Ah, whatever. He could get rid of the xenophobic bastards first, use them to gain the trust of Gemini, and back-stab his newfound alliester. Yep, that could work.


    "We should get rid of him just to be safe."


    "Yes, let''s kill him."


    A few members of Gemini were getting pretty angry at Josh. He was ignoring them and observing the magical chain linking the terrorists.


    This thing resisted both physical and magical damage? How peculiar. Josh truly believed that nothing in this world was without weakness.


    As he pondered on this, the attackers went on the offensive once more. The guy with the axe deserved a special mention as he swung his weapon everywhere like a madman. He had so much speed and power that approaching him was pretty much impossible.


    As for the ranged attacks? He would freaking deflect them with his axe too, how?! Gemini had no choice but to scurry around to evade it. Even such a task was challenging because they were in a corridor, albeit arge castle one.


    "Ignore that guy for now and focus on not dying." The olddy spat out.


    "Should we retreat to the main room?"


    "No. I think that''s their n¡­." She denied.


    Josh heard echoes of their conversations but didn''t care. He was still staring at that magical light. Somehow it was a power that gave him an odd feeling as if he was supposed to know what it was.


    It was as if the answer was just out of his reach. He could feel it but not make sense of it, and it was super frustrating! It was as frustrating as having corn stuck in one''s teeth all day long.


    Effectively, Josh was just standing there like a dumbass. The others gave him bitter nces. Earlier, he had been eating chips while they fought, and now he was just daydreaming? Fuck that guy!


    Lana had expressly told them not to attack him and to focus on the terrorists. While he wasn''t worth wasting their energy on, they still felt pissed. He was so rxed while they risked their fucking lives.


    That''s when the one fighting the axe guy grinned as he decided to retreat a few paces. By doing so, he was bringing the fight directly to Josh. He couldn''t help but wish for the idiot to end up cleaved in half like their unfortunate friend.


    Not only did Josh not react, but he didn''t show any sign of having noticed at all¡ª he honestly hadn''t either.


    In fact, there was now a humongous axe flying right next to him over and over as the two fought. The Gemini Climber couldn''t understand what the heck was going on. Why wasn''t the idiot attacked?! He couldn''t help but ask his opponent.


    "Are you guys together?! Why won''t you attack him?!"


    "Because you''ll counterattack when I do so¡­" A raspy voice replied.


    "No, no! Look, I''ll even fall back!" The Gemini Climber cooperated as much as he could.


    "Tch¡ª There''s no way I''ll do your bidding. If you want to kill him, you can do so yourself." The masked terrorist objected.


    At this point, the Gemini guy was so fed up with Josh that he had long forgotten that they weren''t enemies. Seeing him so rxed while he himself was fighting for his life was driving him mad. Why should he stand there while he was facing an invincible enemy!


    In the back came the reassuring and heroic voice of the olddy:


    "They aren''t that dangerous. They are more powerful, can deflect attacks but aren''t that fast. It''s all thanks to that link, so we just need to figure out how to get rid of it! Keep fighting!"


    "Tch¡ª if only it was that easy." The Josh-hating Climber spat out before a smile suddenly blossomed on his face. He then shouted at Josh: "Hey man, what''s the title of that Fallen boat movie with the iceberg again?!"


    Josh was still pondering, wholly lost in thoughts, but still absentmindedly replied. "Titani¡ª" That''s the exact moment the enemy realized that Josh was a Fallen.


    Without waiting, he ruthlessly swung his axe toward him. There was only one oue for a man caught by surprise by such a mighty cleave: death! Well, that''s how it was supposed to be.


    Josh instantly perceived the killing intent and came back to his senses. His pondering expression changed drastically. However, he wasn''t scared or even stern. Nope, he began smiling radiantly. He just had a sh of insight.


    So that''s what it was!


    That''s why he felt that the energy was familiar! It had some simrities with killing intent yet was theplete opposite! What was this? Life intent, protecting intent, green intent even? He didn''t fucking know!


    But if this was intent, he knew what to do. He would fight intent with intent! The enemy swung his axe with incredible momentum. Josh moved at thest second but, instead of retreating, he took a step forward.


    He was now right next to the guy. The few that saw the scene couldn''t help but give sneers, what a dumbass! As long as he had the buff, the terrorist was pretty much invincible. Getting closer was a death sentence!


    Josh rxedly swung at the guy¡­.only to fucking miss!¡ª or so they thought. His scimitar drew an arc before colliding with the energy linking the man to his allies.


    Everyone expected such action to be pointless, but what they couldn''t see was that the scimitar was coated with some mana, but more importantly, raw killing intent.


    ¡ª Kacha!¡ª


    The link broke, the light around the axe guy disappeared, and he began coughing blood from the bacsh. Thest thing he saw was Josh''s weapon slit his throat. The entire corridor fell silent with the fighters staring shellshocked.


    "What? He attacked me, so I killed him." Josh very innocently replied as he shrugged.


    In fact, he looked as nonchnt as he had been while eating chips or standing still¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    The more I think about it and the stranger it seems. How did I learn killing intent again? For some reason, I can''t seem to remember it. It had to be during those two years right? Oh well, if I can''t remember, then it''s probably not important...

 Chapter 318: The Annoyingly Powerful Josh

    <h4>Chapter 318: The Annoyingly Powerful Josh</h4>


    In the foggy corridor, every Climber suddenly halted as they gawked at the scene happening in front of them.


    Josh had just severed the magical link and killed one of the invaders. He had done so with so much ease that they couldn''t believe it. At this moment, their brainpletely shut down with a few mumbling.


    "Who the fuck is that guy?!"


    Oh? Was it time for a self-introduction? Josh cooperated and did a mock reverence:


    "Hello all, I''m just an everyday climber passing by. I enjoy spicy chips and utterly hate politics. Please take care of me!"


    The enemies were shellshocked for an instant. This buffoon has destroyed the magic they thought invincible¡­how?! There was only one thing they could do. With onest war cry¡­they retreated at full speed.


    The old woman instantly reacted, "Quick, don''t let them get away!" as the Gemini Climbers went hot on the enemies'' tail.


    Josh couldn''t help but agree with such a statement. It''d be best if they charged ahead and abandoned that one recruiter. Sadly, he went along with them, always ensuring to be in a safe spot.


    Oh well, Josh would simply wait for the next opportunity. At least, they were bound to be less guarded against him. After all, he had contributed a lot to the previous fight. For now, he could only follow from a distance while grumbling.


    As for the enemies? God knows where they had found the strength, but they honestly had shown incredible fleeing capabilities. A minuteter, they had already managed to run away. How and where? Who knew in that damn fog!


    As Josh''s current group came to a halt, their mouth kept opening and closing, a thousand questions threatening to escape their lips.


    "How did you do that back there?" One of them asked, still baffled.


    "Do what? Dodge a sudden axe cleave because someone brought the fight to me?" Josh happily yed dumb.


    "You know, cutting the link!"


    "We''ll force him to apologize. Just tell us, please!"


    "Alright, alright." Josh finally agreed. They were all eyes and ears as they awaited his revtions. He cleared his throat, took a respectable pose, and began instructing:


    "So what you want to do is swing the weapon toward the magical chain like you really mean it. You have to feel the desire to destroy it, and let it consume you. Intent is key. You can''t half-ass it. Do you all understand?" Josh magnanimously exined.


    "Bullshit! Stop making excuses and exin yourself. Are you mad at me for bringing that guy over? Fucking grow up! You should have helped from the start!" The Josh-hating Climber spat out.


    "Wait, Richard, calm down!" One chastised his ally before turning back. "But seriously, please tell us. We need to know if we want to fight them."


    Even their leader, the recruiter guy joined in: "Please share this information with us, young man. Gemini will thank you for sure."


    Josh couldn''t help but feel at a loss. What did they expect of him? He had already told them! Intent was literally the manifestation of one''s desire.


    The killing intent he kept using meant wishing the other party dead. Sure he was able to control it consciously, but for them to learn to do the same quickly was preposterous. For now, his suggestion was their best bet.


    That''s when Lana looked at him inquisitively as if she was trying to peer at his soul: "I that really all?"


    "Yep." Josh nodded confidently.


    "Alright, you heard him, people. Try to wish for it truly."


    "What?! That guy''s obviously talking from his ass! Why should we¡ª"


    "Enough!" Lana interrupted before turning to Josh again. "How easily can you reproduce that strike?"


    "About this easily." Josh raised his weapon and swung it down very casually.


    The more they watched and the more the bystanders felt their blood pressure rise. How could he act like that in their situation? An unknown gas permeated the whole ce, and there were plenty of enemies.


    "So you could do it again if needed?" Lana asked for confirmation.


    "Yeah, sure. No problem." He shrugged.


    "Alright, good. All of you, let''s go. We need to escape this ce as soon as possible then regroup with the reinforcements. Hopefully, Eva should have reached them by now already."


    "Can''t we just hide in a random room and wait for everything to be over?" Josh remarked.


    The nces they sent him were quite disapproving. Hide? Was he truly a Climber? What kind of man feared a little hardship¡­the cowardly type!


    That''s when the recruiter sighed: "No, there''s a good chance that they''re after us, after me to be precise. If we wait, our enemies will probablye back in full force."


    "Are you sure?" Josh wasn''t convinced yet.


    "Not many know this, but the Assassin''s Promise that Gemini received was addressed to me. That''s why we have to move quickly. Do you understand now?"


    "No way! An assassin''s promise, like from the League of Assassins?! Are you kidding me?! Should I really stay with you then?!" Josh was so damn "surprised" as he nervously took a step back.


    "Friend, please stay with us. We''ll take care of the actual fighting. All you need to do is cut the magical chains if we encounter any more. Can I count on you?"


    Josh hesitated for a few seconds before finally nodding. "Alright, I''ll do it. But it''s because I feel bad for you. If a true LoA assassin appears, I''m running the fuck away!" He reiterated seriously.


    "We''vee to an agreement then." The recruiter happily nodded.


    Gain the target''s trust? Completed! Acting coy so that they''d let their guard down around him? Done too! Now he just needed an opportunity to use the confusion to " mysteriously disappear" along with the recruiter.


    They kept going, surprisingly encountering few Climbers. Most were probably either knocked out or hiding. Who they did run into, however, were enemies. They would appear in groups of 3-4 with the same glowing chains.


    As they fearlessly ran straight at them, the olddy would shout a low: "Do your thing." Josh would then go all red ribbon cutting on their asses¡ª with a green magical buffing ribbon instead.


    Every time he did so, the enemy closer to the cut would cough blood and unfortunately die from a natural cause. After all, it indeed was natural to die when pissing Josh off. The funny part was that these Climbers were probably level 50+.


    This meant that they possibly had thousands of methods to block his strikes or run him down (In a straightforward fight, at least). But, the long magical chain was really too easy to approach with Gemini protecting him.


    With every new magical chain destroyed, the survivors would run at full speed. It seemed like they had received instructions never to confront anyone if their buff waspromised.


    Soon enough, the Josh-Gemini group gained lots of fame¡­or was it infamy? Either way, the enemies began to run for their lives as soon as they recognized them. This made Josh smile wryly as he began rxedly walking forward. He was even eating chips again!


    "Y-you! Can''t you show a little serious? We can still be attacked at any moment!"


    "Yes, and?"


    "Beingcent on the battlefield is the fastest way to die! You need to be ready to face enemies at all times!"


    "Both aren''t mutually exclusive. Anyway, what''s the point?"


    As if summoned by the man''s warning, four enemies appeared from the fog, shouting as they charged forward. Gemini quickly moved to intercept them, but they were already slowing down.


    They had recognized the party. They were the ones that they were supposed to avoid at all cost! Just as they were still hesitating, a man in the back gently waved at them with one hand. It''s at that moment that they turned tail and instantly ran away.


    "See? What''s the point. They''re going to flee anyway." Josh "wisely" nodded.


    "Yes, but what if theye at us all at once?"


    "Oh, that one is easy." Josh naturally replied.


    "What''s your n then?" He asked while holding his breath.


    "We run." Josh gave a confident smile while crossing his arms.


    "¡­.."


    "¡­."


    "That''s your genius n?!"


    "I know, don''t praise it all at once. As they say, a wise man knows to pick his battles, am I right?"


    The surrounding Climbers gave sighs while rolling their eyes. Why the hell were they stuck with that guy? No, they knew why¡­but still. Rationalizing it didn''t help one bit.


    "Keep going. We''re about to reach the castle''s exit. Afterward, we''ll be right next to thepound''s walls. Be ready for anything. We need to rush out as fast as possible." Lana brought them back to their senses.


    In front of them was a pce window. Before, they had voluntarily remained inside the castle since it gave them some cover. Now, they would burst out of it with as much momentum as possible.


    They nced at each other onest time, surrounded the window carefully, then the guy at the front made it explode. As smoke billowed in, out, and freaking everywhere, they charged outside.


    They did it like goddamn professionals, lightning-fast. Hell, they were as quick as pro-FBI agents raiding a lolicon den!


    Cold air weed them on the other side, but it wasn''t all. There was also a weing party for them.


    A few dozen enemies turned their way, all linked by the same green magical buff. They sternly eyed them.? Then their gaze allnded on a man in the back, one that was crawling back inside the castle.


    As Josh felt their gaze, he gave a small wave before uttering: "Don''t mind me, I just forgot something inside."


    Regrettably, they didn''t seem to buy his excuse¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    It was normal of them to keep a close eye on the castle''s exterior. After all, anyone trying to escape the gas would have gone that way. It honestly surprised me that they only had regr Climbers as soldiers. I was expecting something technological again. Then again, those chains were pretty peculiar.

 Chapter 319: Castle Chase! (1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 319: Castle Chase! (1/2)</h4>


    In a remote corner of the castle''s courtyard, the Gemini group faced a few dozen anti-Fallen members. Yet, all eyes were currently resting on a man busy crawling back inside the building.


    Shame? None. Desire to needlessly risk his life? None either.


    Josh didn''t even give it a second thought. Was he supposed to fight them all? How about no! Why? Because he could sense all the killing intent they were sending his way. He could feel that they would kill him no matter what it took.


    He trusted his chances alone more than he believed in the ability of the Gemini members to protect him. It didn''t help that his best anti-group measure was the smelly set and that the enemies were all wearing gas masks! His reasoning was that simple.


    As he arrived inside and the fog enveloped his body once more, he heard criticism from his "allies":


    "Where the fuck are you going?!"


    "This guy is a fucking coward. Ignore him."


    "For fucks sake! I knew he couldn''t be trusted!"


    "Tchh¡ª our priority should still be to break through somehow."


    "We have to hurry! Those guys are just goons. Who knows then the true assassins from the League will show up."


    It almost made Joshugh. How would they react if they knew that this dreaded phantom enemy was actually him? Would they even believe that this looming threat was the coward they were looking down on?


    To be fair, he had already taken down two A-Rank Climbers and seemed unstoppable. Yet, the reality was far different. Both times had been surprise attacks that directly targeted the victim''s weakness.


    For now, he would wait for the fight to be over. Actually, what if the recruiter got done in by the enemies? Could that still count as a sessful mission? He could always im that he had orchestrated the whole thing. Who would know the truth?


    But, he didn''t have much time to ponder over this situation. A deafening explosion sound resounded.


    ¡ª BAM!¡ª


    The gray brick wall next to the window exploded in pieces, with rubble flying everywhere. A few pebbles evennded on his face, with the rest bing powder and mixing with the fog.


    The result was a gaping hole in the wall, one so big it almost rivaled the ones of professional sodomy porn stars.


    From it appeared 8 Climbers. They all wore the same snake-pattern mask that was covering their faces entirely. They were also all linked together by the now familiar green chain-looking magic that acted as a buff. They still dared to use it in such a situation?


    One of them pointed straight at him:


    "That''s the guy! We need to kill him ASAP. Formation 3-2-3, move out!" He shouted authoritatively.


    Was it wise to scream their battle n like that? They probably didn''t care since they knew they had the upper hand. Could Josh disarm the situation?


    "Hey, guys, how about we call a truce? I really don''t wish to fight you all. I think we started off the wrong foot, is all." He conscientiously offered.


    "Oh, really?" Their leader suddenly stopped. "Alright, do you want to meet our leader while you''re at it?" He nicely replied.


    "Oh? That''d be nice! That''s a great suggestion!" Josh instantly beamed in happiness.


    "Alright, but we''ll have to cuff you and put a bag on your head. Then we''ll bring you to our secret base, and our leader will hear you out. If you pass the interview, you could even be an officer." The man gently offered, looking so damn genuine!


    "That sure sounds wonderful!" Josh sighed with emotion.


    There was only a small issue: the incredible killing intent the man was still sending his way. If he naively went over, he''d end up with a broken neck at best.


    "It''s too bad that you obviouslyck sincerity." Joshmented, shaking his head.


    "It was worth a try. Get him, boys!" Their leader shouted once more as Josh darted away.


    His pursuers were right on his tail. They were all way higher level than him, and by far! Their raucous, predatoryughter resounded just behind him as they were so very close to catching him.


    But, just as they could taste their victory, Josh suddenly elerated.


    It was time for them to witness the prowess of the Zoom set! It had plenty of weaknesses, but as far as running in a straight line was concerned, this set was king. It just so happened that this corridor was straighter than an old-fashioned boomer!


    As they saw their prey zoom away, they couldn''t help but curse loudly. Their breathing becamebored as they followed through sheer will and leg power.


    "Someone shoot him down!"


    "Give me a second!"


    A few arrows were shot at his back. They had incredible power and almost impaled him a few times, but Josh could barely deflect them. It was evident that the shootercked experience with a bow.


    They could only click their tongues in disappointment.


    "Whatever, just catch him!"


    "He''s gonna be in our grasp soon anyway."


    To vent their fury, they even began to shout threats in his direction:


    "Give up now, and we''ll let you be a ve!"


    "Stop running, you little shit. You''ll run out of mana before us!"


    "There''s no escape. You''re fucking wasting everyone''s time right now!"


    Josh would sometimes look back as he cried out inplete despair: "No! Go away", "Leave me alone!", "I''m too young to die!" "Nooooo!". Tears and snot, he was showing it all, amusing them to no end.


    Except internally, he was way calmer. Wasting time? Not really. Run out of mana? Eventually, but he still had time. There was one detail they had failed to consider: they didn''t all have the same max speed.


    Their varying speeds broke their group apart in a 3-2-3 separation once more. This was a huge difference! Instead of facing eight from all fronts, he would just be facing the three fastest.


    "What kind of skill is this dash?!"


    "I think it''s from the armor.? It glows a bit every time he uses it."


    "Where the heck did someone his level get something like that?!"


    "Who cares? See that corner there? He''ll slow down a bit while turning. We''ll catch up before the end of the next corridor."


    "Haha, I can''t wait to murder the little fucker!"


    Creator''s Thought


    One had to admit that offering such a deal was a good call from the squad leader. Had I been naive a naive young chick it would have been the fastest way to aplish his goal by far. Also, for once I could use the Zoom set to its full potential! I am speed!

 Chapter 320: Castle Chase! (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 320: Castle Chase! (2/2)</h4>


    "What kind of skill is this dash?!"


    "I think it''s from the armor.? It glows a bit every time he uses it."


    "Where the heck did someone his level get something like that?!"


    "Who cares? See that corner there? He''ll slow down a bit while turning. We''ll catch up before the end of the next corridor."


    "Haha, I can''t wait to murder the little fucker!"


    As predicted, Josh lost speed while turning. They soon followed in his step, but the scene was wrong. They were supposed to see his ass slightly in the distance. Nope! He had been waiting right in the blind spot for them!


    There was no frightened prey, only a grinning predator that was doneying his trap. For a fraction of a second, they were too shocked toprehend what was happening. That''s when Josh struck!


    Their instincts kicked in, and they protected all their vitals. But, the glowing magical link waspletely open. Josh shed thrice, annihting their buffs and making them cough blood. One swift movement was all it took for the triple kill.


    He didn''t stay to examine his handy work. He ran like he had the devil behind him. Two secondster, the enemies found their diced allies:


    "What the fuck?! What happened?!"


    "Shit, he was waiting for them at the corner."


    "It took him about a second to kill them. We need to be careful."


    They noticed all this while running and approaching Josh once more. At this point, he was already starting to pant. This wasn''t as easy as it had looked. He had to keep running.


    Could he use the same trick as earlier? It would be too dangerous. Now, they would be on their guard. Then again¡­what if?


    As his pursuers turned the corner, they found Josh ambushing them. Instead of panicking, they calmly counterattacked! They had been expecting it, and the two joined forces, raining a flurry of blows on the guy.


    Except, there was something wrong! Instead of dying, his body suddenly became shadowy as the cloak behind him seemed to envelop him. Another OP item?! They instantly became careful.


    Out of nowhere, Josh took a pickaxe and smashed toward their skulls. They easily dodged it and got ready to kill him. They wouldn''t believe that he could use that defensive ability twice in a row.


    But, they had misunderstood. Josh had been aiming for the stone floor all along. The pickaxe instantly created a crater. with the three of them all losing footing.


    Josh somehow managed to regain his bnce in mid-air. A closer inspection would have revealed spider threads.


    Using their loss of bnce, Josh shed their link, with them suffering the same fate as the earlier ones. He quickly finished them by plunging a dagger in their hearts.


    Thest three enemies arrived just in time to witness such a gruesome scene. How many freaking OP items did this guy have?! They still approached him, but they couldn''t have been warier.


    They used the time Josh was getting out of his hole to surround him from all sides. It was now impossible for him to run. What could he do now?


    "Be careful. He has an invincibility ability."


    "Dodge all his attacks by arge margin, especially that pickaxe."


    "As long as you protect that link, he can''t do anything to us. Remember, it buffs us a lot."


    "Fuck, I so freaking wish we could disable this goddamn thing. It''s a freaking liability right now!"


    "Focus, it''s three of us versus him alone. He has to be running out of tricks by now!"


    They menacingly approached. Now that he had used pretty much all his trump cards, he was nothing but meat on a cutting board. Josh even began throwing random pebbles at them. But, it still bought him a few seconds as they needlessly dodged or deflected them!


    "Stay away! Stay the fuck away!"


    His fright was obviously genuine this time. He began making a call on his UW:


    "If you kill me, there will be people hunting you and your organization 24/7 until you''re all gone!" Josh even threatened as ast resort.


    "We got this, slow and steady. We just need to make sure that goddamn link remains out of his attack range and¡ªAArrggg."


    That''s when they all started coughing blood at once. What was happening? They suddenly noticed the pebbles on the ground, right under their respective links. There was even a faint remnant green aura around each that was slowly dissipating.


    "Dumbasses, killing aura isn''t visible to the naked eye. You have to feel it." Josh ridiculed them as he summoned his bow and shot mana arrows, gouging their chests open.


    Tiny and insignificant pebbles had caused their demise¡­talk about a tragic ending! They never saw iting. He had used mana + killing intent all along, and they had only be ustomed to the mana part. Thest attack had been 100% killing intent.


    As they closed their eyes for the veryst time, their faith was only renewed. The Fallens indeed were a cmity for this world! The silent castle would be their resting grave.


    "Ah, it''s a shame that they aren''t monsters." Josh deplored.


    How much XP could he have gotten from them if they were? Probably a shitload. As for their gear, it seemed slightly higher level than his but he had grown to love set items. He had tasted the joy of using OP skills!


    Hunting humans truly was a tedious endeavor.


    In the Tower, gods were often popping left and right while thundering: "You''ve killed my subjects, now pay with your life!" He couldn''t help but think. Where was their god, the one overseeing humans? Why did he just watch as they killed one another?


    Josh gave onest look at the bloodied corpses, grabbed a mask, and headed back toward the battlefield. While his priority was to assure his safety, he still wished to know what had happened to his assassination target.


    His uing actions would depend on whether the man was still alive or had perished. But, he would need to be extra careful. This chase had been very troublesome, and yet there had only been 8 of them, plus they had underestimated him.


    He backtracked until he reached the massive hole in the wall. Peaking through it, he couldn''t help but feel surprised.


    Those guys sure were resilient¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    Information is key in anybat. 1. Killed 3 because they didn''t know that I would fight back. 2. Killed 2 because of the surprising effects of my OP set items. 4. Killed 3 thanks to how I camouged my killing intent. They saw through the mana andpletely missed that there was more hidden underneath.

 Chapter 321: I Need Help!

    <h4>Chapter 321: I Need Help!</h4>


    The Gemini group and the unknown enemies were still fighting in the vast castle courtyard, and it could only be called shy and chaotic.


    ¡ªBoom!¡ª


    How the hell was Gemini still alive? There were only 5 of them after all¡ª or not? Josh suddenly noticed countless lumps of soil moving around the battlefield. They woulde out of the earth and m the enemies heavily¡­golems!


    ¡ªng!¡ª


    The one controlling them actually seemed to be his target. He was handling a pink gem in his hand and was seemingly rying orders to the magical creatures. Why hadn''t he used it before? Was it his trump card?


    Either way, this equalized the battlefield. While the anti-Fallen were pretty much unbeatable (thanks to the chain buff), golems were spawning every second to send shockwave after shockwave at them.


    ¡ª Crash!¡ª


    Both sides seemed to be in a stalemate at first nce, but Josh then noticed his target''s face. It was gradually bing paler and paler by the second. He was definitely growing weaker while the enemies remained strong.


    No, it was worse than that. For some reason, the enemies didn''t seem to be taking any risk at all. Even then, they didn''t feel impatient in the least. Were they simply buying time? For what purpose? He honestly couldn''t fathom it.


    ¡ª Kacha!¡ª


    Should he help? It seemed like he had underestimated the Gemini members. But, if he did, he''d have to get ready to get ganged upon by all the enemies, and not just for show like what was happening there.


    The stakes would instantly get raised a few levels if he got involved. They wanted to stall Gemini but to kill him. Wait, no! This wasn''t it. They wanted to kill Gemini, too but were not pressed for time.


    ¡ªBang!¡ª


    Holy crap. Whatever they were waiting for would be terrible news for them all, Josh included. What about waiting for his target to weaken? Screw that! Surviving came first! He''d freaking save his target if it meant saving himself.


    Oh well, it was time to fuck shit up¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The Gemini members were at their wits ends.


    "Fuck that guy. He should have stayed with us!"


    "No point in cursing the dead. Focus on staying alive."


    "I swear, I hate those freaking glowing chains so damn much!"


    "It''s fine. We still have the boss''s golems. Without them, we''d already be screwed."


    They nced at the man who was currently single-handedly keeping them alive. While his golems weren''t too strong, they worked perfectly together to create an unbreakable defense line.


    They also had to thank Lana for their survival. The olddy didn''t seem to be doing much, but she was intimidating the enemies.


    Earlier, she had shown a hint of her true power as she had ughtered a Climber instantly. It was just a shame that her deadly sword techniques had limitations, hence their current predicament.


    "We just need to keep surviving like this, and we''ll be fine. Reinforcements are on their way!" They cheered one another. Whatever happened, they wouldn''t give up.


    But they all instinctively felt that something was wrong. Their opponents were way too calm. This wasn''t a bloody war, but one big calcted move. Whatever it meant didn''t augur anything good.


    That''s when amotion was heard as a few Climbers pointed toward the castle. The Gemini members turned their heads, shocked by the scene.


    A lone man was making his way over. He was bloodied from head to toe, so much that his features were hard to see. But they recognized the gas mask that he was wearing: he was part of the anti-Fallen group.


    Still, how the hell had he gotten so injured, and where were his seven other allies?! They couldn''t have all died, right?!


    That''s when he cried out:


    "Guys, we have a problem! That fucker is still alive in there! He holed himself in a room with other Fallens. We have them pinned down, but they''re more resistant than cockroaches and he''s trying to teach them his trick!"


    What?! That guy hadn''t died yet? They clearly remembered how peculiar he had been. He hadn''t seemed powerful by any measure and yet could take the buffs down. Was this perhaps an excellent opportunity for them?


    The Gemini members instinctively tried to eliminate this new enemy, but the anti-Fallen were faster. They crowed around him, even giving him medicinal pellets. Tch¡ª this sure was annoying.


    They saw him recover, exchange a few hushed words with others, gesticte a bit, then a lot, and finally leave while bringing another eight members with him. Instantly the pressure on the Gemini group was alleviated, but even then, it wasn''t enough.


    They couldn''t help but grumble:


    "If only we were able to do significant damage."


    "We have to maintain the defense perimeter at all costs."


    "This is the worst, they''re free toe and go, and we''re stuck here."


    But,ining wouldn''t change the reality of the situation. They kept relentlessly fighting for their survival. This was all they could do. At this point, their only hope was external help from the MTA.


    Why weren''t they here yet? Was there something shady going on with that? But, they didn''t ponder over it too much. It seemed like their problems were back:


    "Crap, the 9 of them areing back."


    "Tch¡ª couldn''t he have bought more time at least?"


    "Guys, there''s something very weird about their group¡­."


    They couldn''t help but be taken aback. The one who had spoken out had both great hearing and perception. He continued:


    "It seems like 8 of them are angrily chasing that 9th guy. Why?"


    "Wait¡­What if?" Lana suddenly raised an eyebrow as she carefully looked in the masked man''s direction. "Get ready to counterattack. He might actually be an ally." She murmured.


    They couldn''t help but gasp as they finally realized what she was implying. Could this man really be that one annoying bastard?! Then again, it wouldn''t feel too surprising if he had cheated death.


    That''s when the masked man reached the battlefield, screaming atop of his lungs: "Screw the damn Fallen and their goddamn boats and icebergs! Death to Gemini!" He was so goddamn fanatic!


    The Gemini members couldn''t help but twitch. It truly was that fucker! They almost felt like beating him up before their actual enemies for some obscure reason.


    Josh charged at them with anger in his steps, fury in his heart, and insults on his lips¡ª tons of them:


    "You motherfuckers. Screw all the Fallens, may you all rot in hell for eternity. You don''t deserve to live in our world. You don''t¡ª" Whatever had happened at the castle, he sure was fired up!


    He was so fired up that he recklessly charged straight at the Gemini members.


    "Wait, don''t just rush toward them. They have golems!" One of the enemies shouted.


    But it was already toote. Josh was about to reach the Gemini members, but instead of cowering as they had done before, they charged back. He instantly cried out, "What the fuck?!" before he turned heels, heading back to the "allies".


    Seeing the sudden Gemini charge, they were confused but instantly reacted. They unconsciously cleared a path for their ally to join their ranks and prepared to kill their enemies!


    Honestly, it didn''t make sense. Josh had been so suspicious, so how were they instinctively trusting him?! Was it perhaps the true hate they had felt in him? Had his acting been really on point?


    Gemini attacked¡­and at the same time, Josh began his killing spree. He did so at the most dangerous spot, right among all the enemies. They suddenly began coughing blood as all their links disappeared.


    They instantly were annihted by the Gemini members. Far back, the 8 Climbers had arrived, screaming warnings all this while. Sadly, no one had heard any of them. Why? Because Josh had been vociferating insults even louder!


    The eight could only watch in horror as all their colleagues perished one after the other. How naive had they been! They had instantly realized that something was wrong when they had assaulted an empty room under his directives.


    It had already been toote. Josh had zoomed all the way back at a surprising speed. He hadn''t required much time to blend with the others and cause their demise¡ªall in a day''s work.


    The poor victims died in utter confusion, barely a few even realizing what had transpired. As for the eight still left, what were they gonna do? Well, besides dying needlessly. They gave onest hateful look at Josh, hurrying back into the castle.


    "That''s how it''s done." Josh was looking proud as hey atop the dismembered bodies.


    "You, why did you have to run away in the first ce?!"


    "Tch¡ª because they all wanted to kill me, obviously." Josh shrugged as if this whole convoluted n of his was extremely natural.


    "It doesn''t matter right now. Let''s check the situation outside and possibly open the barrier." Lana sighed.


    Josh kept his ears and eyes wide open as the man he had been tasked to kill approached the outer barrier protecting thepound.


    Taking a golden medal in his hand, he pressed it unto the barrier with a Climber exining:


    "This allows control over the whole thing. The only problem is it requires direct contact."


    The recruiter proceeded with his business, but his face soon turned extremely gloomy. After a few unsessful tries, he finally grimly uttered:


    "It''s been tampered with. No one can escape this ce right now. We''ll have to destroy it, starting with the energy source fueling it all."


    Seeing how he was grimacing, this probably wouldn''t be easy¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Sometimes, the mood is all that is required. They felt that I truly belonged with them. In fact, I was simply exploiting that preconceived idea they had that I would be running for my life and wouldn''t dare toe back.

 Chapter 322: That Goddamn Song!

    <h4>Chapter 322: That Goddamn Song!</h4>


    A group could be heard rushing through the foggy castle corridors. Their heavy footsteps resounded along with low shouts.


    "Go, go, go! Quickly, before another group shows up!" the olddy encouraged the group.


    They hadpletely given up on being discrete. It was only a question of time before the enemies regrouped. Honestly, the whole situation was quite ironic as an event for Climbers had been shut down with none able to resist.


    This was all because of that damn new poison that countered the general antidote pills that most carried with them at all times. Josh couldn''t help but feel that there was something profoundly wrong with how they were able just to rush unimpeded.


    "Where the heck are the enemies?"


    "I''m not sure, but this doesn''t bode well."


    "Maybe they''re just scared of that chain-breaking guy?"


    This nickname sure was a mouthful. Chain-breaking guy? Was that all Josh was to them? He began mumbling to himself in a voice almost as deep as Greece''s debt.


    "Call me John, John Doe. I am the chain exorcist, the nightmare of all BDSM enthusiasts, the worst enemy of ve owners¡­."


    "You, what the fuck are you saying?" A Climber nearby uttered in shock.


    "Oh, I''m just getting into character." Josh replied nonchntly before resuming his mumbling: "¡­The destroyer of restraints, the freedom warrior, the¡­."


    As they listened to his whispers, they couldn''t believe how quirky (dumb) he was. Still, they couldn''t help but unconsciously move a bit away from him. They didn''t want anything to do with his nonsense.


    Regrettably for them, the long corridors were exceptionally peaceful and the mumblings would continue. It was as if nothing bad would ever happen. Where were the unimaginable hardships? What about the mighty enemies? At least they would fight, right? Nope!


    It was only corridor after corridor, always looking the same, always sounding the same, always smelling the same. It was so freaking simr every time that they risked dying of boredom!


    But, it soon became worse. Why? Josh began to sing¡­and they would soon learn how terrifying it could be!


    It transcended being a bad singer. It was downright discordant and harmful¡­


    ??


    This sure is a lovely castle


    Perhaps one day I''ll own one


    Then again, when all is said and done


    It could very quickly be a big hassle


    ??


    The Gemini members'' voices resounded in the background:


    "What the heck is this?! Is that singing?!"


    "This is the most horrendous thing I''ve ever heard."


    ??


    Do I really want a castle?


    Could I settle for a mansion?


    After all, the first requires vassals


    It''d definitely be a hard transition.


    ??


    They allined except Lana:


    "Please stop! This is torture."


    "Yeah, please stop, chain-breaking John Doe!"


    "Go, go, go! Quickly, before another group shows up!"


    ??


    Could you picture me here?


    In something so damn colossal


    It would be as ifing out of a novel


    Plus, I kinda still consider the sewers dear


    ??


    "Oh god almighty, please give me the strength to resist the temptation. I know murdering this bastard is a sin, but it''s so hard!"


    "Go, go, go! Quickly, before another group shows up!"


    ??


    This is such a hard decision.


    Is this really the life I envision?


    I am so gued by indecision.


    But it''s fine, for ©¥©¥


    ??


    "Shut up! Shut up! Shut the hell up!"


    "Make it stop! Make it stop already!"


    "Go, go, go! Quickly, before another group shows up!"


    The Climbers held their heads with both arms, trying to filter the sound. But, they were unsessful. It was as if the magical (?) melody could pierce straight through all their defenses.


    They begged, squirmed, cried, and even howled in despair. "I beg you. Please stop singing. I''d prefer physical torture to this!"


    But all that Josh did was radiantly smile at them, somehow chilling them to their very core. That''s when he shook his head happily: "No can do. Since I''ve been interrupted, I''ll have to restart the song. Here we go¡­."


    They couldn''t take it anymore. With a shout, the nearest Climber rushed at Josh, drawing a huge hammer, one that was as big as any braggarts dick! (Self-measured)


    The enraged Climber''s muscles bulged as he swung his weapon with the force of a thousand men. Itnded straight on Josh''s face, crushing his skull, pulverizing his torso, and it kept going until there only remained a bloody red stain on the floor.


    "I did it. I freaking did it! We''re free! Freeeee!" The Climber celebrated. Hell, he felt happier now than the day he had lost his virginity.


    "You did it, brother. I''m so proud of you!" his colleague patted his back joyfully.


    "Go, go, go! Quickly, before another group shows up!" The olddy still encouraged the group.


    They were so happy that they ignored herpletely. Yet, she just gave them a slightly disapproving nce but remained quiet.


    That''s when a ghastly sound resonated, one that they could never forget, one that sent their thoughts into disarray.


    The stain on the floor began to sing. It was a sound so discordant and straight-up harmful. It was a silly castle song they recognized, one that they dreaded¡­.


    ??


    Do I really want a castle?


    Could I settle for a mansion?


    ??


    It was restarting all over again.


    That one Climber once more grabbed his hammer. He began trashing the floor. He had to make it stop! The rocky castle tiles exploded all over the ce. The shrapnels dug into his skin, but he didn''t care.


    He was going to kill him at all costs!


    "Go, go, go! Quickly, before another group shows up!"


    He kept ignoring her. He lived only for one thing right now: to make the damn singing stop! Why didn''t it stop!


    His friend even joined him as the both of them attacked the floor relentlessly.


    At first, they were baffled by the impossible situation. Then they began sobbing uncontrobly. Afterward, they resumed screaming in anger.


    Since nothing seemed to work, they ran away. They left the ce entirely, but the stain moved with them, it followed them, and worst of all, it kept singing.


    They screamed, despaired, cried. They lived every single negative emotion humankind could fathom.


    Then they felt empty, they wanted to scream and cry, but all they could do was swing their weapons.


    "This will never end. This is our life now."


    "We''re stuck here forever. I hate castles."


    Their voices couldn''t be more despondent.


    "Say, should we kill each other?"


    "Ah, that''s a good idea."


    That''s when Lana''s voice resounded yet another time. "Go, go, go! Quickly, before another group shows up!"


    They shared a look. This was a usual urrence by now, one they hadn''t paid much attention to at the beginning.


    "Poor thing, she already went crazy. We''re not even moving."


    "Alright, let''s die at 1. Are you ready?"


    They nodded at one another, ready to end it all.


    "¡­3!"


    "¡­2!"


    That''s when one of them had a sh of insight and jolted violently. He began observing his surroundings, confused. It was as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.


    "Wait a minute!" He interrupted the countdown.


    "What is it?" The friend answered groggily.


    He couldn''t help but shiver as he saw the look of his friend. They had both been about tomit suicide. Had he looked as dead a few seconds ago? Oh god, this had been a close one.


    "There''s something strange about all this." He remarked.


    "About what?"


    "All this! Everything around us!" He shouted excitedly.


    "What do you mean?"


    "We keep seeing the same corridor, Lana keeps repeating the same thing like a broken record, and that damn singing won''t stop no matter what!"


    The groggy Climber seemed to take a while to process the information, but then he also jolted in shock. He could only stare at the weapon in his hands with fright.


    "What the fuck were we thinking?!"


    "Don''t worry about it. Can you hear this?"


    "All I can hear is that fucking singing!"


    "Exactly! Does it sound different to you now?"


    "Yeah, it''s still the same, but I can tolerate it now. I can''t believe that guy is a fucking traitor!"


    "That''s not it. Listen carefully. It doesn''t seem to being from this ce!"


    "What?! ¡­ You''re right! But, where is iting from then?"


    "Outside, I think we''re under an illusion skill right now."


    "I see¡­ That''s one crazy ability then."


    "Alright, let''s go."


    "Go where?"


    "Follow the singing."


    "Fuck no! I wanna go as far away from it as possible!"


    "Think, we gotta find him to kill him."


    "Ah, you''re right!"


    Thus, the two Climbers followed the grating sound. They simply walked in the corridor as they had always done, but this time it was different. After walking 27 meters, they found a glowing purple barrier.


    There went nothing¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Gemini''s group was assembled around two guys that were standing in a deep slumber. In the background, Josh was singing¡ª if it deserved that apption.


    "They sure are taking their time."


    "Yes, hopefully, they''ll awaken soon. I really can''t wait."


    "Yes, I really can''t take much more of this discordant song."


    That''s when suddenly, the victims'' eyes began fluttering open. The first thing they did as they regained true consciousness was to charge at Josh with incredible killing intent.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    "Die, you monster!"


    But, they were instantly restrained by their colleagues who had been ready for this. The two guys on the ground kept thrashing around but couldn''t move one bit.


    "Why is it that they always want to kill me? I just helped them find their way back!" Josh sighed, his heart heavy.


    They had all been the same. Their desire to murder him had carried them out of the illusion. He really didn''t know how to feel about that. His singing wasn''t that bad, right?


    Well, all had been the same except Lana. She had managed to extirpate herself from the spell from the beginning, and they had coborated to bring back the others.


    After a few seconds, the furious Climbers finally regained control of their emotions and felt very awkward. They had tried to kill their savior. Talk about ungratefulness!


    But, luckily for them, Josh didn''t press the matter. Instead, he turned toward them all.


    "Now, let''s run for real. Try not to fall for an illusion this time around."


    They all nodded heavily, slightly shivering. This trip turned out to be even more dangerous than they initially thought.


    They resumed their pace, as they had before. From start to finish, they hadn''t seen who had ced the spell or for what purpose. They were goingpletely blind and hoping that they''d somehow make it out alive.


    Every step they took rendered them warier than thest. Every single second of peace irritated their nerves. Every breath had them wonder if they were still awake.


    All until they reached a solid old-school metallic door.


    "Behind this door is our destination." The recruiter uttered solemnly.


    As they pushed it open, some green light blinded them. There was a giant chain in their way...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] Anyone got mind-fucked at the beginning? xD


    Creator''s Thought


    To this day I still don''t know who cast this illusion. I swear, those guys hade prepared. They had plenty of abilities, all odder than the previous ones. It''s a shame that Lana was awake and watching me. Otherwise, I could have aplished my assassination.

 Chapter 323: Mysterious Chain Magic

    <h4>Chapter 323: Mysterious Chain Magic</h4>


    As the party pushed the door open, some green light blinded them. Giant magical chains were blocking their way.


    Josh couldn''t help but frown. The chains were bigger than the ones on thergest ships and formed apact wall.


    Actually, they seemed to be curled into a gigantic tight ball that filled the entire room. The issue was that itpletely blocked their path to their objective.


    He wasn''t the only one finding it impressive:


    "Oh, fuck no! I''m really getting tired of chains."


    "Is there any way to bypass it? What if we dig the walls or floor?"


    "Nope, I can sense its energy radiating. This thing doesn''t have any opening."


    "So what now? I guess we''ll have to destroy it somehow, and by we, I mean chain-breaking guy."


    They all turned to Josh with expectation. He could only sigh and slowly step forward as he grabbed his weapon, turning it into arge crowbar.


    "Wait, that''s a morphing weapon, right?"


    "Why the hell are you using something so trashy?!"


    "You''d be better off with a weapon that deals more damage."


    What was that? Josh stared at the Climber who had made the suggestion. "But it can morph," he slowly uttered.


    "What good is a weapon if that''s all it can do?"


    "Hey, don''t be rude. It''s not his fault if he''s poor."


    Poor? Josh''s problem was that all the fucking Climbers were too goddamnzy (sane) to do Hellish. He wanted set equipment, not just random gear!


    Lana then suggested:


    "You can have a cksmith or an enchanter reinforce it. It might be hard to getpatible materials, but it''s an alternative. Anyway, let''s focus on the current issue."


    Josh nodded, making a mental note to check it outter.


    He stuck the crowbar in there as if a lever and exerted force while emitting killing intent. But in reaction, the chains suddenly came to life! They began wriggling akin to an endless snake, one evading the killing intent.


    "Wow! Whatever you did, it''s super effective."


    "Do it again and open a path for us."


    "We''ll be in there in a jiffy!"


    They couldn''t help but rejoice at how well this was working. By now, they really couldn''t deny Josh''s capabilities.


    "Alright, follow closely behind then," Josh instructed as he began walking.


    As he kept sending killing intent outward, the chains moved out of his way. The Climbers nodded as they quickly followed¡ªor tried.


    The chains quickly pped the guy in front, sending him flying at an incredulous speed.


    ¡ª BAM! ¡ª


    ¡ª Crack! ¡ª


    He crashed into a nearby wall as he began coughing a ton of blood. He seemedpletely paralyzed and had multiple broken bones for sure. It had been far too fast for anyone to react in time!


    "What the fuck was that?!"


    "It''s like the chains will only allow him to pass."


    "This is crazy! How is that even possible? It doesn''t make sense."


    As they seemed puzzled, one of them suddenly gasped, sending killing intent Josh''s way for a slip second. But he quickly rposed himself and whispered something in the recruiter''s ear.


    The recruiter seemed to be wary of him.


    What had that even been about? How was he concerned? He was certain that he hadn''t shown any clue as to his real purpose.


    That''s when Lana spoke:


    "Can you proceed and scout the situation? If there isn''t anyone defending it, you could just destroy the core. With the barrier down, reinforcements will be able to enter."


    Josh wordlessly nodded and headed deeper. He didn''t want to get stuck in this ce either. He soon had the feeling of being inside a green sea. Green was all he saw during a few peaceful minutes, finally reaching the interior.


    He instantly noticed the glowing yellow core that was floating in the middle of the room. The issue was that a man was reading in its proximity.


    He wore a white joker mask along with a ck suit, ck gloves, and shiny ck shoes. The guy reminded him of a butler, a very peaceful one, as peaceful as the green sea.


    Somehow, his instinct was telling him to be extremely careful. Raising his head, the man elegantly waved at him.


    "Hello and wee to my temporaryir. Today sure is a nice day, isn''t it?"


    "Honestly, it could have been better. I was minding my own business when gas began gushing everywhere, and then people tried to kill me." Joshined.


    "Oh my. I''m very sorry to hear that. These things regrettably happen." He shook his head.


    "So, what brings you here? Did you forget to pay your rent and figured you might as well squat here?" Josh inquired.


    "Close, but no. I must admit that it is so easy to forget about something as mundane as Credits." He lightly chuckled.


    So far, he hadn''t given many clues to his identity or power. But, if he truly was the man who had created the chains, he was bound to be rtively powerful.


    "So, what''s your goal here?" Josh directly asked.


    "Oh my, what happened to small talk? Aren''t humans supposed to utter pleasantries for a while before discussing anything serious?" He seemed perplexed.


    "Alright, It''s fine if you don''t wish to speak. If you''ll excuse me, I''ll ess this core behind you."


    "I''m afraid I can''t allow that." He refused.


    "Why so?" Josh carefully asked.


    "Simply because I require it."


    "Is that so?"


    "Well, yes. The warm yellow glow is just perfect for illuminating the pages."


    "I''m sure these nearby chains would do the trick just fine." Josh felt this guy sure was peculiar.


    "No, no, no. There is a vast difference between yellow and green. Do you know what it is?"


    "¡­"


    "It is a very key difference. It is red! Without red light, my hands are tied." He innocently shrugged.


    How was he supposed to deal with this guy? He didn''t seem to have any interest in fighting or fleeing. Was he even an enemy?


    "What are you reading?" Josh curiously asked.


    "An enlightening read concerning animalistic behaviors: from ingrained survival mechanisms to habits developed in reaction to the environment. It is quite fascinating!" He had wonder in his voice.


    "I see. How long are you nning to read here, then?"


    "Until what is happening outside somehow concludes. It is almost as interesting as my book."


    This guy was reading about animalistic behavior and was now analyzing humans. Was he even with the Anti-Fallen? Probably not. Josh didn''t feel the same profound hate in him, only curiosity. Chances were that he was nothing but a crazy guy that they had somehow convinced to help.


    "How can you see anything from this lonely room?"


    "Trying to gleam information, are you? Then again, I do not mind sharing, haha. I can witness anything that my link magic sees. For instance, I can see the people outside this very room."


    The more he heard and the stronger this ability felt. Who the heck was he?! Perhaps Dario or someone at the MTA would know.


    "Say, would you like to watch?" The man magnanimously offered.


    "For sure."


    The man waved his hand, and a colossal chain moved nearby. Oh god, if he could control them so easily, couldn''t the man p him to death?! But that wasn''t all. He also emanated some strange deep, and unfathomable power.


    How long had it been since he had felt sorgely outssed?


    The gods? They could only appear briefly.


    The rankers? He was confident that he''d reach their level eventually.


    That one guide? She was thest one that had made him feel this way.


    But, there was no terror with this man. He felt¡­.calm, too calm. As if he had ceased being human and was nothing more than peaceful green. That didn''t make sense, but that''s how he felt!


    "Here, observe carefully."


    The chain suddenly started to ripple before forming an image. It was the entrance of the room. The Gemini party was assembled and discussed in low voices.


    "I''m sure of it. He''s with them!"


    "What do you mean?"


    "It''s obvious! How is he the only one able to destroy the chains? How wasn''t he affected by the illusion? He''s the caster!"


    "That doesn''t make much sense. The others wouldn''t have tried killing him if that was the case."


    "Perhaps they had a falling out. What if he''s some kind of enchanter? Maybe it takes him a long time to cast these chains! Maybe he can only remove them upon contact!"


    "What if he isn''t? There are many powers in this world."


    "Still, it''s far too coincidental. At first, I thought so too but remember. When he was making his way through these giant chains, he didn''t use magic at all!"


    "You mean?"


    "Yes! It''s impossible to cast a spell without mana, but there are many that can still be controlled afterward."


    "So you''re saying that he can control the chains whenever hees near them?"


    "Exactly!"


    "It alles together now."


    "I swear that guy kept giving me weird vibes."


    Josh couldn''t help but feel at a loss. These blind bastard sure were quick to profess his guilt.


    "I don''t think that''s right. He definitely used some kind of power to keep the chains at bay. It simply wasn''t a conventional one." Lana lightly uttered.


    "It doesn''t matter. Whatever it is, he definitely has tons of worthwhile information. The next time you see him, capture him, and we''ll bring him back to Gemini and slowly extract all he knows." The recruiter instructed, his tone assured and steady.


    That''s when the chain rippled once more, with the image disappearing. Had it all been true? Josh felt that it was quite possible and logical. It would exin the looks he had received before entering this ce.


    That''s when he heard the calm voice of the mysterious man once more.


    "So? Seeing what they are nning, what will you do?"


    Josh could almost picture the curious grin under his mask¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    This man always gave me strange vibes, every single time I met him. I never truly could fathom who he truly was. Sure, there was the obvious...but I think even he didn''t understand his own identity. Well, not fully anyway.

 Chapter 324: New Ally? (1/2)

    <h4>Chapter 324: New Ally? (1/2)</h4>


    The two men facing one another basked in green light.


    Josh was pondering the man''s question. What should he do about the Gemini members? He was confident that he couldn''t defeat them in a head-on battle. What if he could enlist the help of this mysterious man.


    "What I will do will depend. Would you help me deal with them?" He directly asked.


    "Oh? Why would you trust me?" The man asked, confused.


    "I don''t believe you have any reason to be my enemy. Otherwise, we wouldn''t be talking so peacefully, am I right? You don''t seem to harbor any hate for me, only curiosity."


    "Hum, I see your point. Tell me the fate that you wish them to suffer, and I will give you an answer."


    "I want to kill their leader. I have already agreed to have a meeting with him, and yet he still wishes to torture me to extract information." Josh uttered.


    "What about the others?"


    "They can all die for all I care. Well, all except that olddy, she''s shown kindness to me in the past." That''s where Josh drew the line.


    "What if I tell you that killing is pointless?" The man said.


    "So is life. It''s all the same."


    "I see¡­You know it''s bizarre." The man chuckled.


    "What is?"


    "You. You are. You seem to be a walking paradox. Right now, you seem very calm, but your entire being sometimes screams of endless violence and ughter. How peculiar¡­"


    "Haha, mindless killing intent is pointless. As long as it is not controlled, it is nothing but a hindrance. It only betrays your next move."


    "Killing intent, so that''s how it''s called. I understand, still, it remains very peculiar: having the ability to curb your dark side and yet letting it grow to use as a weapon¡­."


    "What will it be? Will you help me?" Josh asked.


    "Why should I?


    "I could teach you about killing intent in exchange." Josh bartered.


    "Teach me? Wouldn''t that be pointless? There is no way someone like me could ever learn this power."


    "Your whole thing is to remain peaceful, am I right? The two aren''t ipatible, you see. You can be perfectly at peace and desire your enemies to die. As long as you remain true to yourself, there won''t be any discord." Josh slowly uttered.


    "Is that so?" He seemed uncertain but not against it.


    "Are you in or not? It''s up to you whether you desire to try, but an opportunity like this won''t happen every day." Josh tempted akin to a devil.


    "Alright, I will give it a go!" The man happily nodded.


    Never in Josh''s wildest dreams would he have hoped to make an ally here. But, the oue would all depend on his performance. He somehow had to make a man that had the calmness of a monk give in to violence. How was he supposed to do that?


    He slowly approached the masked man,ying his hand on his shoulder. "I''ll try and let you feel killing intent. How much youprehend will be up to you."


    Josh slowly began to circte it around his body before making it head toward the man. It invaded his body akin to a virus trying to corrupt all it touched.


    "Make sure you rx," Josh instructed.


    But a split secondter, the killing intent had already disappeared without causing a ripple. It was as effective as trying to boil a pond with a match. How the hell was he supposed to tackle this problem? Could he even pierce the man''s defenses?


    The worst was that his guard was down. But suddenly, he had a sh of insight. What if he fought the peacefulness with more peacefulness? Had there been a moment in his life where he''d been both incredibly peaceful and angry?


    Actually, there was. That''s when he started to reminisce¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Droplets fell from the sky, only to die on the bloodstained ground. This was the end of their lives, a short-lived one that would bring life to thend. Well, it wouldn''t do anything for the humans who were currently suffering.


    They were impaled, the rain washing away their tears and the sanguine liquid alike. They had killed his loved ones. Now their souls would finally rest in peace: his revenge had been long and had been full of hardships, but he was finally done.


    As if on cue, the sky even cleared up. Josh nonchntly grabbed his phone, called 911, and waited.


    For a short instant, he felt like time had stopped. At this single point in time, the world stopped turning. It was the awaited conclusion of his story. He had known happiness, loss, sorrow, anguish, anger, and now it was all over.


    At this single moment, nothing mattered but that it was finally over. The past had been long gone, the future inexistent, and the present was slowly fading away.


    He felt that he had stopped existing entirely. Josh had long disappeared, and so had the monster who had relentlessly longed to avenge them. He stopped needing or wishing for anything. He was nothing but a ghost.


    He didn''t know why, but he suddenly saw his life unfold in front of his eyes.


    The young, naive, and hopeful he resurfaced for a short instant. Then all the shit he had been through and finally all the good moments, ones that were kept forst. He witnessed it all akin to an external observer, one who stopped feeling for an instant.


    At that moment, he had been peaceful, so peaceful. Yet, he could still feel the incredible killing intent coursing through his veins akin to a vengeful dragon. One that raged and thrashed and yet couldn''t affect the current him.


    That''s when he came to a decision. He would keep on living, if only as a ghost for their sake. He would head to prison and live the rest of his life quietly, holing himself in a cage.


    When the trial came, many thought he would end up with a death sentence, but they had forgotten who he was. What he was, or rather had be.


    No one had dared to condemn the devil, and Josh had been the ones choosing his sentence...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh slowly opened his eyes...


    Creator''s Thought


    Emotions can truly be powerful. That is what carried me forward in times when my broken body shouldn''t have been working anymore. Surprisingly, the culmination of all these feelings was a deep void, one that allowed me to feel everything clearly, but detached. Truly reaching this state is something that is far more frightening than death.

 Chapter 325: New Ally? (2/2)

    <h4>Chapter 325: New Ally? (2/2)</h4>


    Josh slowly opened his eyes. The killing intent inside him was raging once more as he remainedpletely calm. He couldn''t help but raise a brow.


    On the floor, the mysterious man was convulsing. He looked like a dildo left to vibrate on its own, a sorrowful sight for sure. It wouldn''t have been that bad if that was all, but it got worse. The chains were doing the very same.


    They endlessly wriggled as if earthworms plunged into a salt mine. A few red streaks were beginning to appear in the green glow. It started small but quickly increased in size.


    It was akin to blood vessels invading the chains'' entirety. The chains were trying to evade the killing intent, but the danger was already inside them. The entire room began to tremble, with pieces of the ceiling and walls exploding.


    The core controlling the barrier exploded too, but he didn''t have time to care about this small victory.


    "Hey man, are you alright?" Josh hadn''t meant for any of this to happen.


    He quickly grabbed a healing pill and tried feeding it to the unconscious man. Nope, the mask was fucking impossible to remove! All he could do was hope for the best. It was his first time trying such a direct teaching method¡­it might have been a mistake.


    It took a full 5 minutes for the man to regain consciousness. The first thing he did was sit up and scream a long cry of anguish.


    "Y-you, what have you done to me?!"


    "I taught you about killing intent," Josh replied, awkwardly scratching his head.


    "I never knew that knowledge could be so¡­painful. H-have you been enduring this anguish all along?"


    "Anguish? Not really. It all fades to nothingness once you find something to offset it."


    "Offset it?"


    "Hope, love, happiness, cocaine, anything."


    "I¡­think I understand?"


    "Good!" Josh genuinely smiled as he couldn''t help but feel d at the results. He had done a pretty good job.


    The man slowly regained his calm:


    "Alright, a deal is a deal. I''ll help you kill this man you despise. I will restrain his group, and you can do the rest." The man instructed with Josh preparing himself.


    That''s when the green sea of chains began swaying, revealing a path toward the entrance of the room. After a few minutes, the Gemini members carefully showed up.


    As soon as they noticed Josh, they turned hostile, and it even increased when they saw the man next to him.


    "I freaking knew it. He''s been ying us all along!" One screamed.


    "Would you believe me if I said that I''m not with the anti-Fallen?" Josh calmly asked.


    "Hell no!"


    "Fuck you, dude!"


    They all red at him with emotion: anger, wariness, and greed. Whatever secret Josh possessed, they couldn''t help but desire to learn. But for that to happen, they had to defeat him.


    They rushed at him without wasting a second. Hell, they focused solely on him. They were obviously going for the weakest link first as they would deal with the other guy afterward.


    But, they only had taken a step that the chains crept up to their limbs, restraining them. They struggled to free themselves, but all their efforts were vain. The chains were so very mighty!


    Hell, Josh''s killing intent was their bane, and even he couldn''t do much about it, especially now. They all threw insults his way:


    "You fucker!"


    "Just wait till Gemini avenges us!"


    "You don''t know who you''re messing with!"


    "You''ll be hunted until you pray for death!"


    They sure were being a pain. They were evens staring at him as if he was already a dead man. At this moment, he stopped having any pity for them. He began chuckling with wild abandon.


    He slowly approached the recruiter and, with a bright smile, uttered:


    "The death god has set his sight on you. Judgment time hase." It was the exact wording from the Assassin''s Promise.


    Instantly their faces turned livid. What were threats to an assassin? Nothing but empty air! The recruiter quickly changed his mind and even screamed: "Whatever you''re getting, I''ll pay more! I have lots of credits!"


    "Talk about a coincidence! I also have lots of credits, more than I know what to do with it." Still smiling, Josh plunged his weapon into the man''s head. Just like that, he was dead.


    ¡ª sh! ¡ª


    "You fucker, how dare y¡ª"


    ¡ª sh! ¡ª


    "You''ll rot in hell for¡ª"


    ¡ª sh! ¡ª


    "I curse you to for¡ª"


    ¡ª sh! ¡ª


    "Ah, it seems that a morphing weapon isn''t that bad after all." Josh sighed to himself. How ironic that they were all perishing to a weapon they had ridiculed.


    There remained only Lana. She seemed to age a few years as she sighed. "Go on, kill me. Otherwise, I swear that I will find youter."


    "Are you that eager to die?"


    "I won''t give you the satisfaction to beg nor get angry. Plus, it would be pointless to reason with an assassin. I''ve lived a fulfilling life. It seems my time hase." She appeared way too peaceful.


    Josh shook his head.


    "You seem to be misunderstanding something. I never intended to kill anyone initially. Let''s just say their ns to kidnap and torture me did rub me the wrong way is all."


    "So, are you iming to be innocent? Do you really think they deserved this?"


    "Innocent? No way! I''m just saying I''m no homicidal maniac either, haha. As far as what they deserve, it doesn''t matter. The world has always been unfair. In fact, I''m not even sure I wish to kill you just yet."


    "What when Ie after you for revenge?"


    "Oh, I fully intend to disappear for a while. Plus, the tower ought to be avable for ess soon, am I right?"


    "How ridiculous!" She scoffed while pursuing her lips.


    "You think so?" Josh simply shrugged.


    It would be pointless to try and exin his reasons to her. Honestly, she was far more benevolent than he was. After all, human life, in general, was worthless and he only cared about being true to himself.


    That''s when the mysterious man chimed in: "The way you kill so calmly sure is fascinating. It seems even more natural than breathing for you." He praised (?).


    That''s when Lana''s UW dinged with a notification. Instantly her face contorted in horror, an emotion she hadn''t even shown when confronted with her own death¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] Repost your requests people! This whole arc is one, imma be taking more ^_^v


    Creator''s Thought


    Life is precious, life is beautiful. Many often say things like that....and they''re actually right. But here is the thing: my own life is definitely more precious and beautiful than theirs. It might be a very selfish point of view, but it''s fine because I am a very selfish person.

 Chapter 326: New Enemy Thingy

    <h4>Chapter 326: New Enemy Thingy</h4>


    That''s when Lana''s UW dinged with a notification.


    Instantly, her face contorted in horror, an emotion she hadn''t even shown when confronted with her potential death. As far as Josh could tell, she didn''t seem to be faking either.


    "What is it?"


    "It''s Sophie. I mean the little girl that asked you to read her a story. She''s in trouble, and so is the entirety of this ce!" Lana uttered while shaking.


    "What do you mean this ce? Isn''t the barrier down? Can''t the MTA swoop in and save the day like heroes of justice?" Josh raised a brow.


    "No, they brought something horrifying with them. Do you remember the events that happened in Metropolis-H recently?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "There was that one attack with mutating creatures running wild in the city. They devoured many before regaining control. Does that ring a bell?"


    The tragedy Josh had unknowingly caused? Yes, it did ring a few bells. How was he supposed to know that the bloodthirsty monsters (gene corp members transformed with a chaos pearl) wouldn''t just kill one another?


    "Yes, I remember. What about it?" Josh frowned.


    "These madmen brought something simr here, and they captured her! Please let me make a single call. You can do whatever you want with me afterward. Please just¡ª" she cried out as she begged.


    "Nope. Making a call sounds pretty useless if the situation is that dire. She could die any second now. Only people already on the scene will be able to help then." Josh cut her off directly.


    He then whispered something to the mysterious man, who sounded surprised. "Are you sure?" He asked. In the background, Lana was still pleading.


    "Please, I''ll even sign a magical contract and serve you. Just let me¡ª" But suddenly, the chains began wriggling around her.


    She despaired as she understood that she was about to get crushed. But, a secondter, she was free. She couldn''t help but look at her captors, puzzled. What were they doing?


    "What are you waiting for? Go save her already." Josh gestured for her to scram.


    Lana didn''t understand what was happening. Was he letting her go just like that? But she didn''t dwell on it either. She rushed at full speed, leaving the two men alone, not even bothering with revenge.


    "I''m wondering, why did you let her leave so easily?" The mysterious man inquired.


    "Because I know how it feels to lose someone dear to you. As long as it doesn''t directly endanger me, then I don''t see any issue with it." Josh shrugged.


    "The more I listen to you and the stranger your power bes. Killing intent and yet¡­."


    "No need to overthink it. I simply act as I desire." Josh exined.


    That''s when he suddenly heard his UW beep. He had recently set it to do not disturb and only emergencies were supposed to go through. As he checked it, he couldn''t help but give a wry smile.


    - Frank the Recruiter: Boss, a certain Lana Ensis from Gemini contacted us with an emergency request: to save a little girl in Metropolis-C. She insisted she knows you and that I ry the message. What should I do?


    Wow, how ironic that the one she wanted to message just happened to be him. He wasn''t even sure why. Did she think that he was influential with the school and all? He couldn''t risk the students'' lives.


    - Josh MF Malum: Tell her that you didn''t manage to contact me and that she should contact the MTA if it''s urgent.


    With that said, he had aplished his assassination mission, the barrier was down, and he technically didn''t have a reason to stay here anymore.


    "Oh, joker-masked one, what will you do from now on?"


    "I''ll be watching. Oh, and I won''t be helping you anymore since I''m scared of making another deal." He instantly replied.


    "Damn, how heartless!" Josh cried out akin to a sorrowful, abandoned maiden.


    He wouldn''t waste time trying to convince the guy otherwise. He seemed way too aloof as if he truly didn''t care about much, including helping others.


    He rushed out, soon reaching the exterior. The first thing he noticed was a barrier. "Ah, c''mon!" The new one was even bigger and seemed to have been ced outside the premises.


    But, if he wasn''t wrong, this one probably belonged to the MTA. This would make things a little easier as he could always ask Dario to bail him out. Now, the problem was actually finding the exit. (or entrance?)


    He began moving along the wall, noticing theck of bad guys with shouts echoing in the distance. But a few minutes after he started walking, something suddenly popped right under his feet!


    Throwing himself on the side, he dodged what could only be described as a long big ck tentacle. It kept wriggling and, seeing as it had been noticed, burrowed back into the earth. This would definitely be a pain.


    Then, over the next few minutes, it kepting back, trying to surprise him. Honestly, he wasn''t even sure if that thing was dangerous, but he wouldn''t touch it either way.


    But it soon became worse. What started with one tentacle attacking soon became a few at regr intervals. He kept dodging and walking as the air slowly turned ck. Was this poison? He had no way of knowing, but it didn''t seem to be the case.


    Seeing as he couldn''t seem to find what he was looking for, he resolved himself to head toward the shouts. Hopefully, he''d find someone to inquire about all this mess. But what awaited him turned out to be an even bigger mess.


    "What the fuck is this?"


    It was a nightmarish sight: a gigantic wriggling mass of ck tentacles that seemed to create some kind of creature...yet the thing wasn''t alive either. It was so very odd.


    Next to it were Climbers wearing the MTA uniform, fighting the ones responsible for all this mess. They seemed to be evenly matched. What were they even saying?


    "Death to all the Fallen!"


    "Deal with those bastards!"


    "Screw the MTA. You guys should be praising us for cleaning the city!"


    It was the usual discriminatory BS from the terrorist side.


    "Fuck me. I didn''t join the MTA to fight tentacles!"


    "Keep going. We got this. Their chains are all gone. We can do this!"


    "What in the seven Hell is that thing that they summoned?!"


    "Who cares? We gotta destroy it before it hurts more people!"


    "Guys, keep focusing the Climbers first!"


    Nearby, Lana was shing the tentacles repeatedly without any sign of sess. "I''ll take you down if it''s thest fucking thing I do!"


    An MTA soldier screamed at her:


    "She''s gone already. Give it up, we gotta kill those bastards and rescue the hostages!" but she didn''t even twitch and kept attacking.


    So that''s how it was. That one little girl was already dead, devoured by that horror. He could understand how she felt. It was as if her heart was a bottomless abyss, one that revenge wouldn''t fill, but it would help.


    But, the more she shed and the livelier the thing became.


    "Fuck that crazy woman! She''s gonna cause our demise!" A soldier spat out.


    Crazy? No, she wasn''t. She was perfectly sane, and he could understand where they wereing from.


    "Stop causing trouble already and help us! Fuck!" Another shouted.


    That''s when one soldier had his arms pped by a tentacle. Instantly, it began to mutate at a sped visible to the naked eye before spreading toward the rest of his body. A colleague nearby quickly shed, cutting his arms off.


    "Dumbass, be careful!" he warned.


    "T-thanks." The one-armed man was livid. He had almost died!


    Should Josh even help? They clearly didn''t have the situation under control, but it was only a question of time before the MTA sent more soldiers, right?


    "Where are the others?" He couldn''t help but ask.


    "What others? There''s only us. If we can''t deal with it, everyone''s dying here!"


    "You''re kidding, right?" Josh asked, perplexed.


    "Nope, this power''s far too dangerous to take any risk!"


    Motherfucker! How the hell wasn''t there anyone in Metropolis-C that conveniently had a skill that countered this thing?


    "Fucking Metropolis-H that refused to send their data!" A soldier cursed.


    So that was it. It was the first time they saw such power and didn''t know how to deal with it yet. He had just "luckily" stumbled upon the experiment. He would now be part of it whether he wanted to or not.


    "Hey, Lana. Stop wasting your time and kill the terrorists. Once you''re done, it won''t be toote to take revenge." Josh uttered, annoyed. He sent so much killing intent in her direction that she had no choice but to jolt to attention.


    "No, I need to¡ª"


    "It wasn''t a suggestion, but an order. Hurry up, and I''ll deal with this thing." Josh spat out, displeased.


    Was there anything he could do against it? Probably not. But, he seemed so sure of himself that she somehow believed him. She charged at the terrorists and began dicing them at a frightening speed.


    Holy shit, she was fast! Hell, he wouldn''t stand a chance against her.


    She worked miracles! The enemies were strong too, but she was enough to shift the bnce of the fight, slowly turning it to their advantage.


    Josh slowly approached the wriggling tentacles. What was he even supposed to do against it?


    But, just as he was starting to ponder his options, Lana''s UW beeped. Instantly, arge smile bloomed on her face but soon disappeared.


    "What is it? Are there reinforcementsing?" Josh asked.


    "It''s Sophie. She''s still alive."


    "What?!"


    "She''s in there."


    She pointed straight at the wriggling mass of tentacles. This had now turned into a rescue mission...


    Creator''s Thought


    How many worlds perished thanks to the power of chaos? I''ve lost count. It''s like some malevolent entity yfully scattered it all across the Tower, waiting for unsuspecting Climbers to trigger it. Luckily not all chaos is equal. Otherwise, my mistake at Metropolis-H would have doomed us all.

 Chapter 327: Plan of Attack!

    <h4>Chapter 327: n of Attack!</h4>


    The wriggling, formless mass of shadowy ck tentacles was towering above the Climbers, trying to grab and corrupt them.


    "Wait, what?! She''s in there? She''s alive?!" Even Josh was shocked by such news. How hadn''t the little girl died yet?


    "She is, but who knows for how long. We need to get her out of there ASAP!" Lana cried out,? her eyes shifting from side to side, searching for a weak point.


    She would sh at the thing from time to time, but there wasn''t any visible effect. It only rippled as it tried to make contact with them at all costs.


    Fuck! What could he even do? He quickly went through every ability and equipment that he owned:


    1. Spider set: Completely useless. They were in an open area with nothing to stick to.


    2. Big Chungus set: It would make things worse as it would be nearly impossible to dodge the attacks with increased size.


    3. Smelly set: It wouldn''t be effective. This thing was a chaotic mass of energy. There was no way that a nasty smell would affect it.


    4. True Pickaxe: He could try to sweep it underground, but it would screw up their chances of rescue.


    5. Mana arrows: Nope. The MTA soldiers had some mages. They would rain all kinds of elemental attacks on the enemy without sess.


    6. Mysterious Stick: Hell the fuck no! He wasn''t about to use an item that had already almost killed him to deal with a corrupting power.


    7. Zoom set: Offensively, it was pretty bad, and did he even need the movement speed?


    He finally settled on killing intent. What if he could affect it using such a trick? Josh concentrated, imbuing his de with mana as well as killing intent, before shing powerfully.


    ¡ª Swoosh! ¡ª


    ¡ª p?????????????????????a??????????????????i????????????n?????????????????????


    Wait, was it working?! The creature had suddenly recoiled in pain, one of its tentacles wounded! A few that saw this couldn''t help but cheer:


    "What?! How did you do that?!"


    "What''s the secret to killing it?!"


    "We might juste out of here alive!"


    The MTA soldiers were extremely relieved at seeing this, but he knew that it was too premature to rejoice. It didn''t even take a second for the target to regenerate. It was as good as new.


    "Whatever that was, keep doing it!" Lana shouted.


    Josh tried to redo it, but this time without the mana coating. He shed, using a de full of killing intent that cut straight through the enemy¡­yet barely affected it. It seemed to find it ufortable, but that was it.


    Josh couldn''t help but click his tongue.


    "No, it won''t work. I''ll run out of mana far before I can take it down." He murmured.


    Actually, even if he had infinite mana, he doubted that he could take this thing down. There were too many tentacles to destroy, and its healing was phenomenally OP.


    Meanwhile, the thing kept trashing around without any sign of stopping anytime soon.


    ¡ª Sck! ¡ª


    ¡ª Sck! ¡ª


    ¡ª Sck! ¡ª


    In fact, it even seemed to be slightly growing as time passed. Was this the result of the dark energy imbued in the air? Was it just that thing''s nature? It felt so damn different than what Josh had experienced at Metropolis-H!


    Back then, it had been potent corrupting energy that had filled the air entirely. There had been no escaping from it, but it hadn''t been as pernicious either. The proof was the tentacle guy who was alive and kicking.


    No, this thing was different. It almost seemed¡­sentient?!


    "You can''t?! What the hell did you do then? I''ll try too!" The olddy screamed.


    "It takes too long to exin. Anyone here has any buff skill?!" This was the only way Josh could see himself seed.


    An MTA soldier came forward:


    "I have one! I can boost your magic attribute temporarily!"


    "How does it work!?"


    "Itsts a minute, and I can multiply the base stat up to a max of 2 times! Well, if everything goes right."


    "If everything goes right? What the fuck does that mean?!"


    "The stronger the target, the weaker the buff."


    "I see¡­."


    Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. He was way stronger than his level or stats. If he received a buff that was more potent on weaker Climbers, he may actually be able to do it.


    "Do you know how to save her?" Lana inquired again.


    "Maybe, maybe not¡­."


    Josh needed more information. Wounding it was one thing, but surviving its attacks was another. His defense was pretty trashy, especially now that he had already used his cloak skill.


    That''s when he turned toward the man who lost his arm to the corruption:


    "You, tell me about this thing! What is it?!"


    "How the fuck should I know?! We''re not trained to deal with shit like that!" He shouted back.


    Fair point. Who the fuck would train to defeat tentacles? Well¡ª besides magical girls, of course.


    "Think carefully. Anything will help. How did it feel?" Josh asked, grasping at straws.


    "That¡­..it was¡­it was¡­." He began shaking, with his face livid as he remembered. He forcefully brought his nerves under control and uttered slowly.


    "It''s like a voice was telling me to shed my mortal appearance and be something else. I couldn''t understand the words it said and yet¡­.I just knew what it wanted. I would have done it too, but luckily I was saved."


    A voice convincing him? Wait, this could perhaps be good news.


    "Say, what do you think would have happened if you refused the voice?" Josh asked, a gleam in his eyes.


    "That¡­I couldn''t have done it. I couldn''t see myself doing such a thing. I had to please it at all costs, or I wouldn''t have been able to live with myself¡­I ¡­" The man began hyperventting, unable to finish.


    Had he heard that thing''s voice? Perhaps was it the origin of its power? Josh had no clue, but he could already think of a method to clear this.


    Could it even work?


    "Do you have a n?" Lana asked anxiously.


    "Yes, that one guy buffs me, and I go in." Josh "exined."


    "What do you mean go in?! Are you crazy?!" a soldier shouted.


    Josh shook his head slightly.


    "If this thing can only corrupt and needs the host approval to do so¡­"


    "Wait, you''re nning to resist its will forcefully?!" Lana cried out.


    "Exactly." Josh nodded.


    The surrounding soldiers couldn''t help but gulp as they heard his n. What kind of madman was he?!


    This ¡­thing was horror incarnate. There was no way anything remotely touching it would survive. That''s why they had been dodging its attacks all along! Plus, they had only seeded by staying far away from the main cluster.


    Josh turned to the buff guy:


    "Say, I still have 24 unused stat points, would adding them to magic ability make a big difference?"


    "Fuck yes! Once buffed by my ability, it could change everything!"


    "Wait, you still have stat points?! Aren''t you spending them every level up?"


    Josh could only scratch his head awkwardly.


    "I wasn''t sure about perfect stat attribution just yet¡­."


    "Hell, whatever you did earlier used mana for sure! Just put it in there!" a soldier aggressively rmended.


    He added all he could to his Magic ability stat without hesitating anymore. He was out of attribute points to distribute for the first time since his first level up.


    He could only hope that this would be sufficient¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [ STATUS! ]


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    yer: Josh Malum Lv 24


    ss: Josh MF Malum


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    STATS


    HP: 5170


    Mana: 6655


    Magic Ability: 359


    Strength: 660


    Agility: 648


    Defense: 38


    Magic Resist: 32


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    SKILLS (43)


    - C Weapon Mastery


    - D Mana Maniption


    - D Mana Coating


    - E Great Gnoll Bloodline: Piercing Eyes


    - U (E+) Gluttony Bloodline: Endless Stomach, Devouring+


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    SPECIAL


    - S Curse of the Greenwood Lord: Active


    - ?! Devoured Part of the Will of Iron


    - ?!? ???? ???? ??


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    "Alright, are you all ready?" Josh asked sternly.


    "Wait! What the hell is that?!"


    A soldier suddenly pointed far back. A distance away, there was a man slowly walking over. He wore a ck suit and a joker mask. It was the mysterious chain guy!


    He brought along green glowing wriggling chains, ones that seemed to be fighting their ck counterparts. Nice! With his help, they''d definitely be able to win! He would do his part since they were all stuck here, right?


    "Who are you identify yourself right¡ª!" A soldier began screaming.


    "Shut the hell up. He''s a friend¡­kinda." Josh stopped them before waving at the neer. "Hey man, did you already miss me?"


    As he came nearby, he slowly shook his head. Hell, even his tentacles were shaking in denial.


    "Not missing more as I thought I''d give you a friendly warning."


    "Warning?" Josh raised an eyebrow. "You''ll help, right?"


    "I am not able to. This chaotic being directly counters my magic and would exhaust all my energy pointlessly. I''m going to leave instead."


    "What about the energy barrier?"


    "Nothing that a bit of link magic won''t shatter. Restraining is my specialty. They won''t be able to use it against me. The point is, I will be leaving, but you are wee to tag along if you want."


    Josh couldn''t help but think that this sure was nice. What happened to not making any more deals with him? Did this mean they were friends or something?


    Josh wasn''t sure, but he gave him a bright smile as he answered:


    "Alright, sure. Count me in." As Josh said that, he could see Lana''s face turn into a mask of despair. "But first, let me save the kid, alright? It will only take a minute."


    "No, you don''t understand. This thing owns a god''s fragment. Do you know what this means?"


    Judging from his bleak tone, it had to be serious¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    When your OP friendes along only to tell you that he''s getting the fuck out. It turns out that my guess was right. A god fragment really is a big fucking deal. Then again, the name already hints at it doesn''t it? I always wondered how he already knew about such information at this stage...

 Chapter 328: Baseless Hopes

    <h4>Chapter 328: Baseless Hopes</h4>


    The mysterious man was staring at Josh bleakly.


    "No, you don''t understand. This thing owns a god''s fragment. Do you know what this means?"


    The bystanders all held their breath, waiting for the revtion.


    "It is imbued with the power of a god. Even an infinitesimally insignificant godly ability is enough to cause endless mayhem. After all, humans cannot fathom nor go against such power." He exined.


    The people around sucked in a cold breath, their faces contorting in despair.


    "We have to face a motherfucking god?! We''re doomed!"


    "Wait, it''s only a small fragment of it? So maybe not?"


    "This is confusing, are we fucked or not?!"


    "Do you know its weakness?"


    "How do we defeat it?"


    They all turned toward the man as they expected more details. Since he was so calm, he had to know something, right?


    "Humanity will likely survive, but everyone in Metropolis-C will die. Your best bet is for the vessel to crack under the pressure of the enormous power it wields." He calmly stated.


    His calm and detached tone made it even worse. Couldn''t the guy at least show concern as he augured all their deaths?!


    "What the fuck?! You expect us just to hope for it to self-destruct?!"


    "This is insane. Do you know how many live in this area?!"


    "There''s no way we can let all of them down!"


    The man shook his head, seemingly wondering what had confused them. "No, no. Don''t misunderstand. I am not expecting anything from you all."


    "What?!"


    "Coward!"


    "You''re just gonna run?!"


    Once more, the man seemed puzzled at their limited listening capabilities: "I thought we had already established this point." He turned toward Josh. "Anyway, do you wish toe along? I may have questions about that violent energy¡­."


    This peaceful guy was surprisingly very pragmatic. But, the more Josh thought about it and the more confident he became in his n.


    "Correct me if I''m wrong, but that god-rted ability is probably that corrupting one, right?" He inquired.


    "Most likely, that is why you should stay as far away from it as humanly possible." The mysterious guy confirmed.


    "I understand. Knowing that, the decision is easy." Josh nodded, his face rxing.


    The soldiers looked his way, frowning in disappointment. So he had chosen to flee, leaving them all behind. It was a shitty decision, but what could they do about it? Nothing!


    That''s why his next words confused the heck out of them:


    "Alright, let''s get this over with. Dude, with the magical buff, hurry up and work your magic!" Josh shouted with the MTA soldiers jolting in surprise.


    "Wait, what?!"


    "Aren''t you running away?!"


    "What is happening right now?!"


    Josh shook his head as he positioned himself as if an Olympic runner at the start line. But he was facing the chaotic monstrosity?!


    "I never said that, did I? C''mon, I don''t have all day." He grunted.


    "Thank you so much!" Lana got ready to assist however she could.


    The soldiers could only watch Josh in awe. Even after hearing this crazy god-powered ability tale, he still didn''t cower one bit. How insane was that?!


    That one guy began chanting. Then, a heavenly bluish-white light enveloped Josh''s body. Instantly the energy changed color to a deep and vibrant purple as it fused with his mana, enhancing it many times over.


    If before his mana had been a calm and peaceful river, it was now rapids that were rumbling inside him, searching for a way to vent.


    "There goes nothing." Josh dashed as fast as he could, heading straight for the thing''s core.


    He was surprisingly¡­slow. Didn''t he have an ability to boost his speed? But, he was nheless impressive. He was cutting tentacles left and right!


    The spectators couldn''t help but cheer:


    "You can do it! You got this!"


    "This is amazing. None can reach him!"


    "Wow, at this rate he''ll seed for sure!"


    That''s when the wriggling tentacle mass suddenly turned into a seemingly unavoidable wave heading his way.


    "It''s gonna be fine, guys. He''ll carve a path through it with his sword!"


    "We have to believe and be ready to help him get out."


    "Yes, get all your healing skills ready!"


    They were so optimistic! But, the reality was very different. The ck wave came, and¡­engulfed himpletely?!


    "Oh crap!"


    "He''s done for!"


    Just like that, the wriggling sea became tranquil once again, no ripple to be seen inside. This meant the struggle was already over: he had died instantly.


    Their hearts were heavy as they knew they would all perish. They just hoped that the bomb the MTA would throw here would suffice to wipe the problem out. Otherwise, the entire Metropolis would really disappear¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    As the mass of darkness engulfed Josh, he felt lost.


    This thing was¡­.strange. He had expected burning pain, endless agony, demonic torture¡­many things but not this.


    That''s when a presence suddenly approached him, one that gave him a familiar feeling, one that existed only in his memories, one he missed so much¡­.


    "H?e?l?l?o?,? ?m?y? ?l?o?v?e?."


    There were no words¡­and yet he could perceive it all clearly. His love? No, it wasn''t! This was fake¡­.yet it truly felt like her¡­


    "I?t? ?r?e?a?l?l?y? ?i?s? ?m?e?."


    He wouldn''t give in, he would¡­.There was no mistaking it: it was her¡­


    "L?o?o?k? ?i?n?t?o? ?m?y? ?e?y?e?s?,? ?i?t?''?s? ?m?e?."


    He wouldn''t¡­.what? He had forgotten¡­.


    "I?''?v?e? ?b?e?e?n? ?w?a?i?t?i?n?g? ?f?o?r? ?y?o?u?."


    She had? Where had he been again?¡­


    "I?''?v?e? ?b?e?e?n? ?s?o? ?l?o?n?e?l?y?."


    Lonely? Was heing back from work?¡­


    "I?''?v?e? ?m?i?s?s?e?d? ?y?o?u? ?s?o? ?m?u?c?h?."


    He, too, had missed her, far more than he could have ever imagined. It was as if a piece of himself was missing and¡­.why again?¡­


    "Y?o?u?''?v?e? ?b?e?e?n? ?f?i?g?h?t?i?n?g? ?a?l?l? ?t?h?i?s? ?t?i?m?e?.?.?.?."


    He had to reach the top after all! Wait, what top? The top of the Dragon Triad Tower, perhaps? Had it all been a dream?¡­


    "R?e?l?a?x?,? ?y?o?u?''?v?e? ?f?o?u?g?h?t? ?e?n?o?u?g?h?."


    Rx, was it? He couldn''t shake the feeling that there was something he was forgetting.


    "I?f? ?y?o?u?''?v?e? ?f?o?r?g?o?t?t?e?n? ?i?t? ?m?u?s?t?n?''?t? ?b?e? ?i?m?p?o?r?t?a?n?t?.? ?"


    There ought to be some truth in that. She always knew how to cheer him up¡­


    S?t?a?y? ?h?e?r?e? ?w?i?t?h? ?m?e?.?.?.?f?o?r?e?v?e?r?.?.?.?


    This sure sounded nice¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    This world was mad,pletely mad, but she was still alive.


    How many times did she think she''d die? At least a hundred times a day! Whenever she saw a scary monster, her heart would tremble. But, she had developed a trick to fight the fear.


    "What would Josh do right now?" Sophie softly murmured to herself.


    Her surroundings were pitch ck and smelled of death. Then there was that deep monstrous ogre-like voice that kept trying to scare her.


    "T?h?e?r?e? ?w?o?n?''?t? ?b?e? ?a?n?y? ?e?s?c?a?p?e?."


    "I? ?w?i?l?l? ?d?e?v?o?u?r? ?y?o?u?r? ?f?l?e?s?h?."


    "C?h?e?w? ?t?h?e? ?b?o?n?e?s? ?a?n?d? ?s?l?u?r?p? ?t?h?e? ?m?a?r?r?o?w?."


    This ce was even worse than her first day in this world, one she remembered so vividly.


    There had been big twin-headed dogs that had devoured everyone. They had eaten her friends, her neighbors, and even¡­.She didn''t want to think about it. She had been so scared!


    As blood had flowed everywhere, all that she could do was to y dead and pray to wake up. But, the nightmare had been unending and so very real. How many times had she almost revealed her position with a scream?


    She had almost died of fright, despair, and sorrow¡­All until she saw him. Amidst the sea of fear, he had been calm and rxed,zily kicking the dogs. That''s all he could do since his hands were tied, but he hadn''t panicked anyway.


    Back then, she didn''t know his name, but she survived her first encounter with monsters thanks to him. He had kept her sane as she kept repeating to herself: "What would the man in the white jacket do?"


    He wouldn''t scream, even if everyone died around him. He would calmly fight back and would survive. While she couldn''t fight, she could hide and did. Seeing him is what let her resist the urge to flee, thus getting herself killed recklessly.


    She was already grateful, but he did even more.


    Not long after, he saved her once more and asked her to fight with him. She somehow understood that he didn''t need her. He was allowing her to fight back.


    For a short instant, he had been her mentor. He hadn''t taught her any move, only courage. That was what she needed the most. She had figured out how to trip the dogs by asking herself once again:


    "What would the man in the white jacket do if he were a little girl?"


    After the tutorial, they had gone their separate ways, but she always remembered this event. Anytime she encountered something scary or dangerous, she would repeat the same thing over and over until she was calm.


    Then one day, she had been eaten by a terrible gigantic ck wriggling monster at the fallen event.


    Thest thing she saw was a man turning into a monster in front of her very eyes. As she was about to die, she once more asked herself: "What would Josh do?"


    Would he despair? No.


    Would he give in? No


    Would he fear? No


    Would he cry? No


    She used all her strength to activate her healing ability, creating a cocoon of light around her. She knew it would onlyst a second, but so what! She would keep fighting until the very end because that''s what he would do.


    Funny how she had barely talked to him in her life. Perhaps it wasn''t about him anymore either. She simply had needed to believe in something, anything.


    It had been him. Perhaps all because of luck. Her eyes had stumbled upon him in her darkest moment¡­that was all.


    She was leaving this world¡­so very peacefully¡­.Except she didn''t.


    Inside the beast''s stomach, she found endless darkness, but one that couldn''t defeat her. At first, it had gone easy on her, sending a few tendrils of fear her way. After all, she was only a little girl.


    But soon, it had increased its power, trying to devour her at all costs. She kept hanging in there while mumbling to herself the same mantra.


    It truly was a magical trick, one that worked even now!


    "Y?o?u? ?a?r?e? ?d?o?o?m?e?d?,? ?l?i?t?t?l?e? ?g?i?r?l?."


    "I? ?c?a?n? ?f?e?e?l? ?y?o?u?r? ?f?e?a?r? ?g?r?o?w?i?n?g?."


    "Y?o?u? ?w?i?l?l? ?p?e?r?i?s?h? ?i?n? ?t?h?e? ?m?o?s?t? ?a?b?o?m?i?n?a?b?l?e? ?m?a?n?¡ª"


    "Shut up, will you?" She furiously berated.


    But, it was true that her power was slowly withering since her mana was limited. How long could she still resist the monster?


    ¡ª Beep! ¡ª


    Suddenly she received a message from a friend, and it changed everything.


    - Badass Granny: Hang in there. I''ve called Josh as reinforcement!"


    "What?!" A shout of pure joy escaped her lips.


    As she began grinning like a fool, even the chaotic monster felt that something was amiss.


    "W?h?a?t???"


    She opened her tiny mouth, gleefully taunting the monster:


    "Hehe, big baddie, you''re going down! Josh ising to save me! We''ll see who''s afraid of who then!"


    Creator''s Thought


    Hostage Situation Guidebook: Rule #1: Do not brag to your captor about getting rescued. Please keep it on the down-low so they cannot prepare a deadly magical ambush to handle your would-be savior. Rule #2: Keep calm and rx.Rule #3: Stay Hydrated.

 Chapter 329: Josh Defeated!!!

    <h4>Chapter 329: Josh Defeated!!!</h4>


    The little girl happily grinned, void of worries. She believed! As long as Josh came to save her, she would be fine.


    What was her basis for such conviction? None whatsoever! This is what it meant to have faith. She could already feel the fear monster weakening as it could not take over her mind. No, it was her resolve that was bing imprable!


    Yep, it wouldn''t pose any threat from now on. That''s what she believed.


    "H?o?w? ?i?s? ?t?h?i?s? ?p?o?s?s?i?b?l?e???!? ?."


    The monster cried out in shock. She couldn''t help but giggle at hearing how perplexed the thing was. This was to be expected: it didn''t know Josh MF Malum!


    But she didn''t have time to educate it that the formless creature became distracted, turning toward the outside world.


    "W?h?o? ?i?s? ?t?h?i?s??? ?."


    "A?n? ?i?n?t?r?u?d?e?r???!?."


    Was he here already? Hehe, as expected of him. He sure was fast!


    "I? ?w?i?l?l? ?d?e?s?t?r?o?y? ?y?o?u? ?w?h?e?n? ?I? ?c?o?m?e? ?b?a?c?k? ?."


    "Sure, sure, whatever. It''s not like you''ll be able to defeat my guardian angel! He''s the most powerful of them all!" She bragged happily.


    "G?R?R?R?" The being of chaos grumbled as it left forbat.


    Yet, a second after it was gone, the little girl slumped to the ground, exhausted fromck of mana. She barely had the time to create herself a bed of light that she closed her eyes, starting to doze off.


    Herst conscious thought was that her friends from Gemini and her colleagues from Immortal would probably go crazy if they learned where she was sleeping, haha.


    She was just so tired¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    She slowly awoke to a discordant cavernous voice, one tinted with pure malice. For a second, she wondered where she was, but then it all came back. The monster hade back.


    "M?u?h?a?h?a?h?a?h?a?h?a?"


    "S?l?e?e?p?i?n?g??? ?H?o?w? ?f?o?o?l?i?s?h?!"


    "L?o?o?k? ?w?h?o? ?I? ?g?r?a?b?b?e?d? ?w?h?i?l?e? ?y?o?u? ?w?e?r?e? ?s?l?u?m?b?e?r?i?n?g?!? ?."


    "M?u?h?a?h?a?h?a?h?a?h?a?"


    The creature''sughter resounded all around as its tentacle slowly brought something forward, no someone.


    It was a young man with blond hair that seemed rtively innocent. He was held in a cross shape position akin to a live sacrifice. He seemed totally out of it and mumbled in his sleep. "Sushi? Sure, I can make some, but I don''t promise anything¡ª"


    She couldn''t help but shake her head. This naive guy had already sumbed to this ce''s spell. What a lightweight! Still, who the heck would be dreaming about food in such a ce? What a weirdo!


    Then again, she would have suffered the same fate had she not known Josh. She truly was lucky...


    The voice resounded once more:


    "H?o?w? ?i?s? ?i?t?,? ?d?o?e?s? ?i?t? ?h?u?r?t?,? ?d?o? ?y?o?u? ?f?e?e?l? ?d?e?s?p?a?i?r???!? ?."


    "?"


    She couldn''t help but feel puzzled. What was this thing talking about? Why would she care about this random man? Sure it was sad that he was stuck here with her and probably already gone¡­.but still.


    The creature seemed to realize that something was amiss as it roared:


    "W?h?y? ?a?r?e?n?''?t? ?y?o?u? ?r?e?a?c?t?i?n?g??? ?Y?o?u?r? ?s?a?v?i?o?r? ?h?a?s? ?b?e?e?n? ?d?e?f?e?a?t?e?d?!? ?."


    At this point, the situation felt so strange that anyst remaining trace of fear in her heart disappeared. "My savior?" She instinctively uttered,pletely confused.


    She had never seen this man in her life!


    "T?r?y?i?n?g? ?t?o? ?b?l?u?f?f?,? ?a?r?e? ?y?o?u??? ?I? ?h?e?a?r?d? ?h?i?m? ?s?a?y? ?h?e?''?d? ?s?a?v?e? ?y?o?u?.? ?I? ?s?h?a?l?l? ?n?o?t? ?b?e? ?f?o?o?l?e?d?!?."


    What was she even supposed to do? Should she y along and beg for the man''s life? Perhaps it would buy a bit of time as the creature reveled in her "despair." Sadly, acting was far from her strong suit.


    The little girl took so long to decide upon a course of action that the monster finally realized that something was indeed wrong with this scene. If this wasn''t the man that she had waited for, then who was this?


    "I?t? ?d?o?e?s?n?''?t? ?m?a?k?e? ?s?e?n?s?e?.?.?.?."


    After a few seconds, the creature suddenly erupted intoughter as it seemed to have a sh of insight.


    "M?u?h?a?h?a?h?a?h?a?h?a?"


    "A?h?!? ?T?h?i?s? ?i?s? ?i?t?!? ?T?h?i?s? ?e?x?p?l?a?i?n?s? ?e?v?e?r?y?t?h?i?n?g?!? ?"


    "H?i?s? ?a?p?p?e?a?r?a?n?c?e? ?i?s? ?d?i?s?g?u?i?s?e?d?.? ?N?o?w? ?g?a?z?e? ?u?p?o?n? ?h?i?s? ?t?r?u?e? ?f?o?r?m?!? ?"


    A ck tentacle slowly reached for the man and began to open his shirt, revealing a bloodied chest with tentacles passing through each shoulder akin to spears.


    Then it slowly grabbed a strange medallion, carefully removing it from the man''s neck. As soon as it left it, the man''s appearance returned to one that the little girl instantly recognized as she gasped.


    Dark hair, a young yet experienced face, a guy that looked so ordinary as he peacefully slept. Josh?! "What?!" She couldn''t help but stare at his features with longing. This was the face of her guardian angel.


    The monster saw her reaction and happily shouted:


    "B?e? ?f?i?l?l?e?d? ?w?i?t?h? ?d?e?s?p?a?i?r? ?a?s? ?y?o?u? ?s?e?e? ?h?i?m? ?f?a?l?l? ?p?r?e?y? ?t?o? ?m?y?-?-? ?"¡ª ¡­only to be interrupted by a crystallineugh.


    "Pfft¡ª hahaha! Nice try, evil monster! As if the real Josh would ever get defeated by the likes of you!" She giggled from the bottom of her heart.


    She didn''t even doubt her reasoning a single second. In her mind, Josh was invincible and wouldn''t fall so easily without a fight.


    The dark entity felt at aplete loss for the first time in its existence. Ever since it had fused with that god fragment, it had happily bullied mortals, corrupting them and causing their demise.


    There had been a minor incident where it had been temporarily sealed, but it had already escaped. Now, it had no clue how to deal with this situation.


    "T?h?i?s? ?i?s? ?t?h?i?s? ?m?a?n?''?s? ?t?r?u?e? ?a?p?p?e?a?r?a?n?c?e?.?.?.?" It uttered weakly.


    "No way! Either Josh has a doppelg?nger, or you''re lying! Tch¡ª as expected of a viin, trying to trick me!" She argued with her small, high-pitched voice.


    The monster could only stare at her withplete exasperation. What the hell was this?! Why wouldn''t this child believe the truth?!


    What made it worse was that its power was based on corruption. Its direct attack power was pretty much nil. It had to attack the mental ws of its targets to win a fight. It usually wasn''t an issue, but now¡­


    The monster had no choice but to turn its gaze toward the man. It would focus on him and make him breathe hisst in that beautiful dream of his...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh was happily mincing the raw flesh in thin strips, the little one grinning beside him.


    "You''re doing a good master chef Malum! At this rate, this Empress will hire you to be her cook!" The little one uttered yful words of praise.


    "Oh, is that so? Is the job even paid well?" he raised an eyebrow while shooting her an inquisitive re.


    "Oh oh oh! Of course! This Empress is the true Empress in this entirend. I am the one that protects this realm from the flying barbarians, the miming miscreants, the¡ª"


    "Get to the point, Empress true Empress¡­." Josh joked.


    "It''s just true Empress! Plus, you haven''t even listened to the best part! I was about to share how beautiful, smart and beloved by my subject I am! Do not interrupt me anymore for¡ª"


    Josh shed her a show me the money gesture.


    "Humph, alright. If you ept to be my chef, this beautiful and beloved Empress shall gift you a whole castle full of riches!" She grandly gestured with her arms wide.


    "So, what''s the difference between a castle and a whole castle?" Also, wouldn''t that be a bit too big? Wouldn''t mowing thewn take an eternity?" Josh couldn''t help but remark.


    "Of course, this will be the servants'' job!" She argued back.


    "Oh? So it''s a whole castle with riches, servants, anything else?"


    "A pool! One filled with the most beautiful and delicious fish in existence!"


    "Oh? Like?"


    "The most mystical of fishes like rainbow trouts, pink dolphins, magical lobsters, transforming whales, and even a leviathan or two!" She happily enumerated.


    "Is this all going to fit in there? At this point, you might as well add a few Kraken."


    "Ah, the pool is actually a dimensional realm that is bigger inside than outside! The Kraken is a good idea..."


    "So¡­is the castle the same or just that pool?"


    "Ah?! Of course, the castle is the same! I shall not be a scrooge Empress! I ¡ª Ah! Be careful, Josh. A surprise attack!" She cried out loud.


    That''s when a slender arm embraced his waist as a soft body glued itself to his back. Then a gentle warm breath reached his ears before a flurry of kissesnded on his neck. A hand slowly caressed his cheek as a finisher, turning it toward the attacker.


    She decisively reached for his breath, stealing it away. Her delicate and beautiful face magnified, her tongue intertwining with his. After a kiss that seemed tost an eternity but felt like a second, she finally released him.


    "Morning, my love." She gently whispered, nestling her head on his shoulder.


    This was what it meant to be alive. It wasn''t about power, money, or anything like that. As long as he could feel this, he''d be happy.


    "Ah, vixen, you''ve put a spell on him again! You''re stopping him from making sushi. This is a mortal sin! Just you wait. When I am older, I''ll steal him away!" The little one pouted, making ridiculous promises as usual.


    For some reason, Josh felt that today was even more wonderful than usual. How many moments like this one had they shared? Too many to count! Each was special and made his soul quiver in joy¡­.but this one¡­


    He felt as if he would lose it if he nced away. How very peculiar¡­His hands busied themselves with preparing the ingredients while the sticky rice cooked.


    "Sushi, sushi, sushi!" The little one mored happily in the back, ying cheerleader.


    She seemed demanding, but she would ept anything he served her with a radiant smile, even if it turned out to be an abomination. Hell, the more messed up the final product and the more she''d giggle as she ate it.


    Another dinner scene, a fleeting and happy one¡­wait, why had the term fleetinge to his mind?


    That''s when his lover began gently caressing his chest, all until her hands came into contact with a small medallion. She raised a delicate eyebrow:


    "?? What''s this, my love? Since when do you have this medallion?" She whispered sweetly.


    "It''s a gift from my sworn brother, hence the lettering AT. I wonder what he''s up to recently. Knowing him, he probably came up with new challenges, haha," He instinctively and truthfully replied.


    That''s when it happened. The room lost its warmth, the world lost its color, and her gentle face lost any trace of affection. All that remained was a cold, harsh, and utterly fake lie.


    "Get rid of it. It has no ce in our home. It''s disgraceful." She uttered with a cold smile.


    That''s when he remembered everything: his loss, the Tower, and even the creature that had entrapped his mind here.


    Before, it had only been his memories ying on a loop, but it had finally made a move on him. It was trying to break his mind. As he was assaulted by the power of a god (fragmented), Josh only sighed:


    "Ah¡­Goddamnit. Fucking shadowy bullshit creature. Won''t even let me reminisce in peace!"


    That''s when he slowly opened his eyes. He was back...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] Are you all ready for a mass release?! ???? It''s not today...


    Creator''s Thought


    Sometimes, the smallest random action can leave an incredible mark on someone. This is especially so for one''s fans. They will put you on a pedestal and revere you when you''re in fact only a human of flesh, blood, and way too much killing intent.

 Chapter 330: Maybe It Really Is Josh...

    <h4>Chapter 330: Maybe It Really Is Josh...</h4>


    Many tentacles could be seen impaling a lone man in the chaotic darkness. Nearby, another appendage was holding the medallion it had just stolen from him.


    The little girl on the side witnessed the monster focus on the man as she slowly prepared to help. Her mana was low, and she didn''t know the victim, but she would do all she could to thwart the ns of the evil monster.


    But, just as she was ready to make her move, the darkness suddenly trembled, all of it! She couldn''t help but shiver as her eyes darted from side to side, searching for danger. Wait, the disturbance wasing from the sleeping man! What?!


    He suddenly opened his eyes wide, ones that were so brilliant that they blinded her...literally! They glowed red as they illuminated the surroundings with a bloody aura. Making a w with his hand, he struck!


    She recoiled in surprise. What was he doing?! His extended arm grabbed straight at the nearby medallion confidently.


    "This is mine." He uttered with an oppressive calmness.


    "Whaaa?!" She stared, mouth wide open. Had the man just woken up because the creature had stolen his stuff?! Hadn''t he been under its spell?


    He took a step forward, the tentacles sticking in his body melting like lollipops in a crematory oven. This left his toned chest full of gaping holes, not that he seemed to care. In fact, it was already healing super quickly!


    That''s when he slowly inspected his surroundings, with the demeanor of a king in his own pce. As his gaze rested on her, she couldn''t help but gulp aloud.


    Wait, what if this was one of the creature''s tricks? After all, it had suspiciously disappeared. What if the evil creature had possessed this body? She could be in huge trouble. It would probably be able to harm her directly then, right?! Oh god, this was bad!


    As the man opened his mouth, she became more and more nervous:


    "Oh, so that''s where you were hiding. Time to go." He simply told her.


    He didn''t seem to care about the monster, he wouldn''t take no for an answer, and he didn''t seem worried in the least. She had seen people leisurely walking being more stressed than him!


    Could this really be Josh? It would exin the nonchnce, but not how he had been defeated earlier.


    That''s when he slowly turned his head, seemingly staring at a random patch of darkness, one that looked the exact same as any other. "As for you, that''s pretty rude to wake people up when they''re sleeping, you know."


    That''s when it all seemed to click. He had been sleeping?! As expected of him! Was there anyone else that would dare to sleep in such a ce?!


    The creature''s voice resounded, but this time it seemed strange as if it was slowly breaking apart:


    "W?h?a?t? ?t?h?e? ?h?e?l?l? ?a?r?e? ?y?o?u?!??? ?."


    "Y?o?u?,? ?t?h?e?r?e?''?s? ?n?o? ?w?a?y? ?y?o?u?''?r?e? ?h?u?m?a?n?!? ?."


    "H?o?w? ?a?r?e? ?y?o?u? ?a?b?l?e? ?t?o? ?r?e?s?i?s?t? ?t?h?i?s???!? ?A?r?e? ?y?o?u? ?a? ?f?r?a?g?m?e?n?t? ?h?o?l?d?e?r? ?t?o?o???!? ?."


    Josh slowly shook his head while giving a derisiveugh:


    "Not human, you say? Don''t you know? Humans are the true monsters in this world."


    "A fragment holder? Nope, the gods can all go screw themselves! Well, I guess old man Iron is fine. But all the others I''ve met so far areplete egomaniacal dumbasses, haha."


    "Y?-?y?o?u?,? ?y?o?u?''?v?e? ?m?e?t? ?g?o?d?s???!? ?."


    "H?o?w???!?."


    "Pfft¡ª I warned you, didn''t I" The little girl in the background snickered happily.


    Josh gave a wry smile. This little healer reminded him of the little one. Both had boundless unfounded confidence in him and loved to cheer on the sidelines.


    But SHE wouldn''t have settled for a healer ss. She would have been cheering on the sideline with a powerful ss to bash anyone who didn''t join the cheering squad, haha.


    "Now, let''s get rid of this little pest, shall we?" Josh decisively approached the creature''s consciousness.


    He wasn''t sure how, but the magical buff his ally had cast earlier was still active. Was time flowing differently in the darkness? Either way, it didn''t matter. He had figured out the thing''s power.


    He began emitting intense killing, more concentrated than ever. He didn''t even have to force himself as this monster had tried to mess with his precious memories. A million deaths wouldn''t be enough to atone.


    Then, he coated his entire body with mana. Normally, it wouldn''t be that effective since it was better to aim for the vitals, but everything in the surroundings was part of the creature''s body.


    "A?R?G?G?!? ?I?t? ?b?u?r?n?s?!?!?!? ?."


    "H?o?w? ?a?r?e? ?y?o?u? ?d?o?i?n?g? ?t?h?i?s???!?."


    "W?h?a?t? ?k?i?n?d? ?o?f? ?v?i?c?i?o?u?s? ?e?n?e?r?g?y? ?i?s? ?t?h?i?s???!? ?."


    Every step Josh took would inflict unimaginable pain on the entity.


    The creature was going crazy. It was supposed to be able to absorb mana! It was supposed to resist even the power of other gods. Such was chaos, incredibly resilient and perfidious.


    But confronted with this human''s killing intent, it was all useless. How?! This didn''t make any sense! It could feel its true essence being targeted by a voracious monster!


    "H?o?w? ?c?a?n? ?a? ?h?u?m?a?n? ?e?v?e?n? ?t?a?r?g?e?t? ?m?e???!?."


    "What do you mean? Didn''t you realize? My memories are protected by killing intent. You''re reeking of it and are such a huge target right now." Josh scoffed.


    What a naive thing this was. The power of a god? Hell, this was the issue with borrowed power. The creature didn''t know how to use it efficiently.


    "N?o?o?o?o?!? ?G?e?t? ?i?t? ?o?f?f? ?m?e?!?!? ?F?u?c?k?!?."


    The young healer by the side was holding her sides as sheughed. The scary and fear-inducing monster had already begun cursing in despair. This situation was so funny!


    "G?o? ?a?w?a?a?y?y?y?y?!?!?!?"


    But, would Josh have any mercy for this thing? Nope, he could feel that it would most certainly betray him at the first opportunity since it was far too cowardly. Quite ironic considering its nature.


    But suddenly, the darkness started to boil. Whatever the creature was nning, it had to be an ultimate attack!


    "T?c?h?-?-? ?Y?o?u? ?l?e?a?v?e? ?m?e? ?n?o? ?c?h?o?i?c?e?.?.?.?."


    The creature roared. That''s when all the darkness began gushing toward Josh. A being who had been fighting the entire castle all this time turned 100% of its attention to Josh alone.


    "D?i?e?e?e?!?!?!?."


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] You all ready? It''s fucking mass release time! ? 1/8 !! ????


    Creator''s Thought


    I''m not even sure myself when I began to protect my memories with killing intent. Many wouldn''t understand how such a thing is even possible. After all, how could something so sweet and blissful coexist with such rage? That''s where control ys an incredible part...

 Chapter 331: Apocalypse? Apocalypse!

    <h4>Chapter 331: Apocalypse? Apocalypse!</h4>


    The castle where the fallen event was held suddenly quaked. No, it wasn''t just the castle, but everything included in the barrier surrounding it: the air, the ground, and even the people!


    In fact, it was even worse for the poison gas and the odd chaotic energy filling the ce. It was quivering so fast as if it was about to blow up, or maybee alive! Every single living being couldn''t help but be frightened by what could only be an uing catastrophe.


    "Oh fuck. What now?! Are we all gonna die?!"


    "This shit can''t be good! I would have stayed home if I knew."


    "Is it such a crime to be a Fallen?! Screw those racist bastards!"


    But the few terrorists remaining were alsopletely bbergasted:


    "What the hell is happening?!"


    "The darkness is receding?! Did they defeat that thing?!"


    "Don''t be silly! This is impossible! Nothing and no one can beat it!"


    Everyone was so confused by the sudden turn of events, and the MTA soldiers were the same.


    "Oh my god. Guys, we have a problem!"


    "What''s happening exactly?"


    "We''re screwed!"


    That''s when an unforgettable disruption began. It was as if a god began to suck in the darkness along with the air.


    The darkness began to gush toward one single spot. It was so insane that it instantly convinced anyone watching that the world was ending. But, it was even more unbelievable for the ones near the epicenter.


    The target of all that disturbance turned out to be two silhouettes. The darkness prevented them from being seen clearly, but it didn''t stop Lana from screaming:


    "Sophie! It''s Sophie. I have to save her!"


    She dashed forward, akin to a moth rushing to a me. No, she was akin to a moth rushing into the motherfucking sun! The MTA soldiers could only shake their heads:


    "What kind of evil did those fuckers release?!"


    "That madwoman is dead for sure."


    "Who cares¡­so are we!"


    But before she could put her life in danger, a white projectile was suddenly catapulted her way. What?! This was the kid! She was alive and protected by her healing barrier! How was this even possible?!


    Lana instantly caught her, even attempting to reassure her in what would inevitably be theirst moments.


    "Don''t worry, Sophie. You''re safe now and¡ª" She began telling a white lie only to be interrupted by a jovial little girl.


    "Of course, everything will be fine! Josh is in there, haha!" She happily giggled.


    Herughter was akin to a bomb jolting them out of their shock and despair. Had she justughed?! How could herugher be so carefree and pure in such a situation?! They couldn''t understand it at all.


    "J-josh is?" Lana asked, confused.


    "Yep, he saved me. Do you know how some monsters keep twitching as they die? It''s the same here!" She reassured the adult without an ounce of worry.


    The people around stared in disbelief. This huge phenomenon was the thrashing of a dying enemy?! How powerful was it usually to cause something so OP on its deathbed?!


    "Little girl, who''s this Josh that you speak of?" A soldier asked, perplexed.


    "You haven''t heard of him? Do you live under a rock? He''s the leader of the best Climbing school, the strongest ssless Climber in existence, and a member of Dimensional Legion!" She began bbering as a fan would about an idol.


    "A-ah, I''ve heard of him." The soldier replied, shocked.


    This was the Josh she was talking about? What the fuck was he doing here?! Also, wasn''t this guy a businessman? Legend said that he was low level. Could someone like him cause that? No fucking way!


    Was it possible that the little girl had hallucinated? They were dealing with pretty crazy magic...


    But they didn''t have any more time to ponder the situation. In front of their eyes happened the goddamn apocalypse. A giant ck tornado of deathly corruption began forming!


    With every passing second, it got stronger and stronger, yet it didn''t affect its surroundings much. It was all centered on the human figure at the epicenter.


    "How the fuck is that guy still alive?!"


    "Maybe he''s already dead?"


    "Maybe he''s turning into a monster?!"


    The little fan then happily chimed in.


    "Humph¡ª As if Josh would die that easily! There could be a few dozen more ck tornadoes that he wouldn''t care!"


    A few dozen tornadoes? No fucking way! But, they all kept that thought to themselves as they stared at the event without blinking. The end of the fucking world didn''t happen every day after all.


    That''s when an ancestral and grating deep voice began echoing all over:


    "H?a?h?a?h?a?h?a?!? ?T?h?i?s? ?i?s? ?w?h?a?t? ?y?o?u? ?g?e?t? ?f?o?r? ?o?p?p?o?s?i?n?g? ?m?e?!? ?B?e?c?o?m?e? ?a? ?m?o?n?s?t?e?r?,? ?b?e?c?o?m?e? ?a?-?-? ?"


    They all felt their very soul freeze when they heard this voice. This thing was a superior being, one that they couldn''t face. It was a feeling they wouldn''t be able to exin, ever.


    "Oh? If it''s using its divine energy so much, it will be weaker afterward. How did that guy manage to drive him into such a corner? Ah, but he''s screwed now¡­." The mysterious man sighed.


    Many couldn''t help but jump in shock. This guy was still there?! Why didn''t they realize it sooner?


    "What do you mean, you blind grandpa?! He''s going to be perfectly fine!" The little one rebuked him.


    "Alright, haha. We shall see." He lowly chuckled as he kept observing curiously.


    That''s when the tornado became so strong that the spectators began gasping for air. They, high-level Climbers, couldn''t fuckin breathe while looking at it! The thing wasn''t even aimed at them! This was madness!


    The otherworldly being keptughing madly:


    "H?a?h?a?h?a?,? ?i?t?''?s? ?o?v?e?r?!? ?Y?o?u?''?l?l? ?b?e?c?o?m?e? ?t?h?e? ?h?a?r?b?i?n?g?e?r? ?o?f? ?h?u?m?a?n?i?t?y?''?s? ?f?a?l?l?!? ?H?o?w? ?i?r?o?n?i?c?!? ?H?a?h?a?h?a?h?a?!? ?


    Inside the tornado, countless ck astral projections could be seen struggling toe out. It was as if the corrupting energy was trying to settle on a final form to turn Josh into.


    The spectators slowly called aloud the different shapes that showed up while holding their breath. They could only hope for a creature that wasn''t too strong since it would turn berserk.


    "Titan!"


    "Devil!"


    "Demon!"


    "Dragon!"


    "Hydra."


    "A sea of blood 0_0"


    "Motherfucking Chtulu?!"


    "Is that a freaking duck¡­overlord?!"


    What the fuck was all this?! There were so many shapes cycling through, and all of them looked unbelievably powerful!... Well, besides the duck one.


    They couldn''t help but pray for everything to turn out okay. But that''s when a calm, peaceful voice was heard, one that didn''t fit the atmosphere at all.


    "Is that all? This corruption of yours seems pretty boring."


    The tornado suddenly exploded, revealing a man who was rxedly smiling with his arms crossed.


    Josh wasn''t harmed in the least, showed no sign of exhaustion, and his clothes weren''t even ruffled. This made no sense whatsoever. Had the tornadoes been a dream? The bystanders pinched themselves, only to realize that this was reality.


    What the fuck?! How was this possible?!


    But they weren''t the only ones wondering. That''s when they heard the entity''s voice once more. This time it was utterly panicked and showed confusion.


    "T?h?i?s? ?i?s? ?i?m?p?o?s?s?i?b?l?e?!? ?H?o?w? ?d?i?d? ?y?o?u? ?d?o? ?i?t???!? ?."


    They all perked their ears¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] You all ready? It''s fucking mass release time! ? 2/8 !! ????


    Creator''s Thought


    The power of corruption is one presenting infinite possibilities. This both makes it incredibly powerful and worthless. After all, its effectiveness depends on many external criteria. One could say that it is simr to humans, kinda shitty and evil at its core, but with amazing potential.

 Chapter 332: Flipping Birds Is an Art!

    <h4>Chapter 332: Flipping Birds Is an Art!</h4>


    "T?h?i?s? ?i?s? ?i?m?p?o?s?s?i?b?l?e?!? ?H?o?w? ?d?i?d? ?y?o?u? ?d?o? ?i?t???!? ?" The being bellowed, its voice cracking from the shock.


    They couldn''t wait to learn this incredible secret. No matter how they racked their brains, they had no idea how he could have done it. After all, soldiers had died in mere seconds after a slight touch by a single chaotic tentacle¡­


    How was this guypletely fine after literally staying in a chaos tornado?! It didn''t make any goddamn sense. It was as if they had seen a mountain fall on an egg, only for the mountain to explode in a million pieces. It was highly illogical!


    "How did I do it? What do you mean? I just stayed here without moving. It''s not like there is any trick to it. Your power only works with the user''s consent. I simply declined the Terms and Conditions." Josh shrugged.


    "N?o? ?w?a?y???!? ?T?h?e?r?e?''?s? ?n?o? ?w?a?y? ?y?o?u?''?r?e? ?h?u?m?a?n?!? ?A? ?h?u?m?a?n? ?h?a?s? ?t?o? ?h?a?v?e? ?d?e?s?i?r?e?s? ?a?n?d? ?f?l?a?w?s?!? ?."


    "I have plenty of desires and ws, but none that an idiot like you can exploit. Hell, you wouldn''t even be able to sell me a pen with how much of a shitty salesman you are." Josh sneered.


    The bystanders choked as he said that. What did being a good salesman have to do with resisting OP magic?!


    "Oh, this makes sense! If you don''t fear this guy, then he''s 100% useless. If he had been a good salesman, he would have been way more convincing." The young girl nodded in agreement.


    They all felt like the world was going crazy. How was such a high-level fight being resolved like that?! It seemed like the viin was as irreconciled about such an ending as them.


    "C?u?r?s?e? ?y?o?u?!? ?I?''?l?l? ?k?i?l?l? ?y?o?u? ?n?o? ?m?a?t?t?e?r? ?w?h?a?t?!? ?I? ?s?w?e?a?r?,? ?n?o? ?m?a?t?t?e?r? ?w?h?a?t?!? ?O?h? ?c?h?a?o?t?i?c? ?o?n?e?,? ?I? ?o?f?f?e?r? ?m?y? ?e?s?s?e?n?c?e?,? ?m?y? ?s?o?u?l?,? ?a?n?d? ?m?y? ?e?v?e?r?y?t?h?i?n?g? ?t?o? ?y?o?u?.? ?P?l?e?a?s?e? ?g?r?a?n?t? ?m?y? ?p?r?a?y?e?r? ?a?n?d? ?d?e?s?c?e?n?d? ?u?p?o?n? ?t?h?i?s? ?m?o?r?t?a?l? ?w?o?r?l?d?!? ?"


    That''s when thest remaining vestige of darkness exploded. Just like that, it was gone¡­The creature''sst words were dreadful: it had summoned a monster to avenge it, right?!... But then nothing seemed to be happening...


    "Did it fail?"


    "What was it even trying to do exactly?"


    "Who knows, but it''s a good thing it freaking failed."


    "Yeah, that''s plenty of excitement for one day. Everything is over, right?"


    A shaky voice resounded, one which showed deep fear. But as they realized who had spoken, they became scared shitless too. It was contagious.


    "T-this is b-bad. N-no, it''s terrible! We''re all doomed!" The mysterious man, who had been calm all this time, couldn''t control his own nerves anymore.


    "W-what''s happening?!" a Climber asked, terrified.


    "T-this madman just called a true god over. This world is utterly doomed! It just had to be a chaotic god too! We''re fucked!" He screamed, despairing.


    "W-what?! W-why?! What does it mean?!"


    That''s when thunder began to echo all around, or at least that''s what it sounded like. It was far worse...


    The vast sky above Metropolis-C suddenly turned ck without any warning. A secondter, the space began to show signs of fracturing, as it had done in the Tower. Anyone witnessing this felt deep and uncontroble terror.


    It was theing of the fucking apocalypse!


    Every news channel covered the issue, but none had any clue about what was happening.


    Still, everyone agreed that they were all fucked! Many Metropolis-C citizens began evacuating as quickly as they could, but many just stared at the sky in disbelief, too scared to even move their legs.


    It covered such arge area that it took a few minutes to locate its origin, the freaking Fallen event. What the fuck was happening in there?! A barrier blocked the castle, and the only spectators were too dumbfounded tomunicate with anyone.


    Maybe it was one hell of a party! (literally)


    Then, the sky above Josh began changing. Two glowing purple stars appeared, slowly moving akin to two ginormous eyes until they stared at his general position. Then the spatial fissures formed the vague shape of an enormous face.


    "What the fuck is that?!


    "T-this is the divine projection of a true god." The mysterious man replied.


    "You''re telling me this..thing is a god?! Why does it look like that? Shouldn''t it have a body?"


    "No, it''s only a projection. I''m not privy to the details, but there are tons of restrictions concerning such a situation. This being will only be able to use an infinitesimal fraction of its true power. Near 0 even." The mysterious man exined, finally having calmed down.


    "So we have a shot at survival?!" One eagerly asked.


    "Nope, we''re all dead. Had it been any other god, only the offender would have died, but it''s the end." He sighed. It seemed like he had epted his uing death.


    "What?! Why?!"


    "This one is a god of chaos¡­chaos grows. A single spark is enough to doom a world. We''re fucked, and you all shoulde to terms with it." He slowly uttered.


    "Maybe it will take pity on us and won''t kill us all?!" One optimistically uttered.


    "We can only pray for it to be the case."


    Just as they were praying, Josh began shouting. He was so loud that they had no problem hearing every word he said. At that moment, they knew they were royally fucked!


    "Oh? So you''re the Prime Corrupting Evil? That sounds so needlessly edgy! Still, I have to admit that you''re pretty quick to show up. I just fucked your grandson up. What are you gonna do about it?!"


    What the hell was he doing?! Was he intentionally trying to doom them?! If it wasn''t enough, he even began flipping the bird toward the deity with both freaking hands! Why?!


    They couldn''t help but cry. This was how humanity would perish¡­.what a fucking tragedy!


    That''s when a cute voice was heard: "You can do it, Josh, go go go! Beat him up!" They couldn''t help but stare at the little girl with their face twitching. Beat him up? That was a fucking god!


    But Josh wasn''t done. No, he kept monologuing, shouting at the gigantic silent face.


    "  , you talk too much! What''s with that long-ass introduction? Can''t you just go with a casual one: name, job, one hobby? Here I''ll give you an example." He cleared his throat, taking a deep voice.


    "Hello, I''m some chaos bitch deity, my job is to spread chaos, my hobby is intimidating humans for no freaking good reason, and I love being an idiot! See, it''s not that hard!"


    "You''re still acting high and mighty?! I mean. C''mon! You literally have the worse power ever. Do you think you can fuck me up with your reduced abilities? You''re fucking dreaming."


    "You know what? Do you want to curse me? Well, fuck you! I''m the one that''s cursing you! I''m cing a fucking Assassin''s Promise on your goddamn giant fucking head, you prick!"


    "You better wash your goddamn neck cause I''ll being for you! Do you even have a neck? Either way, you''re going down, you bastard!"


    Suddenly, the gigantic face began glowing as a darkish purple ray fell straight on Josh. The madman didn''t even try to dodge! He opened his mouth wide...gulping it?!


    As the face began to rescind, Josh was still standing, singing his arms excitedly while spouting profanity at the retreating god....and still doing a fuck you gesture!


    What that actual fuck had just happened?!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] You all ready? It''s fucking mass release time! ? 3/8 !! ????


    Creator''s Thought


    Fuck these asshole gods! Theye in randomly and expect you to tremble from their mere presence as you beg for forgiveness. Screw them! If your fucking dog starts randomly killing humans and is put down, you don''t avenge it. You fucking apologize for its misconduct! That''s basic decency!

 Chapter 333: Can We Keep It a Secret?

    <h4>Chapter 333: Can We Keep It a Secret?</h4>


    The group couldn''t help but watch in pure¡­They couldn''t even describe how they were feeling. There was consternation, despair, anger, and even disbelief.


    Now, they were even wondering if all this had been true or if they had hallucinated. Just as they were still in shock, Josh casually walked toward with a satisfied grin on his face.


    "Well, venting felt good. But, seriously, screw that guy, am I right!" He showed no sign of shame.


    "No fucking way! What the hell did you do that for?! You almost wiped the entire human race, you bastard!" a soldier shouted at him.


    They all stared daggers at him, even the usually so calm mysterious man. The only exception was the little healer who was beaming in joy.


    "Mad? Naw, gods are annoying bastards in general. There''s no need to be polite with them. They''re always: oh, you killed X from my faction, now die! Just ignore them and don''t worry about it. Their bark is way worse than their bite in my experience." Josh exined.


    How could he be so casual about all this?! Actually, what did "in his experience" even mean?! The implications were even more frightening than what they had just witnessed.


    "Great job! See guy''s I told you that he''d be fine!" The little girlmented.


    She was even strutting, rolling her eyes to the others as if they were the crazy ones. What the hell?! They weren''t the ones who had picked a fight with a goddamn god?! But, there was something they couldn''t understand.


    "Still, why the hell did you suddenly start insulting it?!"


    "Suddenly? Hey, that chaotic bastard started it! Weren''t you all listening when it said that we''re nothing but a backwater world it could easily crush and called us worthless? Well, fuck him!"


    They exchanged nces but saw the same puzzled look in the others'' eyes. Lana stepped forward:


    "We didn''t hear a thing. To us, it appeared as if you were speaking to yourself." She carefully said.


    "Really? How weird!" Josh couldn''t help but feel perplexed.


    How was it that he could perfectly hear them? The only factor he saw was that he was ssless. For now, he would reassure them:


    "I see. Anyway, you guys are worried over nothing. That god was blind and deaf, don''t ask me how I know, I just do. Actually, it''s more that it didn''t even bother looking our way, as if on auto-pilot."


    "What?! Then all those shenanigans were for show?!" One cried out.


    "No, it helped me to keep my mind steady. It''s important to blow off some steam, you know! Plus, it''s not like that guy will ever know. You guys aren''t nning to summon it back to tattle on me, right?" Josh inquired.


    Did he even need to ask?! Even if they wanted to summon it, they didn''t freaking know how to! Still, they sighed in relief as it seemed this Josh wasn''t as foolish as he had first appeared.


    That''s when the mysterious man asked a question that felt very pertinent: "You, are you sure that you''re human?"


    "Of course, isn''t this obvious?" Josh asked, perplexed.


    "What about the purple ray that you freaking ate?! How can humans do that?! It had to be extremely dangerous, right?!"


    "Oh, that? I think it was something to change someone''s ss into something pretty dangerous. However, it doesn''t seem to work on someone who''s ssless. So, no need to worry about that." Josh gave a reassuring smile. (Totally a white lie)


    They remained pensive for a second before a soldier, probably a captain, uttered:


    "I guess we''re safe now. The fog is gone, the darkness is gone, the god is gone, we just need to rescue the Fallens, bring this guy to the MTA for testing, and we''ll finally be done with this shit."


    "Yeah, I don''t think so." Josh suddenly protested.


    He swiftly brought magical contracts out, handing one to everyone present with a friendly smile. "Here, you go." but as they checked the content, they couldn''t help but be wary.


    This was an NDA! He wanted to keep the information about him a secret, something that could quickly be a menace to humanity!


    "Let''s keep this little episode a secret, shall we!" Josh reiterated.


    Little episode? Keep it a secret? The fate of the fucking world could depend on this! The MTA soldiers got ready to capture him. Yet, Josh didn''t even bother taking abat stance. Staring at them, he slowly uttered:


    "I just drove a god away. Now, hypothetically speaking, what do you think will happen if the MTA starts hunting me? Who do you think wille out on top?"


    He also began releasing pure killing intent in their direction, one so pure that they soiled themselves. This was only possible because their psyche was unsteady from the earlier events, but he seemed impossible to defeat at that moment.


    After a minute of internal struggle, they all signed the contracts. They felt that what they were doing was extremely wrong, but so was making an enemy out of him. After all, he had just assisted the MTA in getting rid of that monster.


    This incident would forever haunt them, changing their perception of the world no matter what.


    Yet, Josh had barely done anything during that god fight. It had just happened that steady willpower was the perfect counter to the enemy. This sliver of chaos energy hadn''t been enough to harm him.


    The wounded and the deceased were promptly evacuated. Luckily, most could be saved thanks to advanced medical science or magic. But this day would remain a grim one in Fallen history.


    As for Josh, he left with the mysterious man. Chain power for the win!


    Lana watched him go with conflicted emotions. She was smart enough to realize that he had been the one to kill her guild members. She couldn''t help but feel that their deaths could have been avoided.


    But, Josh had saved them all, and especially Sophie. Because of that, she chose not to press the issue, even disregarding the magical contract.


    Thus ended this incident¡ª or at least the actual event. Who knew what ramifications it would have?


    Knowing that he was involved, this probably wouldn''t be the end of it...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Somewhere across the multiverse, a formless chaos deity was nonchntly ying around.


    With a casual move of its formless arms, it would move primordial chaotic energy as it willfully created pseudo-worlds.


    Would it even bother to transform them into true worlds? Perhaps, perhaps not, it would all depend on its mood. After all, the requirements to elevate a world were pretty stringent.


    Suddenly it felt a slight quiver in the space, along with a familiar feeling. This was feedback from an infinitesimal strand of its will returning. Earlier, it had sent it on a whim to some random remote corner of the multiverse.


    Why had it even done so again? Oh right, some weakling had found a pseudo-fragment of its divinity and requested help. It wasn''t anything significant.


    It kept focusing on its task as it absent-mindedly received the strand, integrating it inside its being once more.


    That''s when the deity suddenly froze. Instantly, the many pseudo-worlds all shattered, killing the primitive lifeforms inhabiting them. But, it didn''t care one bit for there was something wrong with the strand! How?!


    Oh fuck. It hadmitted an enormous mistake! It should have freaking checked the integrity of this strand! It had been corrupted and now had fused with its divine soul!


    It was toote, far toote! It was stuck with such a defect!


    This was insane?! How had this happened?! This had been a remote and worthless world hence why it hadn''t even considered such a possibility.


    After transforming the information into understandable characters, the deity couldn''t help but stare nkly.


    ¡ª Cursed by Josh Motherfucking Malum: Active


    "You better wash your fucking neck, you bastard! I''ming for you!"


    The deity couldn''t wrap its mind around this...what the fuck was that?! What was up with that curse''s rank, unranked?! A casual word from a divine being was S rank, even if from a strand of will!


    A god couldn''t be affected by an unranked curse!¡ª In theory. But how?! Also, what the hell was a Josh Motherfucking Malum?!


    It used its divine power to investigate, only to be left shellshocked. It had been cursed by a lower lifeform....how?! What kind of madness was this?!


    Not only that, but this creature called a human had even devoured a droplet of its chaotic energy?! This wasn''t possible either!


    What was happening to the multiverse?! Were the true primordial gods ying pranks again?! At this moment, the deity felt like crying. It was now stuck with this dumb curse!


    That''s when it resolved not to leave its domain anymore...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] You all ready? It''s fucking mass release time! ? 4/8 !! ????


    Creator''s Thought


    It''s possible to apply curses even without possessing a curse skill. How? Timing is key! When your opponent establishes a magical link with you, strike back! All it takes is a lot of willpower. Then you both end up cursed lol. Still, it''s a neat trick that I''d learn after a long time in the Tower.

 Chapter 334: Worst Kidnapper Ever!

    <h4>Chapter 334: Worst Kidnapper Ever!</h4>


    It took exactly 13 minutes and 13 seconds before the ck sky returned to normal.


    The weird part was that no matter how many investigations were done, there was no new information.


    Everyone knew where it had happened, but they still had no clue what the purpose of it had been. Plus, getting a witness to talk proved to be impossible for some reason.


    The event was finally ruled harmless, and the MTA insisted people forget about it.? But, many still considered it an omen of destruction.


    Of course, the news didn''t stop at Metropolis-C. Metropolis-D and E began to discuss it, too, even trying toe up with possible measures if something simr happened on their territory.


    Then it quickly became a worldwide sensation:


    "News sh! Day turned to night in Metropolis-C!"


    "Signs of the apocalypse? Stay tuned for aplete analysis!"


    "Today, we have an expert on astronomical phenomenons to discuss the topic."


    "Rumors that themotion is rted to the Fallen event hosted by Gemini. Are they to me for this?"


    That was all people talked about, everywhere. But then, very soon, many began noticing with horror that an extra line had popped on their status screen.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    - S+ Doomed World Curse


    A chaos seed has been nted in the world. How long before it blossom into a world-ending cmity? The Prime Corrupting Evil will be watching eagerly.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Chaos broke out. Everyone was panicking, dreading the future. This was another freaking sword of Damocles hanging above everyone''s head! As if that Greenwood Lord curse wasn''t enough!


    How would they react if they learned that Josh was at the origin of both? What if they learned that he had eaten the so-called seed of chaos? They''d lose their shit for sure!


    Many meetings were organized, with the various guilds bickering endlessly and the MTA trying to reassure everyone. The whole world searched for answers.


    The few that actually knew what was going on couldn''t speak of it and felt like they were going insane. Why had they signed that damn magical contract?! Who knew what Josh and that mysterious man were up to now?


    The whole world was buzzing, fucking constantly, going crazy. People were losing their hair over this new uing cmity.


    But that''s when came a piece of unexpected new information. It came from plenty of anonymous letters delivered directly to the MTAs and guilds in the CDE region. It was a concise message:


    We took care of the Chaos Seed,


    ¡ªDimensional Legion


    That was all, no detail, no proof,pletely baseless. Yet, many believed it.


    Why? Because Dimensional Legion was shrouded in so much mystery that they really could have done it.


    After all, it wasn''t too hard to add an extra line to the list of unbelievable stuff the guild had "aplished". Sure, in reality, they had done jack shit, but on the Inte, it was a legendary guild!


    Eventually, the topic would be buried given theck of new information, but it would likelyst a few weeks. It didn''t stop the world from getting excited about it all...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    As for the one responsible, he was happily driving toward Metropolis-E, without a care in the world. There awaited hisst target!


    He felt delighted. Perhaps it was because of the clear sky or the refreshing wind brushing against his face¡ª No, he was actually pleased with insulting a god.


    The whole thing was nothing but a big coincidence stemming from a single misunderstanding.


    1. People thinking he wants to fight the LoA.


    2. Some people from the LoA attacking his school.


    3. Him joining the LoA test to gather information about his enemies.


    4. Participating in the Fallen event.


    5. Dissing a god to its face (or its projection)


    Life sure was peculiar at times.


    As Josh began wandering in Metropolis-E (disguised as an assassin), he couldn''t help but notice how many crazies were out on the street protesting. They had plenty of signs like:


    <Investigate Metropolis-C, it''s totally their fault!>


    <Tell us the truth about the Prime Corrupting Evil!>


    <I''ve run out of fucks, we''re all gonna die anyway.>


    <Why do we even pay taxes if the MTAs are so useless?!>


    <The world is going to shit. Legalize the Ph38-F drug already!>


    Josh gave the no fucks given guy a thumb up in passing, even stopping to inquire where he could find the tortoise guild before skipping to his destination.


    As he saw the guild''s in-looking headquarter, he couldn''t help but sigh in disappointment while shaking his head. That''s when a man approached him from behind.


    "Is there something wrong, young man?" It was a friendly-looking old guy with a head full of white hair yet a face void of wrinkles: his target!


    "It''s just a letdown. In Metropolis-C, Draconic''s building is a cool dragon, Devouring Panda has a panda¡­you get it. Where''s the Tortoise!" Josh exined.


    "I guess ¡­I am? I''ve been here for so long that I may as well be an old tortoise at this point." The old man chuckled lightly.


    Josh couldn''t help but nod appreciatingly. "You''re Unkible Harry, am I right?" He asked excitedly.


    "Yes, do you have some business with me?" He asked amicably.


    "Yep! A kidnapping." Josh answered jovially.


    The old man froze for a second before giving a smallugh: "It seems my hearing isn''t as good as it used to be. Could you repeat that?"


    "Kidnapping." Josh didn''t show any shame.


    "Did you say kidnapping?"


    "Kidnapping." Josh nodded happily.


    "Eh, why would you even want to kidnap me?" He asked, puzzled, giving him an incredibly dubious look.


    "Wait, didn''t you receive that one Assassin''s promise? Normally it''s one target per, and you gotta kill the victim, but mine is a bit special. I can either kill or temporarily kidnap, you see." Josh patiently exined.


    "You''re with the LoA?!"


    "Not really. I guess it''s like a part-time job as a subcontractor?"


    "There is no way that''s a thing!" The man protested baffled.


    "Naw, I''m telling you it''s possible! Anyway, just count it as a vacation or something."


    "So you just want me to follow you and fake being kidnapped?" The man asked,pletely puzzled.


    "Exactly! I''ll get mymission!" Josh happily nodded.


    "Why would I do so?"


    "Because I''m asking you nicely?"


    "It wouldn''t be a kidnapping if I follow you..." He reminded.


    "Meh, who cares." Josh shrugged.


    "What if I resist?"


    "Then I''ll kidnap you for real. You''re myst target out of the four anyway."


    "Four?!"


    "Oh yeah, Gemini, Adamantine Dumbasses, that Twice-Knife guy¡­.and you."


    Only a madman would follow a wannabe kidnapper, right? But then the man remembered the three others who had already fallen prey to this man. He had done his research, and he was probably the weakest of them all!


    Should he involve his guild or the authorities? Probably not! The man finally agreed to follow Josh along all the way toward Metropolis-D, finding the poor Jackson who had been restrained and stuck in a freezer all this time.


    As Josh removed his gag, the man began insulting him crazily:


    "You fucker, I''m going to destroy you I''ll¡ª"


    "Ah, I was going to let you go but never mind, I guess." Josh deplored.


    "Wait.,..what?!" His victim stared in confusion.


    "I mean, I''m doing all this for¡­kind of a dare, I guess? That''s the easiest way I can exin it." Josh shrugged before continuing.


    "I can''t let you go if you''re so hell-bent on revenge. We all know how that will go: you''ll get your guild to help, I''ll ughter it all, the MTA will be too busy with the Tower and the ck sky to care¡ª GG but a pain!"


    They had no clue what the fuck he was babbling about, even talking about tropes and whatnot, but they gulped as they felt how confident he was.? Seriously who was that guy, and what was he actually scheming?!


    "Then again, I can let you live if you sign a magical contract. Ah, you''ll have to remain hidden for a little while too." Josh offered.


    "Alright, I''ll do it! You won''t have any trouble with me, I swear!" He promised.


    "Aight, here." Josh handed the man who was tied up a magical contract. He had a bit of trouble signing it with his mouth, but he did manage.


    "So, what exactly do you have nned?" The old man from Tortoise asked, perplexed.


    "Easy, we''re going to be shooting a video. Let''s begin!" Josh happily got to work. All he needed was proof that they had been as his mercy to seed the test.


    He began to fake-torture them on camera and talked way too much nonsense! Without realizing it, he had still been understandably hyper from fighting a god and said lots of BS.


    The two men didn''t know how to react. This guy was mad,pletely ballistic! All his ns sounded like they were the ramblings of a lunatic! He talked about destroying guilds, crushing Hellish floors, driving gods away, and even changing the entire Tower system.


    This was perhaps the weirdest episode in their lives. Their captor wasn''t even wearing a mask (or so they thought) as he showed them his blond hair in all its magnificence. He really just wanted them to act and nothing else!


    Then they were done, unsure about the true meaning of all this. They left still confused, but eager to go back to their respective lives...Well, after a few days of hiding.? That''s how they soon ran away, remembering to stay far away from that guy in the future.


    As for Josh, he was heading toward the LoA challenge location ¡­.


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    [A/N] You all ready? It''s fucking mass release time! ? 5/8 !! ????


    Creator''s Thought


    Was it wise to suddenly start faking my results? I mean technically it was more of a loophole. It didn''t say anywhere that I couldn''t just ask my "victims" to follow me nicely. That grandpa just gave me a good feeling, must have been the smile.

 Chapter 335: LoA Hideout!

    <h4>Chapter 335: LoA Hideout!</h4>


    As Josh showed up at the door of the LoA test area, he couldn''t help but find the scene strange.


    The ce had already been turned into a small vegetable market, no trace of the mysterious meeting area for the LoA. What the hell?


    As he paced around, he suddenly felt a gaze on him. It wasing from a small tomato vendor, one who was wearing an old jacket stained with tomato juice¡ª or so it seemed. Josh could actually notice a few very subtle bloodstains.


    Was this guy one of his people? He did smell of a killer. Josh happily went toward him, as he began subtly recording:


    "Hey there! What happened to the tests? Do you have any idea?" He asked.


    "Test, what test are you talking about?" The man stared at him, showing evident confusion.


    Oh? So he was going to y dumb? There just happened to be an ex-assassin right at the spot of the evaluation? It likely wasn''t a coincidence.


    "Meh, whatever. Tell them that I''m done." Josh said before waving the man goodbye. At the same time, he sent a strand of killing intent to linger around his target.


    He was 99% sure that this guy was with the LoA. But even if he were wrong, it wouldn''t be toote to fake being a content creator ying pranks on people. This made for a fantastic alibi to exin weird actions.


    Josh hid in a dark alleyway nearby and waited. Would he take the bait?


    A few minutester, the man passed near him, with Josh recognizing him thanks to sensing his killing intent on him. The guy was suddenly cross-dressing and weirdly looked good while doing so. Talk about a master of disguise!


    He was often looking all around him discreetly but warily, making sure not to be followed. Except this wasn''t Josh''s first rodeo. His own killing intent served as a beacon as he kept tracking the man. This kept going until they finally reached a lovely church in the city''s periphery.


    Wow, this sure was different than what he had expected! The exterior looked so vibrant, people were walking nearby, and it really didn''t feel like a good ce for assassins to gather¡ª that being a good thing.


    It had beautiful colorful ss artwork and a few pretty expensive-looking statues. The man he was following had entered the small local confessional but didn''t seem to be reappearing.


    Josh went right after him, finding an empty box. He couldn''t help but admit that the workmanship associated with this ce was outstanding. He couldn''t find any secret entrance at all at first nce!


    The only thing noticeable was a small cross rosary embedded in the wall. But, it seemed to be purely decorative. No matter how Josh yed with it, nothing would activate.


    There wasn''t any opening either for inserting a key or anything simr. What about using mana on it? That, too, was a failure. This sure was annoying! As he internally vowed to beat up that guy for answers, he began emanating killing intent.


    Just as he did, the floor suddenly disappeared under him as he fell. What the fuck was this?! Had this thing reacted to his killing intent? Had someone activated a trap against him?!


    Ahhhh! He got ready to activate his spider set!¡ªbut he had been overthinking. His fall was suddenly cushioned by a slide right underneath, allowing him to descend gently. What a surprise!


    After a minute of sliding in the dark (perfect title for a sex tape), he finally arrived in a dimly lit room.


    Now, this looked more like an assassin''s den as there were many engravings of various killing methods on the walls: Backstab, poison, arson, duel, journey (%), but he quickly stared at something else.


    In front was a rusty-but-sturdy-looking metallic door with abination on it. He would have to bypass this one to progress. Ah, C''mon! First a slide and now a puzzle?


    There were eight slots and numbers from 1 to 9, aka a shitload of possiblebinations. Was this password changing regrly. Also, was there any punishment for failing to enter the proper code? This would change everything.


    ¡õ ¡õ ¡õ ¡õ ¡õ ¡õ ¡õ ¡õ


    He could always destroy the door, but that would be a bit rude and counterproductive, especially after all this effort to join. Having an official identity with them was still the fastest way to collect information on who had dared scheme against him.


    There was no way that this failed attack on his school had included too many masterminds. Otherwise, there would have been way more assassins, and they would have been better prepared.


    Anyway, he now had a n!


    He would wait for an assassin toe through and get the information about thebination out of them. Then he would just have to find that one fakewyer in charge of his evaluation somehow.


    It was far from a perfect n, but he felt this would likely work. After all, his performance so far had to be pretty impressive, probably enough to bend the rules a little as long as he didn''t exaggerate. As for how to pass the time, he had a great idea!


    Joshy down on the floor, ready to take a nap.


    He happily summoned his rat, used it as a pillow. He couldn''t help but chuckle, picturing what would have happened if he had thrown the rat into the chaos tornado earlier.


    Would It have evolved and be useful, or would it have turned feral? He hadn''t felt like trying it since the Tower was bound to give him an evolution treasure for it, right? It had done so for Nightmare.


    That''s how he slowly began slumbering. Unknowingly, his fight with a god had taken a massive toll on his psyche and body.


    He slept so soundly that he seemed dead. As he kept sleeping, assassins entered the premises one after the other.


    Every time they would jump in surprise as they saw him before readying their weapon. Not only was sleeping in the entrance forbidden, but this guy didn''t look like an assassin at all. He seemed too¡­innocent. Had he fallen here by mistake?!


    One such assassin was now facing the sleeping Josh:


    "me your bad luck for being at the wrong ce at the wrong time." He whispered as he readied himself for the kill.


    But that''s when it happened. The sleeping Josh reacted to the killing intent sent his way, only to return some of his own. The difference was that his was so pure and concentrated that the assassin fell on his ass!


    His face froze in fear as he mumbled to himself. "Oh my fucking god. This guy has to be elder level or something?! What the heck is that killer''s aura?! While sleeping too?! It''s so fucking pure! How many millions has this guy killed?!"


    He could only stare in shock at the man that seemed so young. Was he an elder having be younger thanks to the Tower, or was he a one in a million genius? Either way, he could only thank his luck that he was asleep. Otherwise, he''d be dead already!


    "Still, I wonder what he''s doing here? Ah, I bet he''s just messing with Newbies like me." The assassin concluded before entering the premises, leaving Josh behind.


    Every single assassin would reach the same conclusion. They wouldn''t touch the seeping master. Well, all except one.


    Josh was having a nice dream when he suddenly felt his body shaken. What?! Was it morning already?


    As he slowly opened his eyes, all he could see was blue. Was that the sky? Had he slept outdoor? But as his eyes focused some more, he finally noticed the long blue robe.


    "Oh, it''s you! You''re thedy in blue!" He greeted while stretching. Ah, this sure felt nice.


    She gave him a suspicious nce: "Did you already finish your mission?"


    "Yep, I only ended up killing two of those dumbasses, though. The other two were actually nice, so I spared their lives."


    "Two core members of A guilds in 2 days?!" She jumped in surprise.


    "Yeah, I kinda took my time with the second one. But hey, shit happens, am I right?" Josh replied while shrugging.


    As for the month that he had to aplish it? He didn''t have any time for that!


    He couldn''t help but smile slightly. It was time to visit the LoA! Well, at least one of their bases¡­


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    [A/N] You all ready? It''s fucking mass release time! ? 6/8 !! ????


    Creator''s Thought


    That tracking trick was literally the one I had just figured out with the shadowy monster. That''s how I had been able to easily keep track of where it was after waking up. It looked like it worked incredibly well on humans too. Hell, I could have be the best PI in another life!

 Chapter 336: Esteemed Elder!

    <h4>Chapter 336: Esteemed Elder!</h4>


    In one of the League of Assassinsirs, two youngsters were facing a door with an eight-digit code.


    "So, what''s the code here?" Josh inquired.


    "Normally, this would only be exined to you after you officially joined, but at this rate, you''re guaranteed to be epted. Just assassinating one guy from an A-ranked guild is enough, needless to say 2." Thedy in blue exined.


    She slowly walked toward the door.


    "What does this look like to you?" She asked.


    "A door?" What kind of answer was she expecting?


    "Nope. This artifact senses the killer''s aura surrounding one''s body. It''s a disposition that only assassins will ever develop. As for the code, it''s just a decoy to sound the rm. Never touch it."


    Josh couldn''t help but be d that he had decided to take a nap. Otherwise, he would have long been attacked.


    But he couldn''t help but feel perplexed at this killer''s aura concept. Wasn''t this killing intent? Why was it that he had never met anyone who knew how to use it properly? Was it because he had somehow only stumbled upon the trashiest of low-lives?


    "Actually, why don''t you try it?" She offered.


    "Nope, I''ll let you do it so that I can observe." Josh denied instantly.


    She could only smile wryly. She wasn''t sure if hecked confidence or was just humble, but she proceeded with a demonstration. As soon as she touched the door, it instantly opened.


    But Josh couldn''t help but internally scream: "Trash, trash, fucking trash!" Comparing this killer''s aura to his killing intent was akin toparing a shitty muddy pond to a tumultuous vast ocean.


    Still, there was something he had been wondering. "Say, what''s that energy that you used before? The first time we met, I mean."


    "So you did sense it?!" she seemed to hesitate a few seconds before finally deciding to tell him. After all, this guy would probably have a bright future in the League. "It''s spiritual sense. I''ve always been able to use it. It''s a bit hard to exin¡­."


    "Gotcha. You''ll have to teach me soon." Josh happily nodded.


    She nodded shyly before leading the way. As they passed near other assassins, they would notice thedy in blue and politely greet her. She was used to it but hoped it wouldn''t bother herpanion too much.


    But that''s when the same assassin saw him. Instantly they seemed to be hyperactive as they didn''t know what to do with their legs and arms. Many immediately bowed so deeply that they could have licked his shoes.


    Thedy in blue could only stare wide-eyed. What the fuck was happening?! She was the daughter of an elder, and even she didn''t remotely get such a treatment. Why where they all acting like that all of a sudden?!


    "Have you met them before?" She asked, perplexed.


    "Pretty sure I haven''t." Josh denied, confused.


    Josh pointed at a random assassin: "You,e here." He instructed as the man trotted over excitedly, not showing any sign of displeasure. No, he was even eager?!


    "Yes, elder. What can I do for you, elder?!" He bowed deeply once more.


    Thedy in blue couldn''t help but be bbergasted. What the hell was this about?! Elder?! This wasn''t a title that one would casually throw around. It represented the strongest and most esteemed assassins there were! Why?!


    "Do we know each other?" Josh asked, confused. He wasn''t supposed to have any reputation here. Surely killing two guys shouldn''t be that big of a deal, right?


    "I saw you slumber at the entrance, elder!¡ª Eh, I mean, I saw you diligently guarding the entrance to ourir!" He instantly corrected himself, hoping that the esteemed man wouldn''t take offense.


    "Oh, I see. However, I''m no elder. I''m just a Neer, just like her." Josh pointed at his blue-robed friend.


    But, in their eyes, this was only a confirmation of his identity. He was probably an elder from another branch. How else would the daughter of one of their own elder guide him personally?! Plus, it was impossible to make a killer''s aura that was so pure!


    "I understand, Eld¡ª friend. I understand perfectly! Just call for me if you need anything, and I really mean anything!" The young man happily yed along. If the elder wanted to remain incognito, then it was fine by him!


    On their way, they met many other assassins, and all of them would have the same exact reaction before praising how well he had been guarding the branch! Josh felt quite at a loss. Had they all banded together to y a prank on him? This had to be the case!


    But it became ever more exaggerated as they began to offer him free stuff:


    "Elder, would you like some refreshments or delicious snacks?"


    "Hell yeah, bring plenty." Josh didn''t even hesitate and took advantage of them.


    Hispanion reminded him to be careful of poison the first few times, but he quickly disregarded her. He had 99 problems, but some poison wasn''t one! It just added vor!


    Nearby, a few assassins were preparing various dishes in amunal kitchen. It was the first time in a while that they would use it. After all, only a dumbass would eat anything that hade remotely near this ce.


    Any ingredients would inevitably get contaminated by poison either voluntarily or involuntarily. That''s how it had slowly be a challenge. Offering food to visiting elders meant a challenge: their ability to poison versus his ability not to die!


    Because it was incredibly dumb to ept, it seldom happened. Because of that, they were all super hyped. Not only did they work to the best of their abilities on the killing potency, but they also made sure that the taste was perfect.


    There was such a spread that the first service included all of this:


    - Pasta


    - Crepe


    - Hot dogs


    - Fried Chicken


    - Mac and cheese


    - Cheesecake


    - Nachos


    - Sushi


    Oh, and every single dish was poisoned! But, who the fuck cared? Not him! Everything was so daman delicious!


    On the side, there were guys and girls alike standing with diverse beverages, ready to fulfill his every whim. He was getting the royal treatment! How lucky was he!


    "Yep, this is the best! You guys did a good job!" He happily praised.


    But, the more he praised, and the more shellshocked they became. How could he eat so much, and why wasn''t he chugging antidotes like crazy?! Was he about to suddenly kick the bucket? They wouldn''t get med, right?!


    But their worries were unfounded as Josh was perfectly healthy. It reached a point where they began murmuring between themselves.


    "Could he possess the legendary poison body?"


    "That''s the only way he can eat so much of this stuff without dying."


    "Hell, how does he even eat so much, even disregarding the poison? How many stomachs does he have?!"


    At that moment, nothing and no one could ever convince them that he was a neer. It was the same for thedy in blue. She couldn''t help but be taken aback. Had he joined the test undercover to examine them?


    No wonder anyone attacking him had ended up dead! Even if he was helping, a proud elder would never let chumps abuse him!


    But as Josh was still eating, an assassin ran toward the group while screaming excitedly. "The Matriarch is done with her training session. Elder, she''sing to see you for sure!"


    Eh¡­sure? Except he wasn''t an elder...


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    [A/N] You all ready? It''s fucking mass release time! ? 7/8 !! ????


    Creator''s Thought


    On one hand, they treated me way too well, but on the other, it was they who had misunderstood on their own. I really couldn''t be med on that one. Who did they even think that I was?! At least I had the blue girl on my side. Apparently, she had connections amongst the higher up of the LoA so I''d be fine.

 Chapter 337: Totally Normal Greeting!

    <h4>Chapter 337: Totally Normal Greeting!</h4>


    Tons of rookie assassins were hurriedly grabbing tes strewn all over the room, trying to tidy up the ce as quickly as possible.


    Some were energetically shouting:


    "The Matriarch ising!"


    "Get everything in order, hurry up!"


    "Quick, quick, quick, move your asses!"


    "Get rid of that fishy smell before it spreads!


    They tried to make the giant feast they had prepared for Josh suddenly disappear. They could be seen running left and right anxiously.


    When they were done, they finally slightly rxed as they began discussing in a hushed voice.


    "Today is such a big day! First the elder and now the matriarch!"


    "Since the elder is here, of course, she''ll swing by!"


    "Ah, you''re right! I wonder how strong she is now."


    "Able to kill us all of us on a whim as usual..."


    "Do you think the elder is here for a secret mission?"


    "That''s possible, especially after that thing in Metropolis-C!"


    "Maybe he''s going to suggest us a Climbing strategy for the Tower?"


    "I just hope that he came here to teach us. That would be the fucking best!"


    They enthusiastically talked about Josh, who still wondered why they called him an elder. Did he release some killing intent while sleeping? At this point, that was the only exnation that he could fathom.


    Still, weren''t they jumping the gun if that was their only criteria? After all, there were plenty of Rankers that wouldn''t give a fuck about his killing intent.


    Still, he couldn''t help but feel that this ce was way friendlier than he had expected. Wasn''t the LoA just a loose group of assassins? Those guys seemed so very close to one another, even cooking together. This was crazy!


    But the murmurs suddenly died. This was because a very slight tapping sound began to resonate across their. It was so very faint, and yet it was impossible to miss it.


    ¡ª Click! Click! Click! ¡ª


    The sound was steadily amplifying as the one making it approached. In turn, the assassins straightened their backs and stood to attention.


    ¡ª Click! Click! Click! ¡ª


    That''s when a woman turned the corner, every one of her steps creating that rhythmic sound. It made the very air, along with all the assassins, tremble.


    This was the matriarch?


    As he saw her, Josh couldn''t help but stare at her body,pletely mesmerized. So big! Then his gaze lingered on the curves, just wow! But seriously, what kind of assassin was she to wear such a big te armor?!


    Yes, her entire body was covered by a dark metallic alloy that seemed highly resistant. This included her shoes that appeared to be part of the set. How did that even work?


    How ridiculous would it be for an assassin to proceed to backstab someone only for their armor to give their position away?!


    The woman''s ck eyes matched her hair and gave her a heroic appearance. She surveyed the room. Her gaze lingered for a few seconds on the blue girl before locking on Josh.


    No words were exchanged as they peered into each other''s souls. She then started releasing killing intent, it was a shaky one, but it beat the killer''s aura by far. Her lips then curled upward into a grin.


    A soft whistle escaped her red cherry lips, and instantly the room''s atmosphere changed as it became incredibly heavy. The spectators began to shake as the volume increased, for they knew what wasing.


    Josh felt the sound prate his eardrums, shattering them entirely, as he began bleeding from the two orifices. He, in turn, began to emit true killing intent, not the flimsy shit she had been using.


    The spectators were losing their shit:


    "What the heck is happening?!"


    "T-they''re fighting! What?!"


    "Who do you think will win?"


    "The matriarch has never lost."


    "Of course, the matriarch wille on top!"


    "No, she''s struggling! I think he''ll be victorious!"


    That''s when the girl in blue eximed: "Oh god, what if?!" Her chest heaved up and down as she breathed quickly in terror.


    "What is it?"


    "I''ve just remembered that his target was from Gemini. What if he was involved in that ck sky incident?!" She said in fright.


    "Haha, nice joke. There''s no way that''s possible!"


    The duel continued, a sh of killing intent...and something else! She could have covered her body with magic, but she didn''t. She chose to challenge him head-on.


    Josh mercilessly raised the degree of killing intent he released!! He had a pitiful appearance with his head bleeding, but the woman began vomiting a torrent of blood a secondter.


    The bystanders gasped in awe. What the fuck had he done?! How?!


    But she resolutely pushed herself back upward, her meaning clear: she wouldn''t cower no matter what! She grinned as she managed to regain control of her body and even began whistling even faster, producing an even more strident sound.


    This time the bystanders were affected too as they held their heads in pain, copsing like dominoes¡ª just coteral damage. She grinned as Josh bleeding like a fountain, yet he had the peacefulness of a man taking a warm shower in winter.


    "You will fail." She muttered.


    That''s when he increased the intensity once again! This time he went all in, not pulling any stops. Her eyes gleamed with awe whenever he used killing intent.


    If this was the interview, then he would make one hell of an impression!


    For a second, she lost all herposure as her entire body rocked, and she began to throw up blood again, enough that it made a puddle on the ground, enough for her to slip in it.


    Then the world became deathly quiet. Partly because she was twitching on the ground and partly because he had be deaf¡ª okay, more so thetter.


    Everyone slowly rose as if zombies, before erupting in silent cheers, with the matriarch forcefully dragging herself back to her feet. Whilepletely covered in blood, she acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened:


    "Follow me. We need to talk." She uttered in a gentle voice as she turned to show the way.


    The random assassins could only watch this elder go. They were already lucky to have met him and witnessed this fight! They only wished that he would remember their face.


    Well, he actually would, but perhaps not for the reasons they hoped. Who knew when he''d need a cook? Their potent and deadly poisons? He had no clue about that, nor did he care that much. Their ability to make tasty food? Now, this was worth considering!


    He slowly followed behind the matriarch. This would probably be a long conversation...


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    [A/N] You all ready? It''s fucking mass release time! ? 8/8 !! ????


    Creator''s Thought


    This is the problem with killing intent. She barely used some sort of sonic attack and I was already injured. It worked out well that one time with the previous monster but I''m still just human. If I take too much damage I''ll just die, a dog''s death.

 Chapter 338: Teaching Contract

    <h4>Chapter 338: Teaching Contract</h4>


    Josh slowly followed behind the Matriarch.


    This was bound to happen with people calling him elder left and right! Well, they had stopped using the term under his insistence, but they still kept treating him like one.


    They soon entered a medium-sized room that was the perfect mix between luxury and practicality. The furniture seemed to be made of blood-red ruby, with the light reflecting on it and bathing the room in a bloody glow. Hell, even the door frame had been the same color!


    She turned toward him, hiding her puzzlement, an emotion she had seemingly begun feeling as soon as he had passed the door. Had the entrance been special?


    Josh nced at it, deliberately letting her see the movement of his eyes.


    "So you''ve noticed." She sighed. "This is an artifact that reveals one''s true appearance. I thought you had changed yours." She admitted.


    "Oh? What gave you that idea?" He casually asked.


    But inside, he couldn''t help but praise AT. The medallion he had made him sure was good! This would help him a lot. He wouldn''t have to fear getting tested anymore.


    "Investigation, of course. But it would take a while to¡ª"


    "I have plenty of time." Josh interrupted.


    It was clear that she expected something from him. The only question was what exactly, and with how much sincerity would she treat him? Still, he believed he hadn''t revealed enough to be considered an enemy.


    "A man average on all counts suddenly showing extremepetency. One would think that such a man either was hiding his abilities or was reced by another."


    "Oh? So hence the test, is it?"


    "It also just happens that a man looking very simr to you was spotted in a certain Climbing school in the D-23 zone."


    "I see, someone with my appearance? What a lucky guy! He was born so handsome!" Josh joked.


    "Then there is that killer''s aura¡­there is no way that anyone normal could possess it. In fact, I''m sure it requires a special scripture and an experienced teacher to reach such a level." She added.


    Special scripture? Teacher? Dafuq? Josh was self-taught and hailing from a modern world void of mana or anything magic-rted. What was she even talking about?


    "I also know that you''re not rted to the LoA either. Call it instinct. I only see one possibility. Say, you''re a member of Dimensional Legion, am I right?" She solemnly said.


    That was the big reveal? That he was part of a fictive guild that literally anyone could im to be part of if they had the balls to? She didn''t show any hostility either. She seemed to hope for it to be the case.


    "Yes?" He tentatively said.


    "Do you have any ties with D-23?" She asked, once more without hostility.


    How was that possible? The LoA and the school were enemies. How could she ask this with such a straight face and a calm aura?


    "Nope?" He replied.


    "Ah, I see¡­That''s a shame. I kept trying to arrange a meeting with the owner but was told to buy the pack with the fan meeting instead." She grumbled.


    Wow, was this how Frank handled things? When people asked for official meetings, he made sales instead? He''d have to congratte him on a job well done! No wonder his funds had been growing.


    "What did you want to meet with him for?"


    "There are rumors that we are his mortal enemy and that he swore to destroy the LoA. I know rumors are unreliable, but I want to make sure there is no bad blood between our two organizations." She sighed.


    "Wait, didn''t assassins from the LoA attack that school?" He asked, puzzled.


    "Hard to say. At least no one from our branch made a move against them. We''ve been too busy trying to reorganize and recruit new members. There would be no advantage for us to go out of our way to make an enemy." She said seemingly truthfully.


    "Of course¡­" He awkwardly uttered.


    If they weren''t the cause of it, didn''t this mean that he had infiltrated the wrong LoA branch?! There went his n to be one of their high-ranked members just to mercilessly betray them all afterward.


    Still, it wouldn''t be wasted. He needed to use this opportunity to understand how exactly the LoA worked and how to exploit it for his benefit.


    But that left one big question. What about the people he had interrogated during the attack? Had they really been from the LoA, or were they confused back then? It wouldn''t be too hard to trick weaklings into thinking they had joined a secret organization¡­


    Plus, there hadn''t been any follow-up on the attack. This made it difficult to guess the mastermind''s motive. He would have to keep this in mind.


    "Do you think you could use Dimensional Legion''s channels to arrange a meeting with him?" She asked, hopeful.


    "I can try, but it will be hard. Dimensional Legion is a very loose guild with members all over the world. I can''t guarantee anything." He lied through his teeth.


    "Alright, that will be enough."She nodded, grateful.


    It was pretty ridiculous, but he was now tasked to mediate between himself and this LoA branch. How much fee should he charge for such fantastic service?


    "In any case, I''m much more interested in you than I am with him." She revealed, her dark eyes suddenly turning an odd ckish red.


    "Is that so?"


    "Of course! That killer''s aura was so marvelous! How long did it take you to reach such a level? How many did you have to kill? What is it like to wield such power? How¡ª" She talked faster than a rapper on meth.


    "One question at a time." He stopped her. "Also, I think you''re mistaken about something. It isn''t rted to killing at all, but to the intent to kill."


    "What''s the difference?!" She asked, confused but with a sparkle in her eyes, one that he recognized.


    She was so eager to learn, even more than she let it out. At this moment, he had the feeling that she would be ready to sell her very soul for power. He couldn''t help himself and grabbed a magical contract out of nowhere.


    "Here." His gentle smile contrasted so much with the content of the contract.


    She quickly read it, her face suddenly turning dark. She red his way, sneering. "Did you really think I''d sign something like that?"


    It was a contract for her to ept him as her teacher. But, there were many uses in there that would force her to obey his instructions under certain circumstances. It was simr to a subordination contract.


    Josh only shrugged nonchntly. This was his answer. She would have to agree to his terms if she wanted to learn.


    Seeing his reaction, she began chuckling evilly, akin to a professional torturer looking forward to her job. That''s when she started whistling once more, as she had done earlier.


    Her entire being was full of intense but muddy killing intent as she did so. Every time a sound wave hit his body, he began bleeding like crazy, wounds opening over him.


    Josh fell, unable to remain standing.


    It started with his eardrums rupturing, then his skin began peeling, his flesh began tearing, blood began spurting, and then even his bones began creaking.


    Every time he tried to rise, another sonic attack would bring him down instantly. Resisting was impossible!


    At this point, he was already a sorry mess on the ground, blind, deaf, unable to tell up from down, and yet he was still calm.


    If there was one thing he knew well, it was killing intent. Right now, no matter how much of it she sent his way, there was always a flicker to it. She would hurt him a lot, so fucking much, but she wouldn''t kill him.


    Hey on the floor, patiently waiting for the pain to end. A few minutes of intense tortureter, she popped a pill into his mouth, dragging him back on his feet.


    "So, do you still think I should sign this contract of yours?" She gave him a beautiful sadistic smile, one that would send fear into any living being.


    "Yep, but only if you want me to teach you." He shrugged, such a simple movement sending blood sshing.


    "What?!" She couldn''t help but stare at him. How was he so fearless?! But then the consternation changed into anger.


    "Hahaha, alright then! We''ll y, lots! It will be so much fun!" She cackled as she got to work.


    What happened next made the earlier events seem like a soft happy hour massage. It was bad, so fucking bad!


    Having one''s body broken down, crushed to pieces, and repaired over and over was the worst thing ever. She wasn''t getting tired of inflicting pain either. She kept going restlessly, all until she finally reckoned that it was enough.


    At this point, Josh was screaming, begging, and even crying tears of blood. He was nothing but a broken mess, both physically and mentally. She gave a satisfied smile as she took out a contract of her own.


    "Here, I''ll be merciful. Sign this, and we''ll stop."


    If the contract he had given her was almost a subordinate contract, then this one definitely was a ve contract! This was revenge for trying to cheat her!


    Humph, trying to gain a benefit was one thing, but there was a line to be drawn, and he had definitely crossed it!


    Sheughed, seeing him struggle to grab the contract and try to read it. He put it away for a second, wiped his eyes covered in blood, and then signed¡ª or so she thought.


    As she happily grabbed the contract back, she realized two things:


    1. This was the initial contract he had offered her, not the one she had written.


    2. He hadn''t signed. He had just added another line. Now the student duties even included dumb stuff like massages.


    She looked at him and he wasn''t despairing at all, not anymore. He was smiling peacefully. How?! Wasn''t he broken a second ago?!


    "Oh? I was just ying along before. Now, shall we keep going?" He gently whispered, slightly mischievously.


    This guy was crazy¡­


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    [A/N] Thanks to Renni92 for the castle!! This gives promotion for the novel! ????


    Creator''s Thought


    Okay, perhaps I was having a bit too much fun with that. Was it risky? Yes a bit, but I believed in my analysis. She wanted to learn how to use killing intent well. I have plenty of ws, but this is my specialty!

 Chapter 339: Making an Impression

    <h4>Chapter 339: Making an Impression</h4>


    At the LoA hideout, there was a red ruby room that was bloodied all over. In it, there were two individuals.


    One was restlessly torturing. The other was suffering incredible torment.


    One was slumped on the ground, towering over the other.


    One was currently crying in despair while Josh wasughing.


    Anyone witnessing this scene would have been utterly mindfucked. How was it that the woman holding the whip and generating deadly sound attacks...was the one despairing?!


    At this moment, her pride was in tatters. It was one thing for him to endure but another to see how recklessly he cackled. Was he trying to have himself killed?! The more it went and the less she understood him.


    No matter how much she threatened, he just wouldn''t surrender. Hell, even the flesh-devouring spider had failed her! These tiny creatures had the most painful bite and could crawl inside someone to devour them from the inside.


    Yet they had barely taken a step toward him that the spiders had run away in fright. Even as he waspletely paralyzed, they hadn''t dared to approach him. All he had done was send some killing intent their way.


    The more it went and the more irritable she felt. He kept showcasing his power, and she began to desire it more and more. But he was way too tough of a nut to crack, so much that it didn''t make any logical sense!


    She had even used various truth serums on him, but the results had been catastrophic:


    Where had he learned his technique?


    - It was self-created, and he had never met his match yet.


    How was he so rxed?


    - He knew she wouldn''t kill him.


    What if she DID kill him?


    - If he were to disappear, so would she and her LoA branch, and probably most of the Climber''s world.


    Was there any other condition he''d teach her?


    - Nope. He was too busy to care about teaching her if she wouldn''t make it worth his time.


    Why had he even joined the LoA in the first ce?


    - It seemed like fun, and he wanted to expand his connections.


    What was the strongest enemy he had faced?


    - A god, but he wasn''t sure which one. After all, he had only indirectly fought them.


    She felt at aplete impasse. What kind of freaking answers had that been?!


    She knew how effective the truth serums were, and she saw his eyes. He showed so much conviction. Her instinct was telling her he was being truthful. But what now?


    She slumped down, sitting next to him, feeling overwhelmed. Half of his organs were out in the open, but he didn''t care. It was healing so fast that it was visible to the naked eye.


    "How are you even alive right now?" she murmured.


    "What do you mean? You kept feeding me pills." He replied, puzzled.


    There was a limit to pills¡­.but apparently not for him. He had been devouring every single medicinal pellet she had given him as if candy. He had even licked his lips?! This was insane!


    "Did you really meet gods?"


    "Oh yeah. Every core member of Dimensional Legion has."


    "Is that so." She didn''t have the mental energy to call bullshit on that one.


    After a while of staring nkly, she spoke once more.


    "What are you nning right now?"


    "Probably going to Climb, maybe lobby the MTA if they still have the Tower blocked."


    "I see."


    That''s when he gently turned his head, smiled at her wordlessly, and handed her a magical contract.


    At this moment, this single sheet of paper felt as heavy as the world. She weakly grasped it in her hands. She gave a self-deprecating smile: so much for all her efforts to break him.


    She had felt her pride hurt when he had proposed this deal the first time. Who did he think he was? Apparently, someone that she couldn''t do anything to. She wasn''t even sure why or what gave him such confidence.


    He slowly rose,zily stretching, and headed toward the corner of the room. She couldn''t help but stare nkly. Was he heading to her shower? It was arge rectangr one with transparent ss walls.


    He began undressing without waiting for her input,pletely disregarding her presence. What?! As his clothes touched the ground, she could see his wide back. But, he was so bloodied that he almost seemed clothed still.


    He entered it, then came the sound of running water. She could even sense the warmth from the other side of the room. It had to be boiling hot! As she observed him, she couldn''t help but gasp.


    It was just a shower, but there was an incredible nonchnce to it. Even after all she had done to him, he didn''t even seem rattled. He began softly whistling as he washed away the blood, slowly revealing his toned muscles.


    Somehow she couldn''t take her eyes away...just a little more!


    But then the hot water quickly created a mist that spread all around, hiding most of his body. With all the grime gone and his rxed face, he seemed to be in a spa. What about the earlier torture? There was no trace whatsoever!


    She internally clicked her tongue. Damn mist, what a shame, blocking her view like that! Wait¡­why had she thought that just now?!


    She began panicking. Had he used a skill on her?! She took out an artifact, one that tested for anything will-altering. It shed green, meaning there was no issue. Then why did she feel so muddle-headed?


    More importantly, what did he think of her?


    He was ignoring her entirely even when she had hurt him so much. Why didn''t he try to take revenge? Had he shown mercy? Then there was the contract. She checked it, and a few uses were gone.


    He had made the terms better for her?!


    For some reason, she felt a smile blossom on her lips. She had utterly lost this exchange, and yet he had taken a step back?


    That''s when the room returned to quietness. She found her eyes inexplicably glued to the shower door. Then he appeared, and she could see all of it¡ª all of the gray suit he was now wearing. Tchh¡ª!


    His wet, dark hair had been brushed backward, giving him an elegant yet mysterious look as he nced her way. "So, what do you think?"


    She unconsciously gulped. What did she think? He was very dashing, but the suit was utterly irksome! She slowly uttered a soft "Very nice." as a whisper. She wasn''t good with praises. Her specialty was on the more grisly side.


    "Really? You were so opposed to the contract at first, too." He chuckled lightly.


    The contract?! Right, that''s what he had been asking about. She couldn''t help but feel at a loss. She didn''t want to sign it, not at all! But she also really wanted to learn killing intent. What if she kidnapped him?


    She could chuck him in a room and assign people to take care of him. They wouldn''t object too much since they would be happy to get close to an elder. Then again, did she really want others to take care of him?


    "Are you alright?" Josh slowly approached, pressing his hand on her forehead. "You seem to be heating up. You should probably pop one of those pills for yourself." He said with concern.


    "A-alright." She replied in a tiny voice.


    "Don''t worry too much about it. Think things over and sign it when you''re ready. I have some things to do anyway." He winked at her. "Alright, I''ll see youter then!" He amicably waved as he left, soon disappearing outside.


    She remained behind, stunned. He was going already?! Her brain stopped working as she didn''t know what the hell to do. Should she chase after him? Let him leave? Argg! Why was this soplicated!


    She felt like pulling her hair. This would all have been so easy if he had caved to the torture! She could only sigh, lowering her eyes. She noticed the contract that she was holding.


    She slowly studied it once more, well, in fact, the writing on it. The words were simple yet written with confidence. She carefully removed the creases on it before pocketing it. She didn''t know why, but she now quite liked this contract, even if she didn''t want to sign it.


    Student? She wasn''t sure she liked the sound of that...


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    As Josh left, he couldn''t help but chuckle to himself.


    Who would have expected the powerful Matriarch of an LoA branch to be so naive? Then again, he had to admit that she had shown so much zeal while torturing him!


    It wasn''t that she was soft, not at all. He just happened to counter her. She desired power. He could offer it to her by guiding her path. She was used to everyone cowering before her, and he just didn''t care. This huge failure was probably a first for her.


    Still, if the LoA hadn''t attacked D-23, then who was it? Also, who had been behind the trouble at the Fallen event? It felt like many forces were at y, but he was in the dark.


    As he left the hideout, the random assassins were bowing even deeper. They took the fact that he was still alive and well as a sign that the Matriarch had epted him.


    As for his fresh-out-of-the-shower hair, they didn''t darement on it. Yet, they had trouble dissimting their surprise as their mind wandered due to the implications.


    One such bystander helped him leave. "Right, this way, Sir. There are many alleys in which you can exit to Metropolis-D. Where would you like to go?"


    "Surprise me!" He casually mentioned.


    "Y-yes, Sir!" Instead of rxing, the guide became stiff as he walked forward, guiding Josh and hoping that he would love where he''d bring him. Talk about over-thinking!


    Then he was out.


    His first order of business was to check for updates on the Tower.


    - Josh MF Malum: Hey, how is everything going with the Tower. Can we go in it yet or not?


    - Markus: It went from bad toplete shit. At this rate, we''ll be killed by the Tower directly. There won''t even be a need for monsters. This is the worst!


    -Josh MF Malum: So, what happened?


    - Markus: There are tales of a god being spotted near Metropolis-C, the ckout event. Sadly, the only eyewitness didn''t see much, but he recollects a gigantic face. Any idea what it could be?


    - Josh MF Malum: No idea whatsoever! So, can I head to the Tower or not?


    - Markus: Fine, whatever, but it''s at your own risk.


    - Josh MF Malum: Alright, thanks, dad!


    At his own risks, eh? He mumbled to himself:


    "Call an ambnce, but not for me. It will be for the Tower...."


    Creator''s Thought


    One can never have too many allies, hence why I didn''t want to force her hand too much. Maybe some will think this to be ironic. After all, wouldn''t an assassin be the first one to backstab people? I personally don''t think so. It,s a job after all.

 Chapter 340: Tower Update, Once Again!

    <h4>Chapter 340: Tower Update, Once Again!</h4>


    Metropolis-D was sleepy on this beautiful morning.


    What about the end of the fucking world about to happen? Well, there was no proof it was true, and the sky darkening had only happened above Metropolis-C. They would be fine, right?


    In this peaceful atmosphere, Josh headed toward the Tower. He was wearing his true face with MTA soldiers respectfully nodding at him for once. Markus had sent word about him already.


    "Wee to the Tower, Sir!"


    "Please be careful in there. Something strange started happening!"


    "It could be really dangerous. Sir, think about your loved ones. Should you really risk your life?!"


    What a joke! His loved ones? That''s precisely why he freaking had to Climb! Their warnings were well-intentioned but so wasted on him! He didn''t even bother to reply and just waved them goodbye, disappearing on Floor 24.


    As he spawned, he couldn''t help but gasp. The surroundings felt¡­strange. He couldn''t exactly put his hand on it, but there seemed to be something different about the very air around him.


    What was it? It was as if there was some energy to it. It was akin to¡­.Ah, it reminded him of the whole god-killing stick mess! How peculiar.


    That''s when many messages began to appear, flickering non-stop for some reason.


    [New Energy Detected!]


    [Updating!]


    [Error!]


    [Assessing the situation!]


    [Information missing!]


    [Reassessing]


    Then it started over again with [New Energy Detected!]. There seemed to be an endless loop happening, one that the Tower Protocol couldn''t fix by itself.


    Tch¡ª it seemed like that one god-destroying attack had really messed it up. To be fair, even he didn''t know what to think of it.


    "Hey, Tower Protocol. What are you even doing?"


    [Reassessing]


    It was strange. He felt that the system was there but simply wasn''t listening. It was akin to a youngster not hearing his mom telling him to take out the garbage¡ª it happened.


    How to deal with such a situation? Any other would have already given up. It wasn''t like one could talk to the system, right? Josh didn''t. He simply needed to make sure he was heard, right?


    He took the most solemn voice he could muster, one that meant that he really meant business.


    "Hey, system, what the hell is happening!!"


    [New Energy Detected!]


    [Updat¡ª]


    "EXPLAIN YOURSELF!!"


    [New Energy Detected. There are no directives on how the energy should be used in the protocol. Insufficient data.]


    Finally! It seemed he had only needed to shout to be heard!


    "Give me more details."


    [This unknown energy seems to promote growth. It could affect all elements of this Tower¡­.]


    [Updati¡ª]


    "All? What are the options? Can you use it to enhance yourself?"


    [Listing all possible options: Incorporate, Reject, Wait!]


    "Using it would possibly render the Climbers more powerful, right?"


    [It would affect all elements of this Tower.]


    "Just do it!"


    [Careful consideration is needed to¡ª]


    "Who cares? Just do it! You''re humanity''s Tower, right? Just do it, and everything will be perfect!" Josh proposed.


    [Option: let the human race decide. In any case, the Tower will be fair to all¡­]


    "That''s an amazing idea! Ah, but when you''re doing the poll, you should definitely word it like this¡­." Josh began whispering.


    He totally was not about to cause humanity''s doom¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The world was sleepy on this beautiful morning¡­.but not for long.


    That day started as any typical day. The Tower was slowly getting reopened in all Metropolises. Sometimes there would be a strange message about some new energy, but it seemed to be working as intended otherwise.


    People were just hoping for the best, hoping that things would remain quiet. But that''s when a single system announcement instantly shattered these hopes of tranquility. It freaking appeared to everyone, in and out of the Tower!


    [New energy detected. Absorb it and be stronger? Special offer ends in 10 seconds.]


    [10]


    [9]


    The slumbering people saw this message in their dreams and unhesitatingly epted the offer.


    The awake people wondered if they were dreaming, with some epting instantly.


    Some were warier and couldn''t help but ponder. Would they have to sacrifice anything in exchange? But as they saw the counter go down, they couldn''t resist. What if they missed this opportunity?!


    Then a few realized that the Tower never gave a free lunch. There was definitely a catch! But so what? Everyone else was furiously clicking yes!


    [2]


    [1]


    [Congrattion! Tower sessfully absorbed the new energy! Climbers and monsters (+) will be enhanced! ^_^v]


    As humans read this message, they were first happy. It had worked! But then they saw the part about monsters¡­wait, what?! This wouldn''t just apply to them?! What was the fucking point then?!


    Then there was the little (+), did that mean that the monsters would be enhanced more than the humans?! What a freaking tragedy!


    All over the world, many Climbers were despairing. First, the Tower was baiting them with impossible difficulties, and now it was buffing the monsters?! Did it want them dead that much?¡ª the answer was obviously yes.


    Had they known, they would have never epted that shady as hell offer!


    They could only regret as they felt anger spread through them. But they had no way to vent. Were they supposed toin to the Tower? It wasn''t like it was sentient! This single event had ruined everyone''s morning.


    They could only grumble and fume with rage. As for the people working at the MTA, they were already getting a headache. Why did they have to be so unlucky?!


    This would be a colossal pain¡­.


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    Josh couldn''t help but smile as he saw the new update go through.


    [Climbers and monsters (+) will be enhanced! ^_^v] He was feeling very different about this line. So what if the monsters became stronger? This was good news!


    Perhaps people would be unhappy for a while, but they would eventually get used to it. His reason for rejoicing at such a result was simple: The existence of the gods and the sloths!


    1. The sloths meant that races from other worlds could invade them under certain circumstances. Those were potential enemies that they needed to be wary of.


    2. The motherfucking bitch ass gods. They, too, were foreign entities that liked to mess with Climbers (at least in his experience).


    The two threats weren''t part of the Tower so they wouldn''t get this new buff. This meant that yes, it could make Climbing harder, but it would help assure the future of the human race.


    Well, that''s what Josh thought anyway. He believed his thought process to be logical and very probable whether he was right or wrong.


    As Josh clenched his fist powerfully, he felt¡­nothing different at all. Perhaps it was a slow-acting process? Actually, the Tower had said something about the power of growth¡­


    Oh well, it was time to do some Climbing!


    At this moment, he was probably the only human who wasn''t worried by the previous announcement. The one who had caused all this trouble wasn''t giving it a second thought.


    "Let''s get this party started, shall we?"


    [Wee to Floor 24!]


    [Mission: Assassinate the Orc King!]


    "Are you fucking kidding me?!"


    Josh could only smile wryly. He had thought he was done with the assassination missions. Oh well, it was time to work his magic.


    The first step was always information gathering. He needed to know who and where his target was.


    Knowing that the enemies were orcs, he wasn''t expecting much from them. He began looking for a shitty vige, quickly summoning Nightmare and galloping away.


    Except, he couldn''t help but gasp a little whileter. Finding his enemies'' dwellings wasn''t too hard. But, this only applied to finding it. Breaching it wouldn''t be as easy! Why the fuck did the orcs have a fortress?!


    He unsummoned Nightmare and slowly crawled his way forward. On the in were many boulders just sitting there. This would make the perfect cover!


    Why hadn''t the orcs gotten rid of this vision liability? Perhaps because they were orcs...Josh peeked discreetly and checked out their defenses.


    There were tall and sturdy-looking ck stone walls that protected what could be described as a primitive but awesome-looking castle. On the walls, there were even orcs patrolling.


    Josh instantly gave up on counting the number of soldiers. Were he to try, he would eventually fall asleep, not from boredom but because there were too many! There had to be a few hundred or more.


    What about the soldiers inside the castle? There had to be even more. Holy shit, what the fuck?! Wasn''t this upgrade a bit too quick? They had gone from the stone age to the iron age or something?!


    Was this all because of the new energy? Had it allowed the Tower to run moreplex simtions to screw its yers with?


    He could only wonder if it would be that bad at normal difficulty. He really had to keep his involvement in the matter a secret, or he''d be in deep shit!


    As he gawked at it all, there was suddenly a disturbance.


    ¡ª OOOMMMM! ¡ª


    A weird but deep and loud horn sound resounded across the in. On the walls, the orcs were now getting extremely busy and were pointing directly at him. Wait, what had happened to his cover?


    As he turned around, he couldn''t help but gasp once more. What the fuck was this? The boulder was alive, ring at him in annoyance and now walking away. Okay, perhaps it wasn''t a boulder¡ª just a lookalike so good it had even confounded Josh.


    As he heard the horn sounds multiplying, Josh decisively decided to get the fuck out. He''d be backter¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Was it the right decision? Even in retrospect, it''s hard to say. After all, no one can predict the future perfectly. Hell, even the gods aren''t able to. This is simply because gods cannot perceive the actions of other gods clearly. Even the prophecy gods aren''t omniscient. This quickly bes an impossibly chaotic mess.

 Chapter 341: Orc Fortress!

    <h4>Chapter 341: Orc Fortress!</h4>


    On Floor 24, the orcs were enthusiastically hunting a lone human.


    Josh was currently hiding as best as he could. Thendscape of this ce was a in with barely any cover. Luckily there were many spots with a few meters tall yellowish grass growing. He was resting in one such area while holding his breath.


    Many orcs were passing nearby, crazily shouting as they tried to locate him. Were they really so bored? Didn''t they have anything better to do?


    "Where did the pesky human go?!"


    "Find him and bring him back for the king!"


    "He must be hiding in the grass somewhere!"


    Usually, monsters would give after a while, but not those guys! They were so motivated that they could have given a TeD talk about it!


    At this rate, it was only a question of time before they found him. Those guys were moving in packs of a dozen units too, each pretty close to one another. How was he supposed to escape them? He could always bury himself in the soil and await them to leave.


    But, it would be dangerous in case he got surrounded. No, he would opt for a different tactic, which was way crazier for sure.


    A diligent orc soldier suddenly froze as the human they had been chasing suddenly appeared in front of him. Instantly, the prey''s face showed shock as he turned heels, trying to run away.


    No way that he''d let the human go! He chased right behind him, bellowing happily: "The puny human is here. Catch him!"


    The weak-looking guy was panicking, trying to outrun him, but it was utterly pointless. He couldn''t help but snort at the weakling desperate struggles. Did he really think that he would outrun a mighty orc warrior? Foolishness!


    "I''ll have your skin human!!"


    A few secondster, he was already reaching his target. Let''s see how he''d run with a broken spine! He gave a sadistic grin as he swung his war hammer at the guy''s back.


    But just as it was about to connect, the human suddenly tripped. He had been so damn lucky! The orc''s hammer passed by the human''s head, the wind pressure making him bleed. Then it collided with the soil, gouging it open and destroying a part of the tall grass.


    The orc was ready to crush the human once and for all, but something strange happened. Out of nowhere, a spear appeared in the man''s hand and seemed to fly out of his grip.


    The orc hurriedly took a step backward to evade it but realized with dread that his new position just happened to be the exact spot the weapon had been aiming.


    The spear prated the orc''s throat, preventing him from shouting. As he drowned in his blood, he couldn''t understand. How the hell had this happened?! It almost looked like a total mistake too! He diedpletely shocked by this reversal.


    As for Josh, he made short work of the body, hiding it below the soil. He then transformed his morphing weapon into a simr hammer. But that''s when another orc emerged.


    He was so close that Josh could smelling out of his muscr body. He was barely dressed and also carried arge weapon. This time it was a battle axe. On his torso, there were magical runes faintly glowing red.


    He looked at him directly, instantly growling:


    "Where did the hateful human go?!"


    It seemed like Josh''s medallion had activated just in time! He, too, growled back, seemingly fuming with anger while pointing in a random direction.


    "The cowardly human ran that way! Be careful. He''s very fast for a weakling!"


    That''s when the two "orcs" ran after the human, with Josh effectively looking for himself. But, he did it very professionally. He did it so enthusiastically that his "brethren" even began nodding with approval.


    They ran after the human, but no one ran faster than Josh.


    They insulted the cowardly human who kept running, but none of their insults were as colorful as Josh''s ones.


    For instance:


    "Come back, you bastard! Are your legs the only thing working on your body?!"


    "How about youe back, so I insert my mighty hammer deep in your ass?!"


    "Go on and try killing me, you human! You wouldn''t be able to even if I peacefully stood still in front of you!"


    Thest one was actually true. How was he supposed to beat himself?


    They kept going until the orcs suddenly began gasping as they stared at him. Josh couldn''t help but be puzzled about what the fuck was happening.


    But then he noticed the line of boneyering the floor, one he had just crossed. The orcs behind slightly shivered as they stared toward his side.


    That''s when an orc walked right next to him, fist-bumping his shoulder. "I want to kill that bastard too, but it''s no use dying over it."


    "If he truly went in there, then he''s dead for sure anyway."


    "Yeah, let''s leave it to the deadly cats."


    The others all grunted in agreement. Leave it to the big cats?! It felt odd to hear orcs say such a thing. Chances were that powerful monsters inhabited thisnd.


    "Alright, I just really wanted to snap his chicken neck myself." Josh sighed.


    "Don''t worry. The next time a human appears, you''ll get them, haha!"


    "There truly are no creatures more hateful than those humans!"


    Welp, on the one hand, they all wanted to kill him. But on the other hand, the orcs seemed to really like human-hating orc Josh. Was this what conformism was all about?


    Afterward was the time to return home, aka the fortress. The group led him straight to it, and Josh couldn''t help but draw a cold breath upon seeing the fortifications from up close.


    While the walls were thick and tall, it wasn''t all. They were also covered with red magical glyphs akin to the orcs. Somehow seeing this made him have a knot in his stomach. Was this an enchantment, and how powerful was it?


    The party crossed the entrance gates under the watchful gazes of stern orcs. There weren''t any blind spots at all. Coming here unseen would likely require a damn invisibility cape!


    As for disguising oneself, Josh knew how hard it could be. All around, he was surrounded by tons of muscr and shirtless sweaty orcs. What would happen to him if his cover got blown off?


    He could only do his best to blend, and he observed his surroundings very carefully.? He didn''t dare be careless one bit, knowing his disguise wasn''t infallible.


    Slipping up was way too easy in enemy territory. How many American spies had died in Germany because they didn''t "know" how to count to three? Too many!? So, whatever the orcs did, he copied:


    Talk loudly? He talked even louder!


    Fist-bump each other? He did it even more than them!


    Roar likeplete degenerates for no goddamn reason? He''d fucking roar!


    Stand in line with the others to await...something? He would freaking participate! He''d be even straighter than a butterfly enthusiast''s dick at an insectarium.


    That''s when a sound started to resound in the entire courtyard.


    ¡ª Tack! Tack! Tack! ¡ª


    It was rhythmical, and the orcs reacted to it instantly. They quieted down as they looked incredibly solemn. They were gazing directly in front of them without daring to twitch a muscle.


    ¡ª Tack! Tack! Tack! ¡ª


    Josh managed to barely see what made this sound out of the corner of his eye. It was an ancestral orc. His back was arched, he had more wrinkles than face, and he was slowly heading their way, tapping his wooden staff on the floor.


    What was this guy? Was it an orc shaman?


    Nearby orcs quickly brought him a few pots that seemed to be filled with a weird and gooey-looking substance. That''s when he began inspecting the troops. Every soldier he examined could be seen tensing in fear.


    Once he was done checking a soldier, he would turn his attention to the pots and get to work. He dipped his long bony index finger in the red liquid and very carefully began drawing on the orc.


    After a few seconds, the soldier began to shake with power, unconsciously letting out a mighty thundering roar!


    ¡ª ROAR!!!¡ª


    But he just happened to be screaming right next to the shaman''s ear, who seemed rather displeased. That''s when Josh witnessed firsthand how conflict resolution worked in this ce.


    The shaman took out his cane, stabbed it in the orc''s family jewels, and then an ominous red glow began oozing out of the targetted area. That''s when the orc started howling in pain, anguish, and primordial fear.


    It regretted so much what it had just done, but it was already toote! That''s when something crazy happened. The warrior''s body began wriggling like crazy as he seemingly was getting¡­drained?! Holy shit!


    The sturdy bulky warrior was nothing more than a decrepit sack of flesh a few secondster. There was no trace of the previous incredible vitality. As for the shaman, he gave a satisfied burp, seemingly enjoying the meal.


    Josh couldn''t help but feel that this guy was he dangerous! He wasn''t the only one either. The green orcs looked so livid right now that they were about to change color! Yet, they also seemed used to it, not objecting in the least.


    As for the shaman, he seemed to be oozing with energy. A few of his wrinkles had disappeared, and he began energetically walking to expend some of this newfound vitality.


    But then it just happened that his little walk made him stop right in front of Josh. Was it his turn now? He had to make sure not to give himself away! Except, maybe it was already toote.


    The shaman frowned:


    "You¡­.what''s wrong with you?"


    Oh fuck¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    Drain magic is incredibly overpowered if you ask me. Not only does it do decent damage but it also helps with sustain and healing. But, there is a slight issue with it: it tends to render its users crazy homicidal maniacs. Is there a better feeling than to return to one''s youth by killing others? It''s addictive!

 Chapter 342: Orc Shaman!

    <h4>Chapter 342: Orc Shaman!</h4>


    In a vast fortress courtyard, an orc shaman intently stared at an "orc warrior".


    "You¡­what''s wrong with you."


    As the shaman''s voice echoed, the orcs nearby couldn''t help but unconsciously gulp. Whatever the problem was, this brother was likely fucked! The ones who had been friendly to him earlier wanted nothing to do with him anymore!


    Josh couldn''t help but feel at a loss. What should he even reply? What was wrong with him? So many things!


    1. Lost the people he loved


    2. Catapulted to a different world


    3. More godly curses than a cheap hooker had STDs.


    4. There was so much he didn''t know about the Tower.


    But chances were that he would instantly perish if he opened up to this angry shrink. He remained perfectly still and silent for now, making sure to show a perplexed expression.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t wish to cooperate. He just didn''t know how!


    The orc shaman approached his green wrinkly face from him and began sniffing intently.


    ¡ª Sniff! Sniff! ¡ª


    Talk about a multi-talented individual! He could inspect troops like a general, steal one''s life akin to a vampire, and now he could even sniff like a dog?!


    "There is a strange smell on you. There are whiffs of human, but also something else, something that is oddly familiar, but what?" The orc pondered aloud.


    Think, think, think. What could it be? Josh was as confused as the other warriors.


    "Speak, what is it?" The shaman gave an ultimatum.


    "Grass, maybe?" Josh uttered only for the orc to frown and emit killing intent. Wait, no, they should all be smelling of grass. How could he exin a smell specific to only him? "Ah! The bones!" He cried out.


    The shaman looked at him for a second before nodding in approval. "Right, so that''s it. I knew it was familiar!" But then he turned hostile: "But, why would you ever go there even after I had specifically forbidden it?!"


    Oh shit! This was the guy who had killed someone for being a bit loud. He had to make a good excuse, or he wouldn''t live past today!


    "Please give me another chance! I will catch this insolent human for you if he ever reappears! That''s all that I desire!" Josh cried out with incredible zeal.


    There was hate and regret oozing through his voice. He wanted to be useful to the shaman! He even seemed ready to ept death, just that he didn''t wish to die a needless death.


    "I see¡­did the human retreat to the danger area? Is that why he chased in there?" He turned to the other orc warriors.


    They all nodded vehemently. It wasn''t out of the goodness of their hearts. They simply didn''t dare to lie to their master.


    "I see¡­.I''ll let you live this once. You better not fail next time!" The shaman warned sternly.


    Josh couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. The hardest part was over. It would likely be easier to move about as long as this inspection was over.


    Still, talk about irony: almost getting killed for risking his life. Then again, it wasn''t about him at all, but more so the other orcs. It was likely that the shaman needed them alive and kicking to do its bidding.


    But just as he thought he was out of danger, the orc shaman suddenly frowned once more.


    "Actually, there is something else, but what?"


    What was it now?! Why the heck was this guy so persistent?! Couldn''t he do like many supervisors and just half-ass his job?! This was such a pain! Josh couldn''t show any sign of it either.


    "Ah! What if?!" The shaman suddenly realized something as it grabbed a red orb¡­from its loin area?! This guy had a literal family jewel hidden in there?! What the actual fuck?!


    "Here, put your hand on it." The orc instructed with Josh forced toply. He could only hope that this thing wasn''t a trap of any kind.


    That''s when the ruby crystal began glowing, dimly at first but then with increasing intensity. The bystanders could only gasp in surprise. What the hell was happening?! At this moment, Josh really wished he freaking knew.


    That''s when a huge rotten smile blossomed on the shaman''s face. It was quite frankly one that could have earned it a horror show on its own! Shock, happiness, and, most importantly, incredible greed showed in the creature''s eyes.


    It nced at him how a wealthy magnate would look at a newly acquired gigantic proved oil reserve!


    "Hahaha! Great! It seems you have some talent for magic! You truly are lucky! I will take you under my wing and show you the ropes, are you willing?"


    Truly lucky? This guy would try to enve him for sure. Was that even possible from a Tower monster? He didn''t know, but he would resist for sure. Still, for now, he had to show extreme eagerness.


    "YES!!!" Josh shouted extremely motivated before suddenly showing horror as he realized how loudly he had done it.


    "Hahaha, alright, from now on, you will be my student! You will have to work hard for the n''s sake!" The shaman "magnanimously" disregarded his previous offense. After all, he was already thinking of a thousand ways to exploit this youngster.


    At least, this was an excellent opportunity for Josh. Getting a legitimate reason to approach one''s target usually made it easier to kill them.


    Still, he would have to be extremely careful. This guy was dangerous even on his own, especially with that drain ability! It seemed like an instant-kill ability. Either that or the orc warrior didn''t have much magic resistance.


    "Alright, we will get busy real soon. I will have to finish their runic enchantment first. Observe very carefully. This can be a great learning experience." He happily chuckled as he got to work.


    Josh couldn''t help but agree that it was a somewhat elegant process. Even with how cruel and orcish the guy was, he sure knew how to draw runes! Every line was so confidently drawn, and his hand never shook.


    Then an aura seemed toe out of it once it was done. It radiated with powerful energy. It was as if the orcs had been reborn from ordinary warriors to mighty ones.


    Josh couldn''t help but feel envious of such a power. Was it possible for him to learn it? It would fit so freaking well: red glowing runes with bright red eyes! Was there any better option out there?!


    Soon it all ended, and the shaman came swaggering back.


    "Follow me." It authoritatively ordered.


    Joshplied under the envious gaze of all the bystanders. He could feel their intense jealousy. Why couldn''t it be them who had the potential for magic?! But there could be nothing about it, so they soon averted their gazes.


    "Hehe, how does it feel? To be admired by all? To know that you are superior to the rabble? There is something that feels even better: magic itself! It is even sweeter than the sweetest of blood wines!" The shaman uttered with longing.


    He indeed seemed to believe this and wasn''t just trying to hoodwink him. He guided him toward arge stone room filled with trinkets of various kinds. There were tons of bones and leather pouches filled with diverse ingredients.


    "This here is all the magic happens." Literally!


    Josh nodded, showing as much marvel in his eyes as humanly possible. He had no clue how it actually looked on his orc-self, but the orc seemed to be buying it.


    "Alright, it is time for the oath!" He enthusiastically dered. "From now on, you will do my bidding and obey all my orders. In exchange, I will teach you. Do you agree?"


    "Yes! I will serve you with all my being!" Josh fanatically shouted.


    "Good, good! Now, drink!" The shaman grabbed a jar from a corner of the room.


    As he opened it, a bloody scent spread throughout the entire ce. The shaman was now gesturing for him to drink. What was this shit? It was most likely what they called blood wine. As for its main ingredients¡­it would have made a vampire very happy!


    Josh now had to drink blood, human blood!


    He was now confronted with an enormous inner dilemma: would he drink under peer pressure or because he was thirsty?! Oh, wait¡­ the reason didn''t matter much.


    Josh began gulping it so fast that the shaman started panicking.


    "What the hell do you think you''re doing?! This is the only jar I have!" The shaman hurriedly grabbed his jar back, full of fear.


    How the heck was this guy drinking so fast?! It wanted to punish him, but it could wait until the ve contract was established. What if he used the apprentice''s blood to make some more wer? It ought to be charged with magic, right?


    Josh gave an awkward smile as he saw the surprisingly decent-tasting wine being taken away. He truly was innocent. The shaman had told him to drink, so he hadplied!


    With a sigh, the shaman stared at him directly. A red light began enveloping them both as he ordered:


    "Repeat after me. I hereby give my life to Kato''R the Wise and will aplish his bidding to the best of my abilities. I swear upon my orc bloodline and ancestors to hereby uphold this pledge!"


    "I hereby [¡­..] I swear upon my orc bloodline¡ª" Just as Josh reached that part, something happened.


    ¡ª KACHA!! ¡ª


    The red aura surrounding both of them shattered loudly. The pledge had failed, most definitely because he didn''t have an ounce of orc bloodline in him!


    Oh, fucking shit! The gig was up¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    I was that close to bing a powerful orc shaman! How amaizing would it have been if I could have cast drain magic on every fucking enemy alive?! I would have been invincible and¡ª okay, maybe not....but still! Ladies and gentlemen, we were that close to greatness!

 Chapter 343: Pledge Gone Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 343: Pledge Gone Wrong</h4>


    In the cluttered room, an "orc warrior" and an orc shaman were facing one another.


    Josh instantly understood that the pledge ritual failing was terrible news. As the red energy shattered, so did his chances of this event happening without any hup.


    He had optimistically hoped for the pledge''s failure to be more discrete but now had to deal with this issue. The timing of the failure especially made it 100% suspicious.


    The orc shaman was now deeply frowning, very close to beating him up.


    "You, exin yourself. You''recking sincerity?! Magic has a price, and it''s toote to turn back." He growled.


    Josh seemed hesitant but finally mustered the courage to speak.


    "This¡­I think the chant is wrong¡­." He softly uttered.


    "WHAT?!"


    How dared he?! The little shit! Did he think that he was a big deal?! The shaman couldn''t be wrong. He had done this for way too long to be wrong! How many times had he finalized a pledge without any issue?!


    The orc shaman instantly went into a rampage. His veins started quivering, and his muscles bulged as he grabbed the guy by the throat, so hard that Josh couldn''t breathe anymore. A little more, and his neck would have snapped.


    Josh could feel that he wouldn''t kill him just yet, so he didn''t resist. If he fought back now, he would lose any element of surprise. He couldn''t afford to fail the first strike either. There were far too many orcs in the fortress.


    "How about you repeat that!" The shaman malevolently smirked.


    While struggling to catch his breath, Josh uttered with extreme difficulty:


    "The chant is wrong¡­ it''s not binding enough."


    "?!?"


    This managed to surprise the shaman, who seemed utterly astonished. He had expected many things, even rebellion, but not this. Not binding enough? What did that even mean?


    "Can I swear on my orc bloodline, my ancestors, and my very life instead?" Josh begged a stunned shaman.


    Really? THAT was the issue?! It didn''t make any sense! Why did he wish for the pledge to be even more restrictive? Didn''t he understand that this whole thing was a ve contract?!


    "How does it change anything?" He grumbled.


    Josh began heatedly arguing his point, increasing the intensity over time:


    "What if a despicable human used a spell to turn me into something other than an orc? Wouldn''t the bloodline part be useless? What about losing one''s memories? Would I still be your student then?! I''m serious about learning magic!"


    That''s when the shaman finally rxed as he sighed. It seemed like he had misunderstood this guy. No wonder he had such an affinity for magic with such a perspective on life. Too bad for him that his naivety would cost him his freedom.


    "Alright, you can add life in there. Let''s proceed with the pledge. This time I won''t tolerate any disturbance." The shaman instructed sternly.


    Josh nodded solemnly. He was ready.


    The red energy once more surrounded him as he began repeating with conviction. But, he still had the same problem as earlier. He was 100% sure that it would fail upon reaching that line. He would have to act fast this time.


    Then came the moment of truth. Josh decisively attacked as the red energy broke in the very same manner it did earlier.


    ¡ª KACHA!! ¡ª


    ¡ª SWOOSH!! ¡ª


    He didn''t take any chance and went for the head! His morphing weapon drew an arc, forming a halberd that sank into the shaman''s neck, cutting it like butter. He could feel the soft flesh getting torn!


    But just as he thought the orc would die, the weapon suddenly stopped as if it had hit a metal te.


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    What the hell?! That''s when something began glowing under the orc''s clothes. It was a ne. A protective amulet, perhaps? Fuck! Either way, he had to finish the job now that the enemy was weakened!


    But it didn''t bode well as the orc''s eyes were not despairing one bit. No, there was happiness in them. The monster had almost died, but more importantly, it had found a new toy that would be worthwhile.


    It slowly uttered, confident in its reasoning:


    "You''re the human they were chasing, aren''t you? Hehehe, how very impressive. You managed to bypass all of the soldiers and even fooled me for a second. No wonder the bloodline part kept failing!" He chuckled.


    Josh swung his weapon once more, driving as much mana as possible into it. He was about to hit his target when suddenly a red shield appeared around the orc''s body. The sh was extremely heavy, and yet the magical barrier didn''t even tremble.


    "Is that all? What happened to the powerful orc warrior?" The shaman taunted him, his hideous face contorted in a sneer.


    Ensued a few mighty shes, each stronger and louder than the previous.


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    Sadly it all turned out to bepletely pointless. The shaman just stayed safely inside as he began cackling like a madman.


    "How is it? How does it feel to witness true orcish magic firsthand? Isn''t it wonderful? You''ll get to feel plenty more very soon when I torture you too! I can''t wait!"


    Yep, this wasn''t working. Even his mana coating ability proved utterly useless. There was only one thing left to do.


    The shaman couldn''t help but enjoy the show. The human was getting more desperate as he tried one attack after the other but constantly failed. He almost couldn''t believe his eyes when the human took out a ¡­rat?!


    That''s when he mmed it on the barrier. How dumb was he to even try such a crazy¡­.wait¡­what?!


    ¡ª Crack! ¡ª


    ¡ª Crack! ¡ª


    How was this possible? The barrier magic was slowly showing signs of giving in? There were already a few scratched on it. The human was using the rat as a weapon?! The worst was that it was somehow working!


    "What heresy is this?! Whatever, let''s see how you handle this! Hahahaha!" The orc shaman began chanting.


    He would end it in one spell! In one curse, to be exact. Whatever thing this rat was, there was no need to fight it head-on. He would target its weakness and have it turned against its master!


    This time, there was no glow, no projectile either. But the air did be colder as if it was unsuitable for the living.


    Then he guided the invisible spell directly on the rat! It was a soul-controlling spell that would make its victim go on a rampage and¡ª, but he suddenly had to stop. What?! How was this possible?! The creature didn''t even have a soul! How?!


    No, there was even more. There wasn''t any trace of it either. Destroying a soul wasn''t that hard. But cleanly wiping it out was impossible! The shaman couldn''t understand, but it wouldn''t waste this spell either.


    He redirected it to hit the human instead. Sess! The shaman could feel the man''s soul. He should have done that in the first ce! The fool didn''t even seem to have any soul defense!


    Hehehe, this would be great! The curse went forward, invading the man''s soul. There was no escaping it and no¡ª


    The shaman felt a flurry of emotions invade his being at this moment...


    Death


    Blood


    Carnage


    Pain


    Suffering


    Despair.


    Horrors


    What?! This seemingly defenseless state had been a trap?! What kind of madman could have a soul that dark?!


    But, the orc was experienced. He, too, had lived his fair share of such dark emotions. Someone else might have lost himself, but he merely shrugged. As if that would be enough to defeat him.


    That is when an incredible mental fight began between darkness and darkness, no light to be found. After what felt like an eternity, the shaman finally freed himself from the trap.


    Hahaha, the weak human had tried being underhanded but had failedmentably! This fight ought to have left him exhausted too. It was not time for the finishing move and¡ª


    ¡ª Kacha!! ¡ª


    The sound of his barrier shattering brought him to his senses. What?! How was this possible?! That''s when he realized. The incrediblebat inside the man''s psyche? The target hadn''t even been defending at all.


    All this time, the human had kept fighting. A trap? This was just how his soul was 100% of the time. This should have been impossible, and yet¡­?!


    That''s when the human dashed at him, intent on killing him. But the shaman wasn''t out of alternatives. He used his drain attack! This would not only be enough to kill him but also to restore him to full strength.


    The man quickly jumped to evade the attack, but it wouldn''t be enough. The shaman had nned this and attacked the man in mid-air. Let''s see him dodge now! But just as he was about to seed, the man magically rose.


    What?! There was no magic involved, or he would have sensed and countered it! So how?! That''s when the shaman noticed a barely discernable spider thread¡­


    It was thest thing he saw before arge halberd sliced his head right off his body. As he sensed his brain flying in the air, the shaman couldn''t help but curse. Fuck that human! No, he really cursed him, in both senses!


    He sent invisible energy totch onto the human. It wouldn''t let go no matter what. The shaman''s body was already dead, but he was still here, only a resentful ghost, but one holding on nheless.


    He would avenge himself at all costs, not letting the human escape! The victim realized his presence and even seemed able to see him. He shed at him but didn''t manage to hurt him in the least.


    "Hehehe, I will be very hard to kill for the next hour. Let''s see how you will manage to survive this." The ghost cackled evilly.


    That''s when arge, very noticeable, and glowing mark appeared above the human''s head. The entire fortress seemed toe alive as the sound of hundreds or perhaps thousands of orc footsteps began to echo.


    "Now that you''re marked for death let''s see how you escape!"


    Creator''s Thought


    How sad when a teacher and a student suddenly begin to kill one another. Why can''t there just be peace and harmony? Oh, right. My mission was to kill their leader...You know it''s one hell of a party when there are thousands of footsteps.

 Chapter 344: Josh vs Orc Army

    <h4>Chapter 344: Josh vs Orc Army</h4>


    On Floor 24, a ck sturdy-looking fortress was now shaking as way too many orcs trampled its interior.


    They were all heading to a particr room: the shaman quarters. Their eyes glowed red in fury as they charged toward the marked enemy.


    Josh currently had a giant red glowing skull mark atop his head, and it was attracting all the enemies toward his location. This thing freaking passed through the walls?! Near his ear, there was that goddamn shaman ghost cackling nonstop:


    "You''re so dead! Let me see you try to escape, hahaha!"


    "Tch¡ª they sure are fast," Joshined aloud.


    "Hehehe, of course, they are! I''m the one that personally trained them! They would have fought back if they could have, haha. But they all pledged to never go against me!"


    Was torturing one''s soldiers supposed to be an achievement or something? Actually, that guy just loved the act itself. Even now, the ghost was babbling about the greatest atrocities it hadmitted.


    "I removed their spines and used them to choke the others before I finally¡ª"


    Josh focused on his hearing to determine the location of the invading enemies. It reminded him of an earthquake, but he knew that the only thing that was rocky right now was his life.


    The enemies would be there any second now.


    ¡ª Tremble! ¡ª


    3


    ¡ª Tremble! ¡ª


    2


    ¡ª Tremble! ¡ª


    1


    ¡ª Crash! ¡ª


    That''s when the study door was sent flying, breaking into so many pieces. The orcs'' faces were even uglier than usual as they bellowed so damn loudly:


    "Kill the human, annihte him and ¡ª"


    But the orcs suddenly stopped moving,pletely bbergasted. They had encircled him, but now they didn''t know what to do.


    Had they been dazzled by Josh''s courage and elegance? Probably not as they seemed utterly confused, ncing back and forth toward him and the above his head. They were staring, mouthspletely open, not understanding anything.


    "Hehehe, I''ll get my revenge. I''ll show this bastard what it means to have a deadly shaman as his enemy!"¡­.Josh cackled heavily. At that moment, he was skilfully mimicking the shaman''s voice.


    "I will skin him alive and show him the true meaning of pain! Otherwise, I am not Kato''R the Wise!" Jack shouted very heroically.


    Yes, what confused the orcs was that Josh currently had the appearance of the shaman. Yet, he had the mark of an enemy? This didn''t make sense!


    "S-shaman, what happened?!" One soldier asked tentatively.


    "This despicable human showed up! I almost killed him, but he managed to flee and even reflected my curse back at me! Follow me. Let''s catch him!" He angrily shouted.


    The orcs kept ncing at the mark that seemed to make them physically ufortable. They had been taught for so long to kill anyone with that curse. It was one that would only ever be used in an emergency after all.


    But it wasn''t like they could go against the shaman. No matter what happened, they had to obey. After all, they all had pledged to serve him in the past.


    "Hurry up," Josh incited them as he began running.


    "This shouldn''t be happening. How is this all possible?! This is insane!" The ghost cried out, but the orcs couldn''t hear him one bit.


    That''s how Josh hurriedly left the fortress, chased by an orc army. The difference was that he wasn''t running away from them but leading them. The ghost was even forced to watch it all happen. It kept shouting "What?! Kill him! Kill him" but to no avail.


    As Josh sensed the fresh air on his skin, he couldn''t help but internally chuckle. He couldn''t wait to share this story with AT.


    They left the walls and encountered the weird boulder-like creatures. They all seemed to be minding their business. What were they even?


    But, the orc exodus wasn''t over just yet as Josh kept going, seemingly toward the end of the world.


    "S-shaman, where are we going?!"


    "I fear that this horrible human went you know where to hide, alongside the big cats. We will catch him and crush him! Are you all ready?!" Jack shouted.


    A deep roar resounded, one made by hundreds of soldiers shouting. It shattered any semnce of a peaceful atmosphere.


    ¡ª Roar! ¡ª


    Then they eventually reached the bone delimitation that Josh had seen earlier. He couldn''t help but think that this thing was the perfect mix of opportunity and danger. "Let''s charge!" He screamed.


    At this point, the orcs were seriously confused. What the heck had happened to never going in that area? "W-what about¡ª"


    "Fuck the rules! I will make this human suffer!!"


    They couldn''t help but all nod in agreement. Seeing him that devoted to their mission, they couldn''t help but admire him. Usually, the shaman liked to hide behind the others, even stealing their vitality over minor disagreements.


    How long had it been since the shaman had fought on the Frontline with them? They couldn''t help but rejoice. They were all smiling as they all crossed to the other side.


    That''s when the exploration began. All the orcs naturally assumed that he knew the way forward. As for him, he really couldn''t stop, or he''d blow his cover. From time to time, he''d shout encouragement to the troops.


    "Keep going. We''re almost there!"


    But the deeper they went, and the more stressed they became. Every damn second, the green brutes would nce his way, expecting an answer. What the heck did they even fear?


    The shaman ghost was still shouting stuff like, "Screw you! I curse you to die a thousand¡ª" Wow, he sure was motivated.


    But Josh would soon learn of the terror of this ce.


    They had only covered a short distance when a nightmarish creature appeared. In the distance, they could now see a deadly-looking ck panther! He finally understood what they had meant by a big cat.


    Hell, it wasn''t a normal one. Every single of its footsteps would send small shockwaves in the area. As for its body¡­well it reminded him of Nightmare! It had long, sharp spikes that seemed toe out of its body. Well, this one was definitely physical, however.


    Without hesitating a single instant, Josh ordered the charge:


    "Destroy the cat! This tyrant guards our enemy!


    The orcs hesitated but finally charged forward valiantly. There wasn''t any other way than to describe the next event as a bloodbath. The poor lv 25 orcs were getting torn to shred by a lv 30 OP panther.


    Its speed was faster than Nightmare, its strength was enough to rip to shred any of them in one blow, and its body seemed to deflect iing attacks. The orcs kept hacking at it without as much as leaving a scratch on its fur.


    The monster was still violently rampaging, utterly unstoppable.


    As a bonus, the shaman was losing his shit: "Stop dying like idiots! What''s the point of sacrificing yourselves. Dumbasses, you''re all being yed!" He shouted and shouted as usual, but it was utterly useless.


    Josh kept going, slowly but surely, thining the army apanying him. Blood flowed, and as it did, he kept encouraging them.


    "Show me the results of your training!"


    "Bring glory to the orc race!"


    But just as he was having lots of fun, a new ck panther suddenly appeared and joined the fight. The one versus hundreds suddenly turned to a two versus hundreds (with many dead). That''s when he realized that he had to run!


    "Nightmare,e forth!" He summoned in urgency.


    The shadowy horse appeared in all its glory, neighing in preparation to run. At that moment, many orcs seemed to understand that there truly was something wrong with this situation. Since when did their shaman have a horse? He didn''t!


    Heck, the shaman disliked heights. Even riding was too much for him! That''s why there were no windows in his study. Josh began galloping away on Nightmare, leaving behind an incredibly dumbfounded group of orcs.


    They tried chasing him but kept dying because of the panthers. Those monsters tore them apart before they could cause any problem.


    But just as Josh and horse were about to be safe, the two cats actually charged at them. It was as if they had just decided to fuck them in particr.


    "What did we ever do to you?! We even brought you a meal and friends to y with!" Joshined using his regr voice.


    That was the final hit to the orcs'' sanity. They, too, charged at him, disregarding their deaths. As for the ghost, it was despairing. The curse it had done had allowed Josh to gather the orcs quickly and guide them to their doom.


    He had been the cause of his brethren''s demise. As this realization slowly dawned on him, his entire ghastly being began to fluctuate. It was as if the emotion was way too massive for a ghost to handle.


    Josh and Nightmare kept running, hoping for the best. They were about to finally reach the safety line made out of bone when one panther suddenly elerated super quickly.


    He had to slow it! But how?! He shot a few magical arrows, but they all proved to be useless. There was a reason those creatures were locked here. They were akin to secret boss monsters!


    That''s when he finally remembered the godly stick he still had in his inventory. This was the perfect time for a gamble. Josh quickly read the weird chant, drove mana into it, and threw it, hoping that the tower wouldn''t break this time.


    As soon as it collided with the ground, long vines beganing out of the stick, soon forming what looked like a grass elemental. It turned toward Josh, checked the panthers, and then seemed unsure of what to do.


    "Buy us some time until we reach the bones!" Josh pointed to the safe area.


    The golem nodded before acting. It extended its grass tendrils akin to tentacles, ones that turned out to be so fucking long, grabbed Josh, and threw him toward safety.


    The human flew in the sky almost as majestically as a basketball before heavilynding headfirst¡­. That''s when the golem gave a sad nce toward Josh, turning back to its stick form.


    The panther growled in anger, staring at Nightmare so damn intently as it killed thest remaining orcs. Now, Josh just needed to get back his stick, except the panthers were camping it...


    Creator''s Thought


    Note to self, make sure to test every new item before using them. The way I handled the orc army was pretty neat, but I could have done better on the panthers had I realized how fast they truly were. Nightmare is pretty fast in the open world after all, and even he was getting beaten. Oh well...

 Chapter 345: Orc King!

    <h4>Chapter 345: Orc King!</h4>


    On Floor 24, two eerily scary gigantic ck panthers were warily guarding a stick. Yep, a goddamn stick!


    Josh couldn''t help but find the scene strange. They red at Nightmare heatedly and at him hatefully. Were they mad because he had brought the horse they were hoping to devour away?


    When he had been thrown to safety, he had re-summoned Nightmare at his sides. This had left the bloodthirsty predators without a meal. Now, he would just have to somehow get his stick back.


    On the side, the shaman''s ghost was wailing pitifully:


    "H-how could this happen? Why couldn''t they see his real appearance? How could he morph so fast? This doesn''t make any sense!" His voice was bing weaker and weaker.


    Josh turned toward him before bowing politely.


    "Thank you so much for your assistance. Without you, I wouldn''t have been able to get rid of so many orcs in one fell swoop." He looked so genuine too.


    "W-what?!¡ª " The ghost somehow choked, unable to take it anymore.


    "Especially how you brainwashed them to obey your orders without any rebuttal. That was great. Otherwise, they would have never run to their deaths so readily. Thank you so much!"


    "Thank you? Thank you?! You''re thanking me?!" The ghost couldn''t take it anymore. That''s when it began to dissipate, akin to a smelly fart in the morning breeze, leaving a dark residue on the ground.


    < Tormented Ectosm >


    - Contains the essence of a tortured soul.


    What was that? A crafting material or something? Still, Josh couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Ah, he truly was a great ghost. He would have been the perfect sports show host. A spell to put the focus on one individual and great real-timementary."


    But then Josh realized something. Why wasn''t his questpleted already? He had killed their leader already and¡ª wait¡­maybe not. Was there some higher-level orc out there that he had to get rid of now?


    Did he even have to kill all those orc troops? He could only hope that he hadn''t been wasting his time. This was especially true considering a third party had killed them, and he hadn''t gotten any XP.


    Josh stared at the stick, then at the panthers, then finally at Nightmare. That was all it took for the poor horse to start neighing in protest.


    "Neigh!!" (Refusal)


    "Look, sometimes one has to be courageous and take one for the team. You''re the faster one between us two, so you''ll have to go. Plus, you''re my pet, so it''s not like you can refuse."


    "Neigh!!" (Begging)


    "Look, we don''t know what all that this stick can do, but it''s probably useful. We need to get it back."


    "Neigh!!" (Despair)


    "Don''t worry so much. I''ll unsummon you if any danger is about to befall you. I''m not a monster."


    The poor horse had to resign itself as its master wouldn''t change his mind. How could he be so cruel?


    Sadly for it, humans, in general, were very opinionated and self-centered in their beliefs. Reduce an animal to very, and no one bats an eye. Do the same to another human, and everyone loses their minds¡ª or fuck it, that too was frowned upon


    "Alright, let''s do this! Make them leave the stick if you can somehow." Josh instructed.


    The poor Nightmare had to venture into the danger zone unwillingly. It took a few unsteady steps, ready to back off at any time. The panthers instantly locked their gazes on it and got ready to pounce.


    Yet they didn''t make any more as they awaited the horse to be farther inside their territory. They were worried it would run away at the first sign of danger. They also nced at Josh, wondering if he could reuse that one OP teleportation ability.


    All parties involved only stared at one another in tense silence. It was akin to the cold war, except that they fought over a stick and horse meat instead of fighting for ideologies.


    A few minutester, it all began. The panthers explosively shot out toward Nightmare, who ran for its life while neighing in panic. It wanted Josh to help it, but he was busy.


    He had turned his morphing weapon into a grappling hook using spider threads. He felt like McGyver, a guy who could be lethal with absolutely everything and anything in his environment.


    As the poor horse was suffering, he managed to hook his stick back. At this moment, it was almost toote for Nightmare. The panthers were pouncing on it and¡ª oh god. What the hell?!


    That''s when Josh realized that he had profoundly misunderstood the panthers'' intention. It seemed that they mimicked any living creatures as theyplied with the four F''s of evolution.


    Any living creature adapted itself to fighting, fleeing, feeding, and fucking.


    Josh had naively thought that the panthers were looking for the third option. It wasn''t, not at all. It was the fourth all the way. It was very visible with their towering spears that stood up in attention. They were ready to do the first F to get that fourth one done too!


    What the actual fuck?!


    "Hey, system. We really need to have a talk over here. Sure, both are ck, big, long, have thick protrusions, but they aren''t the same goddamn species!"


    He hurriedly un-summoned Nightmare since he had no interest in watching interracial bestiality porn. The panthers roared in anger, their n totally thwarted once more.


    "Alright, let''s head back to the orc fortress and forget this ever happened, deal?"


    Josh asked Nightmare, who was still shaking in fright. Never had it been so close to being eaten! As for their ulterior motive, it luckily hadn''t seemed to notice.


    Before long, the fortress was back in sight. On the walls, a few orcs could be seen. Where had theye out from? They were probably reserve troops or something.


    Josh made sure to dismount, verified that his appearance-changing amulet was still working, and confidently swaggered through the front gates where a few orcs diligently weed him.


    "Wee back, shaman! What happened to the army?!"


    "Oh? Do you dare question me? Know your ce, worm! Luckily for you, I''m in a good mood since the human finally died." Josh arrogantly headed in, even picking a fight with the gatekeeper.


    But that''s when a sharp and stern voice resounded:


    "He may not dare, but I do. What happened to the king''s army?"


    A neer had just arrived. This orc looked tall, powerful, but most importantly, dressed. While the regr orcs barely wore anything, this one was wearing a full set of equipment. An elite soldier, one that seemed he strong!


    He said something about the king too. This probably meant that the shaman''s identity was far from infallible.


    "We had to chase the human into the forbiddennd, and they regrettably didn''t make it. But he is dead once and for all." Josh exined, not showing any remorse.


    "Tch¡ª pathetic orc. The king should have beheaded you ages ago!" The orc growled disparagingly. "Come, the king wants to meet you."


    How would the shaman react to this? Would he gentlyply and follow? No way!


    Josh grabbed his morphing weapon, turned it into a cane behind his back, and shoved it right in the orc''s face while emitting an unbelievable quantity of killing intent and grinning.


    "For the king''s sake and because we''re low on soldiers, I''ll spare your life this once. Hehehe, weakling." Josh towered over the orc, now shaking with fury as he chuckled loudly.


    But in the end, he still followed the orc toward the depth of the fortress, where they found arge trapdoor. It seemed like there was a fortress underneath a fortress. What kind of freaking fortressception was that?


    The both of them kept progressing, delving deeper and deeper. It was as if the underground was the maw of a gigantic monster. Josh could only hope that his disguise would hold.


    They encountered metallic doors with deadly screamsing out from time to time. Whoever was torturing people in there was having lots of fun.


    They kept going in silence, eventually reachingrge double bloodied golden doors. There was so much blood, and elegancebined that this reminded him of a certain red wedding.


    It was as if the orc king was the final boss of an RPG.


    His guide pushed open the double doors with incredible difficulty. Josh just watched him strain himself and pant without care. Then they both entered.


    The room was akin to the one would find in a castle¡ª if thrones in pces were made out of skulls. This had to be ufortable for sure¡­


    A towering orc was staring at the neers with a grin. His arms were bigger than Josh''s head, his war hammer was bigger than fucking Nightmare itself, and his eyes glowed with a green piercing light.


    It was as if this being was surrounded by death itself. Unfathomable and incredibly powerful.


    He opened his mouth widely, revealingrge fangs that could no doubt rival the ones of a predator. He then slowly uttered with incredible disdain oozing through his voice:


    "Oh? Who do we have here? I''m surprised to see you here shaman, did you get tired of ying with the weaklings upstairs?"


    Josh had to stay in character as much as possible. He answered by cackling as he imagined this one would do.


    "Hehe, one never gets tired of ying with weaklings. They are so fun to break apart and mold to one''s will. As for my presence here, of course, I woulde if you are the one asking, my king."


    "Is that so? How unexpected, "Shaman"¡ª especially considering that you died already." The king sarcastically uttered.


    That''s when he took out a stone of promise, which Josh had previously encountered. It shattered when the person it was linked to died. This one was nothing but powder¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    Wee to National Geographic, Tower edition! Today we are following some really big ck panthers. They are especially lively and are ready to have fun. Ah, but do be careful. The floor is slippery with all that orc blood and the panthers are slightly mean...

 Chapter 346: This Orc King Is Having Fun!

    <h4>Chapter 346: This Orc King Is Having Fun!</h4>


    A human and an imposing orc king were staring at one another in the castle room.


    Thetter held promise stone dust and was even scattering it on the floor while grinning.


    Why did this feel like part of a funeral ceremony? Would this guy soon do the same with Josh''s ashes? How could this orc look so intimidating while sitting down?


    Looking at his face, it was clear that he had everything under control. The monster calmly spoke, but it sounded like a deep growl:


    "I''m surprised you managed to disguise yourself so well, human. I always thought the shaman to be a pretty conniving one, but you certainly have him beat by far. How did you get rid of him?"


    "I''m still alive, just barely. You see the thing is¡ª"


    "It''s fine if you don''t want to answer. Rak''SHA, show me how well you can fight." The orc king instructed.


    That''s when the elite guard nearby came forward. His metallic armor reflected the light of the nearby torches. He seemed eager to obey the order as he strode forward.


    His armor looked really sturdy, close to a full te, and would prove to be a pain for sure except the head part. For some reason, he didn''t have a helmet.


    "Hehe, it''s time to die, human. One does not walk into an orc fortress ande out in one piece." He taunted but then added. "Actually, I really hope you are the shaman. It would make things even more interesting!"


    Josh was now confronted with a dilemma. Should he copy the shaman''s fighting style and argue it was all a misunderstanding or not? Hell, could the stones of promise even be defective? Hard to tell.


    But then the enemy charged forward, bastard sword first. At that moment, Josh realized he couldn''t afford to ck off.


    Out of the muscr green monster came powerful cries as he did his best to reduce him to mush.


    ¡ª ROAR! ¡ª


    ¡ª sh! ¡ª


    Every time Josh barely avoided the sword, the floor would explode where he had been a second ago. Even his regeneration would be 100% useless against this guy.


    A single hit would render him incapable of fighting back, akin to his idol, the ck knight. But it wouldn''t be just a scratch as he''d lose half his body at least.


    "Die! Die! Die!"


    As his adversary attacked madly, Josh counterattacked! He sent a spear straight for the creature''s head. The reach was enough, but it was stopped by a glowing red fucking forcefield around the guy''s head.


    He hurriedly retreated, almost losing an arm in the process. Fucking hell! This wasn''t even from a direct hit!


    Blood began gushing as it hung low on his side. It waspletely unusable, but his regeneration was already activating.


    "Hahahaha, weakling! How do you like that! I have already disabled your left arm. What will you do now?"


    "Use my right arm. It''s fine. It''s stronger than my left one anyway." Josh spat out in what appeared to be false bravado.


    They kept fighting. The big guy was unable to hit the human but was too resistant to be damaged. But, the more it went and the better the orc got at parrying the blows. He was also staying on the human''s left side to exploit his injury.


    Yet Josh was internally grinning. He was waiting for the perfect moment to use the enemy''s "cleverness" against him. Hell, looking closely, there was now a tiny stick hidden in his left sleeve.


    He was very slowly channeling mana through it, so slowly in fact that it went unnoticed. He would soon be ready for the killing blow.


    But that''s when the orc king guffawed, hisughter interrupting the fight.


    "Hehe, talk about interesting! The human''s arm is already healed, yet he still isn''t using it to fight. Then there is the way his sleeve moves. It seems so rigid. It''s as if he''s hiding something thin long, and hard in there. A weapon, perhaps?"


    The elite orc warrior jumped in surprise as he took a few steps back warily. Seriously, the human''s arm was healed?! How hadn''t he noticed?!


    Josh could only click his tongue. Wasn''t this guy way too perceptive for an orc? Guess the stereotypes picturing orcs as powerful and dumb weren''t all true. Perhaps it was the effect of the king title?


    Either way, Josh didn''t like this. The Boss had yet to make a move himself and had onlymented about the events so far. How deep in shit would he be if he had to fight the two of them at once?


    But that wasn''t all. While most had been dealt with, there remained plenty of orcs outside this ce.


    If he retreated right now, he would be hunted for sure. If he stayed, he wasn''t sure he could even do anything. No matter how he looked at it, this was a very troublesome situation.


    The orc king spoke again:


    "I truly understand how the shaman fell right now. He probably underestimated him just like you did. Killing someone who isn''t wary is especially easy." He chuckled.


    The elite orc couldn''t help but be so grateful to his leader, who had so nicely warned him. He turned his head, bowing his head in the King''s direction. It was a very subtle gesture, and he was too far away for Josh to exploit it¡ª or so he thought.


    Josh wouldn''t miss such an opportunity. He tried an experiment: he visualized the stick activating, hopefully bypassing the chant. That''s when he felt his mana surge even faster into the stick. It was working!


    Before the elite orc even realized what was happening, a grass golem had materialized and thrown weed tentacles at him to restrain him! Would a proud and mighty orc warrior get stopped by so little? No way!


    He roared once more as his muscles began bulging. Then with a powerful movement, he freed himself.


    ¡ª Roar! ¡ª


    ¡ª Scratch! ¡ª


    The vines instantly got destroyed. This guy was even more effective than a goddamn industrial-gradewnmower!


    Orc 1


    Grass Golem 0


    But did Josh care about the result? Nope, he had only been trying to buy time. Actually, he wasn''t just buying time. There was something he had been waiting to try for a while now.


    ¡ª ZOOOOOM! ¡ª


    The elite orc watched in stupefaction as the human suddenly charged over at an incredible speed.


    Josh made sure to handle his spear perfectly. This wasn''t just a gap close. Nope, he would use all that kic energy from his movement and turn it into force to propel his spear.


    Then came the sh!


    ¡ª Kacha! ¡ª


    Everyone expected the spear to bounce back on the semi-visible red aura. Not this time. Not this fucking time.


    There was something profoundly different about the spear. There was a deep purple aura surrounding the tip. It gave it an overwhelming and fantastically deadly look. Then there was the killing intent.


    The grass barely did anything, but it held the orc in ce long enough for Josh to plunge his weapon deep into the creature''s skull.


    It fell with a thud, itsrge headless body falling to the ground. But, Josh was left panting, trying to regain his breath.


    ¡ª p! p! p! ¡ª


    The orc King began pping, a sardonic smile adorned on his face:


    "Truly a great show. Whatever you did right there sure was effective. He never saw iting and ended up impaled. Not many are able to beat the elite warriors."


    He seemed so rxed and so casual about all this. This orc king would have been the perfect antagonist in a dark, fantasy drama, especially with the skull throne.


    "Now what? Do you wish to surrender? I have never had a human serve me before. Perhaps it could be interesting. Of course, you will have to swear allegiance to me." He proposed.


    Josh couldn''t help but freeze. If this was the result of the new update¡­what kind of tragedy had he brought the world? Would it be possible for humans to be enved by monsters from now on? Then again, this was Hellish difficulty.


    But there was one thing he was wondering:


    "I''m afraid I''ll have to refuse. You see, I already am busy enough as is. You know, with climbing the Tower and all." Josh uttered, holding his breath.


    Would the orc react to the Tower keyword? Did they know that they were nothing but creatures existing in a trial meant for humanity? He waited patiently, but the orc didn''t especially react.


    "Is that so? You humans sure are weird. Busy with a tower when you could be building fortresses instead. Talk about a primitive race, haha!"


    What was the world bing? In all the stories, the humans were the ones looking down on the orcs for theirck of technology, and here there was one casually giving him building advice.


    "Well, enjoy sitting on your skull throne. I have some stuff to do, talkter!" Josh amicably waved as he began walking away.


    At this point, there was no point running. The orc king seemed pretty amused by his actions and simply watched him leave¡ª for now.


    Josh was getting ready to use his Zoom set to the very limit. While he was underground, he wouldn''t really be able to use Nightmare either and was on his own.


    As for the stick, it probably wouldn''t even be able to buy time. After all, it had barely worked against the low-level subordinate. This apex orc wouldn''t even flinch.


    Josh thought he was ready for anything but quickly realized that he hadn''t been.


    "Alright, talkter." The orc king slowly uttered while chuckling.


    But a secondter, he waved his hand, and a brilliant white light suddenly formed a chain linking them both. Josh tried to evade it, but it was impossible. That''s when the orc king spoke again:


    "This is a duel promise. In 11 hours, you will die, no matter where you hide, even if it''s another world. We shall see each other soon indeed."


    Oh fuck! Since when could orc kings use magic?! ...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] Lots of new stuff in the new Tower update, especially for Hellish difficulty. What do you guys think of this development?


    Creator''s Thought


    This new Tower was definitely more challenging. Before the divine aura was absorbed, the warriors were warriors and the mages were mages. Now, an orc king with a gigantic war hammer turned out to also know magic?! WTF!

 Chapter 347: Courageous Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 347: Courageous Nightmare</h4>


    A lone human escaped from the fortress, followed by the evilughter of the orc king.


    None dared to stop Josh. After all, he still had the shaman''s appearance and had juste out of the king''s ce alive. They all wrongly assumed that he was in their leader''s good graces.


    As soon as he was out, Josh slowly found a tranquil spot to reflect on the previous events.


    The orc king had cursed him with some weird spell linking them bother together. ording to his ims, in 11 hours, he would die except if he were to challenge him. Was it true? Was it a bluff? He had no goddamn clue!


    The white glow was gone, but he could feel that the white and sticky magical spell now stuck to his soul. Whatever it did, it wouldn''t be so easy to get rid of it. Josh probably had two options ahead of him:


    1. Find a way to dispel the magic. Was this even possible? It probably wasn''t easy since the shaman used to obey the orc king.


    2. Kill the caster and hope it fixes everything. After all, he had said something about it being some dueling magic.


    Now, how was he supposed to kill that creature? Josh had found dealing with the elite soldier troublesome already. He would 100% lose if they were to fight directly¡ª except if he could somehow be stronger.


    Was that even possible?


    Josh slowly took out his wind de manual, skimming through it one more time. If only he could master this, then perhaps he would be fine. He went to sit atop one of therge living boulders. He had no idea what it was, but it was peaceful enough.


    Josh slowly began meditating, feeling the wind and trying to understand it on a fundamental level, making sure to circte his mana all across his body.


    After a few hours of relentlessly sensing the wind and practicing hard, Josh finally¡­.got fucking tired of sitting on his ass-. It seemed that no matter what he tried, it wasn''t working.


    He could only sigh deeply, finally resolving himself to using n B. Well, there was a reason why it wasn''t his n A. Once he proceeded with it, there would be no turning back. It would likely be a one-way road to pandemonium.


    He quickly summoned Nightmare.


    "Neigh" (Disapproval)


    "I know, but we''re in deep horse shit right now. Here''s what I need you to do." Josh slowly whispered instructions to the horse.


    "Neigh?!" (Fear)


    It couldn''t talk, but the meaning of its reaction was evident. It was thinking: "Are you crazy?!?We''re gonna die!"


    "Perhaps we will, but we''ll die fighting. I currently have a deadly curse on me. What do you think will happen to you once your master dies? I believe in you. You can do this."


    Josh slowly encouraged the very reluctant pet. He could understand its fears: they were perfectly natural.


    But, it still had toply, leaving for its new mission. The faster they assassinated the orc king and the faster they would be back to safety,


    Josh remained behind, busying himself with his own task.


    He grabbed his True pickaxe and got to work. However, this time, he wouldn''t be bringing down the fortress itself. After all, a recent Tower update had increased the toughness of the rocks.


    He would opt for a more modest n. It was time to create a temporary hideout that would allow him to survive what was toe. As for where to do it, he had the perfect ce in mind, one that no one would check.


    Josh quickly finished on his side, then waiting for Nightmare to be in position¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    A poor Nightmare was currently cursing its master non-stop in its head.


    Why did it have to do something so dangerous?! This didn''t make any sense. Nightmares were meant to gallop, not to fight, well, at least in its opinion. Things had turned so wrong ever since it had met this guy.


    Then it reached its destination. It was a border made out of bone, where they were not long ago. This danger zone was incredibly deadly and filled with monstrous panthers, which somehow looked simr to itself.


    They had the same body shade, simr spikes, and were really fast too, faster even. The difference was that the big cats were predators by nature. Their whole reason to live was to hunt.


    Nightmare took unsteady steps as it approached the bone barrier. What it was about to do was truly insane. As it stepped forward, it could sense them. They were lurking somewhere in the distance.


    It peered inside the area and began neighing as loudly as possible. It had to do this repeatedly for a few minutes, but then they appeared: the monsters.


    ¡ª Neigh! ¡ª


    Nightmare felt the terror they brought and almost wanted to chicken out, but then it remembered two things.


    1. Its master, too, could be extremely scary.


    2. As much as a bastard that he was, it was true that he had allowed it to experience the world outside the Tower. Without the insane master, it would probably have lost its soul a long time ago.


    Nightmare really wanted to run away, but it courageously stepped forward. It was time for it to y its role in its master''s n. That''s when it powerfully kicked the bones on the ground, using as much power as possible.


    ¡ª CRACK! ¡ª


    The bones were reduced to bone dust that slowly floated in the air. It had been made to counter panthers, not horses.


    There was a moment of silence with the panthers just staring at it. But then the world resumed its course as all the parties involved dashed at full speed.


    But the panthers were definitely faster. With every passing second, they caught up a little more. Nightmare knew that it would soon be over, that they would pounce on it and devour it entirely.


    It felt the wind from their leap and knew it was over. This was the end and¡ª


    But that''s when it suddenly felt the world topple over. It suddenly realized that its master had unsummoned it just in time! This had been a close one. It then reappeared somece else through a ck portal.


    "Good job, Nightmare. There''s only thest push." Its master reassured it with a smile. Easy for him, he wasn''t the one risking his life!


    But it could only calm down as he kept talking: "Don''t worry. You can count on me." He seemed so confident.


    This whole thing was hard for it to understand. They were doing this to deal with an incredibly mighty enemy. Honestly, it almost couldn''t believe it.


    At first, it had even thought that its master was testing it! But then it had epted the sad reality that there was indeed a need to do this.


    "Alright, you got this." Its master gave it a thumb up before disappearing under one of the rock creatures, even blocking the way behind him.


    Nightmare waited inplete silence. It didn''t have a heart, but it would have been beating so fast if it had.


    That''s when they came¡­


    ¡ª ROAR! ¡ª


    In the distance appeared the two panthers.?They had kept running in a straight line even after the chase. They had been confined for so long by the bone barrier that they were eager for food and revenge.


    Seeing theming its way, Nightmare neighed once before rushing to the fortress. The orcs at the gate were soon utterly bbergasted as a horse appeared from behind a rock before dashing straight through their main entrance.


    Then it became so chaotic as the panthers followed behind. They were death itself. Any orc that tried to stop them was instantly dealt with. They almost seemed as hungry as its master, and he could devour pretty much anything!


    Nightmare knew where it had to go. It needed to find the fortress hidden underneath. This was the sole mission its master had given it.?It ran, it just ran, all until it found it.


    How was a horse supposed to go through a trapdoor? The answer was head and hooves first! It felt itself fall quickly, but it used its ability to be more resistant right before impact.


    Half-sinking in the floor, it extricated itself, hurrying away. Nightmare gave a very loud neigh, now was the start of the countdown. It had to reach the pce room somehow.


    But, the corridor was neither t nor straight. How was it even supposed to run in these conditions? The answer was it couldn''t¡ª not well anyway. But no matter! It would do its best, even if it was slowed down!


    It valiantly pressed forward, hearing a loud crash behind it.


    ¡ª ROAR! ¡ª


    The enemies were here. It remembered the words of its master:


    "Now, it will feel like a horror movie but don''t stop, no matter what. They will try to devour you but keep going, and no matter what, don''t look back."


    What was even a horror movie? It didn''t know, but it would listen to the advice. By some miracle, it managed to reach the double pce doors. This was great!


    But that''s when a towering green giant suddenly appeared in front of it.


    "Oh? What do we have here? What kind of creature is this? Ah, the big ck cats are here too. This human sure is talented at creating trouble for others."


    Nightmare couldn''t help but chuckle internally. Creating trouble was its master''s only specialty! But that''s when the orc attacked it.


    It knew that there wouldn''t be a way for it to survive the swing of the massive hammer. Enemies from all sides surrounded it and there was still time before its master was supposed to summon it back.


    It closed its eyes, knowing that this was the end, awaiting death. It felt the momentum behind the attack. It felt its body begin to break down and then¡ª


    "I told you that you could count on me, right?" came the voice of its crazy bastard of a master. How had he even known when to summon it? Then again¡­.it wasn''t the only thing about the man that didn''t make sense.


    Nightmare couldn''t help suddenly shiver as it saw the way its master was looking toward the fortress. He adorned an utterly evil grin, one of a man that was about to cause mayhem.


    Chances were that the orc king and the big cats were now fighting. But, there would be no winner, for a slyer scheming evil wasing¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    Sometimes, teamwork is very important. I for sure was going to exploit the weird obsession the panthers had with Nightmare. My bet was that there was a reason the creatures had been isted. If the orcs could deal with them they would have done that instead...

 Chapter 348: Panther Coaching!

    <h4>Chapter 348: Panther Coaching!</h4>


    A man slowly walked inside the orc fortress, stepping on blood, entrails, and severed limbs alike.


    The ground wet with gore didn''t bother Josh in the least. This, in fact, was a scene he was totally used to. He even had arge grin as he nodded to the scene of the carnage satisfied.


    Many orcs were running all over the ce, trying to make sense of the situation. That''s when they saw him. To them, he was as reassuring as a dinosaur-shaped fluorescent sticker to a child lost in darkness.


    "S-shaman! The big cats attacked, how?!"


    "Shaman, they went toward the king''sir!"


    "Shaman, please save us! Banish the enemies!"


    Shaman this, shaman that. How old were those orcs?


    In any case, what was he supposed to do right now? At this moment, he had to y the odds with the creatures'' lives. Which would be stronger?


    - Two very hangry ck panthers?


    - One OP orc king that can totally use magic?


    The problem was that Josh hadn''t fought any of them directly¡ª because he didn''t wish to die.


    All contestants were definitely powerful. It all boiled down to: would the advantage in number ovee the gear and skills of the humanoid?


    Then again, there was always a very heartless method to keep the panthers busy in case of an emergency. Luckily, the poor Nightmare didn''t know what its master was thinking, or it would have probably gone crazy.


    Josh cleared his throat and addressed them all!


    "All of you! Fear not, for I have the solution." He reassured them.


    He grabbed a few orc bones that were just sticking out in the open before circting purple mana in it, making the entire process look quite mystifying.


    "Alright, the seal must be broken. All of you take these bones and ce them to rece the ones that were broken!" He ordered.


    "S-shaman, wasn''t your magic red?!" One orc frowned deeply.


    "Someone kill that dumbass for me! It''s purple when it''s a temporary fix. Stop thinking, and fucking go before it''s toote. I''ll be helping the king in the meantime." Josh instructed. (They did kill the dissident.)


    Josh quickly headed back to the king''sir as the orc army left.


    He searched for the trapdoor but didn''t find any. Instead, there was a massive and gaping hole. He didn''t hesitate and jumped downward, already hearing echoes of a fight. As for the corridor, it was as demolished as a lying vixen iming it was "her first time".


    Those panthers were really violent. He made sure not to picture what would happen to Nightmare if caught by them¡­


    Then he finally saw the thrown room. Actually, he arrived just in time to witness the orc king being violently thrown onto his own throne.


    ¡ª CRASH! ¡ª


    ¡ª CRUSH! ¡ª


    The collision was so brutal that the skulls were instantly turned into dust. Yet his body was now entirely glowing red, as mystical runes shed, enveloping his entire body with a magical armor.


    Josh couldn''t help but gulp at this scene:


    1. He would have to evade the flying fighters for sure. So much force would 100% kill him!


    2. This armor was so goddamn insane! How was he supposed to even pierce through it?


    3. What a fucking waste! How much bone meal could have been made with that many bones!


    Anyone else would have been running for their lives, but Josh stayed nearby, sometimes even avoiding a flying orc or a flying panther.


    This whole thing reminded him of a superhero movie. Why??Because they were as good to inflict coteral damage! There were now craters all over the ce, even the walls, and ceiling.


    At this rate, it was only a question of time before the entire underground copsed, the fortress above crushing them.


    That''s when sonorousughter resounded:


    "Hahaha, here you are! The scheming human is back! Just in time for the barbecue! How do you like grilled panthers?"


    "Tch¡ª as much as I enjoy dark meat, I''ll have to decline. Now is not a good time to be nauseous." Josh chuckled.


    ¡ª ROAR!¡ª


    ¡ª ROAR! ¡ª


    It seemed like the panthers didn''t take kindly to their opponent, ignoring them. But then they noticed where the orc king''s eyes were wandering.


    They saw Josh and growled at him with malice in their eyes. Wasn''t this the guy that had helped the "juicy" looking ck creature escape earlier?!


    But even then, they returned to fighting the orc king. This green giant had tried or killed their prey! They weren''t sure what had happened, but this was unforgivable! After all, while the human was irksome, at least he had just dyed them.


    Yet the orc king keptughing, not a care in the world.


    "Hahahaha, the big cats are mad!"


    The panthers pounced at him, and he swung his hammer, sending one flying only for the other to collide with him. Sadly for the big cat, the orc''s barrier protected it from the fangs and ws.


    It was abat of tanks, with all being more powerful than bulldozers and as agile as cats¡ª for some literally.


    ¡ª BAM! ¡ª


    ¡ª THUD! ¡ª


    ¡ª ROAR! ¡ª


    "Hahahaha, try harder, little cats. We can do this all day, and everything will be fine!" The orc king was in high spirits.


    The more thebat progressed and the more signs of exhaustion the fighters began to show.


    The orc king''s barrier was very slowly bing dimmer. It was as if a 600-watt taxi light was now at 587 watts. It wasn''t much, but it was something, right? It still felt so full of power.


    But the big cats were actually in a worse situation. Their fur was showing signs of being bloody. It was all superficial wounds so far, but the damage was umting. After all, the orc''s hammer seemed almost as heavy as "your mom".


    At this rate, the panther barbecue would happen, and he would be fucked!


    What could he do? He knew that he didn''t have the strength to directly contest in such a fight. What about indirectly? As he kept observing the sh, he suddenly noticed something.


    The orc king''s barrier seemed weaker on one side. But that''s when he realized that there was a tiny chip in the orc''s armor there.


    Wait¡­was this barrier 100% because of the armor?!


    Josh produced the most strident whistle that he could muster. The cats instantly turned his way, displeased. But they couldn''t help but be perplexed as they were confronted with the human gesticting like crazy.


    What the hell?!


    Had he suddenly gone crazy?¡­ Almost. He was trying tomunicate an idea with the creatures. Also, it turns out that ying a miming game with a cat wasn''t the easiest thing.


    But after a solid 13 seconds of effort, they seemingly understood. They charged at their nemesis once more, but this time was different. Instead of hitting the orc''s vitals, as per their instinct, they targeted the clunky metallic armor.


    ¡ª CLANG! ¡ª


    As an armor piece flew away, the barrier seemed to be weaker all of a sudden. The cats cheered and went on the assault again, targeting the equipment again.


    ¡ª CLANG! ¡ª


    ¡ª CLANG! ¡ª


    ¡ª CLANG! ¡ª


    Josh looked at this happen with pride. He could now add big cat military advisor on his resume. Whether people would believe it was an entirely different issue.


    A gauntlet just happened to fly right past his head,nding a little distance away. He quickly scurried over to it, happily examining it. It seemed like regr armor, besides the fact that there were patterns inscribed inside.


    But as he touched it, the same red glowing barrier protected the item. It seemed like removing the gauntlet hadn''t removed its power at all. It was just too far for the orc to use it efficiently.


    Josh rxed as he enjoyed the show.


    ¡ª CLANG! ¡ª


    ¡ª SMACk! ¡ª


    ¡ª CLANG! ¡ª


    ¡ª SMACk! ¡ª


    ¡ª CLANG! ¡ª


    The panthers would remove the armor, and the orc would m his big hammer right into their ass. Talk about a kinky fight. Soon the orc would be left standing naked.


    He rejoiced as he could already picture victory. Hopefully, he wouldn''t be wrong.


    Then it reached the point where the orc didn''t have a single piece of armor on him. That''s when a w finally pierced through the little remaining defense he still had. It pierced his flesh and drew blood! ¡ª a few droplets only, but still.


    "Hehehe, how far you''ve fallen, orc king. Do you bleed? The answer is yes, it seems." Josh couldn''t help but taunt.


    But just as he was happily enjoying himself, he saw the enemy smirk. This smirk was very deep and allowed him to see the king''s fangs. That''s when Josh understood that the orc was about to use his trump card!


    What would happen?!


    The orc suddenly began glowing red as tendrils of red energy seemed toe outward from the armor, connecting with his body. That''s when the equipment began to quiver with energy as if about to move.


    Josh wasn''t sure how but he instantly understood what this was: he was recalling the fallen armor pieces! Oh crap, this guy was stealing that move from the Man of Iron!


    Josh tried to hold the gauntlet down, but he realized that it would soon fly out of his grasp and return to its true owner. It was too resistant for him to sabotage it, either. But just as he was wondering what to do, he suddenly smelled the scent of strawberry.


    What did this have to do with anything? It was freakinging from the gauntlet! What?! How was this possible?! Then again¡­who the fuck cared!


    The orc king wasughing on the side, having a st. They had worked so hard and taken damage to remove his armor pieces. Yet, he would simply recall them. How would they react when they realized that all their efforts had been in vain?


    He couldn''t wait to see the despair on their faces! It would be so much fun! But suddenly, something strange happened. The nearby shaman-looking human abandoned his disguise, revealing his true appearance.


    Then he quickly began¡­growing?! No, he was apparently inting. What the hell was happening? His body, limbs, and head were just¡­big. How peculiar. The human looked his way, giving him a simr smirk.


    "Big Chungus and Devouring Bloodline motherfucker!" The human yfully uttered.


    Just as the orc king was trying to process the information, it saw the human open his mouth¡­and devour his gauntlet...


    What the fuck?! For the first time in a long time, perhaps since its existence, the orc king felt confused. There was also a trace of a foreign emotion in there. What was it?


    It was a bizarre one. It seemed to make his body shiver whenever he looked at the human. Especially the way he was now looking at him....greedily?!


    At that moment, the orc king learned the meaning of fear¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] Thanks to cbyrd_18 for the amazing gift! Golden Gachapon woot! ???????? This is a great advertisement for the novel! Push it in everyone''s face! Muhahahaha (World dominationes next)


    Creator''s Thought


    This was the start of an eating rampage...great times. I still remember the shocked face of the orc king. It was so wonderful! He was feeling so confident only to suddenly realize that it wasn''t as invincible as it previously thought.

 Chapter 349: Finale Orc King (Almost)

    <h4>Chapter 349: Finale Orc King (Almost)</h4>


    At this moment, every living creature turned toward the human inplete shock. What the fuck was that?!


    The human had just¡­devoured a gauntlet?!


    Not just any gauntlet but a magical one to boot?! It had even been protected by magical glyphs and a barrier. How?!


    The orc king''s face changed from happily smirking to twisting horrendously. As for the panthers, they, too, were confused. But seeing the orc''s reaction, they understood that this development was good for them.


    At this rate, they would be able to get their revenge on the creature who had killed their target and confined them for so long!


    As for Josh, he was contently burping on the side. This stuff was so delicious! Hell, at this rate, he would get addicted to eating enchanted gear.


    Then again, this sure was weird. Why was it that this devouring ability only seemed to activate at times? Not everything smelled good to him, only a few items. Was it a matter ofpatibility?


    Either way, he now felt a warm current inside his body as he ate. It felt amazing! What was this?


    Opening his status window real quick, he smiled in satisfaction:


    Ability Power ¡ª> +10


    Eating could make him stronger?! At that very moment, the way he gazed at the orc king changed. This preciously impossible mountain to ovee now appeared to be made of delicious candy. So what if it was big? He would devour it all!


    The orc king gulped loudly, sensing that something was wrong with the situation, but he then rposed himself.


    Without waiting, he charged straight at Josh!


    ¡ª Woosh! ¡ª


    In his eyes, there was cold murderous intent. ytime was now over as the glowing red giant swung his ginormous hammer at him.


    Holy fuck!


    Could Josh even evade?! No fucking way. He would need to use his cloak to survive the hit at this rate¡­but what about the next one?!


    In his food-induced bliss, he had been a beat toote to react. But just as he braced himself for impact, a savior arrived!


    ¡ª Whoosh! ¡ª


    ¡ª A wild panther appeared! ¡ª


    Then happened a sh between the two titans, with Josh trying to make himself as tiny as possible.


    ¡ª BANG! ¡ª


    ¡ª THUD! ¡ª


    The panther flew away, with the other already pouncing on another armor piece. This was Josh''s cue to get the fuck out! He activated his spider set and charged straight at the wall as he began to climb it.


    The orc king watched his prey scale toward the ceiling with his eyes bulging. What the heck?! What kind of ability was this?!


    He didn''t wait and sent his hammer flying with the speed of a professionally thrown baseball¡ª except it was freaking elephant-sized! This was madness!


    Josh felt the killing intent locking onto him and had no choice but to throw himself downward. As he was free-falling, the orc king smirked and charged his way, readying his mountain-like fists.


    But before the king could deal the finishing blow, the panthers were once again attacking him. Plus, he didn''t have his weapon anymore and had to fend them off with only his fists. This allowed his enemies to send some more armor pieces flying.


    The orc quickly used his spell to summon back his armor¡­only to realize inplete horror that one more piece already wasn''t responding. How was this possible?!


    That''s when he saw Josh. He held some kind of item in his hands that allowed him to change his gear at the speed of a magical quick-changer.


    Zoom set for the speed.


    Big Chungus set to devour.


    Spider set to scurry back to the safety of the ceiling.


    He was using three sets he had gotten from Hellish as if his own abilities. He was fighting OP gear with OP gear!


    Never had the orc king felt his belly so full of fury¡­but what could he do?! This was a goddamn nightmare! The more the fight progressed and the more cornered he began feeling.


    It was all that damn human''s fault! He always stayed in the back or ran on the fucking ceiling! What kind of fighting technique was this?!


    "Human! How cowardly are you? Will you just hide behind the big cats all your life?"


    "Yep, that''s exactly the n. d we''re on the same page!" Josh replied, void of any shame. So what if he was acting cowardly? Honor was utter bullshit.


    Fighting a monster stronger than him head-on wouldn''t be a sign of courage but of stupidity. How many times had he repeated that same thing to his students at the D.L. school? Okay, pretty much never since he had abandoned them¡­


    The orc king was getting so annoyed that he even resorted to trying diplomacy:


    "Can''t you two see that he''s using you?! What do you think will happen once we''re all almost dead? He will betray you, skin you alive, and devour you!" He bellowed toward the cats.


    Yes¡­.toward the cats. You know you''ve hit a low point in your life when you''re negotiating with cats.


    The panthers were getting pretty bloodied by now. One had to admit that the orc was impressively mighty. He would inflict lots of damage on his enemies for every piece of armor that he lost.


    By now, the big cats were limping, their fur redder than ck from all the blood shed, and some of their ws were broken. They really made for a sad picture.


    But even then, they didn''t hesitate. They 100% wouldn''t be able to fight the orc without the human, but perhaps they would stand a chance against the human even injured. It was actually a pretty logical choice.


    With thatst refusal, the orc king finally lost thest piece of his armor, and his coarse green skin was now exposed to the air. Muscle enthusiastic gals would have absolutely adored this!


    He loudly growled at them:


    "Enough! The fighting stops now! Otherwise, we all die here!" He spat out, rolling his shoulders and disying his mighty aura.


    Josh couldn''t help but recoil in shock as he realized where the orc was: right next to the exit. He was blocking their only way out and seemed He serious! This was no empty bluff!


    Should Josh negotiate to have the curse on him removed? Then he''d be able to leave this ce using the dimensional belt in a few days when the cooldown on it was over. He could thene back better prepared in the future.


    But, he didn''t have much time to ponder over it.


    It turns out that the subtleties of humanoid non-verbalmunication weren''t the panthers'' strongest suit. They charged forward to inflict the killing blow without even considering the option.


    The orc king knew that he was fucked and got ready to activate his trump card.


    Josh knew that they were all fucked seeing this.


    The panthers were still happily pouncing.


    That''s when the orc''s heart began glowing red. It was so damn bright that it was discernible even through his skin and flesh!


    Josh instinctively understood what was happening: he was sacrificing his life force for onest attack.


    The monster''s entire body began glowing red, and then happened something truly horrifying. His whole body began to inte. He kept growing so fast until his head almost reached the damn ceiling!


    He made a green superhero look like an adorable kittenpared to it!


    Thisbat was over. The colossal orc swung his fist akin to a hammer. The panthers tried their best to evade, but he kept swinging relentlessly.


    In the process, various pirs, walls, and even the damn ceiling were wrecked. But the attack did eventually connect. One panther turned into nothing but a bloody mess, no clue about the creature it once was.


    The orc king began?ughing:


    "Hahahaha. One does not go against the orc king and survive!"


    But that''s when a rumbling sound was heard. The cracks in the walls suddenly began erging thanks to gravity and all the damage done previously.


    Holy fucking shit. The entire fortress was falling!!


    It seems the orc king had been right¡­.they were all gonna die there.


    "HAHAHAHA! How fitting, my domain leaving this world with me!" Theugher of the king and the cries of despair from the surface mixed together.


    Then it all came crashing.


    ¡ª Rumble! ¡ª


    ¡ª Crash! ¡ª


    ¡ª Rumble! ¡ª


    ¡ª Crash! ¡ª


    ¡ª Rumble! ¡ª


    ¡ª Crash! ¡ª


    ¡ª Rumble! ¡ª


    ¡ª Crash! ¡ª


    The air was filled with dust, so much dust that nothing could be seen.


    As it slowly cleared, anyone would have been shocked beyond belief. Of the majestic and impregnable-looking fortress, there remained only rubble.


    No, it was even worse than that. Where it once stood, there remained only a crater filled with debris. This was a scene ofplete destruction.


    The once lively area was now only filled with weighty silence and the aura of death.


    But suddenly, a rock began to tremble slightly before being pushed aside. A handsome face gasped for air. He had survived? How?! It seemed like he had been lucky. The rocks had crushed most of his body, but he was still alive.


    He sighed in relief as he beganughing lowly.


    "I''m alive! I''m alive, haha! Fuck the panthers¡­and fuck that human!" The orc king happily cackled.


    Gosh, this had been a close call! Everyone else was dead, his people, his enemies, and hisir were destroyed, but it could always rebuild as he had done before!


    But then he suddenly froze as he slowly began pondering aloud.


    "As I did in the past? How did I even build this ce before? Why can''t I remember?!" The orc felt a huge headacheing.


    What the heck was this?! Why couldn''t he remember his past?! This didn''t make sense! But that''s when a low, calm, and poised voice was heard.


    "Because you never had a past in the first ce."


    Creator''s Thought


    An NPC bing self-conscious opens the door for so many possibilities. But, no matter what, I still had the mission to kill the Orc King. What was I supposed to do? What about the morality of it all? Me not caring about it doesn''t mean that I won''t ponder over it.

 Chapter 350: Orc King Defeated?!

    <h4>Chapter 350: Orc King Defeated?!</h4>


    Floor 24 was a huge fucking mess! It was now buried under rubble.


    The scene of the catastrophe waspletely still, with every living creature annihted, or so it seemed. Suddenly a small pebble rolled on the side as a nightmarish red creature crawled out from underneath.


    It had broken limbs that were slowly regenerating, and it looked so damn unnatural! Then a disfigured head was seen, one that slowly returned to its original appearance.


    Josh was entirely covered in blood, so much goddamn blood that he was painted red! As he extricated himself from the rubble, he couldn''t help but sigh in relief. This had been a damn close one!


    Still limping, he slowly advanced, gradually making sense of his surroundings. Nearby came weak, pained roars.


    ¡ª Roa¡­ ¡ª


    He instantly understood what this was. The panther was somewhere under the rocks and breathing itsst. This powerful apex predator had perished from the castleing down unto it.


    Yet he had survived, all thanks to his cloak¡­.and some luck. He had taken so much damage but had avoided an instant kill. This had been enough to allow him toe back from the dead.


    That''s when resounded a deep yet excited voice:


    "I''m alive! I''m alive, haha!" This was the orc king. He knew that much.


    Yet the voice still seemed pained. Without hesitating, Josh headed toward the monster with resolve. This might be his only opportunity.


    As he finally found the powerful green creature, it was lying below a gigantic boulder and could only move its right hand. The king even seemed to be trying to recall his past, failing to do so.


    At this moment, curiosity took the better of him. How would this guy react to this?


    "Because you never had a past in the first ce." Josh lowly uttered.


    The orc jerked in shock. What?! In his eyes, there was confusion. How had the human even survived this?! There was only so much that luck could do. Plus, he was so bloodied! He had obviously taken lots of damage, so how was he fine now?!


    "You''re nothing but a creature this world created. Didn''t you ever wonder why this ce is so small? It''s even shaped like a prison." Josh delivered another blow.


    "I-I¡­"


    "A fake ruling over other fakes, and even those are all dead. How does it feel to learn the truth, "king"?" Josh sneered.


    The orc was now in an existential crisis. He could somehow detect that the human was telling the truth¡­but how could he ept such a preposterous concept?! But then it regained its spirit.


    It stared straight into Josh''s eyes and growled:


    "So what! I remain a king!"


    "?" Josh couldn''t help but be taken aback.


    "Whether this world is true or fake, I will forever remain a king. This is what it means to be the strongest orc!" He roared thest part with so much gusto that his voice made the smaller rocks tremble.


    "Is there any worth to such an empty title?" Josh sighed.


    "Who said that it''s empty?" The orc suddenly smirked.


    That''s when it happened. The guy''s body began glowing red once more. Then an insect tide crawled out of the rubble¡ª or that''s what it looked like. No, those were the magical glyphs on the dead orcs! What?!


    The magic was seeminglying alive as it slowly crawled over. Had the orc king been the one responsible for the enchants all along?! Then what the fuck was the shaman doing?!


    That''s when a frightening thought urred to him. This meant that this guy had other ways to turn the tables on him! Who fucking cared about the orc being a self-conscious AI?! He wasn''t about to die here!


    Josh didn''t even hesitate as he cleaved at the creature''s limbs. But that goddamn red barrier appeared once again. WTF?! How was this even possible? But that''s when he realized:


    "Killing the orcs wasn''t coteral damage. It was your true objective. To get the runes back..." Josh uttered.


    "Hehehehehe!" The orcughed to himself. The human couldn''t even breach his defenses and the panthers were dead too!


    But that''s when Josh noticed something. This magic was different from the previous one. If thest one was a bubble, this new one was a coating. It seemed to follow the orc''s body as he breathed in and out.


    "Time to surrender? Hehehe ¡ª cough cough ¡ª hehe." The orc''sugher was often interrupted by powerful fits of cough as he threw blood like a fountain.


    It seemed like this magic was taking a toll on his body. Yet seeing his victorious grin, he had to have a method to recover. But then the grin soon twisted to incredulity and shock.


    "You know what? Sure, why not." Josh casually said as he took out a magical parchment, smiling, "This is a magical contract. Sign it to surrender unconditionally."


    Wait¡­what?!


    The orc couldn''t understand. The human couldn''t even pierce his defenses. Where was he getting his confidence from? This had to be a bluff!


    "How about it? What will it be? Either the "orc king" perished today, or you do." Josh gave an enchantingly devilish smile.


    The orc king dying? He meant for him to renounce his identity? Why the heck would he do that?!


    "Nice try, but you''re too weak to¡ª" The orc king opened his mouth, but in retrospect, he really shouldn''t have.


    "Is that so?" Josh seemed so mischievous as he took out a stick. It looked uncannily in¡ª way too in for a Tower item.


    Using his mana, he generated the usual grass elemental. That''s when the nightmare began. The orc was stuck under rocks and couldn''t move and just happened to have his mouth open.


    "Choke him," Josh ordered.


    Grass, grass, and even more grass! The orc king''s vision became filled with grass. Normally he would have struggled and broken free forcefully, but it didn''t have that leisure.


    It felt the grass tentacles enter his mouth, then his windpipe, and even his lungs. Direct damage? Fucking none! But the orc suddenly couldn''t breathe.


    Every passing moment became more and more excruciating. Yet it wouldn''t be enough to make the proud orc king give up! He was the strongest of his race, after all!


    The human was smirking evilly at him, at his uing demise while holding the magical contract. So fucking what?! It wouldn''t give him the satisfaction of triumphing over him! He would neverpromise!


    But that''s when it heard the human''s voice once more as it monologued, akin to the sweet whispers of a devil.


    "Say, do you know how the Tower works?"


    "It takes info from all the worlds and spawns creatures ording to it."


    "Do you know what this means? Somewhere out, there are other orcs, true ones."


    "You think you''re the orc king? You are a king at best and a fake one at that. Amazing, isn''t it?"


    "Are you truly content staying here forever? Are you really content to die a dog''s death? I can bring you out."


    The orc was already slowly losing consciousness. Yet his groggy mind still heard the whispers. Find the true orcs? Be their king? But he would have to bow to another for that. It wasn''t worth it. It truly wasn''t¡ª


    "The ones who toyed with you are the gods. They created the Tower. They brought me here. They did all of it. You were the perfect pawn, the perfect canon folder, hehe." Joshughed.


    "Don''t you want to know why they did it?"


    That''s when the orc''s eyes suddenly opened wide. They werepletely bloodshot as rage coursed through him. Know why? Know fucking why?! Hell no! He wanted revenge! The orcs being stepping stones?! Hell no! His pride wouldn''t let him ept it!


    That''s when he nced at the human. In his eyes, he saw something other than shamelessness and slyness for the first time. He discerned a deep rage and a deep regret, yet it was all so controlled!


    That''s when the orc king understood. This man wasn''t the weakling he had once believed. For the first time, a thought urred to him. Perhaps true strength had nothing to do with strong muscles or great magic.


    Perhaps this was what he needed to progress to the next level.


    He suddenly turned toward the contract¡­one that he could somehow read. As he saw what was inscribed on it, his jaw almost reached the ground.


    "D-do you truly mean it?!" the orc asked, trembling.


    "Why not?" Josh barely shrugged.


    Was his idea madness? Was he supposed to do that? Could it causeplications down the line? Perhaps, but so what! When had he ever done things properly? Otherwise, he wouldn''t still be ssless.


    Whether it would bring him to ruin not, he would embrace this style of life. Right now, this included offering an olive branch to a creature that had already be more than it was created to be.


    The orc could barely move his limbs, but he managed to sign the magical contract. He did so using his very blood, even disabling the runes protecting its body.


    At this moment, Josh could have killed him¡­but he didn''t.


    There was a magical sh as the contract worked its magic. The grass tentacles rescinded, the orc taking a deep breath, the first one of its new life.


    "Hehe, human, you''re definitely crazy." He chuckled, seemingly insulting his master without any restrain. Yet they both understood that it was praise, from one crazy bastard to another.


    Josh spoke once more, as rhythmically as heatedly:


    "How can one go against the gods without a bit of craziness? Should we just be their ythings?!"


    "How else can one defy fate without a little bit of craziness? Should we just curl up and die?!"


    "Actually, I''ll tell you a secret. It''s not me who''s insane. It''s the goddamn world!"


    "We''ll just have to rectify it."


    "Are you ready?"


    The orc felt his blood boil. What kind of madness had he just epted to be part of? Yet he found himself smirking. After all, this man had given him a great reason to fight alongside him.


    "Yes, master. Let''s make the worlds tremble, hehehe!" He echoed in madughter.


    "From now on, you won''t be the orc king. You''ll just be a nameless one¡­for now. Strive toward achieving this new goal of yours until you can be THE Orc King."


    The both of them nodded at one another, grinning like devils. But there was only so much that could be done on a now-destroyed Floor.


    "System, take me out. The orc king is already dead." The madman uttered, under the curious gaze of his new subordinate.


    [Error. The mission isn''tpleted. The Orc King is still alive!]


    "Nope. The orc king that ruled over this realm is long dead." The humanoid chuckled.


    "You heard him, now hurry up and let us out."


    [Error. Searching Database. Error¡ª Error!]


    [No Precedent Found! Searching¡­!]


    "Who cares if there''s a precedent. Just use the reward function to make the subordinate contracte true. You should be capable of this much." Josh uttered, headstrong.


    [Calcting. Calcting¡­]


    The orc by the side couldn''t help butugh. What the hell was this?! This man was about to bully the world that had held him prisoner all this time.


    How interesting...


    Creator''s Thought


    Did my choice make any sense? Instead of receiving the rewards, I wanted...this orc? Sometimes, very rarely, I would do such things whimsically. So what if we were enemies? Such insignificant matters don''t matter much in therge picture. I mean this choice only affected the fate of a few dozen races....or was it a hundred? Meh, whatever...

 Chapter 351: Big D Orc Swaggering In Town

    <h4>Chapter 351: Big D Orc Swaggering In Town</h4>


    A young man slowly came out of the Tower, looking all as calm as humanly possible butpletely covered in rock dust.


    A young MTA soldier quickly saw the man he recognized as Josh and eagerly waved at him. He was just about to speak when he suddenly froze, his mouth gaping open.


    His entire body began to tremble while his eyes were bulging. For a second, he wondered if he was dreaming. What the fuck was this?!


    Behind Josh, there was arge, muscr, andpletely green humanoid creature. The soldier then quickly figured out what it was... "Is that an orc?! Sir, careful!" He shouted loudly.


    Instantly all eyes turned his way, both soldiers and a few courageous Climbers. First, there was shock, then pure disbelief, and finally fright. It was a goddamn gradient of emotions.


    "A monster!?"


    "Quick! Call the MTA!"


    "Dumbass, they''re already here!"


    "Establish a defense perimeter. Hurry!"


    "How many enemies are there?! Is the Tower leaking?!"


    They instantly tensed up as they got ready for a fight. It probably didn''t help that the orc was happily growling at them. His evil-looking smirks sent terror in their hearts and pee in their pants.


    That''s when Josh finally stepped forward:


    "Stop panicking, all of you. Haven''t you seen pets before?" He shook his head, showing great disappointment.


    As they heard that, many rxed a bit. Still, a soldier quickly strode forward: "Sir, please recall your pet! This is to assure Metropolis-D''s safety!"


    "Yeah¡­.not gonna happen. Just roll with it." Josh instantly denied.


    "Sir, please just¡ª"


    "Nope. I''m letting him breathe a bit."


    This, in turn, made the bystanders frown as the soldiers were already regretting being on duty today. Why were they the ones needing to deal with such a troublesome situation?


    They usually would swarm both pet and master alike to restrain them, but what could they do against this guy? Not only did he personally know Markus, but he also owned a Climber school.


    If that wasn''t enough, the guy was extremely stubborn. He was the kind who wasn''t easily swayed. Many Climbers were alreadyughing, not having recognized him. After all, news came and went. Many had forgotten his face.


    "Haha, buddy, you sure are bold."


    "Bold? He''s reckless! He should just recall his pet."


    "Hehe, I can''t wait to see him beaten up by the MTA!"


    "Yep, anyone wants to bet on the oue? Shot down or restrained?"


    "Sounds fun, count me in! Putting 300 Credits on shot dead!"


    "This guy feels familiar¡­but I''m not sure where I''ve seen him."


    "Who knows" ¡¥_(-_-)_/¡¥


    They sure were enjoying themselves. For some reason, they all seemed convinced that he would be in deep trouble-. They had utterly missed the MTA peeps'' reaction.


    The soldiers grimaced as they heard talks about killing, maiming, or even arresting Josh. There was no way that they would dare! This was especially true considering they might be sent to train at his ce shortly.


    They knew better than to antagonize the training instructor. This was especially true when there already had been deaths in the Alter Tower. All the ones who had barged into it hadn''te back yet and probably never would.


    Suddenly a U-Bot came barging!


    "Monster detected! Monster detected! Alert! Alert! Alert!"


    Without even changing facial expression, the orc near Josh suddenly made a hammer appear out of nowhere, one that wasrger than his whole body. He then smashed it, the metal pushing the air away until it collided with the piece of metal.


    Hammer 1


    U-bot 0


    Tower za ¡ª> +1 Crater


    As for the orc, he didn''t show remorse or any sign that he was stressed. He simply took back his spot behind Josh.


    While this happened, the man rxedly took out his phone and called a friend. Many guns pointed his way, but a single look from him was enough to get their owner to lower them.


    The many Climbers were bbergasted:


    "Oy, what the hell is happening?"


    "Why are the MTA soldiers staying far away?"


    "Did this orc really just tten a U-bot just like that?!"


    "Wait¡­is he intimidating them?! He''s not doing anything!"


    That''s when a man suddenly gasped in shock.


    "Oh shit, guys. I just remembered! He''s Josh Malum! Still, what the hell is he doing?!"


    That''s when all the ones who had bet against him suddenly realized how foolish they were.


    "Still, what''s with the dust on him?"


    "It couldn''t help if we didn''t recognize him because of it."


    "What Floor do you all think he''s on? It must be a tough one."


    "Let me check something real quick. Wait, that''s weird¡­."


    "What''s up?"


    "The only known Floor with orcs is Floor 24."


    "He used a taming emblem on a Floor 24 mob?!"


    "Talk about a huge fucking waste, ridiculous!"


    "I would have gotten a subus instead. 100% better!"


    "Idiot, why risk your life to get one when you can visit a nice humandy."


    Afterward, the conversation quickly degenerated on the pros and cons of having a subus pet. From time to time, U-bots would appear and promptly be turned into scrap.


    Orc 9


    U-bots 0


    Tower za ¡ª> Too many craters


    The soldiers felt like they were nothing but a decoration at this point. They could only watch this travesty happen. Luckily their superior soon showed up.


    He was a man who didn''t seem to belong to the military. He was too easy-going for that.


    "Captain, what should we do?!" a soldier asked perplexed.


    The man simply grabbed a packet of beef jerky and began munching on it. He then very nonchntly replied:


    "Eh, we have to keep him here for now. Actually, spread out and make sure no more U-botse nearby. We have enough metallic pancakes as is." He instructed.


    "Captain, what about Josh Malum?"


    "What about him?" He asked, raising a brow.


    "Aren''t we going to do anything?"


    "Of course we are, don''t be stupid!" the Captain''s statement made them sigh in relief, but then he kept going. "I heard he likes to eat. Get him plenty of snacks!" He ordered.


    The soldiers werepletely at a loss. That wasn''t what they had pictured to be doing at all. Bring him snacks, really?! Since when were they errand boys?!


    Josh wasn''t the least worried as he slowly waited for Markus to show up. As he turned toward his new subordinate, he couldn''t help but ponder. Not only wasn''t it a pet but it wasn''t linked to the Tower directly.


    That''s when a nervous soldier suddenly appeared. Was he trying to bring him in custody? But as he noticed the food in the man''s hands, he couldn''t help but smile. The MTA wasn''t that bad after all.


    How many would have winced had they heard this? The MTA defended justice, but they would definitely be cruel to criminals. How the fuck did he believe this to be usual treatment?!


    "Pizza, sandwiches, and even chocte bars? Great job, you all! I''m going to put a good word for you with Markus."


    At that moment, the soldiers sure felt that this was dumb. They were freaking getting praised for snacks?


    "Ites with perfect timing. After all, I didn''t eat that much in the Tower." He offhandedly remarked.


    He was eating in the Tower? This felt weird because he hadn''t been gone that long in there. Sure, a lot could have happened, but Climbers usually tried to avoid eating in the Tower at all costs. Why did it sound so casual when he said it?


    That statement also made the orc''s face cramp. He remembered very vividly this devil eating his powerful armor whole! He didn''t know which was worse: that he had eaten his armor or asked him if he could make more as a snack?!


    That''s when the big boss of Metropolis-D finally arrived. He quickly walked as fast as possible toward Josh and took him to the side to talk.


    The bystander could only grumble as they were forced to evacuate the nearby area by MTA soldiers.


    Markus looked at the troublemaker, not sure how to react:


    "So, what''s this about your pet?"


    "Oh yeah. I just told them that he''s a pet, so they wouldn''t freak out. He''s a Tower creature, but he''s not really one anymore either."


    "Do you mean like the sloths?!"


    "Nope. The sloths had their own Tower that they had to Climb. If anything, you can consider him a friendly NPC." Josh exined.


    "I see. Are there any other orcs? Where did you find him? How is this possible?" Markus asked a flurry of questions.


    "I found him on Floor 24. It''s possible because of thetest Tower update. Be careful with that since the difficulty increased a lot. I really mean it¡­well maybe that''s just Hellish, I''m not sure. Also, don''t worry about other orcs. He''s thest one."


    "Thest one? What happened?" Markus asked.


    That''s when the orc chimed in: "He killed them all."


    What?! Makus couldn,t help but gasp. What kind of twist was this?! They had been enemies?! How had hee to serve him?


    "T-then, how are you guys so friendly now?"


    "Oh, you know, the usual. We decided to team up to fuck some gods up. They''re the ones that started this whole mess after all."


    "You call this the usual?!" Markus cried out.


    "I mean, it is my usual. So...yeah?"


    That¡­actually sounded about right. Honestly, what the heck was happening with that guy?! Markus took a second to calm his nerves.


    "Alright, keep telling others that he''s your pet. This will be easier to exin. We were talking about passing aw allowing pets in Metropolises, so I guess I''ll push to move it forward."


    "Oh? People will be able to show up in the city with cool creatures? Nice!" Josh gave a thumb up.


    "Not nice! Do you know how much trouble this will cause?!"


    "A shitload, but you''ll take care of it as you always do, haha. Don''t worry, I believe in you."


    "I wish you believed in me less! How about you cause less trouble instead?!"


    "Hehe, no worries. Anyway, I need to get better equipment cause I''m getting fucked in the Tower with the new update. Where can I upgrade my morphing weapon?"


    Markus couldn''t help but stare. Things had to be bad if even Josh admitted to having Climbing issues¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    Progress oftenes from necessity. Bying over with a literal orc I was forcing Markus to change thew of the city. This lie was for the best. After all, people were already tense enough as is.

 Chapter 352: Sunbathing Blacksmith

    <h4>Chapter 352: Sunbathing cksmith</h4>


    A young man happily began walking away from the Tower with an orc following behind him.


    Markus couldn''t help but facepalm as he saw how lightly Josh was taking all this.


    "Hey, we can''t just stroll around in the city with an orc! What are you even thinking?!"


    "Oh? Don''t worry. I''ll ask someone to babysit him. Everything will be fine." Josh shrugged as he took his UW to text.


    - Josh MF Malum: Hey there! I have my a pet with me, can I drop him at your ce? He''s well-behaved and isn''t a picky eater.


    - Best Bodyguard: What? Why are you messaging me out of the blue like that? There are plenty of pet daycares in Metropolis-D. The people working there are professionals too, so it''s better.


    Josh was pretty sure that they weren''t used to dealing with orcs around here. Would they try and y fetch with him? What would they feed him? Also, how would bath time y out? He chuckled lowly while picturing it.


    - Josh MF Malum: You''re a professional. Bodyguards are meant to protect, am I right? Or perhaps did you suddenly change your profession?


    - Best Bodyguard: I''m the best in the business!¡ª or will be soon. Whatever, fine, bring your pet here. But I''m gonna charge you premium!


    - Josh MF Malum: Perfect, see you soon. ????


    He turned toward the city official.


    "See, it''s all taken care of. There are no issues here."


    As for how to get there, Josh requisitioned a nket from the MTA before covering the orc with it. He then added a few holes for him to see where he was going.


    Orc ¡ª> Wannabe ghost!


    This metamorphosis was worthy of a makeover show!


    Josh was nodding in satisfaction: talk about quick thinking! Meanwhile, all bystanders were grimacing in disdain. What the fuck was this?!


    This looked even more suspicious than the original! The creature was the size of a mountain, was showing its green muscr ankles, and yellow eyes peered through the holes. It was 100% clear that this thing wasn''t human!


    Either way, Josh didn''t give a fuck about the strange looks as he led the way.


    Everywhere they went, the crowd parted to let them through. Some children pointed their way.


    "Oh my god, what is this?!"


    "Look, mom, a gigantic ghost!"


    "Is it Halloween yet? Is it?!"


    But as their parents saw the creature, they became deathly pale as they started trembling in their boots. They would drag their kids away hurriedly, some even calling the MTA for help.


    "Pleasee quick. There''s a monster!"


    "It''s eying my kid, please hurry up!"


    "A monster in the city?! Run for your life!"


    "Don''t look, buddy, that''s gotta be some weird new fad."


    Those idiots sure were overreacting. Honestly, so many called themselves proper parents but seeing this made him lose faith in humanity.


    Josh''s orc hadn''t even shown a single sign of hostility, and people were already reporting it. Humans stole and killed daily and somehow were the good guys. This was definitely hypocrisy at its finest.


    Anyway, they soon reached the Sunny Bar, or more urately, the small apartment right next to it.


    Josh quickly knocked on the door.


    ¡ª Knock, Knock! ¡ª


    The bodyguard guy opened the door, carrying two bags of pet food. "Hey man, I''ve got two bags of general pet food. It will hopefully work. Anyway, where''s your pet?" He asked enthusiastically, eager for the job.


    "Right here." Josh pointed at the orc while removing the sheet covering him.


    That''s when the creature was revealed in all its glory. A pet?! This wasn''t a pet at all! What the fuck was this?! Muscr, big, scary-looking, and even its smirk promised death. The bodyguard stared, gasping.


    "Alright, I''m leaving him in your care. Let him watch a show or something. As for food, you can give him anything you''d eat yourself. Later!" Josh waved, leaving behind a stunned man.


    But before he could run away, a shout came.


    "Wait¡­are you serious?! ¡­of course, you are¡­fuck! What''s his name?!"


    "Not sure¡­let me try and rememberer. I think it started with Destroyer of worlds? Or was it Blood-Drinker? Flesh Devourer? Ah, whatever. You''ll figure it out!" Josh teased him.


    The poor bodyguard was now so shaken that he couldn''t even find the strength to talk. The only thing keeping him sane was his professional work ethic. He could only usher the orc in a while, wondering if he should delete Josh from his contact¡­and maybe move away.


    A little distance away, Markus was frowning:


    "Say, what was that about Destroyer of Worlds?"


    "Oh, just a small joke. He''s actually nameless right now. He used to be the orc king, but I made him understand that the current him didn''t deserve such a title." Josh shrugged. "Anyway, I don''t think it will cause any problem."


    The "don''t think" wasn''t the most reassuring, but Markus couldn''t help it. He had already scheduled a meeting for the petw. In the meantime, he would 100% stay with Josh in case a problem cropped up.


    "Alright, follow me to the industrial district. I''ll introduce you to a great cksmith."


    "I thought you guys didn''t have district?" Joshmented.


    "You know how Metropolis-C nned every district carefully? Well, we don''t have that here. But even then, we still have rough ones. For instance, people get annoyed at hearing hammering all day."


    "Oh, I see. So they naturally congregated together even if it''s not forced."


    "I mean, we do have some city zoning. We''re just slightlyxer. I do believe that some freedom is necessary to promote growth." Markus exined.


    This made a lot of sense. Actually, Markus''s personality was what had allowed him to befriend the MTA. He was pretty sure he would have been at war with them without his involvement.


    It would have probably ended as a shitshow. Would he have taken over D-23 forcefully? Would he have fought them? Perhaps Gene Corp would have taken over this ce already. As he pondered the what-ifs, they arrived.


    The industrial district was loud, smelled of iron, and was quite tidy. Workers were going about their business energetically. Many of them were probably Climbers as the industry slowly became intertwined with the Tower.


    "Here, follow closely. We''re almost there."


    Before long, they reached the tiniest building on the street, one that looked quite shitty. Josh couldn''t help but feel intrigued. How was it that Markus was bringing him to this one? There was no sign of this ce seeding at all.


    Inside, they were assaulted by incredible heat. The room was messy and filled with scrap, but there was something odder.


    A speedo-wearing man was enjoying himself as hezed on a chair. He was akin to a tourist sunbathing on the beach, but the way he did it sure was peculiar! Above him, there was a metallic cage with a miniature sun burning up?!


    What the actual fuck was this?! Was this guy being roasted or what?! But looking at his blissful expression, it seemedfortable. Next to him, there was another beach chair, this one different inclination.


    "Cough. Cough. Hey there, I have a job for you." Markus said, looking extremely ufortable from the heat¡­or perhaps from the speedo?


    "Not interested." The manzily grumbled, not even bothering to open his eyes.


    "Look, I brought you a great customer. You should at least hear him out before you¡ª"


    "I''m taking a break right now. Get lost!" The man harshly spat out.


    Markus sighed as he turned to face Josh. "I''m really sorry he''s¡ª" but then he stopped. Josh wasn''t there anymore. That''s when he noticed him grilling on the other chair. What the hell was he doing?!


    "This sure feels nice." Josh sighed happily.


    As his voice echoed in the tiny room, the man finally opened his eyes. He jumped in surprise as he saw the crazy man beside him. It wasn''t supposed to be nice! This "sunbathing" was actually a training method.


    The man double-checked the sun above him, but it was still working. How did he appear so rxed?! One had to know that this miniature sun was made to train one''s resistance to heat.


    It would bypass any magical resistance and prate one''s body directly. For anyone without a fire-based ss resting underneath was simply stupid. This was because the damage would quickly umte until one''s blood evaporated.


    But no matter how he looked at him, the young man didn''t feel like a fire user. As a cksmith, he could sense that sort of stuff. At this rate, he''d freaking die!


    "Look, kid. You''ve made your point. Hurry up and get up from this chair. Otherwise, you''ll die! I really can''t work right now." He advised.


    "Naw, I''m good. Tell me when you''re ready to talk business. In the meantime, I''ll enjoy this." Josh happily said.


    "Crazy kid. Fine, suit yourself!" The man closed his eyes again.


    But as time passed, he would sometimes open his eyes to check on the youngster. He was still holding on?! But then he looked at Markus, who was already at his limit. He was sweating so much and had trouble breathing.


    "Kid, what level are you?" He asked.


    "Level 25, as for the item¡ª"


    "Level 25, what?! What about your ss?! Is it rted to fire?"


    "Nope, why?"


    "Then get the fuck away from here! Even if you don''t realize it, your organs must be turning to charcoal already! Even I can''t hold on more than an hour in this ce!"


    "Is that so? Are you ready to craft me some¡ª"


    "Look, kid, I''m on vacation right now. I''m not crafting anything for anyone!"


    "Alright, I''ll just wait till you change your mind," Josh uttered.


    "You''ll just die like a dumbass. Don''t be stupid and leave. Oy, Markus, the guy you brought needs to go to the hospital right now!"


    The leader of Metropolis-D looked at Josh while shaking his head. Why was it that he had to cause a ruckus everywhere he went? But even then, he didn''t really seem to be in any immediate danger. He was just beginning to take on the shade of a lobster.


    "Are you fine, Josh?"


    The youngster gave him a thumb up, but then his face became incredibly solemn.


    "Actually, there is something vital that I need you to do for me" Josh was asking for help?! Was this even possible?! "I need you to bring me lots of meat skewers and Pi?a Cdas."


    "¡­.-_-¡­."


    "Pretty please?" Josh begged before turning toward the unknown cksmith.


    "How about we have a bet. If you manage to oust me under this thing, I''ll pay you and leave you alone. If I win, you make me a weapon. How about it?" Josh proposed.


    "Crazy kid! Fine, but I''m not responsible for your death! You''re already looking pink!" The man snorted.


    "Alright, we have a deal then."


    Josh closed his eyes once more. After all, his eyeballs had been begun to smoke from the intense heat.


    He couldn''t help but chuckle to himself. Could this be considered a beach episode? There was sunbathing¡­.


    Creator''s Thought


    It''s events like these that make life worth living. Sometimes it''s worth it to take a moment to rx and just lie there. The blistering heat probably isn''t the most rxing, but there is worse. Should I have requested a speedo too?

 Chapter 353: Sunbathing Bet!

    <h4>Chapter 353: Sunbathing Bet!</h4>


    In a tiny cksmith workshop, two individuals werezily lying on beach chairs as they sunbathed. Above them was a miniature sun providing warmth.


    Anyone witnessing this scene would have agreed that this sure was one hell of an extravagant way to rx. But, there was more to it. The heat was so intense that it was blistering¡­or not.


    In fact, getting blisters would have been a better oue. This heat would reach the bones directly and melt them. Yes, freaking melt!


    Josh could feel his entire body quivering under stress. This fire was akin to an immortal fire emperor that would burn his enemies at all cost! It was an insidious one that would bypass all defenses.


    How was he resisting it then? Well, he wasn''t, not one bit. Josh was totally getting cooked. He currently felt akin to fries in boiling hot oil. He felt as if his entire body would shut down any second now.


    Yet, he was calmly lying on his chair as if nothing was happening. He could still remember how he had trained to increase his pain resistance in another life.


    Back then, he had used drugs to increase his pain sensitivity and had lots of fun with a professional torturer. He could still remember the incredible shock the man had gotten as he had requested his help.


    Josh had somehow managed to endure increasingly painful torture method, all until the man had decided to retire mid-process for some reason. Anyway, this experience was now helping him a ton.


    That''s how his face didn''t even show any sign of exertion as patiently endured. He was fortunate that the direct damage of this sun wasn''t that high. He wasn''t worried in the least, as his regeneration would cover it.


    Well, actually, he wouldn''t be abler to sustain it too long at this rate. Luckily he had managed to send Markus to grab food for him. This would be his secret weapon!


    Next to him was the speedo-wearing cksmith. The man was stout, muscr and his chest was glistering with pearls of sweat. His arms were big enough to make his head look small.


    This sure was a confusing time to analyze one''s strength. Before the Tower, there was a limit to how powerful a lean guy could be, even if he was all muscles. Now, humans could showcase the power of tanks. How insane was that?!


    The guy suddenly clicked his tongue as he made eye contact with him:


    "Are you done gawking at me? I know I''m handsome but just close your eyes or something."


    "Oh? Do gazes embarrass you? Perhaps I should keep looking until you give up." Josh yfully retorted.


    "Tch¡ª annoying guy!" He grunted.


    But as time passed, Josh began to look ufortable. He could be seen wriggling very slightly in his chair from time to time. He could feel his regeneration slowing down. At this rate, he would only have a few minutes to live.


    He wanted to message Markus to ask him where the heck he was, but his UW was already in safety in a heat-proof container. This was to prevent it from melting in a few seconds. As for the chairs¡­what the fuck were they made of?!


    Time ticked by. Would Josh have to use that one special French tactical move? (Aka surrender) The cksmith was smirking on the side as he saw his ufortable state. This youngster sure had been cocky!


    But just as Josh was brooding, his savior finally arrived.


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    The nging of the metallic door was music to his ears. Markus entered, carrying plenty of provisions. He was frowning, slightly displeased at being made an errand boy, but he had brought everything.


    "Here you go. Tons of skewers, as you asked. Chicken, beef, pork, horse, there''s plenty." He handed it over.


    "Thank you! You''re a lifesaver!" (Literally)


    Josh seemed toe back alive as he began munching madly. After every bite, he would close his eyes in bliss¡­and blistering heat. He would also down a Pi?a Cda from time to time.


    "Nothing beats food and drinks at a beach party!" He belched in satisfaction.


    He could feel his regeneration working at a full rate once again. Everything would be perfect now. He just needed to keep calm, eat andze around. The cksmith on the side gasped, stunned.


    "What the hell?! How are you fine now?!"


    "I was hungry, and I''m better now that I ate." Josh looked at him with a puzzled gaze. Wasn''t this obvious?


    "This doesn''t make any sense! How can one recover from such heat by eating and drinking?! Wait¡­except if¡ª?!" He suddenly cried out.


    "What''s up?"


    "You, there is healing medicine in that food! I''m right, aren''t I?!" The man triumphantly shouted. It was a good guess, but the reality was slightly different than what he thought it to be.


    "Not really¡­I really was hungry." Josh shrugged. He wasn''t about to expose his own devouring bloodline.


    "Prove it then, let me eat some! Otherwise, you''ll be disqualified." The man cackled as he gave an ultimatum.


    "Sure, whatever." Josh was so nonchnt that he almost doubted his reasoning. But then he steeled himself to search diligently.


    He took a few bites from the skewers, even waiting for a few instants for it to take effect. But no matter how he looked, there didn''t seem to be anything medicinal in there. It wasn''t even magical food. What was happening?


    "See? I told you that it''s normal." Josh chimed in.


    No, there definitely was something! He remembered that the youngster''s skin had been redder at some point than it was now. This meant that he was healing!


    Ah, what if there were only a few skewers that had something extra in them?! This would exin how he could so confidently share them with him. Talk about sneaky! But there was an easy solution to that:


    "The next time you want to eat a skewer, let me get it for you." The cksmith ordered.


    "You want to¡­ feed me?" Josh remained shocked for a second. It was one thing for him to swing that way,? but why was he so bold all of a sudden?


    "What the hell are you picturing?! I want to make sure you aren''t cheating in this contest!" He snorted.


    "Oh, alright then."


    The thing was, he was cheating, very brazenly and openly at that. Luckily for him, gluttony bloodlines were rare, it seemed. Or was it that they usually didn''t have healing abilities? Josh had no clue.


    Heplied with that farce to the stupefaction of the ckmisth-. Why was he cooperating so easily?! Wasn''t worried to be busted? Then again, if he had lots of money, he probably wouldn''t care about it much.


    But as he slowly fed Josh, he came to realize the sad truth. This was truly 100% everyday food that he was feeding his enemy.


    But how was this possible? Even in such a destructive environment, he had the mood to eat? He was like a man on his deathbed, about to kick the bucket any second, calling for a prostitute.


    How did he even have the energy?! This was being nonsensical! As he felt at a loss, the man was even gently pouring him a drink.


    "Here you go." Josh generously got the man something to drink.


    Had he suddenly be kind? He was just enjoying seeing thepletely bbergasted expression the man was adorning. The easier he made the whole thing seem, the crazier the guy found it.


    It didn''t help that the cksmith''s body was beginning to fume. It had already been more than 37 minutes, and his limit was 1 hour.


    He would usually be very careful at this time, conserving his energy to resist the training better. Yet there he was, now epting a drink with his eyes bulging. This was kind of hrious.


    It was time to add a nail to the man''s coffin. Joshfortablyid back down as he contentedly smiled.


    "Ah, this is the best! I could stay here all day and enjoy the sun!" Hew happily muttered.


    Upon hearing this, the cksmith almost lost his mind. This madman wanted to stay all day?! Was he trying tomit suicide?! No, this was all a carefully nned move.


    Was it possible that he had an item to resist the heat? That was it! He turned to the youngster.


    "You, what is that medallion exactly?" He pointed at the AT.


    "It''s a gift from a friend. He tersely replied."


    "Is that your secret? Are you surviving because of it? It ahs toe be it, right?!"


    But the youngster just widely smiled as he removed it from his neck, putting it in his inventory. The man was running out of ideas. If it wasn''t equipment or consumables, it had to be the skills.


    But there was only so long that a level 25 could survive here, no matter what skill he had! Why was he so convinced that that info was true? Simply because Markus hadn''t even batted an eye when he had proposed it.


    But quickly, he realized how mistaken he had been. The longer it went and the worst he became. This didn''t make sense. The guy was still perfectly fine! How was this guy so OP?!


    "Goddammit! The cksmith couldn''t help but curse as he felt his body gradually shut down. If he stayed there longer, he would suffer from organ failure."


    At this rate, he would end up in the hospital, rushed out in an emergency. But as long as he didn''t die, he was ready to keep pushing through! His pride was on the line!


    His whole body was shaking, drenched in sweat, and he exhaled literal mes from time to time. Markus nced his way with concern. "You shouldn''t overdo it."


    How was he the one getting looked down on?! This was so annoying! At this point, all the water had left his body, his throat was too parched to speak, he could barely move, and all he did was re at his opponent.


    But just as he was holding on for dear life, the door was mmed open. A young man rushed inside, appearing stressed.


    "Master! What happened to you?! Did you forget to put a timer or something?!"


    The youngster then charged straight at the cksmith, forcefully grabbing him in a princess carry. He was hurrying because he had no interest in being barbecued, fleeing as fast as possible.


    The man had never felt so outraged! What the hell was his disciple doing?! He was fighting for his honor right now! Sadly for him, the young man didn''t understand his signs at all. He just rushed outside, bringing his master to safety.


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle as he saw that happen. He could see how unreconciled his opponent was with that ending. This was his win, right? So what if there had been outside interference?


    Josh happily rose and followed as it was now time for his request. Perhaps the cksmith would regret not perishing to the heat¡­


    Creator''s Thought


    The youngster was obviously well-intentioned. The cksmith was lucky to have someone who cared about him. As for me being overlooked, this is easy to exin. It''s easy to get tunnel-vision, especially in a moment of intense stress.

 Chapter 354: Blacksmith Mentor + Apprentice

    <h4>Chapter 354: cksmith Mentor + Apprentice</h4>


    In the industrial district of Metropolis-D, a youngster was hurriedly carrying a half-naked cksmith in a princess carry.


    "We''re almost outside! Hang on. There will be some fresh air soon!" The wannabe hero reassured the man he was saving.


    Yet, this damsel in distress was frowning, weakly struggling, as he tried to free himself-. The cksmith still had a bet ongoing! If only his state was better, he would have been able to protest!


    The youngster finally managed to bring his mentor outside their shop. Yes, outside. The poor middle-aged man was now enduring the shame of his life.


    The few bystanders gasped as they saw how little he was wearing. Some even nudged their friends,ughingly pointing at him, taking pictures.


    "Master, are you alright?!" He gently fed him healing pills.


    The worried voice of his apprentice felt so goddamn irritating at that moment! He didn''t realize his mistake at all as he kept him here for the whole world to see.


    The man slowly recuperated enough to rise shakily. Then the first thing he did upon having regained control of his body was to peer at his disciple''s kind face. Then he ever so gently raised his hand¡­and bitchpped the son of a bitch!


    The youngster''s skin rippled under the impact, with him recoiling a bit. He couldn''t help but be perplexed. What was happening to his mentor? Had the heat fried his brain?!


    "You fool! Why the heck did you meddle in my business?! Do you think this is funny?!"


    "Master¡­.if you''re talking about how the people are looking at you, then just ignore their gazes. They''re idiots that don''t know who you are." He reassured his teacher.


    "Hell no, I was having a challenge inside! Why did you pointlessly meddle! Now this will be considered my loss!" He fumed


    "Challenge? What? No, you were inside, and you were training as usual! You overstayed and¡ª" even till now, the youth had no clue what he had done.


    That''s when Josh couldn''t help but chuckle:


    "Well, that still makes it my win, no matter if you wanted to leave or not. Still, don''t take it to heart. You would have lost eventually." He teased.


    It''s only then that the youngster saw the duo of Josh and Markus. They had obviously just exited the forge. He couldn''t help but stare at them as if they had teleported there.


    "W-what?! When did you guys appear?!"


    The cksmith was pissed, but he was a man of his word.


    "Fine, I''ll make a weapon for you. Just tell me what kind you want, and I''ll do my best to work on it right now." He grumbled.


    "Master, you can''t! Your ailment is about to re out! You can''t do it! You have to keep training. It''s the only way you''ll survive!" The youth cried out.


    The two bystanders were stunned as the youth vehemently begged the middle-aged man to reconsider. But he sternly denied him: "It doesn''t matter. I said I would, and I fucking will!"


    That''s when Markus chimed in:


    "Josh, it seems he''s not fit for work. Let''s go." He simply dered, worry in his voice.


    What was the rtionship between the two? Also, wasn''t he going to offer him any help as the head of Metropolis-D?


    But then he saw the mixed emotions in his eyes. He was saddened yet resolved. Then again, that cksmith seemed stubborn enough not to ept help.


    Seeing that it wasn''t working, the youth turned to Josh:


    "Please reconsider! He''s at a critical moment and¡ª"


    "Shut up, kid!!" The cksmith interrupted.


    "No, let him speak. You need to make me a weapon to the best of your abilities. This includes telling me about any potential health issue that could affect the work done." Josh argued.


    "The art he''s practicing makes it so that he can absorb mes to be stronger and boost his cksmithing effectiveness. But there''s a downside to it. This technique cannot be stopped. He can either keep leveling it up or die."


    "Die?!"


    "The body bes full of fire element until it starts to break down. To survive further, he needs to increase his fire resistance. That''s the only way this works!"


    Josh couldn''t help but suck in a cold breath. This was utter madness! Practicing this technique was akin to swaggering near Hiroshima to get a third arm to work faster. Sure it sounded cool and all¡ª until it freaking killed you!


    "I see. Let''s make another deal then¡­." Josh uttered with the youngster showing hope.


    In the background, the middle-aged wanted to protest, but he was promptly ignored by everyone involved. Hell, Markus even gagged him so he would stop trying to dig his own grave. The two were friends, right?


    "¡­Look, I just need someone to craft or enchant me a powerful morphing weapon. If you can refer me to the best cksmith for the job, then we''ll be good." Josh proposed.


    He expected the youngster to be relieved. After all, this wouldn''t be too hard a job, right? But his reaction was quite odd. His mouth opened wide in surprise. It was as if he had heard something impossible.


    He even mumbled a low: "Holy shit!"


    Josh couldn''t help but frown. What was happening right now? Was this an unexpectedlyplex request or something? Hell, all of the parties involved showed strange expressions.


    "Are you sure that''s what you want? Weren''t you just using that because you didn''t have anything better?" Markus asked carefully.


    "Naw? I legit have stronger weapons, but they don''t evene close in versatility." Josh inly stated.


    His fighting style revolved around using the best tool for the job. Ever since tasting the freedom of having a weapon able to cater to his whims, he couldn''t easily go back to a regr one.


    That''s when the cksmith apprentice beganughing. It was a boisterous and pureugh, one that was so hearty that it sent him coughing after a while.


    "What did I miss?" Josh asked, perplexed.


    "Brother, I''m the one that designed, crafted, and sold all the morphing weapons in existence in this world." The youngster dropped this bomb.


    "What?!"


    How was this possible? One guy had done it all? As much as he remembered, Dario hadn''t mentioned anything about that.


    "Oh, there actually are some "crafted" by others, but they all use a basic part I made, one that makes it all possible." He exined, with pride filling his voice.


    That would exin it. This was probably a cksmith thing. It wouldn''t be known as long as one didn''t ask in detail about the exact process.


    "That''s great then! How about you make me one then? The debt your master owes me will be null then." Josh happily said.


    But that''s when the cksmith finally freed himself from Markus''s grasp as he stared at him directly.


    "Kid, you can''t ept this. For Markus to bring this man over it means he''s not a regr guy. I had specifically told him not to bring anyone. You can''t afford to make a fool out of him."


    He then turned toward Josh with resolve:


    "No matter what happens to me in the future, I can still work right now. Don''t worry and just leave the production to me. You won''t be disappointed!"


    By the side, Markus couldn''t help but shake his head, deploring how ridiculous the cksmith sounded right now. He had brought Josh here precisely because he didn''t know anyone more easygoing than him¡ª in his odd way.


    He would always cause trouble, but he didn''t believe that any of it was ever intentional. He was a good man at heart, or so he believed. The man was actually his brother, and he had wanted to help him indirectly by letting them meet.


    "So, why can''t he just make me a morphing weapon?" Josh asked, confused.


    "It''s way too weak. At some point, it is bound to fail you, and there is no way that he will be able to ount for that mistake. That will kill his career as a cksmith!" The middle-aged man exined.


    So he was looking out for the youngster, eh? He was worried Josh was a bigshot that would be dissatisfied with the work and possiblyin. True, this could quickly be a stain on someone''s budding career.


    It could be as easy as:


    1. Ranker weapon breaks during a raid


    2. Party almost wipes


    3. Ranker colleaguesin at the local bar while drunk


    4. A journalist picks the story up and makes an article about the shady cksmith that made a dangerous weapon


    5. The youngster would be condemned to mediocrity for a long time.


    Was it too grim of an outlook? For sure! Still, Josh could understand the reasoning. It wasn''t like it was that unlikely either. But that''s when the youngster chimed in.


    "Sir, let me craft it! I actually theorized a way to create a new morphing weapon. One that not only will be way more powerful than thest one but that will also be upgradeable!"


    Josh felt like this was music to his ears. Upgradeable?! Was such a thing even possible?! How fucking amazing!


    The mentor interrupted once again:


    "Don''t listen to him! His theoretical weapon would cost way too much to craft, it wouldn''t be worth it! Plus, the ever-changing aspect of it wouldn''t allow ss bonuses to apply to its mastery!"


    "Mastery?" How was this a thing?


    "The memories of the heroes of old will never include such a niche and odd weapon. It will actually interfere with one''s ability to wield it!" He said.


    How interesting. Why should he care about that? The more he heard about it and the more it seemed perfect for him!


    "You said that it''s expensive, right? How expensive are we talking about?" Josh asked.


    "It would require the rarest of ingredients that can only be found at auctions. More than a million Credits! Only a fool would ever spend so much for it!" The cksmith exined.


    That''s when Josh turned to the crestfallen youngster.


    The more the guy''s mentor spoke, the more he realized how much he had ignored in his excitement. He was 100% right.


    He was just like that. He was a creator, one that just enjoyed the process of creating. Theory crafting the perfect possible materialbination was the ultimate pleasure to him. But as he listened, he realized how little sense this all made.


    He was even ashamed for even proposing it in the first ce. The man wanted an excellent weapon, and there he was, selling him pipe dreams while forgetting to talk about the insane downsides.


    The youngster felt ashamed of himself at this moment. He had to stay grounded in reality. His master was right. What was the point of the most OP theoretical weapon if it was too crazy ever to be realized?!


    "Sorry, I got overexcited and¡ª" He bowed to apologize.


    "What are you talking about? Stop wasting my time already¡­."


    He felt profound shame. It was so damn true.


    "¡­Stop wasting my time, and let''s go to the nearest auction. It''s just one million Credits, right? No big deal."


    At that moment, all parties involved choked, even Markus, who had brought him in the first ce.


    Just one million Credits?! Let''s go to the auction?! No Big deal?! What the actual fuck!


    Josh was already signaling the youngster to hurry up. Was this a dream? A shellshocked apprentice cksmith began lifelessly leading the way¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] There we go! Auction mini-arc iing. This is a staple haha! All that fuss...what''s the point! Let''s just buy it all!


    Creator''s Thought


    What''s the point of umting money if one never uses it? What seemed like an utter waste to everyone else involved actually sounded like a great investment to me. After all, money was just piling up in my ount thanks to D.L. It was pretty much a Credits printing machine. If it could help me Climb it was worth it 100%!

 Chapter 355 Auction House?

    For the cksmith apprentice, the whole thing felt like a dream.


    He was now leading a very peculiar man toward the best auction house of the city. With every step, he couldn''t help but sneak a nce at him. Who the hell was this guy?!


    1. He could oust his mentor in the fire soul training, apparently without any fire affinity either. The old man had remained behind to recuperate, but this Josh was perfectly fine.


    2. He had been introduced by Markus. While the man was amiable and easygoing, he remained the leader of Metropolis-D and his time was incredibly precious. Yet he had personally guided this guy to their ce?!


    3. Then there was his nonchnce toward money. One million Credits wasn''t a number that anyone could even think about. This was big corporation-level money. How the fuck could he even think of spending it on a single weapon?!


    4. Finally, there was onest thing he couldn''t understand. Why was he so hyped about the morphing weapon? There were other options: less versatile ones, but with more power for a fraction of the cost.


    The more he thought about it, the more impossible the man''s existence seemed. Was he a mighty character? Then why did he seem so down-to-earth? What was up with that?


    "You should probably look where you''re going." Josh yful voice echoed.


    It''s only at that moment that the young apprentice cksmith realized that he had been walking in circles for thest seconds. He blushed as he picked up the pace, as he began talking to fill the awkward silence:


    "You''ll see that the ce we''re going to is quite special. It is definitely the best ce to pick up materials for crafting. Hopefully, we''ll be able to get everything we need."


    "What would that even be?"


    "Mostly very malleable materials. By that, I don''t mean soft ones, but ones that are more magical than physical. The problem is that those are usually the hardest to work with."


    "But you have a method to deal with that, right?" Josh inquired.


    "Even I am not able to interact with such materials at all. Instead, I''ve been using a different approach. I let everything happen by itself."


    "?"


    "My whole technique is toe up with the perfect recipe: one that willbine the perfect ratios and timing. The various materials will then react with one another in a controlled manner¡ª if everything goes well." He said as if such a thing was natural.


    Josh couldn''t help but praise. If he had trusted the two before because of Markus, he now was wholeheartedly convinced. He made it sound so simple, but it ought to take a genius toe up with ideas like that.


    "Isn''t it hard?" Josh remarked.


    "Very. It requires lots of pondering along with lots of trial and error. After all, the whole Tower magic is just science that we don''t understand yet." He dered.


    Then the man kept babbling about the craft, but Josh couldn''t understand any of it. It reminded him of that one time his lover had dragged him to that one theoretical physicist''s lecture.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    Josh felt that the chances were higher for a pebble to learn how to fetch than for him to understand everything. But he smiled nevertheless, impressed by the man''s enthusiasm!


    There was no trace of his previous embarrassment or reservations. At this moment, he was just a simple mad genius eager to share his knowledge. These were the kind of people that Josh admired a lot.


    Before his guide could finish his cryptic exnation, they arrived at their destination¡ª or so it seemed as he suddenly stopped dead in his track. They were at a scrapyard that looked highly deste.


    Were they at the right ce?! Josh gave his guide a confused nce, but he simply chuckled.


    "See how all the nearby buildings are not that tall? The owner of this ce wanted to build a Tower but was initially refused because it would have stuck out like a sore thumb in the surroundings."


    "And?"


    "Well, he still built it." As he said that, he approached a seemingly random spot, going over a small barrier, then shouted: "I''m here for the material auction!"


    That''s when the air rippled as a door shape appeared right in front of them. What the hell?!


    "Alright, let''s go!" The man strode forward, disappearing in the fluctuating door frame.


    As soon as Josh followed, he seemed to pass through some optical camouge barrier as a whole new world revealed itself to him. At that moment, he was genuinely impressed.


    In front of his eyes, there was a towering building, one that was truly phenomenal. In fact, only one word came to mind when witnessing such marvel: Ugly!


    The Tower was a shy bright orange, one so gaudy that it would have put the 80''s neo fashion to shame! As a building, it was horrifying. Then there was theck of any architectural elegance. The whole thing was just one big block void of finesse.


    "No wonder the city vetoed it out," Josh murmured in realization.


    "Haha, let''s just say that this ce is great to buy materials, and that''s it." His guide chuckled.


    Josh then turned his gaze toward the people that could be seen swarming the ce. The crowd looked quite peculiar. There were climbers, crafters, and merchants alike as if one big melting pot. Some appeared extremely valiant, others refined, and a minority looked rough.


    For some, an auction was an opportunity to showcase their wealth, while others were more pragmatic about it. Why would they dress up to go shopping? It didn''t make any sense.


    His guide seemed very familiar with the ce as he led the way, people turning and pointing at his passage. Many shook their heads, a disparaging smile on their faces.


    But as they saw Josh following closely behind, their eyes began gleaming with schadenfreude. They were grinning as they couldn''t wait to see what the oue of this would be.


    That''s when a man stood in their path, blocking them. His guide frowned: "What do you mean by that, Rocky?"


    The neerpletely ignored the apprentice cksmith, and instead, he turned toward Josh.


    "Young man, let me give you a piece of advice. Be careful with dealing with this guy. He may be convincing, but he is far too ambitious for his own good."


    "What do you mean?"


    "He''ll always try to make the best equipment but fail in the process. Whatever you need, you should probably ask his master or another cksmith." He kindly advised. <sub> </sub>


    "Hey, that''s because I ended upcking materials¡­." The youngster weakly protested.


    "That''s the thing. A cksmith needs to forge, not to fool around and experiment all the time." The man admonished.


    The youngster looked downward, realizing that he spoke the truth. He felt incredibly wronged, but he didn''t know how to defend himself.


    Josh couldn''t help but be surprised. In the man''s admonishing tone, there was both disappointment and concern. He was most probably a friend of the youngster''s mentor.


    As for his kind warning?


    "I see. Thanks for the warning, I guess, but I just happen to want the best of the best." Josh winked with a confidence that only the truly wealthy could possess.


    As he said that, the nearby craftsmen gasped. This guy was a fat fish?! Had they realized it sooner, they would have tried to convince him to do business with them instead!


    Still, they could already predict how this business would y out:


    1. The youngster would convince his patron to buy expensive materials.


    2. The crafting process would fail disastrously.


    3. He''d try to convince the man to keep investing, iming that he was very close to sess.


    4. Then steps 1-3 would repeat themselves until the man was ruined.


    The fool would be gutted of all his savings very soon. Would he despair? Would he regret?


    They stared at the duo hovering betweenughter and jealousy. It was just a shame. If he had money to throw, he should have thrown it in their pockets instead.


    As for the apprentice cksmith, he hurriedly began power walking. It seemed like he had trouble remaining in the spotlight. Josh chuckled to himself, quickly following.


    As they entered the carrot-like building, they were weed by a carrot-like auction attendant. How ridiculous! It looked like all the people working here were wearing a construction vest from Earth. Well, at least they were easy to notice!


    "Wee to Infinite Treasures. What are you two looking for today?"


    Wasn''t this an auction? Did they have multiple rooms or something? Josh was confused, but he remained coy as he let the two work it out.


    The apprentice cksmith didn''t seem like an apprentice at that moment as he authoritatively enumerated all that he needed:


    "We need materials, lots of them and of the highest quality. Here are a few key monsters that we need drops from:


    - Slimes, all the variants.


    - Elemental Djinnlets or anything elemental.


    - Anything metal-based: snakes, harps, everything.


    - Wraiths, Reapers, subi, etc. Aka, the shadow ones.


    Oh, and add to the mix the unique crafting loot from every single fucking Floor. I need to see it all!"


    Wow, he sure was domineering! The poor auction house employee had his mouth open in dismay. What the heck was this insane request?!


    "Sir, actually, it''s not possible to see the items here. You can download our app to bid on what you desire. If you require some help, I can schedule a meeting with one of our appraisers¡­."


    The employee patiently exined to the two people who looked extremely broke.


    On the side, some of his coworkers snickered as they saw him being so diligent. They recognized the apprentice cksmith. The only positive thing they could say about him was that he had a great master!


    But that specific attendant didn''t care about that. After all, in customer service treating everyone well was a given! But that''s when the youngster fished a token from his pocket, throwing it at him.


    The employee caught it by reflex.


    As he examined it, his face couldn''t help but contort in shock. What the actual fuck?! This was a goddamn VIP token?! This little thing meant that they had to treat whoever possessed it as if their boss!


    This meant many things:


    1. They were big shots.


    2. This was an excellent opportunity to get a fatmission. ($$$)


    3. He would 100% be doing overtime today. Who knew if it wouldn''t lead him from a door greeting job to a promotion?! No freaking way that he would allow anyone else to take care of these clients!


    While the employee couldn''t help but rejoice, his colleagues turned green with envy. Why hadn''t they gone forward to wee the two?! Heck, many of them had the opportunity but had chosen to disregard them!


    "Alright, please follow me. I will bring you to our vaults."


    "Great, now we''re talking!"


    This would be one long browsing session¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] Here we go, CA chap woot! I''ve been busy all morning editing chapters for RPP''s mass release. Pretty sure you guys are already reading it so you know, haha. xD

 Chapter 356 Appraisal Gone Wrong

    How does one measure wealth?


    Is it to have plenty for one''s needs? Is it to have even more than one knows what to do with it? In this case, wealth was being able to indulge in one goddamn insane shopping spree!


    Josh followed behind the young cksmith as the man tyrannically requested to inspect every material. Then he would carefully observe it from all sides, some even taking in his hands when allowed.


    The way he did it all seemed so mystifying, perhaps a bit too much even. The employee was looking at it happen at aplete loss. What kind of game was he ying?! Had he just¡­.licked a rock?!


    Yep, he was analyzing:


    - The size


    - The shape


    - The smell


    - The texture


    - The taste


    - Every fucking thing!


    The cksmith would grumble from time to time, sometimes in happiness but other times in disgust. He reminded Josh of people at the grocery store. Some lonelydies would always take an eternity to pick the perfect cucumber carefully. ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)


    What made it even more of a traumatizing experience for the poor attendant was that the client was taking so damn long! The exchange often happened like so:


    "Sir, we have experts to advise you if¡ª" The employee would whisper timidly.


    "No way! I need to vet the materials myself! I''m taking this seriously!" He would inevitably retort.


    Josh couldn''t help but feel curious about it all:


    "Can''t you just delegate this task?"


    "Nope. The problem is that I''m not 100% sure what we''re looking for myself. It''s not about which material is better, but which one is the most suitable. We have to keep in mind how everything will react together."


    "I see." Josh nodded, impressed.


    This sure made sense, for there was no absolute in this world. There was nothing that was perfect in all aspects. For instance, the strongest metal would make a very poor Pi?ata¡­.well maybe it could upy kids for a very long time.


    Following the usual denial of requesting an expert, there woulde the decision to buy or not.


    "I''m not sure about this one, but I think it could assist the crafting. I think it could increase the toughness by about 5% and¡ª"


    "Bid!" Josh gave the green light way too quickly.


    The attendant was beginning to sweat heavily, his orange shirt drenched. The total had already reached 50 k in bids over the most basic of materials! This was enough to buy a D+ Ranked item!


    What was frightening was that they were just getting started. Would this guy even be able to forge it all? Was it humanly possible? In any case, it wasn''t his ce to contest his client''s wishes.


    He kept guiding them as they received plenty of weird looks. Josh and the apprentice seemed so goddamn out of ce.


    Typically, the ones that actually bothered to tour around were the people dressedvishly. Yet the two bumpkins were apanied by a personal attendant? How peculiar¡­


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    That''s how the party kept going as they climbed floor after floor of the auction. Every higher one meant an increase in rarity and price. Oh, and the higher they went and the less they could touch.


    This made the cksmith grumble so much;


    "How am I supposed to pick now? What''s next? Picking materials by throwing a dice?! Isn''t there anything that we can do about it?"


    But just as he wasining once more, a voice softly sounded behind them.


    "I''ll take care of things from now on. You may go."


    The neer was a gorgeousdy wearing a sensual red dress. She radiated charm, and yet it didn''t seem too much. It was as if she was naturally born elegant, perhaps even a goddess from Heaven.


    As the two young men turned toward her, she inwardly cheered as she saw their heated gazes. They were in her pocket! As for the initial attendant, he could only leave, unsure how to feel. She would probably give him some benefits¡­.but what about hismission?!


    She bowed deeply, making sure the rich Josh would get the perfect angle to gaze at her generous bosom, one slowly rising with her hot breath. Enrapturing people was always the best sale tactic.


    That''s when the cksmith shyly spoke u:


    "Miss¡­could we perhaps ess all the materials? We have this token with us."


    She shed a radiant smile as she nodded in agreement. "Sure, but only because I believe in your character." She softly whispered. It sounded like she was doing them a favor but really, this was all because of the token.


    She still couldn''t believe that this guy had it. ording to their information database, he was just an apprentice. It just happened that his mentor was a good brother of the auction house owner. <sub> </sub>


    "Nice!"


    "Thank you,dy."


    She guided them toward a secure vault, one that not even a Ranker could break, at least not quickly. She presented them with it delicately and allowed them to observe it.


    But as the two received permission, they instantly turned their attention to the new item. They werepletely ignoring her! She even began stretching, showing off all of her curves¡­no effect whatsoever?!


    That''s when she realized with dismay that the earlier heated gazes had been about the prospect of being able to check out the materials. Really?! She wasn''t sure whether to despair or be angry.


    But she kept doing her job diligently, appearing as a model guide, bringing them higher and higher in the auction tower. That''s how kept going a visit that was supposed to be a peaceful one¡ª supposed.


    It all began with a very innocent request from Josh:


    "Hey, can you teach me the basics of appraisal? It seems quite interesting."


    "Sure! Try this. It''s not just about the physical characteristics, but also the aura and¡ª"


    The woman watched them proceed, feeling peeved. They indeed were 100% ignoring her. Hell, she could have been naked with her tits swinging that they wouldn''t have cared! This was quite a blow to her self-confidence.


    The two weirdos were now extending their tongues to a ck rock the size of a fist and emitting a bit of heat. This thing was akin to chocte cake with melted chocte inside¡­..but with a rock and literalva.


    It was precious and worth more than a C Ranked item. This was already high for a final product, but it was insane for a material.


    She winced as Josh''s tongue came into contact with it, but he also jumped. A look of surprise shed across his face, one that then turned into heated greed. Then he opened his mouth wide and¡­gulped?!


    This thing contained magma.


    He had eaten it.


    WTF?!


    There was only one oue to this. "Hurry up and vomit it out!" she screamed. Oh god, he''d die under her watch! She felt like tearing her hair. But the man just gave her a sheepish look as he scratched his head.


    "Sorry, I¡ª BLERGH!!" A fiery substance burst out of his mouth in mid-speech, sshing on the shy orange floor.


    If only it ended there¡­.


    The molten liquid began to seep right through the floor. At this instant, they were pretty high in the tower. It passed through one floor, then the next, then the next, one after the other. From every hole, smoke began gushing.


    Soon the air was totally dark from the fumes. It became hard to see and breathe, and then there was the smell. That goddamn smell! It was so disgusting! The whole ce was now engulfed in the aroma of rotten eggs.


    Then it became a general panic. The wealthy elegant customers were suddenly stinking so damn much. What kind of horror was happening?! A biochemical attack?! They all began to evacuate. No way they''d stay here.


    As the smoke became dense enough¡­.the fire finally reached the various ceilings. That was enough to activate the anti-fire system. Holes opened in the ceiling as water began sting all over the ce!


    The customers and employees alike were reduced to drenched dogs. They looked utterly pitiful. It didn''t help that the goddamn water was ckish from the smoke!


    It felt like they werepletely drenched in liquid rotten eggs. People began to hurl all over the ce, but it all got washed away quickly.


    Josh couldn''t help but stare at the destruction he had caused. What the actual fuck?! Nearby, there was thedy who had been guiding them. Her red dress was now ck as it stuck to her skin, showcasing her forms.


    For the first time, he took the time to properly look at her, giving her an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. I didn''t know this would happen."


    At that moment, she erupted in anger:


    "Why the fuck did you eat that?!"


    "Look what you''ve done, you bastard!"


    "How are you even alive?! You threw upva!"


    "Answer already, you bitch! How the hell will you make things right!"


    Her previous elegance and charm were nowhere to be seen. She was about to go to war with him at this rate!


    "Wow, you sure became lively! You''re actually more fun this way. It seems more real." Josh rxedlymented.


    "Yes, you''re right. See, this is what I was talking about with the aura earlier. You need to recognize this when you''re appraising. For instance, the previous her was a fake, and this is the real her."


    Why the fuck did she evene to work today? She would have kept sleeping if she knew she''d encounter these two. But just as she thought that it couldn''t get worse, a broadcast was heard:


    "To the terrorists inside, you guys are surrounded. Surrender now or face this City''s wrath!"


    Fuck¡­

 Chapter 357 Smoke = Best Distraction

    The people inside the auction house couldn''t help but jump in fright as a message resounded.


    "To the terrorists inside, you guys are surrounded. Surrender now or face this City''s wrath!"


    Wait, terrorists?! At this instant, what was rtively harmless ck smoke filling the ce turned into a biochemical weapon in their eyes. The rotten-egg sulfur smell did nothing to convince them otherwise either.


    If before many visitors had been panicking, they became full-blown hysterics. Meanwhile, Josh was standing there wondering how the hell this had all happened so fast.


    He had just eaten a material that felt somewhat familiar to him. It was the same feeling he had felt back when old man Iron had left him swimming in the Spirit of Metal. As for what it did concretely? He had no damn clue!


    He had been convinced that he would just need to outbid any other buyers, and the auction house wouldn''tin too much about it. After all, credits were credits no matter the circumstances they were earned in.


    But now the whole ce was going crazy. What was that about them being surrounded? Actually, wasn''t the response way too fast? Was it a bluff? He turned toward the poordy who had guided them here:


    "Hey, do you know what''s happening exactly?"


    "What do you mean?! They obviously think that you''re assaulting the auction house! It''s all your fault we¡ª"


    "They? Who?"


    "The MTA! Who fucking else deals with terrorism?! There''s no way that¡­." She kept babbling nervously.


    Yes, but actually no. Shouldn''t they have introduced themselves as the MTA if that''s who they were? Well, he had an easy way to make sure.


    - Josh MF Malum: Hey, do you have any idea what''s going on at the auction house? Are these guys yours? There''s trouble brewing.


    - Markus: What did you do?!


    - Josh MF Malum: I ate something bad, and it kinda sent smoke everywhere. Now there''s a terrorist alert or something.


    - Markus: -_- ¡­. I''m on my way. Stay fucking put and behave!


    It wasn''t like he was voluntarily trying to cause trouble!


    He was at a loss on how to exin that devouring urge from a few minutes ago. It was akin to rationalizing why a human would breathe: because it felt natural, that''s fucking why!


    The intimidating messages kept going too:


    "Come out of the building with your hands in the air. Otherwise, we will open fire. We have permission to kill and even destroy this ce entirely!¡­ You do not want to mess with the MTA!"


    Thest part was added as an afterthought. Death AND destruction threat straight off the bat? This sure sounded odd for an organization that defended the peace. How could the guy sending the message to be that unprofessional?


    But it sure as heck sent fear in the hearts of the visitors. Shouts reverberated all over as they hurried to head outside. Then happened aplete exodus, with the entire building bing emptier by the second.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    But Josh didn''t follow the crowd. Well, for one thing, they were on a higher Floor than most, but there was also something sketchy about all this.


    "Let''s leave already! Why are you daydreaming?!" Thedy shouted.


    "You go. There is something I''m wondering about." Josh nonchntly waved her away.


    He almost expected her to stay, but then she nced at the empty vault, sighed, and got the fuck out. It was already toote to save her job so she might as well save her life. The two men were left alone in the dark smoke.


    The cksmith gave a nervousugh:


    "It''s a shame, but I think there might be a chance that we''re gonna lose the VIP token. At least, we should be fine even with so much damage. U-bots will be able to repair it pretty easily." Was that meant tofort him?


    "That''s not the issue right now. I think the people outside are fake. I''ve dealt with people from the MTA, and they don''t usually act like that¡­." Josh pondered aloud.


    "What?! Really?!"


    In the background, the messages kept promising them death. But every time, the way it was said was different. If they were soldiers, they weren''t sticking to the established protocol.


    "Actually, let''s forget about their identity. Does anyone have any reason to want this ce destroyed or empty of people? Either they''re already making their move or constructing a narrative to exin what they''re about to do."


    "Wait, you mean that the people iming to be the MTA outside could be the real terrorists?! Do you think that they''ll try to do something to the auction house?! But it wouldn''t make much sense¡­."


    "Why?" Josh asked perplexed.


    "Material trading is a different business altogether. Doing it 100% requires connections with plenty of crafters and resource appraisers. The owner doesn''t have anypetitors willing to crush him."


    "Not insurance fraud either?"


    "Business is booming and on an upward trend. He has no reason to do any of this. But what if someone is trying to rob the ce? Then again, that too is unlikely. Who steals raw materials? It still requires to be transformed to be useful¡­."


    "Wouldn''t that be the ultimate robbery? If they grab the materials and turn them into weapons, they can then sell them without none the wiser, right?"


    "It''s moreplicated than that. It''s very dangerous for a craftsman to work on such shady deals. There just is no need to take the risk when there are plenty of legit jobs avable." <sub> </sub>


    Oh, naive child. There would always be peoplemitting crimes, as long as there was profit to be made. It was the very nature of humans. That''s when his UW beeped.


    ¡ª Ding!¡ª


    It was a message from Markus, one that made him give a wry smile.


    "It seems like there really is something going on. The area is still camouged as usual, and no one is responding. There hasn''t even been a call for help to the MTA. Whoever is out there are fakes."


    "Damn! That''s ridiculous!"


    "What do you think people will try stealing?" Josh inquired.


    "Whatever it is, it has to be at the top, right? But why do you even want to act? Shouldn''t we just wait? I mean, I''m a cksmith, and you''re alone! We can wait for the real MTA to show up instead, no?"


    "Well, think of it like that. We''re about to lose the VIP token, right? Plus, we need things to be quiet to be able to continue our crafting journey. I wasn''t kidding when I said I really want an amazing morphing weapon."


    The man slightly blushed. "It feels weird to have my creation praised so much."


    "Then you''ll just have to spend even more effort on it until it deserves the praise." Josh chuckled with the man nodding.


    It was time to go¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Somewhere else in the orange tower, a few men were happily climbing.


    They were in an elevator shaft as they made their way toward the top. They weren''t even sure what they were supposed to be retrieving. All they knew was that it was contained in a blue ornated box.


    As they went up, they couldn''t help but lowly whisper to one another. It was fine since the crowd had already evacuated.


    "Hell, that sure was one hell of a stunt he pulled."


    "For sure! I don''t know how the newbie managed to cause all that dark smoke, but we''ll have to give him a raise or something, haha."


    "Still, I wonder what kind of item is in that box for all of us to be here. Us inside, the guys outside, and even the shipping guys...it''s a lot of people!"


    "Oh, believe me, the less you know, and the better you''ll fare! This is something I learned the hard way."


    "True that! I still can''t believe how we got this job. What is someone from another Metropolis even doing here?!"


    "Tchh¡ª Is our employer even human? Did you feel his aura when he was exining the mission? It was so goddamn dreadful!"


    They all shuddered as they remembered the man that always wore a hoodie and a mask under it. He wasn''t just strange, he was downright scary. It was as if nothing in the world could ever make him angry and yet he had killed a few of the applicants in cold blood back then.


    "All of you shut up and focus on climbing. We''re almost there. In theory, most of the defense systems should be off, but we never know, so remain vignt!"


    Thest one to chime in was their leader. They were all frencers who had been separately recruited, but he was the one temporarily assigned to ensure the mission went well.


    They could only grumble as they all shut up one after the other. They readied their gear and prepared for what was supposed to be an extremely easy mission. Sure, the scope was pretty bigpared to what they usually did, but so was the nning involved.


    But just as they were about to reach their target floor, they suddenly received amunication.


    ¡ª Bzzt, Bzzt ¡ª


    "Guys. What the hell is happening?!" came a voice on the other side of the transmitter.


    This was the voice of the newbie. The one tasked with causing a distraction inside the tower. But why was his voice panicked?


    "Is there an emergency?" They asked nervously.


    Hell, he should have been celebrating right now. That dark smoke was genius and his job waspletely done. What had changed?! But his next line sent their hearts thumping crazily.


    "What''s with the ck smoke everywhere?! It smells so bad too!"


    "?1"


    Wait¡­what?! If he wasn''t the one who had done it....then who fucking had?!


    They weren''t alone here....


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] I want to thank Itarotchi for the recent castle! ?? Helped show the novel to new peeps ^_^v Thank you, brother!


    Also, 5 chaps a day taking their toll haha xD. Hopefully, I edited everything correctly. I do want to write more CA once I''m done with RPP PRIV mass release.

 Chapter 358 What Kind Of Fight Is This?!

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Twenty mercenaries wearing MTA outfits were climbing the elevator shaft, their brows frowned in worry.


    They had been on edge ever since they had learned that the ck smoke wasn''t their ally''s doing. Who was responsible? What was their purpose? It felt as if a predator was lurking in the dark, watching their every move. They shivered just thinking about it.


    But, they were arriving at their destination: the top floor. Their leader instantly took control of the situation:


    "We''re almost there. Once we breach the entrance, quickly rush in and secure the area. Then we''ll wait to know the correct vault and use the charges to blow it up. Afterward, we''ll just have to evacuate. Are you all ready?"


    They all nodded as they stared at the exit of the elevator shaft. Normally, this ce was choke-full of traps, but they were all gone now. Hopefully, their target would be as defenseless.


    It was time to breach in! A man built like a bull rose to the asion. "Open sesame motherfucker." He whispered as he ripped the ess doors apart with his bare hands, the metal creaking horribly.


    They instantly invaded the interior with great coordination. Their entrance was apanied by a burst of smelly ck smokeing from below as it began rapidly filling the room.


    The mercenaries didn''t waste any time. As soon as they entered, they set up an energy shield around the entry point, just in fucking time as projectiles were already flying their way.


    ¡ª WHOOSH! ¡ª


    What the fuck was all that?! There were gunshots, energy discharges, spells, and even melee weapons¡­Fuck, one guy even threw a table?! This whole thing was crazy, but it was to be expected.


    ¡ª ZOOM! ¡ª


    ¡ª BAM! ¡ª


    They clicked their tongue at the mismatched attacks that were raining on them.


    "As expected of an auction house, there''s a private army. Talk about a rowdy bunch." But then they addressed the enemies: "Hey, stop firing. Can''t you see our uniforms?! We''re with the MTA!"


    A secondter, a few gasps were heard. A few guards carefully approached to confirm it, only to jerk in shock. "Ah, sorry! That horrible smoke made it hard to see. Actually, why isn''t it going away?!" a guard remarked, perplexed.


    "I don''t me you since we came with incredible momentum. We''re here to help protect this ce. As for this smoke, god knows what it is. But it smells so horrible!" The mercenary leaderined.


    The two groups were bing blurrier by the second thanks to the smoke. They then smiled at one another. How nice that there were no enemies here! Each side seemingly lowered their defenses and....suddenly attacked!


    ¡ª Ta-ta-ta-ta! ¡ª


    ¡ª Fire!¡ª


    ¡ª ZZAAAPPP!! ¡ª


    How naive! The fools had shown such carelessness!¡ª or so they initially thought. But a secondter, they could distinguish the glow of an energy shield through the smoke¡­on both fucking sides.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "A shame, the MTA impersonators are still alive." A guard grumbled. <sub> </sub>


    "Goddammit, how did they know?!" A mercenary shouted in anger.


    Normally this would have been the witty reveal of the famous: "we didn''t know, but you just told us!"¡ª except not this time. The MTA had already contacted the auction house with the newest info.


    ¡ª


    Why did the mercenary believe that they''d be able to pass incognito? The answery somewhere else.


    At the MTA dispatch center, a few key people were sweating. They had either been bribed or ckmailed into dying the distress call iing from the auction house area for ten minutes.


    Yes, that had been the n. After all, cutting an entire area''smunication could be pretty damn noticeable. It was one thing to opt for blocking the whole area with a physical barrier, but it would still be visible.


    But now the whole thing had blown up? What the fuck were they supposed to do?! It was far toote to be salvageable! That one guy would be angry, but what could they do?!


    Hell, their superiors had suddenly barged in and begun barking orders. Not just one, all of them too! How was this possible?! The order had toe from the very top, perhaps even someone very close to Markus himself!


    They didn''t dare show any sign of sketchiness with their bosses there. They wanted to avoid an internal investigation at all cost! Feeling guilty, they even spent even more effort on resolving the situation as quickly as possible.


    They had no way even to fathom that this whole thing had started with a simple message from Josh. Then again, this wasn''t too weird for him to impact this ce. After all, he did have Markus on speed dial.


    That''s how there was information warfare happening in the background¡ª or could it be considered over already?


    ¡ª


    Back at the auction house, the two groups were attacking each other relentlessly as they threw insults.


    "Dumbasses! Did you really think that you could just cosy your way inside our defenses?! Let me guess. You guys are nothing but a bunch of thieves! " A guard shouted.


    "Cosy?! How dare they nder us like that! Goddammit, those guards are annoying as hell. Do they really take us for pushovers?!" an invader cursed.


    What happened next was akin to an EDM concert. There were so many projectiles flying all over the ce that it looked like countlesssers livening up the atmosphere. They pierced the darkness creating amazing effects.


    Then there was the trembling of the floor as the shields they had brought trembled rhythmically and rippled.


    Sadly, no one but the two groups witnessed the spectacle, and none were in the mood to enjoy it. Both sides focused on taking down their opponent''s shield but quickly realized that both were really high quality.


    How was this possible for both to be state-of-the-art equipment?! What kind of funding did this auction house [Group of thieves] have?!


    But it seemed like the invaders had the slight upper hand! But just as the auction house guys'' shield was about to disappear, they suddenly activated some kind of self-destruction measure.


    With a ¡ª Zoom!!¡ª an energy ray appeared from this sacrifice as it took down the enemy shield. Both parties could only steady their resolve as they stared at their opponent with rage.


    This was going to turn into a melee¡­

 Chapter 359 United Front!

    If an external observant had looked at the topmost floor of the auction house tower, he would have seen ¡­jack shit!


    There was now ck smoke everywhere, and it smelled so bad! Strangely, this thing was rising up as if trying to reach the sky. It was surprising because of how heavy the smoke appeared.


    There were shes of light, spurts of blood, and various cries from time to time. Thisbat was almost blind, and it was so damn confusing!


    The participants were trying their best to:


    1. Kill their enemies


    2. Not kill their allies


    As for whether they were seeding, this was hard to tell. After all, they couldn''t even see a meter in front of them! As for the whole floor? It was the size of a small football field. It was like paying blindfolded donkey game, but with weapons.


    ? But, sadly for them, the guards were actually losing. This was because of the horrible uniform they had been forced to wear. In normal circumstances wearing orange didn''t matter much.


    But in such a chaotic fight where sneaking was possible, they were akin to movable lighthouses. Well, instead of guiding boats to them, they guided the weapons of their enemies. It was pretty bad! No, even worse than bad.


    They wanted to curse this unfair situation loudly, but they didn''t dare utter a peep. Their only saving grace was that their enemies didn''t know where their own target was.


    They were familiar with theyout from seeing the ns of the building, but the vaults were made in a manner that they would automatically move around over time. Why? No one but the owner knew!


    But at this moment, this peculiar choice sure was being a pain to the invaders. They had a method to find their target, but it would still take a little while. An ally was already cracking this ce''s database to steal the info. They just had to sit tight and wait.


    It made for an odd fight with both parties actually trying to buy time. The guards awaited reinforcements from the MTA, and the invaders were waiting for more information. At that moment, two men arrived on the scene, none the wiser.


    Josh and his cksmith partner had also climbed the same elevator shaft slightlyter. They were then confronted with the echoes of an invisible battle.


    The crafter couldn''t help but shake his head as he very slowly murmured;


    "There''s probably a few dozen people fighting in there, plus we can''t see them. We should reconsider trying to help." He sighed, picturing them dying in there.


    "Who says that I can''t see anything?" Josh chuckled lightly.


    The others were relying on their human eyes to navigate the fog, and it was clearly not very efficient. As for Josh? He had other means. There were his piercing eyes and something else even more suited for the situation.


    That''s how he disappeared inside the fog with a grin on his smile. So what he couldn''t see? He could feel it all! He could feel all the idiots'' killing intent! It was wonderful how he was the only seeing man amidst a group of blind people.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    He would for sure exploit this golden opportunity! He began to approach thebatants one by one slowly. The shy orange suits were now slowly turning to an advantage as it told Josh to spare their owner.


    That''s how he began his work. He was akin to a reaper slowly stalking its next customer. He approached one enemy and pounced at the guy! But suddenly, his would-be victim twisted its body at thest moment.


    That''s when Josh realized that these guys weren''t chumps. They were pretty damn good! Were they able to defeat him? Not in the current circumstances for sure. What they could do, however, was resist him for a while.


    Heck, he gave up after a few attempts. That guy was so damn agile. How could he evade everything?! He then targeted a new one, only to feel like crying. This guy had a humongous shield: he was a tank!


    What were the chances of Josh murdering a tank Climber quickly? Pretty damn low! He could only turn to the next one¡­then the next one¡­and the fucking next one! It was as if they had all been chosen for their survival capabilities!


    Actually, this was precisely the case. They were the ones who had strong offense power yet would be hard to kill for various reasons. They were prime mercenary material, and their employer had paid extra for them.


    Josh did manage to kill a few of them, but the thieves quickly realized that there was an assassin lurking in the shadows: <sub> </sub>


    "Regroup! There''s some bastard sneaking in there. He just attacked me!" their leader (?) shouted.


    From that point onward, Josh became utterly incapable of striking. Well, he could, but it was far too dangerous.


    The guards tried grouping in reaction too, but their numbers were nowcking, and the entire group became visible, even in that atmosphere (too orange). At that moment, the guards had utterly lost¡ª or were about to.


    Josh had to do something, but what? Risking his own life wasn''t worth it, and he couldn''t make allies appear magically. Nightmare was weak outside the tower, and the Orc King had been left at the daycare.


    How could he possibly ovee this?! But as he looked at the fog, he suddenly had a sh of inspiration. Whether it would work was out of his control.


    He quickly went to find his crafter friend. Luckily he was still near the entrance, so Josh managed to find him easily. He quickly exined his n, with the man showing a perplexed expression before he began to grin widely.


    It was worth a try!¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The guards were going crazy. They had already lost half their numbers. At this rate, they would soon perish to their opponents. Was it toote to surrender?


    But just as they were despairing¡­ there happened something that made them despair even more. Out of nowhere, a monster spawned. How?!


    It wasn''t just any monster either. There was now an abomination that seemed to have crawled out of hell! Guards and invaders felt how doomed they were at that moment.


    The thing was arge ming horse with spikes and tentacles. Then there was its aura. A single look was enough to render them scared shitless!


    As if that wasn''t enough, the whole freaking thing was on fire and smelled of death! They felt like calling for their mother right then.


    "What the fuck is that!"


    "Oh my god, who the hell called this demon over?!"


    "We''re screwed! How are we supposed toplete our mission now?!"


    They could only reassure themselves with empty words:


    "Wait, perhaps it just looks scary?"


    Little did they know this was the absolute truth. But this would remain a secret as Nightmare suddenly stomped on the ground. They couldn''t see what had happened, but they felt it.


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    That single stomp had destroyed most of the Floor?! This was madness! That''s when everyone in the room suddenly realized how dead they would be if they tried going against this monster!


    "Men, screw the mission! We''re getting the fuck out!" A mercenary said, but the guards felt the message resonated with them too.


    At this moment, a wonderful moment of peace was attained. The humans ran away from the hellish creature, not caring about anything else. Hell, they were united in their fear.


    Josh was left behind, along with Nightmare. Weren''t they exaggerating a bit? But just as he was pondering, the reinforcements arrived.


    They were just in time to witness the Nightmarish monster¡­.

 Chapter 360 The Owner?!

    As the reinforcements arrived and witnessed this creature from Hell, they despaired loudly:


    "What the fuck is that?!"


    "Is the enemy a summoner?!"


    "Quick, find the one responsible! There''s no way we can defeat this!"


    Even the MTA didn''t dare to go head-on against the monster they saw. It seemed that powerful! But they already had a n as their captain barked orders:


    "Gale mage, you''re up! We need visibility!"


    "Team 2 distract the monster while everyone else secures the area!"


    A man came forward, chanted for a few seconds, and then the entire floor felt like it was being swept into a tornado. Yet the humans were barely affected as the smoke was all aspired and dealt with.


    They could finally gaze upon the impossibly strong creature that¡­..what the fuck?!


    As the smoke cleared, they were able to see everything clearly. There was a ck horse that didn''t appear that scary. (Out of Tower look). As for the countless tentacles? It was only grass swinging gently.


    The fiery effect? It was only a small trick from the cksmith. The deadly aura had also disappeared as if it hadn''t existed in the first ce.


    Heck, now that they looked at the seemingly harmless horse, they couldn''t fathom how the tremors they had felt had happened either.


    Then a man very casually stepped forward:


    He seemed unbothered by the whole event as he greeted them with a small wave. As the MTA members noticed his face, they began sighing. Of fucking course, it was him! Thanks to his pet orc disy, Josh had just been a hot gossip topic.


    Josh unsummoned Nightmare and turned toward them.


    "So, what happened exactly? Also, shouldn''t you guys be pursuing the culprits?" He raised a brow.


    "S-sir, there''s no need. There''s another squad in charge of that. We were told to secure the area here." He respectfully replied.


    Seeing the meek MTA soldier, the young cksmith once more realized that this guy wasn''t anyone normal. He wasn''t just a personal friend of Markus either, but someone involved in the government somehow. How peculiar!


    Then followed a very awkward waiting time. The soldiers kept ncing at Josh as he were some kind of dangerous creature. What kind of rumors were circting about him? It had to be nder!


    A few times, the MTA captain would shyly propose:


    "S-sir, we can hold the fort here. There is no way for you to waste your time. We''ll report everything to sir Markus afterward."


    But Josh just shook his head, adamantly staying behind. They could only grit their teeth and allow it. They were convinced that his mere presence increased the risk of something crazy happening by over 9000%!


    A few minutester, a ¡ª ng ¡ª resoundeding from the elevator shaft. Then slowly rose the metallic elevator cabin. As the doors opened, a swarm of people came out, armed to the teeth.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    They growled at them, pointing their guns at the group. The atmosphere suddenly became tense as the two groups faced one another.


    "Vacate the premises. We''ll take care of things from now on!" A man barked.


    "No can do. We have orders to secure this ce and wait for reinforcements." The MTA captain replied.


    "There have been fake MTA soldiers before. Just leave!"


    "You guys could be fake auction house guards. We''re staying."


    "I said: Vacate. The. Premises."


    "We. Have. Orders."


    At this rate, a conflict was on the verge of exploding! Any more spark, and this could easily turn into a bloodbath. Each seemed to have orders not to let anyone through.


    In this tense atmosphere, a giggle was suddenly heard.


    "Pfft¡ª really, guys?" It then turned into full-blownughter. "Are you seriously trying to intimidate someone with these tacky orange vests?! Hahahaha!"


    Josh was holding his belly, trying to control his mad cackles.


    Both factions were stunned into iprehension. What was this guy doing?! But then the leader of the auction house troops pointed his gun straight at the madman''s face.


    "Who the fuck are you?! Keepughing, and I''ll blow your brains out!" He shouted.


    Josh observed the man carefully: his bark was worse than his bite. He was threatening, but he''d never dare to open fire on the actual fucking MTA. He was simply trying to make a show of force.


    Knowing this, Josh gave a small grin. Instead of retreating, he slowly advanced, even gently guiding the gun to his mouth.


    "Feel free to shoot, but make it count." He softly whispered with incredible detachment. He could as well have been at a spa rxing! <sub> </sub>


    Josh made eye contact with the man. This was all it took to send shivers down his spine. This was all it took to send shivers down the man''s spine. Seriously who the fuck was this guy?!


    Also, why weren''t the MTA people one bit worried? Some of them were even watching in excitement, eager to see what would happen. Had they all gone insane?! No¡­this wasn''t possible.


    This could only mean that they hadplete trust in that guy. Was he some kind of hidden powerhouse? Just as he waspletely going crazy, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted.


    "Stand down! These valiant heroes helped us. Why are you pointing guns at them?" A calm voice berated them.


    "O-owner?! Yes, right away!" The man freaked out.


    While they were facing one another, a neer had arrived from god knows where. The man wore a ck suit, and his straight posture gave him a refined air. Looking at him, one wouldn''t have known that his shop was just attacked. He was too serene.


    So this was the auction house''s boss. Why wasn''t he also wearing orange?!


    Why the fuck wasn''t he also wearing orange if he loved the color so much?! Did this make any sense?! Had he known all along how disgusting of a color it was?


    He slowly raised his hands.


    "All of you, thank you very much for the help, but you can go now. We will take care of everything. The auction house will be closed until further notice" His tone was polite yet didn''t leave any room for a rebuttal.


    What?! Closed?! The cksmith instantly looked crestfallen. How was he supposed toplete a weapon if he couldn''t buy materials? This was just his (bad) luck!


    Josh went forward.


    <o>,m "Sure thing, but can we talk business for a second? I need materials for¡ª"</o>


    "Leave. You maye backter when we reopen." The owner coldly replied.


    "I just need a few¡ª" Josh kept pushing.


    "I have more important things than to deal with your issues." He frowned before turning to the MTA soldiers. "Please ry to your superiors that I need to meet someone high up to discuss this attack."


    Would Josh ept being treated like that?! Well, yes¡­.for now anyway. He remained coy and slowly left with the MTA soldiers.


    They all nced at him as if they were witnessing something unbelievable. Josh Motherfucking Malum was just letting it go like an actual mature adult? Was this possible?! But as soon as they were outside that room, they understood.


    Josh was very quick to make a call.


    "Hey, Markus! Listen, there''s something that I need you to do for me. It''s nothing too troublesome either. The thing is that¡­." He began conversing with Markus.


    The few soldiers who witnessed this couldn''t help but smile wryly. The guy inside had no clue who he had just offended¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Wealth was supposed to be something wonderful. It was supposed to bring peace of mind. Then why the hell was wealth the source of his problems now?!


    The man paced around, his mind in chaos as he tried to figure out a solution. Everything had been going well recently, and his beloved Infinite Treasures was making banks. But it had all turned for the worst with this new treasure he had acquired.


    It was a rock, but one that didn''te from this world. It really had been a coincidence for him to acquire it. It was extremely sturdy and also seemed to be alive. How? He had no idea. All that was sure of was that it was as valuable as illegal.


    But now that he owned it, he couldn''t just discard it, right? But he wasn''t sure what to do with it. After all, he would need a loyal, crooked, and godly cksmith to forge such a thing. He would only have one chance!


    That''s why he had temporarily stored it, making sure it remained in safety, even forgetting about it. Well, until today. The attack had evidently targeted this thing. Now, what should he do about it? There were many options:


    1. He could hide it somewhere else.


    2. He could sell it to someone


    3. He could get rid of it


    The problem was that he would now be watched for sure. It was all thanks to this incident. The MTA would want to know for sure the reasons behind it. It would be so easy for him to get busted. He couldn''t risk it!


    That''s why he suddenly etched a n. It was a very simple but possibly very efficient one. He would agree to sell it to the government in exchange for the MTA looking the other way on the illegal possession.


    That''s why he had asked for a meeting, and he was now waiting.


    ¡ª Ding! ¡ª


    There was a message on his UW.


    "Markus will meet you in person. Go to 44th Florentine Street ASAP."


    Markus would meet him?! Awesome! This meant that he had a chance toe out of this whole trouble a free man. He would just need to convince the most influential man of Metropolis-D.


    This was stressful, but he could do it! He left for the meeting. He had a good feeling about this¡­

 Chapter 361 Relaxed Deal

    Markus was slowly sipping his beverage in a small inconspicuous coffee shop.


    A small distance away, there were a few waiters and waitresses about to hyperventte from the excitement. Markus, THE Markus was in their shop! How had this even happened?!


    He looked soposed and noble seen from up close. He did, but not the man at his side. Josh was casually devouring cakes, not minding his manners one bit. The sh was so big that it made one wince.


    "Are you here for the cakes or the meeting?" Markus chuckled as he watched him pilfer the sugary delights.


    "Hey, one has to enjoy life whenever possible. Plus, we even booked the entire ce, so no need to mind about appearances." He shrugged. "In any case, this should be fun." Josh chuckled.


    "I''m surprised you asked me for this. Normally I''d expect you to solve your own problems. I''ve actually got a few reports about a few shady activities on your part." Markus dropped a bomb trying to fish a reaction.


    "Is that so?" Josh shrugged while stuffing his face. "Anyway, he should be there any minute now."


    They waited in silence, one that was broken by the clear sound of a bell as the door opened.


    ¡ª Ding!¡ª


    A man entered, one that appeared extremely calm and confident. He noticed Markus and headed straight for him with assurance. But as he saw Josh, his calm demeanorpletely disappeared.


    "W-wha¡ª" a low exmation even escaped him.


    His face turned white, and he began to sweat heavily. His thoughts were evident: he was fucked. Wasn''t this the guy he had just turned away? What was he doing here?!


    At that moment, he seemed to consider just turning heels and leaving. Was there even a point for him to be here if Josh was involved? But ultimately, he decided to remain as his gaze locked unto Markus.


    Josh chuckled to himself. This guy was probably nning to focus on Markus for whatever request he had while hoping for the best. Quite optimistic, but not totally wrong either.


    "Wee, take a seat. I heard that you requested a meeting to talk about your auction house? What do you have to say?" Markus interrogated, politely but to the point.


    "Actually, I would rather there is only us inside before I say¡­just for security reasons. Would it be possible?" The man tentatively asked, worried about being refused.


    Markus waved with the employees taking the hint as they began leaving.


    But a secondter, Josh also waved them¡­toe back!


    The helpless employees were torn between the two. They were better off listening to the leader of the MTA here, right?


    "Don''t just stand there and bring me more cakes before you go," Josh ordered, clicking his tongue.


    The employees nced at Markus but seeing that he wasn''t objecting, they got to work. This little interlude wasn''t a big deal for them, but it made the auction house owner shiver. This guy dared contest an order from Markus without any retribution?!


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    Then again, this was probably because of Markus''s benevolence, right? There was no way that the two of them could be of equal standing!


    "Now we''re talking. This tastes heavenly! Anyway, you were saying?" Josh nonchntly said. Once again, Markus didn''t object.


    "Here''s the thing. I have a friend that has acquired an item through many coincidences only to realize after the fact that it might not be 100% legal for him to do so¡­."


    "Spare us the "I know a friend" bullshit. Just go straight to the point. We aren''t two years old." Joshined.


    "He''s right. Just speak." Markus chimed in.


    The auction owner loudly gulped before he began his tale about an otherworldly material he had managed to obtain. The more he enumerated, and the more interested Josh became:


    - Incredibly hard metal


    - Extremely old


    - Seemingly alive


    - Reacts to external stimulus.


    - Changes temperature randomly


    Josh raised a brow at the owner:


    "So, pretty much you found a very peculiar meteorite? What''s illegal about that?" He asked, perplexed.


    There were stories of people having a meteorite fall on their roof only to be rich by selling it to the highest bidder. Why was he acting so sneakily? That''s when Markus exined:


    "As a Fallen, you probably don''t know this, but there have been a few instances where alien lifeforms almost wiped humanity." He sighed.


    "Wait, are you talking about aliens you guys traded knowledge in exchange for¡ª"


    "No, we''re talking about deadlier life forms that were way more insidious. I can''t say much about them because it''s all ssified information, but you get the gist. There''s aw that any living outer space object requires to be turned in." Markus added.


    "Wait, don''t you guys give a reward for finding one?"


    "There is one, but it''s not relevant in the new Credit economy. It''s been on the back burner for a while. To be frank, we''re not sure that it''s even needed anymore. After all, superhumans walk the world." Markus exined.


    So this whole thing wasn''t a big deal?! Josh looked once more at the auction house owner. Why was he sweating so much? Sure, he might have broken an archaicw, but who cared? <sub> </sub>


    Then again, given that the auction house had been attacked for it, it probably meant that it had some value. Someone out there knew what it was used for and was determined to put his hands on it.


    "There is just one thing I don''t understand. Why didn''t the attacker try and buy it from you directly instead? Wouldn''t it have been far easier?" Josh asked, confused.


    The man turned red with shame as he awkwardly twirled his fingers:


    "I actually received a few offers from the same guy. He wanted to buy it for 800 000 Credits. That''s when I figured out that it had value¡­."


    "Don''t tell me you tried to find new customers to create a price war?!"


    "Y-yes¡­."


    Josh couldn''t help but stare at the man in stupefaction. How the hell did this guy have a sessful auction house?! Then again, he sold materials, probably not what most wanted to steal.


    It probably was a case of the guy being prepared, just not enough. At least his tower was mostly intact¡­.besides hole across multiple floors made withva.


    "You wish to turn it in to make sure that you do not have any legal problems?" Markus raised a brow as he asked.


    "Y-yes¡­"


    "Fine, I''ll have to record it and¡ª"


    But just as Markus was about to continue, he twitched as the nearby Josh vehemently gestured him.


    "What now? Just say it¡­." He asked in an exasperated tone.


    "So you need to do a risk assessment for this meteorite, right? How about I take of that? I know a great cksmith that could take care of it!" Josh shamelessly proposed.


    "You mean the one I introduced you to?! The one that I am rted by blood to?!" Markus thundered.


    "Yes, yes. That one!" Josh happily nodded.


    "That would be going against thew of the¡ª"


    "You said it yourself. It''s been on the back-burner for a while. It''s clearly not that important." Josh scoffed.


    "It still doesn''t mean that one can just do ignore it! I know that you want to craft a new weapon, but there are things to consider that can¡ª"


    "An extra batch of D-23 entry tickets for your people." Josh proposed akin to a sly weasel.


    "Fine."


    "Great!"


    The actual owner of the meteorite could only watch the two of them deciding the fate of his item without even consulting him. He watched this happen with incredible nervousness.


    The Markus he "knew" was incredibly righteous. For a second, he wondered if this one was fake. But the message telling him about this meeting had been a verified one. The only thing that he could do was hope for the best.


    That''s when the Josh toward him:


    "There you have it. I''ll need the rock for research purposes. But, I''ll also need plenty of other materials. You won''t mind, will you?" He yfully asked.


    Seeing Markus staying out of it, the owner bit the bullet and nodded. "Of course not¡­." How much would he lose on this single event? This was such a pain!


    "Awesome, let''s go, shall we!" Josh rose and led the way.


    Josh, his cksmith, and the owner returned to the Infinite Treasures tower. The whole ce was closed, and they were the only ones in there, along with employees trying their best to repair the damage.


    They had only stepped inside when a man came charging at the owner, dragging a youngdy by the arm. She seemed to have been crying as long streaks of eyeliner covered her face.


    "Owner! This girl here witnessed theunch of the attack. She brought invaders to the top floors. They had a fake VIP token, it seems. What should we do with her? Also, here''s a sketch of the culprits!"


    The man quickly handed a piece of paper to his boss only to freeze a secondter. He had only been looking at his boss before, but he had now just seen Josh andpany.


    "Y-you, you''re¡­ it''s him!"


    Josh approached, grabbed the newly made wanted poster as he observed it carefully.


    "It''s not that bad. It does depict well my handsome features. But you should check your info before you p your mouth. The dark smoke was an ident, and I''m the one that made them flee. Oh yeah, and the token is real." He slowly enunciated.


    The cksmith took out the VIP token. At this moment, the owner finally realized the identity of the young crafter who had been extremely low-key.


    "Y-you! You''re that man''s apprentice?!"


    "Eh¡­.yes?" He replied shyly. "But can we check materials now?"


    "S-sure, follow me¡­."


    What woulde out of this? Josh was already grinning¡­

 Chapter 362 Just Forging A Weapon

    Where was the best ce to forge a weapon? Apparently, in an underground bunker!


    Josh was currently inside an underground forge right below Markus''s friend''s ce. It was sweaty, sturdy, and quite concerning. For instance, why were there human bones in a corner?!


    "Oh, don''t mind these. I was trying to see if human remains could be used to craft something interesting. But it turns out that bones are too brittle. Quite strange, don''t you think?" The cksmith apprentice babbled.


    "How so?" Josh inquired.


    "Think about it. Superhumans would need to have stronger bones than normal to cope with the increased power. Then why are they so weak? It doesn''t make sense!"


    Well, this sure was an exciting experiment. This would have given another meaning to a family heirloom. Grandpas''s sword? Naw, this IS the grandpa, turned into a sword!


    "Makes sense. So, how long will it take you to craft my morphing weapon?"


    "Hard to tell. I actually have a few ideas in mind. Anyway, staying anywhere near during the crafting process is way too dangerous. What we''ll do is use this big guy."


    The apprentice pressed a button, and suddenly one of the walls began trembling and creaking. Actually¡­.never mind. It was a tall and incredibly robust-looking robot. The more he looked at it, and the more perplexed Josh became.


    "This is a killer robot, right?"


    "What?! No way! It used to be a killer robot! Now, it''s my trustworthy assistant!"


    "I see¡­Isn''t that blood on its hands?"


    "Eh, maybe. Let me clean it up real quick."


    This sure was extravagant. Others used killer robots as bodyguards, for training, or even ruthless games. Yet this guy had one in his basement; how shady! It was so scandalous that Josh had to nod and give a thumb up.


    "Alright, let''s do this. Add these to the pile of materials if you think it can be useful." Josh happily handed over a few things, including the elemental soul and the tormented ectosm.


    He was using this opportunity to get rid of any weird thing he had ever gotten. The man nodded, toyed with the killer robot for a few minutes, and then happily took a step back. That''s when a pool rose from the ground, apparently a mixing vat.


    "With this, we are done. Now we go back to the surface and wait for everything to be over."


    "I thought only people with the cksmith ss could use magical ingredients?!"


    "Well, yeah, but actually no. This is just going to be the initial mixing of it all. Hopefully, it will bring about a nice magical alloy that I will then be able to use to make you a weapon."


    "Gotcha!"


    The two then climbed back up, closing the metallic trapdoor behind them. Markus and his friend had gone away to do god know what.


    "Alright, let''s set some ground rules first. Whatever happens, do not open the door to the basement. Are we clear?" He stressed while frowning his brows.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "Alright, but why?"


    "It''s really hard to tell when the process is actually over. I don''t want you causing a catastrophe, that''s all."


    "Roger that." He would believe in his expertise. <sub> </sub>


    "Nice. 3 ¡­2 ¡­1¡­showtime!" He happily shouted, with the eagerness of a drunk guy on new year''s eve.


    Then followed a long silence. But, it could have been longer as it soon turned into a shitshow. Tons of weird sounds suddenly echoed down there, creating a cacophony with one another.


    There was creaking, the sound of explosions, the sorrowful cries, the nging, and even more. It was as if some sound engineer had just yed it ALL without care!


    "Nice, it''s begun."


    No shit, it started! With such amotion happening, Josh freaking hoped it had started. What else could it be? A prank, perhaps?


    But it wasn''t over just yet. After the sound, the trembling happened. The entire underground began to rumble as it made their floor vibrate. It was as if there was a storm happening down there.


    Actually, scratch there. There was a fucking storm happening down there! The floor was bing wetter by the second as some weird green water seemed to be overflowing.


    "Uh, this is weird." The apprentice remarked.


    "Weird? Weird good or weird bad?"


    "Well, normally, the room down there should be perfectly sealed. This means that the only way for this to be here is if every security measure has been breached¡­." He said, seemingly pensive.


    "Isn''t that bad?" Even Josh realized this.


    But then the man touched the green water, before gasping softly:


    "Ah, I see! This water isn''t truly material. It seems to be some kind of specter, probably because of that tormented soul thingy." He exined with relief.


    His relief didn''t falter when a green ghost went through the floorboard and began hovering around them.


    The creature was cold, glowing, and didn''t seem to be noticing them. It just had fun floating there, not doing anything in particr.


    "Wow, this is amazing! I''ll have to record this for future reference. This is great!" He was so deep in research mode that he was a lost cause for sure.


    After a while and lots of wails, the phantom finally plunged back into the ground. Did this mean that the process was almost over? Had it been a sess or a failure?


    That''s when the whole phenomenon suddenly magnified out of nowhere. Pieces of the forge began to fall apart as the roar of monsters was heard down there.


    Did the whole ce be a freaking dungeon?! What the fuck was happening?! But then everything returned to still calmness. It was finally over, or so it seemed.


    But then something very peculiar happened.


    The metallic trapdoor suddenly opened. That was the weird part: it didn''t get sted off or even mmed open. Nope, it ever-so delicately opened, as if guided by an invisible hand.


    The two could only look at each other in puzzlement. The cksmith bit the bullet and spoke up.


    "Let me go first."


    Alright, he was the expert after all¡­.

 Chapter 363 Scheming Rock

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    How long had it been?


    How long had it been sleeping? A few years? A few centuries? A few millenniums? It was always hard to tell and didn''t matter much.


    Ever sinceing to this, it had slowly been awakening. Even in its dormant state, it had been listening unconsciously. The humans had passed it around a few times until it finally ended up in an orange tower.


    Its so-called owner had been nothing but a fool, one that couldn''t even protect it against thieves. But he had received helped and thus, it had changed master. Well, master was an exaggeration.


    Would one such as it really have a master? Obviously not! It was a perfect creature that would evolve until it dominated all others.


    Yet the dumb humans had thought it to be a rock too! Could they get any more ridiculous than that? The answer was obviously not. It would have chuckled if it had any lungs.


    At first, it wanted to burst out of its dormant state and attack its new owner, but it had suddenly changed its mind. An opportunity had shown itself! Instead of being careful with it, the stupid humans had shown greed for its body.


    They wanted to use its perfect attributes to forge an incredibly strong weapon. Even with its great knowledge and wisdom, it wasn''t sure what a morphing weapon was, but the two humans seemed really greedy toward it.


    How foolish!


    Instead of rebelling, it bid its time. It just had to wait a little bit before they began feeding it. Oh, every moment of it was worth the wait and fucking more! There were so many nutritious materials in there!


    Hell, most of them carried a strange aura. It was as if they weren''t from this world. Was this even possible? Actually, perhaps. Many things were strange in this universe.


    Did this mean that this weak had a link with a stronger ne? This was something it would have to be wary of. But would it change its n? No.


    It would not be so easy to notice as long as it didn''t go on a killing spree. This was why its kind was considered to be so strong¡ª their resilience. They were harder to get rid of than the ticks of this world.


    As the "forging" went on, it happily devoured it all. At first, it was just nning to ignore the whole process and do it its own way, but it quickly realized something phenomenal.


    This specific process would allow it to have an incredibly mighty body. It wasn''t even sure how this was possible. It felt so foreignpared to what it had seen of this world. The guy who had created this was as much a genius as a fool.


    Lots of disturbances happened, but then it was finally over. It had absorbed it all, even the so-called killer robot in the corner. It happily reveled in the joy of its new, improved body.


    Then a few minutester, one of the humans came down. In his eyes, there was an insatiable lust for knowledge: this would be his undoing. It remained unmoving, awaiting the perfect time to strike.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    That''s when the man approached and finally touched its body. Grave mistake!


    It instantly sent its spirit into the man''s mind. At first, there was a short resistance, but it was easy to ovee. It only had to promise knowledge, and the man''s mental defenses fell. It was that easy!


    This ability was a minor possession one. It allowed it to impose its will unto weaker-minded ones. But, these humans were so feeble-minded that it worked as well as a divine possession.


    It happily yed with its new ve, making it pick its metal body and swing a few times. This would allow it to navigate this world undetected easily as it gathered more information about the other ne. <sub> </sub>


    There was only one very deplorable thing. This guy was weak! All the man''s usefulness resided in his mind, a mind that was now totally nk. Crafters were the worst to possess! A warrior would have been better by far!


    But just as it was deploring, there came the sound of footsteps. It made the man raise his eyes toward the neer.


    This man stood ramrod straight, seemed like he was trained inbat, had great potential, and yet didn''t appear too powerful either. Wouldn''t this make for the perfect target?!


    Since he was weak, he probably wasn''t well-known in this world just yet. The potential made it so a meteoric rise on his part wouldn''t be too suspicious. It would gain ess to so many secrets thanks to this guy!


    It instantly decided. It forced its current ve to speak with a sunny smile:


    "Here you go, take it. I crafted it for you after all."


    The neer looked at it with a grin. There was already the light of desire in his eyes: this would make possessing him so easy!


    As the man''s fingers made contact with the morphing weapon, it invaded his mind. This was the end!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The man''s mind was surprisingly well-lit.


    There was a pink room with a gigantic princess-looking bed right in the middle. All over the ce were many stuffed animals that seemed to be peering at it as it entered. Then there was a cute children luby that was ying.


    This was that man''s mind?! It didn''t seem to fit him at all!


    For a second, it wondered if it had made a mistake. Did it somehow enter a third party by mistake? No, that wasn''t possible. There hadn''t been anyone else in the underground forge.


    Perhaps this room was one of the man''s memories?


    It began to wander around. But a secondter, a door opened, one that hadn''t been there before for sure.


    There was the silhouette of a young girl with an innocent smile in the door frame. But this smile chilled its very being as it saw it.


    No, it wasn''t the smile itself that scared it, but how much it didn''t fit with what was happening in the background.


    It was alling from behind that one door:


    There was incredible heat, anguish, despair, and countless wails. For some reason, it had the feeling an entire world was tortured behind that door.


    "A new "guest", how nice!"


    As it heard the little girl whisper, the rock suddenly didn''t feel well¡­

 Chapter 364 Rock Vs Little Girl

    This rock was currently feeling unwell. This was enough to show that something was very wrong! How was it possible?!


    How many times had it felt like this in its long life? Never! It was one thing to fear something, but it was a first for it not to know what it was afraid of!


    It knew pure terror, one brought along by an incredibly powerful enemy. It knew it very well, in fact. After all, it still remembered the sight of its homeworld being wiped out by a god.


    The power of divinity was without equal, and there was no resisting it. All the ones it had targeted had perished, the only survivors still existing because they were too insignificant to chase in the god''s eyes.


    But what was happening here was far different.


    It observed the young girl, and she didn''t show any sign of being dangerous whatsoever. It reminded it of a pure lotus flower, as the humans would say. Yet, what was up with what was happening behind?


    It was so heated and lively, but it felt even chillier than the cold dead space. What was behind that door made void beats and nil entities seem like nothing but jokes! Yet¡­it didn''t see anything, it just guessed it, somehow, but how?!


    "Hehe, he sent a pet rock this time around? How funny!" The little one happily giggled, her cute dimples rising.


    A pet rock? Oh god! This girl (?) was calling it a pet rock?! Did this mean that there were more of its brethren behind that door?! This was the only exnation as no sane human would ever consider a regr rock a pet!


    It instantly retreated to a corner, but it couldn''t move its gaze from the door frame. Yet, no matter how much it looked, it couldn''t see what was happening behind it. It was driving it crazy!


    "So, what''s your name, little rock? Also, it is courtesy for a pawn to bow before a queen." She said.


    Would a prideful being such as it ever bow to another?! Normally no, but even rocks had to adapt at times! It used its new morphing weapon characteristics to fake a reverence.


    "You''re still looking at the door. It''s rude, you know?" The little girl pouted.


    But no matter how much it tried, it just couldn''t avert its gaze. It had the feeling that the door would gobble it up entirely if it rxed for even a second. Was this true? Maybe, maybe not. But it didn''t matter.


    "Here, let me do this¡­." The little girl snapped her small fingers.


    Instantly the door frame disappeared. There remained only a world of pink with countless stuffed animals. There was a bunny, a frog, a few ducks, dragons, and many other weird-looking things.


    It couldn''t help but feel at a loss. Who the heck had designed these stuffed toys? Why were their expressions so exaggerated too? Some looked fierce, some looked scared, some looked in adorable, there was nomon theme.


    "It should be easier to focus, right? Now, show me how well a pet rock can do a reverence!" She excitedly instructed, pping her dainty hands.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    What was wrong with this girl? Who was she? What was her whole angle? Why was she insisting so much that it bowed to her? None of it made sense!


    But there was a fact that was truly frightening. How did she have perfect control over this space?! This wasn''t supposed to be possible! Where was the man he had tried to possess? Was this a memory or another soul sealed inside him?! <sub> </sub>


    "Hehe, I''m real. Of course, I''m real."


    Could she read its thoughts too?! How?! It focused its mind but didn''t detect any breach whatsoever. Then how had she done it?!


    "I can see it on your face. You''re probably the most expressive rock I''ve ever encountered."


    See it on its face? A rock didn''t have a face! It was just¡­.but then it realized that she was right. It did have a face now. Its new morphing body had been flexing following its thoughts.


    How inconvenient! It had only seen the positives, but now it seemed like there were demerits to it too! What would it do now? Should it try to run? Should it attack her? Should it try to talk her into letting it go?


    "Boots? A sword? A mouth? You really wear your heart on your sleeves, it seems. What a funny rock!" She giggled happily.


    Goddammit! Screw this new body! It was showing way too much! It had to learn to control it, but that would take time, time it didn''t have.


    How could it face this godly being? How could it¡ª? But then it realized that there was incongruence. She couldn''t be that strong. It had to be a trick for sure! That was it! This whole thing had to be an illusion! That was the only exnation!


    "You don''t want to y? That''s weird. You''re the one that came over, after all. Ah, did you perhaps expect to meet Josh?"


    Josh? Who was this Josh? Was it that human''s name? Could it be that it just had to meet him to end it all? This was bound to be the case, right? Should it ask the little girl to guide it?


    "It''s not possible." She shook her small head sideways.


    "He''s been sleeping for a long time, a very long time." She sighed, seemingly looking deeper into this world. Her expression slowly turned sorrowful and nostalgic.


    "I really can''t wait until he wakes up. We''ll explore so many new ces, y so many fun games, and most especially, I really want a hug." Tears fell from her lively eyes to die on her bright smile.


    "But I know that he''ll be back for sure! After all, he''s Josh Motherfucking Malum! Today he''s one step closer too! Hahahahaha!" Herugh was crystalline, gleeful, but definitely mad.


    p Thisugh was so beautiful..yet so deadly! It couldn''t take it anymore. It knew that it would be a ve to thisugh if it kept listening to it. </anda>


    It had to stop thisugh at all costs! It had to! The rock morphed into a sea of deadly weapons as it charged at the girl.


    But just as it came nearby, she raised a small hand casually, not even bothering to look at it. As for what happened next, it wasn''t sure.


    In a pink world, there were tons of stuffed toys. One of these was a cute little pet rock¡­

 Chapter 365 Joshs New Weapon

    Josh felt something strange as he gripped the weapon. It was as if it was entering his soul, but he felt no danger.


    He couldn''t help but jump in surprise at the unfamiliar feeling. It was as if he had just linked with the item? Was this the soul of a weapon described by the old teachings? Perhaps?


    He willed the morphing weapon to change shape, and it quickly did. It waspletely different than before! It had always taken a lot of mental effort and focus whenever he did this in the past. Now? None!


    It was as if the sword / mace / spear / dragon dildo were all extensions of his body. Grinning, he even yed with it more creatively. In the dark room, he sessively made keys, balloon animals, and even a fucking mask!


    This thing was so damn versatile! No matter what he pictured, he could easily realize it. Well, of course, there was a limit to it. He couldn''t be Sephi-Josh just yet. He was missing a few inches for that.


    But he didn''t despair. After all, what mattered wasn''t how long one''s sword was but how well one could use it¡ª or at least that is what he believed.


    This crafting session had been a resounding sess! He couldn''t wait but to show off¡­brag¡­no, showcase his new weapon to his friends. How jealous would they be! It had cost more than 1 million Credits, but it was a great investment.


    He then turned toward the nk-looking cksmith:


    "Hey, great job!" Jack gave a thumb up.


    But the man remainedpletely motionless. His breathing was slow and steady, his eyes were closed, and he was even muttering softly. Was he sleeping while standing up?


    A shoulder chopter, the man was gently awakening:


    "W-what?! Where am I?! What happened?! Where''s that rock?!" He seemed utterly confused and lost.


    "Hey, great job on crafting the weapon. It''s perfect." Josh praised him without holding anything back.


    "W-weapon? What weapon? Ah, where''s the alloy for the morphing weapon?! I need to hammer it quickly and¡ª"


    "Rx, you''ve already done it, see? When I came down, you had already crafted it. I think your spirit was too weak to wield it, so you fell unconscious."


    "Really?!¡­Nice! It means I managed to craft a really strong weapon! I seeded, finally, hahaha! From now on, everyone will know Morpheus as an aplished cksmith hahaha!!"


    "Morpheus? Good name."


    "Of course it''s a good name, but what matters is that it proves that my theories were right! Honestly, I''m surprised that it worked so well the first time. I was expecting it to fail a few times!" Heughed, relieved.


    "Wait, you were?! -_-" Josh wasn''t sure how to feel about that one.


    "Well, you see¡­." Morpheus twisted his fingers shyly.


    "Whatever, you seeded. What do you say that we celebrate?"


    "Now? Where do you want to go? I still need to clean this ce, or my master''s gonna be mad and¡­." He shook his head.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "You know, someone once told me that one should celebrate all achievements. Otherwise, what''s the point? If we don''t have a party to look up to when working hard, then aren''t we just settings ourselves up for failure?"


    "I don''t think that''s how it works. You se¡ª" <sub> </sub>


    "Shhh, just go with the flow." Josh shut him up and hurriedly left, gesturing the man to follow.


    "We still need to run some tests on the weapon to make sure everything is alright! There could be remnant energy that¡ª" Morpheus spoke up.


    "That''s perfect. You can do the tests at the bar. Let''s gooo!" Josh shouted.


    For some reason, he was in a very good mood. The new weapon yed a veryrge part in it, but he inexplicably felt especially jovial. Oh well, this was a good thing in any case.


    The cksmith could only give a helpless smile as he trailed behind. He was 100% going for work, is what he repeated to himself. Yep, this was a valid reason not to clean the forge right away!


    <o>,m "We''re going to a sunny bar. It''s nothing out of the ordinary, but it has a cool hologram dance floor with pretty sick beats." Josh shared on their way. </o>


    As they got there, the cksmith couldn''t help but feel that this establishment was unexpectedly normal. From hanging out with this guy, he was almost expecting him to bring him to some restricted area.


    "Oh, right. I should get my pet back before we go. I''m sure he''ll be happy to tag along." Josh said before he went to knock on a door right next to the bar.


    "Pet? Do you have a dog?"


    "Something like that. He''s a big green guard dog." Josh remarked.


    He, not it? Also, what kind of dog race was green? Could it be that its fur had been dyed? Either that or it was some kind of mutant. It wasn''t like these were too rare nowadays. But as the door opened, he almost shat his pants.


    "That''s my pet," Josh said with a teasing smile.


    What the fuck was that?! Gaurd dog?! This was very clearly an orc¡ª and a powerful one at that! The creature was built like a goddamn tank and had an aura that screamed of violence.


    Then there was the gaze. One look from the monster was enough to make one realize who stood at the top of the food chain¡ª spoiler, it was the orc.


    Morpheus stood there, his mouth opening and closing faster than a nutcracker. He seemed as if he had seen something unbelievable, but then he suddenly regained his cool a secondter.


    "Oh? Your nerves aren''t that bad." He chuckled.


    "Well, one thing helps for sure. I just thought to myself:ing from him. It could be crazier than an orc. Then the fear went away." The cksmith shared.


    What kind of trick was that?! Sure, it''s fearsome, but it could e worse? What did that even mean? That''s when the orc began to chuckle.


    "You''re goddamn right, buckaroo!" The orc king said.


    "Wait¡­what did you just say?" Josh couldn''t help but freeze.


    "It''s just an expression. I''ve been gathering information on that shivering guy''s HUB. Anyway, we should talk about the Tower. I roughly understand our situation, and I think the next Floor will be very troublesome." The orc solemnly uttered.


    Josh''s orc had not only been watching TV but also researching?! Also, what kind of trouble? So much for celebration time¡­

 Chapter 366 Drinking Party

    Three humans and an orc walked into a bar. All eyes turned toward the powerful-looking creature as people gasped in shock.


    "What the hell is this?!"


    "This is a costume, right? Right?!"


    "Wow, I guess I drank a little bit too much. I''m seeing orcs!"


    "What happened to the bouncers?! Are they still alive?! Should we call the MTA?"


    Many were unsure of what to do as anxiety slowly overcame them. But then that one bodyguard showed up, instantly attracting everyone''s attention.


    "Everyone! This friend right here is the new mascot of our bar! Please give him a warm round of apuse!"


    The bar''s patrons were utterly confused. Why the heck was a bar with the name Sunny using an orc as a mascot?! But seeing him smile and appear so excited, they lost any sense of danger, as they felt curiosity instead.


    The bodyguard approached them, his face a little stiff. He then murmured next to the orc;


    "Please don''t crush my skull. I just said that so they wouldn''t report you." He uttered a little shakily. "Now, please follow me. I''ll bring you all to a private VIP room."


    "Don''t worry, human. You can live for now. But did you get the food I asked you to fetch?" The orc king inquired.


    The bodyguard took out a bunch of boxes of chocte and a few whip cream cans before handing it all over to the orc. Had he been turned into his errand boy?! Just in time to reach a cozy room in the corner.


    It was separated from the rest of the bar by an expensive-looking curtain, and it had amethyst tables that gave it all a very chic look. Josh gave a thumb up to their host, but so did the orc.


    "Good job, human. I''ll give you a 5-star review!" The orc praised with the human cheering by the side.


    Wasn''t this green guy adapting a little bit too fast? He already knew about reviews?! What would happen if he left him alone a little bit longer? Would he start his own business empire? Perhaps a fast-food chain: Orcish King of Burger!


    Now, it was time to get the party started:


    "First of all, let''s get some booze here. Bodyguard dude, bring us enough alcohol to drown a city!"


    As their host left to busy himself, the orc king turned serious.


    "Master, about my previous question. What should we do about the next Floor? I think it could be very deadly." He solemnly dered.


    Josh did a quick search on his UW, quickly understanding what the issue was about.


    "I see. The next Floor is one with a flying enemy. I''ve already encountered a simr one in the past. It was an Eagle King. Now, this one might take a little bit more preparations for sure¡ª"


    "Master, it''s worse than that! I''ve noticed something very problematic. It seems the archives of your entire species are erroneous. I''ve checked many times over and over and yet¡ª" the orc heatedly began.


    "I know what''s happening. Have you ever encountered the terms Normal, Hard, and Hellish in your information search?" Josh casually asked.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "What?! Ah, yes! I''ve read about it, and it seems humans cannot head inside the Hellish version, right? This point really seems odd, but all the sources¡ª"


    "That''s bullshit. Humans can enter hellish easily. It''s as easy as selecting the difficulty with the Tower Protocol."


    "Ah, does that mean that I''m not a Hard orc but a hellish orc?" The green creature seriously asked."


    "I sure hope you''re not a Hard orc since there are only us dudes here." Josh chuckled.


    "¡­.?" (Confusion of the highest order.)


    "Just a bad joke. But yeah, you were in Hellish, and the entire Tower should have evolved thanks to the divine energy it has absorbed. Now the only question is how much harder that next fight will be." Josh uttered.


    "Master, what are you able to do ranged-attack-wise? What about the ability to fly?" The orc was staring at him with hopeful eyes.


    "The ability to fly? What do you take me for? Super-Josh?! I do have a bow, but it doesn''t prate defenses that wellpared to my normal attacks. As for flying, the best I can do is use strings to hang on the damn thing." Josh admitted.


    "Master, that''s a recipe for failure. We''re 100% going to die if we head to such a fight."


    "Weren''t you the one that just chuckled while I destroyed your subordinate? Now you''re giving me lessons about overconfidence?!"


    "I have grown since then. That is why." The orc nodded with deep wisdom I his eyes.


    Why was it that this orc seemed like the perfect protagonist? Strong, smart, a tragic back-story, and an amazing goal to strive for? But the bodyguard came back just in time to end the serious conversation.


    "I brought the strongest stuff we have. There is nothing better in the city! Well, at least not anything legal¡­." He mumbled under his breath.


    Josh happily grabbed a mug, handing one to everyone in the room.


    "I''d like to give a toast. To Morpheus for crafting me an amazing weapon that will carry me for the Floors toe! To the bodyguard for being our host! Finally, to my newpanion, the one that will one day be the True Orc King!"


    "Cheers to that, but can I observe said weapon some more? I''m not exactly done with¡ª"


    "Sure, here you go." Josh handed it over.


    "Hehe, master, you forgot killing gods. Cheers to that too!"


    "Hehe, you''re right! Let''s not forget killing the gods!"


    The two happily began drinking happily. It only took them a few seconds to down the golden liquid that was strong enough to down a bull easily.


    The bodyguard on the side was already sweating. y gods?! What the actual fuck?! At this moment, he made a mental note to avoid taking them as clients. Who knew who or what they would anger in the future.


    "Now, let''s start a strategy meeting. Now, we need to figure out how I can power¡ªup to keep climbing. Oh right, if anyone proposes Climbing at normal, I''m punching them!" <sub> </sub>


    They began brainstorming as they drank ceaselessly. This wouldn''t be an issue, right?¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    A VIP room in the Sunny bar smelled so much of booze that the heavy scent even permeated its exterior.


    "G-guys, I think you should stop drinking already. You''ve had enough to kill a few elephants." The bodyguard worriedly said on the side.


    "So what if it can kill elephants?! We are all human and orcs here. There are no elephants!" The orc king thundered loudly enough to be heard in the entire bar.


    "What I meant was¡ª"


    "Don''t worry about it. I''m sure it''s fine. After all, he can still speak coherently." Josh waved him away as he cackled happily.


    Funnily enough, the one who was the drunkest was the cksmith. But in his case, it was 100% from the fumes, for he hadn''t consumed a single drop of it.


    "W-wow, this sword is so smoooooth! Can you believe it?! Oh my goood, it''s so cooold too! It would be perfect for a hoooot summer! ¡­Ah?! Wouldn''t this be perfect for the beach?!" Morpheus shouted in astonishment.


    "For a beach? What do you want to kill on a beach? Crabs? Tourists? Or are you talking about that new aquatic Tower?" Josh raised a brow.


    "H-hear me out! You could go up to sweaty people and help them."


    "Help them? How?"


    "S-simple! The sword is cooold, so I''d offer them to touch it to cool down!"


    "How would you do that?"


    "h¡ª E-easy! I''d go: sister, would you want to touch my sword?! I swear it will feel really nice!!"


    This was one sure-fire way to get reported for sexual harassment. Josh was almost tempted to bring him outside to see how people would react. But, they had serious business to attend to.


    "Anyway, it seems our options are pretty limited," Josh uttered.


    "Well, not really master. The problem isn''t the options but your timeline. If you want to go back to Climbing ASAP, then this is our best bet." The orc king appeared very serious.


    Their first n was to use specially made ropes for him to hang on the boss, but it would be very risky. Theck of solid ground could easily cause issues. As for considering the boss as solid ground? This wasn''t really an option.


    With the Tower evolving, chances were that the new enemy would have a few tricks up its wings. It would likely be far easier to dodge whatever that was if he kept his distance. But that brought along another problem.


    This meant that he would need a ranged-attack skill. Just having a bow and knowing how to use it wouldn''t cut it. He needed some serious firepower.


    "Now, there remains the question of where the fuck can I learn an archery skill easily?"


    "Master, I have read that some auction houses are selling skill gems that can be used to¡ª"


    "Denied, these things impose memories unto the users. It''s the same as with sses, really. I''m notfortable with getting my mind invaded." Josh protested.


    "I understand, master. Then we''ll need to find someone with an actual long history of archery. If possible, one passed to their descendants."


    "A-archery? I hate archery! Archers don''t need cksmiths, and I''m a b-cksmith, soooo I hate archers!" He drunkenlyined.


    That''s when their bodyguard host entered the room once more, bringing along some medicine for the poor drunken mess.


    "Here, you guys should all drink this. Especially this guy." He sighed as he went next to the cksmith to force-feed him. "Here, you go, buddy, drink."


    "I-I don''t wannaaaa! I really hate archer! T-they''re the woooorse!" He kept grumbling.


    "Me too, I hate archers¡ªespecially the ones who are assassins. But you can tell me about itter. For now, you should drink your medicine." He convinced gently.


    Hearing this, both Josh and the orc jumped up:


    "HUMAN?! What did you just say?!"


    "Repeat that?!"


    "W-what?! He needs to drink his medici¡ª"


    "Not that! There would be archers in the LoA, right?!" Josh asked expectantly.


    "E-eh¡­yeah, why?!"


    "Master! We need to find this league of assassins right now! I''ve read about them. Apparently, they are all cowards with no honor attacking from the shadows. Human, where could we find them?!" He thundered.


    He even grabbed the bodyguard as he began to shake him, expecting an answer.


    "What are you doing?!"


    "Enough, I know where to find them. I just happened to be a member." Josh casuallymented.


    "What?!"


    "What?!"


    "W-what?! Alsoooo what are we surprised about?!"


    Oh well, finding them wouldn''t be too hard. The only issue was how fast he could learn. His track record wasn''t that great.

 Chapter 367 Archery Training

    A man slowly made his way toward a church in the vicinity of Metropolis-D, heading to the LoA''sir.


    After the drinking party, Josh had left his inebriated pet behind. Something about a loud-mouthed orc didn''t really fit with assassins. Ah, maybe theck of subtlety...


    As soon as he arrived in front of the entrance gate, he crossed his hands behind his back as he began nonchntly walking forward. His whole demeanor oozed with confidence with his head held high.


    He began emitting pure killing intent, with the doors opening by themselves on his passage. He felt like a goddamn magician performing a cool trick.


    It turned out that a few members of the LoA had assisted to this feat. They stood near the entrance with their mouth gaping. How?! No matter how they racked their brains, they could figure out an exnation.


    "E-elder?! H-how did you do this?!"


    "Do what?" Josh yed dumb, enjoying their shocked gazes.


    "N-nothing!"


    "W-what are you here for today, elder?"


    "Will you be taking a mission on the killing board?!"


    They excitedly chirped. What kind of assassins talked so much?! They were like puppies excitedly weing their master. He could almost see them waving their tails.


    "Board? No." He shook his head. "Bring me to the Matriarch instead." He waves toward them, adopting amanding tone.


    "Y-yes, elder!"


    As they went deeper into their, they kept throwing nces his way. They were dying to know more, but they knew not to insist. After all, it was so easy for an elder to kill any of them on a whim.


    His curious guide brought him to a training room. Inside were various metallic dummies all around and a woman brutalizing them. Her daggers drew silver arcs in the air, shing straight at the vitals (?) on the mannequins.


    What was peculiar was that no sounds were echoing at all. Instead of a training room, this could have been a meditation chamber with none the wiser. This was the result of her magic, right?


    After bashing her lifeless opponents a few times, she turned his way:


    "Clean this up and¡ª W-what?! What are you doing here!" She stammered as she noticed him. She couldn''t take her eyes off him. Why him? Why now? She looked akin to a deer in headlights, utterly confused.


    Her dark hair was messy from the sweat, her face red, and her body still covered by the same ck te armor. She looked¡­lively, perhaps even too much for her position.


    "Aren''t you happy to see me?" Josh teased her with a warm smile.


    That''s when a thousand thoughts seemed to go through her mind, with her even blushing at times. Was she still thinking about her previous failure to control him? Either way, it didn''t matter.


    "Let''s make a deal." Josh proposed.


    "What kind of deal?" By now, she had managed to calm herself.


    She was already inwardly scheming. She had to convince him to teach her how to use killing intent. After all, his was so thick, so powerful, and could extend so much! She would be crazy not to want to y with such an amazing thing!


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "How much do you know about archery?" He asked calmly.


    "Only the basics. Why?!"


    "I want to learn some real skills." He shrugged.


    There was something he desired? How could she trap him? This was a great opportunity: she could exploit this! Her eyes began the shimmer with greed as her pulse elerated.


    "How about I¡ª" She opened her mouth, only to lose her voice.


    Josh has suddenly stepped toward her, quickly yet still incredibly rxed. As he did so, he began emitting that incredibly pure killing intent of his that made her entire body shiver.


    She nkedpletely.


    Before she could get a hold of her chaotic thoughts, he was already in front of her, a tyrant''s grin on his face. He ever so slowly approached his hand from her face, caressing her cheek delicately.


    She could feel the warmth of his hand, sense his piercing gaze sizing her, all the while basking in his aura. Without even realizing it, she held her breath, waiting for his next words. He leaned closer and she could feel his hot breath in her ear:


    "Teach me all you know without holding anything back, and I''ll reward you." She felt her entire body jolt as if pierced by a lightning current.


    The Matriarch of the Metropolis-D LoA stopped thinking entirely at this moment. In her mind, there was only his sweet promise. Without waiting, she used her magic for voice amplification:


    "All of the archers in the LoA,e to my private training room at once!" As meek and confused as she had been a second ago, her voice was now confident and imperial. <sub> </sub>


    Hearing this decree, assassins came in dove. Anyone remotely capable of using a bow showed up. Why? Because they knew the elder had just arrived. Would this be a mission alongside him? Perhaps training?


    They quickly formed a line, trying to look as valiant and worthy as possible. One guy was even missing an arm!? How would he use a bow? With his mouth, perhaps?


    "Sadly, they are all we have as far as archers go. I can request people from another branch. If you so desire¡ª" She proposed.


    "No need. You did well." Josh barely praised her, and yet it brought her joy. "Now, which one of you can teach me about archery?" He candidly asked. What about face? He wouldn''t care about something so silly!


    Their eyes erged in shock for a second, but then their brains worked at lightning sped to rationalize this situation. They then gave him a knowing look as they "understood" what this was: The elder was testing them!


    This made perfect sense! Why else would an amazing character like him request help from their lowly-selves? It had to be a test! That''s how they anxiously answered his very basic request with all the seriousness they could muster.


    They evenpeted with one another:


    "Elder, let me show you my Piercing Arrow Archery technique!"


    "Sir, I can show you how to calcte the perfect arrow trajectory!"


    "Elder, I can teach you how to draw the bow with nothing but one hand!"


    "Sir, how about I teach you? Ie from a family of archers! I''ll show you how to create homing projectiles!"


    After thatst one, many had given up. How were they topete with that?! They waited with bated breathe for Josh to announce his preference. Who would he learn under?


    "Alright¡­.I will learn¡ª" Josh casuallymented. With who?! "¡ª learn all of your techniques." He happily dered.


    The ones that knew archery instantly cheered. They were creating a connection with the super expert! As for the ignorant ones, they were promptly driven away, to their utmost dismay. Some even seemed to be tearing up.


    "Alright. Let''s do this!" Josh announced the beginning of the training session with determination.


    How long would it take him to learn it all?! Well, he quickly managed to master inserting mana into an arrow. But there came an issue afterward: the projectile would be utterly incontroble whenever he did so.


    Overall, his progress was pretty good on the training dummies, but when it came to live targets¡­.it sucked a bit. It was as if the arrow would gain a mind of its own. This, in turn, made targeting very freaking hard.


    At this moment, his archery trainers were all lining on the side with wounds of various sizes. They also had arrows sticking out of their bodies (everywhere). The worst was that it had all been an ident.


    Could this be considered a sess? Josh was very good to hit the target¡ª just not the ones he was aiming for. This was the strange part because, in essence, it shouldn''t have been that hard.


    It was justbining mana with his normal regr human archery skills that were pretty damn good. He was far from an expert, but he was at least able to hit a few birds flying in the sky with one arrow¡ª well, normal ones.


    This whole thing was a huge pain. But, even with the trouble that it gave him, he kept going, for he wasn''t one to give up.


    That is how the scene soon became one of carnage. There was blood everywhere as all the trainers now looked like hedgehogs. Yet, even after all this suffering, they didn''t utter a singleint.


    In their minds, they were actively getting closer to the famed expert. What was a flesh woundpared to hierarchy? Nothing! They could easily endure it.


    That is how he finally managed to learn a few tricks. This included shooting a magic arrow (without his magic bow), slightly altering the course of an arrow''s trajectory, and even increasing the piercing power of his shots.


    How effective would all this be? Well, he had at least tripled his archery power¡ª then again, this was only because of how weak it had been earlier.


    The wounded assassins were escorted outside, having valiantly bled for the cause. This left only Josh and the Matriarch in the training room.


    Her expression was quiteical. On the one hand, she was breathing heavily as she finally expected her reward, but on the other hand, she couldn''t help but find it shocking how bad Josh had been with a bow.


    "Alright, I''ll teach you a bit of¡ª"He sighed, only for her to gesture him to stop.


    She then bolted away, disappearing into a hidden passage. What for?! But as she came back, he couldn''t help but stare.


    "?!?" What the heck was all this?!


    For some reason, she was now carrying a fluffy white sheep under her left arm and an ancient-looking book in her right hand.


    No, rectification, this wasn''t a book but a grimoire. Not only did it radiate the scent of death, but the material was utterly odd. Human skin?!


    "I''m ready to start!" She uttered as eager as a puppy yet with an incredible lust for power.


    What the hell?! Did she need this to learn killing intent?! What...

 Chapter 368 Casual Reading Session

    In the room, there was a flushed beautiful woman alone with a handsome young man¡ª and a sheep. EDITING COME BACK 5 MIN


    Seriously, why the sheep?! She just had a secret room nearby with a sheep in it¡­underground. Josh could only stare at a loss for word.


    "I''mpletely ready! Please teach me!" There was such eagerness in her eyes.


    "Why?" Josh simply pointed at the sheep.


    "Is this sacrifice not adequate?" Her voice trembled slightly. "Ah! Of course, it has to be a human for the best results! Don''t worry, I''ll fix it right away and¡ª"


    "Stop! Why do you need a sacrifice?" He raised a brow.


    "What?! To learn killing intent?" She seemed utterly puzzled.


    "You don''t need to kill to learn killing intent. That''s why it''s intent." Josh remarked, wondering if she had a screw loose.


    "What?!" By now, she was gasping in astonishment.


    "What even gave you that silly idea?"


    "T-the teachings of the LoA. They are all contained in this book." She slowly presented it to him, very respectfully.


    Josh nodded, satisfied. He still remembered how not long ago she had been trying to torture knowledge out of him. How coy she seemedpared to back then! If he didn''t know better, he''d even agree that the current her seemed gentle.


    He slowly began reading it under her attentive gaze.


    For some reason, she couldn''t take her eyes off him. His dark eyes were studying the killing intent manual studiously, giving him an unfathomably profound look. She shuddered as she recalled her own experience with this grimoire.


    Back then, she had feared it so damn much. This was because it reeked of death from back to cover. This atrocity made one feel like they would perish simply holding it, much less reading it.


    Yet there he was, gently nodding as he turned page after page. He didn''t even recoil at the touch of the human skin. She even got the feeling that this wasn''t his first time ying with such a thing.


    After skimming through the whole thing, he finally looked up. As they made eye contact, she lost the ability to breathe. There wasn''t an ounce of fluctuation in his eyes, even after reading such a powerful grimoire!


    He slowly opened his mouth, looking incredibly solemn.


    "This isn''t working." He shook his head.


    What?! Was there a problem with their teachings?! Were it anyone else, she would have doubted them. But since it wasing from him, who had such an incredible aura, it had to be true. She opened her ears wide.


    "I can''t read this, whatevernguage that is." He shook his head again.


    Then why the fuck was he looking so damn serious while "reading" it?! He had also checked every single page in session! Was there a need for that if he couldn''t understand it?!


    "I don''t recognize any of the drawings either." He shrugged.


    Part of her felt like strangling him right now! What was he taking this unholy book for, a picture book, perhaps?! Was this why he hadn''t been affected by its curse? Was this even possible?!


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "Are you alright?" He asked with concern.


    "Y-yeah¡­." She sighed deeply. "Let''s skip this then and just teach me." She proposed.


    "Nope, that''s a bad idea. I can''t know how you went wrong if I don''t know what you learned. Maybe my style is ipatible with yours. Just give me a tranted copy or something."


    "That''s impossible. You shouldn''t even be allowed to see it, and copying it taboo!" She roared heatedly.


    "Alright, alright, I understand." Josh could only raise his hands in the air, giving up entirely. It wasn''t like he needed to own a copy at all costs. Still, it made him curious.


    "How about you read it to me then?" He proposed with a smile.


    She seemed to be hesitating. It was one thing to let him read the thing subtly. She could always im to have misced it. Going out of her way to teach him was pushing it a bit too far, wasn''t it?


    "It''s fine. I don''t exactly need to teach you. I was only doing you a favor. Let''s forget it." He emitted some more killing intent as he spoke.


    Oh god! How was she to resist this?! It was so damn pure, so dreadful, so powerful! She felt weak at the knees and couldn''t take it anymore.


    "I''ll read! I''ll read right now!" All her reservations were utterly gone.


    The two sat down without minding the broken dummy parts and the blood (from the poor archers). Thus began what should have been an extremely easy reading session. But then something strange happened.


    As soon as she opened the book, she began almost imperceptibly trembling. She opened her mouth and began reading the first page. But with every line, she shook a little more. It was as if such a simple task took all her power to aplish.


    Her brows and hair dripped with sweat, her pale face seemed pained, and small mutters escaped her red lips. She was suffering. Why?! <sub> </sub>


    Josh stared at the grimoire, iprehension filling his face. But then he sensed something. There seemed to be a dark current swimming from the pages to hispanion''s fair hands.


    What was this? It reminded him vaguely of killing intent, but it was different. It wasn''t just in her hands either. It was invading her entire body, akin to a corrupting poison.


    This exined her weak-looking state.


    Without thinking much, he wrapped his hand around her shaking body, bringing her closer. He then sent his own killing intent inside her body, very slowly making contact with the mysterious energy.


    It was dark, tainted, mad, and uncontroble. It swam in her body recklessly, akin to a rampaging dragon. This thing didn''t care whether she lived or died. No, it even weed her death.


    This was it. This wasn''t killing intent. This was death itself. Actually, no. Death as a concept should be way stronger. This thing was a bastard at best, just a shadow.


    As the energy sensed Josh''s killing intent, it suddenly froze before fleeing at full speed. It tried to hide in a corner of the Matriarch''s body, but he just scoffed. Tough luck! He quickly corned and eradicated it.


    As it dissolved entirely, he found it strange. It was already gone?! Why was it so weak?!


    But then he understood. It was all because of theck of control. It was akin toparing a professionally trained soldier to a viger. They weren''t on the same level!


    That''s when the Matriarch''s weak voice resounded:


    "W-what happened?" she seemed confused.


    "Just eradicated a pest. Don''t worry too much about it." He whispered, right in her ear, thanks to their current position.


    She was already regaining color, mostly red. She blushed furiously, seemingly embarrassed, yet didn''t move in the slightest.


    Josh turned his eyes toward the grimoire. He would ughter the tainted energy hiding in there so they could keep reading peacefully. But then he changed his mind as he sensed it further.


    The book and the energy were already fused. It was impossible to get rid of one without affecting the other. Oh well, he would have to protect her body while she kept reading.


    He slowly spoke:


    "This thing in there isn''t killing intent."


    "W-what?!"


    "It''s not about the desire to kill, but the act itself. However, it does disguise itself as killing intent and can seem simr externally." Josh exined.


    "T-then what is it?!"


    "A weaker version, one that is quite useless. Well, it does have one advantage: it only requires one to be near dying beings to learn it¡­.I think." He theorized.


    "For assassins, it should be good, no?"


    "Yes and no. It won''t ever be too much use in its current state. I''m sure it could be tweaked to be stronger, but I don''t think it''s worth the effort." He shrugged.


    "Is that so¡­"


    "Now, let''s keep reading, shall we?"


    She nodded and thus resumed a very peaceful reading session, just the two of them¡ª and a terrified sheep pissing itself in a corner. Even was staring at the book with its eyes bulging, too scared to even make a peep.


    The Matriarch didn''t know how to feel. This was one of the most closely guarded secrets of the LoA, and he was totally looking down on it. It wasn''t even worth it to make it stronger?! Really?!


    Yet, she believed that he was serious. He wasn''t looking down on it either. This was why he was properly listening to her lecture as she kept reading. Perhaps he''d even change his mind about it?


    But she also had another issue. Somehow, her current situation was even harsher than regr training! She was used to ordering humans, killing them, torturing them, and even turning them inside out!


    Yet, right now, she felt so damn weird! She was strong enough to overpower him and yet so helpless simultaneously! She could smell his scent as his arms were wrapped around her.


    They were steadily progressing with the pages. It was very slow and yet too damn fast! For some reason, she found herself wishing this would never end, that she could feel his warmth forever.


    How was she even having such thoughts while reading non-stop? She was great at multitasking! This was also what made it, so she heard the footsteps. There was someone approaching the training area!


    Who?! Why?! Who freaking dared?!


    She even realized that the door was slowly getting opened. She heard it creak, and she couldn''t help but grimace. Tch¡ª she almost hoped for it to be an intruder so she could kill them for this affront!


    That is when appeared an assassin, but his state was strange...

 Chapter 369 This Elder Is Scary!

    DO NOT READ, THANK YOU, WILL EDIT THIS MESS IN 20 MIN


    The door slowly opened, creaking as an assassin appeared. But, his state was strange.


    For some reason, he had trouble standing as he mechanically put one foot in front of the other. He was even sweating heavily and had trouble breathing.


    In his hands, he was carrying¡­a tray?


    Was this guy really just bringing food? Then why did he seem so stressed? The archer earlier hadn''t shown any trace of fear.


    "M-Matriarch, sorry to interrupt. Here is the food you asked me to deliver earlier today." His voice was shaking as he said that.


    Right now, she was staring at him as if he hadmitted a grave crime for some reason. This re made him freeze as he despaired at his current situation:


    1. There was possibly something happening between the elder and the matriarch.


    2. They were alone in a room with the door closed. (Usually, it was wide open)


    3. He had just entered without knocking since he wasn''t supposed to make any noise. This was all in case she was in deep reflection.


    4. She had killed members, pissing her off in the past.


    5. Maybe he had just offended her.


    Thus he had entered with the resolve that he would perhaps die. Heck, he had tried getting someone else to do it, but none had a death wish. Now, he was perhaps really going to perish.


    But that''s when his gaze suddenly met the kind elder. This great man was hisst hope! The illustrious man gently waved at him:


    "Hey there. It''s great that you''re there. I''m starving!" the elder ushered him in with a friendly voice.


    He even kept his arms solidlytched around the matriarch, who calmed down thanks to it. At that moment, a breath of relief escaped the assassin as he rxed. He would live! He was so damn lucky that the elder was so understanding!


    Without waiting, he approached to deliver the piping hot food. Its wonderful aroma was already spreading all across the room. But he suddenly detected another scent, one that turned his stomach over.


    It smelled so damn bad! What the hell was this?!


    He had the feeling that there was a corpse that had been left to rot here. It wasn''t just recent rot either, but one that was choking and omnipresent. He unconsciously halted but then forced himself to keep going.


    The closer he came to them and the worse it became. He felt so damn horrible! What was this?! It was death itself. It was demonic! Whatever this thing was, he had to stay far away from it!


    But then he realized with horror that the smell wasing from his two superiors?! No, it wasing from the elder?! How?! Why?!


    He was just sitting there casually, even shing him a bright smile as he gestured right in front of him: "You can drop the tray right here."


    This smile chilled the assassin''s body entirely. He had to approach so close to him?! The kind man was nowhere to be seen. All that remained was a horrendous monster, one that would definitely devour him.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    What was he supposed to do?! Should he run? Could he run? Should he off himself?!


    "Are you alright? You seem pale." The demon''s "concerned" voice echoed in the room.


    Was he alright?! How could he be?! That''s when he noticed the sheep. In the corner, there was a fluffy sheep, one that was running away from the demon. Oh god!


    "Y-yes, elder." He forced himself to utter, his voice shaky.


    "You don''t have to be wary of her. She won''t escape my arms." The monster chuckled, joking.


    He had to humor him. "Ha-ha-hahaha." The best he could muster was a nervousugh. Would it suffice? This was insane!


    From now on, whatever this monster did, he would copy. This was his only chance of survival¡­


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    Josh couldn''t help but stare at the weird man in front of him.


    Why was he still so afraid? Was he perhaps fearing retribution from the matriarch once he was gone?


    "Say, you won''t find trouble with him once I''m gone, right?"


    "Gone?! Where?"


    "-_- I''m be climbingter."


    "Oh right¡­Of course not You don''t have to worry." She reassured him.


    "There you have it. So don''t be so stressed, alright?" Josh gently spoke to the assassin.


    Hearing this, he smiled, but it was one worthy of a cadaver in a horror movie. It was so damn grotesque, and he looked so blemished. It was unbelievable! At this point, Josh just gave up and waited for him to be done.


    It took him an eternity, but he finally crouched down to lower the tray on the floor in front of them. But as he rose up, his legs were so wobbly that he missed a step, touching the grimoire they had been reading. <sub> </sub>


    The effect was instantaneous. As soon as there was contact, the man began throwing up a river of blood,nding on the book. But instead of dirtying the pages, it was absorbed, not leaving a trace of it.


    Wait, was the book attacking him?! Josh did something he never thought he''d be doing. He pped the thing hard:


    "Bad grimoire, stand down!"


    A puff of ck energy escaped it as its pages rippled. The assassin heaved a sigh of relief, and so did the sheep in the corner.


    The poor guy''s face went through so many revolutions. Relief, iprehension, understanding, gratefulness, awe, and finally worship!


    Then started running, as quickly as possible, leaving behind the meal tray.


    "This is the usual reaction upon seeing it. Yet you''re holding it, not even twitching. You''re putting the entire LoA to shame. Still, he''s seen something he shouldn''t have¡­."


    She opened her mouth, ready to send a sonic attack his way. Josh shook his head. "There is no need. Keep reading."


    She seemed to hesitate for a second before she finally let it go. Thus resumed the reading session, one thatsted a couple of days¡­.


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    "Are you sure you don''t want to stay longer?"


    "To read the same book yet another time? Don''t worry about me. You should worry about yourself. You have a lot of work to do." Josh chuckled as he bid adieu to the matriarch.


    All around, there were assassins sending him away with worshiping gaze. They all had heard the stories from that one assassin with the delivery tray.


    The matriarch had wanted to kill him, and the elder had convinced her otherwise!


    That one guy had also shared how the elder''s aura during training had been enough to scare him shitless and make him throw blood. Just the aura! It was all by mistake too, since he was diligently training!


    As for the book? None had heard about it. The guy wasn''t that dumb. He knew that he would 100% die if he began to bber.


    They gave him a respectful bow as they watched the man who had tamed the scary matriarch leave. Hell, they wouldn''t have dared to be her lover, so they respected him greatly!


    As for their actual rtion? It wasn''t anything of the sort. They had simply been training a lot. The manual had contained many interesting concepts on how to use that dark energy.


    The most interesting one was something that he had diligently trained until he could apply it to killing intent: locking.


    It was simr to leaving a mark on one''s target: something he had already done in the past. The difference was that it delved deeper into the topic. For instance, it described a move called the death step.


    What it did was to consume one''s deathly energy to close the distance with an opponent. It was akin to a blink that only worked close range and wasn''t 100% magical either.


    However, he couldn''t understand how they even had such knowledge in the first ce. The grimoire dated to before the Tower was even a thing. This meant that magic had been present in the world before that crazy event.


    On his way out, that one assassin osted him. "Elder, I just want you to know that no matter what happens in the future, I will always be at your service. You saved my life!"


    Josh simply nodded, acknowledging him¡ª and made him sign a ve contract while at it. (Cause why not).


    Then it was time to go back to the Tower. He headed for the next floor, getting his orc in passing. The orc king was still squatting at that one''s bodyguard ce¡ª much to the man''s despair.


    His pet opened the door, now wearing some crazy-looking tuxedo that gave him a gentlemanly and refined air. It also had a helmet that made him look like that one DJ group.


    "What''s with the outfit? Did you get into music or something?"


    "Wee back, master! This is my new n to be able to walk amongst the humans. See the helmet? This way, they won''t be able to guess that I''m an orc at all! I''ve been using it to gather information."


    "Information gathering? What kind?"


    "I''m trying to investigate human society. There is one thing I still cannot understand. Humans seem to worship the strong at first nce, but the way they evaluate such strength is all over the ce."


    "It''s not like such a thing is easy to evaluate in the first ce...." Joshmented.


    "It is, actually. You just fight." The mighty and powerful orc nodded wisely.


    "Sure...."


    How long would it take to organize a humanity-wide tournament? Too fucking long! Knowing humans, they would bicker endlessly on the rules anyway.


    "Great idea, but time to Climb. So get your green ass ready!"


    "Hehe, you should know better, Master. An orc is always ready to fight!"


    But soon, he would swallow his words...


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    [A/N] What do you guys think of thetest chapters quality-wise? I''m so deep in writing and tired that I really don''t know anymore. I don''t want to write trash, but I don''t want to stop either.

 Chapter 370 Floor 25 Part 1

    A yer and hispanion entered the Tower¡­somehow.


    Josh wasn''t sure how this was possible. After all, this Floor was supposed only to be soloable. It seemed like he could bring this friendly NPC orc along for some reason. He had made sure to buy him a bow and plenty of healing pills.


    [Wee to Floor 25 Hellish!]


    [ Mission Defeat the ttagriff! ]


    "Come again? tta-what?" Josh had no damn clue what the heck that was.


    "Master, this isn''t the regr enemy on Floor 25. It seems like it has changed. This is bad news." The orc grunted.


    Was this because of the difficulty? Or perhaps had it changed because of thetest update? Either way, they had to be wary.


    Their surroundings were dark, and they found themselves standing on what seemed like enormous pirs. All around, that was a frightening dark abyss, making this ce a really shitty Floor to summon Nightmare.


    The two warily checked their surroundings. Where would the dangere from?


    [Good luck, you''ll need it ^_^!]


    "Tch¡ª cheeky Tower," Josh grumbled.


    "Luck? Strong warriors don''t need such a thing, hahaha!" The orc guffawed.


    But a secondter, they both directed their attention toward the void. A sound was beginning to echo. It was a mix between a pping and a buzzing sound. What could it be?


    The longer the wait, the sharper they became. It was getting closer! They were perfectly ready for the creature¡ª or so they thought.


    As it finally appeared, they both gasped in shock.


    "What kind of abomination is that?!"


    "It feels so unnecessary!"


    They finally understood what a ttagriff was-. It wasn''t pretty, didn''t make sense, and had he strange characteristics:


    1. It was shiny and ck


    2. It had countless wings


    3. It had a chitin carapace.


    4. It had feathers and weird protrusion


    5. It had a beak filled with sharp mandibles


    This thing was a chimera between a cockroach and an eagle. What was even the point of it? There were flying cockroaches already! But even then, this thing was scary as fuck and gigantic!


    Its wingspan was the size of a football field: a mix of feathery, transparent, and leathery wings. It generated gale as it circled the pir they stood on, eying with its eagle eyes what it considered food.


    "Master, I really hate the way it''s staring at us."


    "Then stop dilly-dallying and shoot it the fuck down." Josh chuckled as he summoned his bow.


    Without wasting any time, he promptly drew the bowstring and released an arrow made of mana AND enhanced with his own along with some killing intent. The projectile flew fast and true¡ª but still missed.


    "Tch¡ª this thing flies as unpredictably as a cockroach and has the damn vision of an eagle!" Heck, it had followed the arrow with its gaze and easily dodged it.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    The orc king followed suit as they both rained death upon the creature. Sadly, it was too far away to take any kind of damage.


    "Master, what do we do if it neveres forward?"


    "We die." Josh nonchntly stated.


    He would always be able to escape with his dimensional belt, but he''d run out of lifespan if he couldn''t Climb anymore.


    "Master, can we be less grim? Sorry, but I can''t afford to die just yet. I will be rebuilding my army and destroying this goddamn Tower!" He growled.


    "Is that so? Guess it can''t be helped." Josh turned toward the enemy as he began to emit pure killing intent. "Come over, you dumb bird insect thingy!!!!" He shouted powerfully.


    This was enough to challenge the proud creature. With a screech, it flew over:


    ¡ª Screech!!!! ¡ª


    The thing didn''t even daree nearby. All it did was fly nearby, open some of its once folded wings, and throw rocks at them. They quickly dodged them, using the time to counterattack!


    The sound of their bows filled the entire realm:


    ¡ª Twang! Twang!¡ª


    ¡ª Twang! Twang!¡ª


    ¡ª Twang! Twang!¡ª


    A rain of arrowsnded on the creature, making it shriek in more anger than pain. But at least they had managed to inflict some damage on it.


    But suddenly the orc began to shake, distressed:


    "M-master. The rocks are moving?!"


    "I don''t see any moving rock, but yes, we should probably do something about it." Josh chuckled.


    What had appeared likerge pebbles were, in fact, curled-up insects. But now, they were opening up, revealing cockroaches with legs as sharp as talons and an odd mix of beak and mandibles.


    Either way, they all could fly, and they went at them with incredible speed. These things were so goddamn tricky! Josh hurriedly dodged to the best of his capabilities, but these things were deadly! <sub> </sub>


    "ARGG! Die, you cowardly insects!" the orc king roared as he kept powerfully swinging his hammer.


    But even when it made contact with the insects, it just pushed them. He was barely able to crush a few at a time. What made it worse was that he would lose some flesh every charge, his green skin getting bloodier and bloodier.


    "Careful," Josh shouted as he went to save him. He was simply way better suited for this task.


    The cocky abominations charged at him only to get an incredible surprise. Their n was to use their numbers to bully him, but he''d change his morphing weapon to match their numbers.


    "If only I still had my armor and the strength from before." The orc grumbled.


    "This just means that you''ll have to grow stronger." But then he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. "Tch¡ª it''sing back."


    They were managing this wave just fine, but what would happen with a second or third one? They get overwhelmed soon enough!


    "We have to shoot its wings down, the one that it raises when it uses that ability," Josh exined.


    The orc nodded his head grimly. There still remained the problem of the fog of insects. How were they supposed to aim in such circumstances? That''s when it made a decision.


    "Master, they seem attracted to the scent of blood. I''ll run while you take care of attacking. Let''s do this¡ª" The orc prepared himself to sacrifice himself heroically.


    "Stop! Let''s exploit this instead." Josh waved his hand, and suddenly a rat appeared.


    The orc looked at it puzzled. What the heck was wrong with it? Why was it just staring at empty air?


    "Master, I think there''s something wrong with¡ª"


    "Oh, don''t worry. It always looks dead. Now, stick your bloody clothes in its mouth!" Josh ordered while he kept fighting back.


    The orc felt utterly puzzled butplied either way. What good would this do? The flying creatures would simply gang up on the rat and eat it alive, right? A few secondster, the deed was done.


    Josh nodded, satisfied, before getting a stick out. Was he going to y fetch with the rat to send it away? But that''s when his hand began glowing purple, with the light slowly entering the branch.


    The orc could only stare, impressed. This man didn''t have that much mana, but why did it feel special? It had an unfathomable aura as if nothing could ever bring it down. What happened next surprised him even more.


    Grass began to grow out of the branch, not just a little but a shitload! It then slowly took a humanoid shape, very vaguely, as the thing bowed to its master. Then seemingly understanding its will, it got to work.


    Grass tentacles extended, grasping unto the rat, and then it¡­..began to wave it around violently?! It was using it as one would a g, with it pping in the wind. As the creatures smelled the blood, they charged at it.


    The orc could only give a silent prayer to the poor creature that was sacrificed so easily¡ª not that he would mind. After all, better it than him. He just wasn''t sure how much time this could buy.


    The rat was now impossible to see as far too many insects surrounded it. But it was still alive?! Even after a few seconds, it wasn''t going down at all. How was this possible?! That''s when Josh nudged his side.


    "Stop gawking like a dumbass and start shooting already. Even the previous you at full power wouldn''t have been able to hurt a hair on its body." He exined.


    "What?!" The orc eximed in shock.


    This goddamn dead rat was stronger than him at his peak state?! What kind of bullshit was this?! He couldn''t believe it! But he had too, seeing how serious Josh looked. Thus he could only grab his bow, still shellshocked.


    Thus began an incredible yet boring fight.


    Archer VS ttagriff!


    ¡ª Twang! Twang!¡ª


    ¡ª SHRIEK!!!!¡ª


    ¡ª Twang! Twang!¡ª


    ¡ª SHRIEK!!!!¡ª


    ¡ª Twang! Twang!¡ª


    Every time it passed nearby to rain more of its brethren upon them, they kept shooting. But every bit of damage was paid heavily for. By now, there were so many critters that the rat + branch duo couldn''t aggro them anymore.


    They were akin to two dudes taking a rxing break in a beehive¡ª spoiler, it wasn''t very rxing.


    Josh even had to summon Nightmare to do the little it could to help. The poor horse was facing its Nightmare. For horses, flies were already an issue because of theirck of hands. This was even worse!


    It kept ring at its master, wondering if it shouldn''t just kick him down the pir. As long as he died, the suffering would end, right?! But it resisted the temptation since it wanted to live.


    It took what felt like an eternity of getting every part of their bodies nibbled constantly, but they finally managed to take down¡­a few wings.


    Luckily it seemed that they had disabled its brethren-throwing ability.


    But it was nowing over, looking as deadly and mad as ever¡­


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    Party Status


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Rat: Still swinging


    Branch: Still waving


    Nightmare: Bloodied all over


    Orc King: No green to be seen, only blood


    Josh: Still looking rtively fine but annoyed AF


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

 Chapter 371 Floor 25 Part 2

    The winged abomination was now flying toward the party angrily, screeching powerfully.


    ¡ª Screech! ¡ª


    "Tch¡ª so angry. It should chill out a bit." Josh grumbled.


    "Master, I think us destroying many of its wings may have something to do with it."


    "Yep, now brace for fucking impact!"


    Everyone on the pir turned even sharper¡ª besides the lifeless rat. The branch didn''t care much either as an elemental made of magic, but Nightmare was neighing crazily.


    "Little horsie, calm down. Don''t worry. There is an orc king here, hahaha!" the orc''s boisterousugh felt so out of ce.


    Nightmare scoffed at the orc. He was the one that looked the worst in the group. It would be a dumb horse if it believed in his lies!


    But all stopped talking as the creature flew right above their heads, raining thest of its annoying brethren upon them. This seemed so fucking endless! But they used the opportunity to shoot it.


    ¡ª Twang! Twang!¡ª


    ¡ª SHRIEK!!!!¡ª


    ¡ª Twang! Twang!¡ª


    Dark green blood rained down on their heads, staining them. It smelled so revolting that even the orc could be seen choking and spitting in disgust.


    "New boss fight, now 50% harder and smellier! Join now for tons of fun and try the new Floor 25 perfume: fresh bloodytrine!" Josh joked around as he kept attacking.


    "Tch¡ª At least it will help me fend off the human females." The orc grumbled.


    Right¡­as if that were an issue.


    It took a while, but with dedication and tons of arrows¡­.the enemy ran out of wings¡ª and seemingly of brethren to throw?


    Either way, seeing that the pesky humans seemingly had endless arrows and were enjoying the long-ranged fight, it opted for closebat.


    The thingnded on the pir heavily, crushing the rock under its many feet.


    ¡ª BAM! ¡ª


    ¡ª Crumble ¡ª


    "How many feet does this thing even have? Six cockroach legs, and are those two eagle talons?! What a freak!"


    "Master, these things look so sharp!"


    "Sadly, I bet they are too."


    They charged toward it, grabbing their hammer and morphing weapon, respectively. They both had healing pills in their mouth that they were chewing on akin to gum.


    "Take this, you bastard!" The orc swung powerfully at his target. It felt so damn better not to be at a range anymore! It could finally fight!


    But what happened next was as OP as ridiculous. The giant ttariff used its two hind eagle legs to stand upright and then its six others to attack. It seemed like six deadly spears with the speed of bullets!


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    ¡ª Spurt! ¡ª


    The orc barely managed to block the first ones, but he had no way to do anything about thetter ones. An elongated sharp leg prated his body, making a mess of his organs.


    He coughed blood as the monstrous beak with mandibles approached its head to finish the job. He waspletely helpless.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    The maw''s shadow got bigger, but just as it was about to consume him, he felt his body be dragged backward. How?!


    "Be careful. Try to be at least useful before you die like an idiot." Joshined.


    "T-thanks, master." The orc hurriedly ate more pills.


    The creature shrieked as its piercing eyesnded on the orc. It seemed confused for an instant, but then it noticed the close to invisible threads.


    "Tch¡ª this won''t work another time."


    This thing sure was crazy. Its long legs were way too fast and gave it so much reach that they wouldn''t even be able to approach its body. How were they supposed to cope with it?


    The creature was now slowly hopping toward them. It looked as terrifying as ridiculous.


    "Why isn''t it flying?"


    "Master, I think it can''t control its legs very well when it''s flying. Its movement speed doesn''t seem as perverse as his attack speed either." The orc analyzed.


    "Alright, we destroy the legs, and then we can fight back. Branch, you''re on help duty." Josh ordered.


    This was gonna be one annoying fight. They needed to chip away at the enemy''s weapons without dying. The issue was that all the legs had pretty much the same range. This was akin to a 2 v 6. It could have been better.


    The fight soon resumed¡ª with the branch working its magic.


    Right now, they were akin to actors in a superhero movie. But instead of using ropes to simte flying, they were using the grass tentacles to increase their speed.


    The grass elemental was swinging them around as it had done with the rat earlier. It made sure to keep the only tentacle behind them, out of the creature''s range.


    This was only possible because it moved slowly. Otherwise, it would have charged at the grass elemental and cut it wholly.


    This made it, so they flew in and out super fast. They were using a guerri tactic¡ªin-out, super-fast, over and over again, like in porn.


    The orc king seemed keen on describing the whole process as they fought:


    "Master, are so damn fast!"


    "Master, I''ve managed to chip a leg!"


    "Master, at this rate, we''ll destroy a leg!"


    "Master, swinging around like this is actually fun!"


    Josh wasn''t sure how to react to this. He just kept the Hack \u0026 Swing going. The more the creature failed to finish them and the louder it screeched. At this point, it could have been the lead singer of a thrash metal group. <sub> </sub>


    Josh could picture it: ttagriff from Hell!¡ª *PS: Concert may result in being devoured/impaled.


    He chuckled, imagining this, but kept attacking, feeling the hard and ck legs on the point to shatter.


    ¡ª Shriek! ¡ª


    "Keep going. We got this!¡ª I think¡­"


    "Master, can you sound more certain?!"


    He simply shrugged as he kept going. It was already toote to turn back. They had to destroy this thing no matter what.


    ¡ª Shriek! ¡ª


    Thus a game of knife kept going. But instead of there being a knife and fingers, it was legs and them. Every other second they felt that a wrong move would cost them their life, but the grass elemental was doing its job properly.


    Then they finally managed to¡­temporarily disable a few legs. Oh, the thing was already slowly regenerating. At this rate, its legs would be 100% okay in a few minutes or so if it didn''t take further damage.


    "What should we do, master?"


    "What else? We charge!" Josh shouted as he ran toward the creature.


    "CHARRRRGE!" The orc eagerly followed suit.


    The two evaded the legs that had adopted a defensive posture. At least they were able to jump on the creature''s back without too many issues. The creature screeched in anger, but they were now on its back.


    The carapace was sleek, dark, and seemed extremely resistant. This thing wouldn''t be easy to pierce for sure. But so what?! The two violently began to smash it!


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    Its carapace was freaking unbreakable. They nced at each other, incredibly surprised.


    "How is it so hard?! This doesn''t make any sense!"


    "Do you wanna know what else is hard?" Josh jokingly asked.


    "Master, is it really such time for¡ª"


    "Mining, mining can be hard too. Let me try this." Josh quickly grabbed his pickaxe, one that had helped him so much in the past.


    He swung it powerfully; dealing a single explosive hit would be enough to¡ª make a nging sound echo¡­.


    ¡ª ng! ¡ª


    The carapace wasn''t hurt in the slightest.


    "Tch¡ª it was worth a try." Josh grumbled, already trying to find another option.


    What about hisbat techniques? Could he somehow pierce through using that? What about trying to target the head? No, the way the legs were ced, it wasn''t a blind spot at all.


    Heck, even with the legs in a sorry state, he didn''t dare to get too close. So how the heck were they supposed to clear that?


    The orc wasn''t one to give up so easily. Even now, he was still smashing his hammer over and over on the thing. But he suddenly gasped in surprise.


    "Master, look at it carefully."


    As the hammer struck, the carapace seemed to turn a blue light for a second. But it wasn''t the only thing turning blue. There were many protrusions all over the carapace that were also shining.


    "You think we need to target those things?!"


    "I''m not sure, master."


    "Never hurts to try!" Josh ran over to one as quickly as possible and role-yed a barbarian.


    He smashed and smashed, and with every attack, there was a blue glow. But the more he kept going and the dimmer it was bing. All until he was finally able to smash itpletely.


    "There we fucking go!"


    "Good job, master. Let''s crush some more, hahaha!"


    But it seemed they had been celebrating too quickly. A few giant cockroaches appeared from the shattered protrusion, jumping at their throats.


    "What the heck is this?!"


    "Trying to gang up on an orc warrior?! I''ll kill all of you!"


    The orc king managed to dispatch them all alone. Funnily enough, he could deal with the giant ones more easily than the tiny ones.


    Thus began a cleanup operation. They kept shattering protrusion after protrusion, but there was definitely something wrong.


    "Master, don''t you think this is a bit too easy?" The orc also felt uneasy.


    "Yes, but I have no clue what it''s nning," Josh replied.


    At first, he thought it was acting meek to heal slowly, but ncing at its wings, they were still destroyed. Then what was it waiting for?


    "Whatever, it doesn''t seem to be healing too fast. Just keep attacking. The faster we''re done and the faster¡ª"


    But he suddenly had to stop talking as both of them lost their footing. That''s when they both realized what was happening.


    The creature HAD been healing all along.


    The destroyed wings suddenly fell by themselves as entirely new ones grew up straight from the carapace.


    A secondter, they were in the air. The momentum was what made them lose their bnce.


    That''s when they heard a buzzing sound, one they knew very well. The annoying brethren were back¡ª and they weren''t in a good position to fight them, at all!


    Fuck¡­

 Chapter 372 Josh Vs Blattagriff!

    As the giant ttagriff took the air, its passengers knew they were fucked.


    Josh and orc were struggling to keep their footing. The thing rose so quickly into the air that the momentum had ttened them on its back like pancakes.


    As they finally managed to raise their head, they became livid. The pir was now bing smaller and smaller in the distance.


    "Tch¡ª retreating is fucking impossible now," Joshined.


    At this point, he wouldn''t have minded breaking both his legs in the fall if it meant returning tond.


    "Oh crap! Is this how it feels to be on a rocking ship in the middle of a tempest?!" The orc cried out, trying his best to hold on.


    Josh turned to inspect his surroundings. A few protrusions were remaining and holes at the few spots they had already destroyed. They needed footholds, or they''d get thrown overboard any second.


    "Let''s try this."


    Josh waved his hands akin to an orchestra maestro. He sent a few threads with every wave, quickly creating a wannabe spider web.


    The orc gave him a grateful look as he used hisrge hands to grab onto the tiny thread, regaining his bnce.


    But that''s when the buzzing sound intensified. Hundreds upon hundreds of deadly insects were heading their way. They wanted nothing more than to devour them.


    Thus began one hell of a fight. They had to avoid destroying their foothold yet annihte the enemies. It was one goddamn shitshow.


    Their only saving grace was that they had plenty of healing pills. #Moneybags #Pay to win #Kill with money!


    At this rate, Josh would easily get addicted to this. He could understand how there were so many pills junkies in this world. A good thing he was making bank with D.L., or this would have dug a hole in his pockets.


    "We got this. There are plenty, but not as many as earlier. I guess there''s a limit to how many it can create in a given time!" Josh uttered happily.


    "Hehe, you''re right, master!" He gently nodded before bellowing: "Bring it on, you disgusting creatures! Nothing stops a proud orc warrior!"


    Everything went well. It really did. But then heard a powerful shrieking from the tagriff.


    ¡ª SHRIEK! ¡ª


    This seemingly simple thing changed everything. The insects suddenly began to act differently. Before, they had been mindlessly attacking them, but now they began to¡­attack the threads?!


    Oh god, no! It could order them?! The insects were very efficient. Theypletely ignored the juicy-looking mammals as they ripped the threads apart.


    "Master, what now?!" the orc''s panicked voice echoed.


    "We try and get some of these next time we do a spring cleaning," Josh uttered, seeing how quickly they were getting rid of the fake webs.


    "What?!"


    "Don''t worry. I have a n." Josh chuckled.


    He had just noticed that the insects didn''t seem to be that smart. They could follow easy orders, butplex ones were a no-go. How did he know? Well, there were a few of them chasing after threads that had gone flying away.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "Here, it''s feeding time." He enthusiastically called out.


    Josh made tons of small thread balls before throwing them as far as possible. Instantly about half their attackers went after it. Just like that, they had gotten rid of many of them.


    ¡ª SHRIEK! ¡ª


    The creature''s shrieked once more, seemingly updating the orders it had given the insects. By now, they weren''t leaving the creature''s wide back anymore.


    "Master, I''m afraid it won''t work anymore, but it''s fine. I will show them how powerful an orc¡ª"


    "Says the bloody orc that seems about to kick the bucket any second. Just sit still. I''m not done."


    "T-that, I¡ª" The orc endured the urge to shout a war cry.


    Josh took his morphing weapon. The range on it was limited, but hopefully, it would work for his purposes. He focused on making it asrge and as thin as possible.


    A few secondster, he finally created an abomination that looked like a children''s metallic y module. It was only thin metallic bars that couldn''t be used as a weapon at all.


    The whole thing looked like a metallic web, just barely, but it was enough to get the insects to charge at it to devour it. But as they collided with it, the critters had the surprise of their lives¡ª ones that were ending.


    On all its surface, there were tiny sharp barbs. The insects were now literally trying to devour a weird-looking sword and actively killing themselves on it.


    At this point, most of the group was dead or lost. What had been an impossible number of enemies was now rtively manageable.


    "Hahaha, this is my master''s power! None of you little things stand a chance!" The orc thundered as if a personal achievement.


    ¡ª SHRIEK! ¡ª


    What now?!


    Suddenly they felt the world flippletely. The two felt their bodies float. Josh barely managed to hold onto his morphing weapon stuck in the thing''s carapace, and the orc grabbed unto his master.


    ¡ª SHRIEK! ¡ª


    The monstrosity was now trying to shake them off forcefully. As long as it made them fall, they would 100% perish! Thus began an extremely weird contest of strength.


    Josh VS ttagriff


    ttagriff used, "Do a barrel roll!"


    It''s not very effective.


    ttagriff used "Shriek!"


    It''s very annoying!


    ttagriff used, "Spawn more insects!"


    It''s super effective!


    The insects were the absolute worst. It felt like they were riding a mechanical bull from hell, trying to hang on for dear life, but with people shooting at them at the same time. <sub> </sub>


    Josh hurriedly took out his branch, summoning the grass elemental once again.


    "Help us with the footing," Josh ordered.


    It extended its grass tentacles, giving them a respite¡ª but it was short-lived.


    ¡ª SHRIEK! ¡ª


    Following the creature''s orders, the insect all flew toward the grass elemental, intent on getting rid of it. How long could it even survive?


    "This won''t do," Josh grumbled.


    "Master, I think it is time for an ancestral orc strategy."


    "Let me guess? Go berserk and smash?" He sighed.


    "Exactly! It''s worked for orcs for centuries!" He nodded, wise-looking. "Let''s destroy as many protrusions as we can and¡ª"


    "No, we won''t be in time." Josh objected. "We''re destroying the wings instead."


    The orc simply nodded before he went crazy with his hammer, winging it toward every wing in sight¡ª there were so many after all.


    ¡ª Shriek! ¡ª


    Combat kept going, with wave after wave of enemies attacking them and the ttagriff doing tons of aerial maneuvers. All until they managed to cause enough destruction to force it tond.


    ¡ª Shriek! ¡ª


    At this point, the creature had no choice but to return toward the pir begrudgingly. It already knew what it would do. It would smash itself back first against it, squashing the pests.


    Throwing them off should have been easier, but it didn''t seem to be working. It even had a few reserve troops to finish them off the moment they would be stunned from the shock.


    It had it all figured out¡ª or that''s how it should have been.


    "Alright, we''re almost done!"


    "Here''s another Orc Smash!"


    ¡ª Shriek?! ¡ª


    In the creature''s scream, there was incredible puzzlement. The two were still attacking its wings?! Even now?! Were they crazy?! If they destroyed them, they would all fall to their death! Why would they do that?!


    It needed to give them an illusion of hope! It made sure to elerate until they could see a pir in the distance. Now they would stop and¡ª or not?! The two crazies were still smashing!


    It couldn''t understand what was happening. Since it didn''t know about the Tower, it couldn''t know that they would have the option to teleport out after killing it. So what if they fell to their death?


    ¡ª Shriek!? ¡ª


    The creature suddenly felt fear.


    That''s when it resolved to use a forbidden technique to increase the power of its troops. It hadn''t wanted to use it before because of the bacsh, but now it felt obligated to.


    The two pesky guys would die for sure!


    The insects all over the creature''s back began to glow in a ckish light, akin to its blood. It was as if they were on steroids as they charged at the human and orc with rekindled fervor. They drew blood, removed flesh, and even chipped the bones with every bite.


    Josh felt like he was in a meat grinder, no perhaps that option would have been better. At this rate, they would die before they finished destroying the wings.


    But he could somehow feel how panicked the ttagriff was getting by its shrieks.


    ¡ª Shriek!?! ¡ª


    It didn''t know that they were gonna die. It didn''t know that they didn''t have an ace up their sleeves. It just saw them destroy its wings without a care in the world.


    It feared for its life so badly even if it wasn''t logical. It elerated once again toward the pir. It didn''t want to die!


    Little did it know that they were counting on this to survive.


    Why did it misunderstand so damn much? This was because of how they were acting.


    Josh was rxedlymenting amidst the deadly swarm:


    "Wow, this is a dreame true. This is even better than first ss! There are only the two of us and so many attendants! Well, they could be prettier, but I won''t quibble on the details."


    Of course, the proud orc warrior was following suit:


    "Ah, this feels nice! How long has it been since I''ve received a deep flesh massage like this!" He was about to perish, and yet his voice was as powerful as ever.


    ¡ª Shriek!?! ¡ª


    The ttagriff didn''t understand what the heck was happening! How were they still alive?! But it only focused on reachingnd. After a few minutes of intense efforts, it finally managed to, as it shrieked in relief.


    It rammed itself in the rock, trying to crush them, but failedmentably.


    Josh had turned his morphing weapon transformed into a kite, and the party was now gliding to safety. It could only work for a short distance, but that was all they needed.


    The creature was suffering from activating a forbidden technique, had sustained some damage whilending, and they now had a reliable foothold. The rest was easy.


    A few instantster, the colossal creature was shrieking itsst, a cry of regret and iprehension...


    [Completed the Objective!]


    [Congrattion cleared Floor 25!]


    [Pick one: ttagriff Blood Essence | ttagriff Summon Manual | ttagriff Wings | ttagriff Carapace ]


    [Special reward forpleting Floor 25: Would you like to summon reinforcements?! Y/N]

 Chapter 373 New Loot And New Threat?

    Atop a pir, a man was slowly contemting.


    "Master, this orc suggests you pick the blood essence! I think you could assimte it and grow stronger!"


    "Hmmm" Josh couldn''t help but hesitate.


    He was actually wavering between the manual and the wings. Summoning a ttagriff seemed so goddamn OP. The only question was whether he would be able to master it or not.


    As for the wings, anything giving the ability to fly would be OP. Just in this previous fight, they would have been in trouble if they hadn''t tricked the creature intonding.


    "Master, embrace your inner cockroach! Having fought against you, I''m sure it will fit you perfectly! After all, you''re as tough as a cockroach already!"


    "Can it!" Josh grumbled.


    "It was apliment¡­."


    "System, I''ve decided, give me the ttagriff summon manual!" he really couldn''t pass this one.


    A book seemingly made out of a carapace appeared in his hands. Josh nervously began reading it. It described in detail how to use one''s mana to call upon some ttagriffs resting in another world.


    He sat closed-legged and moved his mana as described in the manual. There was a page showing a picture that he had to visualize. Apparently, the whole thing was supposed to make the process easier.


    Josh focused, his face twisting as he exhausted his mana, remembering how he felt facing the creature. That''s when he suddenly felt a connection. It was working!


    He felt his mana gettign exhuasted:


    [Do you wish to learn Summon ttagriffs?]


    "Mark me for a resounding yes! There''s no way that I''ll turn this down!" Josh enthusiastically replied.


    Soon he would have a new powerful summon, one that could even fly! How OP was that!


    A ckish light suddenly appeared as a being slowly materialized into the world. It had a sharp beak, deadly ws/legs, and looked incredibly resilient. But there was one issue: why was it so goddamn small?!


    In front of him, there was one of the insects the monster had kept summoning. Wait, were they ttagriffs too?! Josh couldn''t help but sigh. So much for an incredible summon! What was he supposed to do with this?!


    "Wow! How powerful-looking, master! Good thing you haven''t picked the essence!" The orcmented sarcastically.


    How powerful? The thing wasn''t even the size of one''s hand! Josh had to say goodbye to his dreams of riding a colossal ttagriff tobat. Then again, maybe it could grow? Was this even possible?


    The thing moves its legs rhythmically, seemingly gesturing to him. What the heck was this? He could only unsummon it as he sighed.


    "Master, what''s this about reinforcement?" The orc asked, puzzled.


    This instantly reminded Josh of his own arrival here. Back then, Floor 25 had felt so distant. All he knew back th4en was that some chumps had decided to summon them to this world.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    Now he was the one t0o choose. Would he condemn innocents from other worlds by summoning them?


    "System, screw reinforcements! What''s the point of calling for help when I''m already here?! Just watch me go. I got this!" Josh dered with confidence.


    The orc couldn''t help but chuckle; As expected of its master!


    "Good job today. We''ve cleared yet another floor. Considering the difficulty, this is worth celebrating. Then we have to prepare for the next Floor slowly."


    The two exited the dungeon, once more causing amotion. The orc had long lost his clothes and didn''t have any shame. This made it so he was swinging his green sausage for all to see.


    "You should probably cover yourself up," Josh advised.


    "Master, don''t worry. I''ve searched the topic, and it seemed like humans like to gaze at naked bodies. A thing called porn is apparently very popr. I''m sure they won''t mind too much.


    So much for his diligent researches! He was now shamelessness strutting all over the Tower za in his birthday suit. How could he mistake this with reality?!


    "This isn''t how this works. This isn''t how any of this works." Josh felt like facepalming as he looked at him go. "Buddy, wear this before you get jailed." He promptly covered his pet, a morphing weapon nket.


    "I''m sure of it, master! Humans love this stuff! As I kept surfing the web, I even received plenty of messages from hot milfs in my area for¡ª"


    "Just shut up, alright? Those were ads for sure." He quickly ushered him out as he saw MTA members that were slowly making their way over.


    But when they saw that the offender was Josh, they promptly decided to y dumb, p;assing right next to him without saying a thing. Meanwhile, there was some random Climberining:


    2Ar3e you fuckig blind?! He''s right there!"


    Yrd. Yes, they were, as long as it concerned Josh at least. They had suffered so damn much from the damn insects that even Josh wanted to take a small break. The two quickly retreated back to the bodyguard''s house for a well-deserved rest.


    The man went livid as they appeared:


    "Can''t you guys crash at a hotel or something? Aren''t you loaded?!" The bodyguard was overreacting ever since he knew they wanted to fight gods¡ª oh, and that Josh was in the LoA. <sub> </sub>


    "Yeah, but your ce is nice. Don''t worry about it." Josh quicklymented as they invaded his dwelling.


    They then forcefully joined him for dinner, ordering and devouring enough pizza for a shop to make its weekly sale volume in a day. After an intense fight, nothing beats calmly rxing over a nice warm meal.


    The bodyguard finally resolved himself to his situation and enjoyed eating too. As for the orc king, he was bragging on the side:


    "You should have seen me! With every smash of my hammer, I was destroying so many wings! It was amazing! There was a moment when I thought I''d die, but orcs never surrender no matter what!"


    Meanwhile, Josh watched a nice show involving killer robots and humans trying to survive them inside abyrinth. It reminded him of a show on earth, just way more bloody!


    But the warm and nice atmosphere was suddenly shattered as Josh''s show was interrupted by a news emergency. On the screen was a man wearing a suit and showing extreme worry as he began his speech:


    "Newssh! Something big happened in a remote region near Metropolis-M! It all started when some Climbers suddenly went missing. We tried to get satellite images of the area, but this is what happened!"


    Next, there was some very short footage showing a mountain peak. On the snow-covered peak, there was suddenly some movement as a small green creature slowly appeared, scurrying around.


    But a few seconds after getting the image, the creature suddenly raised its head straight at the satellite. Anyone watching instantly jerked up in shock¡­this was a fucking goblin?!


    A few secondster, it fiddled with some kind of cylinder, pointing it straight at the camera. That''s when the screen went dark as it ended.


    The two humans and the orc looked at one another. They could see the same confusion in the others'' eyes.


    "Did our world just get invaded by goblins?!"


    "How did this happen?!"


    "What?!"


    Josh sighed as he slowly uttered:


    "There have been goblins in the Tower, but they didn''t look like that at all. This one was able to disable a satellite. It''s way too smart."


    "Then if it didn''te from the Tower¡­." The bodyguard sucked in a deep breath.


    "There''s most likely from a new Tower entirely. Still, how the heck did everyone miss it? What about themotion whenever one spawned?!" Josh couldn''t understand that point.


    That''s when the bodyguard chimed in:


    "I''ve read about that ce. It has earthquakes all year long. What if a tower appeared in the depth of a mountain? No one would know!"


    "Tch¡ª It seems that the pace of the Towers spawning in the world is increasing. It went from 1 to 3, and that''s just the ones that we know about." Josh grumbled.


    "Master, how about we go on a crusade and conquer the goblins? They could be a nice addition to rebuilding the orc army." He proposed.


    "It is worth looking into it, but their technological level seems he high. One does not simply disable a satellite easily! Just having green skin probably won''t be enough to sway them."


    "Green skin? I''m more valiant than anyone! I just have to convince them that following me is worth it, right! Just think about it, master!"


    "I have the feeling you''ll get your ass kicked. Modern technology mostly doesn''t work in the Tower, but here it''s king. The wars aren''t fought with swords and shields but sters and spaceships." Josh exined.


    "True¡­" The orc appeared so dejected.


    This news didn''t augur well. He suddenly felt like he had to increase the Climbing pace. Josh devoured another piece of bacon pizza before turning to his new pet.


    "For now, let''s farm the shit out of the Tower. Once we''re stronger, we''ll deal with these otherwordly invaders. Actually, if technology is involved, I do know onedy that could be of great help."


    "Oh?"


    "Yeah, but Metropolis-M isn''t anywhere nearby, so just forget about it¡ª for now."


    The rest of the dinner was spent with them, mostly researching about the next Floor before they headed back to the Tower.


    The two actually wanted to farm thest two Floors, but the Tower just showed them this message.


    [Already gotten the reward from this Floor, proceed anyway?]


    Since they couldn''t get any reward, they had no choice but to keep pushing. This next Floor was the one that Josh had been told required magic toplete. It had seemed so distant back then, but he had now reached it.


    [Wee to Floor 26!]


    [Mission Catch the Wraith King!]


    Catch? Not kill? How peculiar¡­.

 Chapter 374 Floor 26 Wraiths

    On Floor 26, there happened a scene of animal abuse. A human and arge orc were riding on a poor Nightmare''s back. If it hadn''t been a monster, its back would have already caved in under the weight.


    ¡ª Annoyed Neigh! ¡ª


    "Master, I think it doesn''t like me too much."


    "What gives you that feeling? The biting or the spitting?" Josh replied, rolling his eyes.


    Their surroundings were a beautiful purplish color that made him quite happy, but there was a definiteck of monsters. This reminded them of thest Floor with the damn ttagriff.


    Would another colossal titan appear out of nowhere to devour them? Also, what was up this mission? They were supposed to catch a wraith king, but there were none to see so far.


    "Master, I''ve researched wraith, and apparently they are incorporeal flying creatures that¡ª"


    "I know what wraiths are, drain ability and all. But do you see any? The sky is utterly empty too!" Josh grumbled.


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    ¡ª Annoyed neigh! ¡ª


    From time to time, they stumbled upon skeletal remains, hooves crushing the bones and making a satisfying crunch sound.


    They encountered what looked like a lighthouse, one surrounded by a mysterious fog as they kept going. It glowed a bright green light, basking the realm in a mdive-looking glow. This ought to be their target, right?


    But the closer they got, the more they realized that this was no fog. Nope! Those were countless wraiths that hovered in the air, circling it endlessly. It was all so eerily quiet, only Nightmare''s trotting resounding.


    "Damn, that''s a lot of them! I take half, and you take the other half?" the orc confidently proposed.


    "If only it were that easy. Nightmare, get ready to gallop away." Josh instructed.


    At this moment, he was d that he had learned archery recently. These things were flying he high!¡ª almost as high as that one rapper.


    He summoned his bow,unching a volley of arrows at the creatures. They flew without a care in the world, seemingly trying to get as close to the light as possible.


    ¡ª Twang! ¡ª


    The arrow ran its course, flying through the air with incredible speed. But right before impact, it collided with an invisible barrier. What was that?!


    It seemed toe from the lighthouse thingy. It was as if it gave the wraiths a protective shield. Was that why they hanged there? Was it for safety reasons? Probably not.


    "Master, at Normal they are supposed to be swarming everywhere without rhyme or reason. Any idea what causes this?"


    "Nope, but it has to do something with that light for sure. Nightmare, bring us closer."


    The poor horse begrudginglyplied. This thing looked like a death trap and it knew how much its master loved to poke random ho nests! Should it start praying?


    They were about 50 meters from the base of the light when it happened. The wraiths seemed toe alive as they slowly turned toward them before wailing loudly.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    ¡ª Screech!!¡ª


    They were akin to a school of fish as they all turned at the same time, rushing at them! They were akin to children smelling allowance money! (Fast and terrifying)


    "Master, wraith time iing!" The orc shouted as he solidly grabbed his hammer.


    Josh kept shooting as Nightmare neighed in fright as its fears came true. Of course, the entire thing was turning shitty from the start! Why was it getting chased so much recently?! First big ck cats, and now those?!


    Its hooves stampeded on the ground as it dashed away as quickly as it could, carrying its master and the fat green thing.


    ¡ª Clip! Clop! Clip! Clop! ¡ª


    ¡ª Screech! ¡ª


    The orc king powerfully swung his hammer but with little sess. The creatures kept approaching. #Melee Problems #Bullied Orc King


    The thing flew above their heads, the fastest ones in range to use their drain ability. Thus began incredible suffering.


    The wraiths would establish a link between them and their target. They would use it to steal vitality from their prey. It felt like getting a piece of one''s soul ripped off, aka fucking horrible!


    Feeling their deadly ability, everyone involuntarily cried out in pain¡ª except Josh. He was way too busy firing arrows after arrows. The purplish aura around his projectiles collided with the ethereal wraiths, making their very essence bubble.


    The creatures couldn''t understand what this purple thing was. Since it seemed to be shiny mana, they eagerly devoured it, but that''s when they began screeching in incredible suffering. This mana was poisonous!


    As they ate it, they suddenly turned purplish as they began to dissipate, their essence shattering. But a few secondster, they learned their lesson and steered clear of the projectile and Josh altogether.


    Josh''s Kill ratio suddenly fell, from a few wraiths per arrow to maybe one wraith every other arrow. The things were too damn agile! If he kept missing so much, he''d run out of mana eventually!


    "Tch¡ª this is bad. If only I coulde nearby, I could mark them with killing intent." He grumbled,


    "Mark them?" The orc asked, puzzled.


    "It''s called locking. I can use killing intent to guide my arrows if I''ve been in contact with the target." Josh exined. <sub> </sub>


    But, it wasn''t much of an engage technique. It especially shined as a finisher move. Trying to flee? How about a magical arrow in your ass! (Or back)


    The problem was that those annoying bastards had a pretty long range. Heck, was there anything more annoying than ranged flying units?! The only constion was that they seemed to fear Josh''s attacks.


    ¡ª Scared Neigh! ¡ª


    Nightmare felt like crying. It kept rushing, hoping that it would survive. Why was it the one working the most?


    But then the creatures suddenly stopped chasing. It was as if they had reached a barrier and were too far away from the lighthouse. Nightmare instantly slumped down to the ground panting, physically and mentally tired.


    "Master, don''t worry, I have a n!" The orc happily chimed in.


    "?"


    "We just need to work together! Do you prefer to be on top or bottom? Seeing your amazing energy, I think that it''s better if I''m at the bottom."


    "Phrasing¡­"


    "If I throw you in the air, you should have the reach to hit them. Either you swing that mighty weapon of yours, or you mark them to take them down afterward." He exined.


    "So you''re suggesting acrobatics?"


    "Exactly! It''s like that one human movement technique. What was it called again? Oh, cheerleading!" He proudly


    Movement technique? Well, he wasn''t entirely wrong. There was lots of practice involved.


    "Hehe, do you have the outfit?" Josh snickered.


    He couldn''t help but chuckle, picturing the muscr orc with pompoms doing acrobatics. How ridiculous would that look? He was only joking, but the orc missed that detail.


    "What?! Is the technique unusable without the outfit?! Are those magically enchanted?!" The orc gasped in shock.


    "Obviously, every outfit is enchanted to draw the gazes of men watching. Why else would it be so popr?" The correct answer was cute girls doing cool things.


    The orc showed regret. How could he miss such vital information?! He seemed awfully disappointed as he red at the general wraiths'' direction with rancor.


    "Don''t worry. I have a better n. Since the wraiths seem allergic to my mana, we''ll use that." Josh suddenly shared.


    The three slowly returned to the wraith swarm and the green light. Before they could reach anywhere too close, Josh suddenly drew upon his mana to activate his newest ability.


    "Come, oh powerful ttagriff!"


    The small insect slowly materialized, looking as ugly and harmless as ever. But this was only the beginning. Josh repeated the same thing a few times until there was an army at hismand, for a grand total of 20 insects!


    Alright, this wasn''t actually that impressive. Would 20 of them even manage to take down a cat? Housecat? Yes. Big ck Cat? Fuck no!


    The orc was looking at this happen, looking slightly skeptical. What good would these little things do? Sure they deadly in HIGH number¡­..but hencey the problem. But what happened next changed his opinion entirely.


    Jack began to infuse his mana in the creatures that became even more energetic than before. They were as hyper as a random author recing the milk in his morning cereals with some Death-Wish coffee.


    They flew around excitedly with their tiny eagle/roach wings, radiating purple energy. The whole thing looked he strange!


    Josh grinned and ordered his valiant army: "Go forth and conquer this realm for me! It is time for a crusade! Kill all the wraiths!" He heroically ordered.


    Was this whole grandiloquent spectacle necessary? Not really, as his summons, he could control them with his will¡ª to a degree. But he was satisfied with how the orc and Nightmare now gazed at him with shiny eyes, impressed.


    Now there just remained to wait and pray. The ttagriff squad flew straight toward the wraiths. The things instantly jumped at the ones leading the pack, devouring them instantly.


    Just like that, half of Josh''s soldiers were gone¡ª awkward.


    But a few secondster, it all began. The gluttonous wraiths began to wail in pain as they exploded one after the other. Overall there weren''t that many casualties, but it sent a message: ttagriff = scary!


    That''s when a hrious development happened.


    The tiny weak insect could be seen chasing the wraiths a few dozen times their size. This reminded Josh of those videos of poodles running after bears angrily, with thetter fleeing scared shitless.


    A single hit was enough to transfer Josh''s mana over and lead to the wraiths'' death. It was a one-sided massacre.


    ttagriffs 1


    Wraiths 0


    "Master, why do I almost feel bad for the wraiths?"


    "Cause you''re too sensitive." Josh shrugged.


    But as the wraith fog began to thin out, the visibility increased. That''s when they could distinguish what they had thought to be a green lighthouse.


    The green was an enormous jewel, and there seemed to be a phantom sealed in it! It was moving too¡­

 Chapter 375 Chasing Phantoms

    A tall stone pir stood proudly, with arge glowing green gem embedded at the top. The energy it radiated seemed to be what attracted the wraiths¡ª or perhaps was it what was inside?


    Sealed in the jewel, a shadowy figure seemed to be trying to escape its green prison. It kinda looked like a wraith, but there was something strange about it. It just felt different from the way it was moving.


    Wraiths would usually fly purposelessly in the air, but this one was actively banging on the walls, trying to escape.


    "Master, this thing looks smarter than the others. Could it be the wraith king?"


    "I''m not sure, but let me clear the mobs first."


    Josh waved his hand, summoning even more ttagriffs to join the fight. Right now, he felt like a goddamn Gu user dispatching his enemies with swarms of demonic insects.


    Lots of effort and ghostly wailster, the wraith finally screeched theirst. As soon as the path was clear, the both of them began to scale the light-house-looking thing. They used their weapons to create footholds.


    "Such a shame. We''re damaging some race''s historical monument right now." The orc grumbled.


    "I thought orcs were pretty keen on destruction." Was that just a stereotype?


    "Yes, destruction, not damage. One needs to have standards. You don''t just damage a civilization. You utterly crush them, turning them into ves and finishing off the belligerent ones." The orc exined.


    Damn! This sure was dark. Then again, this was how the world worked. Take humans, for instance. How much damage had they caused to the other species? A shitload! All the animal breeding farms worked on the same concept.


    Did the difference lie in intelligence? Nope. It was all a matter of power¡ª yet power alone was worthless.


    "Master?"


    "Nothing, let''s climb and meet our new friend, shall we?"


    As soon as the specter inside saw them, it began to scream silently. They could see its mouth open and close. Damn, this material had some great soundproofing properties!


    "Hello, new low definition friend. Who and what are you?" Josh waved at it as it followed his hand with its gaze. Did it want to devour his energy? Most probably.


    "Master, what shall we do?"


    "Except if you can carry this gem on your back, we''ll have to break the thing out and get the fuck out."


    The orc seemed to ponder before he shook his head thoughtfully. This thing was far too heavy. His eyes turned cloudy as he pictured himself reaching such a level one day.


    "Here you go. Have fun with destruction." Josh handed him a pickaxe.


    "Yes, master!"


    The orc went ham on the thing with every hit creating craters and echoing in the entire realm. If this thing wasn''t the wraith king, then chances were that it would show up hearing the noise.


    ¡ª ng! ng! ¡ª


    ¡ª Crack! ¡ª


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    ¡ª ng! ng! ¡ª


    ¡ª Shatter! ¡ª


    Then the green gem finally gave out as it exploded in tons of pieces that were sent flying everywhere. Heck, some of it was even powder by now, almost looking like crushed candies¡ª the orc swallowing a bit by mistake.


    As soon as the gm was pierced, they heard a loud screech. That''s when the dark shadow inside charged at them, emitting a ton of killing intent! It was so damn fast too!


    Josh struck the creature, his rod shing with purple energy. He wanted to beat it into submission. But just as it was about to make contact, the thing suddenly turned 90 degrees and flew toward the sky.


    "Goddammit!" Josh cursed as the thing disappeared at the horizon.


    "Master, it''s gone." Captain Obviousmented.


    "Yes, I happen to have eyes. Let''s chase already!" He ushered as the two of them jumped down the structure ASAP.


    But there was one strange thing. The fleeing creature hadn''t shown any tag above its name.


    For instance, the regr wraiths would show:


    < Essence-Devouring Wraith! Lv 28>


    While it sounded very ominous, it just happened that Josh''s mana was countering them. As for why it was probably rted to one of his curses of something (Maybe?). Actually, he had no clue.


    This absence of name was as intriguing as a possible lead. Maybe it really was the wraith king, and it had some sneak-rted ability? Hiding the shiny name above one''s name was a start for sure!


    They kept heading toward the direction the creature had fled. But then they encountered something that seemed very familiar.


    "Master, it''s so pink, and there are so many ghosts around it!"


    "I''d do an abortion joke, but I''ll refrain." Josh sighed.


    In front of them was another lighthouse-looking thing. The color of the jewel was different, but the glow was as mdive as the previous one. Did this mean that there were more of it out there?


    Either way, it was time to get to work!


    "Go, my powerful Gus, show them who''s Boss!" Hemanded.


    Thus began another session of insect and wraith, with the wraiths disappearing faster than a deadbeat father would his baby mama. One could say it was even magic.


    As for the orc, he was now ying with Josh''s Fairy. They seemed to fit very well together as the green guy wanted information about very basic stuff¡ª the kind of stuff it had in its database for sure.


    He still didn''t understand why only this little thing worked in the Tower, but that was to the crafters to figure out.


    "Alright, it is done." Josh dered once all the wraiths were gone.


    They slowly began scaling the thing and reached the peak, staring at a simr phantom as earlier. But this time, they would be careful.


    "Mine it very carefully. I want to see a very tight pink hole. Am I making myself clear?" Josh instructed hispanion.


    "Yes, Master! You can count on me!" <sub> </sub>


    ¡ª ng! ng! ¡ª


    Then it was finally done. Seeing the small hole, the phantom flew to escape its prison but then screeched in horror. Josh was sending his energy inside, making it fill the gem. The pink was now being tainted with his color¡ª lots of cool purple!


    The creature avoided the purple energy but soon realized that it was still trapped. The only exit was filled with that deadly energy! What could it do?!


    The more mana Josh inserted and the more suffering the creature seemed to be in. All until it stopped moving altogether. Was it unconscious? Could phantoms even get frozen from taking damage to their soul?


    But just as he was hesitating, it suddenly came back to unlife as it charged at maximum speed. It had been ying dead! Freedom was right in front of it. It could smell it!¡ª kinda.


    It was so damn close! That''s when a mighty ttagriff stood in its way! It didn''t have the speed to rival it at all in arge hole. However, it was perfectly able to take care of it right now!


    It was another one-sided beat down. Josh and orc sighed in relief, even cheering on the side.


    "ttagriff, I choose you!"


    "Master, I''m also rooting for the ttagriff!"


    Duh, was he going to root for the phantom or something?!


    After about a minute of intensebat, the phantom finally turned listless, this time not for show. As Josh approached his hand from the listless phantom, the system appeared.


    [Congrattion! Pink Soul Acquired!]


    [Captured Wraith King Soul Fragment 1/5!]


    "Ah, fuck!"


    "We''ll have to catch that bastard from earlier then¡­."


    The two nced at one another, annoyed. Well, at least they knew how to proceed. How were they supposed to catch up to the insanely powerful phantom? Oh well, they''d focus on what they could do first.


    Thus began a road trip. Two guys chilling on a sweet ride, singing fun songs. At this moment, the poor Nightmare finally realized that there was a fate worse than being used as live bait: suffering their singing!


    Josh and the orc grinned at one another as they sang so off-key that the actual melody was unrecognizable. What made it even worse was the song they hade up with.


    They were fucking singing about destroying jewels of various colors! This was the kind of song that would be used at a kindergarten to teach the kids the color names. It became an abomination when they were the ones to sing it!


    Just like that, they captured one soul after another:


    1. Pink


    2. Orange


    3. Yellow


    4. Blue


    5. Then there was still the missing green one.


    From time to time, they would encounter the phantom. It was either chilling with some regr wraiths or taunting its brethren that were still sealed in their jewels.


    But it just kept running away. Whenever it saw Josh, it remembered the damn purple energy and would just rush away as if the Devil himself was after it¡ª arguably, it could have been better.


    No matter how fast Nightmare galloped, it couldn''t catch up to the thing at all! Right now, it was galloping and neighing as fast as possible, trying to drown the singing with the sound of its hooves.


    "Master, we can''t seem to catch up."


    "Yeah, you''re right. But don''t worry, I have a n. We''ll need bait." Josh grinned, a scheming look on his face.


    Seeing his face, Nightmare straight up ran away, leaving the orc being to deal with this mess. The orc scoffed: "Horsie, you shouldn''t be so cowardly! I''ll do it!" He valiantly suggested.


    "Alright, you need to look as juicy as possible for that green soul wraith thingy."


    "Juicy?!"


    "Yep, you''re baiting it to try and eat your essence. But don''t worry, there will be ttagriffs ready to assist you." Josh reassured him.


    "How? There''s nowhere to hide for them nearby. It will look too obvious if we start randomly digging holes!"


    "Oh, don''t worry about that. Now, open wide." Josh evilly grinned as his ttabriffs all headed toward the orc''s mouth to hide inside him.


    "What the fuck?!"


    "Don''t worry. Your aura will camouge theirs¡ª well, mine that they absorbed."


    "That''s not what I''m worried about!!"


    "Shhh, it will be over soon," Josh whispered, akin to a psychopath. At this moment, the brave orc didn''t feel that brave anymore.


    In the distance, Nightmare was sneering as it saw it all happen. It had dodged a bullet with its wisdom!


    "Oh yeah, make sure you appear super lost. Travolta style. Anyway, good luck and talkter." Josh happily waved goodbye.


    The orc king was left alone, feeling the insects wriggle in his mouth, stomach, and windpipe. Goddamnit, this felt bad! He actually celebrated when the green phantom showed up a littleter.


    The thing saw him and pounced quickly. He felt the thing start to devour his soul, and it was so damn painful. It even got closer to drain faster, just out of his range.


    That''s when the ttagriffs went out as if nes on a carrier battleship. They surrounded the phantom and began to trash it. It was slowed because it had been feeding, and now there would be no escape.


    Josh showed up just in time to collect the soul with a huge grin. But as he did, the entire realm began shaking.


    [Collected all souls!]


    [Wraith King Now Spawning!]


    Damn...

 Chapter 376 Wraith King Is Annoying!

    The entire realm began shaking. Was this an omen of the destruction toe?!


    [Collected all souls!]


    [Wraith King Now Spawning!]


    [Try not to end up dissolvedpletely!]


    The air all around began to be sucked as if a vacuum. It was all heading toward a spot above them. The five earlier colors mixed, creating a brilliant explosion.


    That''s when a human-size rainbow wraith appeared in the air.


    < Illustrious Wraith King Level 42 ?>


    "It doesn''t look that strong¡­." The orcmented. They had just fought an enormous ttagriff. Compared to it, this new enemy looked tiny and weak.


    "Oh god. A human-sized Boss." Josh was the opposite. He knew the terror that this could represent, especially a flying one.


    The being nced at them, waving its ghostly hands. Dark red blood gushed out of his palms, dropping straight toward them! Oh god, a goddamn blood rain!


    "Run!!" Josh darted away.


    The two barely managed to reach out of the thing''s radius. They turned pale as they saw the aftermath of it. The ground was bubbling as if doused in acid. As for the enemy, it was already flying toward them to finish the job.


    "That''s one heavy rain, but so what! I''m a proud orc warrior, haha!" The orc shot an arrow at the creature. It flew true and hit the thing!¡ª only to pass through it.


    "Without mana, it won''t do anything," Josh remarked.


    ¡ª Twang! Twang! ¡ª


    He shot consecutively at the creature that just swayed on the side to avoid it. It was so damn annoying, but they had no way to reach it.


    "Maybe I should have picked the damn wings."


    "Nothing we can do about it, Master. Let''s just kill that bastard!"


    "Is this guy even alive?"


    "Anything that moves is considered alive in orc culture." He shrugged.


    "So orc women would marry a vibrator but not a regr dildo, good to know."


    "Pfft¡ª" The orc chuckled, almost losing his footing and perishing to the blood rain. Luckily Josh grabbed him in time.


    As the creature was busy raining death on them, Josh controlled his ttagriffs to approach the damn thing sneakily. Then they finally reached it and¡ª collided with a colorful barrier that suddenly surrounded the wraith.


    Damn. It seemed like it had defenses up against sneak attacks! Wait, why was this wraith even dodging their arrows then? Did it have limited durability? It seemed like the ttagriffs weren''t strong enough to pierce it.


    Josh kept the onught going, turning his Morphing weapon into arge umbre to protect them.


    But his troops weren''t as lucky. The monster turned toward them, doused them in acidic blood, and it was the end of them. They didn''t even have the time to shriek.


    "Tch¡ª this is gonna be a pain."


    "Master, we need to get rid of that barrier and that blood rain."


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "Yep, but we''ll need more firepower to make that happen."


    That''s when the orc solemnly nodded and attacked once more. But this time, his arrow contained mana! It flew entirely away from its target, but it was a start.


    "Observe how I do it. There''s no way a proud orc warrior can''t even shoot one tiny arrow, right?!" Josh taunted.


    "Grrr, of course!" He grumbled.


    They said that desperate situations brought the best of one''s potential. Well, now was the perfect time for the orc to shine! The orc would have to learn the technique right fucking now.


    The more arrows Josh shot, the more he seemed to understand the technique. All until he finally gave a victorious grin. He shot a mana glowing arrow with radiant energy. It was crooked, slow, and not that powerful, but it prompted the enemy to dodge!


    "Did you see that, master!" The hulking orc was so damn proud and happy.


    "Yes, yes, I''ve seen it. Now, keep attacking. I want this thing to have no time to attack. It should be dodging 24/7!"


    But even then, the blood rain continued. His morphing weapon also showed signs of weakening, and the creature was getting better at aiming. They had to end the fight ASAP!<sub> </sub>


    Josh used their cover to summon some more ttagriffs, enhancing them with his mana. But how were they supposed to reach their target amidst the blood rain surrounding them? They had to create an opening for them.


    Actually, all they needed was a great shield.


    The orc shivered as Josh summoned its rat and mmed ttagriffs in its mouth. This reminded him of the earlier scene. It had felt so bad! He''d forever remember how they had wriggled deep inside him.


    "You talked about throwing earlier, right? It''s gonna be your time to shine." Josh shared.


    The orc understood his meaning. Archery wasn''t his strong point, but he was used to throwing a giant hammer at people. Launching a rat wouldn''t be that hard inparison. He just had to watch for his aim.


    He took a step back, powerfully winded up his arm, and the rat was sent flying straight at the boss. Even then, it remained lifelessly stoic. Goddamn legend!


    The wraith king shrieked as it saw the flying projectile but dodged it rtively easily. But that''s when phase two of the operation began! While Josh and orc kept shooting at the creature like maniacs to pop his shield, the ttagriffs went for the backstab.


    "Master, we won''t destroy the barrier in time! They''ll be stopped again!"


    "Use your hands, not your mouth. We just gotta keep going!"


    The orc did its best, but they didn''t make it in time even then. The insects collided with the energy shield, and it was game over for the poor critters. They exploded in a gory mess, the creature still unhurt.


    That''s when their cover finally began to crack. Josh had to put away his morphing weapon for it not to break.


    Without any means to protect themselves from the rain, they now had to flee without the time to counterattack.


    "'' Master, this is really bad." The orc remarked but then noticed Josh''s bright smile.


    "You worry too much. Everything is going ording to n."


    That''s when Josh shot a few arrows hurriedly while running. He did it so quickly that his aim was a little bit off. The arrows flew past their targetpletely. But as he waved his hand, they turned around?!


    "How?!" The orc eximed, confused.


    "Oh, let''s just say I added a surprise to thatst batch of ttagriffs. There wasn''t just my mana, but also some of my killing intent."


    Yes, the insects had died like bitches on the thing''s shield, but they had also spread the killing intent mark. This allowed him to lock on the thing''s shield directly.


    "Now, it''s time for the onught to begin!" He chuckled as he kept shooting arrow after arrow. Even when he was missing or the creature was dodging, it still reached the boss. All until its shield waspletely destroyed.


    ? But would it be so easy to dispatch? Sadly not.


    It seemed that bing vulnerable had enraged it. It shrieked in anger as the blood puddles on the ground began to ripple. From it formed humanoid-looking blood golems. The monsters instantly went toward them with surprising speed.


    "Don''t worry, master, I got this!" The orc shot an arrow at them.


    But just as the arrow was about to reach them, it suddenly disappeared. It didn''t get blocked or anything. It just vanished. Even a mana arrow had been 100% ineffective.


    "What is this?!" The orc screamed in shock.


    "I don''t know, but good luck!" Josh shouted as he kept shooting, forcing the creature to avoid. There was a limit to his homing ability and it couldn''t aplish miracles, but he slowly drove the creature in a corner.


    The orc king ran near the blood monsters warily. What was it that had affected his arrow? He tried swinging his hammer at one. This time his attack connected! But there was one issue.


    "This thing is so sturdy! It feels even more resilient than metal! Master, it seems resistant to melee attacks and immune to ranged attacks!" He shouted, sharing his discovery.


    Talk about one simple but crazy boss! It required ranged attacks to kill, was extremely slippery, summoned ranged-immune minions, and could rain infinite acidic blood. This would exhaust most parties to death!


    "Can you take care of them?"


    "Of fucking course!" The orc confidently shouted.


    But the more the fight went, the less confident he felt. At some point, the wraith king flew right above it and rained blood on him. Naturally, he ran away to dodge, but the blood creatures stayed. They stayed and healed.


    "Oh god. They can regenerate too?!" The orc kingined as he watched his dwindling pill reserve. At this rate, they would be the first ones to fall.


    "It''s fine. I''m almost done on my side," Josh remarked.


    But it seemed like he had spoken too soon. As the wraith king felt threatened, it screeched once again. That''s when a fog showed up at the horizon, except they both knew what it was.


    This was a wraith army!

 Chapter 377 Josh Died...Again!

    A Wraith army was freaking approaching!


    Those creatures'' drain was so goddamn painful! There was no way that the orc would even try to fight them! As soon as he saw them, he ran toward his master without waiting.


    He took position next to Josh, doing his utmost best to defend him against the blood summons while grimacing as the wraiths got closer.


    "Master, I''ll need your help on that one!" He begged.


    "What happened to being a proud independent orc? Did you give that up already?" Josh replied as he kept shooting at the boss, ignoring the new monsters entirely. He didn''t have the time to care about them.


    ¡ª Twang! Twang! Twang! ¡ª


    But the boss was still so damn fast! Even with his locking ability, he didn''t manage to hit it every time.


    "If only we could hold it in ce for a few seconds. We''d need a goddamn vacuum like in Ghostbusting!"


    "Ghostbusting?!"


    "It''s a movie. They use special instruments to suck in the ghosts and trap them. Don''t worry about it." Josh sighed, summoning ttagriffs on the side.


    That''s when the wraith army finally reached them. The orc felt like a juicy helpless kitten in a mosquito swarm. The creatures wanted his blood, and no matter how much he swung his hammer, it wouldn''t drive them away, especially considering the blood golems.


    The ttagriffs were valiantly going on a killing spree, but the wraiths were so damn numerous that they couldn''t keep up! The only thing keeping them alive was Josh''s energy scaring the things away.


    The orc turned incredibly solemn. At this moment, it was a do-or-die situation. Could he do anything to help? Anything at all?! He felt so damn helpless!


    He had promised his master to help him, and yet he was being carried so much! This was so damn embarrassing and unworthy of an orc warrior!


    But he suddenly had a sh of insight. His master needed him to hold the wraith king in ce, and the creature was magical. He might have a n!


    "Master, throw me up there, and I''ll try something!" He groaned as his vitality kept being devoured by the creatures.


    Josh nced at him, noticing his sorry state before nodding. Whatever he was nning, it was worth trying. They were at an impasse anyway.


    The orc jumped at him, feet first. It only took a second for Josh to grab him and throw up as quickly as possible. The orc flew like a cannonball¡ª a slow one.


    The wraith king had enough speed to dodge the orc projectile but inched closer instead. This was such a tasty meal! It began to eagerly devour the orc with him, only managing to do a weak palm strike in response-.


    Was he going to freaking die up there?! But that''s when he gave a victorious grin.


    "You''re not the only one that can mark, Master!" He chuckled as he made a gesture Josh recognized. This was his armor recalling move! Except, he was dragging the wraith king that he had touched earlier! Wow!


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "Great fucking job!" Josh praised as he summoned Nightmare and the grass elemental. "Buy me some time!" He shouted as he focused on the boss again.


    Every time it tried fleeing, the orc would use his armor attraction ability. This left the boss unable to dodge Josh''s arrows. It quickly turned into a porcupine. Eventually, it finally vanished.


    As soon as it was gone, the blood golems dissolved, and the wraiths ran away from screeching the ttagriffs.


    The orc fell back with a heavy crash. He was utterly unable to move and yet was grinning so much. He had been helpful for once! He had managed to make a cheerleading jump work inbat, somehow.


    Even Josh felt weak at the knee as he rested. He really had to take a break to regenerate his mana. He felt so damn light-headed! But suddenly he noticed that an item had dropped from the boss.


    < Wraith Helmet >


    - Part of the wraith set: gives owner wraith abilities.


    Josh couldn''t help but raise a brow.


    "System, what''s up with that? Why wasn''t there any Loot from the previous floors from random drops? Now it''s back?!"


    [Completed Floor 26 Hellish!]


    [Solo Clear or Not? Analyzing.]


    [Orc Is Considered a Power of the Host!]


    [Feat Aplished! Preparing Solo Clear Rewards!]


    [Please pick one¡ª¡­]


    "System, answer me! What''s happening now? Can I rey the Floors or not?!"


    [Analyzing Previous Question! Analyzing!]


    [Floor 24 Destroyed By yer: Only One Reward!]


    [Floor 25 Was a Special Floor, single Reward Issued!]


    [Any regr Floor can be reyed for increased rewards!]


    "Good, it makes sense. What about the rewards now?!"


    [Please Pick One: Complete Wraith Set | Wraith bead | Blood Rain Scepter | Wraiths Summon Stone]


    "Master, so much choice! Now, which one is the best?!" The orc king was already in investigation mode, his eyes glowing with curiosity as he began a monologue.


    "The wraith set definitely seems nice. After all, who knows how long it will take us to clear this Floor over and over. But it does seem a bit unnecessary."


    "The wraith bead could possibly contain a bloodline. However, absorbing it might actually harm the body with all the negative energy and too difficult to absorb."


    "The blood rain scepter seems extremely strong, but it might have requirements. As none of us are mages, it might not be that helpful." <sub> </sub>


    "The wraiths summon stone seems simr to your ttagriff summon ability. It really saved us on this one."


    "So, what would you go for?" Josh asked with a smile.


    "The summon for sure, then maybe the armor to save time or the scepter to use or sell." He answered seriously.


    Josh simply began to guffaw,ughing his ass off. This left his partnerpletely bbergasted. What the heck was that about?! But the man''s next words enlightened him.


    "What do you think will happen if I''m the one summoning wraiths? You know, the ones deadly allergic to my mana for some reason¡­."


    The orc showed an embarrassed expression. Josh was the most magic-oriented one between the two of them. He could now picture the wraiths being summoned and perishing instantly because of the purple mana.


    F!


    That''s when Josh gave a confident grin:


    "System, give me the wraith bead!" A small bundle of fog appeared in his hand. It didn''t look safe at all!


    Without waiting, he gobbled it up. So what if this thing was dangerous? He had a goddamn gluttony bloodline! He felt it reach his stomach and it felt like he had consumed an entire block of ice!


    "ARRGGG!" He screamed in anguish!


    "Master, are you alright?!" the orc cried out in shock as he saw Josh suddenly turn grey, then more and more transparent. What the fuck was happening?!


    Then a few secondster, Josh was gone from this world just like that. The orc fell on his knees as he grabbed at empty air.


    "M-master?!" He sorrowfully called out.


    That''s when Nightmare and the rat disappeared, along with the grass elemental returning to its branch. As their summoner was gone, they couldn''t remain in this world. It was over just like that?!


    Before, he had felt a very slight link with the man, but now it was gone entirely. He was gone, forever! What about all that they had nned?! What about their uprising against the gods?!


    They had started as enemies, but Josh had freed him from his cage. He could have just ughtered him, but he had gone out of his way to save him! He had shown him that there was a vast world out there.


    Now he wouldn''t be able to repay his savior for his favor!¡ª Not that he could have had anyway. At this moment, all the excitement from their earlier victory disappeared. This realm seemed so lonely.


    "M-master." He called out in vain, choking a bit, a single tear falling on his cheek. But as he nced at the spot Josh had disappeared from, he turned solemn.


    "Don''t worry, master. I will remember your legacy and your will. I will free the orcs from the gods'' domination, and I''ll bring the humans along for your sake! I swear on my forgotten Orc King title!" He uttered with emotion.


    "You should probably add a statue so the future generation can gaze at my handsome appearance." Josh''s teasing voice came from right behind him.


    "W-what?! How?! I felt it you were¡ª"


    "Dead? No, just a very fun ability. Still, I''m surprised. Such a big guy and tearing up so easily." Josh teased him.


    But instead of feeling embarrassed, the orc king stared at him dead in the eyes:


    "No, I meant it. Whether you''re dead or alive, my promise still stands. You''re worthy enough to deserve it!" He thoughtfully added.


    Josh gave a warm smile, patting the man''s shoulder. "Alright, I''ll hold you ountable to it then." He chuckled before turning to his status screen:


    - C+ Weapon Mastery


    - C Magical Archery


    - D Mana Maniption


    - D Mana Coating


    - D Shadow Step


    - E Great Gnoll Bloodline: Piercing Eyes


    - F Illustrious Wraith Bloodline: Alter World Gate


    - U (E+) Gluttony Bloodline: Endless Stomach, Devouring+


    His new ability felt so damns strange! Somehow, he instinctively knew that the illustrious wraiths all unlocked different abilities.


    For that boss, it had been a blood rain, and for him, it was moving to an alternate world?! It sounded so damn OP, but it was akin to disappearing into space cracks for a mere instant. People would have trouble killing him, but the opposite was the same. They could ambush his return too.


    Did this stem from his rejection of this world? After all, as long as they weren''t here, he would keep disregarding this reality!


    "Alright, let''s keep farming now that we know how to run it," Josh instructed.


    But the orc on the side seemed pensive.


    "Are you still shaken by my short disappearance? Don''t worry about it." Joshforted him.


    "That''s not it, master. I''m just wondering how we''ll deal with the subi on the next Floor."


    Wait, what?! They had already reached it?! Oh well¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] Thoughts on the new ability and the uing Floor? =P

 Chapter 378 An Old Acquaintance

    Over the course of a day, an orc and a man cleared Floor 26 so many times! They kept doing it all until Josh finally managed to loot the full wraith set!


    He now stared at it with the satisfaction of a job well done.


    "Master, at this rate, we may as well open an exorcism agency, haha." The orc chuckled.


    "Maybe. Who knows if there won''t be ghostly beingsing out of one of these new Towers. Heck, there are even goblins roaming the world nowadays!" Josh replied, shrugging.


    He carefully wore his armor set, and a few secondster, he was¡­flying?! Actually, floating would have been more urate. He was gliding a few meters in the air, obviously enjoying himself greatly.


    "From now on, call me Super Josh! Badass, flies and doesn''t wear his underwear above his pants!" He called out heroically.


    "Oh! Is that from the armor, master?!" The orc excitingly pped.


    "Yep, it barely takes any mana if I stay near the ground, and there seems to be a height limit too. But it''s pretty damn neat! Oh yeah, it alsoes with a drain ability." That''s when Josh suddenly sized up the orc.


    "M-master?" The green warrior unconsciously tensed slightly. What was up with the way he was gazing at him?! It was so intense!


    "Hey, how about you help me test its effect?" Josh mischievously proposed.


    There was no way that any sane person would agree to such a ludicrous request! This attack was so damn painful just with the wraiths. Who knew how bad it would be if Josh were the one using it!


    But orcs weren''t sane, not by human standards anyway¡­


    "Go on, master! My body is ready!" He loudly gulped as he began to undress, showing his well-defined green abs.


    "Alright, be ready. I feel like it might hurt a bit at first." Josh warned.


    "No need to be gentle. I can take it!" He showed incredible resolve!


    Josh waved his hand, and a ray of dark energy flew toward the orc. He flinched a bit as he felt the cold touch on his body but didn''t make a peep.


    A wave of energy was suddenly transmitted to Josh. It felt so damn good! He could feel his entire body being revitalized! It was as if he was sshing in a fountain of youth.


    As for the orc, he was grinding his teeth as he endured the pain as everything was slowly sucked out of him! Both his mana and HP were getting transferred to Josh. Still, it was a very slow process.


    Josh stopped the magic with a sigh. He was already missing that sweet, lively sensation. Offensive-wise, this magic was trash-tier! But it opened incredible sustain opportunities, especially paired with his gluttony bloodline!


    If he ever ran out of food, he''d be able to drain his enemies and bite them!¡ª as long as they were living beings, of course.


    "Thanks for helping."


    "No problem, master! We can even keep going if you want! Orc warriors are extremely sturdy!" The orc had a strange glint in his eyes.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    Did he see this as proof of loyalty? Either way, there was no need to remain here longer than necessary. "System, teleport us out!" He ordered.


    The orc by the side shivered in excitement. Every time he saw his master order the system around, he felt his blood pump a little faster. He had low-key tried to do it a few times but without any result.


    He gave onest look at this realm as their bodies were teleported outside. He couldn''t help but chuckle as the expected shout resounded.


    "W-what is that?!"


    "Monster! Monster!"


    "Why is this orc half naked?!"


    Many climbers were already freaking out. But for every group losing their shit, there were a few that recognized him. After all, he was VERY memorable.


    "Oh! That Josh guy is back!"


    "Every time I see this orc, I''m like DAMN!"


    "I know, right! Look at how big those fangs are!"


    "Please, gurl, we all know that you ain''t looking up there."


    Laughter echoed as anyone government-rted just yed dumb. Annoy a guy that hung out with Markus? How about no! But Josh didn''t n on staying here for too long. He looked at his partner sternly.


    "Remember how you had so much trouble in the previous floor against the ttagriff swarms?"


    "Of course. They were really tricky to hit¡­." The orc replied, his head hung low.


    "Cool, the first step of improving is to realize your shorings. Now, are you ready to have fun? I''ll bring you to my ce to train." The way Josh said it would have scared shitless anyone sane¡­


    "YES, MASTER!" The orc replied with such gusto that he made the entire za tremble as the Climbers jumped in shock. What the heck was that?!


    "Great! Follow me!" Josh slowly began roaming the streets, trying his luck.


    The orc couldn''t understand what his master was doing, but he followed nevertheless. Just as the man showed disappointment and was ready to give up, his eyes suddenly lit up with such incredible joy. <sub> </sub>


    "Nice! This has to be fate!" He happily eximed, leading the way toward the yellow taxi.


    The orc had seen plenty of orange ones so far. Was there anything special about this one? Seeing how eager his master was to board, there had to be a secret, right?!


    As soon as the driver saw them, he aligned near them, lowering a window.


    "Say, kind sir, would you like a lift? I''ve got snacks, a HUB, and veryfortable seats."


    "Of course!" Josh replied so enthusiastically.


    He looked even more d than if he were boarding a royal carriage. The man hadn''t seemed that excited even when Markus himself hade over to guide him! Who the hell was this driver?!


    They made their way inside as Josh made the introduction:


    "This is Armin, the best goddamn taxi driver ever. He''s a living legend as the only man with a proper yellow taxi! As for this green fellow, he''s my newpanion. One day he''s gonna be the true orc king!"


    "I''m d to see you again! Also, it''s a pleasure to meet you! Any friend of Josh is a friend of mine!" The kind-looking man replied without missing a beat.


    The orc couldn''t help but raise a brow. This guy looked so damn casual! Humans always nced at his hulking green physique with apprehension, curiosity, or even excitement. But this guy? No freaking reaction!


    Hell, he would have probably reacted the same if Josh had brought a world-ending cmitous abomination with him! He was that chill! How was he remaining so calm?! This guy had to have a story!


    "Where shall we head to, friend?"


    "D-23! You can stay for a bit and visit. This guy here will be training anyway, so we''ll have some time to catch up." Josh happily proposed.


    "Oh! That seems nice! Alright, let me clear out my schedule for the day!" Armin quickly dialed a few numbers, repeating the same message to all: "Hey, I won''t be able to do the job today. Take care!"


    On the call, they could hear faint angry voices. There were general Climbers, powerful guild members, and even one S rank guild leader getting thrown on the side like used chiffon! What the hell?!


    Neither Josh nor Armin seemed to care about such a small detail either.


    So what if a few guilds were annoyed? The world didn''t revolve around them! They could always reschedule with another taxi. It just wouldn''t be one armed to the teeth with state-of-the-art technology.


    "Anyway, what have you been up totely?" Armin excitingly inquired.


    That''s when Josh began recounting a few stories. Any one of his recent adventures would have been enough to baffle any Ranker¡ª or that''s how it should have been! Armin was just in front, nodding with rapt interest.


    "Oh, that''s really cool!" He excitingly said.


    Sure, he was excited. But wasn''t that way too chill; of a reaction?! Josh had just fucking told them he had cursed a god and devoured part of its power! What the fuck was this?!


    Even the orc that was getting used to his master''s world-defying nature was about to go insane¡­yet this Armin guy took it as if normal?! What kind of madness was this?! Before the bbergasted orc knew it, they were already at their destination.


    It was easy to notice as they were swarmed by tons of students working to pay off part of their tuition and MTA soldiers! They were all defending the perimeter! What kind of crazy security was this?!


    "Master, who are they?" The orc asked, perplexed.


    "Oh, they''re all my students. I told you that I own a school, right?" Josh casually replied.


    His master had his own private army?! Then why the fuck was he always going around alone then?! What kind of logic was this?!


    As a worrying number of sters were pointed their way, even the proud and valiant orc felt the tension. He had seen the prowess of these little metallic canisters on the Inte. If they were all to shoot at them, they''d perish for sure!


    Dying in battle was honorable, but not if it meant getting one-shot recklessly killed by their own men! How silly would such an ending be?! But even now, the Armin guy was still fucking smiling! How?!


    "Wow! That''s a lot of sters! Those are almost thetest models too. Well, the other ones aren''t yet avable on the market, I guess." Armin appreciatively nodded.


    "Oh yeah, but it does the job well, haha." Josh chuckled.


    What kind of taxi driver had ess to ck technology?! What kind of hidden big boss was he?! This was one human the orc couldn''t figure out at all! Also, why wasn''t his master speaking up.


    "There is no flying past this point! Either turn back, or we WILL shoot you down!" One angrily shouted. But suddenly, he was nudged in the side by one of hispanions, who was slightly livid.


    "What is it?" He grumbled.


    "T-that''s Boss''s favorite taxi! W-what if he''s inside?!" He replied, seemingly scared.


    "What if he isn''t?! Can we afford to slight him even if it''s just that Armin guy? No way! I''ve seen him once and¡ª" They began to whisper the rest.


    Even they had heard about that Armin guy?! Who the heck was he for them to be so afraid?! The orc felt that this scene was so damn surreal! He''d have to get to the bottom of this story for sure!


    That''s when Josh rolled down a window, gently waving at them.


    "Sup guys!"


    It''s at this exact moment that they lost their shit. Seeing them looking at Josh in worship, the orc felt at a loss. He had so many questions¡­

 Chapter 379 Back To D-23: Brother AT!

    Amotion was happening at the D-23 school. Josh was finally back! How long had it been?! Hisst visit had been incognito after all.


    The newer students especially jumped in excitement. That was the legendary guy on top of every damn challenge rankings?! They escorted their idol eagerly, following from a distance.


    "Master, if their res were any more intense, we''d all be dead already." The orc chuckled lowly.


    But Josh''spanions also shared the spotlight as many curious nces targetted them. Gone were the days when Armin was only an unknown taxi driver. As for the orc, many were sizing him up, confused.


    "He''s a pet, right?"


    "No, way! Look at his eyes!"


    "They''re pretty normal? I guess they''re fierce?"


    "He''s obviously smart! Pets aren''t that intelligent!"


    They weren''t? Josh felt slightly confused as he heard that. Sure the rat was dumber than a brick, but Nightmare had always been good at following instructions¡ª albeit sometimes reluctant. Was it because it had been a boss, perhaps?


    That''s when that recruiter Frank guy arrived.


    As soon as he saw Josh, he power-walked toward him like a man encountering a warm strip joint during a cold winter. Oh, and he was about to make it rain too¡ª reports, not money.


    "Wee back, Boss! Everything is in order, the numbers are great, there is only the issue of the VIP packages. The buyers are wondering when they''ll get their private training with you." He exined.


    "Sounds good. It will be whenever I have time. Anyway, these two are with me. Give them a VIP badge or something." Josh ordered.


    "Yes, Boss! Also, there is a new challenge in the Alter Tower."


    "Oh? I''ll check it out then." Josh casually answered.


    He would?! The students grinned happily. What kind of feat would he aplish this time?! They couldn''t wait to see his name appear on yet another ranking as if taunting them.


    Frank led the way. Was had once been shitty walls with very few buildings almost looked like a proper town. Hell, there was even a cinema!


    "Hehe, we built this ce to introduce the newbies to the Alter Tower. There is only one movie ying in there: 10 000 ways to die in the Alter Tower!" frank chuckled.


    "That sure is creative." Josh praised. "But what''s with the PTSD warning?" He raised a brow as he looked at a poster advertising it-.


    "Oh, some people just can''t stomach it for some reason. Something to do with remembering the many ways they died in the Tower all at once or something." Frank shrugged.


    "Died?" The orc asked, puzzled.


    "That''s the whole thing with AT. It''s simr to the regr Tower, but my brother''s the system there. He doesn''t kill people from our faction and just teleports them out." Josh exined.


    "Brother?!" The orc was utterly confused.


    "That''s right. AT is very polite too!" Armin chimed in the back.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    That''s when they reached the Tower. It was still partially hidden in vegetation, even if the surrounding trees had been cleared out to amodate more people.


    "Is this it, master?"


    "Here, we are. Have fun in there." Josh happily dered. He was akin to a new trainer dropping his monster at daycare for it to level up.


    The orc nodded and went to enter with incredible resolve¡ª only to be refused ess. He turned crestfallen as he suddenly realized his pseudo-pet status and his inability to interact with the system.


    "Oh well. Guess I''ll have to go in there with you after all."


    "Haha, don''t worry about me, Josh, and just do your things. I''m just happy you invited me. I''m going to the cinema: it sounds he fun!" Armin jovially replied in tourist mode.


    "Frank, take good care of Armin while we do a short run," Josh instructed.


    "Yes, Boss! You can count on me!" He sternly replied.


    Josh went near and with but a thought they were in. The orc gawked all around as if a child left at a shopping mall alone for the first time. He was already eagerly gazing at the shops'' disy windows.


    "Oh wow! Master, I''ve read about this! This is the humans'' past from before technology''s advent!" He had the pep or an archaeologist digging some very decrepit bones.


    [Mission: Assassinate 7 Wild Influencers!]


    [!!!¡­Josh?!]


    [You''re back!]


    [Who''s the green guy?!]


    [You''re even stronger thanst time I saw you!]


    [Oh right, I created a new challenge. You''ll love it!]


    AT rambled so much and with such speed that he reminded Josh of a puppy weing his best friend back after a long day of work.


    "Of course, I will! You''re a true artist after all!" Josh gave him a thumb up.


    [Praises! I''m gonna blush! ^_^]


    The orc was on the side with his mouth open in shock. What the heck was this?! Wasn''t this a bit too much?! Why was this system so damn lively?!


    "What are you waiting for? Go on and do the mission." Josh shooed his orc away as he went to sit at that one cafe he loved.


    [Tell me everything!]


    "So here''s what happened recently¡ª" Josh began his tale.


    This would take a little while¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    At first, the orc thought this mission would be straightforward. He knew about influencers. They were the DIY of the gravure idol world.


    They were gued by an incurable disease that prompted them to take pictures of themselves every other second. They also had trouble with focus: even when taking a beverage picture, the camera would aim at the boobs! How crazy!


    The orc shivered just thinking of such horrifying sickness!


    Still, thanks to it, they were extremely easy to track down. But the issue was taking them down! This Floor was so unique, and he had the faint feeling that he should conform himself to its rules or something horrible would happen.


    For the first time in his life, the orc had to do something sneaky. He wasn''t in his element at all! His hammer mastery? Freaking useless! But luckily, this previous orc king was smart, very smart.


    He just needed to get them alone in a room to snap their chicken necks! This shouldn''t be that hard, right? He needed to do research! <sub> </sub>


    He precisely knew what to do!¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh waszily sipping on a chocte lemonade.


    "What''s he doing now?"


    [He just invaded the bookstore¡­]


    "Anything wrong with that?"


    [Now he''s reading a book.]


    [How to pick up chicks 101¡­.]


    "Ah, they grow up so fast. I still remember when he was exactly the same height as he is now, but a few days ago." Josh sighed.


    [So you didn''t see him grow¡­]


    [Here, watch this!]


    With a sh of purple, AT spawned a round TV screen that showed the orc''s progress. Josh quickly got himself some strawberry-vored popcorn, and they were good to go.


    It was movie time!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    This was so damnplicated!! This was so different than the instructional videos on courtship he had watched in the past!


    ording to his previous knowledge, humans were very horny beings that would easily follow strangers to a fake Taxi or voluntarily get stuck in a dryer just to have some fun. But the more he read, the more confused he got.


    He had topliment the humandy, but not about something she''d hear often.


    But he couldn''tpliment too much, or he''d be a SIMP (whatever that was, it seemed bad).


    He had to be respectful and understanding of her circumstance.


    But he also had to push forward without backing down.


    He had to show strength but also show his weak side.


    Weak side? Did the book mean his back? It was the spot he had the most trouble defending for sure. Or did it mean his vitals? After all, the head or heart was even weaker¡ª kinda?!


    This was so damn confusing!


    It didn''t help that he had trouble reading in peace. There was an annoying human harassing him! The little thing kept going on about how this wasn''t a library or something.


    Please! The little thing sure was cocky for one whose world was 100% fake!


    But even in adversity, he would grit his teeth and keep persevering. That is how he finally mastered the art of picking up chicks! (Basic)


    But then he disregarded it as he figured out a secret technique: flexing! This was the ultimate best. He would use their sickness against these influencers!


    They would go, "Wow, so powerful-looking! Let me take a few selfies with you!"


    He''d lure them in and would finish them off just like that!


    That''s how he finally aplished the mission!


    [Congrattion! Obtained Infinite Tower Ticket!]


    [Your True Training Can Now Begin! ^_^v]


    For him, this moment was significant as it was his first timepleting a solo mission. As the golden-looking Training Tower ticket appeared, he grinned so damn much!


    Understanding how it worked, he stepped into the elevator.


    He was ready to show his prowess!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Outside, a crowd gathered around one of the leaderboards.


    Some were drinking hot cocoa, others were munching on protein bars, some were even recording¡ª but none of them blinked as they stared at the ranking.


    It was so differentpared to the others:


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Floor 6 Rounds Survived


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    1. Unlucky Monk 8


    2. Phoenix Dale 7


    3. Gary (student) 6


    4. Jarvis (student) 6


    5. Megattron (Student) 6


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Ever since the Draconic members had left, more students appeared at the top of the rankings.


    Then there was that mysterious Unlucky Monk. He hade out of nowhere, iming to be Josh''s follower, and had quickly climbed the rankings. But now, he was about to be dethroned as the number one.


    They were all waiting for the moment Josh would appear on it. None wanted to miss this historic moment!


    Little did they know that he wasn''t even fighting. He wasughing his ass off as he watched the orc''s struggles¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] The Unlucky Monk. It''s been a while since we''ve seen him, haha. What do you guys think happened to him? ^_^v

 Chapter 380 Orc Manifesto

    Two buddies were happily reveling in the suffering of the orc. He was now frowning heavily in front of a blue/red shit monkey:


    "You have to pick one. Each is hard to resist in its own way, and there is no¡ª" The monkey began to exin, only to suddenly freeze.


    The orc had just grabbed both and stuffed them in his mouth!


    "A-are you crazy?!" The monkey stared with its eyes bulging


    "An orc doesn''t cower in the face of danger! If I won''t die anyway, what do I have to fear! I can endure any suffering!" He bellowed heroically.


    But a secondter, the pills took effect as his eyes turned zed and a grimace bloomed on his face. He saw Heaven and Hell at once, and it was so damn torturous! He disappeared from the Floor only to reappear next to his master.


    "Wee back. That sure was a quick death." Joshmented.


    "M-master?!" His troubled eyes were slowly regaining lucidity.


    Then he checked his surroundings, finally realizing that had happened. His gaze turned so steady as he grinned. "Is this how it feels to die? It''s not that scary."


    Then he was already going back to the mission to get another ticket!


    [He''s surprisingly resilient¡­.]


    "Is he?"


    [Oh yeah, most tremble for a while after such an experience.]


    [Well, not you, but most find it quite traumatizing.]


    [I wonder what gives him so much drive¡­]


    "I''d say orc pride and a few screws loose, haha." Josh chuckled as he kept munching on his popcorn.


    It turned out he was right. Lots of orc pride!


    Be sensible and just eat one deadly colorful shit? No way! He chose to keep pushing, surviving a little longer every time. After all, most of this exercise was mental.


    The orc died so many times that Josh lost count. But he didn''t even seem to realize the many losses as he kept going. All until he finally seeded.


    "Hahaha! This is the power of an orc!" He thundered crazily.


    [He sure is special¡­]


    [He reminds me a bit of you minus the OP part¡­]


    "What?! I''m obviously way more handsome! Take it back right now!" Josh yfully replied.


    [Congrattions! Acquired Shameless Title!]


    "Now you''re mimicking a regr Tower?!"


    [It''s called acting!]


    [Your students do it a lot.]


    [They pretend to die when they want to exit.]


    "Wait¡­they''re just pretending to die? Like without any enemy?"


    [Yep. I''ve even seen them choke on their own saliva!]


    "¡­."


    Then the orc reached the typewriter monkey office Floor. One would have expected an orc to have trouble with that, right?


    The big burly fellow was so tall that he barely fit on his tiny office chair. It was creaking, struggling to hold his weight. His fingers wererge enough that hitting only one key at a time was a challenge.


    But even then, the NPCs didn''t seem to notice in the slightest. They just went: "Green monkey, you better type like your life depends on it!"


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    Thus he began typing, incredibly irked at first. What kind of torture was this?! He red at the clock as if a mortal enemy! As for the mental effect? He was too pissed to notice it.


    He didn''t seem like he was going to make it. After all, writing so much with close to no rest was inorcish!


    But then he suddenly reached enlightenment. Who knows why or how, but his typing pace suddenly increased. It went faster and faster. He kept typing and typing relentlessly.


    He had cracked the code: one has to enjoy what they write.


    Then it was break time. All the other monkeys slumped on their chair to sleep. But they freaking couldn''t! The sound of a loud typewriter echoed in the room.


    ¡ª Click! ck! Click! ck! ¡ª


    "Y-you! Green monkey, why are you still typing?!" They asked, confused.


    But the orc didn''t even bother to reply as he kept typing in a trance. There was no way that he was ever stopping!


    "Green monkey?!"


    "Please stop already!"


    The other typing monkey shouted desperately. They were so tired! The old monkey next to him slowly approached to tap his shoulder and bring him back to his senses.


    But then he froze. What the hell was this?! There was way more than what he needed to type! There were pages and pages! There were so many of them that it didn''t make sense! When had he typed that?!


    But that wasn''t all. Somehow, all letters seemed to form¡­.words?! He gasped in shock. There were no superfluous letters at all! All of them formedplete words! For these typing monkeys, this was an aplishment.


    ¡ª Click! ck! Click! ck! ¡ª


    It kept raging on as the other monkeysined endlessly.


    "Old monkey, make him stop!"


    "If we don''t sleep, we''ll die!"


    "Newbie, just rest! You can typeter!"


    But not only was the green monkey not answering their pleas, but the old monkey was now turning a deaf ear too.


    He was way too busy reading what the orc had been typing, his gaze glued to the pages. He went through them like an alcoholic through beers! He couldn''t get enough!


    The more he read and the more heated he got. It was as if he was suddenly turning into a young spring monkey all of a sudden! The drive and will to live that he had lost years ago wereing back!


    But then he reached the end.


    "Where''s the rest?!" He cried out.


    Then the old monkey''s gazended on the typewriter. He would read as the page came out! He forced himself to stand still, even with how much he was shaking in excitement, and he kept reading!


    The others noticed his peculiar state.


    "Old monkey?!"


    "What''s wrong with him?!"


    "He started reading, and he became like that!"


    A tired monkey slowly approached the two amidst the typing sound. But as hey his eyes on the first page of the manuscript, he also froze.


    "The Orc Manifesto¡ª Inspired by Josh MF Malum." He softly murmured the title as he began reading and became captivated by it too.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥<sub> </sub>


    This was the start of it all!


    ¡ª Click! ck! Click! ck! ¡ª


    + 1 Energized Monkey!


    ¡ª Click! ck! Click! ck! ¡ª


    + 2 Energized Monkey!


    ¡ª Click! ck! Click! ck! ¡ª


    + 4 Energized Monkey!


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Before long, there was an army of monkeys crowding around the busy orc.


    They were all entranced, lowly mumbling as they kept reading. So many were looking at the orc''s fingers as they flew across the typewriter. It was so damn wonderful!


    The Orc Manifesto was all about orc pride.


    It was all about having the strength to stand up for one''s beliefs and to have pride. It didn''t mean to be arrogant either, but to know one''s limit, always push them, and believe in oneself!


    It was freaking wonderful!


    But an irritated monkey soon crashed the party:


    "What the heck are you stupid monkeys doing?! It''s time to work! Disperse! Go back to your stations!" The supervisor shouted at them.


    Two hours had already passed?!


    But even as they heard the angry monkey, they couldn''t take their eyes away from the typewriter. These words were so damn exciting!


    The supervisor saw the object of their interest.


    "Tch¡ª Green monkey, stop for a second and exin yourself, or I''ll bash your brains in!" The supervisor hated to be ignored. It made him feel like a small chimp!


    The orc didn''t even acknowledge his existence. He hadn''t even realized what was happening. The supervisor couldn''t tolerate this anymore.


    "Screw you! Freaking die!" He powerfully struck!


    One of the reading monkeys saw this happen with horror in his eyes. He was sneak attacking the green monkey! If the green monkey died, he wouldn''t be able to keep writing, and they wouldn''t read the rest. Oh no!


    The monkey''s body moved by itself. He threw himself straight unto the mighty fist, making it deviate at the cost of his ribs shattering. Hey weakly on the floor as he threw up blood.


    The monkeys had been reading The Orc Manifesto, and they knew about orc pride.


    "Y-you!"


    "You dare attack us?!"


    "Brothers, show him your orc pride!"


    That''s when the once overworked and weak monkeys all jumped at the supervisor raining blows on him. He cried in pain but to no avail:


    "What the¡ª ARGG!"


    "Stop hitting¡ª ARGGG!"


    "Stop it! I''ll die at this rate!¡ª ARGGG!"


    The supervisor monkey was soon reduced to a crying broken mess trying to protect its vital. But this was only the beginning.


    "Brothers, this guy tried to destroy the holy text!"


    "Obliterate him! Show no mercy! Kill!!!"


    "Make sure his filthy blood doesn''t stain the pages!"


    A few instantster, the supervisor perished. His corpse was just thrown aside, no one caring much about it.


    But then the monkeys realized something:


    "Guys, this bastard isn''t alone."


    "Right, there are other higher-ups!"


    "Will they try to get rid of the holy text too?!"


    They looked panicked as they nced at one another. They couldn''t allow this to happen! Wait, the Orc Manifesto said something about evil beings, right?


    In the others'' eyes, they saw the same resolve.


    It was time for a freaking crusade¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Josh and AT watched the events unfold.


    The orc kept typing, seemingly unaware of the world around him and the revolution happening. The workers were going against their patrons.


    Usually, a revolution would have been easily snuffed out. The defense system would have shot a few powerfulsers and killed a few belligerent monkeys. Then they would have felt profound fear and given up.


    But this time was different. Even as more and more monkeys perished, they kept the assault going. Blood stained their fur, and their corpses were consumed by the inferno breaking out in the office.


    There were fumes, smoke, and mes as tall as walls. The fire fed on all the writing supplies and grew stronger. It was the freaking apocalypse! Soon all the worker monkeys were dead¡ª besides the orc still typing.


    But did this matter? It was a Pyrrhic victory for the monkey boss. Themotion had been destructive enough to force the business to shut down.


    This was the end of the Monkey Typing Company¡­


    [Wow. No wonder it reads inspired by Josh Malum¡­]


    "What do you mean?! I''m the most peaceful guy ever!" Josh protested.


    [Didn''t you annihte a civilization in the Dog-War Floor?]


    "What?! No! I just freed a poor dinosaur. They died by themselves!" Josh shrugged.


    [I definitely see a few of your life philosophies in there. It even includes staying true to oneself and having to courage to y gods¡­]


    "Eh¡­.Anyway, is this a pass or a fail?" Josh asked, confused.


    [Even I am not sure how to grade this¡­]


    The two nced at the orc, who was still typing, even as the ce was on fire. Deeming it a pass, AT sent him to the next Floor in a sh of purple.


    That''s when the desperate orc screams filled the Floor.


    "Nooo! I wasn''t done writing my Manifesto!" He cried out, falling on his knees in the desert sand.


    [¡­.]


    "¡­.."


    Not everyone handled sess the same it seemed¡­.

 Chapter 381 Husky-Girl...

    An orc was currently eating sand in the desert.


    His mouth was open wide as he gazed at the gigantic worm traveling through the sand. This was freaking crazy! His master had defeated those big guys?! How?!


    The issue wasn''t actually their size but their levels. It was freaking twice the level of the Wraith King they had struggled with!


    But even then, Orc Pride wouldn''t allow him to give up! Very soon, his Orc pride led him to be devoured.


    Once, twice, a few dozen times over¡­.


    [At least he''s stubborn¡­]


    "His problem is that his fighting style is too direct." Josh sighed.


    The orc had incredible strength for his level, but his mobility and capabilities to hit small enemies were verycking. He was like a slow, powerful tank: not the best to dodge or get rid of ants.


    [But he seems to be improving quite fast.]


    "For sure. He''s relying more on the environment now."


    [Hehe, soon he will deserve the title Green Monkey.]


    True, he sure was jumping all over the ce a lot. He was using the near-blindness of the worms to lead them into traps.


    [Wow. He just made the worm skewer itself on a sharp rock!]


    [Now he''s making a worm skin Jacket?]


    "It should help him to blend better, I guess."


    [Are his eyes glowing?!]


    [Is he in a berserk state or something?]


    "No, he still has the light of rity in there. Did he just breakthrough?!"


    The orc suddenly seemed faster and stronger for some reason. But then, a few minutester, he was ovee by a wave of exhaustion¡ª and eaten.


    [Berserk ability!¡ª Kinda]


    "It''s better than nothing."


    The two friends kept watching the orc''s repeated tries, even losing count of how many times he died. But he finally cleared the level by making two worms fight each other to devour him.


    [Nice, he''s managed to win. Time for the next Floor!]


    Then the orc was sent to sent to the Dog vige for diplomacy.


    [I''m curious how he''ll fare on this one¡­]


    "He used to be a king, so he should 100% be fine."


    [Oh? What used to? What happened?]


    "Eh, he came from Floor 24. We fought till they were all dead. Then we made peace when I told him he was living a lie." Josh rubbed his head awkwardly.


    [Wait, don''t tell me he''s from that basic Tower?!]


    "Yes? Is it that surprising?"


    [Yes. Towers aren''t supposed to evolve that easily¡­]


    [Then again, the root cause is obvious.]


    Josh could feel the weight of AT''s "gaze" on him.


    "Hey, I''m innocent! It''s that one god-killer that suddenly attacked me!"


    [¡­..]


    "¡­."


    [¡­..]


    True, it did sound crazy said like that. Josh wasn''t sure when, but at some point, his bad luck seemed to have turned into chaotic luck. He somehow found himself in the middle of crazy situations daily¡­.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    They returned to watching the orc. While they were arguing, he had made lots of progress. Actually, wasn''t this a bit too fast?!


    He was now shouting in front of arge furry crowd:


    "Orc Pride isn''t about the color of your fur or the vige you''re from! Everyone has an orc inside them, buried very deep! The Legendary heroes of the past all had one!" He thundered.


    The dogkins jumped in shock:


    "Really?!"


    "That''s the secret?!"


    "It sounds like a lie, but he does seem very convincing¡­."


    "This guy is crazy! Only destruction awaits whoever follows him!"


    "Destruction my ass! We''re about to face the monkey army. Destruction sounds great!"


    They began bickering endlessly, only to be interrupted by a husky girl. She appeared as valiant and fluffy as she confronted the towering orc:


    "You''ll have to prove yourself if you want us to follow you to battle. Is your orcish pride powerful enough for you to venture into the savagends?" She taunted.


    "Show the way! This orc won''t cower!" He assuredly replied.


    She seemed slightly different thanst time. More mature, perhaps? How intriguing that the NPCs would evolve. He was almost tempted to visit to see what she was bing.


    Then again, what would he tell her? "Hey there! I''m somebody that you used to know!" Hell, he could even sing it.


    She was the OG sidekick¡ª before she lost her memory anyway. He could still remember how she happily wagged her tail as she followed after him. Ah, it was better he stayed away.


    He nced back toward the orc. How would he deal with the dinos? He''d probably die over and over, right?


    But just as the orc and the husky girl were about to reach the rock cliff, the "TV" suddenly stopped working.


    "What?!"


    [I''ll just record it. I think you should try the new challenge first!]


    [You''ll see it''s pretty damn nice. I made it to train evasion!]


    [You''ll try it, right?! Tell me you will!]


    Why was AT so insistent all of a sudden? Then again, perhaps watching the orc fail over and over was boring for him. After all, he witnessed simr stuff daily.


    "Alright, I understand. Let''s do this!"


    [Do you want any hints or not?]


    "Of course not!" He heroically dered as he headed to the elevator. It was time to face Floor 6¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥<sub> </sub>


    The orc knew that he would probably die again, but so what?! He was ready for it! What he wasn''t ready for, however, was how peculiar this new guide was.


    She was called the princess of the Hard-Paws n.


    She was small in stature, full of cute gray fur, but had a heroic air about her. She was not intimidating in the least, yet he had the feeling he shouldn''t ever mess with her!


    This NPC was¡­odd.


    They journeyed in silence, but he felt her gaze follow him all the while. It was as if she was sizing him up. Even his orc pride didn''t prevent him from feeling the coldness of her gaze.


    But then they reached the entrance to the savagends.


    That''s when he nked.


    The orc was so shocked that he couldn''t even move his legs anymore. Inscribed in the rock was a title:


    <130 Reasons Why Master Is Awesome!>


    - Powerful


    - Kind


    - Gentle


    - Smart


    - Ruthless


    - Headpats


    - Scaly Devils'' Nightmare


    - Can resist the attraction of pristine bones


    - ...


    But that''s not what made him freeze. No, right next to the list, there was a drawing on the rock. The lines were blurry, and it was nearly impossible to identify the man it depicted.


    Well, for anyone else, that is.


    "M-master?!" The orc shouted in shock.


    What the hell was up with that?! Wait, it wasn''t that strange. After all, this ce was part of his school. It was normal for there to be traces of him at times.


    But that''s when he felt a crushing pressure directed at him. It was deadly too! He hurriedly threw himself on the side, but it was already toote.


    The husky girl was already right in front of him. Her sharp ws were so close to his throat that he would die should he even twitch a muscle.


    Her eyes glowed with a cold steel light. He was nothing more than a fish on a cutting board. At this moment, the orc felt like even AT wouldn''t be able to save him were she to ughter him.


    "Talk." She growled.


    The orc was genuinely confused. What was up with her? NPCs shouldn''t even know about the outside world. Then again, he also was an exception.


    There was one thread linking them both to the outside world: Josh!


    At this moment, he felt his curiosity rising. It was time to investigate! This was the same instinct that made him research the humans so much.


    "Why don''t you move your ws first? I have plenty to tell, but so do you." The orc whispered.


    She took a deep breath, gave him a warning nce, and finally freed him.


    "Now, where do I start?" He pondered for a few seconds before resuming.


    "It all started when a Madman invaded Floor 24¡­." He began his story.


    The husky girl followed the story with rapt attention as soon as she realized who it was about.


    Her eyes widened as he described Josh''s courageous invasion of the Orc Fortress.


    She clenched her fists in excitement as he shared the amazing fight that ensued.


    She gazed at the orc with envy and resentment when she learned that he used to be an NPC. Heck, she almost diced him at that moment! But, the orc tactfully reminded her that there was hope for her too.


    He wasn''t sure of her circumstances, but he kept going. He shared their ttagriff and wraith king fight. Then he told her about a few stories he had heard when they were out drinking.


    She was drinking each of his words. She was akin to a dying nt in the desert, and stories about Josh were like holy water to her. She kept eximing with every twist.


    "He faced a god?!"


    "He did what?! That''s so cool!"


    "They attacked him?! Kill them!!"


    "Theyughed at him?! Kill them too!!"


    "Of course, Master is the best! That much is obvious!"


    She was insatiable. But at some point, the orc did run out of stories. After all there, he hadn''t known Josh that long. He had to change the topic.


    "You should tell me about you." She frowned and looked so displeased. But then he added an offer she couldn''t turn down. "I''ll try my best to bring you out of here!"


    She nodded as she began her tale.


    How he had been so awesome that she had decided to dedicate her life to him.


    How he had saved her entire race and sent their enemies running for their lives.


    How she had learned that she was just an NPC and that there was a vast world out there.


    How she cried in joy when he asked her to follow him out.


    How she felt like falling into an abyss when they found out that she couldn''t follow him.


    How he had decided to wipe her memories to protect her from loneliness.


    How she had recorded everything she knew about him on this wall, even using students to gather more information¡ª making them promise to remain quiet about the whole thing.


    She was painting a sorrowful yet beautiful tale. The burly and loud orc was soon crying his heart out. She was so damn brave! It would have been so easy to forget it all, and yet she persevered.


    "T-this is what it means to have an Orc Pride!!! No matter what happens, you keep struggling! Master inspired this. He''s ready to kill even gods if they stand in his way!!"


    "Tchh¡ª what are puny godspared to master''s awesomeness!!" She retorted.


    Both shared a look of understanding.


    "I''ll look for a way to get you out of this prison¡­." He promised.


    "Not a word to master!!" She growled.


    He understood. Who knows to what crazy lengths he would go to stop her from suffering this constant torture. Being the only one awake in a world of NPCs was so harsh!


    They would carry this burden¡­

 Chapter 382 Odd New Challenge....

    A man spawned along with a purple sh in what appeared to be¡­a kitchen?!


    [Wee to AT, Floor 6!]


    [Are you ready for your first day? ??]


    [Complete the orders at all cost! Or else¡­.]


    How ominous¡­


    Josh couldn''t help but raise a brow as he observed his surroundings. Lots of ingredients all well separated in small containers, meat, buns, grills¡ª this was a goddamn burger joint, wasn''t it?!


    However, what seemed very freaking strange was that the kitchen was circr. It reminded him of a cookingpetition with the cooks being shown right in the middle. Well, except for the low counter with a few registers on the perimeter.


    This whole ce was totally out in the open!


    "This sure is¡­unique," Joshmented. Then again, this was expected from AT. Judging by the decor, this ce would have had a slogan simr to "I''m fucking loving it!"


    That''s when a sea of customers showed up: monkeys! Why were there so many monkeys! It reminded him of one of civilization''s darkest ages: the NFT monkeys!


    Either way, he patiently waited for the challenge to start. He saw a few fellow humans enter the kitchen with livid faces.


    They were sweating, mumbling prayers, and looked as if they were about to freaking die! Then again, looking at how the monkeys were already looking their way, their reaction was understandable.


    Still, what kind of fast food employees couldn''t handle some pressure? The veteran ones wouldn''t even sweat if they were plunged inva!


    Then it all started.


    The monkey customers ordered lightning fast as orders showed up in front of Josh''s eyes as if small status screens.


    There was only one issue. Why the fuck were they only shing for a second before disappearing forever?! Whatever, he could cope with that!


    His hands flew across the preparation table, getting the perfect ingredients needed while a man on the side cooked the meat.


    Josh yed the game to the best of his abilities, soon serving a wonderful burger¡ª it wasn''t that hard!


    "Alright, guys! Let''s do this!" He smiled as he encouraged his team. But he had spoken too soon, way too soon!


    A monkey customer was unhappy to see him talk instead of working (he still was). That''s when he brought out a kunai and freaking threw it?!


    Josh grabbed a nearby knife, parrying the projectile¡ª or trying. The kunai just went straight through the metal and almost dug a hole in his throat. What the fuck?!


    The single second he had spent dodging was enough to infuriate another. It also took a kunai out.


    "What gives, AT?! What''s the point of making this a restaurant if there will be ninjas throwing shit from the start!" He grumbled as he began preparing the orders as quickly as possible while dodging the projectiles.


    He quickly realized that this game was rigged AF!


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    No matter if he seeded or failed his orders, there would be sharp pointy objects thrown his way. That was because the customers were very impatient, and some of the team members wouldmit mistakes from time to time.


    Oh yeah, many of his colleagues were already lying on the cold floor in a pool of their blood. Josh was pretty sure that this wouldn''t have passed the fucking health inspection! But even then, no one seemed to care.


    The allies were dwindling, making the orders harder and harder to make quickly. Now, if hecked ingredients, he needed to grab some more himself.


    As for the enemies, they were increasing like rabbits high on aphrodisiacs and stuck in one tiny cage during Covid.


    This made it, so the weapons wereing flying from all directions at once in increasingly difficult to evade pattern¡ª fuck that round kitchen!


    "This was I call a freaking kitchen from Hell!" Josh grumbled as he kept avoiding and navigating the ce.


    I only that was all:


    Nope, the more it went, and the more creative the enemies were getting both with theirints and means of reprisal.


    Comints:


    - Erroneous Order


    - The order is Late


    - Cashier is Slow


    - Restaurant is hot


    - Parking is full


    - Has diarrhea.


    Attacks:


    - Kunais


    - Slingshots


    - Berettas


    - Grenades


    What the fuck was happening?!


    Somehow he was supposed to keep ordersing alone now?!¡ª or that''s what he initially thought.


    There was still one cook bawling as he gazed at all the corpses strewn around him. Talk about great news!


    "Yo, brother! Let''s do this together! I need a guy on the grill stat!"


    "I-I''m gonna die if I¡ª"


    "Oh yeah, for sure. I''ll kill you myself if you don''t start flipping those burgers! Think about what that one heroic sponge would do! Would it cower in fear, or would it grill the best meat patties ever?!" Josh heatedly cried out.


    Josh wasn''t sure what part of his speech had moved him, but the NPC suddenly went up and got to work. He was still shaking like a leaf, but that was normal. He really couldn''t afford to lose this guy.


    "They''ll keep shooting, but I got you covered. When I say duck, you duck. Is that understood?" Josh asked with incredible intensity.


    "Y-yes, Sir!" He was shaking visibly less. Good!


    Thus began another round of orders and another onught of attacks.


    Kunai, slingshots, and berettas were projectiles that flew rtively simrly. The first had more of an arc, but thetter was way faster.


    It wasn''t just about dodging. It was about doing so in a way that wouldn''t screw whole orders over.


    The only saving grace was the kitchen itself. Even after taking a few bullets, the food was still fine¡ª not that it could be used as cover either.


    That''s how he kept working, enduring round after round of orders. In the end, he had developed the ultimate burger-making method: he threw it all! He was akin to a pro-basketball yer¡ª cooking edition.


    The hardest part was definitely the grenades. Some he would throw in a corner, but others he''d just escape the st radius. It was so damn annoying! He''d have to get the timing right. <sub> </sub>


    Still, eventually, it reached a point where he had the rhythm understood down to every beat. He kept shouting "Duck" and "Grill" endlessly as he instructed his partner.


    But just as both Josh and NPC were finally gettingfortable. A new kind of weapon surfaced. There was now a monkey with a¡­rocketuncher?! What the fuck was this?!


    The guy was aiming straight at his cook! Oh, hell to the fucking no!


    "Screw you! I''m not running this fucking kitchen alone!" Josh thundered. It was a shout that came from the heart!


    At that instant, it was as if the entire world had slowed down! Any second it would all be over¡­.but he wouldn''t just stand idle!


    He hurriedly grabbed a burger¡­.and threw it with all his strength!


    It flew so majestically, akin to one greasy eagle! After a few seconds of pure suspense, it finallynded straight on theuncher, making it tilt a bit.


    ¡ª BOOM! ¡ª


    There were fire, smoke, and bits of monkeys all over the ce. He had freaking blown himself! Wait¡­.would there be any consequences? There didn''t seem to be any¡­.How great!


    But Josh didn''t dwell on this fact too much. He had to a job to do!


    Orders, orders, and even more orders. He was crumbling under a pile of burgers to make while avoiding everything the displeased customers threw his way.


    But that''s when a whole new group of monkeys appeared through the door! There were now many withunchers, and they looked very impatient!


    Wait¡­ wasn''t this an opportunity?! At this moment, Josh wanted to try something. He wasn''t sure if it would make him fail, but he repeated the earlier throw.


    Before long, the monkeys had all blown themselves up. Technically he hadn''t done them direct damage either¡ª thus couldn''t be med, right?!


    ¡ª BOOM! ¡ª


    ¡ª BOOM! ¡ª


    ¡ª BOOM! ¡ª


    A few secondster, the entire ce was crumbling, the monkeys all freaking dead. No monkeys meant no orders anymore. This also meant that he was done.


    [Congrattion on destroying the challenge¡­.]


    [This wasn''t supposed to happen¡­]


    "Oh? How about it, are you impressed?" Josh teased.


    [Yes, very. I also understand why the Tower changed.]


    [You totally drove it crazy, that''s why!]


    "What?! How dare you!" Josh faked being offended. "But seriously, what''s up with that challenge? Do I get anything for clearing it?"


    [How about a burger outfit¡ª]


    "How bout no? How would I even move in that?!" He sighed.


    [I could use the merit to enhance your Medallion some more.]


    "Alright, that sounds perfect!" Josh eagerly epted.


    The Medallion around his neck suddenly began to float, engulfed by nice purple energy. It shed for a few seconds, even pulsating before it finally settled down.


    As Josh inspected it, he couldn''t help but scream out loud.


    "What the fuck?!"


    <AT Medallion>


    - *NEW* Daily Burger Summon


    "¡­.."


    [^_^v]


    "¡­.."


    What the heck was up with AT and burgers?! Josh could only sigh aloud. Still, this whole challenge would remain an excellent addition to his school: ultimate fast-food worker experience.


    "Ah, whatever. How''s the orc progress?" He grumbled.


    [About that¡­..]


    "What is it?"


    [Well, you see¡­.]


    Why did it sound bad?! Oh well¡­.


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    Outside the Alter Tower, plenty of students was moring loudly.


    "What the heck, another one!!!"


    "I expected him to steal first ce, but this against?!"


    "Can''t he just go for a normal clear? Why does he have to break everything?!"


    They were all gazing at the Floor 6 leaderboard. It was strange, to say the least:


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Floor 6 Rounds Survived


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    1. Josh MF Malum ¡Þ


    2. Unlucky Monk 8


    3. Phoenix Dale 7


    4. Gary (student) 6


    5. Jarvis (student) 6


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    What was ¡Þ even supposed to mean?! Most likely, he had broken the challengepletely! They couldn''t help but get excited just picturing what could have happened inside¡­

 Chapter 383 Proud Orc Is Clumsy!

    Two brothers were at a loss as they watched the scene unfold before their eyes.


    "Is it me, or does this seems like a goddamn cult?" Josh couldn''t help but remark.


    [This¡­.they seem to be very into it.]


    The two were watching the orc rally the troops around. They were following him around, moring about Orc Pride. Somehow he had managed to brainwash all the dogkins.


    This scene looked quite hrious. Why did it seem like they were confused about their own race?! Well, at least they had unity as they marched to battle.


    Then it was time for the war with the monkeys. One could have called the dog soldiers very brave, but crazy would also have been valid. They were throwing themselves at the enemy with no regard for their own lives.


    [W-What the fuck?!]


    "Yeah, it''s pretty impressive in its own way."


    The two couldn''t help but shudder as they watched the carnage happening. Hell, even Josh hadn''t managed to get so much loyalty out of them! Then again, handling the problem alone was definitely preferable.


    Still, the battle was quickly over thanks to the orc''s leadership abilities that bordered fanatic cult leader level.


    Afterward, there remained only the banana maze and the burger restaurant defense.


    The orc didn''t have a good time. The maze almost drove him crazy as he kept shouting to no one in particr.


    "What the hell is this?! I can track prey when hunting¡­.but bananas?! Who the fuck came out with that?!"


    [Pfft¡ª I truly wonder.]


    "Why do I feel like you''re having fun right now?"


    [Because I am?]


    "Fair enough, haha."


    The two brothers kept watching what was, in essence, a failption.


    Still, the orc finally cleared the maze through sheer willpower and tons of failures. Afterward started his burger training. He had so much trouble to evade that it wasical!


    "Damn, it''s a good thing we came here. His evasion is shit! No wonder he had so much trouble back in the Tower."


    [Actually¡­most look like that.]


    "Really?" Josh raised a brow, perplexed.


    [Unsurprisingly keeping watch over a 360-degree area, dodging andpleting orders all at once is quite challenging]


    AT had a point. For anyone unable to feel killing intent, it would be difficult for them to evade the attacksing from their blind spots, especially while multitasking.


    Still, it remained oddly entertaining to see an orc rage in a kitchen. This truly was a kitchen from hell.


    At some point, he even began to curse the "customers". Then again, who could me him? After all, they were trying to kill him¡ª this whole thing not making any sense was just adding insult to injury.


    "You can throw kunai but can''t make a freaking burger? How stupid are you?!"


    "Just wait for your freaking turn! This orc is going as fast as¡ª put down your fucking weapon already!"


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "You guys don''t have any orc pride whatsoever! Bunch of pussies that hide behind a counter! Come on and fight me here!"


    He kept thundering like a madman. Somehow, his taunts worked! Some monkeys ran up to him with shivs as they invaded the kitchen. Josh stared at it happen in shock.


    "Is that supposed to happen?" He asked.


    A short silence followed his question. It was as if AT was carefully thinking about the answer he would give.


    [It''s not a bug. It''s an unexpected feature.]


    Wow. At this moment, Josh was sure AT would have been wisely nodding if he had a body! He had put his hand on some book about online games, hadn''t he?


    After lots of training, the orc did manage to achieve a small sess. He was still getting screwed, but he managed to survive a few rounds. He was especially having trouble with theunchers.


    Heck, his eyes would turn white in fear every time one entered the shop. As for how he dealt with it¡­. "Get to freaking cover!!!!" He''d shout while carrying cooks under his arms like a damn superhero.


    But, they''d all inevitably end up blown to smithereens. Still, it was a nice try. The orc finally got back from his training journey.


    He gazed at the air as one would toward a god as he sighed deeply.


    "Thank you, Sir AT, for opening my eyes on so many of my shorings." He bowed slightly before turning to Josh. "Thank you, Master, for bringing me here!"


    Even as he looked tired and defeated, he still had nothing but gratitude for the two. So what if he was weak? He''d fight until he grew stronger! This was what it meant to have orc Pride.


    [Talkter o/]


    Josh and orc returned to the outside world, leaving poor AT alone in the Tower. Luckily, he was a protocol, and his notion of time differed from theirs. Still, Josh assured him that he''d be visiting again soon.


    They had barely taken a single step out of the Alter Tower that they were already ambushed! There were fans (students) everywhere!


    "The founder is back!"


    "Oh my god! A new record so quickly. How?!"


    "Leader! Please sign my puppies. They''re really nice!"


    "Is the one by his side the mysterious Proud Orc Warrior?!"


    Proud Orc Warrior? Did they all know about him already? Sure it was a small ce but still.


    Just as he was wondering, his gaze finallynded on some of the leaderboards nearby. His title was showing on the rankings! He finally understood why they called him proud.


    - Josh''s Pet: Proud Orc Warrior.


    This sure was misleading¡­In any case, the curious students were all ncing their way. Some couldn''t believe that a pet had beaten them. Josh didn''t even need to make a move himself to beat defeat them. He could just order his pet! Talk about domineering! <sub> </sub>


    A sea of people pushed to get to the front row to gaze upon their idol. But suddenly, something strange happened.


    Their faces turned pale as they shuddered intensely. Then without even hesitating, they all threw themselves out of the way with visible goosebumps. They were all looking toward their back in fright.


    As the crowd parted way, a man was revealed. He looked quite like a yakuza: the typical suit, a bald head, a stern face, and toned muscles. He was gazing straight at Josh with a heated gaze.


    The orc by the side instantly tensed up. There was something about this man that put him on edge. He took a step forward, ready to take care of the problem.


    "What do you want?" He growled, staring at the neer.


    But the man simply ignored him as he strode forward toward Josh. The aura he was emitting was obviously betraying his evil intentions! He could feel his mana tainting the surrounding, trying totch unto them: this was a curse!


    Without waiting, the orc charged forward!


    His muscr legs created a small crater on the ground as he flew toward the enemy. His hammer appeared as he swung it with incredible momentum. It wouldnd on the enemy and crack his skull!


    But the man didn''t even bother avoiding. He looked as peaceful as a monk as he stayedpletely still. Was the curse he was weaving so powerful that he couldn''t move?! He''d exploit this opportunity!


    The deadly weapon made its way toward the enemy¡­only to miss. At the veryst second, the orc had tripped?! How?!


    He was sent tumbling on the ground face first. He quickly got up, ready to go back on the offensive only to be advised otherwise by the students.


    "Brother orc, you really shouldn''t attack him."


    "Only pain awaits you if you try to fight."


    "That''s not true. Pain AND embarrassment!"


    "Fair enough. The point is, you shouldn''t go near him at all."


    The orc couldn''t help but feel confused. Their beloved leader was getting attacked, and they weren''t doing anything?! It actually seemed like he was the only one panicking for some reason.


    "Can''t you guys feel the curse?!" He thundered, perplexed, making them all chuckle.


    "Oh yeah, we can feel it. That''s his trademark, alright!"


    "He''s called the Motherfucking Monk of Cmity for a reason!"


    The orc couldn''t help but gulp as he heard the nickname. It sounded so damn powerful! That''s when he finally realized that Josh wasn''t stressed in the slightest. He was even warmly smiling.


    He had been so preupied with the curse that he had totally missed this point earlier.


    The monk slowly advanced, showing a huge grin that showed sharp white teeth. He looked overly intense as he opened his mouth, likely to issue a challenge or something!


    "Boss! You''re finally back! I''ve missed you so much!" He shouted while¡­.crying?!


    What the fuck?! He was now charging straight at Josh, giving him arge bear hug. What?! He looked so scary, but he sounded so damn innocent. What the hell?!


    But the orc could still feel the great curse the man was emitting. No, there was no way it was a curse since he turned out to be an ally. What kind of sorcery was this?!


    The students were all shivering as they watched the two men hug. They were looking at Josh as if he was doing something incredibly heroic and at the monk with horror.


    "Is this guy powerful?" The orc couldn''t help but ask. Suddenly he felt his blood boil.


    "Strong? No way! He''s very weak, in fact!"


    "Yep, he''s probably the weakest here!"


    "Oh, for sure. He''s pretty low-level."


    They all took turns disparaging him, making the orc even more confused. Then why did they fear him?


    "But, no one sane would dare fight him."


    "No one sane would dare touch him."


    "W-what?!"


    "He''s always cursing his surroundings with bad luck. Be d you only tripped earlier. Thest guy that tried hurting him got beheaded by a potato peeler."


    "Then there was that guy that choked to death on a banana peel after insulting the guy once."


    "My favorite is the guy that stole his hot coco cup and got crushed by a meteor."


    "I almost died once because I bumped into him by mistake."


    What the actual fuck?! The orc nced at his master in horror. Would he be fine?! The two were happily discussing.


    He made his way over, his legs as rigid as wooden pirate legs. He could hear the word "training"ing up very often.


    "What did I tell you? You just needed to be serious to see some results." Josh was wisely nodding.


    "You were so right! I''ve managed to upgrade my curses sessfully! Not to brag, but anything I touch is now gued by terrible luck!" The monk bragged happily¡­


    "Then why the heck are you touching Master?!" The orc bellowed angrily.


    "Don''t worry about it. His bad luck has its uses." Josh simply shrugged, disregarding the whole thing. "Now, I meant to talk to you about that monastery you hail from. It helps one stay clear-headed, right?"


    "That''s the case, Boss! Why?" The monk asked, puzzled.


    "I''m reaching the Floor with the subi. An extra mental resistance skill wouldn''t hurt¡­." He admitted.


    "Hahaha, understood, Boss! You can count on me! I''ll show you the way!" He happily thumped his chest in assurance.


    The orc couldn''t help but freeze. Wait, was this why they hade here in the first ce?! As expected of his master. He was always thinking a few steps ahead¡­


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    [A/N] Long chap! The OG subordinates are showing up one after the others haha. ^_^v Also, road trip time! Anything you guys want to see in a monastery? Cameo request for statues and stuff =P

 Chapter 384 Serene Tranquil Monastery

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Somewhere rtively near Metropolis-C stood a mountain called the tranquil ridge.


    Like any mountain, it was renowned for one thing: for white peeps getting lost. Seriously howe so many people with 0 sense of direction suddenly picked up hiking? It was very perplexing.


    But, there was actually something special about that specific mountain. If one were to adopt a bird''s eye and fly straight above it, one would find a tiny valley hidden between rocky walls.


    In there resided an old monastery, one as old as time itself, or so the legend said. It was the one and only Serene Tranquility Monastery.


    Technically there were many such monasteries across the world. But, as far as they were concerned, they were the true inheritor of the legacy.


    In a small destitute courtyard, an old man with a beard and head of snow was peacefully meditating. But suddenly, he was shaken awake with a deep sigh, one as old as the world itself.


    He nced upward with eyes that seemed to contain the mysteries of the universe itself. The world was changing. He could feel it in his bones.


    Then again, the ne flying above their monastery with a huge underwear advertisement banner was also a good indication of such changes. Once upon a time, this ce had been so very peaceful.


    But now, everything was different, and not for the better. It was tumultuous, full of undercurrents, and Towers were spawning all over, temping the youngsters into a life of adventure.


    Once more, the old man sighed deeply. He was the one in charge of this monastery, he was its keeper, he was¡­.often getting bothered because of it. There was already someone at his door.


    "Wise elder Hao,e quickly! Something is happening out there!"


    The man sighed another time, slowly rose, and walked forward, shaking the snow umted on his immobile body. What was it going to be this time?


    Last time, a neer had brought auncher to the monastery and had been trying to shoot down the annoying nes that buzzed above them.


    The time before, the mischievous goat Sally had escaped its pen, making them search for it for three days and three nights, only to realize it had been hiding in the kitchen.


    Then before that, it had been an issue of funding if he remembered correctly. In any case, it likely would be another bothering problem.


    The one who had called for him, brother Ethan, promptly guided the way forward. He tried to exin a few times excitingly, but Hao simply waved his hand casually, reminding him to keep his cool.


    After all, they were the Serene Tranquility Monastery, not the get excited about every little thing that happens fun club!


    "Ah¡­I understand, elder!" He took a few deep breaths, shutting up and bringing the wise man toward arge shared courtyard¡ª well,rge by their standards.


    Many brothers were assembled. They wore boring brown outfits made to resist the cold here. But the clothes weren''t everything to a monk. Sadly many were excitingly pointing toward the horizon.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "Stay calm and be serene." The old man grunted as they obediently settled down.


    Turning his gaze toward the sky, the old man saw a trail of fire. He could feel the eyes of the youngsters resting upon him.


    What were they even expecting of him?! He took a deep and unfathomable look as he gazed at the horizon.


    "A meteor right now is good news. It means great luck." He slowly uttered.


    They all nodded in understanding. Well, all except one.


    "Eh¡­elder, I''m pretty sure that''s a flying car going down in mes. Should we check if there are survivors?" A youngster asked.


    Many looked at him perplexed. Damn, couldn''t he have said that it was a ship before?! Then again, why should they care? They were the Serene Tranquility Mountain, not the Serene Tow Truck Mountain!


    Plus, cars nowadays all had an emergency GPS tracker. By the time they went down the mountain to help, it would likely be rescued already.


    "I meant a metaphorical meteor, young one." The old man wisely said. He wasn''t going to admit that his eyesight was terrible!


    The surrounding youngsters were either showing looks of confusion or were doing their best to look enlightened. What was there to understand there?


    "Ah?! Wow! You can even find profound wisdom in such an event?! I''m so d I joined this ce!" The youngster with the sharp gaze and the loud mouth thundered.


    "Please remember that this is Serene Tranquility Monastery, not Shouting Monastery." The old man reminded, looking extremelyposed.


    Many paused, remembering where they were and their purpose. They were here to get rid of their troubled emotions, to be unfettered, to lose their attachment to the world.


    "Now, shall we meditate?" The old man softly murmured, with the many disciples nodding in agreement.


    They drew a circle in the snow and promptly began to meditate.


    This trick always worked to make them all shut up. For some reason, they seemed to think that this exercise he hade up with on a whim was a sacred exercise of their faith.


    Honestly, one could be serene and peaceful anywhere and everywhere. They did have a divinity they worshiped, but he was possibly the most easygoing and peaceful god of them all.


    All they had to do was remain calm and reject the mundane world.


    In fact, the line between what was tradition and what was a result of their faith was increasingly blurry, especially after the great fire that had destroyed most of their records.


    But even then, none of it mattered. As long as they remainedposed, everything would be alright.


    Snow began to fall, snowkes falling on their immobile bodies. <sub> </sub>


    Many shivered with their teeth ttering as they turned toward Elder Hao. They couldn''t help but breathe cold air, noticing his stance. He truly was the perfect role model for them all!


    He sat in the deadly cold, unbothered by the elements. Would he even move if struck with lightning? He truly was phenomenal! Would they ever reach such a level themselves?


    Only time would tell. Hell, even the seniors didn''t hold a candle to him!


    The old man remained there, at peace, his faith strong and his body still affected by the many painkillers he had taken earlier.


    It had been to deal with the pain of old age, but it worked just as well for enduring the cold. He actually wouldn''t feel his legs anymore, but so what.


    Elder Hao had a deeply guarded secret: he was a sham.


    Him keeping hisposure? He had once been a professional poker yer. His facial muscles had never recovered. Hell, he had joined the monastery after his wife left him because he never smiled.


    His profound wisdom? As long as he remainedposed enough, he was confident he could make them find "wisdom" in a house cat''s asshole! It was just how most were: easily impressionable.


    His profound knowledge of their faith? He actually knew quite a lot, even if he himself wasn''t sure what was pertinent amongst all that. But he had never felt enlightenment himself.


    Outwardly, he really looked like apetent Monastery elder, the eldest and wisest of them all. But really, all he knew was to keep the charade going.


    He could only hope that the teachings he perpetuated would eventually allow someone to achieve the state of serenity that was once described in the old manuscripts.


    In any case, he was just sitting in the fucking snow.


    The courtyard sure was peaceful, the wind sure was freezing, and he would likely catch a cold, but it would be worth it just to motivate the youngsters.


    But just as they were meditating, a voice resounded in the courtyard. It was a young one full of barely contained excitement.


    "Hey, you all! Are you there? I''m back!" A youngster thundered.


    The monks in the courtyards all opened their eyes wide in shock as they nced at one another. Who was this? Judging by his tone, the person seemed familiar with the ce.


    Yet they saw the same confusion in the others'' eyes.


    Could it be that a traveler was messing with them? It still was very peculiar. After all, they barely ever received any visitors.


    Well, there would be pilgrimsing a few times a year, but not now nor with such an attitude. There really wasn''t anything here besides a monastery. So why was he here?


    That''s when a man''s energetic figure suddenly revealed itself. He was dressed in a ck suit one would see the city folks wear and looked so very out of ce there.


    Wait, he wasn''t actually alone!


    Behind him followed a youngster with fiery hair that seemed way too jovial. There was also a green giant?! Actually, what the fuck was that?! This guy looked like a deadly beast!


    They couldn''t help but shiver from fright. These guys had to be Climbers, right?! What would such people even want here?! It didn''t make any sense! There was no Tower anywhere near!


    They should have been heading to a Metropolis, noting here to waste their time! The whole situation made them all so ufortable!


    But that''s when old man Hao finally opened his eyes.


    He still showed the same calm andposure as always as he gazed at the hulking creature that everyone was gawking at. Except he quickly realized who the leader was in the small group.


    There stood an ordinary-looking young man that was just wearing a gray suit. He didn''t seem to be affected by the cold at all. He was even examining him back with a smile, one that seemed to see through him.


    He felt like sighing, but he didn''t:


    "Wee to this humble Serene Tranquility Monastery. What brings you here, benefactor?" Elder Hao amiably asked.


    The surrounding monks couldn''t help but give their leader a thumbs up. Even now, he still looked as chill as an ice cube!


    But that''s when the youngster who had appeared first stepped forward.


    "Old man, it''s me! Don''t you remember?! I guess I bulked up quite a bit and all, haha!" The manughingly scratched his head.


    Old man Hao focused on him, slowly figuring out his identity, his eyes bulging out as he did.


    His face turned pale, he shook in fright, and pointed at the man as if a revenant!


    "Oh god! No fucking way! It''s YOU?! What the hell are you doing here?! Leave before this entire mountain freaking crumbles!!! Please! Haven''t you caused enough destruction already?!"


    The followers watched their once cool andposed leaderpletely freak out. What the fuck?!


    They couldn''t help but gaze at the youngster in utter shock. Who the hell was he?!¡­.


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    [A/N] Thanks to cbyrd_18 for sponsoring the novel! I really can''t miss an upload this month now! ??????


    And we''re back! I''m sure you guys saw the announcement about RPP. I was temporarily busy with that. ??

 Chapter 385 Hot Spring

    The once serene mountaintop was currently quite tumultuous.


    "Get out! Get out! Get out!" The elder in charge bellowed toward a youngster who was usually called the Cmity Monk.


    "But, old man, we''ve just arrived! You can''t expect us to just turn back and brave the snow, right? We''ll die freezing out there!" The youngster retorted.


    Freeze to death?! This was freaking riching from a man that hadn''t even bothered to wear a coat!


    The neers were knee-deep in the snow, didn''t have any gear to resist the cold, and yet didn''t seem bothered in the least. After Climbing the Tower, such a small issue wouldn''t bother them anymore. Their bodies were way more resistant!


    "I''m sure you''ll be fine, but we won''t! Do you know how many idents happened while you were here versus after you left?!"


    "T-that, I''m not¡ª"


    "Twenty a day versus zero! Do you understand now?! Weren''t you supposed to start a monastery branch at Metropolis-C? What happened to that?! If you need funds to keep it running, I''ll help!"


    Wow, this elder was so generous! But the other members clearly couldn''t agree with such a proposition. They were gasping at the elder as if he were crazy.


    They kept silently mouthing at him, reminding him that they were broke. How would they eat if they gave all their money away? But even then, the elder seemed resolved to see him gone.


    Josh couldn''t help but feel that it was strange. Back then, the monk had a very weak unlucky aura. How could he have done them any harm?


    Could it umte over time?


    What if it was spread between the people around and reduced in power?


    Perhaps his bad luck wasn''t as bad in a Metropolis but deadly on an isted mountaintop with only a few dozen monks?


    Some bizarre stuff had happened during their road trip leading there. Perhaps it indeed was number-dependent.


    In any case, Josh was seriously considering using his subordinates as a tactical weapon. Why send nukes when you can send an unlucky monk to vacation at their ce?


    Even now, the old and the new were still bickering. At the rate they were going, they wouldn''t stop anytime soon.


    Josh interrupted:


    "How about this? I''ll cover for any damage he causes, and we''ll set up camp in a remote corner." Her proposed.


    "T-that¡­"


    "You guys believe in proper hospitality, right? Or was that fake?" Josh insisted.


    "Yes we do, fine!¡­." He then pointed at their unlucky star. "But you aren''t allowed toe near the monastery building at all! Your bad luck is contagious!"


    "That''s fine, old man!" the youngster energetically answered.


    "The others can sleep in the monastery. As for you, follow me." He grumbled as he led the way.


    Josh couldn''t help but nce at the man, perplexed.


    "You''re so afraid of him, and yet you''ll personally show him the way?"


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "Tch¡ª I already told you that we ARE hospitable. If there needs to be a guide, it might as well be an old man who''s already lived a long life." He grumbled.


    Damn! A life had to be risked to uphold their convictions, and he was prepared for the sacrifice to be him. He sure was an interesting character.


    He didn''tment either when they all followed along. He brought them to a rocky wall with many natural caves. They would be able to hide from the elements in there.


    Of course, the way was full of peril. What should have been a simple and easy walk was suddenly fraught with pitfalls, rock slides, and even small-scale avnches.


    So many times, the elder thought that he''d kick the bucket, and yet there would always be a gentle hand rescuing him. It turned out the green giant made one hell of a protector!


    They did reach their destinations, Josh sending the orc to escort him back to the monastery. The elder left looking so shellshocked that it appeared that his soul would be about to leave his body.


    Dale, who had been surprisingly quiet all this time, was the first to run inside a cave energetically.


    "I call shotgun!!"


    "Shotgun for what? The cave?"


    "I like it, and I''m iming it! So spacious!"


    "Haha, whatever. There are a few dozen like that one."


    While they went back and forth, the monk was staring in the monastery''s direction. Nostalgia was stered all over his face.


    "Good or bad memories?"


    "Mostly good. They helped me grow so much."


    "I''m quite confused. Why didn''t they recognize you?"


    "My mentor was quite the recluse¡­.Thinking back on it, I think he knew about my bad luck aura. Well, it''s already toote to ask him."


    "What got him?" Josh asked.


    The monk sighed deeply, regret shing in his eyes.


    "Officially cancer, but perhaps I''m the one to me." He softly uttered.


    "He knew yet still taught you? He sounds like a great man. Perhaps had trulyprehended the meaning of being serene." Joshmented.


    "What''s the use of being serene if it doesn''t save a good man from death?" He gave a self-deprecating smile.


    "Perhaps foster a great disciple? Whatever his reasons, it''s the choice he made, right? All you can do now is look toward the future and see¡­.a huge fucking fireball!" Josh screamed.


    "Do you mean the sun? What are you talki¡ª What the fuck?!" That''s when the Cmity Monk finally noticed the huge fireball headed straight at him.


    It burned like a miniature sun, melted the surrounding snow, and would freaking kill him if it made contact! He quickly threw himself on the side, feeling the heat near his body.


    Steam rose from the ground, rendering their surroundings foggy.


    "What the fuck are you doing, you madman?!" The monk''s voice echoed.


    "Oh, just helping you dry your tears. No need to thank me!" Came Dale''s yful voice.


    Well, that sure was one peculiar way to rescue someone from depression. Throw a fucking a fucking sun at them, triggering their fight or flight response. Hard to feel nostalgic when you''re running for your life.


    The two were now arguing.


    "Are you crazy?!"


    "Yes!"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Never mind, it was already over¡­ <sub> </sub>


    It seemed like neither truly dared to fight against the other.


    One had extreme firepower. Josh had to admit that Dale had progressed immensely since thest time he had seen him.


    Back then, he could barely conjure a fireball, but now he could turn his entire surroundings into a fiery Hell.


    As for the monk, it was self-evident. What if he cursed his killer from the grave? Would there even be any way to counter such a thing?


    "Still, this ce sure is snowy, isn''t it?" Dale remarked.


    "You''re really observant, aren''t you?"


    "Yes!"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Seriously, what was up with their conversations?! Even now, Josh wasn''t sure if they were friends or mortal enemies.


    As far as he knew, the two were rivals in the Alter Tower, especially after Draconic had returned to the guild to keep Climbing the regr Tower.


    "It''s a bit too cold for my taste, actually."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes!"


    "¡­."


    "¡­"


    "But, as they say, there''s no useining about what we can change." Dale mischievously grinned.


    A secondter, he began raining fire all over the ce. The mountain rumbled, the snow melted, and the temperature soon rose. At this moment, he truly seemed to deserve his self-proimed "Phoenix" title.


    "Now, this is so much better!"


    "Are you done monkeying around?!"


    "Yes!"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    That''s when a sound echoed from inside the fog.


    ¡ª Splish! Ssh! ¡ª


    "What are you guys waiting for? The water''s really nice!" Dale ushered them in.


    Josh couldn''t help but chuckle. Since when could Phoenixes make instant hot springs?!


    So much for that one elder being worried about the unlucky monk affecting his monastery. Perhaps Dale was a bigger threat? Then again, it seemed like he truly had great control.


    Josh unhesitatingly undressed, slipping into the newly created boiling pond. The heat surrounded his body, making him release a sigh of contentment.


    Just like that three naked dudes happily dipped in boiling water.


    They could hear the sshing of water, but it was so foggy that they couldn''t see each other. Good thing.


    As Josh closed his eyes to rx, he heard the two converse. They were already going over how they''d brag about the whole trip back at the school. Were they actually friends?


    For now, he''d simply rx.


    Minutes passed, soon turning into hours. The poor Dale was used as a human heat generator.


    "The temperature is off a bit." Josh wouldin at times, forcing him to adjust it.


    What had started as a rxing soaking time for him had now turned into training. He couldn''t lose focus for a single instant!


    "The hot spring truly was a great idea." The monk teased.


    "Yes¡­." Dale sounded slightly sorrowful.


    That''s when the orc came back.


    "Is that a hot spring?! I''ve seen this in the documentaries! It''s one of the favorite ces for humans to mate, right?" He innocently remarked.


    Yep¡­.he still considered porn documentaries.


    "What the fuck are you talking about?! We''re all dudes here!" Dale cried out.


    "Oh, I know how biology works. I''m just talking in general. Say, can I see how you do it? I''m interested in the mana part of it." The orc respectfully asked.


    "That¡­alright. Just follow the sound of my voice." Dale answered.


    After a few seconds of an orc and a pyromaniac ying Marco Polo, they finally found each other.


    "Alright, I grabbed your arm. Now juste this way." Dale called out.


    "Brother¡­..that''s not my arm¡­.I don''t mind showing you, but you should at least ask, right?" The orc shyly replied.


    It took Dale a few moments to process the information, but then he realized just what he had grabbed.


    "Oh fuck! I''m gonna be sick!"


    "How was it? Was it impressive?" The monk''s voice echoed in the background.


    All that followed was the sound of fireballs exploding all over the ce as Dale as he vented on the damn mountain. This memory would forever haunt him!


    Except, a few fireballster, a weird rumbling sound came from the mountain.


    Had he inadvertently caused a chain reaction?


    What were the chances?!


    "Did you screw up?"


    "Yes!"


    "¡­"


    "¡­."


    "For fuck''s sakes!"

 Chapter 386 Great Disaster!!!

    As Dale threw fireballs everywhere, a weird and deep rumbling sound came from the mountain.


    Josh''s group couldn''t help but hope that it would cease soon. But, they weren''t that "lucky". It was only getting worse and worse.


    Then a few secondster, everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.


    They felt the rock under their feet move as a deep fissure opened in the rock under their feet. It instantly drained the hot spring, the current almost sweeping them.


    "Goddammit!" The poor monk cursed, failing to keep his bnce.


    Josh grabbed him as he stared at the distance. So much air was getting disced that the fog was slowly disappearing. Now they could distinguish the fissure just growing longer and longer, gradually heading toward the monastery in the distance.


    "What the fuck have you done, you birdbrain!" The monk cursed.


    "T-that¡­." Dale mumbled.


    "Are you an idiot?!"


    "Yes¡­"


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    F ¡­ ?????


    .


    .


    .


    .


    They all watched in horror, the tension palpable.


    It crept closer and closer, aplete disaster about to happen.


    But then it stopped right before the monastery. Damn, this had been so damn close! They couldn''t help but sigh in relief seeing this.


    "How the hell can a few random fireballs cause so much destruction?" Dale asked, perplexed.


    "You should have thought of that before! You almost destroyed my old mentor''s legacy!" The monk thundered.


    "It really was an ident, I swear! Plus, I''m positive it''s your bad luck at work!" He retorted.


    Just like that, the two started bickering, with the orc raising a brow.


    "Master, are they always like that?"


    "They weren''t before. It seems that growing stronger changed their personalities for the worse." Josh sighed.


    He couldn''t help but gaze at therge crevasse in wonder. How does one even calcte damage done to a mountain?


    In the distance that one elder was alreadying over, screaming. He seemed understandably pissed.


    Wait, no. He wasn''t the only one. The other monks were all trailing behind him. They looked like a militia about to march against evil.


    Their eyes were resolute, their brows furrowed in anger, and their fists were clenching various objects from brooms to nks of plywood.


    They finally came close, and theirints flowed very fast like a river in flood season! They were demanding exnations.


    Josh pushed Dale forward: he''d let the troublemaker handle it. He would have to show his mastery of the legendary, apologetic crawling stance!


    He was alone versus all the angry monks.


    But before the show could start, the orc''s face suddenly twisted. His mouth opened in shock as he pointed to a nearby mountain peak with apparent nervousness.


    It seems like their trouble wasn''t over.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    Just as the dust was finally settling down, the peak began shaking. Before anyone could react, it all happened. Suddenly an avnche began as tons of snow rolled down.


    There was enough snow to bury a city whole, much less their small group.


    "Defensive formation now! Dale, this is all your fault. You take care of it!" Josh thundered.


    At this moment, the fiery-haired youngster couldn''t help but gulp as he nced at the white wave. How the fuck was he supposed to take care of an avnche alone?!


    At this moment, he felt fear, but not because of the avnche!


    He could feel Josh''s gaze on his back. His meaning was clear: if a single monk was wounded, he would be the one paying the price, even if they were friends.


    There was a devil behind him and an avnche in front; the choice was obvious.


    Without caring for his safety, Dale ran straight at the natural disaster. A few secondster, the fire spread everywhere as he tried to derail the entire thing.


    He would use his body to block it all.


    He stood at the front, looking like a god of fire, as he stood his ground. At this moment, the once angry monks couldn''t help but stare at the scene, shellshocked.


    So this was what Climbers looked like?! Had they really just run at these people angrily?! Oh god!


    Some couldn''t help but nce at Josh and orc. These two were even higher in the totem pole, as far as they knew. Could it be that they were even stronger?!


    As the unlucky monk saw a youngster nce curiously at Josh, he couldn''t help but tease him, whispering lowly in his ear.


    "If Boss is an inferno, then the guy you see in front is a tiny match."


    O_O


    Oh god! That strong?! Was that even humanly possible?! Climbers were really something else! The unlucky monk just nodded, confirming the monk''s wild hypothesis.


    As for whether that was true¡­.probably not.


    After all, an inferno looked deadly, but Josh didn''t. Even now, he looked at the man fighting the avnche in peace. Was he even putting this thing in his eyes at all? No, right?


    Dale''s effort did pay off.


    The snow rumbled on each side of them. They had the feeling of being in a snowy ocean that had been split in two by some miracle. <sub> </sub>


    Then it was quickly over, as the self-proimed phoenix toppled over. Never in his life had he been so exhausted, even when he had been following Josh''s crazy training regimen.


    Watching his performance, Josh couldn''t help but be surprised. Since when had he be so strong?!


    It almost seemed like he had a Ranker''s power level. Then again, this was only considering his raw firepower. It seemed like he was slowly heading into a full-offensive build.


    Was this the inevitable fate to the fire users?


    As the catastrophe was finally, the poor monks eventually turned over toward their monastery¡ª or tried. There was no trace of it.


    They fell to their knees, many softly sobbing.


    "Noooo! What are we going to do now?!" Their concerns were justified.


    With their monastery buried under the snow, so would their ancestral teachings. This was the reason for the group''s visit in the first ce.


    "Hurry up! We have to save as much as we can!" Josh waved his hand, ordering his students. But then the surroundings monks shook their heads sorrowfully.


    "It''s already toote."


    "Just touching snow is enough to destroy it."


    "Yes, it''s over. Snow is its ultimate enemy after water."


    They all solemnly nodded with tears in their eyes. Their whole world had just been destroyed in front of their very eyes.


    But the unlucky monk suddenly chimed in:


    "Aren''t most of the records contained in stone tablets? It probably survived the snow¡­" He asked, perplexed.


    This was such great news!¡ª except the monks didn''t even rejoice one bit.


    "Who cares about the scriptures?! The elder knows them all by heart!"


    "The real disaster is losing all the rice! The freaking rice!"


    "It''s already gone bad by now for sure!"


    At this moment, the party couldn''t help but be stunned. Their monastery had just disappeared, and yet they were mourning¡­the rice?! Really?!


    "Was it special magical rice or something?" Josh asked, confused.


    They all took a profound look as if they were about to share an enormous secret. The elder finally uttered while sighing.


    "Living in this weather without food is an instant death sentence. Even if you guys have food, how long can itst more than 30 people?" He then continued.


    "Even if you go out to get some, we''ll be dead long before you cane back since weck proper shelter. Also, many vowed to stay here until they reached a certain threshold of sess."


    "Thus losing food and shelter means that they have to choose between death and breaking their vow." He finally concluded.


    The monks all nodded in agreement.


    What was wrong with them?! Why were they making such a big deal of a problem with such an obvious solution?!


    "Elder, won''t it be fine with Master paying for the damage done?" The orc carefully asked. He was wondering what made them look so grim.


    "Our monastery is very remote, and only Climbers can ess it at this time of the year. Considering all the trouble it would take, the construction costs would be astronomical."


    "What? I''m pretty sure it would be extremely cheap¡­." Josh retorted.


    "No, no! Astronomical!" The elder then took an incredibly solemn look. "It would be in the five digits credits!!!"


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    At this moment, the party would have flipped a table if there was any.


    Their interlocutors were poor monks, really impoverished monks! Josh didn''t even bother to argue with them.


    He went a distance away to make a call, leaving the monks to their own devices. They were already discussing:


    "What is he doing?"


    "Is it me, or he didn''t seem shocked?"


    "He''s probably just good at hiding it."


    "Eh, it sucks, but we''ll have to break our vows."


    "Yes, no point freezing to death here. That''s too much serenity!"


    A few secondster, Josh wasing back.


    "Alright, food will be there in an hour, the construction crew in three, and we''ll have a ck Legion''s battleship to sleep in by tomorrow." He nonchntly shared.


    "T-that''s a joke, right?!" The elder''s eyes were bulging out of his head like crazy.


    "Hum? Why would I be joking?" Josh replied.


    "W-who the hell are you?! No Climbing party should be able to organize that!" He asked in shock as he stared at the group.


    The monks in the background opened their ears wide as they stared with gazes hotter than Dale''s mes!


    The unlucky monk chuckled as he heard that. He could finally understand where the confusion stemmed from.


    The old man thought they were a regr climbing team. After all, they all wore different outfits, so they didn''t seem to be part of an organized group. As for Dale''s show of power? The monks didn''t know how to evaluate it and were just impressed.


    "Climbing party? Naw, we''re his students¡­.and so are a few thousand Climbers either directly or indirectly. Oh yeah, that includes peeps from the MTA and Rankers." He exined.


    Government?! Rankers?! Thousands of Climbers?! Even the clueless monks understood what this meant.


    What the hell was bringing such a bigshot to their small monastery?!

 Chapter 387 Godly Teacher!!

    The unlucky monk had exined Josh''s identity about an hour ago, yet the monks were still shellshocked!


    They''d turn toward him, stare inplete awe for a few minutes and then go back to ncing at the horizon as soon as he looked their way. They were like startled little chicks.


    He couldn''t help but wonder if he was at the right ce. This was supposed to be a serene tranquility monastery right, right?!


    Then again, perhaps the faulty not with the teaching but with the individuals themselves.


    As far as Josh had been told, everyone and their mother could join this ce, just that not many desired so. Surprisingly, freezing your ass in the snow wasn''t that appealing to most.


    The only one keeping his cool was the elder. After the reveal, he had sighed in understanding as all tension had left his body. If that guy was so rich, they wouldn''t have to fear dying of hunger!


    "I can show you the scriptures right now if you want. It''s the least I can do after you saved us." The elder gratefully offered.


    "Sure."


    ? Josh left the monks in the other''s protection. The Orc as protector, Dale as a portable human campfire, and the unlucky monk staying as far as possible.


    The two went toward a quiet part of the mountain, the elder grabbing a stick and drawing in the snow as he began a quick lecture.


    "What do you think serenity is?"


    "To remain unaffected by what happens in the world?" Josh tentatively proposed.


    "Not quite. That is just the first step. Otherwise, all of us would quickly be unfeeling monsters. There would be no point as we wouldn''t be human anymore."


    "What about having control over one''s emotions? Serenityes from control, right?"


    "If it was control, then it would be called control. There''s a reason this technique is called Serene Tranquility. The two terms are very simr, but they are both there for an excellent reason."


    The elder slightly chuckled as he exined. His exnation still felt somewhat cryptic.


    Josh''s particrity was to always remain true to himself as far as self-control went. But as for being serene? That was quite a leap.


    "How about it, do you want me to tell you the steps of the technique?" The man gently offered before resuming his lecture seeing Josh intently listening.


    1. Achieve serenity with the silence


    2. Achieve serenity with the notes


    3. Achieve serenity with the others


    4. Achieve serenity with oneself


    5. Achieve serenity with the world


    "That''s it! Not too hard, right?" The elder gave a gentle smile.


    "The first step is silence, is it? Is that why this ce is located on a deserted mountain?" Josh asked. This would also exin why they were so easily shocked. Were they all stuck on the first steps?!


    "Yes, it was carefully chosen as a good training location for most of the steps, as for thest one¡­."


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "Not much of a world to see alone in the wild?" Josh remarked with the elder nodding. "What about the unlucky monk? What stage did he reach?"


    "That¡­..strangely the fourth step."


    "Strange? I don''t think so, for he''s very devoted to training. Is that why you guys sent him to Metropolis-C?"


    "What''s strange is that he reached the fourth step but never managed toplete the third one. As for why he was sent off the mountain...It was because of his bad luck and the hopes of a fool."


    "His old mentor?"


    The man slowly nodded, a nostalgic look on his face.


    "I still remember the day he epted a direct disciple. No one could believe it! He was quite the man and also the previous keeper of this ce." He sighed.


    "Keep as in leader, right? He never told me."


    "I don''t think he ever told the kid. He lived with him in a reclusive cave in the guise of training, but he just wanted to shield him from the world. Or perhaps he was shielding the world from him?" The elder appeared pensive.


    "In any case, he left me here to teach the new generation, and it''s the biggest mistake he''s ever made." He self-derisively admitted before continuing.


    "The scriptures are real, and I know them by heart, but I can''tprehend them. I can teach you, and you can ask thatpanion of yours if there''s anything you don''t understand."


    "Should you be telling me this so casually?"


    "Should I be telling it to you solemnly instead? I''m just telling you, so you don''t waste your time. The youngsters need a role model, but I think you can handle the truth." He sighed yet again.


    "Shall we start then?" Josh asked.


    That''s when the man got to work, reproducing the ancestral teachings across the snowy mountain. As he wrote, he would read it and sometimes add details. <sub> </sub>


    Every time he would go, "I''ve heard that¡­." Or "The old historical records show that¡­" or even, "The legends say that¡­."


    Very soon, Josh''s mouth was gaping as much as the clueless monks back then. This was a guy that thought himself ipetent?! Every fucking sentence, he would add insights!


    Sure, they were never his, but who cared?! Actually, no, sometimes he would share about his failures. The more he talked about his failed attempts, the more respect Josh developed for the elder.


    The man hadn''tprehended what he was teaching, but it wasn''t because he hadn''t tried! He just didn''t have any talent for it, none at all!


    It was a miracle, but the man seemed like a born academic. He was akin to a living encyclopedia and could talk about the scriptures for hours and hours on end!


    Josh found himself smiling and nodding as he seriously listened to it all, eager to learn more. Heck, this guy could make a topic that should have been boring AF interesting!


    He had already determined that man''s teaching talents were definitely wasted on such a small mountain! But, for now, he kept diligently listening and absorbing everything akin to a sponge.


    At some point, the man suddenly turned silent, and there was a moment of quiet with Josh finallying back to his senses.


    "W-what? Are we taking a break? When are we starting again?" He asked, eager.


    "Restart? I''ve taught you everything! All of it! What am I supposed to teach you?!" The elder softlyined.


    It''s only then that Josh realized that they had gone, in fact, over five steps¡­so all of them! He couldn''t help but be impressed once more!


    Apparently, the feeling was mutual¡­


    "You definitely have a great talent for this. People usually fall asleep after a few minutes, and you''ve been listening for hours. Honestly, I''ve never heard of anything like this." He looked solemn.


    What?! People sleeping?! Heresy! Josh couldn''t believe it, for he found himself hungering for more. Either this guy followed him willingly back to his school, or he was kidnapping him!


    "Talent? No, no! This is all because of your teaching ability! With other lecturers, I would have been sleeping in the first seconds!" Josh praised.


    "Haha, ttering me won''t do anything, but thank you for the kind words."


    "ttery? I''m being serious! I scouted a Climber school for a Draconic mission, and I can assure you, the only reason I didn''t sleep was that I wanted to p the teacher! You''re miles better!"


    "Wow, that teacher must have been atrocious! In any case, I hope you can master the Serene Tranquility scriptures. Sadly, I won''t be able to help you with that. Good luck!"


    On that note, the elder simply got up and left. So quick!


    Josh nced at his back, which was bing smaller and smaller. He could totally understand why the previous leader of this ce had chosen him. This guy was godly!


    But Josh could also notice that he seemed to be ming himself. The other monks had trouble mastering the techniques, and he somehow med himself.


    The man was a kind teacher, too kind perhaps!


    It seemed like his students really had zero talent if they couldn''t achieve anything under his tutge. But even then, he never med his students for their sheer ipetence.


    This was both praiseworthy and quite silly. He was akin to a man trying to teach rocks to talk and getting angry at himself for failing!


    Then again, this was a magical world. Perhaps such a thing was possible.


    That''s when he suddenly froze. Holy shit! What if?!


    Without waiting, Josh sprinted across the mountain. He was heading straight for that elder! He was going so fast that he left a snowy tempest in his wake.


    The man was casually walking when he suddenly heard amotioning from his back. At this moment, his heart skipped a beat.


    "It seems I survived an avnche only to sumb to another¡ª" but then he finally noticed Josh. "What?!"


    He was charging straight at him with eyes so heated as if he wanted to devour him alive. At this moment, the old man couldn''t help but feel confused. What was happening? The bigshot arrived right at his side, akin to a tornado.


    "Elder, there''s something I need to know!" He shouted excitedly.


    "I already told you that I can''t answer any question about the¡ª"


    "That''s not it! Did you ever go in the Tower?!" He screamed his question.


    "The Tower? Why? I never did, and I don''t have any interest in¡ª"


    But he suddenly stopped as Josh suddenly began cackling like a madman. What was wrong with the young man?!


    He was already nning to throw all the monks in there. One could literally control luck! What kind of OP mystical powers would the others unlock?! He couldn''t wait!


    Oh, this would be glorious! Still, this was a matter for the future.


    "Cool, perfect! Talkter!!"


    Josh was already returning to his training, leaving a confused monk who didn''t know what awaited him¡­

 Chapter 388 DO NOT READ

    DO NOT READ EDITING 5 MIN, RELOAD CLEAR CACHE


    Once upon a time, in a peaceful mountain, a man was freezing his ass in the snow,pletely ignoring the very people he had called upon.


    A. First came the rations.


    It was unbelievable how after a single hour, the shipment arrived. It had taken the party a few days to do the same journey, proving two things:


    1. The unlucky monk''s aura had really made them lose a lot of time.


    2. The supermarket representative had been especially quick.


    The guy taking charge of the shipment was also the owner of a Climber food supplierpany.


    He talked like a bigshot, dressed like a bigshot, and had the aura of a bigshot. Heck, he had even brought a portable luxurious meeting room along, one that was probably worth a few pces!


    One could have said that he had lots of experience as he''d often work with even a guild as big as Devouring Panda and even the MTA itself. But even he couldn''t sit still: he was so eager to meet Josh! This represented an incredible business opportunity!


    After all, the state of the food at the D.L. school was renowned far and wide¡­.for being horrendous! As long as he could convince the man to do business with him, hispany would soar in one go!


    But there was an issue: he couldn''t even meet his target!! How was he supposed to convince someone he couldn''t even talk to?!


    What made it worse was the reason he was being denied.


    Josh''spanions would always say word for word: "He''s too busy freezing his ass in the snow to see you."


    "Do you know who I am?!" He thundered, showing incredible majesty.


    "Don''t know, don''t care." They''d simply shrug, not giving him the time of day!


    He could only grumble as he waited by the side, along a ton of shellshocked monks. They felt like the rings the man was casually wearing were worth more than their mountain!


    Out of boredom, he looked at the poor monks as he began bragging.


    He enjoyed their shock as he told them about thergest deals he made, or the popr Climbers he had met, or the wonderful ces he had been to.


    At one point, he even chuckled:


    "You guys should really explore the world. Only then will you understand how tiny this mountain of yours is." The words were fine, but the done was condescending.


    He saw the monks turn crestfallen as they realized their shorings¡ªall of them except one who was giggling to himself.


    "Is there something funny?" He frowned, annoyed at the youngster''s expression.


    "Mister Josh prefers to freeze his ass on this tiny mountain than to entertain you! I guess it has its charm?" He gave a bright smile.


    The bigshot''s face cramped as he chose to remain silent from that point onward.


    The monks suddenly felt proud. After all, Josh hade all the way over here to learn THEIR scriptures!


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    B. Then came the construction crew.


    They too came hurriedly, with an entire goddamn fleet! There were so many vessels that the monks gave up counting them!


    The scene of them all descending on the tiny mountain had the monks staring in awe. But then they had another shock. Every single one of them was a Climber!


    To them, Climbers were akin to mythical creatures, and they would very rarely see one. They had already seen more of them today than in their entire lives. It was that big of a deal!


    Even the bigshot raised a brow: the guy in front was the famous builder Bob! He was famous in the circle and had a super long waiting list of clients!


    There was no way that this guy would be doing a surprise visit like he was. This meant that Josh would definitely know that he wasing and would obviouslye to meet him: this was good news!


    Bob obviously asked about Josh:


    "Master is too busy freezing his ass in the snow to see you." A hulking orc politely replied but still used the same freaking words!


    What the heck was wrong with these guys?! If Josh stood the construction crew up, they''d never agree to work for him ever again! But then the bigshot froze as he heard the reply.


    "Is that so? Coming from him, it''s not too surprising." He nodded as if that was expected.


    What the hell?! Not only was he not angry, but he was alsoing by the side toward the monks as he began to chat with them.


    The construction crew by the side didn''t seem to mind either. They had already set up a few tents and were drinking hot-coco by a fire.


    The bigshot couldn''t help but suddenly ask the man:


    "Aren''t you the builder Bob?! Are you really going to waste your time here?!" <sub> </sub>


    "Why does it matter to you? Also, please shut up. I''m having a discussion with these nice monks." He berated him.


    The bigshot twitched but endured. A few minutester, he had managed to reveal his identity in a regr conversation. But even as the man learned of it he only shrugged and kept talking to the poor monks!


    At some point, he just couldn''t take it:


    "Why do you care so much about them? They''re destitute and powerless?"


    "My Boss wants me to build them a monastery. Come back to me when you manage to convince Josh to gift you a castle or something!" Bob shook his head, clicking his tongue.


    Wait¡­Boss?! This crew belonged to Josh?! Since when?! This would exin why they wouldn''t mind waiting for him.


    Still, why did everyone care so much about these monks?! It didn''t make sense!


    For now he''d keep waiting. Perhaps he''s try and beg them for a drink? After all, even the monks had one¡­


    C. Finally ck Legion battleship showed up.


    The monks weren''t the only ones freaking out, so was the bigshot. Sure he had dealt with the MTA, but only with the civil servants!


    What the fuck was the army doing here?! Once upon a time, they had done a whole surprise fleet test going around all three Metropolises with the man.


    Even now some crazy people kept arguing that it had been all following the man''s whims, but that was obviously bullshit. Back then he didn''t have that much influence.


    There was no way that the freaking army would agree to the selfish demands of one random guy! Then again, it didn''t matter much now.


    What mattered was that the battleship was led by a colonel, the rank right below general! As the mannded, the bighshot rejoiced. This time Josh would have to show up for sure! It was neither a surprise visit nor his subordinate!


    The colonel soon asked the obvious question:


    "He''s too busy freezing his ass in the snow to see you." A fiery-haired man replied.


    There was no way that the man would ept such a¡­.


    "It''s fine! I''ll wait as long as it takes, even if the world freezes over! If he''s taken interest in this mountain we''ll defend it like a national treasure from now on. Right men?!" He shouted powerfully.


    In the back the many soldiers with him instantly mored in unison: they''d remain even after the world froze!


    Not only wasn''t the colonel pissed, but he was also awkwardly scratching his head, looking like a fan if front of his idol.


    "S-sir, could I please have an autograph?" He tentatively asked while putting forward a metallic dog tag.


    "Sure, why not, but only because I''m in a good mood! I''m only signing this one too!" The youngster quickly wrote his name by melting part of it with mes. Dale?


    What the Hell?! Who the fuck was that guy?! The bigshot felt a a loss. Not only wasn''t the soldier minding the wait, but he was even fawning over that random guy?!


    A few soldiers in the back were staring at their colonel with a glint of envy in their eyes. If only they had asked first!


    The bigshot subtly inched closer to them, ineuqirring about the man''s identity. But their reaction was extremely exaggerated.


    "What?! You don''t know who Dale the pheonix is?!"


    "Man, do you live under a fucking rock or something?!"


    "Holy shit! You should expand your knowledge, brother!"


    "Guess we''ll have to teach the fool! You''re lucky you met us!"


    No, seriously who the heck as this guy?! That''s when the soldiers nearby all forcefully brought him toward the campfire ,grabbing a cup of hot-coco.


    Somehow, they seemvery natural doing it, as if they had done it a thousand times. Some even nodded at the contrsuction crew as if old friends.


    "Alright, it''s story time. Have you ever heard of the Alter tower!"


    Thus they began their tale. The more it went and the more the bigshot felt like his world was turning upside down. All the rumors about how crazy the students at D.L. were seemed to be true!


    In their eyes he could see fanaticism. There was no way that the MTA would obey one man, not even one with connection.


    It was simply that he had somehow impressed them enough to inspire their respect. The more he lsitened and the more the bigshot realized taht he had freaking underestimated Josh''s influence!


    That''s when the bigshot figured out tht he had to meet the man at all costs! So what if he had to freeze his ass in the snow? So what if this was a tiny mountain?


    At this rate there would soon be countless other "bigshits" just like him waiting by the side.

 Chapter 389 True Serenity!

    Once upon a time on a snowy mountain, people were still happily freezing their asses, and monks were still shocked.


    Funnily enough, the temporary emergency shelter and rations were far more luxurious than anything else they had ever experienced. It was such a stark contrast that they didn''t seem to miss their monastery one bit!


    Many kept ncing at the elder, expecting him to veto all of it, but he seemed lost in thoughts nowadays. At times, he''d look toward the outside world and in Josh''s direction at others.


    Talking with the young man had brought back so many memories, and he would often find himself sighing. As usual, he was really the only one keeping his cool while the others kept eximing.


    The first time they visited the Battle Ship, they made the soldiers beam with pride. Never had they seen anyone so interested in their vessel!


    The monks kept going:


    "Wow!"


    "Amazing!"


    "That''s so awesome!"


    "Could you imagine living here?!"


    "This ship is even better than a pce!"


    "Is that one of those legendary coffee makers?!"


    Heck, they were shocked even by the banal stuff! In the background, the unlucky monk couldn''t help but feel pity for them. Damn, how long hadn''t they gone down the mountain?!


    It almost seemed like they had regressed to the olden days, only toe into contact with the future!


    They were also so freaking impressed by the Climbers. No matter the skill used before them, they would always go:


    "That''s so cool!"


    "Teach me how to do it!"


    One guy even had a curse that made enemies fart non-stop and super loudly for some obscure reason. People had always made fun of him for it, but the monks were freaking pping with stars in their eyes!


    But there was one thing in particr that rendered them speechless.


    When Bob learned that it could take weeks to learn the scriptures, he decided to show some initiative and start the construction.


    As for how to do it, he simply asked the monks what they had before and how they thought it could be remade better.


    A Climber was asking for their input?! Not just one to boot, but an entire crew! At that moment, they felt like bigshots!


    "Really?!"


    "We can really decide?!"


    "You mean we can request stuff?!"


    A merchant in the background chuckled as he saw them acting so excited.


    It had only been a day since his arrival, but he had changed drastically. The luxurious rings at his fingers were long gone, and he looked far more approachable. This was all because of the crew and soldiers!


    The more they told him about the D.L. school, the more he felt foolish for being so arrogant earlier. They described a school where Rankers and regr Climbers messed around daily.


    While bing a student was expensive, it was possible to visit the vige itself for a cheap fee or even for people to get a loan. Thus it created a melting pot with people of all backgrounds and powers.


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    Just hearing the stories had stripped the merchant of his ego. He was now happily rejoicing for the monks.


    "What''s the point of giving someone a gift if one isn''t thoughtful? Just roll with it and tell them what you desire." He chuckled.


    What followed was one cacophonous conversation:


    "Can we get actual beds?! The kind that isn''t stone!"


    "What about a room to put the scriptures in?!"


    "What if we had a ce to¡­.eat!!!"


    "That would be so great!"


    The more they talked and the more sympathetic the surrounding gazes became. What kind of life had they lived before this?!


    But then they suddenly froze as they nced at the elder,ing back to their senses.


    "Ah, actually, our faith doesn''t allow such luxury."


    "Yes, let''s keep it very simple instead."


    "Simple is best."


    They all nodded with determination. They were weak-willed, but not that much! If it meant never achieving their goals, then it wasn''t worth it! They all agreed one after the other.


    The elder by the side couldn''t help but sigh, looking at them with pity. The truth was that the scriptures had never mentioned anything like that.


    It was simply that in recent years, their monastery was bing poorer and poorer. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to give them better living conditions; he just hadn''t been able to!


    Many times he had looked into ways to make money, but there were so many issues:


    1. They had always created talismans to get revenue, but with every passing day, people cared less about such a thing. After all, authentic magical crafters existed.


    2. His n to open branch temples in surroundings areas had unexpectedly hit some walls.


    3. They really were in a remote location.


    4. None of them had work experience.


    Thest one was a little shameful, but most of them had never worked a real job in their lives. It made looking for employment hard, especially with U-Bots getting more popr.


    In conclusion, they were He broke! That''s also why the elder had added "voluntarily simplicity" to the scriptures so that it would be easier for them to cope.


    But he wouldn''t let the opportunity to give them a better life slip by!


    "Actually, as long as it''s nothing too extravagant, it will be fine." He added. Never had monks'' eyes shone that brightly.


    That''s how the construction soon officially began.


    The construction crew was just done with the initial structure when they had suddenly received a message straight from Josh! They''d pass the instructions around while gasping loudly.


    "What?!"


    "Are you kidding me?!"


    "He wants us to build that?!"


    "There''s no way we have to skill!"


    The merchant on the side couldn''t help but stare in shock. There was something that these guys couldn''t do?! It had to be an arduous task then knowing how good they were!


    But every time anyone would ask for more information, they would just shake their heads and utter: "Can''t say."


    This was so infuriating! Curiosity was killing the merchant! It became even worse when he heard them mumble at some point:


    "Are we really going to build that?"


    "I mean, that''s part of our job¡­."


    "Yes, but is it even legal?" <sub> </sub>


    "Who knows¡­."


    Wait, what?! Legal?! How the hell had the conversation reached such a topic?! Butter on, he understood as vessels appeared.


    This time they were from Universal Tech. The merchant felt that his prediction about the mountain filling up would realize itself.


    At first, he was confused. What were they doing there? But then he had the shock of his life as he saw them unload flying ship parts, handing them to the construction crew. Oh god!


    Many had an inkling of what would happen, but the monks were left entirely in the dark. Every time one would ask, he would be told that it was a surprise. They''d obediently ept that answer too.


    Thus the new monastery was soonpleted¡ª if it could be called a monastery. Let''s just say it had way too many rooms that really shouldn''t have been in one!


    It had taken them four days to do it in total, which was a pretty darn good time! Once finished, they all returned to drinking hot-coco and eating potatoes by the campfire as the Universal Tech people returned home.


    Now all that remained was to wait for Josh. As for how long that would be, no one knew. Still, the elder shared his predictions:


    "Legends say the fastest man to learn the technique took a month to reach rank 4. Afterward, he left to explore the world andprehended the fifth rank in a year! He was a legendary genius!"


    "Elder, how long do you think it will take him then? For that Rank 4, I mean," The merchant respectfully asked.


    "This may be preposterous of me, but I think he could do it in a month too!" The elder solemnly dered.


    The surroundings monks all eximed in shock.


    "A-a month?! Only a month?!"


    "I''ve been here for two years already, and I''m rank 2!"


    "That''s already not bad! I''ve been here for 5, and I''m still Rank 1!"


    They all seemed to think that this was one crazy evaluation, all but one. On the side, the unlucky monk was giggling.


    "Please, I''m sure he''lle back any minute now, and he''ll already be Rank 5. Just watch!" He predicted, making the othersugh.


    "Pfft¡ª As if that was possible!"


    "This is not just talented, but freaking godly!"


    "Just memorizing the scriptures will take longer!"


    "Yeah, there''s no way that....oh god. Are you kidding me?!"


    Following that monk''s shout, they turned around, only to see Josh casuallying over.


    "Hey, guys. So, how are things." He gently waved, grabbing a cup of hot-coco for himself.


    "M-mister Josh?! W-what brings you here?!" A shaking monk asked.


    "Can''t Ie over to drink some hot-coco?" He raised a brow, confused.


    "Ah! So you''re here for a break! Of course, it makes sense, hahaha!" He wasughing in relief.


    "So, how was it? Did you have any achievement?" The elder couldn''t help but inquire.


    "Somewhat, but I''m not sure myself how far I''vee. I''ve kinda deviated from the scriptures." Josh admitted.


    Deviated? What did that even mean? Many were confused. He wasn''t calling it a mistake either.


    "How about you emit the Serene Tranquility Aura for an instant?" The elder proposed.


    This aura was automatically emitted as soon as one actively practiced the technique. It somewhat made it possible to judge one''s mastery.


    Josh nodded as he instantlyplied, not even pausing. He didn''t close his eyes, nor did he stop to focus. He just used the technique.


    It was as if his entire being had suddenly be incredibly profound. Just looking at him gave the feeling that he was an immortal being that hadprehended the mysteries of life itself.


    As for whether that was only an illusion or real, it was hard to tell.


    But, one thing for sure was that the monks were all staring at the man in awe. All of the disciples realized that his achievements in these four days had exceeded their own after years!


    They turned toward the elder to get more details, only to jump in shock. The elder looked as if he had seen a revenant. He had already jumped to his feet, was trembling all over, and was even shouting madly.


    "H-how?! H-how is this possible?! How did you do it?!" He kept asking.


    At that moment, the people were all bbergasted. All except the unlucky monk that began guffawing so loudly that he almost caused an avnche!


    "Hahahahah! Oh my fucking god! As expected of you, Teacher!! This is priceless!!!"


    This only confused them even more. What were they all missing?! That''s when the elder finally spoke again, enlightening them.


    "How did you do it?! How did you Reach Rank 6?!" He asked, pleading. He had to know!


    The monks'' eyes bulged as they heard this. Rank 6?! Why had the elder never said anything about it?! What the fuck was happening?! They couldn''t believe it!


    "Rank 6? I didn''t know there was a Rank 6¡­." Josh was also confused.


    "There wasn''t, but there is now. This¡­.I can barely believe it myself, but I''m sure of it! You created another level." He solemnly dered.


    What the fuck?! He hade to learn their scriptures and had not only mastered it fully but even added a section to it?! What kind of madness was this?! Everyone was speechless.


    "Since you created it, you have the right to name it. Please, let us hear it!" The elder begged.


    "Is that so? Let me see, I diligently tried learning the stages, but then I felt it didn''t fit me¡­."


    "I''ll call this new stage True Serenity."


    1. Achieve serenity with the silence


    2. Achieve serenity with the notes


    3. Achieve serenity with the others


    4. Achieve serenity with oneself


    5. Achieve serenity with the world


    6. True Serenity ¡ªNEW!!!¡ª


    "True Serenity, is it? How is it achieved?" They all opened their ears wide.


    "Well, it''s pretty simple. I reused all the previous elements but also kinda rejected them. No matter what happens, one needs to be serene! I even made a mantra for it."


    "Really?!"


    "Yes! It goes: I''ll be serene no matter what. Fuck the silence. Fuck the noise. Fuck everyone. And fuck the world!"


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    "Pretty simple, right? Now, how about you show me the new monastery?" Josh was smiling brightly...

 Chapter 390 Monastery Visit Part 1

    Sonorousughter resounded on the cold mountain.


    "Pftt¡ª Hahahahaha! As expected of him!"


    It started with the unlucky monk but then quickly spread to all the members who had been to the D.L. school.


    The monks'' faces were just so damn hrious! They were gasping, utterly speechless after hearing about Josh''s new "enlightenment". Fuck the world?! What the hell?!


    What was worse? That he had thought of this in the first ce or that it had actually worked?! Had they been wasting their lives all this time?! They simply couldn''t believe it.


    The merchant was also gawking at them, puzzled. What did they mean by as expected?!


    Dale chuckled as he exined:


    "If you ever check the AT rankings, then you''ll understand. It''s not the first time he aplishes an exploit that looks crazy. On a few instances, his result is just: ¡Þ."


    The others chimed in:


    "It''s very shocking the first time or the second, but when not when he freaking does it every time!"


    "Master tends to defy what other people callmon sense."


    "At some point, you just get used to it."


    They all exined, sharing their wisdom, the merchant finally nodding in understanding. That''s when the Elder finally snapped out of it, giving a sigh:


    "Josh, thank you for this. Just witnessing the aura you showed should be enough to help the youngsters progress, truly thank you!" Then he added in a low voice.


    "It would be nice if my old friend could have witnessed this. I wonder how he would have reacted, haha."


    "Do you mean my mentor?" The unlucky monk asked in a soft voice, with the other nodding. Both seemed pensive as he spoke again.


    "You''re right. If only he could have seen this, I''m sure he would have been jubnt. He was such a great man, and the people he left behind are missing him. I just hope that his soul is at peace."


    It was possible to hear the sorrow in his voice as he sighed, remembering the beautiful past. His tremoring voice was a testament to how close they had been.


    The Elder felt it and, for the first time, approached him, even patting his back in sympathy, ignoring his bad luck aura. It was such a touching moment that many started to tear up.


    "Yes, he really should have stayed¡­." The Elder sighed.


    "I just wish he was alive to see us."


    "What?!"


    "What is it, elder?" The unlucky monk asked respectfully for once.


    "You do know he''s not dead, right? He''s just exploring the world to reach rank 5¡­."


    "0_0?!"


    Wait, what?! It turned out that the man he thought he had killed with his bad luck¡­..was actually alive?! So much for the tragic backstory! So much for the tear-jerking!


    The merchant was the first to cry out:


    "Why the fuck are you two looking so sad if he''s still alive then?! Give me back my sympathy!" He couldn''t freaking believe it!


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "Wait¡­if he''s not dead, then why the heck did you tell me that we''d probably never see him again?!"


    "Bad sense of directions." The Elder nodded seriously.


    "Seriously?! What about looking for him?!"


    "It takes time, and it''s costly." The Elder exined.


    "..."


    Thus ended an emotional tribute to a dead mentor that was apparently still alive and kicking¡ª somewhere...


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    After such an awkward moment, there was nothing better to clear the air than....* Drum roll* A monastery tour!


    It turned out that not even the monks themselves had seen the interior. They had all been waiting for Josh to be back for the grand reveal.


    The building was unnecessarilyrge yet remained austere-looking. Even if it was newly built, it gave the feeling of an archaic stone castle having somewhat survived through the ages.


    "Pretty neat, right? We made sure that it was monastery-like." Bob gave him a wink as he led the way, describing everything.


    "Right here, we have the entrance doors. They look like wood, feel like wood, smell like wood, and taste like wood¡ª or so I''ve been told."


    Who the fuck ate wood?! One had to be crazy to do that, right? But then, many unconsciously nced at Josh. Perhaps that was something he''d actually do¡­


    "Now there''s a cool feature about them. They''re incredibly heavy, but it''s possible to adjust the weight. This way, you can use it as a strength training method or mess with people."


    In the background, a monk was going, "Hey, that''s my idea! Nice!"<sub> </sub>


    The visit had just started that it was very apparent that this monastery would be neither in nor simple.


    "Now, this is the entrance hall. It has been made with the cooperation of the Universal Tech team and is extremely secure. Any invader will find itself confronted with many deadly traps. It will help to keep the monastery safe."


    Monk A: "Ah, what if we activate it by mistake?!"


    Monk B: "We''ve never been attacked before..."


    Monk C: "Does it protect against avnches?"


    "Oh, no worries. It won''t ever attack the residents, it can even deal with most Climbers, and the building itself is avnche resistant, so no need to worry!" bob reassured them.


    It could deal with Climbers?! This was just the entrance! Wouldn''t there be even crazierst recourse defensive methods?! Probably!


    "Here we have the sleeping quarters. The light, sounds, beds, and walls are adjustable. It''s possible to have the room bepletely empty, one big room with tons of beds or even plenty of individual rooms."


    Monk A: "Beds?! Oh my god!"


    Monk B: "Why would we want individual rooms?"


    Monk C: "Yeah, that''s weird, but we can remove the beds to meditate here!"


    Thest one excitedly remarked, with the others gasping in realization. This was so great! They tried a few settings, at some point turning the entire room into aplete maze!


    "Actually, if you wish to train, there is a dedicated room for that." Bob promptly showed them the way.


    "There are plenty of machines to train your strength, your endurance, and your speed. There is a gravity chamber in the back, and you can also call upon killer robots to help withbat training. Just be careful: they can be pretty strong."


    This ce looked like it was made to train super soldiers. Hell, the cheaper Climber school probably didn''t have that nice a set-up! What the hell?! Wasn''t this overkill?!


    A few monks were obviously concerned:


    Monk A: "Brother, do we even need this?"


    Monk B: "It does look a tiny bit dangerous with the robots."


    Monk C: "Fools, I''m the one that asked for this! Just think about it! If we''re in better physical shape we''ll be able to meditate longer!


    They all gasped in realization before nodding in agreement, but then one shy monk in the back reminded them.


    Monk D: "G-guys? Won''t we go hungry faster if we train so much? Won''t we starve?"


    Bob chuckled as he gestured them to keep following, about to rock their world once more.


    "This here is the cafeteria. State-of-the-art U-Bot chefs will prepare bnced meals. While it''s not Climber''s food, it''s otherwise the best anyone could ask for and very nutritious!"


    On this one, all the monks'' eyes were shinning. Food! Real food! They had lived their lives only eating coarse rice, and this was worlds apart! Bob even ordered a dish for them.


    Monk A: "Oh my god, this looks amazing!"


    Monk B: "Pinch me, someone. There are actual fresh vegetables in there!"


    Monk C: "It tastes amazing too! If I were to die right now, my life wouldn''t have been in vain!"


    They looked like children that had just gotten candies but with vegetables. Their blissful expressions were worth way more than the delicious but cheap meals.


    "After a good meal, there is nothing better than the next room." Bob gave them a mysterious smile.


    "Here we have the pool and the sauna! It goes from icy cold to fiery hot and is amazing to digest a meal. It also helps to enhance one''s blood cirction!"


    Monk A: "I can''t wait to try it!"


    Monk B: "It''s always hot?! Won''t that cost too much?!"


    Monk C: "He said it''s for blood cirction! Wouldn''t that help us meditate afterward?"


    This was enough to convince them. It seemed like they were able to rte absolutely anything in existence to meditating serenely. This was impressive in its own way¡­


    Random Bullshit ¡ª> It helps to meditate! ¡ª> Monks onboard with it.


    That''s what had made them ept things they didn''t particrly need so easily. But then another monk raised an issue.


    Monk D: "About that....with all that, will we even have time to meditate or learn the scriptures?!"


    Right!! What about the scriptures?! This was the most important for sure!


    That''s when Bob gave a confident smile.


    "I was obviously keeping the best forst. Don''t worry. You won''t be disappointed!"


    Why did that sound like more over-the-top features? Oh well...

 Chapter 391 Monastery Visit End

    The monastery visit was far from over as the party kept going. The monks were especially jittery from the excitement.


    "Alright, everyone, the moment you were all waiting. Here is the scripture room." As Bob opened the room, the monks gasped in wonder.


    The room looked extremely ancient and had a profound aura to it. The giant statue of a benevolent human being stood out the most.


    It seemed to be protecting five beautifully white stone tablets engraved with the scriptures. The only issue was that the room was vast, with the tablets rtively tiny inparison.


    "There''s also this option too." Bob winked at them before pressing a button.


    That''s when the letters on the tablets glowed a soothing blue. A secondter, they were duplicated as they started¡­floating away?! They even went to circle the nearest guy.


    "As you can see, there''s an interactive setting. There''s no need to push to the front as you can read the scriptures from anywhere in this room. The holograms wille to you."


    Monk A: This is magic!


    Monk B: He said it''s holograms¡­


    Monk C: This is so damn cool! It''s like a show!


    That''s when Dale chimed in. "Pfft¡ª What about the information about the rank 6? Will you add it?"


    "Of course, you can count on me!" Bob reassured with a few people chuckling. "Fuck the world" would be added here. How ssy!


    Monk D: This is perfect! Let''s read the scriptures a few times and train!


    He eximed as the others instantly agreed and got ready to sit right there and train.


    "About that, there is a meditation room right next door. It has both personal and group training rooms. In each, you can control the noise, the visuals, and even the climate."


    Bob promptly showed them, and it was wonderful. Sunny, rainy, cloudy, quiet, noisy, and their favorite had to be the snow.


    Monk A: It''s like we''re outside!


    Monk B: It will be like the snow sitting exercise!


    Monk C: Mister Josh gained enlightening in the snow too!


    They looked at it all with awe as they couldn''t wait to sit and meditate. After all, this was the purpose of their lives here.


    "Actually, there is onest option. I went along with the idea that there is a need for both agreeable and hostile training environments, and well... I added this little room in the back."


    Bob pointed to the corner toward a demonic-looking door seemingly made out of skulls.


    < ? Test of courage: keep out! ?>


    Monk A: Test of courage?


    Monk B: Why does it look like the door is alive?!


    Monk C: This feels so evil! We mustn''t go in there!


    One of them approached it, only to grab the handle, freeze, look down and scream in fright. After touching it, his hands were now bloody. What kind of prank was this?!


    Monk D: What the hell is this?! Get it off me! Get it off!!


    <script>ChapterMid();</script>


    "Rx, I''m sure it''s fake." Josh went near the monk, reassuring him. He even scooped a bit of the liquid, licking it before pausing a second.


    "Never mind, it actually is blood. Anyway, that looks interesting. Let me try!" He shrugged before disappearing inside.


    Many were left shellshocked. Who the fuck just drank blood without even wincing?! He had even licked his finger clean afterward! Was he a vampire or something?!


    Others couldn''t help but stare at Bob. What the hell had he done, how and also fucking why?! There couldn''t just be a supply of blood in there, right?!


    "What? I just asked myself what would AT do if he had to design a hostile training environment, and I somehow came up with that." He shrugged innocently.


    "It''s actually a project that started a while back with the help of Tech Queen Alexa. The inside is pretty much a game that aims to feel as real as possible. Anyway, you''ll see."


    Alexa had helped?! They had used AT as an example?! God have mercy upon the poor monks'' souls! How mad were they to try andpete with an all-powerful Tower?!


    They waited in silence, holding their breath. About 10 minutester, Josh wasing back, a smile on his face.


    "It''s pretty fun, you guys. You should try it for sure!"


    Instantly every Climber that had ever set foot in the D.L. school made a beeline for it. They looked like people excitedly queuing at a theme park.


    Every time they woulde out with a smile on their faces, even the ones that were slightly pale. At this point, even the merchant and monks got curious.


    "Wish me luck!" The merchant chuckled as he headed in.


    A minuteter, he was out.


    "W-what the heck is this?! This is a freaking nightmare!!" He ran out of the room screaming as if he had a devil at his heels, his nose bleeding non-stop.


    Just remembering what he had seen and felt in there made his stomach twist.


    The whole room was made to plunge one into a VR world. It made one feel like they would really die! Heck, this shit was torture! Whatever it was, had to be 100% illegal!


    Bob gently approached him, handing him a survey titled: <Thoughts on the Test of Courage room?>.


    There were already answers from everyone before him. The more he read, the more shocked he became:


    - Too fake!


    - Sound is trash.


    - Not scary enough. <sub> </sub>


    - Visuals are okay at best.


    - Doesn''t really feel like dying.


    - The statue with the bleeding eyes was cute.


    - It stopped working mid-simtion. Very disappointed!


    - The monsters don''t look realistic enough, especially the zombies.


    - I like the soundtrack. It really feels like an evil god is humming in my ears.


    - Compared to AT, this is really freakingcking. There is no sense of danger at all.


    What the hell?! They pretty much all found itcking. Had they not experienced the same dread he had?! Apparently not¡­


    After seeing the merchant''s reaction, the poor monks were now incredibly wary of that one door. Many decisively decided to avoid it, while others chose to face their fears head-on.


    The result was a new nickname for the room: the Monk Traumatizer!


    They''d go in there and exit, their teeth ttering, their legs shaking, blood drained from their faces, and even coughing blood at times.


    Josh generously dropped a few healing pills by the door, seeing so many injuries. They''d suffer in there, but they wouldn''t die, at least¡­


    "So that ends the tour as there is no need to visit the control room," Bob announced at some point, a few nothing the peculiar term. Control room? In a monastery? What?!


    As for Josh, he had already begun his new poaching n.


    "Elder, have you ever thought abouting back to the world?" He asked.


    "We need a quiet ce to practice, and this mountain is as good as it gets. We wouldn''t fare well near a Metropolis." The elder sighed.


    "What about the new training rooms? It should be quiet enough in there, right?"


    "Perhaps, but it''s hard to say. I''d have to test it along with the other monks to determine how effective it is truly."


    "What if you guys stay inside a week to test it? If it works, you guys can open a branch near my school. What do you say?"


    "I''m really not sure if¡ª"


    "I think it could work, and I reached rank six apparently. What do you say?"


    "I guess you''re right. We''ll try it your way. But don''t get your hopes up!"


    Nope, his hopes were already up.


    Step 1: Bring the monks to AT


    Step 2: Use their teachings as an addition to his school.


    Step 3: Get all the monks to step into the Tower and get a ss.


    Step 4: Profit?


    Afterward, the two went back to the group as they nned what came next:


    - The monks would go into istion training.


    - The soldiers would return to their duties


    - Everyone else would return to D.L., even the merchant, as they''d discuss deals.


    The monks were very cooperative and started their training on the dot. They collectively disappeared in the meditation room, and Josh''s party was left alone.


    "What now, Master?" The orc asked.


    "Now we fly back home together, well, except for you." Josh pointed to the unlucky monk. "You can ask for a lift from the merchant."


    The man wanted to state his case, but he couldn''t argue. His bad luck had even made them crash their initial ship.


    "Guess we join Bob''s ship then?" Dale proposed.


    That''s when Josh gave a mischievous smile.


    "No need. We''re already in a ship right now." He simply pointed at the monastery surrounding them.


    "Y-you don''t mean?!"


    "Yep. By the time they''re out of their seclusion, we''ll be there already. As to whether they decide to remain or leave, that will be up to them." Josh shrugged.


    That''s when he brought them to the only room they hadn''t visited earlier: the control room.


    It was filled with bright screens showing everything one needed to know: the ship''s status, a feed of the exterior, controls over the few defense mechanisms too.


    The whole thing was made as a transport first and foremost, but still would be far from easy to take down.


    The monastery barely trembled as they rose in the air, and just like that they were gone. In a day, they''d reach Metropolis-D, and Josh would be able to resume Climbing.


    That''s when the orc chimed in:


    "Master, isn''t this technically a kidnapping?!"


    "Yep!" In his voice, there was not an ounce of shame¡­

 Chapter 392 This Is Bullying! ?° ?? ?°

    A human and an orc were making their way toward the dimensional Tower. Thetter kept frowning, his mind preupied.


    "What is it?" Josh inquired.


    "We left the unlucky monk behind. Will it be fine?"


    "Oh, no worries. I''m sure he''ll make his way back in one piece."


    "Master, it''s not him I''m worried about¡­." He actually had a point...


    "Anyway, just focus on our current task. Apparently, it''s one hell of a Floor!" Josh chuckled as the two entered the Tower.


    [Wee to Floor 27!]


    [Using force here may fail!]


    [Find the Golden Butt Plug!]


    "¡­." -_-


    Really?! What kind of silly mission was this?! Then again, this was a Floor crawling with tons of subi.


    "Master, I''ve heard of this legendary item. Don''t worry: I know what we''re looking for!" The orc "reassured" him.


    They had spawned in a gray fog right in front of a closed door. It was made of dark, expensive-looking wood and engraved with golden bats that gave it a mysterious but regal air.


    There was a que:


    <Wee to the Dimensional Brothel!>


    "Master, what is this?! All the info says that¡ª"


    "Yes, it''s a Hellish novelty. Be careful. I''m sure the creatures inside will want to suck everything out of you." Josh warned with the orc solemnly nodding."Here goes nothing¡­."


    ¡ª Knock! Knock! ¡ª


    The door instantly opened as if guided by a magical hand, revealing the interior. There was a desk leading to a hallway with plenty of doors. The whole thing felt like a dream.


    The lighting was perfect for making one feel cozy and yet yearn for what secret hid behind the doors.


    At the counter awaited ady with incredible assets. Her face alone would have been enough to crush any beauty pageant.


    There was also a subtle yet otherworldly grace to her movements. She managed to make brushing her hair incredibly enchanting.


    Josh hurriedly circted his new True Serenity technique. It instantly changed the scene he was seeing. Well, it looked the same, but it felt different.


    It was as if everything was fake, everything was where it should be, but itcked the spark of life. It was the same for thedy at the counter. She suddenly seemedcking.


    She turned an inviting smile their way:


    "Hello, customers. Wee to the Dimensional Brothel, the best in the business, a ce that feels so good you won''t ever want to leave. Feel free to enter any door." She gestured toward the hallway.


    The two examined the ce in detail. In total, there were five doors in the corridor, with thest one being the most impressive.


    It shimmered in pink light and had four intricate locks, each a different color and matching the doors. Bronze, silver, golden, and diamond. Four challenges, was it?


    They shared a look, nodding at each other. They did as swat members would before breaching a new area.


    "3¡­2¡­1¡­now!" The towering orc king opened the bronze door wide, charging inside with Josh right on his heels.


    But just as he was about to enter, he was suddenly bounced on an invisible wall. What the hell?! The door was still open, but dark fog blocked his way with the orc gone.


    He sighed as he sat nearby, waiting to see the oue. He wouldn''t die that easily, right? He could only hope. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes felt like an eternity.


    Suddenly a green mass was ejected outside, colliding with the wall. The orc king was out and was still alive, but his state was incredibly pitiful.


    The proud, muscr, and bulky orc had beenpletely drained of his vitality. He was in his underwear and had slimmed down considerably, his ribs even showing through his skin.


    His face showed terror whenever he nced the door''s way, his eyes still wary of the creature he had fought.


    "How was it?" Josh asked.


    "T-terrifying. Worse than anything I''ve ever experienced." He shook, just recalling the earlier events. "Still, I did it." He slowly raised his hand, showing the spoil of victory: a single bronze key.


    "Great, now we''ll just need the other three!" Josh enthusiastically remarked.


    The orc instantly turned livid. Right, this was only the beginning. How the hell were they supposed to clear the other challenges?! After all, the bronze one had almost imed his life!


    "Master, if things turn to worst, then you should forget about me and escape. You have important¡ª"


    "Damn, what happened to your orc pride?" Josh teased.


    "A subus happened." He shivered while popping healing pills in his mouth.


    "Gotcha. Try to recover. I''ll be right back." Josh unhesitatingly entered the silver door.


    First was fog so thick it felt like passing through a waterfall. Then appeared a spacious and opulent room with a gigantic bed surrounded by fragrantvender (?) candles.


    A slim woman waszily twisting and turning in the sheetspletely naked.


    The small bat-like wings on her back clearly indicated her race. Good for her: the wings would act as a counterweight for all the fat on her chest.


    "So hungry! When will¡ª"


    The subus suddenly giggled in excitement as she saw him enter. She licked her lips, already expecting the meal toe.


    "Hello, handsome! We''ll have lots of fun together!" She said as she shed at his side.


    All he saw was a blur. What the hell?! How was she so fast?! He had barely finished registering her sentence that she sent him flying on the fluffy bed.


    Time to avoid? None!


    Fucks given about his opinion? None! <sub> </sub>


    Chances to win in a straightforward fight? Freaking none!


    She rushed at his side, taking his pants off as if her life depended on it. She gave him a nce filled with so much hunger as her hot breath tickled his little brother.


    "Wait, I need a silver key!" He called out.


    "You can get it once I''m filled, but for now¡­Thanks for the meal!" She eagerly replied.


    Then she started devouring him. Feeling the subus'' tongue on one''s member would have brought any man euphoria. It would have been game over instantly.


    Charm ability + Actual ability = Deadlybo! Luckily it was countered by Josh''s True Serenity. But, there was still one huge problem. She was sucking his mana too!


    - 99 mana


    - 112 mana


    - 127 mana


    It would only take a few minutes for him to be sucked dry. He couldn''t help but shudder as he pictured what would happen then. At zero mana, he''d fall into ama¡­but would she stop?


    He''d either die or be forever this subus'' prisoner, and neither was eptable! He had to regenerate mana at all costs. He decisively took out his secret weapon: food!


    The subus was enjoying herself so much. How long had it been since she had devoured a mortal? Too long! This one''s mana was incredibly delicious with an odd but pleasing vor.


    She could feel him in her mouth. He was so hard, warm, and throbbing. She slowly raised her eyes to look at his face, knowing he had to be drowning in pleasure.


    But as she saw him, she froze. The subus felt like there had to be something wrong with her eyes.


    What the hell?! He didn''t seem to care much about her. He was¡­.eating?! Was the meat in his hand more beautiful than her?!


    "W-what are you doing?"


    "Eating." He nonchntly replied.


    "Is now the time for that?!" She cried in shock.


    "I''m hungry, so I eat." He shrugged, not even bothering to nce her way.


    That''s the exact moment he felt her entire aura change. It seemed like she was quite the prideful creature. She couldn''t stand down being disregarded by a puny human!


    She started using everything at her disposal to bring him to climax: her slender fingers, her soft bosom, her wet tongue, all of it! But no matter what she did, he wouldn''t even look at her.


    At this moment, he only cared about one thing: eating and eating some more. The more she tried and the faster his mana was being drained: he had topensate.


    Josh VS Subus


    Regen Rate VS Drain Rate


    One was enduring while the other tried her best to make him fall for her body and soul until nothing remained of his life.


    It was utterly one-sided: he was losing big time. There was no freaking way that he could keep this up. He was only slowing down his inevitable defeat.


    There was one thing going for him. The longer this went, the more desperate the subus was getting.


    How was the human still resisting her?! It didn''t make any sense?! He should have fallen for her ages ago! Suddenly she couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Just tell me! What am I doing wrong?!" She cried out. She was just venting and didn''t expect an answer, but he gave her one nheless.


    "You rely too much on your powers. Without your charm ability, you''re nothing but a clumsy bat that only knows to indulge in self-pleasure greedily." He criticized.


    "You can slobber on a dick for your entire life that it wouldn''t do shit." He added.


    "Best Dimensional Brothel? You guys might want to look into re-branding¡­."


    The words were one thing, but his tone was what shook her to the core. He was so freaking indifferent! He could have as well been talking about the weather! Had she lost her touch?!


    She nced his way once more. He was back to eating¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The orc couldn''t sit still. Would his master be fine? He would be, right?!


    Still, every time he remembered the greedy temptress that had ambushed him, he shivered. She had been way too strong and way too hungry! The worst had been to resist her mental magic.


    Many times he had almost lost his mind, nearly sumbing to her temptation. The only reason he had managed to escape the room was his desire to make the orcs prosper! It had strengthened his willpower.


    Suddenly someone came out of the silver door! He was fine. He was¡­wait, who the fuck was that?! An ethereal beauty had juste out, one so gorgeous that he found himself charmed until he saw the wings.


    A subus had juste out! What?!


    She quickly rushed toward the counter, jumping into the receptionist''s embrace. But, there was something strange about her¡­.she was crying?! What the hell had happened in there?!


    The orc felt his brain shut down.


    Bronze door > Orc King


    Silver door > Bronze door


    How the fuck had his master defeated the subus?! He perked his ears and couldn''t help but gasp.


    "Waaa¡ª Big sister, I tried everything, but I couldn''t charm him! Am I ugly?! I''m ugly, aren''t I?! He said a dog might do a better licking job than me¡ª Waaa!"


    He hadn''t just defeated her. He had utterly bullied her! That''s when the silver door rippled once more. His master wasing back¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] Emotional damage!


    News: Got top 25 Role! ^_^V Last month sure was something, haha. That 5 chapters a day during week one killed me. xD

 Chapter 393 More Keys! ?° ?? ?°

    As soon as Josh exited the silver room, he couldn''t help but chuckle.


    The orc''s face was so damn hrious! It was a mask of iprehension as he kept ncing from him to the bullied subus. But then the confusion slowly melted away, with only awe remaining.


    "Master, you did it!"


    "Of course! What did you expect?"


    Josh victoriously waved the silver key. The naked subus had dropped it while running away. One could only imagine where she had been hiding it¡­


    Without waiting, he went toward the golden door.


    The orc was sighing in admiration. His master was still in perfect shape and didn''t show the slightest hesitation! Comparing the two was such a stark difference¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The new room oozed a rxed atmosphere. Incense burned in a corner, filling the air with a soothing scent. What were the chances that this was poisoned?!


    There was another gigantic bed with another temptress in the sheets. But this one was different. She seemed far more patient and was actually wearing clothes: well, sexy ck lingerie.


    He couldn''t help but praise the straps of her bra. For them not to snap under such massive stress was a miracle! She gave him an inviting gesture as she pointed toward her side. She wanted him to join her.


    He opened his mouth, ruining the sensual atmosphere.


    "Hello there, I''m here for key cleaning duty! If you just hand it over, I''ll give it back real quick." He shamelessly asked.


    The subus froze as she heard him. She unconsciously nced at the incense before refocusing on him with a curious gaze. She then regained her seductive appearance.


    "Cleaning? Leave it to me." She winked, extending a freakishly long tongue. It was clear what part of him she wanted the thoroughly clean.


    "Tch¡ª Fine. But I''ll need the key afterward." He bit the bullet as he dived into the sheets.


    He was ready for an incredible fight. Oh, and this one was already proving an incredibly skillful opponent from the get-go!


    She slowly rose before yfully crawling toward him.


    She was enjoying herself, slowly raising the tension. She stopped right above him, her bosom hanging above him, her breasts moving hypnotically as if a pendulum.


    Her hand was already moving downward, reaching for the pole she intended to clean. Under her gentle touch, it slowly rose, so high a g could have been hung at the top.


    She then slowly rotated atop him, making sure to brush against him. She was so close he could smell her rosy scent engulf him. Then she finally reached her desired position.


    Atop him was her bottom half, her panties already soaked in nectar. She was already burying her face at the target of her affection as she slowly lowered herself unto his face.


    A drop of her honey gently fell¡­and it was sweet?! He suddenly felt so damn hungry! The hunger didn''t recede even as he circted his True Serenity mantra either.


    He could feel that his Gluttony Bloodline was activating, urging him to devour the offered delicacy.


    That''s when he felt her suck. The pleasure was high, but the threat even higher. The previous subus had sucked his mana. This one wanted his life!


    His HP was lowering frighteningly quickly :


    - 69


    - 125


    - 237


    She was positively ravenous! But even as she devoured and devoured, he could feel the care in pleasing him. This one''s temperament was different: she wouldn''t be so easy to bully!


    He didn''t hesitate any longer. So what if she could devour? So could he! Without waiting, he dived in her honey-pot.


    His tongue swirled inside her cave, exploring the edge and its deepest parts thoroughly, oftennding on the bell atop the entrance. As he did, magical nectar came pouring out.


    It was so damn sweet! He was akin to a poor nt after a drought: he was drinking all he could! But the best was the rejuvenation.


    + 199 HP


    + 204 HP


    + 213 HP


    It was so damn delicious! But he had to stop recklessly indulging: the healing wasn''t enough! Her drain was getting stronger and stronger, but his healing wasn''t¡­


    Push her off? She''d just beat the hell out of him.


    Beg for mercy? That would most likely be useless.


    No, he simply needed to fight fire with fire! He summoned the Wraith King armor, startling the subus.


    "W-what?!" But he didn''t have to exin anything as she misunderstood on her own. "Cosy? I love it!" She simply kept eating with wild abandon.


    This armor just happened to have a drain ability too. He hurriedly started distracting her the best way he knew how: abo of tongue and fingers. <sub> </sub>


    ¡ª It''s super effective! ¡ª


    A second after he had begun, he could already hear her sweet gasps and moans. She even stopped devouring for a second in shock. How was he so good?!


    Her usual targets would have been defeated by the charm ability/incense. A prey that fought back so much was a first! As if feeling challenged, she redoubled ardor.


    Josh VS Subus


    Technique VS Technique


    A match of tongues and fingers.


    As he felt that she was too busy to care about anything, he very subtly activated the wraith drain ability. He used his mana maniption to lower the effect voluntarily and slowly increased it.


    He felt it all enter his body. The vitality he was stealing felt like a warm, energizing, and yetfortable current. It was like feeling the sun on one''s skin for the first time after years of obscurity.


    He couldn''t help but grin, feeling it all¡ª not that it was visible given how busy his mouth was. The subus was stealing his vitality, but he stole even more from her!


    Heck, this was the greatest open bar of all time! He was having the time of his life! Sadly, the same couldn''t be said for the poor subus¡­


    It took all her efforts not to give in to the pleasure. Her legs shook as she did her best to hold on. No, her entire body was freaking shivering!


    Where the hell had he learned such a scary technique?! He seemed to genuinely enjoy devouring her! But she held on and even kept draining him.


    She could feel his warm vitality enter her relentlessly. That was almost enough to drive her over the edge, not to mention everything else!


    She kept focusing: she simply had to oust him. He was bound to run out of vitality soon, right?! But she soon noticed something strange. Why did he seem to have infinite energy?!


    Then again, perhaps the problem wasn''t him? He tasted so delicious, so she kept eating, but she still felt hungry no matter how much she devoured!


    What the heck was happening to her?! Was she cursed?! Had she lost her draining ability?! The longer itsted and the more scared she became.


    There was always this void inside of her, and she couldn''t fill it no matter what! Soon her worry turned into an obsession.


    Why? Why?! Just why?!!!


    But every time she wanted to investigate, she found herself drowning in pleasure. Just thinking straight was hard! She just had to¡ª Then she couldn''t take it. She fell, all her weight on him as she twitched.


    Josh frowned as the output of his free drinks suddenly lowered. He was about toin to the manager when he suddenly came back to his senses.


    Right¡­.this wasn''t actually an all-you-can-drink fountain¡­this was a subus.


    From his defeated foe, a golden key suddenly appeared. It seemed toe out from inside her?!


    He couldn''t help but wonder. What would happen if he assassinated her in her sleep? What kind of loot would he get? But he disregarded the idea as he remembered the receptionist.


    He grabbed the key and decisively exited the room, gently waving at the orc before heading into thest diamond door¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    This room waspletely different. It looked like a goddamn arena, with the floor being one gigantic bed. A subus wearing a dominatrix outfit waited in the middle, turning his way.


    "A challenger? Great, I was getting bored! This one is the strongest subus in the Dimensional Brothel, no in the world! Not a single being as ever resisted me, and none ever will, hahaha!"


    She sure was making one bold im. How high was her pride for her to utter this? He couldn''t help but give her a skeptical nce.


    "What, you don''t believe me? If you manage to resist a single minute against my technique, then it will be your win, and I''ll give you my key. How about it?" She offered with a grin.


    This sure was advantageous! Still, this had to be a trap, right? Suddenly he had a sh of inspiration.


    "Wait, you said any being, right? As in you can defeat any race?" He asked.


    "Of course!"


    "Can I pick a champion to fight in my stead?" Josh requested.


    "Haha, whatever! I can defeat anyone and anything under Heaven!" She cackled.


    She was so sure of herself! Josh gave a bright and innocent smile as he summoned his secret weapon, throwing the lifeless thing her way.


    ¡ª Josh Invoked Godly Rat! ¡ª


    The subus grinned as she instantly saw through his n. Did he think he''d disgust her into submission with a rat? How naive! She would make the poor creature abdicate in a matter of seconds!


    Her ability was irrelevant to pleasure or desire. Her drain ability was simply so strong that she could kill anything with a touch. Her only weakness was the opponent running away, hence the whole challenge trick.


    "Hehe, so what if it''s a rat? Still, you''re a pervert, aren''t you? Stay back and enjoy the show!" She happily dered.


    Josh decisively averted his gaze. No way in hell he was going to watch this! Still, he couldn''t wait to hear her reaction¡­.

 Chapter 394 Succubus Trauma

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    The orc king was patiently waiting in the hallway. He couldn''t help but nce at the reception desk, still shocked.


    The bullied Subus had just stopped crying. It had taken so much cajoling and reassurance from the receptionist to finally ease her worries. His master had made that much of an impact!


    Suddenly a door was mmed open. This time it was the golden door. Wait, what?!


    ¡ª m! ¡ª


    A subus came out, but there was something strange about her. It felt oddly familiar? But then he noticed in shock that she showed the same symptoms as him! What the hell?!


    "I''m sooo hungry!!! I''ll eat anything, anything! No matter how much I eat, it''s never enough. Please spare a little vitality for this poor Subus!" She begged as her stomach rumbled.


    Then her eyesnded on his green skin, and he found himself panicking. He instantly replied: "The previous guy is my master!"


    As soon as she heard his words, she trembled with her face turning livid. He made a mental note at this moment: when faced with a deadly subus, pray to Josh MF Malum.


    "You should know better than to attack customers outside the rooms." The receptionist started berating, only to stop. Was there a point to scold the Subus that was now curled up on the floor, holding her belly?


    Their eyes both rested on the diamond door.


    "He won''te out alive of this one for sure." She nonchntly stated it as a fact.


    "Not only will he be alive and well, but he won''t have a single scratch, and the subus in there will be traumatized!" The orc thundered with pride.


    "Oh? Would you be willing to bet on it?" Came the subus'' yful voice.


    Bet? It was possible to make a bet?! Then again, it wasn''t that odd from demons. He had learned all about the practice from the humans too. He simply hadn''t had the chance to try it much.


    "What shall we bet?"


    ? "How about this?" She uttered in a sultry voice as a magical contract floated his way.


    [Terms of the Bet!]


    [Bet: Alive, No injuries, Subus = Traumatized]


    [Win: Gets a Reward from the Head Subus!]


    [Loss: Your Life is Hers!]


    "Tch¡ª Those terms are insane!" He remarked.


    "You don''t have to agree if¡ª" The reception suddenly shut up.


    Even afterining, the orc was hurriedly signing. He had to hurry before his master came out, and she changed her mind!


    As "THE Mighty Orc King" glowed in purple, he gave a satisfied grin.


    ¡ª m! ¡ª


    He felt his heart beat faster, every second feeling like an eternity. But then someone appeared: it was his master! But there was just one issue: he was utterly covered in blood!


    "Hahaha, this my win! Your life is mine!" The Subus grinned victoriously.


    She rushed toward the orc with a ravenous look, her slender fingers outstretched as if ws. She pped her four bat wings to gain speed.


    But just as she was reaching him, the magical contract suddenly glowed brightly as if a miniature sun. That''s when she plummeted to the ground, twisting in incredible anguish.


    "W-what is happening?! Human, you''re covered in blood, aren''t you hurt?!" She screamed amidst her pained screams.


    "Blood? Nope, not mine. Still, I got to say: the Subus inside was positively crazy!" He sighed as he shook his head.


    "Was?" The orc instantly noticed.


    "Oh yeah, she offed herself."


    ¡¥\\_(¥Ä)_/¡¥


    "That''s impossible! She''s the strongest there is!!!" The receptionist screamed.


    She rushed forward, taking out a dark pearl and putting it inside the fog. While this happened, the other two crawled away from Josh with terror in their eyes, hugging the wall.


    The receptionist drew her hand back, the pearl now seemingly filled with a white cloud. She then manipted it, revealing some audio recording. It was the crazy dead Subus:


    "I''ll defeat your ''Champion'' in a second!"


    "I''ll just do this, and¡­why isn''t it reacting?!"


    "It''s fine! Let me see you resist this, hahaha!"


    "W-what?! How is it still totally fine?! What is this?!"


    "Whatever! Take this supreme attack from me! I''ll destroy you!"


    "ARGG! I-it''s still standing?! H-how?! You tricked me! This thing is¡­."


    That''s when Josh''s voice was heard.


    "There''s no need to trick you, really. I was giving you a chance, letting you fight my pet. So much energy wasted on a useless technique... Hum, there''s still a bit left to devour¡­."


    There was no picture for the scene, but it was clear that the Subus was utterly terrified. Her voice started shaking, became high-pitched, and her breathing was rough.


    "W-what are you trying to do?!"


    "W-what the hell are you?!"<sub> </sub>


    "N-nooo! Stay away!"


    "M-monster!"


    "I-I won''t die like this!"


    That''s when there was a sttering sound, the kind a subus head would make when exploding. Then with a ¡ª Crack! ¡ª everything was over.


    The receptionist had unknowingly tightened her grip on the pearl, crushing it. Her hands were bleeding from the fragments, and yet she could only stare at Josh, gulping loudly.


    "What? I''m telling you she went crazy. She killed herself." He shrugged once more.


    The Subus shook again. Who the hell was he trying to fool?! It would have been way more convincing if he wasn''t currently licking the blood on his hands!


    That''s when she felt another pang of pain deep in her body. This was the magical contract urging her to uphold her part of the bargain. Without waiting, she plunged her hand deep inside her own chest!


    It was just like with the keys!


    She brought out a red glowing heart-shaped pearl. The actual appearance didn''t matter much as this was only a representation of her power. She reluctantly threw it at the orc.


    "Take it. It''s my charm ability." She begrudgingly exined, the magical contract disappearing in smoke.


    "A subus just gave you her heart, eh? How mighty! What did I miss?" Josh mischievously inquired.


    How mighty?! Said the guy who had bullied a subus, starved another, and finally terrified thest one into suicide! (Or devoured her?)


    The orc didn''t hesitate. He resumed the situation then offered the heart to his master. He would know how to use it better than him for sure!


    Josh couldn''t help but feel touched by his subordinate''s devotion. He grabbed it under his encouraging gaze. It was full of mana and definitely contained great power!


    < High Subus'' Heart! ?? >


    But right before absorbing it, he suddenly felt that something was amiss. It wasn''t that the heart was especially dangerous, nor that he was ipatible with it either¡­. Then why?!


    He just felt as if fusing with it would be an incredible mistake. He threw it back to the orc with a smile: here, have fun with it. I don''t need it.


    "Ah?! Is it bad?" The orc asked while ncing suspiciously a the Subus it hade from.


    She felt her anger rising so much that she forgot her previous terror. What the hell were those two doing?! This was her precious power: why did they treat it like it was trash?!


    "Not exactly bad: I just don''t need it. Anyway, let''s keep going." Josh whistled a little tune as he went toward thest Boss-like door.


    The orc hurriedly absorbed the crystal and suddenly found himself more¡­.Handsome? No. Manly? Neither. Charming? Not exactly.


    It was such a strange feeling that he couldn''t exin it. Without bothering about thinking about it, she rushed after his master.


    Josh carefully inserted the four keys as the door opened with a creaking sound. That''s when they were both bathed in a holy glow!


    There was a corridor opening in front of them. At the end of it, there was a golden sun radiating incredible energy¡ª or that''s what it looked like!


    "Master, there it is! That''s what we''re looking for!"


    "How is it so¡­.shy?" Josh then mustered the most amazing sounding voice he could muster. "Behold the golden butt plug!"


    "Ah, but it may not be easy to reach." The orc suddenly gulped in shock.


    On the floor, the walls and even the ceiling were subi! Their naked bodiesy intertwined with one another as if a nest of snakes¡ª well, prettier.


    At this moment, any female body enjoyer would have been pleased:


    Ass? Plenty!


    Bosom? Bountiful!


    Thigh? Everywhere!


    There was something for all tastes, from feet to hair and even wings. Yet, this only served to stress the orc. He couldn''t stop reminiscing about that bronze room that had almost killed him.


    But, there was something he seemed not to have realized. Josh yfully pped his back to give him courage¡ª or so it seemed, but then the orc was sent flying straight into their midst!


    As hended in a sea of softness, he dedicated a small prayer for his dream of orcish unification that would end here. He was doomed to¡­die?


    For some reason, it seemed as if the subi weren''t caring about him one bit? What?! That''s when he saw his master''s smile.


    "You smell just like them, so just go on." He urged him.


    That''s when he finally understood. It was all thanks to the subus'' heart! They mistook him for the receptionist in charge of the ce! No wonder!


    He slowly rose and started walking on the sea of slim yet plumped bodies. He quickly reached the objective, grabbing it decisively. The two exchanged a victorious grin awaiting the rewards.


    [Congrattions! Completed ¡ª ]


    ¡ª SHATTER! ¡ª


    ¡ª CRACKLE! ¡ª


    What the hell?! Just as they were celebrating, the space suddenly shattered. Oh god, oh fucking god! This was the same as that time, with the Tower almost getting destroyed.


    That''s when a sultry yet incrediblypelling voice resounded.


    "Who dares to bully a subus?!!" Something, or rather someone, was exiting the dimensional fissure.


    Joshpletely froze. How was SHE here?!!

 Chapter 395 Succubus Queen!

    "Who dares to bully a subus?!!" Josh nked. How was SHE here?!! Something, or rather someone, was exiting the dimensional fissure.


    He felt her before she even appeared: she felt so familiar! She was finally home, she was¡­but as she emerged, he couldn''t help but be taken aback.


    Wide ckish wings, amethyst eyes, long silky dark hair, and a beautiful face that even fury couldn''t render ugly. She wasn''t her, far from it. This one was obviously a powerful subus.


    She radiated with incredible power, every p of her wings sending powerful mana gushing all over. It was oppressive, made breathing challenging, and had the orc in full alert in a second.


    She was strong. No, strong was an understatement. She made the head subus at the desk look like a pushover. That''s when she zeroed in on the human, her eyes showing a puzzled expression.


    "Strange¡­You''re the one?" She couldn''t conciliate the bully with the stunned man gawking at her with zed eyes.


    She wasn''t her, but why did she feel so familiar?! If this was a charm ability, even True Serenity couldn''t prevent it. He used all his willpower to resist¡­and yet he couldn''t.


    "What is it? Subus got your tongue?" She yfully asked, her voice filling his ears.


    Every time she spoke, he found himself invaded by a flood of memories. He was reminded of the best and "bad" moments that he still longed for.


    He felt like he had to say something. Wee back? No, she wasn''t her. But he couldn''t even fathom fighting against her either. What was happening to him?


    "What is up with him?" She eximed to no one in particr.


    In the background, the orc realized that his master''s state was strange. On the other hand, he was still fine, perhaps because of that subus heart.


    He gave a self-deprecating smile. This was the first time he saw him falter like so, and thest if they died here. He knew his limits: all he could do was buy time. Without hesitating, he bowed deeply, using the sacred human Ass-Kissing technique!


    "Ah! Never have this orc seen such a powerful yet graceful being in his entire life. Oh goddess, please enlighten this poor orc. How shall this one address the most beautiful being in the multiverse?"


    She gave him a disdainful nce and yet seemed equally pleased. There could never be too many ants revering one as a god.


    "Hehe, this one is the future Subus Queen, and from now on, this Floor is my domain!" Her tone oozed with pride as she powerfully dered.


    "Oh mighty Subus Queen, you grace us with your presence! Was your journey pleasant?" He worshipfully asked.


    Except, she wouldn''t entertain him anymore.


    She was already done exchanging pleasantries. She raised her hand, gathering mana into a swirling ball of darkness. This thing looked destructive enough to annihte the entire Floor.


    The orc swung his hammer at her without hesitating, resolved to interrupt her. The metal drew a powerful arc,nding squarely on her face! Great sess¡ª or not¡­


    Her skin didn''t even ripple, and her spell wasn''t interrupted either. There was ayer of purple energy surrounding her: a magical shield! Her eyes were full of ridicule as she teasingly nced at the foolish orc.


    His master was still in a strange state: he had to do something! He hammered and hammered and hammered some more, but it was all useless.


    She was still gathering mana, her spell bing deadlier and deadlier. By now, just the wind it caused as it swirled was enough to shake the hallway, sending the random subi flying all over.


    But then he suddenly lost his footing, and one of his arms involuntarily pped the Subus¡­ and this time there was an effect. How?!


    Wait¡­was this shield preventing "attacks"?! This meant that she could be pushed!


    ''Thanks for showing me a new world, Mater.'' The orc mumbled in his heart as he rushed at the enemy.


    But, he didn''t use his hammer. He wrapped his bulky arms around her slender frame and used his entire weight to push! His goal was the dimensional fissure.


    The dimensional winds in there had to be sharp enough to defeat her! He was akin to a racing forklift on nitro as they instantly reached the portal. But just as they were about to enter it, she grinned. Then she stopped budging.


    "ytime is over." She mischievously whispered as she readied her w-like fingers and plunged them straight at his neck.<sub> </sub>


    He felt her nails bruise against his green skin, but just as they were about to push further in, she was enveloped by a strange gray fog. He took the opportunity to retreat in a hurry.


    A small distance away, the subus receptionist stood.


    "Your Floor? As if! This is the Dimensional Brothel, not somece any random stray subus can run wild!" She snorted, the fog her doing.


    "Can this defeat her?"


    "It can defeat anything in existence! This power stems from the rules of the Floor itself. There''s no way that this bitch can¡ª


    ¡ª WOOOSHHH!¡ª


    The spell the Subus had been suddenly charging exploded in the fog. The entire thing trembled, but so did the Floor.


    A gust of powerful magical energy swept the corridor, sending the random subi flying all over. The receptionist suddenly threw blood as she stared at the scene in disbelief.


    "H-how?! T-this is impossible?!" She screamed, bbergasted.


    The fog disappeared, revealing the Subus Queen, who wasn''t harmed in the least. She grinned at the receptionist with a grin.


    "What that it? A little too naive to think this would even work."


    That''s when she charged up the exact same spell. This time, the difference was that it barely took her a second to do it. She had been trolling them from the start¡­.


    "Wait, you seriously thought this would work?! Pfft¡ª Hahaha, how rich!" She happily giggled.


    "Is it your first time facing someone like me? You see, all Towers are interconnected, but some Towers are stronger than others. I guess yours is on the weaker side¡­."


    "Anyway, now it''s time to clean up. The angry orc dies, the rebellious Subus can either follow me or perish, and the human will suffer endless torture for his earlier crime."


    She so easily decided their fate while there were still subi flying all around.


    "Green guy, if there is a life after death, then make sure to enjoy it! Time to¡ª" She never managed to finish her sentence.


    Josh had suddenly sneak attacked her! Somehow she hadn''t noticed him approach, and he was already embracing her, as the orc had done earlier.


    "Subi-Nado? That''s pretty cool, but I can''t let you kill them." He chuckled.


    Was he stupid? She hurriedly pped him, intending to bash his head in. But her dainty hand simply left a red mark on his face, not hurting him in the least. What the hell?! For some reason, she couldn''t muster any power.


    "Y-you, what kind of sorcery is this?!" She cried out in fright.


    "Oh, just a small trick." He had finally understood where the familiarity came from.


    "W-what?!" She couldn''t help but nce at him in shock. Why did he suddenly feel so different? Why didn''t he seem afraid of her?!


    The orc wouldn''t miss the opportunity. He came charging and crashed his hammer on her head, but the damn purple shield was still there!


    Josh shook his head. She was too strong for their current party to defeat, even if she forever stood still. He gave onest smile to his trusted subordinate.


    "I''m counting on you to take care of D.L." That''s when he dived in the dimensional fissure, forcefully bringing the Subus along¡­.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] Theories? ^_^

 Chapter 396 Josh Is Gone?!

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    "Master!!! Noooo!" The orc rushed to save his master, but he was toote. He had disappeared along with the Subus Queen, not leaving any trace.


    "We''re alive! How awesome, we survived this ordeal, haha!" The receptionist was celebrating in the back while he stared at the now empty space at a loss.


    [Congrattions! Completed Floor 27!]


    [Please Select One¡ª]


    [Error! Error!]


    [?!?]


    The orc gave a wry smile. As expected of his master: he still screwed up with the system even while missing.


    [User Josh MF Malum Gone?!]


    [Orc King Detected! Error!]


    [Analyzing! Analyzing!]


    "I really hope you can tell me where he went. What about rescuing him? Is it possible?" He asked the system. Sadly the thing only ever answered his master¡­


    [Expected Rewards Are Unsuitable!]


    [Cannot Issue Any Reward!]


    [Reward Still Required!]


    [Error! Error!]


    [Analyzing!]


    Then the system turned mute, leaving them in a heavy silence¡­.What now?!


    He started investigating the ce to the best of his abilities. Sadly all he received was indifference from the mindless subi (hallway) and hungry gazes from the others.


    There was only one subus eager for dialogue: the receptionist. She was definitely friendlier ever since his master''s sacrifice, but it was all toote.


    At least she exined the brothel''s situation in detail.


    - There was never more than one patron or group of patrons at a time.


    - They would show up carrying special brothel invitation tokens.


    - He and his master had been the first uninvited ones ever.


    - There was no exit to this ce. People just left magically.


    There really wasn''t any exit.


    This ce was a freaking dimensional prison! He''d find himself shouting at the system: "C''mon! Senior brother AT would have already figured everything out by now! What the heck?!"


    The Orc King could only wait, talk about pitiful! Wait and talk to the receptionist¡­


    Very soon, they ran out of discussion topics. After all, she was only interested in two topics: her brothel or draining his vitality.


    Then again, he was the same. He only had two things to talk about: his life before meeting his master and his short time with him.


    The hours soon turned into days and eventually into weeks¡­ As for how many, this was hard to say. At first, he kept track, but then he lost any notion of time.


    He quickly ran out of medicinal pills, his only sustenance in this god-forsaken realm. It quickly became painfully apparent that he''d starve to death. Not exactly the most heroic of endings¡­


    Sometimes the receptionist would nce his way:


    "Why don''t you end it all? I can make the end not only painless but also ecstatic. I''ll bring you to Heaven!" She''d suggest while licking her lips.


    But no matter what, he always refused adamantly. His life belonged to his master. He would never throw it away.


    If only his body was as strong as his will. His spirit remained strong, but his physique slowly but surely whittled away.


    Then it reached the point where he became unable to move. Had it been that long, or was this ce so ill-suited to life? Either way, the feeling of helplessness was the worst.


    The receptionist approached once again:


    "You''ve already lost all trace of dignity, you know? You''re the epitome of weak, just a sack of flesh and bones, barely any muscles left."


    He didn''t have the energy to reply, but he still had his orc pride even then.


    "Time is unfeeling and will devour it all. Why not let me have the little vitality you have left instead?" She gently whispered in his ears.


    No, because his life didn''t belong only to himself¡­


    "What good is pride? Can it be eaten?" She sighed. His throat was so parched that he couldn''t even utter a sound. But this didn''t change the light in his eyes.


    "You really will die, you know?" She asked bbergasted.


    Oh, he knew. He knew it all too well, but it didn''t matter. Using the veryst of his strength, he gave a brilliant smile.


    ''Master, this orc will be going on ahead. Thank you for everything, and sorry, but D.L. will have to do without me. Still, it will be fine. I''m sure it will¡­.'' He inwardly mumbled.


    "Tch¡ª A fool to the end. You''ll be dead just like that master of yours. Such a waste of vitality." The subusined.


    ''Dead? There''s no way he''s dead.'' He couldn''t help but picture everyone''s expression once he came back from the dead. Would they be surprised? Even now, he still believed in him¡­


    Ever so slowly, the Orc King breathed hisst, arge grin on his face¡­


    [Ding! Analysispleted!]


    [User Status Unlocked!]


    [Congrattions!]


    [User is Dead¡­]


    [Canceling]


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    A month had passed, and the monks were finallying out of their seclusion. The atmosphere was cheerful as they had all had great gains.


    "I can''t believe everyone went up a rank!"


    "It''s all thanks to the amazing training facilities!"


    "I''m thanking Sir Josh for my advancements, haha. He''s so inspiring!"


    But they had barely made stepped outside that they couldn''t help but freeze. What was this?! Why were they suddenly in a forest?! This didn''t make much sense!


    That''s when one of them paled:


    "Guys, is that a sloth?!" <sub> </sub>


    "Look there, that''s a Tower, right?!"


    "Hey guys, there''s a robot heading our way!"


    A U-bot came over at full speed. The monks were on full alert, but it simply stopped before them, addressing them.


    "Wee to you all. This one is U-Bot #35456465475. Pleased to make your acquaintance! If you would, please follow me back to the D.L. HQ!"


    The U-Bot didn''t leave them any room for protesting as it led the way. D.L?


    "You guys stay here, and I''ll check it out." The elder monk sighed.


    After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a town bustling with activity. There were people everywhere! No, they were all Climbers! This was his first time witnessing such arge gathering of elites.


    Still, there was something strange about the atmosphere. They were all way too hyper! Some were dueling, others sharing their experiences, and some even gambled.


    He was led to a dark meeting room. In there sat a lone man with fiery eyes and hair. Dale the Phoenix!


    But he looked different. The happy-go-lucky man now had eyes of steel; long gone was the naive optimist that once inhabited him.


    "Y-you, what happened to you?" The monk asked, gasping.


    "Josh''s gone, and the world is going to shit. Funny, but I always thought he''d be the one to cause the end of the world¡­." He chuckled.


    "Sir Josh is gone? Where?"


    "Some say he''s dead, some say he''s been recalled to Hell, but I believe he''s still alive somewhere in this vast multiverse." He sighed. "But none of that matters. How about it, will you fight?"


    "Fight? But I''m just a monk¡­."


    "So? I was just a Climber-obsessed teen not long ago. Are you in or out?"


    "In for what?"


    "Hehe, take your pick! Climbing, finding Josh, reiming the seas from Giant Doom Whales, dealing with the annoying goblin invaders¡­.the list goes on."


    "What?!"


    "Oh, and if you want more local stuff: the pirates are active again, and so is Gene Corp. Thetter somehow managed to get the DNA of an invincible creature, so now they''re near invincible."


    "Invincible?!"


    "Yep, I don''t know what kind of gene they fused with, but we assume it''s a sloth. They be almost listless, and their teeth grow longer. Anyway, there''s a bunch of stuff to do."


    "How am I supposed to help with that?! I''m just a¡ª"


    "Easy, we get you in the Tower to activate a ss. Then you train with AT like all the blokes out there. So, what will it be?"


    "That''s a lot to take in¡­.But Sir Josh is our benefactor. What kind of monk would I be if I didn''t repay the favor?"


    "Hehe, a shitty monk, I''m guessing." Dale quickly sent a message. A few secondster, a knight in heavy armor showed up.


    This was the same knight who had challenged Josh but fought Kasha after he had run away. The knight came closer, observed the monk, and finally removed her helmet.


    Under there stood a cutedy that didn''t fit one bit with the bulky armor she had been wearing.


    "You''re the monk? Alright, follow me!" She uttered without giving him the time to react.


    "Who are you?" The elder asked as he rushed to keep up with her.


    "Who am I? The Seconding of Gluttony''s rival! One day I''ll out-eat him for sure!" She dered with gusto. This only confused the monk further.


    But before long, they found themselves at the Tower.


    "Go in and kill the dogs." She dered as if this was an easy thing to do.


    "I''m a monk, do you think I¡ª"


    "If you don''t go in, you won''t be able to repay him." She shrugged.


    "Tch¡ª Fine!" The elder didn''t hesitate any longer. He felt as if he was being swept up in these people''s pace, but it didn''t matter.


    He quickly entered Floor 1. He''d probably get a shitty ss knowing his talent. After all, he had spent all his life trying to learn the Tranquil Serenity mantra without sess.


    Hopefully, he''d at least get a scribe ss, right? He had carved many stone steles over the years¡­


    [Wee to Floor 1!]


    [Please Select a ss!]


    - Holy Monk


    - World Teacher


    - Meditation Guru


    - Enlightened Scribe


    - ¡­


    These were just a few of the choices. His eyes couldn''t help but bulge as he saw the many options¡­ Was this because of his old age?


    But suddenly, he remembered why he was here. It was because of the genuine smile of the man that had wanted him to teach at his school.


    Josh wanted him to teach, and he would teach¡­


    [Selected World''s Teacher!]


    With this, he''d be able to guide the younger generation. What followed was a bloodbath. Monk VS Cerberuses....and somehow he survived.


    As he exited the Tower, he nced at the knight who had been awaiting him. In her eyes, there was a small hint of curiosity. He was a man that her rival had spoken highly about after all.


    "What ss did you get?" She asked with interest.


    "World''s Teacher. This will be my calling from now on. I''m not sure what it entails just yet, but I''ll do my best." He resolutely dered.


    "Hehe, it doesn''t matter. You''ll have to meet AT first!" She giggled.


    "AT?"


    "He''s Josh''s sworn brother. Oh yeah, he''s also a Tower. Anyway, you''ll soon learn about it all. Let''s go!"


    The elder monk suddenly felt young again. How long had it been since he had explored new horizons? He found himself grinning: taking a break from the usual monk routine sure felt awesome!


    He didn''t mind barely making a difference as long as he tried his best. Little did anyone know the role he would y in humanity''s fate¡­


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [A/N] If you want more chapters, leave a paragraphment here ;)

 Chapter 397 — RAWR! —

    The space ruptured, sharp dimensional winds overturning the soil like thousands of daggers. But, the portal didn''t just spit out magic, it made a lone man appear out of nowhere.


    He found himself in a world overflowing with mana, far different from any he had known, without any system to wee him. Somehow it gave a very primitive feeling.


    The wind carried the iron smell of blood as therge leaves of the gigantic jungle trees shook. Thorny vinesy all over the ce as roars echoed in the distance.


    ¡ª RAWR! ¡ª


    But, the man cared for none of that.


    He had eyes and ears only for the softly glowing pink light in his hand, which seemed to pulsate along with his breathing¡ªa soul fragment, something that was but shouldn''t have been.


    It came from the powerful souls of strong beings, ones resilient enough to survive being separated from their bodies¡ª or that''s how it should have been.


    Somehow the Subus Queen had been a fragment wielder, but not just any. It was a part of HER shattered soul.


    How?! This shouldn''t have been possible! This was¡ª a sharp pang of pain interrupted his thoughts. The migraine was unending ever since he had "defeated" the subus.


    She had wanted to make him pay. She had tried to suck him dry. How long had they wandered in between the Floors? How long had they fought? It hadsted an eternity and more.


    He had prevailed. Not because he was stronger, but because SHE belonged to him, because HER power had helped him from the inside.


    He had left the subus a soaking mess, back in some random world. The monster''s whereabouts were unimportant, and he''d forget about it all soon anyway.


    His memories were fleeting. Sometimes he saw the scenes back on Earth. Sometimes he found himself in a jungle or even had vivid visions that felt like dreams.


    All he knew was that he had to save HER. He had known from the very start, but he felt it even more now. This was the only reason he was still breathing¡­


    ¡ª RAWR! ¡ª


    A scaly creature came out of a bush, leaping at him. There was no name tag to be found, no level, only sharps rows of teeth aiming at his jugr and a tail swatting in excitement.


    It charged at the human, happily biting him. The fangs crushed the arm, prating the flesh and snapping the bone. The creature rejoiced: this new prey was delicious!


    That''s when it finally saw the pink light resting in the man''s grasp. Like him, it became smitten with it as soon as it noticed it. How delicious would it be?!


    The creature opened a giant maw wide¡­


    ¡ª Crack! ¡ª


    The man reacted instinctively, crushing the monster''s spine. "She''s mine¡­." He uttered in a soft whisper, his bleeding arm showing signs of recovery.


    His eyes were zed: it seemed as if his recent experiences had shaken the very foundation of his soul. After all, traveling between worlds wasn''t something a mere mortal could handle.


    Monsters rejoiced whenever they witnessed his state. Small ones, big ones, deceptively peaceful-looking ones, savage-looking ones, there were all kinds, but all were as scaly as hungry.


    They would inevitably rest their eyes on the "helpless" prey before focusing on the crystal. That''s when they would die. His blood mixed with theirs, tainting the dark soil as countless roars echoed.


    ¡ª RAWR! ¡ª


    ¡ª RAWR! ¡ª


    ¡ª RAWR! ¡ª


    He had to protect HER: that''s the only thing that mattered. The lizards were a nuisance, they wanted to harm HER, and thus they all had to die!


    His immobile body finally showed initiative for the very first time. He took a decisive step toward his enemies, eager to extinguish their lives.


    A weapon appeared in his hand, one that kept changing every second, showing a thousand ways to kill lizards. <sub> </sub>


    Words would sometimes float in front of his eyes, but he''d swat them away. Why should he care about skills leveling up? As long as it helped him bring her peace¡­


    ¡ª RAWR!!¡ª


    "Too noisy, way too noisy." He could barely hear himself think. "I need to find the rest of her¡­yes. She''s out there somewhere¡ª"


    A savage glint shed in his lifeless eyes as he red at the hundreds of reptiles surrounding him. "All of you must die.."


    He had no pity whatsoever for the creatures, mercilessly ughtering them. Whenever he felt low on energy, he''d fling a piece of their raw flesh into his mouth.


    His skin was already a bloody mess, utterly covered with blisters, the surrounding forest burning as brightly as the mid-day sun, a gigantic shadow above him.


    He kept killing and killing¡­not minding how weird the enemies became. He barely reacted even when they started sprouting wings and breathing fire.


    As long as they wanted to steal HER, they had to perish!


    Perhaps the man was going crazy, but he could almost hear his enemies cursing him. "Human, how dare you challenge this mighty dragon!"


    His body acted instinctively, teleporting behind his opponents to rain blows on their scales. His weapon always glowed with mana, so brightly it almost eclipsed the wildfire.


    Eventually, the lizards all retreated..or burned to death. The calm returned to the forest, now only ashes. But even then, the rich mana already had new roots sprouting.


    As relief overcame him, so did the memories.


    "See this!!" Her smile appeared so radiant as she proudly disyed the small potted nt as if a national treasure. "I told you, this nt is just like me!"


    "I can think of a few differences, especially the chest." He gave her a teasing smile as he nced at her entire body.


    "Pfft¡ª I''m talking about our resilience, look!" She pointed toward the soil with grand delight.


    The nt itself looked dead. Whether it hadcked water or was sickly was unknown, but it was zombie-like. Yet, a new root had appeared, full of vitality.


    "You''re right. It''s as resilient as you." He wholeheartedly praised.


    "See! I''m sure it will blossom into the most beautiful nt soon enough." She remarked with light in her beautiful eyes.


    "Is that so?" He made sure to appear as serious as possible. "Guess I''ll keep nt D as a possible remarriage candidate if anything ever happens to you."


    "Pfft¡ª As if! That''s gotta be nt abuse: I''m gonna call PETP!" She mock-threatened, showing her white teeth.


    This had happened back when he was still alive...


    ¡ª


    As he nced at the pink fragment in his hand, he gave a nostalgic smile, slight rity finally returning to him.


    "You really are resilient, aren''t you? Even dead, you''re still here¡­." He couldn''t make sense of how she had ended up this way, but it didn''t matter.


    He gently embraced the fragment as it seemed to melt into his own body, fusing with him. He would safeguard it for her while he searched for more¡­


    Just as he resolved himself to his new task, a shocked voice echoed near him. It seemingly came from a mound of soil.


    "W-what the hell happened?! D-did you do all this?!"


    That''s when Josh finally nced at the destruction he had caused. Hopefully, PETP wasn''t a thing in this world, or he''d be in deep trouble.


    He turned toward the neer, one he hoped could get him answers¡­

 Chapter 398 Scrubbing To Survive!

    "W-what the hell happened?! D-did you do all this?!"


    A mound of soil had talked?! That''s when a creature came out of the earth, its features slowly transformed into one of a human being.


    He nced at the various lizard bones as if seeing a miracle. "Y-you even killed a ss 4?! I''ve never met anyone able to do that!! Then again, I''ve never¡­" the man kept rambling.


    He was akin to a very lonely child that finally met his best friend after weeks of istion. He babbled endlessly without structure. Every little thought of his, he revealed.


    Still, Josh managed to learn about this ce:


    - Not so long ago, it had been a vige


    - Lizards had appeared out of nowhere, devouring everyone and trampling everything


    - The man was a hunter living aside from civilization and had somehow gained some power after killing one of the lizards.


    - He had been hiding ever since, sneakily wandering the forest searching for a survivor. But none had been found, not that he had covered much distance.


    "I need you to bring me to where it all began, to the creatures'' origin." Josh resolved once he heard everything.


    "A-are you crazy?! We should be running instead. Why are you so insistent on¡ª"


    "I have to go back to the Tower and Metropolis D if possible. Does that ring any bell?" Josh asked with hope¡­.but it didn''t.


    The man was about as helpful as a three-year-old: lots of chatter and enthusiasm, but he couldn''t expect him actually to carry his weight.


    Usually, he could have acted as a guide, but the ce had changed so much that he couldn''t even do that. The man would nostalgically sigh the more they saw.


    From time to time, they fought. It was a non-ending struggle that always ended with a barbecue. Lizards, more lizards, flying lizards, and even burrowing lizards. It was chewy¡­especially the scales.


    The conversations were plenty and usually went like this:


    "Wow, you''re amazing! Where did you learn to cut monsters like that?!" The man eximed in awe.


    "Lizard Butchering Academy, obviously." Josh absentmindedly replied.


    "Wow! It must be amazing! I really want to attend it! I hope there are friendly¡ªwait, are you pulling my leg?!"


    It was peaceful¡­.far too peaceful.


    Ample game to hunt, enough rainwater to sate one''s thirst, and plenty of fresh air. This would have been a paradise had they been here¡­ but this just felt wrong.


    Well, it wasn''t the only thing that was wrong.


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    [ STATUS! ]


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    yer: Josh Malum Lv ?


    ss: Josh MF Malum


    *Calibration Required*


    Remaining Lifespan: -3.7


    Current Mood: Lizard yer


    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    ording to his status, he was a lizard-ying mystery walking dead man. Why did it feel like something the little one woulde up with?


    In any case, a slow life full of aimless wandering was torture to him. He explored as quickly as possible,mitting a scaly genocide in the meantime.


    He thought it would never end, but they sensed something different one day. The air became salty, even saltier than a MOBA''s onlinemunity.


    Never had two dudes rushed forward so quickly.


    After the endless search, they had found another kind of endless, the deep blue billowing kind¡ªthe kind with towering waves that crashed on the white sandy beach.


    Josh rejoiced, even eating some of their emergency lizard jerky in celebration. As he did, he saw a mirage. The sand covered her feet, her crystallineugh echoing in his mind.


    "A sea? Look at you! Did my man just discover and im himself a private beach? I''ll be able to brag at book club, haha!"


    Right, he had done something other than wandering and killing. He had been losing his sanity day after day. He could now see and hear her on short asions.


    Any sane person would have been worried, but he was simply d. She wasn''t real, and it was obviously his brain going crazy with grief, but who cared?


    "What do you think? Can you figure out where we are now?" Josh asked hispanion. Unlike the lizards, Such a significant expense of water hadn''t appeared in a day, right?


    "T-this, maybe!"


    Just like that, hope was rekindled, hope for a n that was as simple as insane:


    Sea ¡ª> Find a City ¡ª> Information ¡ª> Return to D.L. ¡ª> Reach the top of the Tower ¡ª> GG


    They roamed the gorgeous and incredibly empty coast, searching for any trace of life. Here the lizards had disappeared, reced by crabs.


    They were sneaky fuckers that would ambush their victims in the sand. They reminded him of the worms he had faced long ago. Well, the crabs were weaker and hung in groups.


    The creatures had cheered at seeing the two unsuspecting humanoids brave their beach. The cheering had soon ended with their insides gouged out, grilling on a brochette stick.


    An equilibrium quickly established itself:


    Josh casually walking by ¡ª> Crabs fleeing, nging their pincers in horror. They almost looked cute as they ran sideways.


    It kept going for ages, until¡­ "Ah! I know where we are! Follow me!" Jack''spanion shouted as if possessed by a holy spirit.


    He decisively ran forward and they soon arrived at their destination.


    There stood a rock fortress, an incredible mix of primitive and modern. Itbined messy giant rocks with cement in an ugly but reassuring fashion. Most importantly, it was intact!


    "There are other survivors! We''re not alone, can you believe it?!" The man ran forward with joy in his stride, only for Josh to yank him backward hurriedly.


    There was no fire, no warmth, no life.


    "It''s only an empty husk of stone, one that''s long been abandoned." He sighed. <sub> </sub>


    "W-what if it covers the entrance to an underground soundproof bunker where they party every day? What if¡­" Even he realized how improbable this was.


    It wasn''t that he disliked Josh''spany, but he wasn''t blind either. He had sensed that they would soon part ways.


    One was a fearless being with a death wish, while the other just wanted to live peacefully, possibly finding himself a pretty girlfriend, hopefully female.


    They intruded upon the bastion, searching for any clue as to the whereabouts of the inhabitants. They almost gave up until they found a journal in some cryptguage.


    Just as they were rejoicing, they suddenly realized that the fortress wasn''t as abandoned as they had once believed as everything started shaking.


    ¡ª Tremble! ¡ª


    ¡ª RAWR! ¡ª


    Was that a roar? The loud sound was covered by the even louder grinding of stones on the ground. That''s when they felt an eleration¡­.in a fortress?!


    ¡ª Bam! Bam! Bam! ¡ª


    Running to a window, they couldn''t help but draw a cold breath. The "dragons" they had seen earlier were nothingpared to this.


    They finally realized why the humans had left. The verynd under their feet had been a monster all along, and it was moving!


    Gigantic, scaly, mean-looking, its back covered in rocky tes and lots of vegetation by now. Some madds had unknowingly built their base on a monster!


    "W-what is this?!" The man suddenly turned pale in dread and disbelief.


    "This is one crazy powerful creature. That''s what it is." He could feel the creature overflow with power, various lizards bowing in reverence on its passage.


    Before long, it was stopping somewhere they were very familiar with: the sea. The creature slowly went into the water, waves invading the stone fortress.


    Just as they were prepared to take their chances and swim out, the creature stopped. Was it taking a bath or something?


    ¡ª RAWR! ¡ª


    Along with his roar, the unthinkable happened. Lizards came out on the beach in droves as if an army, swimming straight toward them! What the hell?!


    "W-what are we gonna do?!" Hispanion screamed in fright.


    Still, something was strange. There were all kinds of lizards, even some they had seen fight in the past. Now they were all obedientlying over, utterly peaceful.


    A secondter, they all started diligently scrubbing the titan''s carapace. Wait, could it be possible that¡­?!


    "Clean up!" Josh instructed as he began scrubbing the floor as if his life depended on it.


    "W-what are you doing?!" The man asked, bbergasted. Had the warrior lost his mind?!


    "If I''m not wrong, that''s the only way to survive. We need to¡ª"


    "Hell no! You''re crazy! Don''t think I haven''t seen the way you talk alone at times! I''m not gonna go down with you!" The man rebuked as he went into a corner to hide.


    Crazy? Perhaps he was¡­ In any case, he kept scrubbing, even as countless monsters invaded.


    Many jerked in shock as they saw the human. Even their lizard brains couldprehend that his presence was odd, but then they remembered the overlord''s orders.


    Clean, they had to clean, and he too was cleaning¡­ Strangely they all avoided him as they made their way around the room.


    Lizard maids sure was an unusual sight, but he did not question it. He simply kept working, even when amotion happened. They had found hispanion!


    Cleaning Human ¡ª> Ally?


    Hiding Human ¡ª> Invader!


    The man was frozen in fear, unable to even move a muscle as so many creatures surrounded him. "S-save me!" He barely found the energy to beg.


    "What are you doing?! Save yourself! It''s not toote, just¡ª"


    "I-I can''t¡­."


    Goddammit, this guy sure was a pain. Josh dragged him nearby and used his body as a mop. The monsters finally backed down, resuming their respective tasks.


    The man was soaked and half-drowning but alive. Before long, the creature roared again.


    ¡ª RAWR! ¡ª


    All the minions dispersed as quickly as their legs could carry them as if on cue. They had aplished their duties and were free again!


    Things returned to quiet as the behemoth went to crash on the beach to dry.


    "T-thank you so much for¡ª"


    "Hurry up and trante this." Josh hadn''t simply saved him out of generosity.


    "S-sure¡­"


    It took the man an hour to read the journal. In this hour, they learned more than they had in the previous days of wandering. There were a few takeaways:


    1. The world was ending with Towers and monsters spawning.


    2. Climbing was the fastest way to gain strength by gaining a ss.


    3. There was nowhere to hide. It was the same Hell on the nearest Alliance''s continent.


    Alliance was a term he had heard often from Markus. At that moment, Josh would have kissed whoever wrote that journal. He finally knew the path forward.


    No wonder he couldn''t find any Metropolis. He was on the freaking wrong continent! He diligently observed a map drawing they found on one of the pages.


    He was currently on a puny ind, one barely inhabited by man. Now, how was he going to return home?


    ne ¡ª> It would be very hard to find one.


    Boat ¡ª> Crafting one able to resist the sea would be a challenge.


    Swim ¡ª> This seemed like the better option by far. Of course, he wouldn''t be the one swimming. He simply had to find himself some fast sea monster, right?


    "Well, it''s time for fishing." He happily resolved.


    She had been the one to teach him this skill, and now it would serve her rebirth. She would have probably called it fate¡­.

 Chapter 399 Beach Episode + Fat Whale

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥


    Near Metropolis-W, what was once a beautiful and peaceful beach had suddenly turned into a nightmarish scene, the sand red from the blood, entrails everywhere.


    The roar of a behemoth resounded amidst the cries of terror.


    ¡ª GAAAOOO! ¡ª


    ¡ª m! m! m! ¡ª


    A tail asrge as a ship kept mming into the sand, crushing plenty of unlucky Climbers. The quaking sand made getting one''s footing way too hard!


    "Kill this monstrosity! Protect the Metropolis!"


    The behemoth they were facing was an incredibly huge mutated whale that made Moby Dick look like a small fish!


    Its entire body was covered with sharp pricks that threatened to impale anyone trying toe anywhere near, and its attack power was over the chart.


    The logical thing would have been to run ind, right? They all wanted to leave the creature to rampage in the water, but there were two issues.


    1) This thing could use water magic to attack from a distance, capable of targeting the Metropolis from the sea.


    2) This whale was able to survive while onnd. It was powerful enough to swim in soil, destroying everything on its way.


    "Make it understand that it will suffer if it keeps fighting us! This thing isn''t too smart. As long as you can wound it, It''ll leave by itself." Their leader shouted to reassure his men.


    How many would die today? A while back, everything was still fine. The whales rarely ever came near humanity, but they had recently grown bolder.


    As more and more whales were ejected from the Underwater Tower nicknamed Antis, the entire nearby sea region had be unnavigable. This had already crippled so much trade!


    If only the whales would only eat nkton like regr ones. Nope, far from it! Just recently, monsters had attacked a cargo of mayonnaise, filling the sea a cloudy white for an instant.


    ¡ª GAAAOOO! ¡ª


    "Bring the siege weapons!" The leader screamed.


    At first, they had tried installing energy turrets, but they had been destroyed. Now they''d move their artillery after every fight for it to avoid a surprise whale snipe.


    The first part of the fight was always the hardest. As soon as the canons were powered on and aimed at their target, the Climbers sighed in relief.


    "st that fucker!!!"


    ¡ª Bam! Bam! Bam! ¡ª


    The gigantic creature was hit straight on, shrieking in pain. That''s when it raised its tail, using it as a shield. From that point onward, the operators would take care of it!


    ¡ª Bam! Bam! Bam! ¡ª


    An incredible barrage of projectiles flew toward the enemy. Just as they were about to collide with the mastodon, a water shield appeared around its body.


    From now on, it would be a battle of attrition until the monster eventually gave up, running away. But suddenly, there was amotion.


    "Oh god! We''re screwed!" A Newbie shouted, pointing toward the horizon where a new Mutated Whale had just appeared.


    Many got ready to fight, their faces grimacing from dread. They barely had enough canons to pin down one creature. "C-chief, what now?!" One asked nervously.


    Many veterans erupted in genuineughter, seeing the worried expressions. They had been in their ce not long ago.


    "Hehe, no need to worry! Those whales are solitary creatures, and they''ll nevere near one another, at least not onnd." One of them revealed.


    "R-really?! Thank god!" Exmations of relief echoed across the battlefield. Many regretted pissing themselves in fear a few seconds ago.


    Everything was going so well¡­..but then it happened.


    "Oy, leader. There''s something wrong!!" A Climber suddenly shouted.


    That''s when they finally realized the issue. Theughing veterans suddenly choked, their eyes bulging. Why the hell was the new whale bing bigger and bigger?!


    It wasing over! Had they freaking jinxed themselves?!


    "D-don''t tell me we have a variant on our hands?! Mages get ready to send barrages of spells, and scouts prepare to draw this thing away. We''ll have to separate them!"


    Fighting 2 whales at once ¡ª> Suicide


    Fighting a single variant ¡ª> Possibly Suicide Too


    What did variant even mean? Nothing and everything at once. It referred to any Magical Creature that didn''t behave as it should.


    A variant could be as weak as strong, but there was always the factor of unpredictability. Underestimating them would always end badly.


    Many understood that this would perhaps be theirst battle. Their heart was heavy as they sent texts to their loved ones before tightening their grasp on their weapons.


    "It''s here." They shivered.


    ¡ª GAAAOOO! ¡ª


    The gigantic creature bellowed as I crashed on the beach, appearing incredibly domineering. And yet there was a tiny shout mixed with the powerful roar.


    "Motherfuckingnd! Finally! We did it, Whally! You''re the freaking best!!!"


    ¡ª GAAAOOO! ¡ª


    Just as they were frozen, a scaly humanoid was catapulted onnd, embracing the bloody sand with both arms.


    "?!?"


    A curious youngster was carefully etching closer when themander warned him. "Stay back!" The once steady man''s voice was now shaking.


    A creature able to order whales around?! He was already subtly sending emergency messages via his UW. <sub> </sub>


    ¡ª Urgent! A cmitous level sentient humanoid beast has appeared! Metropolis-W is facing potential extinction! This is not a drill. Send help ASAP! ¡ª


    The leader had trouble breathing, fearing for the future of the human race. Amander could turn any OP magical beast into an even more OP variant!


    They heard the giant creature bellow once more in the tense atmosphere, seemingly conversing with the humanoid monster.


    ¡ª GAAAOOO! ¡ª


    Were they about to attack?


    Were negotiations even possible?


    The behemoth suddenly retreated, disappearing underwater, leaving the scaly humanoid alone.


    Many sighed in relief, but the more discerning ones realized the implications. He had the confidence to face them all alone?!!!


    Without minding their presence one bit, he started assembling what seemed to be human bones in a pentagram shape.


    "L-leader, I think he''s drawing a magic circle¡­S-should we attack?!"


    "A magic circle?! What kind?!"


    "That¡­.I have no clue. I have no memories of it. But why else would he be arranging bones out of nowhere?"


    "We keep watching for now¡­." He exuded so much confidence. The way he didn''t seem to mind their presence at all was hinting at his power.


    That''s when the scaly creature raised its head, pointing at a nearby Climber toe over. The youngster nced at his captain before nervously advancing.


    A secondter, he wasing back toward the leader, his face twitching weirdly.


    "What did he say?"


    "H-he says we should be helping if we''re just gonna stand around and stare."


    "Helping?!"


    The humanoid was already pointing at the idle Climbers and the bones. His meaning was clear: "Be helpful, will you!"


    They reluctantly and very slowly approached, trying to determine the creature''s actual power. Yet every time they tried, it gave them an obviously fake result.


    Was this guy really weaker than them? No freaking way! They weren''t that gullible!


    Part of them dreaded what he was doing, but they found sce in the fact that he not only spoke theirnguage but hadn''t shown any aggressivity either.


    Perhaps they would survive this day?


    Just as they were thinking that.


    ¡ª ZOOM! ¡ª


    Five Large Flying Battleships came out of Metropolis-W, all heading their way. They were thest line of defense of the City and were barely ever used for that very reason.


    Metropolis-W ¡ª> Trading and fishing hub, not so much a warring state.


    In seconds, they flew above the beach, sealing the area thoroughly. They were ready to st everything to smithereens, even their men if necessary.


    The scaly humanoid nced at the machines of destruction seemingly with appreciation before¡­waving at them as one would a taxi?! Was he for real?!


    A government member came down, ready to hear the creature''s demands before initiating an all-out war. He looked at them weirdly.


    "Demands? How about a warm shower and a lift to Metropolis-D? But before that, there''s something I have to do." He turned toward the sea cryptically.


    "W-what would that be?" The diplomat gulped.


    Suddenly the whale came back, so close to the humans that they thought they were goners. It opened its ginormous maw, and out of it fell countless sea creatures.


    "Oh, it''s simple: barbecue. I promised this big guy to cook a mouthful of prey in exchange for bringing me here. I had to cross the ocean somehow." He shrugged.


    The mutated whale helping him? ¡ª> It simply desired food


    The weird bone pentagrams? ¡ª> Primitive barbecue stands


    The monstrous appearance ¡ª> It was just a full-body armor


    A dirty yet clearly human young man hid underneath the scales.


    How could they have even misunderstood him? His aura, perhaps? Maybe his attitude? One asked why he hadn''t said anything with canons aimed at him.


    "Why? I didn''t feel any killing intent whatsoever." He even shrugged as if it were obvious. They could only ept this odd exnation.


    "S-so you''re a Climber. What guild are you in?" One asked, perplexed.


    "Oh, you guys probably don''t know it, but it''s called Dimensional Legion." He offhandedly replied as he busied himself with cooking.


    "D.L.?! No wonder" Many eximed in shock. They had never seen one of their members themselves, but they had heard of their reputation asplete lunatics!


    Just like that, a tense situation quickly resolved itself over warm bonfires, tasty food, and campfire stories (His).


    As for how to tame a whale? ¡ª> Be genuine and spend lots of effort!


    He wasn''t even a tamer, and he had seeded. Was the trick to treat them as equals? Before long, he boarded one of the ships, leaving behind a legend, and renewed hopes.


    Perhaps they''d be able to tame whales, too, and even reopen the docks!


    As they flew toward Metropolis-D, Josh couldn''t wait to meet the ones he had left behind. Were they worried? Then again, the Orc King had probably sensed his return already¡­

 Chapter 400 I NEED HER!!!

    Arge flying bus flew to the ground, eager travelers flowing out.?


    "Wee to Metropolis-D! Please be careful not to leave the city''s premises without an escort!" A friendly U-Bot reminded them.?


    Josh sighed, hearing this. He had been away for around a month. It wasn''t too long a period in a human''s life, but humanity''s situation had changed.?


    As he nced around, he could notice a high number of refugees. Their heads were low, their clothes dusty, and the world''s weight seemingly hung on their shoulders.?


    The cause was evident, the news going on and on about it. As more and more Towers appeared, mana had spread worldwide, and the wildlife had grown incredibly stronger.?


    This evolution was oftentimes apanied by increased hostility. It had reached the point where something like a pigeon could devour a Non-Climber adult!?


    The Climbers too had changed. Pets followed most, some even dressed in extravagant armors that were no doubt shier than practical.?


    As he made his way toward his school, he felt foreign. He had the feeling of having been sent to a parallel universe.?


    On the way, he could see many squads patrolling, actively hunting. Perhaps this was the only upside of the situation. There would be no shortage of high-quality meat.


    a?? Reached D-23! a???


    He was confronted with a semi-transparent energy shield as he reached the defense perimeter. The unassuming regr forest look was long gonea?|what a shame.?


    "Halt, who goes there! This ce is restricted!! Entry is reserved strictly for members!"?


    "What if I simply want to visit?"?


    "Tcha?? Do you think this is a tourist destination?! Men, do it!"?


    The many guards surrounded him, wariness in their eyes asrge metallic pirs suddenly came out of the Earth. A secondter, a strident sound wave erupted from them.?


    a?? Screech! a???


    It was so unpleasant! As he winced in annoyance, the men seemed slightly relieved. He could hear them murmur, "Guess he''s not a mutant. Still, we can''t allow him to roam free!"?


    Josh could only use his secret weapon: calling the cavalry in!?


    - Josh MF Malum: I''m back. Meet me at the entrance.?


    - Recruiter Frank: What?!? Holy shit!!!!?


    He came running, his arms iling all over in excitement. Going missing for a while in this world usually meant being dead! The guards watched, shellshocked as the big boss personally weed this stranger.?


    The outside world wasn''t the only one that had changed a lot. The school had developed a lot. It had gone from arge town to pretty much a city!?


    The streets were wide/numerous enough to warrant names and signs. There were patrols in charge of public order, markets, and that one ship monastery in the background.?


    It seemed the Serenity Monks had decided to stay.?


    "Here, follow me." Frank gently whispered, entering a restricted building.?


    Josh had barely taken a few steps inside when the door locked, trapping him inside a metal prison. a?? Initiating Containment Measures! a?? A cold AI voice sounded,sers pointed toward him.?


    "?!?"?


    "Hehe, you really are a fool, aren''t you! Do you seriously think I''d allow you toe back? With you gone, I''m the one calling the shots." Frank''s voice came out of a speaker.?


    "a?|." Was he for real?!?


    a?? Bzzzt! a???


    The Canons started buzzing, gathering enough energy to make him disappear whole. There probably wouldn''t be any trace that he had ever existed.?


    He obviously couldn''t ept this! But even then, more than anger, he felt puzzlement. Was it about credits? Was it about power? What had happened while he was gone??


    The canon was about to fire when something happened. He felt the ¨¤???? ne around his neck suddenly float upward, revealing itself.?


    a?? Analysis Complete! User Josh Malum Confirmed! a???


    That''s when Frank reappeared, eyes leaking and adorning a massive smile.?


    "I-it''s really you!" He happily jumped forward, going for a bear hug as he exined himself.?


    Gene Corp was adept at maniption and even had his DNA from when they had restrained him. The sneaky bastards were great at making fake Joshes by now!?


    Luckily, the copies were short-lived and so damn expensive to produce that they hadn''t been able to use them to nder him.?


    They had apparently tried infiltrating the school and assassinating Markus using his face. Who knew if they hadn''t also gotten their hands on a godly UW hacker now!?


    "Sorry, I had to be safea?|." He apologized.?


    "Whatever, what did I miss? Also, where''s everyone? Let me guess, the Orc King''s busy with a student exchange or something?" Josh jokingly remarked.?


    "a?|." Frank''s eyes showed sorrow as he sighed. The loud and friendly Orc had nevere out of the Tower in the first ce, gone with him.?


    Without even saying a word, Josh rushed out. The guards couldn''t help but jump in shock as they saw him bolt all the way from D-23 to the D Tower!<sub> </sub>


    "Enter Floor 27!"?


    [Sorry, This Floor Is Currently Unavable!]?


    [Please Select Another Floor!]?


    "Bullshit! Let me in, you useless piece of junk!"?


    [You have gained too many benefits from this Floor!]?


    [Would You Like to Launch Floor 28?]?


    Too many benefits?! He had almost freaking died to one Ethereal Subus Queen who hade out of absolutely nowhere!?


    The bystanders exchanged ufortable, annoyed, or evenughing gazes as they witnessed the puny human hammering at the Tower.


    "Let him out, then! Why is he still in there when I''m out! This doesn''t make any sense. He''s mine!!!" He screamed at the lifeless Tower.?


    [Items/Monsters Cannot Be Remotely Taken out!]?


    His distress prompted many murmurs:?


    "Another crazy fool trying to reason with the Tower."?


    "Have a heart, will you. He obviously lost his boyfriend in there, poor thing."?


    "Poor thing? How many have lost their loved ones to the Tower?! That''s even worse with the normal difficulty disappearing from the higher Floors!"?


    An MTA patrol stopped near him, sighing. "Young man, I can understand your pain, buta??" The soldier attempted tofort him, only for Josh to bolt away again.?


    Wallow in despair? a??> Not his style!?


    For all he knew, the Orc could be waiting for him on 27 Hellish. He''d take the time to bring him back for sure! Think, think, freaking think!?


    The Orc was a monster. While not a pet, he was linked to him. This meant that he should be able to bring him back with summoning, right?! He spotted Frank running toward him.?


    "You, I need a summoning teacher ASAP!" Josh''s tone was urgent, and he wouldn''t take no for an answer.?


    "Teacher?! There are many in our school with a summoning-rted ss. I guess we can ask one to help witha?|.actuallya?|"?


    "What is it?!"?


    "Do you remember when we first met, I was talking about an idol group visiting Metropolis-C? One of the girls is amazing: if it exists, she can summon it."?


    "Could she teach me?!"?


    "I can arrange for them to perform at D-23. With our renown, it should be easy. Perhaps just watching their show would give you insights, and if that doesn''t work wea??"


    "DO IT! I don''t care how much it costs. You''re getting them here ASAP! Kidnap her if you need, make capturing her a school mission even!?


    "I''ll do it right away." Frank couldn''t help but give a wry smile as he messaged the group. It just so happened that he had their number on speed diala?? for reasons...?


    Somewhere in Metropolis-C, a gorgeous girl suddenly jumped up, screaming in shock, her colleagues raising an inquiring brow.?


    "What''s up with you?! Is there another strange Tower opening somewhere? I''m telling you we''ll be staying here either way. The outside world is far too dangerous!" One warned.?


    "T-that''s not it! I-it''sa?|."?


    "Tcha?? Hurry up and spill it. What are you getting flustered for?"?


    "W-wea?| we''ll be performing for D.L. right at their school!" She cried out, her heart already beating incredibly fast. Just being allowed inside D-23 was hard nowadays!!?


    "W-what?! Are you pulling my leg? When?!" They all nced at their leader with expectation, their mouth open. She wouldn''t lie about something so huge, right?!?


    "T-tomorrow." She nervously spat out.?


    "What?! Isn''t that way too fast?!" They eximed, stunned.?


    "T-that''s not all. Their leader will be there! Can you believe it?!"?


    "Frank? Don''t you have his number already?"?


    "Frank? No, not Frank. I mean Josh, Josh MF Malum!"?


    "The dead one?!"?


    For them, this was the opportunity of a lifetime! None realized how big of a news this was, nor the chaos it could bring to the CDE region. One even happily and recklessly posted on SnapCat.?


    "Hehe, guess who we''ll be singing for...." e?¡è?


    Their cheerful bubbly selves couldn''t even fathom the disaster they were about to unleash on the world...?


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