Chapter 19 – Continuous Bloodbath (1)

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The constellations of Fate Road, especially those who enjoyed watching challengers from the newly opened tower, had a strong tendency to be drawn to those who displayed unique and interesting behaviors.

Whether it was to witness scenes they had never seen during their own ascent of the tower or to vicariously live through the dreams they once had, their motivations varied.

For those who gathered with such diverse reasons, Jung Chan-soo and his comrades, who had reached the ranker position with overwhelming strength and an unstoppable momentum, were undeniably attractive subjects.

They were the kind of characters who could take on the roles of protagonists and their surrounding cast in a story. The charm they possessed was not far from forming a massive united fandom.

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[Sylvia vs. Reina? Comparing them is impossible lol.]

[Anyone who knows anything can already tell who’s going to win.]

[That bitch Reina would need another 10 years to even catch up to Sylvia.]

[Poll results show 87% predict Sylvia’s overwhelming victory, folks.]

[Are the betting odds for real? Sylvia’s odds are 1.2x, Reina’s 5.8x lol.]

[This match seems like it’s going to be pretty one-sided.]

[Why all the fuss? She’s going to win anyway.]

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In reality, the atmosphere within this united fandom centered around Jung Chan-soo wasn’t too bad.

Not only Sylvia’s personal fans but also other fandoms predicted Sylvia’s dominance and believed she would win the match.

They were excited to immortalize the moment Reina would bow down to Sylvia, and some even openly talked about using that footage to invade Reina’s fan galleries and humiliate them.

To the overwhelmingly large fandom with immense firepower, Reina’s much smaller but tightly-knit fandom was an easy target to bully whenever they felt like it.

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ㄴExperts would bet on the underdog in situations like this.

ㄴCan’t you stop piling up karma? What if Sylvia actually loses?

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Of course, there were a few who watched this situation with interest or felt uneasy.

But they were nothing more than flickering candles in the face of the overwhelming public opinion.

“Are you doing this because you’re confident?”

“Yes.”

Meanwhile, those who were unaware of the storm brewing in the community were having a quiet conversation in a secluded space.

‘She’s usually not like this, but whenever she’s involved with that woman, she stirs things up.’

Jung Chan-soo let out a small sigh as he watched Sylvia, who had her hands clasped together and was bowing her head meekly, asking for his trust.

Unlike her usual demeanor when facing Reina, Sylvia now was the epitome of a noble and elegant elf aristocrat.

She was exactly the image Jung Chan-soo had hoped for when he saved her from a fate of corruption and defilement.

“I won’t intervene since it’s already happened. I trust you.”

If he had known beforehand, he would have stopped it, of course.

But Sylvia had already acted, and since this was a personal matter between individuals, he was confident it wouldn’t affect their plans.

“I don’t think I’ll lose, but even if I do, it’ll just be me humiliating myself in front of that woman. It won’t interfere with the plans you’ve laid out.”

Sylvia acted as if she knew exactly what Jung Chan-soo hated the most.

In reality, only a few close confidants like Kim Ji-eun and Jung Chan-soo knew about the match between Reina and Sylvia.

Excluding Fate Road, of course.

-“Tell Sylvia. She’ll be able to obtain something useful for this match.”

‘But why are even my constellations paying attention to such a trivial and lighthearted match? Has something like this ever happened before? Is this normal?’

Recalling the words of the constellations, which he could hear on the spot thanks to his Insight stat exceeding 2,000, Jung Chan-soo’s face hardened as he watched Sylvia’s retreating back, overjoyed after receiving the random reward box he had given her.

Perhaps there was a secret even he, a regressor, didn’t know about, and that thought was deeply unsettling.

The future he knew had already been twisted in many ways by his own hands, but the discomfort he felt now was on a different level.

‘Just like the moment I first saw her.’

The face of the silver-haired woman who had glared at him flashed through Jung Chan-soo’s mind as he stood alone.

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“Wow… an S-rank random box!”

“It’s not like it’s your first time seeing one.”

A radiant light descended from the sky, and a crystal box that proudly displayed its high rank at a glance.

Kim Ji-eun marveled at it, and I chuckled.

Even if it’s random, by the time you reach the 150th floor as a ranker, it’s normal to receive one or two of these… or so I thought.

That was before I realized that these were essentially donations gathered by the users of Fate Road.

‘No wonder Jung Chan-soo and his crew were showered with so many rewards!’

The larger the fandom, the larger the donations.

The fact that the protagonist’s faction, Jung Chan-soo’s group, received so many good rewards wasn’t just a convenient plot device for the story.

「Modular Armor·Hermetica (S)」

I received the reward from the box, already knowing what it was.

An S-rank reward infused with sci-fi technology, it wrapped snugly around my wrist.

As I activated it, nanomachines spread out in an instant, covering my entire body and transforming into a lightweight, futuristic black suit.

“This… is really amazing. An S-rank armor, just when I needed it.”

Although Serpina had given me some hints, it would be normal for me not to know the true nature of this reward.

For those watching my reaction right now—or rather, eagerly waiting to enjoy it—I did my best to react appropriately.

“You don’t seem too happy? It looks like an incredible armor.”

“…No, that’s not it.”

My hopeless acting skills made Kim Ji-eun tilt her head in confusion, but I definitely tried my best to show that I was pleased.

I think I’ve done my part. What matters is proving it to them through results.

“You definitely look lighter than before.”

“Yeah. That’s what I wanted in the first place.”

Hermetica’s advantage is its lightness and speed. Satisfied with the performance of the armor that clung to my entire body, I took the opportunity to ask Kim Ji-eun for a favor.

I asked her to attack me with magic.

It was to test both the new armor and the new power I had perfected through training.

“Here I go!”

Kim Ji-eun pointed her staff, larger than herself, at me and cast a spell without hesitation.

We had done this kind of sparring often, and Kim Ji-eun trusted that I wouldn’t get hurt by her attacks, so she went all out.

S-rank ability, Fire Barrage. Dozens of flaming blades erupted, filling the entire training area in an instant and flying toward me.

‘If this were before, I would’ve stood my ground and taken the hit.’

Gripping my sword, I lowered my stance and immediately began to move.

Instead of blocking every strike with brute force, I minimized unnecessary impact and used efficient movements to subdue the enemy.

My movements increased, but as a result, my mana and stamina consumption decreased.

“That movement…! It’s so different from before!”

Kim Ji-eun’s eyes widened as she watched me break through her magic with smooth, rapid movements.

The radiant platinum light enveloping my body left afterimages as I moved swiftly and flexibly.

By the time I broke through her magic and reached her, Kim Ji-eun looked utterly stunned.

“Looks doable, right?”

I deactivated the armor and smiled in satisfaction.

The new ability I gained, the synergy it created, and most importantly, the new sword techniques I learned directly from the constellations—who were like veterans themselves.

This was my foundation.

“It looks really impressive, but are you really stronger now?”

“I still need to prove it, of course.”

As someone who could peek into the galleries, I was confident. But to people like Kim Ji-eun, it was hard to tell whether the path I was walking was thorny or smooth.

So, one way or another, I had to prove it.

And the time for that proof was now right around the corner.

「Continuous Bloodbath Open」

Continuous Bloodbath was an official trial provided by the tower’s system.

Like entering a dungeon, anyone with challenger privileges could enter easily, and you didn’t even need to go to a specific location—you could enter just by opening your status window.

That’s why our guild decided to gather in one place and enter together. Even though we’d be separated the moment we entered.

“Most of you have probably already experienced this.”

I looked at the guild members who had gathered, their faces tense.

Though not as close as Kim Ji-eun, many of them were comrades I had known for a long time.

“Don’t let your guard down. And remember, we’re definitely getting stronger as time goes on. As long as we train properly and earn our rewards.”

Though not as much as Kim Ji-eun, I had become somewhat accustomed to being a leader. Encouraging and pushing them was also my role.

“So, there’s no excuse for performing worse than before. Aim for at least 100 stages. At the very least, surpass your previous record.”

“What’s the penalty if we fail?”

“Hmm, 100 hours of continuous training with me?”

I chuckled at Kim Ji-eun’s joke to lighten the mood, but the guild members’ faces turned pale.

Even though there was a basic difference in stats, no one in our guild could last longer than me.

That’s why they were especially terrified of training with me until they collapsed from exhaustion.

“…Just kidding. Let’s make it out alive. Your lives are more important than any penalty.”

I changed my tone just before entering the dungeon.

The reasons for fighting to the end in the tower varied for each person, but all those reasons could only be achieved if they survived.

The same went for me and the people around me.

…I don’t want to lose anyone else. Not that I can stop it even if I wanted to.

「Continuous Bloodbath Stage 1」

As I manipulated my status window, the world changed.

The guild members lined up in front of me, the guild headquarters—everything disappeared, and I was alone in a dark, cave-like place.

But this cavern was enormous. It was large enough to fit an entire colosseum.

「Continuous Bloodbath Stage 1 Clear」

The giant carnivorous crickets that appeared to attack me were instantly incinerated the moment I released a radiant light.

「Previous Record: 115 Stages. No Rewards Granted」

‘I’m starting to get the hang of it.’

In Continuous Bloodbath, rewards start coming in from 30 stages below your recorded stage.

When the giant centipedes appeared as the second-stage enemies, I remained still, letting the ones that charged at me burn to death in my light.

I had to clear them quickly while conserving as much stamina as possible.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Some people do want to be used and manipulated by handsome/beautiful characters

Those are a fetish I don’t understand but hey,

It’s proof that my mind is still sane unlike theirs.