Ch. 66 The Root of the Matter (6)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 66 – The Root of the Matter (6)
“As previously announced, we will attempt an exploratory raid on the main dungeon of the 151st floor. Finish your preparations and gather.”
An exploratory raid is exactly what it sounds like—exploration. The goal is not to clear the dungeon and move on to the next floor immediately but to get a rough idea of what the dungeon is like.
If things go south, using an escape item to get out is the top priority. The more difficult the dungeon, the more standard it is to slowly figure out its structure and purpose before attempting a full raid.
‘Though we’ll probably clear it in one go.’
After finishing my short vacation on the 78th floor, I attended a preparatory meeting and chuckled as I watched Jung Chan-soo step down from the podium.
In the original work, the 151st floor was cleared in one go during the exploratory raid without any delays.
Now that I’m here too, we should be able to clear it even more easily.
As long as those damn troublemakers don’t interfere.
‘Still, it might be a bit tough this time.’
I don’t expect anything from those trash, but this time, I held out a little hope.
Just as we’re preparing to raid the 151st floor, they’re also dealing with something big right now.
The Heavenly War seems to be one of the more important sources of points for the constellations.
Given their tendency to cause trouble only when they have the resources, the chances of them participating are high.
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[The Demon Lord’s rampage is insane.]
[Is there anywhere that needs reinforcements? I can join late if needed.]
[Is there a betting pool for this too? It’s surprisingly fun.]
.
.
.
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That evening, when I naturally logged into my fan gallery, which had been buzzing all day with even the smallest details about me, it was now filled with something else.
They were live-streaming and discussing the war raging somewhere I couldn’t see.
The lighthearted atmosphere wasn’t much different from before. Many constellations who couldn’t participate were chatting as if they were watching challengers in the tower.
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[Look. This is our gallery’s main star.]
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Among the rapidly rising posts, one caught my eye immediately.
As if entranced, I clicked on the post and found a video someone had uploaded.
‘Serpina.’
The video showed a goddess, surrounded by countless blades, blocking an onslaught of enemies all by herself.
I had known about her since reading the original work, and now she’s been my contracted constellation for several years, but this was the first time I’d seen her in action.
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ㄴ“Wow, her elegance is truly unmatched.”
ㄴ“She’s probably dying to teach that to Reina.”
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In the video, the beautiful goddess with long, flowing black hair, dressed in black dragon robes, stood atop a towering snowy mountain. Her golden eyes gleamed as she swung the sword resting on her shoulder.
Simultaneously, the countless blades surrounding her flew out, tearing through the hordes of enemies charging at her from all directions.
The legions of destruction she was facing were far stronger than anything I’d seen in the tower.
Her presence was like a one-woman army.
‘She’s even stronger than I thought.’
I had read descriptions of her power, but seeing it in person was incomparable.
Until now, the strongest person I’d seen was Jung Chan-soo.
The overwhelming rank 1, the protagonist of the original work, who had already grasped a portion of the power he would gain in the future.
But that was about to change.
There’s no end to the path of strength.
Even Serpina, whom I had just watched in awe, couldn’t be called the overwhelmingly strongest among the countless constellations.
‘I want it. I want to make it mine.’
My heart resonated more strongly than ever.
I wanted to reach that beautiful, lofty realm and grasp it with my own hands.
What would it be like to face Serpina directly someday?
Just imagining it was a stimulant for my desire to grow.
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ㄴ“I was worried when she said she’d block them alone, but I was wrong. I’m going to rake in the points this time.”
ㄴ“How does she get so strong while spending so much time in the gallery? Is she embezzling points? Lol.”
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Serpina’s power left a deep impression not just on me but also on the gallery users.
Since she’s also the main administrator of the gallery, the forum was abuzz with discussions about her for a while.
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ㄴ“She’s amazing.”
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I even left a few timid comments to cheer her on.
It was funny how our roles had reversed.
Who would’ve thought I’d be the one watching Serpina, who usually supports me?
If possible, I would’ve loved to film her myself.
‘It’s only the first day of the Heavenly War. It’ll go on for a few more days.’
Like the large-scale defense battles in the tower, the Heavenly War doesn’t end in a day or two.
Serpina probably won’t return to the gallery until a few days later, when the event is over.
***
“You’ve worked hard.”
“It’s only the first day.”
From midday until dawn.
Serpina, who had single-handedly held a strategic point against countless enemies pouring through a gate, returned to her temporary quarters, catching her breath and sheathing her sword.
Half-listening to her attendant, she immediately pulled up two screens.
The first thing she checked was, of course, Reina, whom she hadn’t been able to watch all day.
‘Training, huh.’
Reina was alone in the underground training hall, wielding her sword.
It seemed like a lot of time had passed—the training hall was a mess from the aftermath, and Reina was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.
“As expected.”
Serpina nodded with a satisfied expression.
The ones who had overreacted were those who didn’t know Reina well.
The Reina she knew would never give up. Even if she tried, Serpina herself wouldn’t allow it now.
However, Serpina didn’t know that the real reason Reina was training so hard was because of her.
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ㄴ“The overall situation seems a bit uncertain.”
ㄴ“The enemies are getting stronger and multiplying, but our side isn’t keeping up.”
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After checking on Reina, Serpina browsed the forum she had left unattended for the day.
The gallery, managed by Perbas and other administrators, was running smoothly, but as Serpina scrolled through the comments praising her video, she began to notice some expressing concern.
“Is the situation elsewhere that bad?”
“It’s only the first day, but there are reports of some areas being defeated and others expending more energy than necessary due to lack of strength.”
“Tsk…”
Serpina frowned at her attendant’s reply.
As the Heavenly War progressed, the balance maintained over the long years was beginning to crumble.
The enemies invading from outer space were growing stronger and more numerous, while our side’s growth couldn’t keep up.
No one had a clear solution to this problem.
Even Serpina, compared to the ancient tower and its systems, was like a newborn baby.
‘And now, more people are getting distracted by that strange place.’
Her face twisted as she thought of the troublemakers in Fate Road.
They probably participated in the Heavenly War to earn a lot of points. Ironically, without ability, even causing trouble wouldn’t get them noticed.
But if the points they earned were used for sabotage rather than nurturing the next generation, what was the point?
“Grow quickly. We need more stars like you to restore balance.”
She muttered, turning her gaze back to Reina.
Her desire to make Reina the strongest wasn’t just a personal preference.
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[The S-grade weapon selection Reina got this time… Shouldn’t she obviously pick the Twin Blades, Telendar?]
ㄴ“If she trains properly from the tower, reaching the true realm of the Gale Sword isn’t impossible.”
ㄴ“Wow, what is this clueless guy even saying?”
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And Serpina wasn’t the only one thinking this.
The fan gallery users, who had gathered to support and watch Reina, were also fiercely debating which S-grade weapon Reina should choose.
“Should we start selling tickets?”
“No, let’s watch a bit more. Let other users see what the topic is and join in.”
Serpina, amused by the debate, decided to let it continue for a while.
All constellations agree that what you can gain in the tower is vastly different from what you can achieve after graduating.
If a challenger, guided by the knowledge of constellations, sweeps up all the rewards in the tower and follows a systematic path, how strong would they be when they become a constellation?
It’s a topic that sparks endless imagination.
‘Our Reina still has potential.’
Knowing that Reina, who had changed recently, was now even adjusting her personality and acting exactly as the constellations hoped, Serpina held onto hope.
She believed that Reina could truly reach the realm everyone only imagined.
If Reina really reached that realm and joined Fate Road, Serpina was certain she would become a star who could even surpass herself.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
When we reach that point in the story, you can look back and see how far the story has gone.Well, it’s still a long path before then, so oh well.
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