Chapter 16 – Competitor (1)

Ｒｅａｄ​ ｏｎ Ｋ​ａｔＲｅａ​ｄｉ​ｎｇ​Ｃａ​ｆｅ

“Pre-event interviews with the leaders? Ugh, what a hassle…”

“You know I can’t handle this for you. Besides, after the recent failure of the 150th-floor raid, the atmosphere needs some lightening. Don’t worry, it’ll be short, as usual.”

Kim Ji-eun shook her head firmly, saying there was no other way.

I wanted to focus entirely on training during the limited time I had left, or at least get some proper rest.

But as the leader of a faction and a ranker, there were responsibilities I couldn’t ignore.

Even if I didn’t want to step forward, people’s attention was focused on me, and I had to know how to accept and use that attention. That was part of the responsibility.

The pre-event interviews for the upcoming Continuous Bloodbath were no exception.

Since the rewards varied depending on the ranking, the competition was bound to be intense. It was a battleground not only for those in the Tower but also for those outside, who closely watched the top rankers.

To prevent sabotage or injuries caused by competitors trying to monopolize the rewards, the leaders of the top factions came together to establish a new order to avoid such incidents.

And the one who led this initiative was none other than Jung Chan-soo.

As depicted in the story, Jung Chan-soo deeply despised unnecessary internal competition and waste.

With his overwhelming strength, he suppressed and eliminated those who opposed him, eventually bringing the top factions under his control. It wasn’t easy to go against the will of Jung Chan-soo and his allies.

“Should I come with you?”

“You should focus on your own tasks. What I said still stands. Everyone in our guild must surpass 100 waves.”

I stopped Kim Ji-eun, who wanted to accompany me if I was uncomfortable.

She, too, needed to push herself in her final training. Though the leaders’ gathering was bothersome, I had done it several times before.

It wasn’t too difficult to go, mumble a few words about doing my best, and leave.

‘I should stop by the sanctuary while I’m out.’

Yawning, I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my tracksuit and headed out alone.

Unlike the 30th floor, the upper floors were filled with people somewhat familiar with me, so I didn’t need to cover my face to avoid attention.

It had been a while since my last visit, and the cooldown for accessing the sanctuary had passed. Since I was already leaving the headquarters, I planned to visit the constellations and hear what they had to say.

The gallery was probably still heatedly debating the armor issue.

“As the rumors say, some are motivated, while others seem to have lost their drive.”

“What can we do? The recent 150th-floor raid ended in failure…”

The reporter, Edmond, clicked his tongue as he repeatedly snapped pictures with his magic stone camera.

The gathering on the 135th floor was a pre-event meeting for the Continuous Bloodbath, where faction leaders swore to maintain order and answered questions from the countless people watching through the media.

Though this event hadn’t been around for long, participation was high.

Naturally, the importance of the gathering grew as the leaders and rankers of the top factions periodically came together.

People gathered, and those who gathered naturally communicated. Moreover, those gathered here were already rankers and leaders of factions in the Tower.

In other words, it was like a small political arena.

‘Is Solarian really sitting out this Continuous Bloodbath as the rumors say?’

‘The fallout from the 150th-floor raid failure is huge. Jung Chan-soo’s faction’s position will only grow stronger.’

As some leaders began to arrive, they started a fierce game of reading the room. For them, this strange political arena was a means of survival.

Even if they lacked strength, information, or resources, political power could cover those gaps.

Making allies and restraining enemies to gain advantages was the basics of the basics.

“Long time no see, Belual.”

“It’s been a while for you too. By the way, is that ring the S-grade Eclipse Ring you obtained last time?”

S-grade weapons, equipment, and flashy suits—most leaders brought out their best to avoid being overshadowed.

After all, even without political motives, they were all rankers competing for position.

They hated the idea of being seen as inferior.

“Isn’t this a bit too much every time? Is this an item showcase or a meeting?”

“Don’t say that, Sejin. It’s only natural for them to do their best with whatever abilities they have.”

Sylvia Kaaz was no exception.

Though not a faction leader, she was a top 10 ranker and, like the others, came armed and dressed in her best.

“The only one who doesn’t need such preparations is the one everyone already acknowledges.”

Sylvia, her elven skin flushed, glanced in one direction. There stood Jung Chan-soo, wearing a simple suit, unlike the others.

‘Everyone here is just a tool for him. No one in this Tower can go against him, the one true hope. Not even you, Sejin, or me.’

Just looking at him from afar made the tips of her pointed ears turn red.

Sylvia Kaaz had been with Jung Chan-soo since the lower floors, one of his loyal companions who would do anything for him.

“And yet, that woman dares…!”

It was then that Sylvia saw something that disgusted her.

Reina, sitting quietly at a desk, dressed in a baggy tracksuit, unlike the others.

Her eyes were hidden behind large sunglasses, and her head was tilted slightly.

She was clearly asleep.

The others, now used to this sight, didn’t approach or speak to her.

‘A mere 15th-rank dares to reject his grace…’

Sylvia’s beautiful face twisted in anger, obvious to anyone who saw her.

Sylvia had overcome her elven instincts of monogamy to allow Jung Chan-sou to have an unofficial harem of heroines by his side.

She had once thought Reina would join them.

Reina, a person who didn’t exist before Jung Chan-soo’s regression, was special. If she had joined, Sylvia would have treated her as a subordinate but still as part of the group.

‘How dare she not know her place!’

But Reina had rejected Jung Chan-soo’s offer.

She had become an official competitor, standing apart from Jung Chan-soo’s faction.

“We still need people like her. Just in case, don’t touch her. She’s essential for the upcoming Tower conquest.”

To Jung Chan-soo’s faction, which dominated many of the new top rankers, Reina’s faction was insignificant.

Over Moon had no rankers in the top 50 besides Reina and Kim Ji-eun.

But Jung Chan-soo had always shown interest in Reina.

Sylvia, unaware of the regressor’s secret, sometimes felt that his interest in Reina was greater than his interest in her.

“Calm down, Sylvia. Do you want to get scolded again?”

“Tch…”

Sensing the tension, her companion Lee Se-jin tried to stop her with a panicked expression.

Biting her lip, Sylvia had no choice but to suppress her anger. She had once nearly clashed with Reina, who had been disrespectful to Jung Chan-soo.

She was confident she could win, but Jung Chan-soo stopped her. That day, Sylvia heard the word “disappointment” from him for the first time and was devastated.

“It’s fine. But since this is an official event, I can’t help but say a word to that arrogant woman.”

Sylvia forced a smile, barely containing her anger.

She didn’t plan to lose her temper. But she could at least give a warning, right? She was the 10th rank, and Reina was five ranks below at 15th.

In the Tower, strength was everything. Bowing to the strong was basic etiquette.

And Sylvia was one of those who fervently believed in that unshakable rule.

“…?”

“Wake up. Do you know what kind of event this is, and you’re sleeping?”

Sylvia didn’t lose her temper. She just walked up to Reina’s desk, slammed it loudly, and glared.

Jung Chan-soo wouldn’t say anything about something this minor.

“I wasn’t doing anything today, just sitting quietly. Why are you picking a fight, Sylvia?”

Startled awake, Reina frowned and removed her sunglasses. She had been engrossed in the community when she was forcibly awakened, so her irritation was understandable.

The deep red and emerald eyes of the two women clashed in the air.

“It’s Sylvia-nim! Higher in rank, age, and status than you in every way…”

“Alright, alright. Sylvia-nim.”

Reina waved her hand dismissively at the fuming Sylvia.

This scene had repeated several times, so those around them just shrugged it off.

“I don’t get why you’re so obsessed with rankings. You know battle outcomes can change depending on the situation and conditions.”

“You wouldn’t care if you were at the bottom. But we’ll have to deal with each other often, whether we like it or not, so shouldn’t we establish some order just in case?”

Sylvia responded seriously, her voice low.

It was more of a difference in perspective.

Reina, who understood the meaning of strength in the Tower but only brought it out when absolutely necessary, and Sylvia, who lived by that strength every day.

“Is that so? Jung Chan-soo doesn’t seem to think that way.”

“Don’t you dare speak his name so casually!”

Reina smirked as she glanced at Jung Chan-soo in the distance, realizing why Sylvia was keeping her voice down.

Taking it as a provocation, Sylvia finally reached out and grabbed Reina by the collar.

“Hey. Let go.”

At that moment, Reina’s voice changed.

Author Note

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

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Kpop stans exists even in a world where Kpop doesn’t exist.

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