Chapter 25 – Winds of Change (1)

Re​ad on KatRe​adin​gC​afe

Periodic events like the Consecutive Bloodbath inevitably have a significant impact.

This is because they provide top Rankers who have been unable to ascend further and whose growth has stagnated with the power and opportunity to break through their limits.

Whether they achieved better-than-expected results or fell short of expectations, the reality is that everyone who participated in Consecutive Bloodbath became at least a little stronger than before.

The Tower promises rewards to those who step up and fight.

That was the norm.

“Vice-guildmaster, it’s a message from Jung Chan-soo of Valhalla. It seems to be about the next attempt to conquer the 150th floor.”

“It’s about time we talked about it.”

At those words from a Guild member who had come to the Guild headquarters, Kim Ji-eun, who had been sitting askew in her office, uncrossed her legs and put down the document she was holding, letting out a smirk.

‘It’s a ridiculously grandiose name no matter how many times I hear it. And he’s old enough to know better… but he’s proving himself purely with skill, so I can’t say anything.’

Valhalla. Hearing that name, Kim Ji-eun clicked her tongue softly.

The Guild member, Mark, who had delivered the message, didn’t understand why she was reacting like this. Mark was from a different world, not Earth.

“I’ll reply to this separately. Thanks for your trouble.”

Having grasped the content of the message, she put it down with an indifferent attitude.

Selecting the best personnel for the conquest and devising a plan to match was not a discussion that could be done in a day or two, but she was used to it.

With over ten attempts to conquer the 150th floor, it wasn’t like it was a new experience.

And probably, this would continue to happen until they reached the top of the Tower.

“Only the two of you will be participating again this time, I presume.”

Mark looked down at her with a nervous expression. From his posture to his tone, he was on high alert.

Mark was a giant warrior over 190cm tall, but he couldn’t dare to look properly at Kim Ji-eun, who had such a petite frame that the chair looked large on her.

“Of course, you idiot! There’s still not a single one of us who’s passed the 149th floor!”

Slamming the desk, she stood up, glared at Mark, and wagged her finger.

Reina and Kim Ji-eun were the only top Rankers in the Over Moon Guild who could challenge the 150th floor.

Mark himself had only just reached the 140th floor, so it would be a long time before the entire Over Moon Guild could pass the 150th floor.

It was only natural that if only two people participated in a large-scale conquest involving nearly 100 people, the Guild’s standing would only be at that level.

“Do you think we can hold our heads up if the Guild’s level is lower compared to Reina’s status? And it’s not just a matter of pride. The Guild’s status is so important in things like dungeon allocation and defense deployment…”

‘Ah… I’ve made a mistake. How can such a temper fit in that small body?’

Perhaps she was relieving the stress accumulated from handling Guild affairs as the de facto leader, but once Kim Ji-eun’s nagging exploded, it showed no signs of stopping.

Acknowledging his mistake in bringing up the topic, Mark started spacing out, pretending to listen attentively in a standing position.

In fact, Mark had been with them for over 50 floors. This wasn’t a new occurrence.

“Please fix it. But everyone achieved good results in this Consecutive Bloodbath, didn’t they? So as not to be ashamed of the Master, who achieved such amazing feats.”

“Thanks to that, we got through it without any major problems.”

After Kim Ji-eun had vented to some extent, Mark naturally changed the subject.

In fact, most of the Guild members had achieved quite high accomplishments in this Consecutive Bloodbath.

Kim Ji-eun herself reached stage 100 for the first time. It was quite an achievement for a mage.

Reina must have been pleased to hear that because she didn’t say anything even though the goal of everyone reaching stage 100 had failed.

“…You know why I’m always on your case.”

“Of course. There’s no one in our Over Moon who doesn’t know how much you’re suffering as the one stuck in the middle.”

Mark smiled at Kim Ji-eun’s puffed-up cheeks.

Mark’s connection with them began on the 88th floor. It started when he had lost his comrades and was wandering around, and he temporarily joined their conquest team as a mercenary.

‘I can’t forget that time.’

It was the turning point in his life, or rather, his Tower life.

It was Kim Ji-eun who first reached out to him when he was lost, wandering, and exhausted, right next to Reina.

-“Why are you trying to avoid it so much when your life and limbs are still intact? It’s not over yet. There’s a long way to go, and that means there are many opportunities.”

Kim Ji-eun’s words, spoken with a smile when he was exhausted both physically and mentally, made Mark join them.

In fact, most of the current Over Moon Guild members were recruited or dragged in through Kim Ji-eun in this way.

A person who draws people to herself. Mark was convinced that Kim Ji-eun had that power.

Reina, seeing that, summarized it in a way he couldn’t understand, calling her like an outgoing puppy.

“So everyone is grateful. Not only to the Master, who doesn’t abandon us, but also to you, Vice-guildmaster.”

In that way, Over Moon was a group created by the direct, intertwined relationships they formed while climbing the Tower.

Both Reina and Kim Ji-eun were in a position where they could go to much larger forces right now and receive generous treatment. At the same time, they could have much more outstanding individuals under their command.

However, unlike other Guilds that boldly repeated recruitment and expulsion for the sake of their power, they have been trying to take even those who are somewhat behind with them, gritting their teeth.

So, as members, they are trying to climb the Tower without giving up in order to follow Reina, who continues to climb higher.

“We’re family. How can you abandon family?”

Kim Ji-eun smiled at Mark’s words.

The fact that she pushed and squeezed the Guild members was all for their sake.

If they weren’t precious, she would just kick them out, but because they are precious and cherished, she tries to go with them no matter what.

***

‘Family…’

Dealing with the backlog of work from the Consecutive Bloodbath, it was already sunset.

Kim Ji-eun, rising from her seat with tired eyes, approached a photo hanging in her office.

It was a commemorative photo taken right after a large-scale defense battle that all the Guild members had participated in most recently.

In fact, it is not impossible to communicate with the outside of the Tower itself. It is very difficult and complicated, but it is possible to exchange news with the outside, even in a limited way.

At least you can know the life or death of your family.

That’s why people in the Tower, who have come to live completely different lives in completely different worlds, were able to long for the past, their hometowns, and their families.

“I…”

However, Kim Ji-eun smiled bitterly as she looked at the photo.

Abandoned as soon as she was born, she was from an orphanage with no relatives. Even then, she grew up being abused, so she didn’t know what family was.

Her unique bright personality was just one of her shields for herself in the past.

[Authentication Complete]

A magic circle appeared on her hand, and the wall where the photo was hanging slid open, revealing a secret space hidden inside.

“Haa… Reina-nim’s scent.”

In that place full of Reina’s photos and belongings that filled the wall, Kim Ji-eun ran to the casual clothes worn on a mannequin and rubbed her face against them, hugging it tightly.

For her, Reina, who had been with her since the very beginning of the Tower, was not just a benefactor who saved her life.

At that time, both Reina and Kim Ji-eun were unable to trust people and were as sharp as could be.

In the process of inevitably getting entangled in order to survive, the two began to open their hearts to each other rapidly after they began to trust each other once.

‘Such a wonderful person, such a perfect person~’

For her, Reina was the one who showed her what family was, something that others would die for.

So, just as others would devote themselves to their families, she was confident that she could do anything for Reina.

Being a role model to promote Reina’s greatness and spread that belief to the Guild members was all because of that.

The fact that she wanted to see Sylvia defeated by Reina and acknowledge it and submit was also due to that influence.

But recently, she was starting to get greedy little by little.

Maybe she couldn’t become closer than family.

‘Hoo, I guess I’ll have to go touch her directly. Isn’t it about time she came out of the training ground?’

After rubbing against the mannequin for a long time, Kim Ji-eun left the secret room with a feeling of regret.

This secret hobby was inevitably developed because of Reina’s tendency to be extremely shy and avoid physical contact to the point where they couldn’t even take a bath together in the past.

It was a frustrating thing for Kim Ji-eun, who had no qualms about physical contact between women, but fortunately, Reina’s threshold has lowered a lot these days, so she didn’t say anything about physical contact.

“What are you doing after I’ve been sweating?”

“Reina-nim’s sweat is just water anyway.”

Kim Ji-eun, who broke into Reina’s personal training ground in the basement, hugged her without hesitation.

Reina sighed at that action, but she didn’t push her away with a fit like before.

‘This is only allowed for me, right?’

The thought that only she was allowed to watch Reina, who was disheveled from intense training, right next to her, and even hug her, made Kim Ji-eun’s lips widen into a grin.

“Try to refrain from it in front of others. You might get a bad reputation.”

Contrary to Kim Ji-eun’s thoughts, Reina, who already knew everything about her actions and thoughts, warned her cautiously. She told her to keep the line.

“Bad reputation… that’s true. Those who don’t know how close we are will just judge by what they see on the outside.”

Kim Ji-eun, who had been stroking Reina’s waist, took a step back and hardened her face.

The Tower is also a place where people live.

Rather, because people gathered from various worlds are placed in extreme situations, many extraordinary things happen to the point where external scandals seem trivial.

“Did I say that you’re pretty all the time? I don’t care about Reina-nim’s appearance or gender. I just…”

“If I were a man, even worse rumors would have spread.”

Reina, who chuckled at Kim Ji-eun’s grumbling, blocked her lips with her finger.

“I’m going down to the 35th floor tomorrow. Now that the Consecutive Bloodbath is over, I have to continue doing what I have to do.”

“Jung Chan-soo sent a message saying ‘let’s discuss the next conquest.’”

“You only need to come for a little while then, right?”

“Hing…”

Going down to the 35th floor. Kim Ji-eun’s eyes twitched for a moment at those words, and then her eyebrows drooped openly.

Even if she wanted to follow, she couldn’t because she was now in a position where she had to take responsibility for many things.

‘Is it okay yet?’

The fact that responsibility comes before desire means that the person is healthy and normal.

Kim Ji-eun couldn’t see it because her vision was low, but Reina smiled faintly as she looked at her.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Even the most disgusting of things become an object of worship if you are mentally ill enough.

Don’t trust me? Go ask the server’s certified stinker, Myssoferia for exa- *THUMP*

Ow.

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