KUKUKUKUKUKUKU—

Even now, faint explosions could still be heard far in the distance.

The aftermath of the nuclear blasts was overwhelming.

In an instant, the Celestial Realm had become hell.

A scene of devastation created by Rajix at Juhyeok’s command.

Under normal circumstances, with explosions on that scale, Juhyeok and the summoned entities should not have survived either.

That many nuclear warheads had detonated.

By all logic, everyone should have died together.

But because of the potential explosion Crackers had triggered with the whistle, his infinite turbo blink flight was practically moving at the speed of light.

FLASH! POP-POP-POP-POP!

And he had not flown in a straight line.

FLASH! POP-POP-POP-POP!

He zigzagged, circled the city once—

FLASH! POP-POP-POP-POP!

After confirming that Rajix had dumped every last nuclear warhead out of subspace, he fled straight ahead at full speed.

At a rough estimate, that speed had carried them at least halfway around the circumference of Earth.

The potential explosion lasted ten minutes.

Only about five minutes had passed.

Even so, they were already far beyond the nuclear blast radius.

Only now could they breathe easy.

The green bomber hovered in stationary flight.

*****

Mad Demon clicked his tongue and spoke.

“From now on, do not call this old man things like mountains of corpses and seas of blood, or the most vicious man in the martial world. The real thing is someone else.”

As he said that, Mad Demon looked at Rajix.

“From today onward, mountains of corpses and seas of blood belong to the dimensional farmhand.”

“Wah?”

“With my crescent sword aura, how many could I truly kill? Compared to what the dimensional farmhand has done, this old man is nothing.”

“Waaah...”

Juhyeok did not feel at ease.

Staining Rajix’s hands with blood—

Was that not something he himself had ordered?

But—

“Elder Mad Demon, compare things that should be compared. Did the dimensional farmhand drop nuclear warheads on the human world? This corrupt and filthy world is nothing more than the Black Tower’s auxiliary and accomplice.”

As expected of Gyeon Dallae.

Such a sharp and wise perspective.

“Our dimensional farmhand merely cleaned up insects diligently. Mountains of corpses and seas of blood? If you put it that way, every pest control company on Earth would be a pack of villains.”

“...Mm. That was not what I meant.”

Cossack shook his head from side to side.

“Tsk, tsk. I knew it would be like this. Your pride’s been getting too high lately. Why are you suddenly judging right and wrong?”

“N-no, when did I ever say Rajix was wrong?”

“Enough!!! Get a grip! Did you think getting a little immortal energy made you an immortal? You old menace of the martial world!”

“You damned bastard...?”

But the tide had already turned.

An onslaught poured down as if everyone had been waiting for this.

“Has the old man’s gall finally burst? How dare he call the dimensional farmhand mountains of corpses and seas of blood?”

“This is insubordination. It can only be interpreted as an attempt to overthrow the boss and seize power.”

“So how strong did he really get? Want to try me?”

“A warrior is confident.”

“One-on-one is unreasonable. Meatshield, just hold him down. I will finish it.”

“Confident you can dodge sub-light-speed rounds?”

“Young master, please punish Mad Demon with the Judge’s Hammer.”

“WAAH!”

Mad Demon retreated step by step.

His face looked deeply wronged.

In truth, he had not meant anything bad. He had meant it as praise.

Juhyeok let out a light sigh.

He had been wondering why they had not fought lately.

So he changed the subject.

*****

“Mr. Crackers.”

“...Huff, huff. Y-yes. Speak, Summoner.”

He looked exhausted.

No surprise, after detonating his potential.

“You can put us down now.”

FLAP, FLAP.

Crackers landed.

As Juhyeok and the summoned entities climbed down from his back—

POOF!

He polymorphed back into human form.

Juhyeok took a ticket from his inventory.

A ticket that instantly removed all penalties and status effects affecting a single summoned entity.

RIP!

[All penalties from the potential explosion affecting summoned entity Crackers have been removed.]

FWAAAAASH!

A cluster of light seeped into Crackers.

That should do it.

Probably.

The mission seems finished too. Feels like it is time to leave.

The countless system messages he had heard while fleeing.

They had definitely included completion notices.

Something about defeating a fallen archangel, defeating an authority angel, defeating an inverted angel, destroying various buildings, destroying temples, Great Mission complete, Great Mission complete, Great Mission complete...

About ten times ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) in total?

If he had to guess, the mission area from the 96th floor upward was the corrupted divine land of the fallen Celestial Realm.

You completed various objectives here—

Find some place, destroy some thing, kill someone.

And they had wiped all of that out in one go with nuclear bombs.

It was similar to the Demon Realm.

Back then, they had cleared the main mission area, the Demon Realm, in one shot too—

Even while facing the demon army.

Could it really be another one-shot clear this time?

Highly likely.

At that moment—

Ding!

A message notification sounded.

“Mission clear?”

“Probably...”

[The Punishment Angel Ronseraphim, ruler of the Corrupted Divine Land, appears.]

Nope.

Punishment Angel Ronseraphim appears.

“He is not dead yet?”

“Persistent.”

“A cockroach?”

“A holy cockroach. Novel.”

“If it is an angel cockroach, that is vulgar.”

“If a great archangel shows up, that is the jackpot.”

“Is Mad Demon a mad-pot?”

“Jepetto is a vampire, so blood-pot.”

“...Let’s stop.”

“Yes, yes! Mm, Summoner, you are modest.”

Honestly.

“Sorry.”

At that moment—

Mad Demon lifted his head as if he had sensed something.

“There he is.”

He raised his hand and pointed toward the distant sky.

A small object could be seen there.

It was slowly descending.

Coming closer.

CLACK!

Veronica Caliber finished loading the sub-light-speed rounds.

“Shall I fire? Just give the order.”

Hmm.

End it before he landed?

But—

“I sense no killing intent. He likely wishes to talk.”

Talking was fine.

Juhyeok subtly took out the Judge’s Hammer.

This might be his chance to use it.

“He seems stronger than a great demon, but not beyond handling.”

“And he does not appear to be whole either, so there is no need to worry.”

The summoned entities formed ranks.

Mad Demon stood at the front, with Bardin and Meatshield on either side.

Next came Cossack, Baek Danya, and Manyear.

At the very back, the rest of the summoned entities tightly surrounded Juhyeok.

SSSSSH!

In the meantime, Punishment Angel Ronseraphim fully descended to the ground.

Now his appearance was clearly visible.

It was a mess.

Truly miserable.

Almost pitiful.

A broken left wing, a missing left arm, a melted left side of his face—

As if half his body had been swept away by the nuclear blast.

He had only one eye left.

His right eye.

And that right eye was fixed precisely on Juhyeok.

Whether he was simply looking or glaring, it was impossible to tell.

—Was it you who brought the fire of purification down upon the Celestial Realm?

It was not purification.

It was radiation.

Nukes.

Not that he seemed to know what those were.

—Indeed. Thanks to you, the veil of delusion has been lifted.

Huh?

There was a strangely friendly tone in his words.

A sudden sense of unease passed through Juhyeok.

Is this... a good angel?

Crap. That was bad.

At this rate, he might have to use the Judge’s Hammer on himself.

“I’m sorry for going a little too far—”

—Thank you. For giving me a chance to atone.

—I am a sinner. I lost my god after falling to the temptation of a heretical existence. Before you, I offer my repentance. Please forgive me.

Suddenly?

Why was he repenting in front of him?

—It was a miserable Celestial Realm. A world where laws collapsed as punishment for losing our god, where pitiful, twisted beings were born from the remnants of creation’s authority.

He meant the fallen lesser angels.

—Thank you for granting them rest. And for opening the eyes of me and my comrades as well.

Mm.

He never thought he would be thanked for dropping nukes.

—Your benevolent will and indomitable courage have led the Celestial Realm to salvation.

Uh...

No matter how anyone looked at it, nukes were not salvation.

Had radiation messed with his head or something?

—Chosen one, move forward. At the final destination, all answers await you.

“N-no, wait!”

At that moment—

WOOOOOOONG!

White flames blazed fiercely from the Punishment Angel’s body.

Like—

Radiance?

Bardin trembled and spoke.

“An authority of self-sacrifice...”

What?

Sacrifice?

—I shall bestow a blessing upon you and your companions with the fragment of divine power I have left.

FWAAAAASH!

—O light!!! Illuminate the path before them!!!

KABOOM!

The Punishment Angel’s body exploded in an instant, then turned into light and vanished.

PAAAT!

Brilliant radiance spread outward.

Holy power seeped deep into their bodies.

And then came the harmonious immortal energy, generously welcoming and embracing that holy power.

What was this now?

A shower of radiance?

No—a holy power shower?

It seeped in.

Since it was holy power, it seeped in divinely.

This was not a one-time thing that entered and disappeared.

It took root inside the body, asserting its presence as a permanent current of holy power.

That was right.

Now holy power had entered his body as well.

How many kinds of energy were inside him now?

Internal energy, immortal energy, the magic power of a Dragon Heart, nether energy, and now holy power.

The holy power shower continued.

Every kind of energy had its own affinities.

The summoned entity who had grown the most from the Great Demon Heart Enhancement Elixir, earned as the reward for conquering the Demon Realm, was Diamat.

Then what about the holy power shower?

As expected, it was the holy knight Bardin.

With both arms spread wide and one knee on the ground, he received the dazzling radiance of holy power in its entirety.

Meanwhile, Diamat and Jepetto frowned deeply, rejecting the holy power shower.

Bardin was going to get truly strong.

Was he going to become an angel?

That was exactly what happened.

“Ah!”

Radiant wings sprouted from his back.

They fluttered.

Bardin’s body began to rise into the air.

And then—

Ding!

[Defeated Punishment Angel Ronseraphim 1/1.]

[You have completed the ninth stage of the Great Mission.]

Mission complete.

Another jump.

The ninth stage, no less.

The Demon Realm had gone up to the fifth stage.

Here, it had gone through the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth.

Ding!

[Achievement: You have purified the Corrupted Celestial Realm.]

Not just purification.

Nuclear purification.

[Achievement reward granted.]

[A sprout of holy power blooms on the 17th floor of the White Tower. A divine blessing is bestowed upon all life living on the 17th floor.]

The achievement was expected.

But a divine blessing?

Now the ambient energy on the 17th floor was a mixed bag—

Magic power, immortal energy, and holy power.

Ding!

[Achievement: First player to subjugate a Punishment Angel.]

Again?

[Achievement reward granted.]

[A one-time-use skill allowing the summoning of a Transcendent (Beyond) summoned entity has been registered to your Status Window.]

“Uh...”

[Summoning a Transcendent (Beyond) summoned entity requires 30 Platinum Badges.]

[The one-time Transcendent (Beyond) Summon skill will be deleted from the Status Window after use.]

“It finally appeared! Transcendent summon!”

“Transcendent, sir?”

“Welcome, oh Transcendent One.”

“Will the Sword Immortal come again?”

“Is the Sword Immortal the only Transcendent? Someone else will come.”

“Then Yama?”

“That one is getting old.”

Ding!

[Returning to Black Tower Floor 96 on Earth No. 675.]

It was over.

Time for the reckoning.

SPOT!

Juhyeok and his party arrived in the 96th-floor waiting room.

The verdict?

[World Announcement: You have achieved EX clear grade on Black Tower (Germany), Floor 96.]

That was one.

[EX Clear Reward: Player Traits will be enhanced.]

Right.

Of course they would give it.

An EX clear reward.

“Pla—what?”

Had he misheard?

Not Platinum Badges, but Trait enhancement?

Ding!

[Additional clear records have been discovered.]

[Entering Black Tower (Germany) Floor 97.]

SPOT!

[World Announcement: You have achieved EX clear grade on Black Tower (Germany), Floor 97.]

[EX Clear Reward: Player Traits will be enhanced.]

“...Huh?”

Seriously?

Trait enhancement again?

[Additional clear records have been discovered.]

[Entering Black Tower (Germany) Floor 98.]

[World Announcement: You have achieved EX clear grade on Black Tower (Germany), Floor 98.]

[EX Clear Reward: Player Traits will be enhanced.]

“Wow!”

[Additional clear records have been discovered.]

[Entering Black Tower (Germany) Floor 99.]

[World Announcement: You have achieved EX clear grade on Black Tower (Germany), Floor 99.]

[EX Clear Reward: Player Traits will be enhanced.]

It was so absurd that he was speechless.

The summoned entities were the same.

“Is this the backlash of causality?”

“I-it seems so, sir. They must be paying the price for blocking entry in the first place.”

The clear rewards were insane.

Four Trait enhancements?

That meant—

[Level]: 100 LV

[Trait Skills]: Designated Summon / Random Summon / Dismiss Summon / Transcendent (Beyond) Random Summon (1 use)

“Yes!!!”

Juhyeok raised both arms high, reveling in joy.

CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!

A storm of applause poured down.

They had completed up to the 99th floor.

Only one remained.

The 100th floor.

“Climb it right now?”

Hmm.

There would not be a problem even if they did, but—

“Let’s rest a bit. And check how White Tower Floor 17 has changed.”

“Yes, sir!”

Take it slow.

Calm down the excitement.

They would probably need more supplies too.

[Exiting the Black Tower (Germany).]

*****

The Black Tower management room, Earth No. 675.

Three people sat in machines shaped like massage chairs.

The Designer, the Engineer, and the Maker.

Administrators were originally guaranteed immortality.

Bodies created by the god.

No disease. No disability.

What if they suffered an accident?

They regenerated quickly and healed right away.

Unless their head was severed or their heart ripped out, they would live forever.

That was the reason they had applied to become administrators in the first place.

If not for immortality, who in the world would volunteer for administrator dispatch duty?

Not even to their home base—

But to an unfamiliar parallel-universe Earth.

For a period that might last 100 years, or 200.

They had to serve continuously.

But the Designer’s condition was no longer intact.

He was dying.

[Designer?]

[Ghrrk... khk... grrrrk...]

[Haah... this is driving me insane.]

There was nothing wrong with his body.

But his soul was being erased.

How?

The only thing capable of forcibly damaging a soul was divine punishment.

The cause of the Designer’s condition—

It happened when he met the summoner from Earth No. 1,001 as a hologram in the 96th-floor waiting room to block his Tower climb.

That bastard had gone on about “your sins condemn you” and swung a wooden hammer.

Unbelievably, the hologram had been bound.

How was that even possible?

No matter how closely it was linked to the main body, a hologram was essentially an illusion.

The power of the wooden hammer traveled backward along the hologram link and struck the Designer’s soul in the management room.

That was why he was in this state now.

An even more shocking fact—

The secrets of the Black Tower had been laid completely bare.

Worse, he had been branded with the mark of sin karma.

Sin karma?

What kind of nonsense was that?

Was managing the Black Tower as the god commanded a sin?

Was collapsing the Black Tower as the god commanded a sin?

Was destroying worlds as the god commanded a sin?

What were they supposed to do?

The administrators had merely fulfilled their roles faithfully.

The Engineer and the Maker were furious.

They could never forgive that summoner player who had painted them as criminals.

So they manipulated the system and forcibly severed the connection between the 96th floor and the mission area.

He would not even be able to enter.

For at least three months.

Sure, the storm of causality was frightening.

But so what?

All or nothing.

Let whatever happened, happen.

But even that had been broken through.

That bastard was freely entering and leaving the 96th floor.

And now—

96th floor cleared.

97th floor cleared.

98th floor cleared.

99th floor cleared.

[.........]

[......]

A madman.

The 100th floor was next.

[W-what do we do?]

[...c.]

[The summoner will enter the 100th floor. We can’t just let that happen.]

[And do we even have a way to stop him?]

[Hmm...]

[It was a mistake from the start to accept dispatch duty to Earth No. 675.]

[Damn it!]

[Yeah. Let’s just curse.]

Because that was all they could do now.