The tower’s record-holders revealed which floors they held records for, and the record-holder for Floor 2 was Kali, World Rank #2.

Kali had uploaded a video too, and it showed Kali fighting a black lion.

“Isn’t a black lion basically a near-legendary monster?”

A black lion’s level was in the 500s. But the reason it couldn’t become legendary-class was because it didn’t possess the traits to match.

“So the Floor 2 trial is just beating the black lion?”

Kali denied it. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

“Not at all.”

“But you fought a black lion—how is it not?”

“Because that black lion was the existence that made me feel my ‘greatest fear.’”

“???”

Kali pinned down Floor 2’s trial precisely.

“On Floor 2, the existence that appears changes depending on the entrant. As I said, the one that appears is the existence you felt the greatest fear toward.”

“The System measures it and determines it as the greatest fear among your entire history.”

“So if someone met a dragon, a dragon comes out?”

Kali shook Kali’s head.

“If a user has met a dragon, the probability of a dragon appearing is high. But very few users have met dragons—and you can’t say it must be a dragon to be your greatest fear. Think back. What was the existence that terrified you the most?”

“When I was level 150, I nearly pissed myself when a Skeleton Knight appeared in a dungeon...”

“That’s true. When I was level 300, the Parion Empire invaded Goyard and I met Fenrir. But why does the boss mob I met at level 100 still feel scarier than him?”

Kali wrote a reply like Kali had gotten the answer Kali wanted.

“Because the fear you felt seeing Fenrir at level 300 and the fear you felt seeing a boss mob at level 100 are different. Fenrir is a Legendary monster, but the boss mob you faced at level 100 felt more terrifying to you.”

Only then did people fully understand, and Kali added:

“High rankers will inevitably have more ‘special’ targets of fear than normal users. Even in intermediate or high-level brackets, the places they hunt are exceptional compared to where normal users hunt.”

“So if you get lucky, a level 100 boss mob might show up?”

“Oh, then that’s insanely good.”

“That won’t be a good thing. This is tied to the record. Unlike Floor 1, you don’t set a record by breaking through quickly—you set it based on what level the monster you hunted was, and what level of fear you carried toward it.”

“And starting from Floor 2, when you clear it you receive Honor Points. These Honor Points accumulate depending on the monster you hunted.”

“In my case... (screenshot.)”

The Honor Points read 120,000.

“Honor Points are points you can use in the Honor Shop that exists only in the Tower of Honor.”

Back then, Kali was subtly showing off.

But users didn’t understand the value, and anonymous others who had climbed the tower proved it.

“That’s insane...”

“I had 25,000 points. Record-holder indeed.”

“^^;;”

Only then did Kali look satisfied.

The whole reason Kali posted on the community in the first place was to low-key brag!

But there was no way jealous users were going to leave Kali alone, and a keyboard warrior—nickname Keyboard Fighter—moved.

“Isn’t it possible someone could get 200,000 points?”

“......Impossible. Honor Points depend on the existence you feared the most—on how strong that monster is.”

“But you don’t know that. This is Ares—over a billion people play. How can you guarantee it?”

“It’s basically confirmed that even Bahala and Kabel had monsters under legendary-class appear, and fewer than ten users have ever solo-raided a legendary-class monster.”

“Isn’t there no such thing as ‘absolute’ in the world?”

Back then, it was obvious even through the screen that Kali visibly bristled at Keyboard Fighter.

And Keyboard Fighter said:

“Next door, Rund said if someone shaves his record, they’re his little brother.”

Kali was different.

There was no way Kali would get excited and make some empty pledge like that—

“Scared?”

“.......”

“......?”

“Fine. I’ll promise too. If someone gathers that much Honor Points, I’ll be that person’s son. Satisfied?”

Kali waited, watching to see what this bastard would say.

How could someone be this annoying?

But no matter how long Kali waited, no reply came.

“......Hello?”

The bastard had gotten what he wanted and left the community.

There was a rumor that Kali couldn’t hold back the rage and smashed the keyboard that day.

Now.

[Rund: I’ll do that.]

Hyunsoo ended the conversation with “little brother(?)” Rund through a phone synced to Ares.

Once I’m done climbing the tower, I’ll be able to use that well.

Then Hyunsoo sat back down at the computer to review the details of Floor 2 again.

Before shutting the computer down, Hyunsoo checked the community nickname.

[Keyboard Fighter]

That’s right.

The user who had used the nickname Keyboard Fighter back then was Hyunsoo.

Heh-heh. Heh-heh-heh.

Back then, Hyunsoo hadn’t had an entry ticket, so Hyunsoo couldn’t climb.

And watching Rund’s comment, Hyunsoo had gotten inspiration—so posts under the name Keyboard Fighter seeped into every record-holder’s community thread.

Alright. I’ve secured my little brother(?) for now.

If someone saw this, they might say it.

Isn’t that too scummy?

“Ehehehehehe!”

Coincidentally, Hyunsoo really was scummy.

But Hyunsoo knew what kind of people Kali and many of the record-holders were.

Most of them were people who bared their teeth at Hyunsoo and showed greed.

People who lost the Great Atlas War and still kept saying, “We just let our guard down.”

And Hyunsoo felt a sense of duty.

I’m carrying too much.

Gremory. The kings who led an era. And all the other tightening dangers.

Hyunsoo was now standing in the position of a ruler who had to protect those who feared such things.

I’ll get stronger, no matter what it takes.

[Connecting to Ares.]

Hyunsoo connected, stood before the door, and organized Hyunsoo’s thoughts.

The existence I feared the most.

Honor Points tied to the record.

Since Floor 1 couldn’t affect damage, Floor 2’s reward is likely something related to damage.

Before pushing the door open, Hyunsoo thought.

Who is it?

Is it Gremory?

No. Like Kali said, it might not be.

Hyunsoo might have felt fear stronger than what Hyunsoo felt the first time Hyunsoo saw Gremory.

The Fifth Calamity Jack? The Giant King? Fenrir?

Hyunsoo didn’t know.

It was just a trial to overcome.

The moment Hyunsoo opened the door and stepped in—

KRAKAAAAGH—

[The trial of Floor 2 begins.]

[The one you ‘feared the most’ descends.]

A being began to appear, wrapped in black currents.

*****

There was a special demon.

Unlike ordinary demons, it was an existence that could remain in the human realm.

But that demon was treated like a mongrel.

Because it was a rare breed born between a vampire and a demon.

But regardless of that mixed blood, it was a once-in-an-era genius rarely seen even in the ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) demon realm.

Some said that if its blood had been pure, it might have become a top-ten great archdemon.

That special demon couldn’t fit in within the demon realm, so it passed its time in the human realm, taking humans smarter than itself and tormenting them for pleasure.

And then it was killed—by certain existences.

Demons normally disappear when they die.

But in its case, it was different.

It also had vampire blood, so it wasn’t judged as a demon.

That didn’t mean it fell into some ordinary hell.

Even within hell, it fell into the Eternal Hell—where the savage, strong, and dangerous were imprisoned.

But even there, it was special.

Fueled by hatred and resentment toward the one who had killed it, it cut down anyone who dared raise a hand against it—madly, again and again, over and over.

One day, even within the Eternal Hell, it began to reign as an object of terror and fear.

A being standing atop the mangled corpses of hundreds of hell’s denizens after sweeping through Sector 31 yet again.

A man with black skin, yet more beautiful than most women.

It was a perfect example of what Pureum Co., Ltd. loved to emphasize:

“Ares is fun because it flows in ways you can’t predict.”

It should have remained in the human realm—but now, with resentment toward the one who killed it, it had become an even greater powerhouse.

“Blacksmith Hyun...”

It chewed on the name of the one who killed it, day after day, and swore to itself.

That it would meet him again.

But because it knew that was impossible, its resentment and rage only kept growing.

And then—

The one Pureum Co., Ltd. had named P-41, because it was becoming the protagonist of a new episode, received a pull.

The call of a tower of unknown identity.

Watching P-41, Pureum Co., Ltd.’s regional branch heads were stunned.

“For P-41 of all things to appear... it’s unbelievable. P-41 was supposed to become a demon that leads prisoners, escape from there, and assault the human realm.”

At the US branch head’s words, Russia Branch Head Fun nodded.

“Yes. And the one Hyunsoo felt the greatest fear toward has become far stronger than before. This is a concerning situation.”

“Concerning.”

At that word, one branch head’s expression turned strange.

Their name was Lee Hwi.

China Branch Head Tao had recently stepped down from the position after taking responsibility for multiple Atlas-related matters.

The one who rose to replace Tao was Lee Hwi.

“Concerning... The existence Hyunsoo feared the most has become more terrifying than before. P-41—Grout—has become much stronger than he was.”

Lee Hwi watched Grout descend on the screen.

[Eternal Lord Grout Lv.532]

“But I don’t understand why you’re calling that ‘concerning.’”

Lee Hwi was a new branch head, but China’s branch power was considered second only to the US.

And frankly, Lee Hwi found it absurd.

“Why would it be concerning if a single user fails a tower climb?”

Lee Hwi gave the other branch heads a bitter smile.

“Or are you worried that user Hyunsoo will be so terrified he won’t be able to do anything?”

It was a situation where that could absolutely happen.

Demon Grout was the target of Hyunsoo’s greatest fear.

And now that fear had returned—stronger than before.

If it were Lee Hwi, Lee Hwi would have lost the will to fight.

But at those words, the branch heads made subtle expressions.

Those expressions were—

What is this bastard even talking about?

He’s motivated, but he doesn’t know a damn thing.

That exact kind of look.

Lee Sejin, who had been quietly watching, spoke short and sharp.

“We’re not idle enough to worry about a user’s failure. And Branch Head Lee Hwi, you still don’t know user Hyunsoo well enough.”

“I don’t know him?”

Branch Head Lee Hwi frowned.

And a few branch heads jerked their chins toward the screen.

Lee Hwi turned—then froze.

“H-He’s smiling!?”

There, watching Grout descend, was user Hyunsoo—glowing with joy.

*****

Hyunsoo recognized it the moment Hyunsoo saw the one being revealed.

[Eternal Lord Grout Lv.532]

Who the existence was—the one who had given Hyunsoo the greatest fear.

There was no denying it.

Back then, Hyunsoo had been helplessly weak—and in truth, it hadn’t even been Hyunsoo who killed him. It had been Hyunsoo’s friends.

And just looking at the level, Grout was stronger than before.

But Hyunsoo quickly calmed down—and realized this was an opportunity.

Hyunsoo looked back at Hyunsoo’s self.

While Grout grew stronger, had Hyunsoo stayed still?

No.

A Grand Lord.

One of the Ten Legendary Master Blacksmiths—Hyun.

The protagonist of Atlas.

Lamp.

I got stronger too.

Maybe the one who could finally resolve a question that had lingered for a long time was standing here now.

I’ll use you to check how much stronger I am than I was in the past.

Hyunsoo’s competitive spirit boiled up.