Chapter 328: Spirit Training (3)
Lee Hyun-seok, who was treating Yu Do-hoon with utmost seriousness, spoke cautiously to him.
“We’re not trying to tempt you into betrayal. We’re encouraging the normalization of an abnormal system.”
“……”
“Even if the reborn Public Safety Bureau ends up at odds with us—the Abyss—that doesn’t matter. What’s important is the Bureau itself.”
“Normalization of the Public Safety Bureau, huh… Are you really offering your support from the outside just for that?”
“Yes.”
“Who would believe that?”
“I believe sincerity gets through in the end. And you’d know better than anyone if I’m being sincere.”
Yu Do-hoon’s gaze deepened.
The covert coup within the Bureau was progressing steadily. There were many sympathizers.Of course, the more ears that heard, the greater the chance of failure, so they had stopped expanding their personnel.
Still lacking in power, the Abyss offering support could tip the balance in an instant.
Because they had to act even more cautiously during times like these, Yu Do-hoon and his faction had recently shown unusually strong cooperation with higher-ups.
No—in fact, they had even taken the initiative.
So much so that even the executives who once saw Yu Do-hoon as a thorn in their side were now pleased with his change.
Yu Do-hoon replied, “I’ll need more time to think. We have more to lose than you do.”
“Take all the time you need. I won’t pressure you. The decision is entirely yours, Yu Do-hoon.”
“……”
“It seems that email played quite a role in all this. I don’t know who sent it, but it carries weight.”
When Yu Do-hoon first contacted Lee Hyun-seok, he had mentioned the email as the reason.
To some, it might’ve sounded absurd, but it really had been the starting point.
Lee Hyun-seok had been surprised to hear it—he too had once been moved by a similar email.
If he hadn’t received that message through a secure channel, he might’ve been wandering the afterlife by now.
“I came today to address your doubts. There are no ears to hear or eyes to see us. Speak freely.”
Lee Hyun-seok spread his arms wide, making it clear he held no hostility toward Yu Do-hoon.
Of course, that wouldn’t erase deep suspicions, but he hoped at least a little sincerity would come through.
Lee Hyun-seok truly did wish for the normalization of the Public Safety Bureau.
Time passed.
Kang-hoo had now raised his Dark Energy to 655. It had been 530 before entering, so it had increased by 125!
He hadn’t encountered any monsters like the ghost tree or shadow sewer rats that granted huge amounts of Dark Energy.
But the steady buildup from smaller enemies he defeated along the way had added up nicely.
Dark Energy that was hard to gain even after a whole day roaming Ground Zero had accumulated well in the Tower of Avarice.
The growth efficiency was unmatched, and so Kang-hoo’s greed quickened his pace.
That eagerness nearly got him killed midway. He rushed ahead and almost triggered a trap.
The illusions born from Dark Energy had made a thousand-foot cliff appear like a flat road.
That was one of the core traits—and fatal flaws—of Dark Energy-based locations.
Because the energy itself thrived on confusion and deception, it was easy to misjudge or misperceive.
It wasn’t caused by a skill or some special trick—often the intruder’s own thoughts would be projected onto the space.
Like seeing a mirage of an oasis when dying of thirst in a desert…
The same applied to the tower.
The stronger Kang-hoo’s desire for Dark Energy monsters to help him advance and grow, the more phantoms he saw.
Since these were illusions created from his own greed and will, there was no way to counter them.
“We’re on the 3rd floor now, and the top floor is the 5th… It’s about time things started getting harder again.”
Kang-hoo paused and scanned his surroundings carefully.
Taking a moment to calm his emotions and observe again, the scene changed before his eyes.
The flowery meadow became a hill of corpses reeking of rot.
The nearby brook that had shimmered with clear water turned into a grotesque stream of blood and brain matter.
His subconscious and inner desire to find hope and light in the darkness had twisted reality.
Since he had come this far, Kang-hoo wanted to reach the 5th and final floor.
Of course, he could give up midway anytime.
If he gave up, he’d be ejected from the tower and barred from reentering for a week.
But if he successfully conquered the final floor, that restriction would be reduced to two days—a sort of reward.
Moreover, he could attempt the tower again after a successful run. Though, the difficulty would drastically increase.
To put it simply, the Tower of the Dark Sanctuary allowed for infinite challenge attempts—as long as you had the time.
The only thing lacking was time… and your life.
The greatest fear was dying here meant dying for real, and reattempting would cost precious time.
At that moment…
【From beginning to end—your calm, calculated moves and sound strategy... I really like it.】
The usually silent constellation, Cataclysm – Darkness, suddenly praised Kang-hoo.
Perhaps because of the clarity in the delivery, every compliment struck precisely at its mark.
“It’s been a while, my lord constellation.”
【Indeed. I’ve been watching quietly, but I wanted to chime in this time.】
【I feel the same. Contractor, your greatest strength is the number of skills you possess.
I believe Dimension Plunderer found the perfect partner in you.】
Seeker of Pure Darkness added his voice.
Since Kang-hoo was in the Dark Sanctuary, their home turf, they probably felt more at ease.
In fact, they were directly speaking to him through the tower.
That meant, if necessary, they could block out eavesdropping from other constellations outside the Sanctuary.
For instance, ones like Angel of the Battlefield from the Hall of Radiance, or even the neutral Dimension Plunderer.
With that degree of secrecy guaranteed, they could speak more freely than usual.
However, it seemed Seeker of Pure Darkness hadn’t filtered his words—because Dimension Plunderer responded.
【Exactly. I’m always so proud. I’ve never been disappointed in my contractor for a single moment. He’s just that good.】
Though unseen…
Kang-hoo imagined Dimension Plunderer somewhere in the Great Celestial War, hands on her hips, smiling with pride.
It was just his imagination of her.
Whether it was true or not, he didn’t mind. He quite liked the lingering air of mystery it left behind.
There had been several battles in the meantime, and Kang-hoo had farmed enough Dark Energy to raise it to 685.
Spiritual Energy Training was a concept separate from levels and experience points, so his level hadn’t changed.
But the fact that it allowed him to grow hidden stats that couldn’t be obtained in normal dungeons made it top-tier.
As he repeated battles followed by rest and movement, Kang-hoo began to question the tower’s existence.
‘In the original work, the towers of the Dark Sanctuary weren’t accessible to Jang Si-hwan. He only had a similar experience.’
It was true that Jang Si-hwan had used Dark Energy, but not with this kind of deep connection to the Dark Sanctuary.
So, he had only known the basic layout and information of the tower—he’d never been allowed to enter.
Even though the Seeker of Pure Darkness had been his main constellation, his fourth perk was different.
But now, Kang-hoo had not only been granted access to the tower, he was receiving intense interest from the constellations.
Clearly, he was being treated differently from Jang Si-hwan. Somewhere along the way, things had diverged.
For Kang-hoo, who desired growth, this tower was obviously a gift—a generous space full of opportunities and growth.
But then why would the constellations of the Dark Sanctuary, known for their malevolent nature, create a place like this?
‘The tower isn’t made for the constellations. Their realm is the Dark Sanctuary of the Great Celestial War. This place is thoroughly designed for the contractor’s sake alone. There’s no other purpose.’
The intent was clear.
So then why would the constellations of the Dark Sanctuary need a tower like this? Could it be that they were also aware of the Demon King’s existence?
And if they were aware, was this whole process part of a larger proxy war?
If so, why!
Why didn’t they tell him—or any other hunter—about the Demon King?
‘This is insane. The fact that pieces of a world I created are being formed without my knowledge.’
Kang-hoo grimaced bitterly.
He had anticipated this kind of future from the moment he possessed Shin Kang-hoo’s body.
Even as the original author, the creator of this world, he hadn’t planned out every detail.
The problem was, upon possessing this world, those blanks had solidified into reality within the domains of the unconscious and unpredictable.
While the unconscious domain could occasionally be tapped by retracing thoughts, and offered small clues…
The realm of unpredictability was different.
Since it was filled in without any prior planning, even Kang-hoo had no way of predicting or measuring it.
‘It boils down to two possibilities. Either the order of the Great Celestial War prohibits any mention of the Demon King… or even the constellations of the Dark Sanctuary can only speculate about his existence.’
If there’s a common thread, it’s uncertainty. They probably don’t know anything for sure either.
Even back then, the Wind of God constellation gave vague signs—the outline of the Demon King had already been sketched.
In other words, the Demon King absolutely exists.
And even now, his sinister grasp is surely devouring Jang Si-hwan’s life piece by piece.
Then—
【Heukran】
【Middle Boss Monster】
An entity that had remained unseen due to the ongoing black sandstorm finally revealed itself.
Its name was Heukran.
The system’s convenient prompt confirming it as a middle boss monster proved it had a clear purpose for appearing.
It was a humanoid female monster, resembling a martial artist clad in black robes.
【Dark Energy obtainable: 50】
That was no small reward.
He briefly considered using the “Creed of the Underworld King” to triple the reward, but held back, since the main boss still awaited.
The main boss would surely provide more Dark Energy than Heukran, so now wasn’t the time to use his triple bonus.
【Trait: If hit by Heukran’s special ability ‘Plunder (奪取)’, your stats will be gradually stolen over time.】
“This won’t be easy.”
Kang-hoo bit his lip hard.
Fifty Dark Energy was a huge reward, but if he lost stats due to Plunder while trying to get it…
There would be no greater loss.
To ensure a favorable trade-off, Heukran’s approach had to be blocked at all costs. No exceptions.
The next moment—
【Heukran has caused all the flowers of ruin to bloom across the land.】
An ominous system message filled Kang-hoo’s view.
It was clearly the activation of a unique pattern belonging to Heukran—a classic “pattern-type monster.”
To Kang-hoo, who was exploring this area for the first time, it was an unknown and unfamiliar pattern sequence.
And just then—
Fssht!
Heukran, who had been standing directly in front of Kang-hoo, vanished without a trace.
At the same time, she used one of the blooming flowers of ruin as a point to instantly relocate.
Though the distance was over 200 meters, the movement happened in the blink of an eye—like teleportation.
“The real problem is that I have to fight with this stone knife…”
Kang-hoo gave a hollow laugh as he looked down at the stone blade that had finally started to feel comfortable in his hand.
Thinking of the finely honed dagger Heukran wielded, he couldn’t help but sigh—it felt like he was wielding a bronze-age relic.