Chapter 210
CHAPTER 210
The abuse of authority by the administrators of the 675th Earth’s Black Tower.
Because of it, the monsters on the 89th and 90th floors were swapped.
To be honest, when the Supreme Demon Dragon appeared, things looked bleak.
I thought we were dead.
Especially when the trusted Magic Sword Warrior Gigant No. 2 was casually melted by its breath.
How were we supposed to kill that?
Our sub-summoned couldn’t even scratch a Sand Dragon back then.
But then—boom!
Sword Saint Descends.
At the same moment, the Supreme Demon Dragon was cleaved in half.
Administrators, you were shocked, weren’t you?
That’s why an error happened.
If you’ve fixed the error, hand over the rewards.
But before that, shouldn’t there be an apology?
None?
Petty bastards.
Fine. I’ll let it slide.
I’m a manly man.
But the rewards better be proper.
[Supreme Demon Dragon Helcrasus defeated 1/1]
[89th-floor mission completed.]
[Reward: Top-grade magic stones 100 kg]
One hundred kilos of top-grade magic stones.
“Tsk. No dragon heart?”
Well, whatever.
We basically already got it.
We hauled off the entire corpse of the Supreme Demon Dragon—
once we dissect it, the demon dragon’s heart will come out anyway.
[World Announcement: Supreme Demon Dragon Helcrasus has been annihilated.]
[In accordance with the contract, the monster of Black Tower Floor 89 will be replaced with Dragon-Tooth Soldiers.]
Hm?
So it’s not a copied replacement?
Diamat, who had experience with free contracts, explained.
“It depends on the contract. Sometimes they’re recycled as copied souls. Other times, they completely leave the Tower.”
Ah, I see.
“So soul recycling binds them to the Tower, which is why it’s usually avoided—even if it means a chance at revival later.”
Then repeat farming is out.
A one-time clear.
Ding!
[Achievement: First to defeat a Corrupted Ancient Dragon.]
As expected.
It’d be weird if no achievement popped.
[Achievement reward granted.]
This should be good.
[Item: Omnipotent Aether Conversion Stake Totem has been added to your inventory.]
What’s that?
I pulled it out of my inventory to check.
It looked like a dull metal stake—like one used to pin down a tent.
About that size too.
Let’s see the details.
Effect: When a specific energy is infused into the stake, omnipotent aether is converted into that energy. When driven into the ground, the selected energy activates and affects the surroundings.
Limitations: Must be driven into the ground to function. Once placed, it cannot be removed. Effective range is a 1-meter radius centered on the stake.
Special: There is no restriction on the type of energy that can be infused.
Hmm.
Seems pretty good.
When I explained it to the sub-summoned—
“A training stake.”
“Is it?”
Gwangma elaborated.
“If you infuse internal energy, it aids internal energy training.
Infuse mana, it aids magic training.
Infuse divine power, divine power increases.
Infuse cold, it becomes like a Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Crystal and aids ice arts.”
Ah!
An item that enhances specific energies.
That’s why the range is only one meter—
plant it somewhere and train right next to it.
This will help everyone grow.
We’ll decide later which energy to infuse.
And finally—
[World Announcement: Black Tower (Germany) Floor 89 cleared with EX rank.]
“EX?”
[EX Clear Reward: Platinum badges ×2 + 30, total 32 badges.]
Yes!
Thirty-two badges acquired.
Of course.
The clear was personally handled by our transcendent Sword Saint.
Naturally it’s EX rank.
“So EX rank gives an extra 30 platinum badges.”
Alright.
Shall we climb the 90th floor now?
How could I resist watching our vastly empowered sub-summoned in action?
If something dangerous happens—
it’s fine.
We still have the monkey hairs the Sword Saint left behind.
The administrators of the 675th Earth survived.
They were punished—but they lived.
The backlash for violating causality rules was immense.
A punishment that acted directly on the soul.
Exile would’ve been preferable—
the pain was unbearable.
They were pushed to the brink of soul collapse.
One step further and their souls would have been annihilated.
The aftereffects were severe.
Their soul ranks dropped, and their authority over Tower administration was stripped.
They could no longer design missions, interfere with rewards, or manipulate systems.
They could only observe.
And then—the summoner entered the 90th floor.
[He’s here.]
[He came.]
[He really came.]
[But there’s no transcendent with him.]
[He must’ve returned to his own world. They can’t stay long.]
[How arrogant. Trying to hunt a dragon without a transcendent—even if it’s not an Ancient Dragon…]
[Well, he wouldn’t have come if he thought he couldn’t win.]
[… ]
That’s right.
He must have found a way.
Did anyone really think he’d act without a plan?
He always played from above.
Always prepared.
It was the same on the 89th floor.
Who could’ve imagined he had an ultimate move like Transcendent Summoning?
That summoner is beyond our control now.
All we can do is hope he makes a mistake.
By the way—
[We’re still getting communication requests from the 1,001st Earth. What do we do?]
[Ignore them.]
[That was the plan.]
No information sharing.
They deserve to suffer the same way.
Damn it.
Why did he use transcendent summoning here?
He should’ve used it on his own world’s Tower.
Green Dragon Crackers’s mission was to protect nature—
to maintain balance and harmony between human civilization and the natural world.
If humanity destroyed the environment excessively, he was to intervene immediately and erase civilization.
That’s how it always went.
Dragons never acknowledge singularities.
Red Dragons suppress the evolution of fire in human civilization.
Silver Dragons prevent pollution of rivers, seas, and oceans.
Blue Dragons limit natural resources and usable energy.
Gold Dragons control the development of knowledge.
Any sign of progress, and they erase it entirely.
That’s why human worlds never change.
Even after tens of thousands of years, they remain nearly identical.
Honestly, it’s ridiculous.
Harmony and balance?
In truth, they’re just destroyers who crush human evolution under the excuse of balance.
Crackers hated that.
Even among dragons, he was considered an oddball.
So he decided to show them what real destruction was.
By destroying the forests and wildlife he was supposed to protect.
Not a guardian of nature, but its destroyer.
He burned forests on sight, dried up plants and animals.
Thus, the Green Dragon Crackers fell into corruption—
becoming a demon dragon.
He was branded a public enemy by dragonkind.
A dragon who rejects its given mission must be eliminated.
While being hunted by his own kind, Crackers met someone.
An administrator of the 675th Earth Black Tower.
A strange being.
He could perceive its form, but it had no substance—like an illusion spell.
The administrator presented a contract.
Accept it, and he’d be freed from this world.
If he wanted, he’d even be granted greater power.
Then the administrator explained.
The Black Tower.
What was that?
And Earth—apparently the name of a world,
with numbers attached to it, no less.
Anyway, the contract’s condition:
There was an obstacle to the world’s destruction.
A single human—one lone, short-lived human.
Kill him if they meet.
Crackers couldn’t refuse.
Whatever that human was, it was far better than fighting other dragons.
Contract duration: 100 years.
Extension possible.
But unilateral breach would incur a penalty.
The penalty?
A full-grown dragon’s power reduced to that of a hatchling.
Well, just don’t break it.
Crackers signed.
He waited on the 89th floor of the 675th Earth Black Tower for the player who might come.
Then suddenly—
a floor administrator reassignment.
The contracted Ancient Dragon Helcrasus moved down to the 89th floor,
and Crackers was moved up to the 90th.
Any downside?
None.
If the player died early, the contract would end faster.
Effortless.
How could a human possibly handle an Ancient Dragon?
So Crackers slept leisurely on the 90th floor,
thinking that once the contract ended, he’d leave the Tower and tour the ruined world.
Then—
Ding!
[World Announcement: …Rasus has been annihilated.]
“…What?”
On the 90th floor, deep in a mountain cave,
the Green Dragon Crackers lifted his head.
Did I hear that wrong?
Something was annihilated?
“… Helcrasus?”
No way.
Unless he committed suicide.
Why would a Supreme Demon Dragon die?
Impossible.
So Crackers went back to sleep.
But shortly after—
Ding!
[The player has entered Black Tower Floor 90.]
[Floor 90 mission has been generated.]
[Prevent the player from completing the mission—or grant the player death.]
“…What?”
Crackers’ eyes flew open.
The player entered?
How?
Crackers understood the Tower system well.
To reach Floor 90, Floor 89 must be cleared.
Which meant—
“Helcrasus really… d-died?
The Ancient Dragon? The Supreme One?”
Impossible.
How could that happen?
Crackers observed the human who had just entered using the Dragon’s Eye draconic spell.
Energy can be felt.
Not one.
Several.
“… Damn it!”
A body trembling violently.
At least six.
Those carrying overwhelming energy.
It’s them.
The ones who killed Helcrasus on the 89th floor and ascended to the 90th.
Who is Helcrasus?
An ancient dragon.
A highest-tier dragon possessing authority close to that of a god.
Meanwhile, he himself was a dragon who had only just become an adult.
Could he face those who killed an ancient dragon?
‘This is insane.’
After barely fleeing to another world to escape other dragons, only to die here.
‘What should I do?’
So Crackers did not move.
He didn’t even feel like moving.
Hiding here and waiting for time to pass was the best option.
[Entering the 90th floor of the German Black Tower.]
They finally reached the 90th floor.
What appeared before their eyes upon entry was a towering rocky mountain.
At first, they climbed another world’s Black Tower just to “take a bite,” but now, whether dipping or pouring, they could eat to their heart’s content.
Advance forward!
Ding!
A mission appears.
[89th Floor Mission: Defeat the Half-Devil Dragon, Half Evil Dragon Crackers.]
[Time Limit: Within 15 hours.]
[Completion Condition: Half Evil Dragon Crackers 0/1]
Huh?
“… Half-Devil Dragon?”
“So, a half-and-half dragon?”
“Half and half.”
“It’s half.”
“Half it is.”
“Only half a Devil Dragon…”
Mackenzie looked disappointed.
“Then the Dragon Heart must be half-and-half too.”
“Isn’t half-and-half good? Chicken is half-and-half too.”
“It’s awkward.”
Awkward?
“If it were a complete Devil Dragon’s heart, it could be used to make a magic sword, and if it were a pure Dragon Heart, it could be used as medicine, but this is…”
According to Mackenzie, if it’s going to rot, it should rot completely—something half-rotten is useless.
‘Is it really this hard to obtain a pure Dragon Heart?’
At least Devil Dragon Hearts and Undead Dragon Hearts were used to make equipment, but what use was a Sand Dragon or Half-whatever Dragon Heart?
“Let’s prepare for now.”
Still, let’s try hunting it.
A mission has appeared, after all.
Then Kosak approached quietly.
“Master Bong, Summoner sir,”
“Yes?”
“Shouldn’t you be wearing the Veil of Concealment?”
“Why?”
“We don’t know when or where the dragon might appear. For safety’s sake…”
He probably recalled the dangerous situation when Helcrasus was defeated.
“Come on, do I look like a coward?”
“No, it’s just that the weather’s chilly, and I thought you might want to put on a cloak.”
Is that so?
“… Honestly, it is a bit cold.”
“That’s right. And you’ve been exposed to cold due to that ice lump pseudo-summon. So you should put on the concealment veil in advance.”
That makes sense.
“… Everyone knows I’m not wearing this because I’m afraid of dragons, right? It’s because it’s cold.”
“Oh, of course I know that.”
Then Mackenzie chimed in.
“If you’re cold, this mage can use fire magic—”
“Oh, come on! Old man, can’t you read the room?”
“Tsk tsk, with such a dull head, how did you even reach the 9th circle?”
“Mages are even dumber than warriors.”
“Hoet!”
Anyway, he put on the Veil of Concealment.
And they waited for the dragon called Half Evil Dragon Crackers to appear.
For quite some time.
But it was quiet.
There wasn’t the slightest sign.
“Why isn’t it showing up?”
“Who knows. Maybe it got scared?”
“That would make sense. If it knows an ancient dragon was killed…”
Should they search for it themselves?
“I’ll go take a look.”
Mackenzie also raised his hand.
“This chief cameraman will enter that forest and broadcast live—”
“No. You said dragons are cunning. It could be a trap.”
At that moment!
“What about this?”
Strategist Kosak voiced an idea.
“What?”
“Let’s send a drone.”
A drone?
“Where would we get a drone?”
“I prepared some in advance. Just in case something like this happened.”
And then—
“Rajiks, dimensional butler, take out what I gave you before.”
“Hoeng!”
Rajiks pulled filming drones out of subspace.
“Oh my, how many are there? Mr. Kosak, you’re always so well-prepared. Hahaha!”
“Hehehe! Who do you think I am? Preparedness prevents calamity—Zhuge Zhaoyun, Kosak!”
In truth, his cameraman role had been taken by Mackenzie, so he had been striving desperately to reclaim that role.
That’s why he asked the former commissioner and obtained expensive military drones.
“They’ve got all the functions. Camera zoom, speakers, microphones.”
“Let’s send just one.”
“Yes, sir!”
Whirr!
Kosak skillfully piloted the drone using a controller with a screen.
“It shouldn’t be hard to find. Dragons are pretty big, right?”
Wiiing! Wiiiing!
The drone flew low, scouting the towering mountain peaks.
After a moment—
“I think I found it. Do you see a cave on the screen?”
“I see it.”
“That must be its lair.”
“Go inside the cave.”
“Yes, sir!”
Footage streamed from the drone.
A massive object appeared on the controller’s screen.
It was a dragon.
“It’s green.”
“Green.”
“Since it still has color, it really is a half Devil Dragon.”
“Gasp! It noticed the drone.”
“You’re right. It looks a bit startled.”
In an instant!
Boom!
The massive green dragon disappeared.
“Huh? Where did it go?”
Swish!
A green-haired human appeared on the screen instead.
“Polymorph.”
“It’s skilled in magic.”
Then suddenly, raising both hands—
– I surrender. Please spare me.
Huh?
“Did it just say surrender?”
“Yes.”
“So it really knows that the ancient dragon died.”
“It’s scared.”
Surrender.
If that’s the case?
The Dragon Heart wouldn’t be usable anyway.
“Should we accept it?”
“You mean defection?”
“Not a bad idea. These days, isn’t it trendy for every household to have a dragon?”
“That kind of trend exists?”
“A household emergency dragon.”
Alright.
Let’s persuade it.
Speaking into the drone’s microphone—
“If you want to live, request defection.”
– … De, defection?
The dragon’s voice came through the speaker.
“Yes. Defection. If you sincerely defect, we’ll spare you.”
Crackers didn’t hesitate.
– I will. I defect.
Ding!
[The 90th floor administrator, Half Evil Dragon Crackers, has requested defection to the player based on his granted free will.]
Oh?
“Accept defection request.”
[Initiating defection procedure for Half-Devil Dragon, Half Evil Dragon Crackers.]
[The contract between Crackers and the Tower Administrator has been annulled.]
[Based on the contract, the monsters on the 90th floor of the Black Tower are replaced with Dragon-Tooth Soldiers.]
[Crackers’ abilities are downgraded from Adult Dragon to Hatchling.]
[Branding the Mark of the Defector.]
Wow, didn’t expect to pick up a dragon like this.
Alive, too.