Chapter 9
Babylon:
“Have you guys ever wondered whether there are monsters on Floor 0 of the Tower?”
Think about it. Monsters are placed on every floor of the Tower—so do you really think there are none in the Polaris Kingdom? I think there are. What do you guys think?
└ Don’t know about monsters, but the residents there are monster-level.
└ LOL for real. The way they charge at Awakeners is basically monster-tier.
└ Yeah, true. They look at Awakeners like they’re goblins.
└ Isn’t that just because your face looks like a goblin?
└ LOL seriously
└ F*ck….
Jonghyuk smirked and left a comment.
Park Jonghyuk:
“People in the Polaris Kingdom wear armor made from goblin hide too, you know?”
“Well, I guess most Awakeners wouldn’t know.”
After finishing the comment, Jonghyuk tossed his phone onto the bed and stretched.
He had written it on impulse, but it wasn’t like anyone would seriously verify the facts anyway. Besides, there were already plenty of people in the Awakener Playground talking about Floor 0.
Even if he told the truth, they’d just mock him for making things up or pretending to know everything.
Knowing that well, Jonghyuk lay down without much thought.
“Let’s just sleep.”
He pushed his phone aside and pulled the blanket up to his chin, trying to fall asleep quickly for tomorrow.
Before long, steady breathing filled the dark room.
While Jonghyuk slept, replies to his comment were piling up rapidly in the Awakener community.
└ Bullsh*t LOL, did they tell you themselves they made it from goblin hide?
└ You probably tried talking to them like an idiot and they chased you to skin you alive LOL
Most responses were exactly what Jonghyuk expected—dismissive or mocking.
But among them, there was one:
└ Do you have any basis or proof?
Only Babylon was seriously waiting for his answer.
Crunch.
A woman with wavy red hair, Lee Soa, bit her nails as she stared at her monitor.
“Ugh, why isn’t there a reply?”
Lee Soa was active in the Awakener Playground under the name Babylon.
What interested her most was Floor 0 of the Tower.
Ever since she was young, she had admired fantasy worlds. To her, the Tower was a stage where she could make that dream come true.
Living in a fantasy world.
So every night, she prayed to become an Awakener.
Perhaps her earnest prayers were heard—on her 20th birthday, Lee Soa awakened.
Overjoyed, she had jumped in place and immediately entered Floor 0 of the Tower, her heart full of excitement.
And then…
She was kicked and pelted with stones by the Tower’s residents.
At the age of 20, for the first time in her life, Lee Soa thought she might be beaten to death.
But she didn’t give up.
If I become stronger, won’t the residents see me differently?
With that single thought, she stubbornly climbed the Tower. Clenching her teeth, she challenged it with a crappy skill she barely had.
Because of that, she obtained the combat skill [Heracles], along with several secondary skills.
She even cleared two uncharted floors and proudly rose to Rank 1 in Korea and Rank 8 in the world among Awakeners.
Thinking she was strong enough now, Lee Soa returned to Floor 0.
She was 22 at the time.
And for the second time in her life, she thought she might be beaten to death.
Still, no trial could break her.
While everyone else told her to give up, Lee Soa searched every possible way to conquer Floor 0.
One of those methods was the Awakener Playground.
Under the nickname Babylon, she gathered information and proposed hypotheses about Floor 0.
Then she found a comment:
Park Jonghyuk:
“People in the Polaris Kingdom wear armor made from goblin hide too, you know?”
The comment sounded so certain that she carefully reread it, then sent a message to the author.
This wasn’t the first time.
There were plenty of bluffers who wrote guesses as if they were facts.
Even knowing that, Lee Soa messaged every post about Floor 0—just in case someone truly knew something.
But all of them were liars.
Ask just a little deeper, and their lies would fall apart.
Even so, she didn’t give up. If someone seemed to know even a little about Floor 0, she would message them without hesitation.
“This one feels different…”
Recalling her earlier call with Lee Kangyeon, she kept sending messages—but there was no response.
The clock had just passed midnight.
Being a night owl, Lee Soa didn’t even consider that someone might be asleep at this hour.
“Ugh, just reply already!”
She slammed the keyboard and shouted at the monitor.
Emiel Lycan.
On a night with a full moon, she swung her sword tirelessly in an empty training ground.
Her feet moved swiftly and silently, like gliding across ice.
The sword she wielded—Ascent, passed down through the Lycan family—gave rise to the Lycan-style swordsmanship, beautiful enough to resemble a dance.
A blue aura gathered along the gently curving blade.
Whoosh!
At the tip of her swing, a blue sword energy resembling moonlight traced the same path as her steps.
Whoom!
The chaotic flow of sword strikes came to a halt with a final thrust.
Exhaling deeply, Emiel lowered her blade and looked quietly at the ground.
Her clothes were soaked with sweat, and her disheveled hair clung messily to her face.
Her body was exhausted—but she felt better than ever.
She had finally overcome the wall she longed to surpass.
Through that realization, her swordsmanship had become more refined and unpredictable, making her feel almost intoxicated.
“To think it was this simple.”
Everything had changed after entering the Tower with Jonghyuk.
In truth, it was thanks to his skill—like adding a single drop of water to an already full cup—but she didn’t realize that.
“…A demon that doesn’t feel repulsive.”
Muttering softly, Emiel thought of Jonghyuk.
Thinking of him made her feel strangely familiar with him.
Of course, she was grateful—he had helped her break through her limits.
But beyond gratitude, something else stirred within her.
She felt a strange closeness… and an urge to take care of him.
“This won’t do.”
She sheathed her sword and made a decision.
“I should go see him tomorrow.”
It wasn’t just because of those feelings.
Reaching a new level wasn’t the end.
If possible, she wanted to enter the Tower again and again.
Beyond one realm lay another, and beyond that, yet another.
The ultimate mastery of the sword—the peak of Lycan-style swordsmanship—had not even revealed a fragment to her yet.
To even brush against that fragment, she believed she needed to keep climbing the Tower.
“Who’s training at this hour? Oh—it’s the vice-captain.”
Lost in thought, she was approached by a tall man.
With a refreshing appearance, he was Luke Tilburg, the captain of the Agenbach Knights.
“Captain.”
She greeted him respectfully, but Luke waved it off.
“No need. No one’s watching—just be comfortable.”
Smiling lightly, Luke glanced at her waist.
“Ascent? You fixed it. Got your sword back? Then that guy must’ve overcome his slump.”
“No.”
“Hm?”
Gently running her hand along the hilt, Emiel gave a faint smile.
“I found a new master craftsman.”
“A new craftsman? Someone new reached that level? Etro? Or Bevil? I can’t think of anyone else.”
Luke speculated with interest, arms crossed, but Emiel shook her head.
“You may not believe it, but… it’s a demon.”
“A demon?”
Luke’s blue eyes widened.
“…A demon.”
A cold glint passed through his eyes.
After all, he knew very well what demons were like.
“Emiel,” he said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“You remember what happened ten years ago, right? It involved your family too.”
“Yes. The large-scale demon invasion… They didn’t cause major damage, but it showed they can resist.”
“They’re savage and unintelligent—but don’t let your guard down. Ten years ago, they even used tricks to reach the royal palace. Who knows what tricks they might’ve used on that sword.”
Emiel remained silent, looking at Ascent.
“That wouldn’t—”
“Emiel.”
Luke’s tone turned serious.
“The choice is yours, but don’t trust demons too much. You might be overlooking something important just because he repaired your sword.”
Thinking back, there were many odd points.
A sword that conveniently overcame its slump.
A “craftsman” who was too young.
Smooth hands for someone who supposedly used a hammer.
A body that had some muscle—but far from that of a true blacksmith.
Could it be… the real craftsman is protecting him?
Doubt began to grow.
“You look troubled.”
“…My apologies.”
A commander’s worried expression could lower troop morale.
She knew that well—but right now, she couldn’t hide it.
“You only need to act like a knight in front of your subordinates. Still, don’t trust demons too much.”
Luke patted her head reassuringly.
“…But that craftsman—no, that demon—didn’t give off any sense of disgust.”
“Hm, really? That’s interesting.”
Studying her expression, Luke thought to himself.
The vice-captain of the Agenbach Knights.
A rigid woman who valued principles above all, devoted only to the kingdom’s peace.
Her nickname:
The Iron-Blooded Matron.
And yet, she was shaken by just one demon.
Just what kind of demon is he?
A demon who didn’t evoke disgust—and might even be a master craftsman.
If true, he could be a great asset to the royal palace.
After all, master-level blacksmiths were always in short supply.
“Then how about inviting that demon to our knight order?”
Luke said it casually, with a playful smile.
“Pardon?”
“If he’s a craftsman, we should be the ones to recruit him. And if you say so, he can’t be a bad person. All for the sake of the Agenbach Knights.”
“In that case… inviting him wouldn’t be a bad idea. Your judgment would be more accurate than mine, Captain.”
“Good. Then let’s invite him during the Day of the War God.”
“Yes, sir.”
Emiel bowed deeply.
Watching her, Luke thought:
Whether he’s truly a craftsman—or just someone who’s fooled my vice-captain… I’ll find out myself.
His hand slowly rested on his sword.
And if he’s fooled her…
I’ll make sure he disappears without a trace.
